[closed] Umbra... Now available on Steam

It's finally been Greenlit! Thank you for your interest and support, I'll keep pushing updates as the work has now only just begun!

Umbra on Greenlight

Here's the latest (first) trailer....

Youtube HD

Steam Greenlight Concept.

Looking great

Thanks —

Just for interest's sake, it's being made using the stock Physics plugin. So far, so good (thanks to Ruskul for helping me out with a quick code amendment to allow me to add kinematic bodies, should the need arise).

The reception on Steam Greenlight Concepts and FB indie devs has been rather cold (and a tad hostile from some) because of the game's appearance. It seems that any game using physics puzzles and silhouettes will instantly be compared (with 'clone' accusations abounding) to Limbo... I'm having a good think about whether or not to invest the next few months of my time trying to make this work as a full-up game, or just put it down to learning.... The snag is that using silhouettes allows me to get away with much more simple graphics than I would otherwise have to use; even the animated character is full of limb-position crimes that you can't see because it's all black. I also like the visual appearance the silhouette gives... Meh...

Colludium

Yes i read the comments. I didnt make the comparison myself because frankly it doesnt matter whether or not it looks like another game . I really like that style and have a number of them in my Stream collection. As for whether you should invest more time depends on whether you do this to make a living. If its a hobby with potential to make some money then stuff the naysayers and make what you like

Of course people are entitled to their opinions and feedback can be very useful, however it's also worth remembering that some people are just mouth breathing pond life

The reception on Steam Greenlight Concepts and FB indie devs has been rather cold (and a tad hostile from some) because of the game's appearance. It seems that any game using physics puzzles and silhouettes will instantly be compared (with 'clone' accusations abounding) to Limbo... I'm having a good think about whether or not to invest the next few months of my time trying to make this work as a full-up game, or just put it down to learning.... The snag is that using silhouettes allows me to get away with much more simple graphics than I would otherwise have to use; even the animated character is full of limb-position crimes that you can't see because it's all black. I also like the visual appearance the silhouette gives... Meh...

Throughout the process of making a game, I often find it useful to write down problems and questions, then find solutions.

Here are some examples.

Problem: My game is being compared to Limbo.

Questions:

1. What made Limbo special?

2. What makes my game special?

3. What can I do to make my game stand out?

Problem: I'm not sure if the silhouette style is being well received.

Questions:

1. What can I do to improve how it looks without changing styles?

2. Is the background style complimentary to the foreground?

3. Can I use this style to add interesting game mechanics or features?

4. Can this style enable me to do things I could otherwise not do?

5. Is this the best choice for my game?

Problem: I'm not sure if I have the motivation for this.

Questions:

1. Was I motivated when I started? Why?

2. Can I keep motivation until the end?

3. If I am not motivated, why?

4. Why would I want to finish this?

5. Why would I want to abandon this?

6. What is keeping me from finishing it, and how can I overcome it?

Well, anyway, you get the idea. I do this all the time. Looking at each problem objectively can often lead to new ideas or solutions. It can also help you determine if this is a good project to finish or not. If you keep running into problems you can't solve, it may be best to start fresh. Otherwise, keep going!

Of course people are entitled to their opinions and feedback can be very useful, however it's also worth remembering that some people are just mouth breathing pond life

Thank you, spongehammer, for your support. I do this as a hobby so (thankfully) my family aren't reliant on my success... Your description of some of these people was quite refreshing - thanks!!

DrewMelton - thank you as well for your sound advice.

So, the quest continues (for the time-being, at least)....

Impressive work so far Colludium, I'm also having a go at a physics platformer-puzzler in c2.

[quote:1glbjvxn]It seems that any game using physics puzzles and silhouettes will instantly be compared (with 'clone' accusations abounding) to Limbo

My approach to visuals is to just forget about them for now, & use simple placeholder art until I get the mechanics & level design working & playtested by as many people i can find. Something will hopefully suggest itself later.

[quote:1glbjvxn] I'm having a good think about whether or not to invest the next few months of my time trying to make this work as a full-up game, or just put it down to learning

Playtest it, it's the only way to know if your game has potential. I'm finding irc to be the best place for that, & i'm usually idling in the c2 chatroom if you need testing, plus the ludum dare chat is also great for design & coding feedback.

mattb - thank you. You're quite right, of course, I should not let myself become distracted by the theme / color scheme. The problem I have to contend with is my design philosophy because I like to tinker with the graphics and effects as I build the game up... which is why I've ended up where I am with a silhouette character running around in scenes of evolving art-type. I'll keep thinking about it but won't let it hinder my progress. Thanks as well for the offer of testing - I may well call on you when I have a couple of completed levels worthy of testing, to make sure I'm not missing something important. Cheers.

Looks good to me. Rough, but I like where you are going. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile">

Gameplay is always more important than visuals, though visuals are possibly more important for a smaller developer that is trying to catch people's attention. I like the 'Limbo Aesthetic', and I've seen a number of other games take it and run with it and do something interesting and different. For example, Badlands:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... land&hl=en

Anyway, good luck with this. Most of all: have fun. If you don't have fun making your game, how will anyone have fun playing it? <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink">

TiAm, thanks mate. And you make a very good point about making sure the game is fun - both to play and to make. Badlands looks excellent - any idea what engine was used?

Cocos-2DX. Yes, Badlands runs amazingly well even on my android, which isn't that powerful. Here's a little article (not very in depth):

http://www.cocos2d-x.org/news/254

The product of a week's work... When I started this I was convinced that it would be impossible to do rope climbs / descents. Well, yet again, c2 has proven to be my friend rather than my enemy. This was achieved via lots of trial and error - and it's still not complete (I want the player to be able to climb up off the top of the rope...) but I'm quite pleased with the mechanics so far.

Hey that looks great, well done.