[SA Game Jam 2019] Geomorph

Project name: Geomorph
Entry type: Hobbyist
Team size: Solo
Jam time: 48 hours

In Geomorph, you play as a geometric shape that can absorb other shapes to add to your geometry.

For example:
Triangle + Triangle = Hexagon.
Octagon - Triangle = Pentagon etc.

Black shapes will add to your shape and white shapes will subtract from your shape.

If you add up to 0, it's game over.

Greater than, less than, or equal to filters sweeping through the level will require you to morph into the correct shape in order to not be obliterated.

If things get too hectic take advantage of shape specific super powers to turn the odds in your favour.
- Tesselate turns all geometry in the vicinity into triangles.
- Invert others inverts all black geometry into white geometry and vice versa.
- Invert self inverts your colour.
- Bullet time slows down time so that you can make more a calculated decision.
- etc.
Thanked by 1dammit

Comments

  • Very interesting! Keen to see what it looks like in action.
  • Here is the link to my entry:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1utyNznKDu_7ZTBn5uACN6VYtDuxpDHQx

    Includes builds for WINDOWS and MAC

    How to play:
    - WASD or Arrow keys to move.
    - Space to use perk.

    General Rules:
    - Shape of opposite colour subtracts from your shape
    -> Hexagon - Triangle = Triangle
    - Shape of the same colour adds to your shape
    -> Septagon + Triangle = Decagon etc.
    - If you shape exeeds decagon it wraps around and it becomes
    the inverse colour minus the remaining corners
    -> Black septagon + Black pentagon = White Octagon.
    - If your shape is reduced to less than a triangle it's game over.
    -> Triangle - Triangle = 0 = Game Over
    -> Pentagon - Square = 1 = Game Over
    -> Pentagon - Triangle = 2 = Game Over
    - Geometry filter moves across the screen periodically.
    You have to meet the requirements to not be destroyed.
    - Passing through the g eometry filter adds to your multiplier.
    - Your multiplier gives you an extra chance when you don't match
    the geometry filter, but you lose your multiplier.

    Perks
    - Each shape has a perk associated with it.
    -> Triangle / Tessalate = Turns all other shapes into Triangles
    -> Square / Extrovert = Inverses the colours of other shapes
    -> Pentagon / Cycle = Adds on to each other shape
    -> Hexagon / Mitosis = Other shapes that can split, split int smaller shapes
    -> Septagon / Introvert = Inverses player shape colour
    -> Octagon / Randomize = Completely randomizes all other shapes
    -> Nonagon / Burst = All shapes explode, giving you points
    -> Decagon / Delay = Delays the movement of the geometry filter
  • edited
    Geomorph in action
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  • I love this game.
    It feels good and looks gorgeous.

    There are just sooo many rules to remember.
    Would love to see a game mode that starts easy and gets progressively harder.
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Very cool, it took a while to understand the mechanics, but thanks to your readme it eventually stuck. This is an interesting mechanic that keeps you thinking. Your art and audio are also well suited to the theme. I'm not sure if the difficulty increases as you play more? I'd recommend adding that as a mechanic if you take the project further.

    Well done!
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • @Enthused_Dragon and Gnoblar_agency thanks for the kind words and feedback.

    The difficulty is definitely something that could use some work and balancing. Currently there is a speed increase based on your multiplier, which is not enough.

    Some of the geometry filters are harder than others to pass, so I think gradually introducing the harder filters would make the game more fun to play.
  • It's a really pretty game - I think the colours, the pace and the music all go together really nicely to make quite a calming exploration feeling. I could definitely see this on mobile as a time passer and something schools might be interested in for maths class and recognizing shapes.

    I think I struggled to understand the perks. I thought these would be implemented visually. So for example, the Tessalate = Turns all other shapes into Triangles ... I thought this would visually turn everything into triangles so you could keep up. I got very confused.

    I think also playing on a small screen made it hard to always count the sides - I'm clearly not good at recognising my shapes! Maybe you need to put a number in the centre to show how many sides you currently have so that it's easier to solve? Maybe that can be toggled on and off as a difficulty feature?
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • dammit said:
    Maybe you need to put a number in the centre to show how many sides you currently have so that it's easier to solve? Maybe that can be toggled on and off as a difficulty feature?
    I had the same idea, just forgot to mention it.
    Would help in getting to grips with the game.

    Lots of fun though.
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Was thinking the same thing as the previous person, knowing how many sides especially since the objects are rotating can get confusing and the perks had one too many layer on a already pretty difficult game, movement restriction and some impossible situations can occur I think, but still, it's quite a neat idea that plays fairly well, looks polished, I could see this as a fun little casual phone game or something :)
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Super fun! It's got a bit of a Geometry Dash feel to it which is really fun and a little bit addictive too :P

    It would be nice to have a number somewhere to tell you the amount of sides a shape has? As you get further to a check point it got a bit panicky, which is maybe not a bad thing, but because I couldn't count quick enough and read the rule and avoid other shapes, it got a little confusing.

