{"id":2187,"edition":12,"categories":35,"features":0,"size":8625,"name":"rollermaze","authors":[{"name":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","twitter":"femtosonic","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750}],"description":"

You play as a cuboctahedron on the run. You have only 13 seconds to get from the drop point to the safety of the woods before you’re caught.

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Some paths are blocked and will need to be opened up using the nearest button.

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For longer distances you’ll need to find a hidden safe spot which will reset the timer.

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Be careful of the grey sentinel cubes, if you touch them they become active and will send you back to your drop point, then chase you.

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Controls are :

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Decentralized challenge : OP Guild (Sentinel NPC)

\n","source":"picosonic/js13k-2024","stars":4,"dc":"https://picosonic.github.io/js13k-2024/","post":"https://github.com/picosonic/js13k-2024/blob/main/devdiary/diary.md","comments":[{"at":379042830,"author":"xem","login":"xem","gh":1225909,"text":"

Good use of the theme and nice 3D

\n","games":["O HIII BAD SKATEPARK","EMOJIPHOBIA","GREAT PLUMBER 65"]},{"typ":1,"at":379114162,"re":379042830,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thanks for playing, hope you liked it and got all the way to the end.

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Did you notice that I used your microW engine for a WebGL starting point?

\n"},{"at":379159467,"author":"Asiel Díaz Benítez","login":"adbenitez","gh":24558636,"url":"https://mastodon.social/@adbenitez","text":"

in a mobile/touchscreen it is a bit hard to move fast so it is hard to make it in time

\n"},{"typ":1,"at":379277723,"re":379159467,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

There are hidden time resets dotted around the bigger levels to make it easier (possible), but there are also dead-ends and buttons you don’t need to press.

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All 25 of the levels are completable on mobile and desktop, you might just need to plan your route and be ready holding a diagonal direction in advance of a corner.

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Thanks for the feedback and for playing

\n"},{"at":379238116,"author":"Homer Dilpleu","login":"HomerDilpleu","gh":66157330,"text":"

Very good 3D! The game is fun to play (not too difficult, not too easy), the controls are intuitive and I love the airplane moving around :) Well done!

\n","games":["Unloved 13"]},{"typ":1,"at":379277873,"re":379238116,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you. I appreciate that you found the difficulty about right, as that’s always something tricky to get right - keeping the player interested by it being fair whilst giving them something to work out.

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I was thinking originally of having the airplane circle the playing area from above, but I prefer the back and forth patrolling.

\n"},{"at":379247585,"author":"Ryan Tyler","login":"tyler6699","gh":50468,"url":"https://carelesslabs.co.uk","text":"

Nice 3D graphics, propper retro 3D! Some challenging levels, but all fun. Those cubes are quite tricky when they catch you out!

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One of them caught me at the begining on a later level and I had to start over as It cornered me and the time stayed on 1s.

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Over all a well made game, fun, challenging but also sort of relazing with the music!

\n","games":["The Fear Factory"]},{"typ":1,"at":379277606,"re":379247585,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you. I’ve always liked the Virtua Racing style of 3D graphics, but that period in gaming didn’t last long before texture mapping came along.

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Yeah, some of the levels were impossible due to their size and the speed of rolling so I added a few hidden timer resets just as you were about to run out of time. So larger levels may require some planning on which route you take, and some have red herrings, like buttons you don’t need to press :)

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Music is something I want to get better at, I struggled with the user-action permissions on touch devices, and I’d like to make it sound more like an instrument than a sin wave, haha. Perhaps I’ll take notes from other entries.

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Thanks for playing

\n"},{"at":379387433,"author":"Leo Kuo","login":"leokuo0724","gh":40346834,"url":"https://medium.com/@leokuo0724","twitter":"leokuo0724","text":"

Nice entry, and it fits the theme well! The game has a good variety of levels.

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I really like the combination of time, maze, safe spots and the concept of grey cubes. Especially how sometimes you can use the grey cubes to teleport back to the starting point, which can be helpful but also increase the risk of being caught. I really enjoyed that mechanic!

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The music is a bit repetitive at the moment. And at the beginning, players might not fully understand the concept of the safe area. Perhaps providing an sfx to guide players could make it clearer.

\n","games":["Templar's Final Stand"]},{"typ":1,"at":379389766,"re":379387433,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you so much for your kind words and valuable feedback.

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I’m glad you found it fun to play and that the balance and variety was about right.

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So the grey cubes were the sentinels, silently guarding the maze tracks, when you roll into them they activate and seek you out. As part of this activation they push you back to the place you drop into the level with a fresh 13 seconds.

