Top reviewer
Zughy has written the most helpful reviews on ContentDB.
Top texture pack
Zughy has a texture pack placed at #1.
>100k downloads
Has received 117567 downloads across all packages.
Packages
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achievements_lib
Add unlockable achievements to your game and mods
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arena_lib
Library to create any mini-game you have in mind
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audio_lib
Library to easily manage sounds (accessibility options!)
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Block League
S4 League inspired shooter minigame
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Collectible Skins
Wear and unlock skins
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country_lib
small util library providing country localised names and flags
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Magic Compass
Teleport system, all inside a compass
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panel_lib
Library to easily create complex HUDs
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Parties
Team up with your friends and create a party!
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Soothing 32
Lightweight yet aesthetically pleasing texture pack. Seriously, it could run on a toaster!
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weapons_lib
API to easily create weapons of any kind
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Whitelist
Manage who can and who can't enter in your server
Bloated unaesthetic pack
Trying to be concise, the aesthetic conveyed by the majority of the nodes is quite unfitting: dull textures, many round (debatable) models. The author(s?) seems to forget that Luanti's aesthetic revolves around cubes and simple forms, especially for something that was designed for Minetest Game (which was inspired by Minecraft). For instance, you don't need to create round 3D vase models to convey the idea of a vase (see the game I've just named).
Also, 2.5 MB of just nodes, 11 pages in the creative inventory. I'm quite confident it's possible to achieve more with less.
I've been using it for years
After about 3 years, this mod has never caused a single issue on our server. A pretty simple mod that does what it says
It breaks stairs and slabs once disabled - and there doesn't seem to be the will to fix it
We had the bad idea to trust this mod, being in the first page, putting it on our server, to then find out that, once disabled, every previously placed stair and slab from
defaultmod resulted broken (they turned into an unkown node). It took us some time to fix the whole server, and I can't say it was the best time of our life. The bug was reported in 2019 and it's still there - hence there doesn't seem to be anyone willing to properly maintain the mod. More issues might lie around, and if they're bad as the one we experienced, my suggestion is to stay away from moreblocksIt has run its course
I own up that this game was pretty useful a few years ago, when not a lot of great games populated the top spots of ContentDB. However, I don't see the point of it today: we have games like mineos and Extra Ordinance, showcasing what it can be done with Luanti, and games that actually explain to the player what they should do without guessing keys or else. Their gameplay speaks way louder than an interactive tutorial, which needs to be updated every time some new aspects are introduced into the engine (so a lot of burden for the author).
It could be argued that it might still be useful for modders, but the modding book already provides a foundation for anyone who wants to start modding, and this game is in general pretty oriented towards MTG-like games anyway (which, again, were the norm a few years ago, but that are only a part of the whole now).
I'm basically downvoting this because I think that it has run its course, and having new players actually playing this thinking that it's everything that Luanti can be is misleading. I'd rather see actual games in the first spots, rather than a tutorial about games (which, last but not least, was thought for PCs only). Quality-wise, I also find it too dispersive.
Turning Luanti into a top down shooter is possible
I won't lie, this is almost as mindblowing as mineos was in last year's jam. I thought I knew what Luanti can do but this game says the contrary.
As the game has already received a lot of compliments, I won't repeat much here. I was more shocked by what the author did that from the actual gameplay (which is a solid 7 anyway). Graphics are highly refined (e.g. the ground using a non pixelated texture that perfectly espouses the aesthetics nonetheless), sounds as well (e.g. the operator voice with the radio static) and the game is in general a great showcase for Luanti. Do we also want to talk about the camera's movement which just works?
The author put a lot of effort to do something like this in 3 weeks and the community is definitely showing their gratitude. I'd gladly join them, congratulations!
You're a bunny and... that's literally it
No goals, no instructions, no sounds, nothing. Probably just the beginning of some project which didn't make it in time, there's nothing to play here at the moment
Interesting idea, but a bit too slow and punishing
The concept is interesting and the author knows what they're doing. The whole game revolves around one simple mechanic, which makes it very easy to grasp, in a series of levels that are not really ordered by difficulty, but rather by author experiments. Audio is well refined (one the few games of this jam actually featuring a soundtrack) and graphics are as well, so nothing to say - I'm not a fan of the round shaped eyes but in this case it's really not that important.
Gameplay-wise, however, the game felt kind of heavy at times, not as smooth as I'd like. The worst case was when the level involved a lot of walking and you failed right at the end (e.g. the halls with pillars and light switches), not really involving me to try again (I went on for a few levels more). This ruined the experience of something that could have been pretty fun if well dosed, as the annoyance surpassed the curiosity. I'd score it a 6.5 out of 10, which is closer to the neutral vote
Big maze with a refined graphical and sound system
The game started amazingly: a cutscene, in Luanti, with proper animations (!). I was mesmerized. Unfortunately after that I found myself stuck twice in a pitch black area, to only find out (by reading another review here) that it's a bug. Using the solution suggested in the review, I teleported myself in the actual area the player is expected to play in and I decided to give it a chance. And that's where I found back my enthusiasm.
