Making a difficult game about fitting in - Acerola Jam 0

I did a game jam! This video showcases my entry, A Gnormal Journey, for Acerola Jam 0. It was a competition where we had 2 weeks to make a game based on the theme: “Aberration”. I started with a multiplayer idea but the game ended up evolving into something completely different. I go into quite a bit of technical detail too, so I hope someone out there learns something.
Huge thank you to Acerola and the judges for organising this amazing event!
And shoutout to my brother & my partner for playtesting
Link to game (available for mac, windows & linux): jess-hammer.itch.io/a-gnormal...
Link to the music I made: • A Gnormal Journey - So...
Link to results stream: • Acerola Jam 0 TOP 10 R...
Link to sound effects tool: sfxr.me/
I also tried using Motion Canvas for some of the animations in this video - it is one of the most incredible tools I have ever had the pleasure of using.
PS This video is so late, I originally wasn’t planning to make it…and then it took me like 3x longer to make than the actual game itself rip 🫠
PPS Apparently the Undertale synth isn't copyrighted, but better safe than sorry and I probably would not have used it anyway
Music
pixabay.com/music/upbeat-atmo...
Undertale - Hotel
C418 - Chirp
pixabay.com/music/upbeat-spac...
pixabay.com/music/bossa-nova-...
pixabay.com/music/corporate-y...
pixabay.com/music/beats-empty...
pixabay.com/music/beats-untit...
Other attributions
www.vecteezy.com/video/179744...
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Day 1 (theme and idea)
01:40 - Beginning implementation
04:05 - Implementing a path
05:19 - Day 2 (gameplay loop)
05:51 - Tiles
06:57 - Tweens
07:42 - Gnorm reactions
08:49 - Day 3 (SFX & music)
09:58 - All about synthesizers
11:38 - Music!
12:24 - Day 4 (menus, pausing the game)
13:48 - A new character
14:31 - Days 5 to 8 (annoying bug fixes)
15:16 - Days 9 to 11 (special levels)
16:49 - Day 12 (cutscenes)
17:27 - Playtesting
17:52 - Exporting
18:31 - RESULTS!

[@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

[@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!

[@onerealmmapping9199]

It's a cute game

[@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

[@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.

[@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...

[@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!!

[@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!

[@jakmisom]

Lol I genuinely thought it was gonna be about masking

[@douglasstuffie]

Trying to act as the gneurotypicals do

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@radomus]

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

[@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!

[@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 :)

[@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

[@carolynsnead3076]

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!!

[@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.

[@SeanStClair-cr9jl]

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

[@akitaropiquet7580]

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

[@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.

[@KXC42069]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!

[@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 ^^

[@sloppyglizzy8313]

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.

[@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

[@pixelpastiche]

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

[@user-hu2do1xk2q]

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

[@victorfunnyman]

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

[@Deathstroyer326]

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

[@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

[@whaley5593]

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

[@MattEatsMochi]

I found it!! I had to go back weeks in my view history, but I found this video again. Thank you for making it.

[@upta]

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

[@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

[@Zizaco]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@reeddacted]

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

[@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.

[@AlexWillow-gy8lj]

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

[@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!! :))

[@JTWMoo]

As a semi-beginner in Godot, this was very informal, and straight up a great video! I'm glad you found out about those bugs the hard way, so we don't! Great video!

[@AltamishM]

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

[@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.

[@montystrahan342]

congrats on making the top five! this video was super fun and interesting, and you explained things really well! :D

[@youforgotthelinkinthedescr6798]

"I had to scrap multiplayer" The most gamedev sentence ever

[@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!

[@Bryzerse]

Why did I think the swords were chainsaws 😭 Really cool game anyway, glad you made top 5!

[@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!

[@weamibrahim2146]

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

[@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!🎉

[@annamirosh2085]

This video and this game are INCREDIBLE!! You did an amazing job! I will absolutely be downloading :)

[@timeisahorse114]

Thank you a million times for making this playable on Mac. Screw .exe files

[@lesagittaire3484]

"You control someone while your friend guessed which one you are" *Unspottable has left the chat*

[@WarriorZaya]

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

[@jamie_dev]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@yo5tan]

this game is absolutely adorable, and the whole concept and execution is so simple but effective! I'm definitely subscribing for more 😁

[@apfelmusboy674]

The style of the game and the style of your video are both SO endearing!! Am exited to see more from you ❤

[@Jamown]

The art is perfect for this game. Thanks for adding subtitles to your video, it really means a lot to me when someone takes the time to do that

[@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!

[@Edith-su5vl]

This looks amazing! You deserved that top 5, and you are so good at what you do! I hope you'll be able to make many more awesome games in the future ❤

[@puzzlinggamedev]

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

[@lucenildofilho5710]

Actual wizardry😮 You are a really talented person, and an incredible inspiration 😊

[@wemz2782]

2 weeks for this amount of polish is amazing! u deserved the top 5

[@Shepard4711]

This was so well explained, entertaining and easy to follow! Congrats on top 5! :D

[@eyup951]

this looks absolutely adorable! I am in awe that you made this in just 2 weeks!

[@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!

[@wakajak8634]

Fantastic work on the game and congratulations on making it to the top 5! Well done.

[@ursamajo.r]

Your game came out so lovely. Both the art and music are very charming, you did an amazing job ❤

[@Baekstrom]

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

[@RelatvityUnset]

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

[@DavidLindes]

Gno way! Congratulations on the top 5 finish! Just found you via the algorithm, and based on this (video and game, both), I have a feeling I’ll stick around. Gnice work!! 🎉

[@nivoset]

This was a blast to watch. Thank you

[@Kookiez3]

This is incredible!! Thankyou for sharing your development!

[@tolkienfan1972]

I really enjoyed this video! Very cool, and cograts on the achievement!

[@RegularBiscuit]

This was really inspiring for someone starting out in Godot! I love the simple style and the music is amazing!

[@fitzi]

Super interesting idea and very well executed. Not surprised at all that you made the top 5 😁

[@meepruns4636]

I'll download your game! Its probably really crushing that you couldn't put it on a browser but it looks so cute and cool that it just feels like i have to try it. Such a good job 👏👏👏👏

[@IkkiDeFones]

wow I really loved this, both the game and the video are top quality and such a pleasant experience, congratulations!!!

[@karakune]

I learned a ton of stuff in this video. Thanks for posting it!

[@Valo_iO]

Wow! amazing job with the game dev, also loved the music part! btw Congrats!

[@barrystan3682]

Impressive work. I've tried to make games before, and always get stuck in the details. Anyone who competes in a game jam has earned my respect. Top 5 out of over 900, wow!!! Your music is as good as any I've heard in an indie game. I'll have to give sfxr a try for making game sounds in the future.

[@btimbyindy]

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

[@Brudrak]

i really liked this gamee!! from the story idea, to the character designs and gameplay!! i'll make sure to play it :] congrats on top 5! also the video was pretty fun to watch, i'll be looking forward to see more of your game projects! :D

[@uma-piba]

Thanks for this video!!! Really cool to see the process!!

[@arianarice4911]

Your concept is so cool!! Well done!

[@nightrain912]

Wow, this is simply amazing! You have created a very interesting, complex gameplay and stunning, cute art

[@MiinuInu]

what an absolute banger.

[@jennitogo]

Why is this game so cuuuuuuuuuute!?!?! Amazing work! Now you really inspired me to try godot more often and make myself a tiny little pixel art game :3

[@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!

[@fios4528]

I love the animations you use throughout the video