    I think this was already mentioned, but it would be nice to see how the perks effect the shapes visually or even have a perk indicator on your own shape or somewhere on the screen so that you can plan how to use that perk instead of trying to remember what it does.

    I think the rule that you can past through check points without dying if you have a multiplier could have been communicated visually. A lot of the time I would pass through a check point and wonder why I didn't lose.

    There's a lot to focus on and remember during the game, I think a lot of this can be fixed with some simple visualizations closer to your shape itself.

    Overall a fantastic game that has a lot of potential for future development! Well done! :)
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Interesting concept and very fun and quirky art style. It takes me back to my Geometry Dash days but without the panic attacks XD.

    I don't know if I'm just not playing the game right or not but there are a lot of times where the maths doesn't work out and I die for example by adding a pentagon to a triangle. That should (according to the rules) make me a Octagon right? Sometimes that happens and then I just die. And not just that combo, it happens with a lot of different combos.

    I definitely think that an indicator of how many sides your shape has would be a huge help, especially in the beginning. I think it would be better if you told the player what they require for the next wall as soon as they get through one as, in the current game, you can essentially sit AFK until the next wall appears on your screen to give you info.

    Overall an interesting game with a lot of potential.
    Good job
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Really cool music!! Love the art style too . I just wish you added a little more indication as what to do.

    It also sort of fits the theme as u craft yourself to be different shapes , i wish i knew what the perks did too and what shape ill change into next or why they are black and white .

    So in saying this id say to improve 1 you could add an objective or small tutorial in the game. 2 you could add a way of telling what youll change into next or if youll die . 3 give some discription of wwhat the perks do.
    thanks for letting me play your game.

    here is a video review :
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • edited
    Fun game, lovely visuals and great music

    I would totally play this on a phone to pass time.

    The number of sides my shape has is hard to keep track of so you could either have the white shapes be outlined by black and the black shapes be outlined by white to try and emphasize the number of sides with out putting in any UI by using contrast or you could have an icon somewhere that is the shape you are with the number inside it telling you the number of sides you have for extra clarity.

    I barely use the spacebar extra abilities but maybe if I play the game more than I would use them more often as i get used to them. What the abilities do is hard to keep track of even after reading what they do in the instructions. Instead of words like "Tessalate" next to your perk you could have looping sprites that show of what the abilities do. Like the tessalate sprite would be a Hexagon constatly changing into a triangle with animation then cut back into the hexagon without animation or Mitosis would be a looping sprite of a one Shape splitting into 2.

    The barriers/filters are very spaced out and the game could be a little faster since i spend a lot of time idle in between filters not really doing anything but avoiding the other shapes till i see the requirements for a barrier. OR You could have mini-filters that take up only half of what the normal filters take up in screen space (they cover the bottom-half of the screen or the top-half) everywhere so players move around a lot more in-between normal filters and either avoid said mini-filters or change shape and go through them till they reach the normal filter which will force them to change shape.

    Sprite Ideas for the different perks cuz i have too much free time:

    Tessalate = Hexagon constatly changing into a triangle with animation then cut back into the hexagon without animation
    Extrovert = Many shapes changing color constantly
    Cycle = similar to tessalate but adds a side
    Mitosis = one Shape splitting into 2
    introvert = One shape changing color
    Randomize = shape turning into a Question mark
    Burst = an exploding shape.
    Delay = K, i have no idea maybe a a rotating shape that gradually slows down?
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • I really love the aesthetic and the music and the controls are smooth. I'd love to see this game developed further. It definitely needs a series of introductory levels, however, because there is too much to learn and the barrier to entry is too high.

    - I agree with pretty much everything others have said here, especially @dammit's suggestion of a number in the centre of all the items.
    - This is theoretically a chill game but it get so stressful every time a barrier comes up and you find you suddenly have to scramble to figure out 1) what you have to do 2) what the maths is 3) what around you can help you and if you then still have to count it's impossible.
    - It's frustrating not to be able to figure out how to do the barrier requirement in time. Are there always objects on the screen that will allow you to meet the condition? Sometimes I've felt as if there is no way to meet a specific number, for example.
    - The fact that you are affecting the multiplier needs to be made more visible.
    - I also find myself not really doing anything between barriers. I know you're supposed to be grabbing things for points but because you don't know when the next barrier is coming you tend to leave everything on screen because you don't know what you'll need and you don't want a barrier coming up and then there's nothing to use to craft your state.
    - The burst sound effect is too loud.
    - If you hit the space bar on "try again" it activates the current perk with a really loud sound effect.
    - Sometimes I seem to touch shapes even when I thought I hadn't. Are the hit boxes a bit bigger than the shapes?
    - I don't really use the perks because I can't remember what most of them do. @TrulyInsane's ideas are a good start.