Sounds are well-finished, the animation of doors is great, no useless inventory, custom HUD. However, my enthusiasm kept decreasing as long as I kept playing. The game is basically a big maze, with a refined graphical and sound system. If my first reaction when opening a door was of amazement, after the 40th one in 5 minutes with basically nothing else happening was "oh, ok, door..". I didn't finish it as I found myself stuck in a room where I couldn't see basically anything, but in general the game wasn't entertaining enough after the first minutes and I wasn't really interested in continuing. Running through the maze became a chore, which is a pity, considering the focus that the author has put on the artistic side
Small experience but not so entertaining
Being a jam, I think the author played smart by making a small game: both in game length (around 5 minutes) and in map size (you're in a spaceship). They also tried to add some elements as to grant immersions, i.e. the breathing, the text telling you a story and the interactions with the environment (e.g. PCs telling you that can't be turned on). They were also able to create some suspence here and there, which I appreciated.
Unfortunately the overall experience doesn't really stand out, turning the game in basically a "go from point A to B" and a risky parkour. I think the basic concepts for making a game are there, just, the author needs to work on the game experience (in general; I'd invite them to see this attempt as a closed chapter and experiment with something new). Last but not least, I wasn't sure if at the end I had glitched the game or if I had actually finished it (until the HUD popped up)
Rolling die and nothing much
Considering the game is basically hitting a button that rolls a die, I can see this working as a mod in some server/game, but seeing it as a stand-alone game doesn't make too much sense in my opinion (hence the thumbs-down). Sounds and graphics are nice, the random hogs/porks were a bit unexpected but ultimately funny :D
Too cryptic
The game has a nice premise: it puts the player in a context, briefly explaining the plot. Unfortunately, after that the atmosphere kind of fades, leaving the player to solve riddles that are too vague and/or that might result in the player roaming for a lot of time. The lack of a soundtrack and some non cohesive graphics don't help with the immersion, which is why I personally stopped playing it after 5 minutes
"how to play" is an in-game wall of text in the inventory
If the game expects players to go through such a long text placed in a remote part of the game (people playing Luanti for their first time probably don't know how to put an inventory), I think the game has already failed. In general, the graphics style was kinda hurting my eyes, as things were hard to read. Nice touch the vertical hotbar but aside that I don't think there's (currently) a lot that can be praised
No learning curve, just brutally hard
The initial idea was to put a neutral vote, but I think the lack of steps to get acquainted with the game mechanics - highly difficult basically from the beginning - is pretty mean to the player. Don't get me wrong, the game seems polished, it runs smoothly, it's just... too hard from the beginning, so I can't really judge what comes after. A game like Slidespace takes the player by the hand and slowly increases the difficulty, pushing people to go on because they're halfway through anyway. Here, the frustration stops you from doing that, which is a pity.
Another small thing: I'd really reduce the length of the initial instructions, they're very long and after the first images I skipped it, preferring to learn whilst playing
Goal unclear, gameplay too much WIP
I understand the author put an improvised tutorial in the inventory as they were running out of time, but still the goal of the game remains a mystery to me - to be clear: I haven't read the whole description, as games should be pretty self explanatory inside the game. I.. don't think there's a lot to judge, it seems some sort of incredibly WIP No Man's Sky
Too many gameplay elements and too little time (jam game)
To be short, I think the author wanted to add too many ingredients to the gameplay, rushing it to the inevitable consequence of providing something kind of messy (they had 3 weeks to make a game). That's unfortunate, as I think that a smaller polished RTS would have been great.
The first world didn't actually load grass, so I had to create another one. Then I found myself with the main building and zero instructions. Being an RTS game, I think it's essential to provide either a tutorial (but again, time wasn't in the author's favour) or at least a description telling the player what to do - e.g. you need the open the inventory to build, or providing a few tips to better understand where to place buildings and/or which citizens are best at the beginning. Author might know what strategy is good, but players don't as no tools are really provided. In general, no immersion (no sounds) and pretty slow paced - which, alongside the lack of instructions, makes a bad combo as it's quite unlikely that players will retry it once they lose in what it's basically a trial and error approach.
I hope to see it polished eventually, and appreciate the progress done since the jam phase
Not there yet, but the author really tried
I appreciate that the author has actually tried to polish the game: there are NPCs walking around, HUD elements on top of their heads, a dialogue system, music. It's not super polished but the intention of immersing the player in the game world is definitely there. I've also really appreciated the chat interaction required to go on!
I played it until I arrived at the pedestal and unfortunately the game is pretty slow paced. The idea of walking back at that speed, to then going there again was... not great. Also, but that might be me, the first riddle wasn't super clear and I initially thought that the objective HUD was simply broken (on the contrary, I had to place the books on the ground to read them. I think it would have been clearer to just read books by left/right-clicking whilst holding them in your hand)
basic portals proof of concept, not a game
First of all, there is no immersion at all: not a single sound gets played whilst playing and there are no instructions whatsoever. There is a lore in the game description, but no hint at all in the actual game: it just looks like a proof of concepts for portals giving you and resetting items. Two portals to be more specific, since the game happens in about a 30x30x30 area with not many things to do. I was also able to go outside the map thanks to a glitch. In general, I wouldn't define it a game, rather the first steps for a mod. Default graphics (nodes aside) don't help.
Simple and effective
It does what it says, without bloat code of sort. It also comes with an API to register carpets out of other nodes, which can be handy
Animation is great and the message is too
We've been using this mod in our server for a couple years now every June, to promote the pride month and raise awareness about all the ways individual may experience themselves (sex, love, gender). Also, the animation is so smooth, really well done
I'm highly confused
I... don't know what to do. I "looked" around, clicked on some nodes (also, the HUD is broken) and I guess there are secret things to find in the dark (I've also read the description now). But I can't find them nor I felt intrigued, so after 5 minutes I quit the game.
