Making a difficult game about fitting in - Acerola Jam 0

[@ellestuff]

"since i obviously don't have the rights to use this undertale sound" most of the instruments in undertale are soundfonts taken from games like earthbound (mostly earthbound), don't worry about it

[@jesscodes]

Cool, didn’t know that! Guess my assumption was wrong, but I still would’ve made my own regardless :)

[@neothepenguin1257]

@@jesscodesToby Fox has spoken about it, I’d look it up!!

[@grandeflem]

i'll add that many sounds in earthbound itself are samples from existing songs, which i think contributes a lot to the game's aesthetic

[@prcervi]

the almighty power of remixing

[@billnye8760]

toby fox has even helped alpharad (a youtuber who uses an undertale song for sponsorships) by telling him "all of the compositions for the songs are online and all the sounds are public domain so you can tell the sponsors you made this version yourself"

[@iceblade02]

Gnorms walk into gnest - look at each other. A moment passes, then everyone transforms into monsters. Turns out that nobody is gnormal and everyone is an aberration just trying to fit in.

[@juicymoose8968]

This was the beautiful ending I was hoping to see

[@chaoticallyliving4221]

They then realize they have nothing to hide from each other, and become best friends in search of other aberrations and/or create a sanctuary

[@alextheumbreon1363]

gnobody*

[@cappuchino_creations]

There is a book about exactly this. Dunno the Title but it's about humans infiltrating a community of aliens, who behave very weird. Twist is, everyone's just an infiltrator at that point and Aliens are all gone.

[@_.rainydays._]

gnobody

[@Acerola_t]

we all really loved your game! Thanks for such an awesome submission

[@jesscodes]

Oh hey Acerola! That makes me very happy to hear, and thank you for hosting!!

[@baerrach]

@@jesscodes Now you can fanboi! I wondered if you'd seen Acerola's shader videos.

[@CassyCodes]

This game is so beautiful and cute. It's too bad you couldn't export to the web, but who could resist downloading such an adorable game. I can't believe how polished it is, from the level design down to the music, in just 2 weeks. I admire you!

[@onerealmmapping]

It's a cute game

[@flare376v]

Very cute :3

[@tymikaseawood2596]

Very Very cute! :3 :) 👍

[@zacharyjefferies9965]

"well, at least, it was meant to be placeholder art, but I was never felt the need to change them, so they stayed" -every game jammer ever

[@itsallur3]

As a musician, the section where you talked about synths was so charming and well done! it really made me so happy to see a game dev getting so excited about the same things that consume my day to day.

[@ethandaniel1424]

As a musician, I was a big fan of the 7/4 times

[@sparkfrog777]

As a math nerd it was also interesting to learn more about how it’s actually applied in synthesizers knowing that in reality, it’s all sine waves!

[@caenieve]

​@@ethandaniel1424 I noticed that too!! One of my favourite time signatures behind 7/8

[@neonmidnights]

My favorite part about this video is not how creative you are, or how well presented it is. My favorite part is the fact you take the time to explain how you do all these different things. As someone relatively new to Godot and game design in general, I learned SO MUCH from a video I thought was just going to be entertainment!

[@krevetka9744]

Other developers: Here I'm using an outline shader. Me: Here I'm drawing 8 "blank" copies of the character on the background slightly shifted in every direction to achieve an outline.

[@HTacianas]

The virgin outline vs the Chad quantum superposition

[@user-vw4xp5nt9f]

since this is pixel art, i was confused why she didnt just draw an outline lol

[@Pocccomaxa]

That what shader kinda does under the hood, just with a little bit more complicated under the hood.

[@lynethebat]

@@user-vw4xp5nt9fEXACTLY LOL

[@frogonthoughts]

@@Pocccomaxa which is faster though?

[@lilythearcticfox]

There are three things that look really hard: -Coding -Editing -Taxes I'm impressed when someone can do *one*, let alone two! Or even three-!!!

[@jbritain]

This is one of the most comprehensive and polished devlogs I think I've seen, and the game mechanic (which initially seemed to me like it would be pretty boring) actually makes for a really cool game!

[@Geoplex]

with the way things are rn for creatives, seeing someone make something entirely of their own creative ability is so refreshing and cool. I love that you even made the soundtrack yourself, just a delightful project. and well done on the top 5!

[@bbernyy64]

hey wait I listen to your music you make good music didn't expect to see you here

[@Geoplex]

@@bbernyy64 heck yeah :D (thank you

[@bbernyy64]

@@Geoplex omg you responded!!! I've been trying to produce music myself too for the last year, and you're one of the ppl that inspire me to do so!!! Tysm

[@Lindo-]

You made ocean of stars! Still my favourite liquid DnB track till this day and it's been 11 years! I am really surprised to see you here. May I ask what brought you to a Godot devlog?