    I hope you'll keep going on this game.

    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • If I saw somebody playing this on their phones, I wouldn't be surprised. It looks and sounds great and after mastering the art of shape combining I managed to make some progress.

    Most of the stuff I was going to comment on has already been said (main ones being number indicators for side counts and perks seem to louder sound effects than the rest of the game).

    Very impressive!
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • I was super stoked watching this gem come to life in person!
    Only one thing i could recommend would be to maybe add a slight indicator of some sort on the player and other geometric shapes, eg a number that could have its opacity toned down.
    Other than that it really is a beautiful and fun little game that has an extremely well polished feel to it!
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • I really enjoyed the game and the sound effects that were added in made the game even better. I feel as though the game needed a few more instructions but I also feel as though the lack of info added to the gameplay.
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Smart idea, and a really solid entry, especially for a solo dev! I love it when a game is well-scoped for a jam, and it was executed flawlessly. The music was incredible, and the art was super clean and made the experience really enjoyable. My only gripes are the fact that it's hard to know how many sides your shape's at, I often find myself sitting there and counting the sides to make sure I can pass through a '=9' barrier (unless this was intended?). Also, the power-up sound was super loud haha, and controls felt a bit floaty. Besides that, this game could easily become a really cool mobile game, reminds me of Super Hexagon.
    Thanked by 1donderbos
  • Thanks for the Mac build! <3

    - The game looks and sounds great, so very well polished!
    - The animation between blobs are a nice touch
    - While on animations, would be nice if the death explosion particles aren't attached to the player still. This is a verry very minor gripe :p
    - The gameplay is VERY confusing though - counting the number of sides is very annoying.
    - Add to that the perks, which are unclear unless you memorise them from the text here, and it's even more confusing... I actually still can't really tell if black adds and white subtracts. In theory, this should be easy - black adds, so avoid white ones until you know you have a goal to hit. But then you have to worry about if the right/wrong perk is active. And count your sides. All these tasks are not fun decision making tasks. If the game presents the information in a simpler way (showing the number you are on, showing the active "powerup" - or more like modification in a clearer way, e.g. actually showing the different colour, or showing triangles, etc), then the player can do the more interesting tasks like figuring out the numbers they must hit and manoeuvring. The fun challenge is working things out, not constantly struggling with internalising changing rulesets.
    - The hitboxes seem too big. Also would be nice to be able to see more clearly which thing you hit - e.g. Sometimes I can't tell whether a gate or a shape killed me. Would be nice to know.
  • Please let me know if you're based in CT, JHB or where?
  • I found this so satisfying!

    I especially liked the glowing colours, glitchy sound effects and theme music :)
  • Pros:
    -This game is pretty great for the short amount of time that we had to work on it.
    -The smooth controls are really great, and the music and colour really brings the game together.
    -The animations when colliding with other objects were incredibly smooth
    -Overall look of the game is cool

    Cons
    -Gameplay was a bit confusing at first, and i wasn't entirely sure about the perk effects

    Overall, I really enjoyed playing this game!
  • Fengol said:
    Please let me know if you're based in CT, JHB or where?
    I’m based in Durban

  • Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the feedback. I’m definitely taking everything into consideration as I’m attempting to get Geomorph out on Android and iOS before the end of the year.
    Thanked by 2MrKlvtch dammit
  • edited
    I've made some updates to Geomorph!
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LYdfFb7O0fUALmOojq_WCNAyJykkYH_B

    Recap of the rules and introduction to new rules
    (since there aren't any instructions in the game yet)
    • Collecting shapes of the same colour as your shape, adds to your shape (triangle + triangle = hexagon etc.)
    • Collecting shapes of the opposite colour to your shape subtracts to your shape (octagon - triangle = pentagon etc.)
    • Adding up to 0 destroys your shape (you can now be a point and a line too)
    • Your shape will only add up to an octagon. (no more wrap-around to white, since it was a bit confusing)
    • Collecting static shapes that are different from your shape destroys you.
    • Collecting static shapes that are the same as your shape destroys the static shape and adds to your score multiplier.
    • Geometry filters will cross the screen periodically and you have to be the right shape to pass them.
    • Geometry filters destroy you, unless you have a multiplier, in which case you lose your multiplier.
    • Perks will be replaced by a simpler power-up system.

    For a more detailed look at what I have done and what I am still planning to do, there is now a Trello board for Geomorph too:
    https://trello.com/b/u2kWkRw2/geomorph

    Any feedback will be greatly appreciated

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    Thanked by 1watman
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