Chess but confusing
I appreciate how the author wanted to experiment but at the same time I wouldn't feel like recommending it either. It's basically chess with unexpected things happening on the board (e.g. pieces swapping), so your skill doesn't really matter much. I also think that games like chess work better through an UI rather than having an in-world representation with the player floating around to move the pieces
Highly frustrating, dropped it after a little bit
It started nicely with the introduction (albeit a bit too long) but then it immediately becomes frustrating with the wand mechanic. It's not intuitive, and starting from the begininning of the parkour area every time you fail doesn't help. I wasn't encouraged to continue after a few tries. Also, I don't understand how it fits the jam theme "unexpected"
The beginning is so dark I can't even see the vent I'm supposed to break through
Like, I can't play. I had to do
/grantme alland noclip myself out of it to actually understand what was happening. Turning on as much as I could the brightness of my screen didn't help. If I can't move the first step in the game, I can't play the game; which is a huge problem.Author is insane, and I love it
The author was able to pull off an entire barebone OS, with not one, not two, but three games in 21 days. And one of those is in 3D (!) allowing multiple instances to run together (!!!). The vibe of this "OS" is definitely nostalgic, helped by the old machinery sound effect and the launching sequence.
You probably won't believe it until you try it, so make yourself a favour: download it and be ready to be mindblown (beware: if you're a modder, the mindblown effect is doubled, as you want to know how in the world the author was able to do what they did)
P.S.: I'm definitely keeping this one installed, I want to see what could bring in the future (but please add a game icon :P)
Unfinished, no gameplay
The only thing you can do is break the map. You can't even die if you fall outside the map, remaining stuck.
I get that this is unfinished (the author put a huge disclaimer here on CDB now that I notice) but it's not an excuse to avoid being reviewed for the jam. It's literally a small map where you spawn with a couple custom models; nothing else.
Run and pick up simulator
The game started nicely, you can definitely tell the author tried polishing the experience as much as he could. However, once the "real" gameplay starts, things start not fitting together anymore. Infinite monsters preventing you to explore in depth, dialogues being displayed whilst fighting, a grind mechanic that it almost feels like a chore (too many collectibles): after the first death I didn't feel encouraged to continue and see what was coming next, which is a pity.
Also, I don't understand what's the "unexpected" part ("unexpected" is the theme of the jam this game is competing in)
Made me chuckle (jam 2023)
Considering this was made for a jam where the theme is "unexpected", I think this little trolling game is pleasantly coherent . Contrary to other trolling games that made it for the jam (also previous jams to be fair), this is actually curated. It's fun, stupid, soothing (the keyboard sound is basically ASMR) and the author is well aware they're not making an AAA game with several features, turning that into their strength. They prove that you don't have to develop something gargantuan to actually deliver a good game and that small things matter. Personally I prefer something that makes me chuckle multiple times and that lasts 5 minutes rather than a game that lasts two hours and that doesn't communicate much
Nice concept but highly frustrating
I can't give a negative vote because, if we consider the author had 3 weeks to make a game, this is definitely a solid concept. The core idea of time travelling is well executed, there is a good attention to details (music, graphics, NPCs to talk with), yet I find it very frustrating gameplay-wise. The only instructions are given by opening the inventory, and it requires an important amount of patience. I think that with some tweaks here and there it could become way more enjoyable. Chapeau for the 4D exploration :)
Nice experiment, but I wouldn't define it a "game"
I understand it's a proof of concept, and it actually creates a very nice effect - I mean walking around whilst the world around you changes - but there's nothing else to do. It seems more like a mapgen mod showcase than a game, hence the negative vote
3 step tutorial?
I looked in the code to see if I missed something, I tried not following the instructions seeing if something different was happening but it doesn't look like so. The main menu music created some expectations but what I found in the end was a click and walk tutorial with funny credits. Too bad
2023 jam troll
There is literally nothing to do nor to see. The author just wanted to troll a bit for the 2023 jam. It was kind of fun and unexpected (which is the theme of the jam) but... c'mon :D
Lifesaver
Working with formspecs on Minetest is highly frustrating, but this utility makes it (almost) bearable. A must if you love yourself. I'd leave two positive votes if I could, great job!
A nice touch to improve games aesthetic
Thanks to Visible Wielditem, players in my server can now instantly tell what someone is holding. And they can do it in all its fanciness, since the mod allows me to render the 3D item instead of the inventory icon. Nice job!
Trash game, in a negative sense
After it started, I was hoping for some fun trash game (title would have checked out), something stupid but brilliant at the same time like Goat Simulator, but... it's not, don't waste your time, it's just low effort
Author seems to have paid more attention to the lore than to the actual gameplay
If you click around, you'll mostly find books giving you the idea of what was happening on the ship (which some players appreciate, it gives depth to the story). Yet, gameplay wise it looks very dispersive, there is no sound, and graphics are a bit too brutal/dull (e.g. red text on azure/grey/white background, almost unreadable for someone who doesn't suffer from any heavy eye condition). I appreciate the irony of the drawn map, but.. seriously, considering the complexity and the length of hallways, an actual map would have helped (and shorter hallways). It felt almost like a clicker mixed with a stroll simulator
Fun platform, although a bit too farmy after a while
I'll start by saying that this is both nice and curated. I'd make dialogues shorter here and there, but overall they're entertaining and you can see the effort the author put in the opening with the cutscene. Collecting electrons has reminded me a bit the first Spyro, where gems where scattered all around the maps, sometimes just to annoy the player, and... well, with the way MT detects keys such as AUX1, trust me it was indeed annoying when 1/3 of the time it didn't read the input in time, making me fall down (nice death transition!)