[@Geoplex]

@@Lindo- Oh that's amazing! Thank you

[@vice-cent6639]

im glad the monster wasn't evil but just wanted to fit in, makes me weirdly emotional but it could just be the nurodivergent in me relating to the poor fella, the game looks great! ill maybe give it a go soon :D

[@TGTKgaming]

Yeah the gnorms are definitely ableists- as soon as someone steps out of line, they draw out swords!

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

Relatable. :(.

[@Мракочёрт-и8й]

That's not in anyway novel or original. At this point in media it would be unexpected if monster was actually a monster.

[@julialungan4722]

​@@Мракочёрт-и8й okay, but nobody said its a stunning new plot twist that nobody has ever thought of before. Everyone said they liked it and you decided to just throw your opinion in a mildly related place

[@caramelcream8569]

@user-yn6kw5dl8k "monster trying to fit in that is actually a monster" is literally the plot of Among us bro😭 monsters are still used regularly. (That was even the original plot of this game...)

[@voidspooks6372]

It does hurt my heart that the default assumption to somone trying to fit in's motivations is that they are a monster. A small thing that seems so simple to some but is seriously so telling of how people are viewed irl if they dont fit in.

[@josh___something]

In a way, it does kind of resonate to folks who DO feel like they're out of place. Especially since the monster really doesn't harbor any ill-intent, just curiosity.

[@steelwasp9375]

If it helps (not?), my default assumption/generic impression for someone trying to fit in is a poor sucka. Like what other guy said, no doubt many of those "trying to fit in" view themselves as monsters. Maybe not literally, but they must think that they are lacking in some regard. Victimizing themselves trying to fit in, what are they if not poor suckers who didn't realize they're powerful yet.

[@SAMayonaise]

What you’re saying does make sense, but I don’t think it applies in this context considering the word aberration has a negative connotation so like, Yknow it wasn’t really an assumption, it was made to fit the theme, also the monster she’s made seems relatively harmless. Valid, what you’re saying, just don’t think the context of this video fits it 😅

[@honkstheclown8631]

The game is arguably very sympathetic towards the monster. The gnorms are depicted as immediately violent when faced with a difference, and the ultimate goal of the monster is to just stay with the gnorms. I think the use of monsters to depict the "other" can be examined, but in this context it feels like a rather relatable way to depict someone who feels they cannot fit in to a restrictive society but wants to anyway.

[@steelwasp9375]

It's very annoying to still receive reply updates for a thread where my reply is shadowbanned/not allowed, in the first place. KZbin, AI, what the heck?

[@keantoken6433]

One of the levels should be everyone walking into a cave, gates slam shut, and then everyone just walks around randomly. You lose if you follow someone, walk in a straight line, or stand in place too long.

[@B-man69]

People who don’t know the level would be like: WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

[@DreamtaleEnjoyer]

Unfortunately I feel like that would go against literally all of the lore lol

[@LullyBeetles]

OMG YEAH!!!

[@keantoken6433]

@@DreamtaleEnjoyer Well that's what the gates are for, so they can be disorderly for a while to get it out of their system without infecting anyone else. Safely contained...

[@MirnazAli15]

That and you have to secretly turn into monster and eat a guy to pass the level without being seen.

[@Respectable_Username]

Ah, a masking simulator! /jk The game looks super cute, and I think that music will be stuck in my head the rest of the day. Good job!

[@TheGhostiestHatRack]

Lol I genuinely thought it was gonna be about masking

[@douglasstuffie]

Trying to act as the gneurotypicals do

[@sonicSnap]

@@douglasstuffie giggled a little too hard at this

[@theveganduolingobird7349]

AUTISTIC TRAINING

[@Drekromancer]

@@douglasstuffie I'm going to be giggling about this for weeks

[@gabrieloviedocasanas4977]

As an inspiring indie game developer your video served as both a source of inspiration and a wake up call towards my goal, the way you presented each step, explained many of the crucial terminology, reutilized and implement every feature as you went along... This was possibly one of the best videos I could've possibly come across at this stage of my life. Thank you.

[@GreenTruckGames]

Top 5 is amazing! Also casually writing your own chiptune is a total flex. 😎

[@LullyBeetles]

huge flex. I work with lil tunes and I haven't uploaded any, but making your own is such a huge flex.

