[SA Game Jam 2019] Super Natural Rafting

StarGazer

Link to the game: https://eminencegrise.itch.io/sa-game-jam-2019-super-natural-rafting

Hello and welcome to our Game Jam 2019 game!

A bit of context and the creative process:
We are entering into the Student Category for the 6PM on Monday, 23 September 2019 Submission (54 hours). This game was also submitted for the Comic Con Africa Game Jam, the theme of which was "super natural crafting". The result is and endless runner called "Super Natural Rafting". "Super natural" referring to the contrasting images of nature and a twist on the word "crafting" with "rafting". The visuals consist of cut out and collaged stock images, with the intention of looking like everything was cut out of magazines and "crafted" by hand.

Developed by: Blake Denham, Victoria Bench and Jonathan Taylor from Wits Digital Art.

Song: Happy Gypsy by Max H (Retrieved from: https://artlist.io/)

Video of the game:

sasukekunata

The game so far looks really intense!
I like it a lot, particularly the waves that keep coming really adds to the game feel
Keen to see where the game goes

Ross

I got past a bridge!
For real this is awesome. It reminds me of The Flame in the Flood except somehow more satisfying? I love the whole aesthetic.

One thing that's a bit frustrating is you can set yourself up for failure before you can predict what the next turn will be like, Colliding with the river bank sucks when you feel like you have done everything you could have to prevent it (I may just be bad though) Maybe a way to change your horizontal speed or slow yourself down could help this?

Also, I just want to say this game is really well-scoped and it makes me happy.

watman

This was lots of fun and a really creative aesthetic, although it is a tenuous link to the competition theme. I like that even the clouds are moving and you didn't forget about that.

- Since this is an endless runner people want to get back in immediately - when you hit "Restart" you should launch right into the next game, not be stuck on a timed instruction screen.
- I like that the music just keeps going into a new game and doesn't restart. Also, in any other context it would be a really annoying piece of music but here it complements the game well and I like it.
- Having said that, you need a mute button because some people are going to hate it.
- Sometimes the game generates corners that seem impossibly tight. If they are traversable then I agree with @Ross. Maybe I need to turn slightly earlier but the visuals obscure what's coming, which makes me hesitate to do that. I played enough, though, to think they may not be traversable. Other times the graphics hadn't yet appeared to indicate that the next turn would be sharp so I didn't have enough time to turn.
- The grass slope doesn't sit on/in the water on the popup line (and beyond) the way the other textures do.
- It has a very North American feel, which is just an observation, not a judgement. However, you could improve it by adjusting it to feel more like it is set in Africa (and add some black people).
- I like the rainbow acting as a very subtle visual and auditory waypoint.
- I was hoping for more secrets beyond the bridge but there don't seem to be any.

Really good job. I think this should be showcased at Playtopia. If you aren't picked in this competition please submit the game for consideration yourselves.

fcortese

The art style is very unique and interesting, but on the other hand the controls feel slow and not responsive. Whilst it is evident that the aim was to make the player almost feel the resistance of the water while trying to turn, in some places I believe the character controls are too slow compared to the speed of the environment. This is especially true around very tight corners and when the level generates too far from the player at the start of the level.
Other than that, very nice and original game with a very interesting art style.

GiGGa

This is an incredibly pretty game! I love the aesthetic and relaxing music that accompanies it.

Easy to understand, but still challenging (in an addictive way). The rainbows were a nice touch and I'd like to see more "rewards" like that once getting past the bridge. Most of my other suggestions have already been mentioned (there's always that one impossible angle...). CRafting did feel like a bit of a stretch to reach the theme but the "crafted" visuals did make up for it a little. Maybe the player could collect raft parts to craft a better raft over time?

Despite wanting a little more, I still felt like this was a very complete and polished game. Very well done!

blanket

I love the art style!

I got caught a little off guard the first time round as I was experimenting with the motion controls and suddenly this mass of land jumped up. Eek! Heh, after a few tries I got the hang of moving about comfortably though.

I do feel like sometimes you are doomed to smashing into an outcrop if you've taken a corner too wide as the controls can feel a little sluggish at times.

Perhaps one thing to try out - if you're so inclined - is to up the stakes after a certain goalpost (whether communicated or not) - such as after crossing 3 bridges, or reaching 500, to increase the speed (perhaps also increasing the tempo of the music - would definitely add to the intensity and edge). I feel like that would keep me more invested in coming back but it would have to also become more responsive I guess.

After having gotten the hang of the it all, most of the accidents came from me getting drawn away from the task at hand by trying to figure out what the grey cutouts were (I thought they were soldiers, they're people fishing, right?)

Anywho, again, great work with the art and I think it ties in nicely to the music.

greatheightsaudio

Really cool vibe on this! It makes you feel good.

I was thinking maybe it could start off a bit easier in the beginning and progress from there. Unless the controls aren't working as responsively on my machine.