I like how the author has structured the game, with this hub concept reminding of games like Crash 2. It's easy to navigate and environment elements near teleports help the player surely improves this aspect. My main critique is, the way you have to backtrack basically every level in order to collect all the electrons. I've personally quit after having unlocked the jump ability, all those jumps in that room were overwhelming (after having fought with MT limitations with me falling down several times in the 16 electrons level to gather enough electrons for the 128 one). Which is a pity, I kind of wanted to see the end!
As the author says: "Extremely unfinished"
I can't really judge something that throws errors when pressing half of the buttons and that has got an unfinished UI when the UI is the only way you have to interact with its characters...
Potential for a nice game, not there yet
I can tell this game has got potential, it creates a particular atmosphere, and yet it's too buggy and not optimised UX-wise. For instance, the narrated story could have a "next" or "ok" button rather than expecting the player to press "Esc". Then, the instructions for the tools were so slow (and laggy) to appear, and being dark green you should also have to put them on the right background to actually be able to read them.
Then, the first tool wasn't really working, and when it did it threw a warning error in chat. The inventory was really nice, the problem is I didn't get what I'm supposed to do with all the refined materials. When I reached the area with enemies, it lagged very badly. Also, I had to manually fix the game to launch it on Windows, after having seen the description on CDB.
Talking about things I've appreciated, definitely the music changing according to the area, the pixel art seen in in the inventory and in illustrations, a minimap to give you a goal, and the atmosphere
Mindblowing but too random and unpolished
It's definitely a nice concept to experience, but personally I think that the author has left too many holes gameplay-wise. Then, when I found a paper with instructions about the rooms and I followed it, it led to a crash (it also crashes when clicking on chairs). Not sure about the item I've got since the beginning, nor about the player having so many slots. It's a pity, if curated it could turn into a great game!
Annoying broad maze
There are mainly three annoying things:
1. the metallic sound on every step, which is always the same and it's very loud;
2. the torchlight updating the cone of light with a delay (which yes, it's a limitation of the engine, but still it's annoying as a player. Players aren't expected to know nor care about what the engine can and can't do);
3. it takes ages to break a node and potentially obtain items
And since these aspects follow you for the whole game... the experience itself isn't that great.
Also, a few bugs (spiders piling up on my head), a lot of English mistakes (and I'm not a native, so I've probably missed some) and not totally certain about what to do (yes, I've seen the inventory)
A debatable collection of tools for builders rather than a game
First of all, this game is heavy. Like, really heavy, even loading new blocks take time. Then, as an artist, it doesn't feel like a tool to make art, starting from the very inventory. It'd take a lot of text to try to describe what an artistic tool in Minetest for builders might look like, between interfaces and palettes, but in short it wouldn't look like this. It's just a lot of nodes put together alongside features that are not necessary and that make the game heavier than it could potentially be
Must have for that bit of realism
This is very useful, especially in multiplayer, where people want to see where the other players are looking
Highly unfinished, no instructions whatsoever
First of all, when you first launch the game you'll see warning messages in chat. Then, for I don't know what reason, you're on the moon, outside, but the player is not wearing any suit and you must be fast to put it on or you'll die. I think the author wanted to instantly introduce the oxygen mechanic, but the level of surrealism in this case is too much. Also, I don't know why, you've got diamond tools with you.
After using the mark for the supply ship, a lot of items are shoved in your face without the slightest information about how to use them. Went for a stroll, nothing relevant
Not sure what to do, unpolished, and lot of text
When you first open the game, you see the captain log, with all the other menus: pretty overwhelming. Then... I don't understand what to do? There are many complex menus (GPU, CPU, GPGPU or something like that), a broken drill (that I guess I should fix somehow) and.. I can go around in space, still not sure what to do. Also, the camera is pretty annoying when riding the spaceship. Can't say good things about graphics either, starting from the main menu which is low effort to say the least
An arcade you wouldn't expect on Minetest
The author has shown a great knowledge of the (debatable) UI of Minetest, being able to create a game that it completely runs in 2D. Sure, you must be a masochist to script this on Minetest rather than, I don't know, Godot, but it surely is a showcase of what it can actually be done.
The vibe goes to the old arcades, displaying an artistic coherence. Gameplay is fine, but again l I think that the best aspect of this is to open PRANG! in front of people who think that MT is all about 3D and then see their confused -yet intrigued - face
Highly curated, yet heavy gameplay
If I could give something between "Yes" and "No", that's what I'd give. "Yes" because I can't say the author hasn't put all themselves to realise this puzzle game in so little time: very curated graphics, nice effects, silent narration, and a peculiar mechanic that surely makes it intriguing.
"No" because the puzzle solving itself felt somehow heavy, I wasn't motivated to go on (I've quit at the vertical room where you have to use 3 different blocks to attach the green one onto the ceiling). For instance, last year jam winner "Alter" was a puzzle game where I kind of wanted to know what the AI would have told me next. On this year's entry "Slidespace", I've got the sensation of getting closer to the end because I could literally see it. The story was quite simple (and still silent) but it was there. Here, it looks more like that the author wanted to showcase all the different ideas they had came about (new blocks popping up stage after stage), rather than creating some sort of flow for the player, or some sort of narration. It looks like one of those AAA games with a lot of budget and fancy graphics, but with a low-average quality gameplay-wise.