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Some of the levels may be easier if you deliberately activate a sentinel to place you back at the start and then you can go a different way…

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Yes the music was quite short on a loop, I need to get better at doing music and so I’ll have to look into how other entries do it. I like the thought of doing a music tracker type instrument.

\n"},{"at":379399959,"author":"Roman Miniv","login":"RomanMiniv","gh":50551993,"text":"

Well, I have no idea how many levels I played, but I saw a level that said “JS13KB” which is pretty cool! And after that I played a few more rounds and I think I would have played like that all evening, because it is very fun, simple (in an emotional sense, which is good for me, because I already have enough :)), but unfortunately at some point I just got combined with the green cube and there was 1 second left on the timer, then another 1 cube approached me and now we have a triangle-party :D.

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Well, a little feedback. I thought in advance that I could fall off the tracks, but it turned out that I could not fall, so at some point I started cheating, I saw on the horizon cubes that were always located in the center of the road, so I flew along the edge of the road holding two keys, forward and to the side, thereby guaranteeing that I will almost never collide with a cube :). I think as a possible improvement, the ability to fall off the track could be added, but this can play both ways, so it remains to be seen.

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It would be nice to also be able to turn the music on/off, which is actually quite pleasure, but-but :). And to have a menu with a description of the controls and a description of the game, although in reality this does not change the fact that it is a very good game! (just don’t always read game comments).

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I also liked the airplane and the animation of hitting the forest, the airplane was especially pleasing to the eye :).

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I also noticed that colliding with cubes gives you back time, so sometimes I specifically collided with them when I didn’t have time, until I realized that there are special timer recovery zones, and actually even then :D.

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It seems on a few levels that were quite large and had a lot of cubes, the initialization of the level seemed a bit laggy, but during the actual game everything was fine (chrome browser).

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I also read your postmortem where I liked the idea of resting before continuing the game (the timer starts when the movement starts).

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Very good, I had fun, congratulations!

\n","games":["How it started"]},{"typ":1,"at":379405629,"re":379399959,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you for playing my game and thanks for such a comprehensive review with some fantastic feedback.

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I made 25 levels in total, they do get a bit harder as you progress.

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I was going for a vibe like super monkey ball but one of the things I wanted to change about that was falling off the track, hence my desire to keep your character on it.

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I agree the music can get a bit repetitive after a while. So being able to turn it off would be good.

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I also take onboard the comment about menu or instructions, if it was standalone that would be essential. Being able to see what level you are on and how many are left would help. All the levels have names after all, I just didn’t show them.

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The level switching shouldn’t have been too slow, all I do is copy a tiny 2D map and generate the models. All the triangles data is sent via WebGL to render 60 times a second.

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But thank you so much for all the feedback.

\n"},{"at":379489989,"author":"Cody Ebberson","login":"codyebberson","gh":749094,"url":"https://cody.ebberson.com","twitter":"codyebberson","text":"

Nice job with webgl graphics. TIL “cuboctahedron” 😂 Some pretty tough levels, even with the hidden resets. I think it might have been nice for the checkpoints to be visible, so that the player can plan on how to use them. I particularly enjoyed the jet model and the level complete celebration animation. Great job!

\n","games":["Phantomicus"]},{"typ":1,"at":379500379,"re":379489989,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you for playing and providing feedback.

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I think my theory was with the 13 seconds countdown, that you would try to race for the finish, so this was the thing you were always working against. But knowing it could be reset by another 13 seconds by knowing where the reset points were might take away from the whole fear of 13 :)

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Thanks

\n"},{"at":379605866,"author":"Steven Lambert","login":"straker","gh":2433219,"url":"https://stevenklambert.com/","twitter":"StevenKLambert","text":"

I appreciate that the countdown didn’t start until after I started moving. Controls were smooth, and the grey sentinel cubes provided interesting challenges at times.

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The game did lag for me a lot. Was using Firefox on Mac. I also felt the transitions between levels or the game over were held for a bit too long. I thought the game had frozen at first.

\n","games":["The Encroaching Darkness"]},{"typ":1,"at":379634459,"re":379605866,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thanks for your comments and feedback.

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I wasn’t able to test on a Mac as I don’t have one.

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Perhaps I could have included a little countdown timer between levels or game over. I think it was 13 seconds when you complete the whole game before you can continue, 6 seconds when you fail a level for you restart it and 5 seconds when you complete each level.

