Games are fun. Jam is delicious. Why not combine the two? The Game Jolt Weekend Game Jam has both of those words (even though its jam is less strawberry flavored) and contains exactly the same amount of yum. Check out a few of the top games from this 48 hour competition.
Paper Dreams (Windows, 9.4MB, free) - Hand-drawn visuals are always great to see in a game, and Paper Dreams is full of them. This single-screen shmup sends loads of smiling enemies your way. Of course, it's your job to blow them up, collecting little plus signs that fall to upgrade your ship. A pretty challenging game, even on easy mode, but even if all you do is die over and over again, it's a experience.
Dissipate (Windows, 7.7MB, free) - The only non-shmup of the bunch, Dissipate is a crazy-difficult platform game whose puzzles come in the form of riddles. Each single-screen level begins with a proverb. Read the words, then play the level and use the clues given by the riddle to beat the level. Expect some crazy things to happen, like your controls being switched around, exit doors not really being exits, and solutions to certain levels being, well, jumping into a pit of spikes. A great change of pace from your typical platform game.
Vatn Squid (Windows, 7.6MB, free) - A vertical shooter that's made up entirely of boss battles! Maneuver your ship around enemy firing patterns while returning shots of your own. Tap [x] to use your shield, a defensive mechanism that also causes you to absorb bullets to charge a super weapon. There are only ten bosses to defeat, and the difficulty isn't all that high, but it's a great arcade experience reminiscent of retro shooters.
Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows Vista and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!
Dissipate: Some of the greater things in life are unseen; that's why you close your eyes when you kiss, cry, or dream....
Stuck
Um, what are you suppose to do to at the difficulty select screen for Paper Dreams? I tried pressing every button, but it doesn't seem to respond.
Unlisted keys for Dissipate:
F4: Toggle fullscreen
R: Reset Level
Esc: Reset Game
@Graeme: I think that's the end of the game.
Thank you so much for choosing Dissipate! Anyway, that is the end of the game. Thanks so much for playing.
For Dissipate...."Good men must die but death cannot kill their names." I'm stuck.
measure three times before you cut once?
Run Right. You'll figure it out eventually.
"The best mirror is an old friend" has me stumped.
How are you supposed to exit Dissipate? If there's some button you have to press, could someone please tell me?
[Have you tried the [esc] key? That works for most games. -Jay]
If you cannot get past the difficulty screen in Paper Dreams, try dissabling the effect, some computers have problems with surfaces. Sorry about that.
Dissipate is amazing. ^.^ And hard ._.
Dissipate - "Eye is a mirror of the soul". I understand it has something to do with symmetry of the level, but can't get exactly what...
Measure three times...:
Measure three times - jump in every pit from left to right
The best mirror...
Inverted controls - A for right, D for left, Y for jump, W for entering the door
@Dariush
go to the exit door and press i instead of s, another door will open
For "The eye is a mirror of the soul."
The letter I, not an eye. The mirror is a red herring.
Stuck on "Some of the greater things in life are unseen; that's why you close your eyes when you kiss, cry, or dream...."
To beat the measure three times puzzle, you've got it wrong you only need to:
Jump in the third pit of spikes, not all three from left to right. Your measuring three times, but only going once as the proverb says.
Dissipate: How does the one about the heart seeing things the eye cannot work?
Hey, I'm going to give you guys a walkthrough..
SPOILERS! CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
I'll say levels. Too lazy to say the whole proverb. :)
Lv. 1 : There should be a weird tombstone and a door to your right. Get familiar with the controls. Then go through the door TWICE to enter Level 2.
Lv. 2 : Easy. Jump in the pit of spikes. Done.
Lv. 3 : Move a little, then just stand there. You're done.
Lv. 4 : Two ways to go here. Take the right to finish the level. Taking the left is a dead end with a door that does nothing. The red door on the right is your goal.
Lv. 5 : Your controls get messed up here. Other than that, jump to the door up ahead.
Lv. 6 : The "three" should give you a clue of what to do here. Jump in the third pit of spikes and die. You made it.
Lv. 7 : This one is about speed; do it quick or die. Jump as fast as you can to the door ahead. To do this, jump and move at the same time.
Lv. 8 : Some of the grey bricks around here are breakable. To do this, walk up to them. You will go in a direction to the right, then left, then right again. You made it.
Lv. 9 : This got me tricked, but its easy if you know how to do it. Know the clue of "eye?"
Easy. Press the "I" button to show a secret exit in the small pit of spikes. Enter it.
Lv. 10 : Go for the door, or if you can. A couple tries and the game will send you to the next level.
Lv. 11 : YOU MUST HAVE 3 HEARTS BEFORE THE EXIT! Go for the door. It will dissipate. Go back to your starting point, jump on those spikes on the stairs on the way. Enter the invisible doorway at the starting point.
Lv. 12 : These platforms will head upwards. If you stay on one platform too long, one will only go to the doorway above. It's all timing. If one goes too high, reset the level.
Lv. 13 : Last level. This took me some time. As soon as you start, run to the east side, BUT DON'T JUMP! You will fall through the floor. Head left and you'll find a door. Done!
Handy buttons :
R = Reset level.
ESC = Reset ENTIRE game.
There are only 13 levels. :D
Hope you have fun. See you...
-Josh
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