Voting "No" as I think gameplay should come before graphics
EDIT: Now I can vote "Neutral" :P
No instructions, highly unfinished, not sure what to do
There are no instructions when joining the game, so you just go around and click on things. You encounter panels with a lot buttons, sliding doors, more panels and accesses to the space, where you just float going down, indefinitely. Also, no music at all and the character is the default Minetest 2D sprite.
I guess the intent of the author was to create some sort of a spaceship life simulator, but in this state it's just empty
Nice music, confused about the gameplay
Reading through CDB I've discovered that there are hordes of aliens to fight but honestly I'm stuck at the initial "collect 5 X nodes" quest. I've explored the world quite a bit, finding just 3 of those nodes, and it turned quite repetitive jump after jump. Also, I think that instructions at the beginning could have been shorter.
The pet following you is cute, the music is spot on. But I can't seem to experience any gameplay
Probably the best bows mod as of today
It tries to simulate physics, arrows stick to the surface they hit, proper sounds. Nice :D
Unfinished farming game with annoying physics
There's not a lot to do but drilling, and contrary to other games' standard tools that you can use by holding down the mouse button, here players have to spam-click. Also, I don't know why but the author has decided to limit item stacks to 5 items each, making the process of collecting the 200 requested nodes kind of annoying (I haven't finished that). There is no reward feeling in general.
Instructions: the positive thing is that the author has included them (which shouldn't be taken for granted), the negative thing is that they consist in a raw wall of text that only appears when a player enters the world. So if you close them by accident or you want to double check something, you must close and re-open the world. I appreciate the irony about the jackhammer not working properly to justify the left click spamming, but... heh, it's not gonna cut it.
Controls: I get it, we're on the moon and, actually, the first time I've jumped I was positively impressed by this nice touch. But after a couple jumps, you just don't want to jump anymore, ever. It slows down gameplay so much, as if the collecting in stacks of 5 wasn't enough. Also, there is this dark mood in the game, I wasn't sure if monsters were gonna spawn to kill me or anything (maybe related to the title). Felt a bit like Slenderman, without being sure if there was actually a threat outside. That could be seen as a nice touch, but I've closed and uninstalled the game before having an answer (so I'll just have a look at the code)
In general, it's highly unfinished
An immersive puzzle floating in space
Considering this is an entry for a jam done in 3 weeks, that's simply amazing. Puzzles are well planned (chapeau!), the difficulty scales smoothly (the last two levels were a bit frustrating, but in a positive way) and the author hasn't fallen into the trap of turning it into a rage game just to make it more difficult close to the end. It kept me there playing, I wanted to see the end: that's not something you take for granted in so little development time.
The music: so simple, yet so immersive. Those static noises added alongside the bgm are the cherry on top. I'm literally writing this review with the main menu music still playing, it's relaxing and it perfectly transmits the idea of being lost in space, floating around. Which is everything you do in the game, so it's coherent.
Graphics: nodes are pure white, but I really don't care. Their candor fits with the theme, where the shapes resembling snowflakes gently scattered through the tiny part of space being your friend help creating a light atmosphere. Also, it creates a terrifying constrast with the emptiness of what's around you, portraying a liminal space that scares you, yet makes you feel somehow fine - you can still reset, can't you? White particles suggesting you where you're gonna end are also a nice touch.
Last but not least, the author has curated the main menu, displaying a great economics of assets (music and background are the same assets you encounter in game).
I genuinely don't have any critique: highly suggested, congratulations to the author
Long overdue
I recall how much I wanted a skills library when I was working on a mod of mine last year. I also wondered back then how it was possible that no one had ever thought about creating something useful like a mod that allowed you to easily introduce skills in your game. Because it's something that basically every genre might need. RPG, FPS, MOBA, you name it. I also recall how I ended up throwing in the towel because I couldn't focus on yet another mod to maintain. So I renounced.
...until now! Thanks for what you're doing :)
Funny no-brainer that takes time to master
Wanna smash some keys and cast cool skills? Wanna have a deathmatch with a lot of colourful things going on through the map ? Then Fantasy Brawl it's for you.
I've been following Giov4 creating this game since the very beginning, and I admit I was a bit skeptical at the time, because entities are... a complicated subject here on Minetest (half of the skills rely on entities). And yet, he's managed to create a fun experience, so fun that it's one of the most played minigames on our minigames server: if it's your first time, there are short instructions before the match starts, so you won't be lost. And in general you'll be probably absorbed after casting a couple skills. Nonetheless, if you know how to play the game you can play on another level of complexity ("I should be careful to engage that player as a warrior, since they're a mage with probably the ice spikes barrier ready to be used") that makes the game even more fun. In general, OP has also shown to listen to users feedback, improving and balancing what was the first alpha version. I'm looking forward to see a third class to make things even more interesting.
My only suggestion is, it might be worth thinking about introducing an objective mid-game, so to have players gathering around it in order to conquer it: it would add another layer of complexity (like the Baron and the dragon in League of Legends), without altering the game experience that much.
Also, come to A.E.S. and try it!