\n"},{"at":379835720,"author":"Jonathan Vallet","login":"jonathan-vallet","gh":5329099,"text":"

Cool 3D. Camera follow well and as we can’t fall from borders it make it safe to move.\nLevels are mostly the same in the end I think, but quite a lot for the size limit

\n","games":["13 Steps to Escape"]},{"typ":1,"at":380020923,"re":379835720,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thanks for your feedback, and thanks for playing.

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I think if I were to do more on the game, then yeah more complicated levels with more elements would be something I’d look at.

\n"},{"at":380010296,"author":"Mohammad Jawad","login":"mhmdjawad","gh":22205462,"url":"https://pdemia.com/","text":"

nice puzzle game but very easy, the plane is a nice touch and animation of goal is also very cool, trees also give a nice addition. well done on 3d game

\n","games":["The 13 Invaders","Cookie Maze 3d","Maze Runner vs 13","Tower Defence Walking 13s"]},{"typ":1,"at":380021059,"re":380010296,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you for your feedback.

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I hand made the 3D models myself. The plane was created from a concept sketch that I measured pixel by pixel in 3 axis using orthographic projection.

\n"},{"at":380034934,"author":"John Edvard","login":"johnedvard","gh":656024,"url":"https://reitgames.com","twitter":"ReitGames","text":"

Impressive 3D graphics. Especially the airplane. I don’t understand how it’s possible to make a 3D game working in less than 13kB. I thought webGL code takes up too much space. Guess I have to take a look in the repo to learn.

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I didn’t understand what the stationary boxes did. I think they makes me respawn, and reset the timer, and the box itself becomes an enemy, but I’m, still not sure.

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It would be cool to see some more variations, but the levels were increasing in difficulty which is nice, and the controls felt good.

\n","games":["Bubble Burst"]},{"typ":1,"at":380065650,"re":380034934,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Hi, thanks so much for the feedback.

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I used Xem’s micro 3D library which uses some browser built-in transformation functions intended for CSS.

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I had loads of space left as it only came in at 8.4kb so I intend to make a much bigger 3D game next time.

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The stationary box is a sentinel NPC which stands guard trying to block your path, when you touch them you get flung back to your start point and they become activated - so they glow, chase you and the background darkens. They make it harder for you to get around.

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Since the levels are just 2D courses I can’t really do height, but that’s something that would be fun for future dev.

\n"},{"at":380188390,"author":"Christoph Schansky","login":"DerBenniBanni","gh":5499976,"text":"

Nice game, reminds my of “Marble Madness”, from the good old days of Amiga computers :)

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The 3d-graphics look nice and clean, is the pixelated style intentional? Or just because of the smaller canvas? Anyways: the pixels add something good to the nice visuals.

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The classical music of Schubert is an interesting choice, and matches nicely :-)

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Good job!

\n","games":["Aargh! Triskaideka attacks!"]},{"typ":1,"at":380365384,"re":380188390,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you for the feedback. I’ve only played marble madness briefly but I can see the similarity. Glad it brought back memories for you.

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Yes the pixelated style is intentional to make it feel old-school. It’s a combination of restricted canvas size and crisp non-aliased edges.

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My grandfather was a big fan of Schubert, plus the trout is the same tune my washing machine plays when it’s done :)

\n"},{"at":380418065,"author":"Jure Triglav","login":"jure","gh":238667,"url":"https://juretriglav.si","twitter":"juretriglav","text":"

Good use of theme, nice graphics and interesting gameplay. I sort of wish it would be possible to roll off into the abyss for some extra difficulty, but it might also become too difficult then.

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And: oh, those are secret resets, I was certain it was a bug! :)

\n","games":["The Dandelion Wars","plusminus13"]},{"typ":1,"at":380454807,"re":380418065,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you for playing and for your feedback.

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My idea with the secret time resets was to get you to rush and feel a sense of fear for the 13 seconds to drain away making you concentrate harder on getting to your goal.

\n"},{"at":380424105,"author":"João Lopes","login":"lopis","gh":2715751,"url":"www.jlopes.dev","text":"

I really dig the art style. The fighter jet going around is so pointlessly cool, the animations are so smooth, the lighting is also nice. You clearly put attention to detail even though the game is quite simple. Besides the jet, the game could use with more animated parts, be it the buttons, the gray cubes, the trees..

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Gameplay wise, I think the game feels too rigid. I can only move in a grid and only in 90 degree angles. I cannot fall and the only danger are the sentinels, which are very rarely a cause for concern since they are easily avoided because I move perfectly along the grid.

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It wasn’t obvious what the pink squares did, since they don’t really look like buttons, and for give any feedback that they have been pressed. Most of the times, the button is right on the path to the blocked path, so the button is pointless.