[@kauri_chr]

The first thing I thought of when I read the title was "that's just society"

[@TheMasonX23]

That's incredible, I can totally see why it ranked so high though! Congrats on top 5 and for making such a cute and unique game, it's super well thought out and polished, especially considering the time crunch! So glad I was subscribed to your channel to see this, thank you for sharing your process!

[@KXC42069]

For anyone that wants something similar with multiplayer, Hidden in Plain Sight does an incredible job!

[@ooodman]

This is beautifully cozy content where I learned a lot of stuff while also listening in awe of the breadth of your skills as a game dev. I especially loved the mini synth lesson and the final result was just *chef's kiss*. I personally would love a full video on the topic if you would be willing to make one :)

[@lexer_]

Apart from the great game and the amazing placement I must say these videos just feel properly polished as well. I really hope this channel attracts the attention it deserves despite just having a few videos so far.

[@EMLtheViewer]

This is great. It has also given me a very interesting idea for another game based around “fitting in” though done so differently, which I will add to my growing list or game ideas I may never get around to acting on. I appreciate the insights from this video, and I also appreciate the use of Godot, which deserves as much attention as it can get.

[@Yeetings]

For some reason this video in particular makes me really excited about game design lol. I love every aspect of how this video was made.

[@JacksHQ]

Wow, I really like how you cover the material. You spend just long enough on each part, showing the interesting parts, and even teaching small tidbits that you learned during the process, while not spending too long on them. As someone with ADHD I was able to stay focused and follow along without zoning out or getting bored. That's honestly really impressive.

[@radomus]

Underrated game dev, climb to the top you creative bastard!

[@memeherouwu]

This video not only entertained me so much, but also (19:06) i learned soo many things i need to create in godot

[@jesusmijares8614]

Honestly, this concept can be expanded a LOT, Good Game

[@squigglesdev]

Congrats Jess! After trying out your submission on the day it firmly solidified the fact that mine had no hope 😅. Truly a very well made, polished, cute game. I would love to be even half as good as you are at game dev!

[@akitaropiquet7580]

your storytelling & coding skills are amazing! thanks for your video, can't wait to see how your main project goes

[@SeanStClair-cr9jl]

Dude!!! Your video / editing quality is next-level and you have a knack for game jams

[@creatingwithac]

As someone new to Godot and currently working on my own game, I learned a lot from this! The game looks to good and polished!

[@SylvarinRose]

This is fascinating to me. I have no idea how to code (though I'm trying to learn) and I've always wanted to create my own video game. Of course, these are just dreams for me, but I loved getting to see this come to life! It makes this feel a bit more real for me. Thank you for making this video!!

[@mediocreatbest1269]

I love how you don’t just explain what you did but you also show the block of code that got you what you wanted. It’s super helpful for newbies like myself to get a grasp of what logic goes behind things I desire to create. Thank you for this and I hope to see more of these! :)

[@CreatorOfThings]

Well done for making it to top 5!🎉 Your game idea sounds really fun and I really like how you also explain some parts about game-making stuff. I’m definitely subscribing if I do ever want to go into programming! (I still cannot get over how funny gnorms are. Gnorms, the Gnest, Enorms.)

[@rindallbroxmitten]

12:41 Thank you for sharing this. I found the whole pausing of a game also very daunting and tried to get around it, but it's way easier than I thought. And thanks to you I didn't have to do the research. Thanks! :D The game is also very nice. Congrats with getting in the top 5!

[@AltamishM]

I love this ^^, Looks like such a well-rounded project. Excellent work! Thanks for sharing - can't wait to play through it soon.

[@victorfunnyman]

sfxr is so great I already generated a whole lot of things I use in my 8bit music, thanks for the widespread sharing!

[@DanPos]

This was such a great video, the game looks amazing, really enjoyed the editing on the devlog too! I would die for the gnorms

[@TheLordOfTheDoorHinges]

10:55 - 11:13 sounds like something from Outer Wilds and now that I remember Outer Wilds exists again I will go cry because of how beautiful Outer Wilds is

[@Zizaco]

Congratz! This was indeed one of the most creative and well executed jam entries.

[@PM74rake]

Basically the point of this game is my life if I never remembered I could make changes.

[@flamingo4080]

i've always had trouble coming up with simple, polished ideas like these for the game jams I participate in. the way you developed the idea throughout development really opened my mind

[@whaley5593]

That melody’s gonna be stuck in my head for a while :) Great video!

[@pixelpastiche]

Actually one of the best Game Jam Videos I have ever seen!

[@heterotardigrada]

This was so engaging! I intended to just let the video play in the background as I worked on other things, but I kept sitting down in front of my computer because the game visuals (and the direction of the video) were so charming. I feel like the fact that A Gnormal Journey still made it to the top 5 (despite being download-only) really attests to the quality of the game.