Simple yet effective
A classic you can find in a lot of games. The author is also very fast at addressing issues, and they're available in general. It'd be nice in the future to customise the amount and the shape of platforms, which is currently hardcoded
Annoying glitchy camera makes the gameplay unbearable
I stumbled upon this mod by accident and I was very curious to see what the author had managed to do.
The first try was on an already created world with no other mods enabled but this, and after a short while the fans of my PC started spinning like crazy and the system started to struggle, at least till my character was teleported at ~Y 4000 for no apparent reason. I run
/killbut it wasn't long till I got teleported back.I then decided to run another test on a brand new world, and this time the problem didn't show up. However, the half stuck camera and the fact that it teleports back almost at every movement of the mouse, makes the experience very frustrating.
I also tried to give myself a few privileges (
fly,noclip), but they didn't work. I had to read the description in here to learn that I need to kill myself first, however such instructions shouldn't be on a separate file, they should be in game.In general, I appreciate the creativity of the author, but as for now it only seems the emptier version of Terraria with a very annoying camera
Potential for a great platform
Yes, I'm aware this is basically a Super Mario clone that needs polishing, but hey, I've had fun. I've appreciated the hidden areas and the general cure for the artistic side (sound when jumping, BGMs, a texture pack that fits with the genre), and too bad the player can't be shifted when standing on a moving platform - but I'd say that's an engine limitation.
At this state of development, my only critique is that a good level design can completely change the game: money can be used to guide the player, to give them some challenge, and not randomly spreading them through the map Spyro-style makes the act of collecting feel rewarding; also, I'd shrink some places here and there. In general, I hope to see something more curated in the future on this aspect (no matter what level of difficulty the author is aiming for).
I'm definitely going to keep this one installed to see what comes next: maybe time has come to have nice platforms on Minetest too. Go for it :D
Noble attempt but too confusing
I really wanted to understand how Mesecons work, so I've given this game a shot. I think that the tutorial part, if expanded, could be amazing, but the rest was just confusing to me. Basically, I don't get how a museum can help people understand how things work without explaining them anything (but saying: "this is X"). I mean, yes, it's a slideshow, but I was expecting something more educational and interactive.
I appreciated the custom sky and the chains though, giving that God of War III vibe.
Simple and effective
I mean... you can teleport around by tossing an item. Should I add more? :D
It opens up to fun strategies in PvP and faster explorations in PvE games, becoming a very versatile tool. I would have probably avoided to copy the exact Minecraft name, but other than that, it's great
It has potential, but it's not the best game experience as for now
I appreciate the custom menu where to choose your character and the fact that those are actually animated. Yet, in that menu there are way too many things (leaderboard, instructions) and, speaking about instructions, I didn't even notice them in the first run.
Gameplay in general feels kind of too much slow paced if you don't take some specific power up, which makes the game not that fun - especially because it's easier to blow yourself up by accident than killing someone else. Maybe with some work it can become a nice mode to play
Way too unfinished
There are several aspects that let players understand how this game is either unfinished or at least not polished. First of all, the very first GUI is editable. Then, players are supposed to build the level themselves by placing entities in the maze; and, speaking about the maze, there are grass blocks inside which are also breakable by default (ruining the experience). Last but not least, my character wasn't picking up yellow dots when touching them, forcing me to hit each one of them. Too bad
Author is crazy, in a good way
First of all, there is an AI regulating how the other participants work. That alone deserves a thumb up.
Then, the author took care of the aesthetic, both with a custom main menu, a nice soundtrack and a clear UI/UX (power-ups as symbols, visible effects, a menu where to pick your driver): all these things require a lot of effort, so chapeau for the work done, especially considering that there was a window of time of 20 days.
My critiques derive from the laggy camera and the overall speed. About the former, I don't know if it's because of a MT limitation (with the author trying to find a workaround), but it makes me also think about whether MT can actually feature fast paced games like racing games or not. I should investigate the code to have an answer but... I'll leave the pleasure to others. About the overall speed, I think it was too slow, and that the turbo boost was too short.
The game is definitely not finished (for instance, there are no laps) and I don't know if it's well suited for an engine like MT, but I expect to see at least a special mention to this: congratulations to the author.
(as I've said below another 2021 Jam game, consider converting it into a minigame with arena_lib)
Round objects everywhere and too broken
I know I might sound annoying, but if the aesthetic of the game engine revolves around voxels, why not using squared objects whenever it's possible? On the contrary, everything implemented is a custom round model (hot-air balloons, coins), making the game uselessly heavier whilst breaking the aesthetic at the same time.
Graphics aside, the first world didn't work, commands felt clumsy, and I found no way to go back up with the air-balloon. I basically couldn't play properly
Mixture of random elements
The game consists in running around a huge maze, hoping to find a couple items to make your life easier (especially dynamite) and potentially fighting a few guards who caught you. I was expecting something more stealth (like, with guards closing on you when caught, GTA-like), prisoners to interact with, and with a different soundtrack - which in my opinion doesn't fit that well.
Also, to finish the game, you just have to jump into the void. When I first saw that, I thought I just broke the game, but apparently that's what it was supposed to happen. It looks to me that this was more a challenge for the author themselves to create a procedural map than a well thought game experience
Zero instructions
I had to check on CDB (which brought me to check a forum post) in order to understand what to do. The game should explain itself, players are not expected to browse through an offline manual.