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The music is cute, but a bit flat and repetitive.

\n","games":["Thirteen Terrible Stunts"]},{"typ":1,"at":380455750,"re":380424105,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thanks for reviewing my game and providing feedback.

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Yes I need to work on my music skills in games, I would like to make more of a synth feel with more depth.

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I did originally think a jump action on the buttons would be good, but it took up too much time and the 13 seconds restriction on the levels (or level segments) was harder to reach than just rolling over them.

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I agree it’s a bit rigid, this is partly due to my limited 3D maths skills because the model rotations required were a little complex.

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I hoped that the tiny early tutorial levels would make players explore a bit as they had enough time to try out what would happen when they went over the button tiles, and got blocked by the dark barrier tiles.

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Yes the buttons were often on the paths, but as the levels progressed towards #25 there are decoy buttons, or ones where you have to go a long way off the path, so need to plan your route and hunt hidden reset tiles.

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Thanks

\n"},{"typ":2,"at":380452428,"author":"Ewa Mazur","login":"mypoint13k","gh":89944062,"url":"https://mypoint.pl","twitter":"mypoint13k","text":"

rollermaze immediately catches the eye with its bold and clean visual design. The vibrant purple background, combined with the simple, geometric trees and checkerboard path, gives it a retro 3D look that feels playful and engaging. The bright, contrasting colors make the scene pop, and the use of basic shapes keeps the game visually straightforward, allowing the player to focus on the gameplay.\nWhile the graphics are charming in their simplicity, adding a bit more variation to the environment, such as different textures or more complex shapes, could enhance the player’s immersion. The aesthetic can still maintain its minimalist appeal while introducing a bit more variety in the obstacles and background elements. Additionally, more dynamic lighting or shading effects could give the game a more polished look, making the world feel more three-dimensional and alive.\nThe visual style is refreshingly simple, and this approach works well for a game that aims to keep the player focused on the mechanics. The nostalgic, low-poly style evokes the charm of early 3D games, and with some added visual depth or complexity, rollermaze could stand out even more. Keep up the great work, and it’s clear you have a good sense of design that complements the gameplay!

\n"},{"typ":1,"at":380455356,"re":380452428,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thank you so much for your review and feedback.

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I was definitely going for the simple flat shaded, old-school 3D from the Virtua-Racing type era, with bright low poly graphics, in a pixelated and retro way.

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I also had the idea in the back of my mind of SuperMonkeyBall where you roll around a course - but are able to fall off the edges.

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I hope that by keeping the player on the course, focused the mind on getting to the destination within the time limit.

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I will take on board your feedback about having more texture, effects and variation. I was running out of ideas for how to use the same gameplay elements but in different ways with the 25 levels I made.

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Thank you

\n"},{"at":380484779,"author":"Javi Agenjo","login":"jagenjo","gh":393515,"url":"http://tamats.com","twitter":"tamat","text":"

Simple and interesting. I was expecting the timer to reset when touching the buttons and I got confused when it didnt happend.

\n","games":["Deep13"]},{"typ":1,"at":380488418,"re":380484779,"author":"Jasper Renow-Clarke","login":"picosonic","gh":26137750,"twitter":"femtosonic","text":"

Thanks for playing and for giving feedback.

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So the levels were all meant to only have a 13 second timer, but as they grew it became impossible to complete them in the time limit, so I added some invisible timers which gave another 13 seconds just as your time was about to expire if you followed an optimal route.

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Since the buttons were part of the challenge of getting to the end they didn’t need to reset the timer.

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But I get your point about having more obvious feedback that the time has changed and what it was that changed it.

\n"},{"at":380556627,"author":"Isaac Benitez","login":"isacben","gh":37629156,"url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/isacben/","text":"

Congrats! This is a fun game. The controls feel pretty good and the game is a solid entry!\nAt the beginning I thought I was gonna fall, but then I realized that doesn’t happen, which is good.\nGood luck!

\n","games":["Unblock"]}],"results":{"theme":{"rank":61,"min":1,"score":2.79,"max":4.2},"innovation":{"rank":113,"min":1,"score":2.47,"max":4.47},"gameplay":{"rank":55,"min":1,"score":3.09,"max":4.29},"graphics":{"rank":45,"min":1,"score":3.59,"max":4.76},"audio":{"rank":103,"min":1,"score":2.26,"max":4.34},"controls":{"rank":47,"min":1,"score":3.21,"max":4.24},"primary":{"rank":70,"min":6,"score":17.41,"max":24.47},"label":"Overall"}}