Press Z to frog. Go do frog stuff.
This is now a complete game and solvable. It'll tell you when it's over.
Puzzle games are meant to have solid mechanics, so unless a frog starts floating, you're probably not actually stuck and it's probably not a bug.
Puzzle mechanics are coming along nicely. It should be solvable soon.
And.. Finished. Enjoy.
Now it's just a question of whether anyone else can fully solve it without further instruction, or just me since I made it... You can't control anything anymore when it ends (for real), of course.
A clearer in-game indication that it's over would be cool - I was pretty sure I'd finished, but without knowing that I couldn't have been sure it wasn't just a bug. Anyway I was able to solve the puzzle without too much difficulty, so I wouldn't worry about that.
That was adorable.
I wasn't sure what to do until I remembered "Press Z to frog"
ribbit/10 would play again
Alright. I added a fade-out and "( The End )" sign, so now you can be sure when it's over.
I may have broken something...
Spoiler:
But to where I am, I loved every moment of it.
I have no idea how that could possibly happen in the current version. I swear I fixed it.
Regardless, I just uploaded another new version that should make it even more not-breakable. Hopefully. There's so much wacky physics stuff to deal with...
I loved the ending, and I like that there is not a lot of explanation, you just have to explore your possibility space.
Really enjoyed this. I liked all of the neat visual details, like the ball rolling and the light from the streetlamps.
yes. this was just what I needed today. thank you. beautiful little game and felt good to finally finish a game for once.
Just so good. Thanks JTE
ps: who is the message addressed to? do you have a child? (we're expecting our first in Feb 2016)
Nice message with hope and love inside. What do you need more in today's world? Thanks JTE.
Greetings from France
Wonderful mood. Streetlights were my favorite part. Also the party made me smile, with frogs everywhere!
I love how the stormy sea rages, clouds rolling. A lot of tiny details add to the experience!
matt
| Just so good. Thanks JTE
ps: who is the message addressed to? do you have a child? (we're expecting our first in Feb 2016) |
Now that the competition's out of the way (and I don't have to worry about small excerpts of my personal life affecting the view and ratings of the art itself so much) I can answer this. ...
For the last 3 (nearly 4?) years or so, I had a girlfriend named Sophia. She lived in another country, far away from here, but she made sure we spent time together every single day. We watched cartoons together, we voice chatted, we talked and laughed and shared ideals and dreams. It wasn't always perfect, of course, but we're only human.
On the night of July 1st, 2015 she said goodnight to me. When I woke up again, she had committed suicide, intentionally jumping in front of a train in her local area, a massive hurtling brick of metal. Quick, messy, and no chance of survival or recovery. In the dark of one particular night, with her loved ones sound asleep, thinking nothing was amiss... She felt alone, and had no one to turn to.
But she was known, and cared about. She had a big online family, right there, watching her, depending on her. She had friends, relationships, gaming teams. A big personality that lent itself to a wealth of wonderful experiences she shared with so many people. When her computer broke down, RockPaperShotgun pooled together donations and sent her a badass custom giraffe box with way more power than she needed to play any videogame she liked. We did everything we could for her. ... We were right there, with her...
...
We loved her.
Now that, that was some months ago now. I guess some part of me is still struggling to cope with it. There are so many funny links on the Internet I've been collecting, going "Oh! Sophia would like this, I should share it with her the next time we meet." That.. That habit has nowhere to go, now. I'm full of so many thoughts and feelings that will never be satisfied.
So I put it in the form of a game.
dddaaannn
| Ah, croak. I get it. :P |
zep
| So cosy until I accidentally stabbed myself in the eye. |
JTE
| Oh dear. It seems I've committed zeppuku. |
An earlier version of this game had a cruel "joke" built into it. I hadn't yet written the mechanics required to escape the room. So you were alone, trapped, and helpless, able only to bash your head against the door endlessly, or in some versions, temporarily "escape" out the window (which was still a dead end).
There were two buttons. "Press Z to ribbit. Press X to croak." Were the user to press Z, they would make frog noises as normal. But press X and... The sound cuts out. Your frog pulls a full size katana out of nowhere. Flips it up into the air, and lets it come down right through its own tiny little head, slashing through it gorishly and becoming stuck in the ground.
The rain sound fades back in, leaving your bloody corpse to set the mood. Time passes. The rain continues endlessly. The game doesn't stop or tell you its finished, you simply cannot continue. That's what happens... When you choose to "croak", rather than calling out and waiting patiently for someone else's hard work and dedication to change the state of your world and allow you an exit.
We had plans... Things were going to change in just a couple of months, she was getting a roommate that was able to give her the physical attention she needed and it looked like she was getting better.
My own state in life is looking pretty abysmal at the moment, as well. I'm unemployed and have no source of income at all, so I actually came to Pico-8 looking for a way to make a cute little videogame or two I could sell for some money to keep me from becoming homeless. It seems the Pico-8 is too little for that, though... so... Some part of me was also writing all that up for myself. To remind myself.
Now that you know the state of everything behind it... I'll ask you again.
| I'm so sorry about all that happened, and I wish I could give you my full support when you would like it. I am also, however, very happy to know that someone used PICO-8 as a method of copping with their problems in a unique manner. |
Thank you so much for giving us this cartridge to experience.
I love this game. You have managed to capture so much in such a small space. Your story is very moving. I can empathise, and yes, I do understand. Trust me that you will heal in time, and that is not a bad thing, although it may sometimes feel that way. Take care of yourself.
Cute little game. I included it in my Pico-8 Jam #1 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHEiGl10Aw8
Awww. You pushed the ball a little while you were figuring out the controls and then didn't realize you could push it more. XD Too bad...
Every GIF I see about the game is practically a spoiler for how to solve the only puzzle in it. X_x;
This is a wonderful game.
It is rare and important for us to be reminded that each act of creation, even a little game about frogs, can have a deep and meaningful story behind it.
Thank you for making this game and sharing your story with us. :)
Thank you so much JTE, for the game and for the truth behind it. It wasn't what I expected, or imagined, but thanks for sharing. Take care of yourself and count me as somebody you can reach out to if you ever need to. 100%.
As soon as there's an easy way to run PICO8 iOS you'll be able to make some cash from this wonderful thing.
Until then, you could get a jump start and try picolove + love2d on iOS?
Peace and love
Thanks a lot JTE <3 thanks for that message i love u <3 reminded me of smth THANKS A LOT :')
SEE, ZEP? PICO-8 LITERALLY MAKES PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TRAPPED IN A ROOM THAT'S TOO SMALL
im sorry that joke was in bad taste
Updated with a title screen and tiny credit blurb on the end screen. Also touched up the street lamps a little, those were always bugging me.
Your game was excellent. Please continue to make more. ribbet
you should have "don't forget i'm with you in the dark" play at the end
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