The three colours mechanic can open up to some interesting aspects, but as for now you only have to copy 1:1 a picture on a forum. Personally, that's not entertaining nor challenging at all
Well suited for a minigame, but not sure about a whole game
Game is simple to grasp, but there is no way to go back up in case you fall down. That's a huge problem, which is mainly why my vote is negative.
In general, it was ok and the icons on the blocks were pretty clean and straightforward. My suggestion is to convert it into a minigame to feature inside a bigger project (whether it's singleplayer or online) rather than have it as a stand-alone one.
Last but not least, the inventory could have been removed, and instructions could have been made more visible (MT chat quality is... debatable)
Great potential
This is one of the two games from the 2021 Jam (along with Subway Miner) that I've kept installed on my PC, because I really want to see what the author can come up with. Yes, as for now there is not a lot to do, but it looks like a solid foundation to potentially build something entertaining. Kenney assets help conveying a brightful atmosphere (using exisisting libre assets was smart), and you can see the author cared about the artistic aspect since the very beginning, as they customised the main menu and added a soundtrack.
I would have increased the flying speed, as it's very slow if someone doesn't press AUX1, but... yeah, let's see what it'll become
Several bugs and basically no cubes
The author paid attention to graphical details, but as I've already said with Stella (another Jam entry), why exactly feature a game with basically no voxels in a voxel engine? Why not on Godot, to name one?
Graphics aside, punching things makes the game crash, time doesn't work and I think that it was used too much text to explain some basic concepts that could have been indirectly narrated
Solid puzzle with Portal humour
I think that, to me, this is the most polished and fun game to play of the whole 2021 jam. I'm not that into puzzle games, but this was very fun and challenging to play. The humour adds personality and little breaks from the challenge, alongside levels that don't tend to be repetitive, always adding something new.
My only critique is how much the game punishes players, making them start from the very beginning when they fail a level (that's what happened to me in the one requiring spatial memory, and I refused to start again). Infinite potions or making people restart that specific level might be a better solution that avoids excessive frustration
It would work great as a mod, but not as a stand-alone game
The portal idea unveiling new areas is absolutely great: I can already imagine an RPG requiring you some specific items to unlock certain locations, and I'd really like to push the author to continue it along this modding path. Unfortunately, this is a game and I think that, as such, it turns repetitive after a while. Lack of instructions didn't help either, I had to check out on CDB what to do
Copying by heart is not that fun
I get that formats like these work on MineCRAFT servers where you have a limited amount of time to copy something whilst racing against other players, but a single-player version felt just... boring, to me. Especially the idea that players had to manually go buying things in a physical space (with signs not always that readable and a flight mode not fast enough) instead of using a polished GUI.
Using blocks as instructions is another thing I would have avoided, as it doesn't allow to easily geolocalise the game.
On the bright side, the author took time to customise the main menu and to add some music, which are always nice things to have
Lack of goals
My main problem with the game was that I didn't understand what to do. Like, I get that you can ride boxes (which are supposed to be bicycles I guess), but after that, what exactly? I was happy to see the game has a custom main menu and a soundtrack (too loud in my opinion), and that the author implemented nose-ups just for the sake it (nice touch!), but then the content was immediately over. I guess it's still a WIP
100% luck based game
There are games that are somehow based on luck, but here it's just pure luck. I personally don't get where is supposed to be the fun/challenge in pressing a cube, hoping that it's not the wrong one, over and over. Music and main menu are very nice, but the gaming experience is quite debatable (and kind of absent, it's just one room)
Complex game with no instructions
The game experience had started quite nice with a custom main menu and a BGM, but I then found myself lost into too many inputs with no instructions whatsoever. It feels very "developer"-oriented, with a lot of written parameters on the screen (some of them can be easily converted into icons, like the hunger, maybe placed near the health). I know there are instructions here on CDB, but players are not expected to check out a manual before playing: the game should be able to explain itself to them, whether it is via tutorials, hints etc.
Also, the very first launch didn't work, I had to make another world, and I'm personally not a fan of round objects in voxel worlds. Having cuboids for most of the objects would make the game way more lightweight (it took a lot to download compared to other games) and possibly nicer
Nice atmosphere, but it lacks of gameplay
I was really happy to see a game taking place in some sort of Ancient Egypt: the first map was really on point talking about level design, wide outside and narrow inside. A few decorations more would have totally helped, and as general taste I would avoid completely round objects inside a voxel game (ie. columns).
However, I wasn't able to understand the sense of the game, especially the white room that was way different from the rest (is the character inside a mental institution? Is there an end? Am I supposed to endlessly cicle?). Unfortunately, gameplay comes before atmosphere (games with a wonderful graphics but with poor gameplay < games with a poor graphics and wonderful gameplay), hence the negative vote.
I wasn't expecting a runner in Minetest, but it's fun
That's definitely not the first game that would pop into my mind when thinking about Minetest (and I don't even think it's a great stand-alone game concept, it feels more like a minigame) but the author made a really nice job porting an endless runner videogame into Minetest. Collecting coins is rewarding, it can jump AND slide (the dead animation also works perfectly, congratulations for using the tools the game already gives you), and with the music defaulted to on it would have been even better.
If I have to find some critiques, putting it into a cave would have made more sense with the title, as the empty sky is somehow out of context. Also, I think that, after a while, the author just copy-pasted a piece of the map over and over, but (if I'm right) it's a jam and it's totally understandable.
