So I’ve decided to attempt this mini-LD, even though the last two main LDs I’ve taken part in, I’ve been unable to finish ( LD5 and LD11 )

Hopefully, this time due to it being a miniLD, the rules aren’t completely strict so that if something crops up, I’ll be able to finish it just slightly later.
I’m completely mad for doing this with the amount of work I have going just now, but my concept is quite simple, and so is my art!

So, without further ado, I give you my concept graphics:

Looking somewhat like “Steg the Slug” rejects, these little guys love climbing around things.
They can stick to walls pretty well and clamber over 45 degree inclines, but as our little red friend in the top right shows – they can’t do 90 degrees.

The colours are important too… but I’ll explain that a bit later once I have something running!

I’ll be using my SGZEngine again, as I did for GeVolve for LD11.. though no adding whole new renderers this time, which should allow me to actually finish it!

OK, with 33 hours remaining, hamburger’s finally going to start thinking about getting started.

“Advancing wall of doom” is a pretty morbid theme, guys. I feel compelled to make a game about the original wall of doom, that one that is advancing upon us all – death, of course!

I picture myself on my deathbed, waves in my head slowly shrinking to whispers, then nothing. I have a little bit of energy left in me, but not enough to run the whole machine of my body. Should I focus it in my eyes, to see my loved ones around me? Or in my ears, to hear what they’re saying? Or in my hands, to feel when they hold them? Or should I focus all my energy inside my head, to keep those waves alive?

Is this a game? I hope so. I’m going to try to run with it. If you have any suggestions, please make them.

I’ve finally settled with a concept:

Help the Wall of Doom destroy the city! Some bold villagers will try to evacuate so it’s your job to stop them with uplink cannons and TD towers. Pretty morbid, lets see how it turns out.

So.. finally got an idea I feel like running with on this theme:

First, the mockup!

(Click image to view larger)

Anyway.. the simple concept is you are controlling a fleet of the last ships of your race.  You are fleeing your planet as an alien armada of doom approaches.  You will be able to move your fleet up/down/left/right and there will also be a key that lets you toggle the density/pattern of your fleet.  Think of it as able to expand or contract.

You will move through the armada avoiding colliding with capital ships and what will surely be horrendous energy weapons fire as they attempt to anihilate your race.

You must get a least ONE of your ships through the armada to win.  The more ships you get through the larger your bonus at the end for saving a larger gene pool of your race…

Simple idea, hopefully the scope will be one of which I can get a fun, playable game out of before the deadline is up…

…sleep. Though before that I felt like doing a little drawing to get the subconscious primed on the theme before sleep.  Here’s a quick 3 minute sketch of a possible doomy world:

This is the concept for my game, BLDR. You basically have to build roads to guide things from somewhere to somewhere else. With obstacles, and not running over your people.

I think I found a concept I like. I’m currently calling it “Pillar”, as in a pillar/tower, and caterpillar. Here’s some concept art.

A character composed of blocks, that acquires new blocks as he moves. The controls I haven’t figured out entirely, but at the very least I think it’ll be based around the idea of picking a block on the character as a pivot point, and rotating him.  Probably constanly moving, walking in to walls, until told to turn around (or automatic after a few seconds).

As blocks are collected, they become part of him, evolving in to Tetris like shapes and beyond. The rotating mechanic is your ability to get to new heights, and cross gaps. Physics wise, I think it’ll be entirely axis aligned, since it’ll be far too easy to make shapes that couldn’t normally keep balance.  Legs would sprout wherever needed, purely for look cohesiveness.  Face always moves to the front middle of the shape.  Perhaps tails and other things sprout if a shape deems it.

My only concern at this point is trying to figure out, level design wise, why you wouldn’t want to always create a long piece.