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Game Mechanics Toy Factory - just not fun

So all week I had this "awesome" idea for a game (casual mobile), turns out when I got time this weekend to prototype it was not fun at all. Thank god GMS allows us to quickly test projects before spending too much time. On the plus side I got to use Path's and Physics which I've not used before. If anyone is interested in the project let me know and I'll post the project files.

Might make a good kids game.

 

Rayek

Member
Just looking at your demo recording it feels waaaay too much like actual work! :p

You've created a conveyor belt job simulator, one of the most brain-deadening jobs in the world! Congrats!

I agree, nice that we now have access to quick prototyping tools to separate the chaff from the wheat.
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
I think the core issue is that you do the same thing constantly at the same speed, humans crave variety.
  • Instead of having evenly spaced toys, occasionally have bursts of half a dozen toys at once.
  • Have bad things (enemies, bottles of nuclear waste, whatever) that you need to get rid off by throwing bombs at them, but you get a penalty if you hit a toy instead
  • Occasionally a conveyor belt stops and you need to flip up your control panel and manually reboot it (or generate more power by tapping a dynamo repeatedly)
  • maybe the player could click and drag the "put toys here" baskets around, and have to manually put them in a shipment crate to score points when they're full?
 
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Reactions: Rob

Jam373

Member
I played a game a while ago that had similar mechanics. One complexity they had that you could add that would make it less mindless would be for the baskets at the bottom to represent "groups" of toys. So one group could be "animal toys" and another "toy cars" or something similar. Then you have multiple toys that fit into each catagory. That way the player has to think through an extra step before clicking. Yal's suggestions are all very good also though.
 

Toque

Member
I made a conveyor belt style game in a GM jam.

I think your game is better. Sometimes its about doing something outside of the box with a familiar mechanic.......
 
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