P.S.: I know that saying the following isn't impartial as I'm the author, but consider to use arena_lib to turn it into a really nice minigame that people can put into their servers
Can't maneuver properly
This was the first game from the jam that I've seen having a custom icon and background image in the main menu, so +1. Unfortunately, inputs felt a bit clumsy (maybe because I'm used to MisterE Snake 3D, and I admit that it's not that easy to calibrate anyway) and even playing in third person doesn't help as the body of the snake basically covers the whole camera
Confusing
The first thing I don't understand is why there are monsters roaming through this warehouse. It looks like a puzzle game where you have to find these special presents, but it feels like the author thought fighting was a must have, forcing these creatures in the game. They don't seem to add anything special to it (also, when damaged, they have no feedback but the HP bar changing on their head).
Another thing I can't seem to grasp is how the aisles counting works. I... just can't navigate through them properly, so I have no idea of what present I should open. Furthermore, instructions in chat aren't that handy (why not a GUI or an HUD?) and, if you die, you respawn outside the warehouse, breaking the game
Not intuitive nor rewarding
I had to check out on CDB how to play because I was expecting to do something with the screwdriver from the very beginning instead of using my fists. If the bar would have been reduced to 2 slots, it might have resulted more intuitive. Or even better, giving the screwdriver only when needed.
Texture pack is nice, but sounds are missing and, more importantly, there is no rewarding feeling when a level is completed, as the player gets automatically teleported into the next one. Some delay to have players look around (maybe followed with a jingle) would be nice. Also, I personally got bored after a few levels rather than feeling challenged
Good graphics but confusing
I understand that it was made for a jam and the author might have not had the time to clean it up, but having to manually move the map into a world folder can't be ignored - as who plays is not expected to read the description here on CDB. A soundtrack would have helped a lot to convey the right atmosphere, and in general I wasn't able to understand how to play (I couldn't place anything). Too bad, because I think this game has potential, so I really hope to see the author polish it!
A game with no cubes in a voxel engine
I had liked that there was an initial context welcoming the player (even if no sound), but it turned into a repetitive clicker after a while; the objective is to keep farming, and unlocking new areas needs players to stand still in front of them for an amount of time that increases according to the number of resources needed (I would have put a default time, maybe with a nice sound).
Most importantly, though, why there is not even a cube? I think the author wanted to experiment, but areas could have been squares instead of hexagons (meaning also less models to download). Furthermore, I personally don't like perfectly round objects placed into a voxel context, as they result out of place, so I think that - graphically speaking - it could have been way better with way less effort and resources. Seeing all these non-squared 3D models I wonder: why on Minetest and not, for instance, on Godot?
(Jam) No context nor goal
The game started well with a nice pixel art icon in the main menu bar, but then there was no immersion into the atmosphere: lack of music, lack of context (there is a guy exchanging items and brown monsters, with no further info provided) and lack of monster boundaries, attacking the player whilst talking with the merchant. In general, I haven't understood the purpose of the game and experienced a crash at the very first launch
Way easier commands
I've been using this library for months, since I read about it on the Modding Book. Definitely worth it
This is not a game, it's bad advertising and it's constraining
If the game was called "Minetest Modding Base", "Minetest Core" or whatever, and people were warned it's just a base, it'd be fine. But it's not: Minetest Game is the greatest factor pushing new players away, as it's shipped by default with Minetest, having people thinking it's Minetest itself.
Every time I have someone downloading Minetest - and I'd like to stretch every time - I have to warn them to NOT play in singleplayer, at least not without having downloaded something from ContentDB first. This because, what people expect from a game/engine which resembles MineCRAFT starting by its very name, is to play a MineCRAFT clone by default. So wait: no monsters. No nether. No villagers. No blocks dropped. No challenge. NO GOALS. Hence the uninstalling and the very bad first impression. As I stated multiple times, this is very very very bad advertising. I don't have data, but if I had to guess how many people uninstalled MT after the first experience into a MTG world, it'd be a lot.
Also, I understand MT actually was born as a game, but that idea evidently failed, because this is NOT a game, this is THE FOUNDATION to create a very specific game (Minecraft, which afaik it was the initial goal). This is "create your personal Minecraft without sweating too much... kinda". So, if some developers keep denying that Minetest and Minecraft are the same (paramat actually called it Minecraft-like), this should be at least not be shipped by default. Because the more it gets shipped by default, the more likely modders will create mods depending on it, rooting it into the status quo even more, creating more bad advertising and pushing away more potential players.
And in all honesty, we don't need another Minecraft: pragmatically speaking, people nowadays are not taught the difference between proprietary and free software in school, and definitely it's not a hot topic in general.
[IT CONTINUES IN THE COMMENTS, THERE IS A CHARACTER LIMIT]
That RPG Maker XP vibe
I'm very glad to have found a texture pack with a solid style like RPG16. I'd probably improve something here and there, but overall it's definitely a must for people trying to portray their world into an RPG adventure. Also, +1 for the RPG maker XP vibe and +1 for the wide range of packages supported :)
Very very useful, but broken since 5.3.0
The author doesn't seem to be active anymore and exposing the zoom key broke the mod. There is a working fork tho
leading the way for minigames
I'm obviously biased, as I'm the one who developed arena_lib, but Murder is quite a classic available in different games outside of Minetest. Sounds added in the 1.1.0 definitely increased the quality of the mod, as people can now understand their role much easier than before (it's also more immersive)
Simple yet effective
It brings back the MineCRAFT aesthetic, and it actually allows to do a lot more. Great job :)