[@weamibrahim2146]

This is just so satisfying. The devlog was very comprehensive and detailed without being boring. Keep up the good work, Jess!

[@OperatorDire]

This is actually great, as someone who is looking into doing some game jam stuff this video is amazing since it explains a lot while keeping a lot for me to look into for myself. Thank You.

[@pawejasinski101]

As a game designer with 11 years of experience, I really liked both your project and how you presented it in the video. Amazing work! I hope you'll make more games in the future ^^

[@Zettabit7]

Wow what a solid jam game. The visuals, the music, the concept, all great. Congrats on top 5! Looks like it was well deserved.

[@plutofifteen]

I like how the theme is in 7/4, that rly caught me off guard lol

[@celine4016]

Those parts about the synthesizers sounds just like my tinnitus 👍

[@benjasaldias]

You explained everything so well!! Amazing video c:

[@jrosser8630]

AMAZING work on this!! Blown away by the creativity and diligent execution! Have downloaded the game and had a play and I love it!! And this video is the cherry on top, fab work Jess you've gained a sub!! :))

[@Kaioga55]

I finally found my channel- love how you planned all of this out and how you narrated your process! Honestly a masterpiece of video. Going to use it as a resource for my videogame design workshop!

[@RegahP]

this was an absolute delight. i love your artstyle, your approaches, i relate a lot more to your level of expertise with things, than to other gamedevs, which i do enjoy, but can sometimes just be on a level that i don't understand and it can be a bit of a bummer (sebastian lague goes on a 2 week tangent about advanced trigonometry and calculus and i get so lost lmao) i hope you do more projects. your work is great

[@WarriorZaya]

super cool. love the editing and little animations u did for the video, too!

[@H3_remix]

I love seeing things like this that make me realize I’m over complicating everything. I really love the minimalist aesthetic and simplicity of the gameplay loop. I started with the intent of building small projects that devolved into building a roguelite that I’ve worked on for several months now. I believe I need to start attempting game jams to give myself some time crunch because this was wildly inspiring. Thanks for the upload. Love the content and especially the music on this game specifically.

[@upta]

Another phenomenal video and a lovely game. You never cease to impress!

[@goofyaxe]

I cannot describe how much i like this game. The main gimmick is so simple, but ive never seen any game having it. The characters are super cute, and the graphics overall are awesome. def subscribing

[@MrOnosa]

I'm participating in my first solo game jam later this month. This was very helpful! Your timeline was great. You left plenty of time for testing and polishing. I need to do that for sure. Thank you for making this video!

[@reeddacted]

very cool :3 glad you decided to make a process video!

[@LabGecko]

You really do have a genius level of teaching translation. The ability to take your hard-earned knowledge, distill it to the important points, and explain those points clearly (like the amazing explanation + graphic at 2:31) is extremely rare. Thanks for all your contribution, and I hope you continue! Subbed.

[@danteroush7916]

I had a big smile on my face this entire video! The music, the editing, the writing, PERFECT! I loved how approachable you made the whole process seem. Thank you for sharing this adorable game and this excellent video!

[@kenozakesy2372]

I love this. Well done

[@zavitak]

You are so kind to have explained all in detail and to have left everything in the description. It's good for noobies like me.

[@Jasonsumm]

Ahh Jess strikes again! This is a super great video, great insight to your gamedev process. Amazing idea and well executed, some handy nuggests of info in there too! Love it!

[@neilsluman8267]

For "not an expert" I think you nailed the synth. Really has that classic C64 vibe about it.

[@Pocccomaxa]

As a big corpo game developer, it's so refreshing to see design changes based on the smallest tests and incidents on the way. I'm always stuck during developing my own small projects with assets, and it's so cool to see how you effortlessly produce such great style!

[@puzzlinggamedev]

I love this idea, it has an enormous possibility space for design! I hope you explore it further.

[@AidanBlume]

That game is pure fire. SO COOL.

[@ullu221]

What a great video! I really appreciate you going into details in each part of the game instead of just saying what you made and move on. Keep it up please!🎉

[@windbluete291]

that game seems so cool!

[@KeifferAustin167]

Both the game and this video are very well made, congrats on your placement in the game jam! its well deserved! Seeing the back end of your development is really amazing, and I love how much of the process you are willing to share and teach. Very inspirational and creative!

[@LeeAnnC]

This reminds me so much of nintendo's rhythm heaven! From the countdown till the the controls are handed to you to the idea of fitting it with everyone else. If you've never played before i highly recommend the game. The songs slap and it's a ton of fun

[@towhee3400]

This was super cute and fun to watch! As someone just getting into game development as a hobby, watching this was actually super informative as well, and the way you explained + edited everything together was very easy to understand. Thank you! ❤

[@notoriousresearcher]

This was fascinating, thanks so much for sharing your process in so much detail!

[@Meow712]

this entire video is so well made, it showcases your creative process while also providing just the right amount of insight for any skill level, all while being fun and informative. I'm definitely going to make an attempt at sneaking into some gnests!

[@Canyon_Lark]

I lovvvve the fast vibrato on the synth sound it's so cute especially with the melody

[@ao_nesnes9052]

I finished the game in 18 minutes :D it was great fun ! Feels very polished, and I absolutely love the soundtrack! Also, I think the pixelart is really nice and just super cute. I had the most difficulty with the level where you feed the Egnorms, because when you pick up the sap at the end, your character is slightly slower than the other gnorms, so I kept getting left behind T.T, but felt great when I finally did it! Well done on all accounts!

[@nimki7389]

Man i love this video and everything in it,, the way you explain things and the journey cheered me up on a bad day so...THANK YOU

[@btimbyindy]

Absolutely amazed at your creativity. Great work, thanks for sharing.

[@mymo_in_Bb]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE that you made the music be in 7/4! It's such a beautiful and rhythmically expressive time signature, and your tune just sounds so great!

[@FlibblyPibbles]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video, well explained and learned some things for myself. Subscribed, keep up the great content :)

[@FlibblyPibbles]

I'm an idiot.. I was already subscribed.

[@megi4447]

How come you only have 10K subscribers? This game is awesome! The video is well-made too, and the character and music design is just so good! You did a very good job!

[@Oceane1803]

I mean 10k with only three videos is more than any of us could ever hope to achieve.

[@megi4447]

​@@Oceane1803 Oh, only 3? Then it proves that you are one of the "chosen ones" :)

[@Oceane1803]

@@megi4447 What no, not me. Her.

[@flamshiz]

this looked so charming! I'm impressed how much you were able to get done. i could never

[@frab8061]

This is such a cute game. You can be really proud you managed to pull this off in just 2 weeks! It was really nice following you on your journey through the video to make that game.

[@jamie_dev]

This video was worth the wait! thanks jess!! amazing as always

[@orestes_io]

So much personality! Loved the idea, the tenacity and the result. Kudos

[@ilovebeansprouts2600]

as an aspiring game dev (and synth fan!!) this was super informative and a calming watch :) glad your game made it to the top 5, i look forward to seeing what else you make!

[@SlinkySmith59]

played it just now and gotta say alot of fun! it's a bit hard to keep track of the character near the end and it's a bit hard to keep him on track (which I guess is probably the point) but yeah i loved it!

[@JoeJoeTater]

One additional level I would have made: There's a second abgnorm (impostor) in the line. In the early levels, if you step out of line, the second abgnorm will fail to attack you. Once the gnorms have killed you, they notice the second abgnorm and attack it too. In a later level, the second abgnorm is scripted to step out of line and you must attack it. If you fail to do so, you get attacked. Of course, there is no third abgnorm that appears in the subsequent levels. (... or is there? You'd never know.) Also, I think it was a mistake to make the player's abgnorm visually distinct. This game is an obvious metaphor for social masking, and one of the long term harms of social masking is a loss of sense-of-self. So, the player losing track of their character actually fits the theme really well. Also also, if you haven't played INSIDE (developed by Playdead), you absolutely should! It shares a lot of spirit, themes, and mechanics with your game!

[@anteshell]

10:07 A small correction: All of those waveforms are made from sinewaves. When disassembling any sound to its components, they are all sinewaves. Or in reverse, you can make any sound in existence using only sinewaves by layering them on top of each others and changing the amplitude and phase of individual sinewaves.

[@v0id_d3m0n]

love it! what a cool idea and amazing execution, expecially for 2 weeks. Also thanks for explaining your process in such detail!

[@Baekstrom]

What a delightful little game! I'm amazed that you put it together in such a short time.

[@neptuneisthebestfr]

THIS IS SO ADORABLE. OMG. Your games are....just wow! I love the concept!

[@billy_dot_exe4824]

damn! the game looks amazing and has a cozy vibe, the fact that you managed to make it in 2 weeks is something exceptional and somehow very inspiring for me as a beginner wish you all the best for you main game!

[@RelatvityUnset]

The way you went about making such an addictive soundtrack looks so easy. Well done!

[@row6666]

seeing the thumbnail made me think of the gnorp apologue, you did well

[@gaslitgames]

Quit game? - Yes - Gnope