Unveiling the Evolution of Monster Path: From Humble Origins to Strategic Mastery

The Indie Accord — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:54:53 +0000

Greetings, fellow gamers and enthusiasts of strategic challenges! Today, we’re peeling back the layers of “Monster Path,” an endeavor that started as a humble game jam project but has grown into a captivating experience. Join us as we embark on a journey through the roots and growth of this unique game!

Allow us to take you back to a game jam, where the clock was set to just seven days. It was here that the initial spark of “Monster Path” ignited. Created for the 7DRL Challenge 2023, this competition challenged us to craft a roguelike game in a week. It’s a straightforward premise – seven days, a dash of creativity, and the ambition to stand out.

As the 7DRL competition progressed, feedback flowed in, and among the reviews, one piece stood out. A judge’s insight struck a chord – they recognized something intriguing in “Monster Path.” Beneath the surface of traditional JRPG combat and seemingly uniform abilities lay a strategic gem. The evolution of skills, the choices on the map, and the intricate dance of decision-making had been spotlighted.

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Since the original jam, “Monster Path” has grown, much like the creatures within. A diverse cast of five companions now enriches the gameplay. Meet Aioli, a goddess wielding buffs and AoE attacks. Each character contributes their flavor to the mix, creating layers of strategy to explore.

Yet, what sets “Monster Path” apart is its healing mechanics. A departure from the norm, it transforms healing into a strategic puzzle. Every choice carries weight, every encounter has consequences. Strategy becomes the heartbeat of your journey, weaving a unique narrative with each decision.

Reflecting on our journey, we’ve honed the healing system, embracing player interactions. Status effects, ailments, and their intricate interactions have been refined. Our aim is clear – to challenge, intrigue, and inspire players to embrace their path, warts and all.

In the realm of roguelikes, failure is a guide, not an end. “Monster Path” embraces this concept, inviting players to learn, adapt, and overcome. Missteps can transform into lessons, turning potential challenge into triumph. Every setback is a step toward mastery, a hallmark of the roguelike genre.

As we conclude this chapter of “Monster Path,” gratitude fills our hearts. Thanks to the anonymous judge whose feedback resonated. Thanks to every player who ventured into our realm, crafting their tales, and most of all thanks to the community that fuels our journey.

Join us on the evolving “Monster Path,” where strategies flourish, choices echo, and monsters await. Until next time, fellow adventurers, may your paths be strategic, your decisions profound, and your monsters forever captivating.

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Ambuuu Wins Game Jam!

The Indie Accord — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 16:15:28 +0000

It’s been quite awhile since you’ve heard from us, but we’ve been busy with a Game Jam!

Today we’d like to focus on the recent collaboration between DreamHack and Game Jolt.

For those not in the know these two awesome groups worked together to launch a 10-day Game Jam! A Game Jam is time-framed competition with a theme that is picked right before the launch of the event. In this specific case, the theme chosen was “5 minutes to…”, now how you wish to represent that is up to you. There are a bunch of cool entries (almost 50!) which were submitted, and each one brings to the table their own flavor of the theme. We were really sure early on that we didn’t want to just make a game and slap a five minute timer on it. Instead we framed the game around a fictional “golden time” that trauma victims go through where they can be saved only if an ambulance picks them up in 5 minutes (In the end 5 minutes was way too long for the game play, so it says five minutes in the game, but its really closer to 90 seconds.)

It’s fun to see how what ideas are created and how they are implemented. If you have time, we recommend trying out a Game Jam. Even if you don’t have any coding experience, individuals/teams are looking for artists, musicians, designers, etc. to help them bring their idea to reality, and its a really fun experience! In fact our team worked with a new person this time, Matt Killy and our old friend Ross Carr.

The Game

We eventually made a game where you drive an ambulance around a very dangerous city filled with injury prone citizens. From monsters, to aliens, to monkeys, to volcanic eruptions. The people in the city do not seem to be able to stay out of the hospital. Your goal is to get to the citizen and drive them to the hospital before their five minute timer is up, while avoiding the zany events, and trying to control your car in the intense AMBUUU mode.

Our game Ambuuu won 1st Place for DreamHack Jam Dallas! We are PUMPED to represent it at DreamHack Dallas in the end of May! If you attend, please come say hi!

What’s Next. Exciting updates for you!

We’re sure you are wondering, “But TIA, what’s next for Ambuu?”, well this is precisely what we would love to share with you.

Online Highscores
One thing that is on our immediate radar are online high scores. Wouldn’t it be awesome to compare your score and battle against your friends, all while seeing how many injured civilizations you both saved. Or didn’t. We don’t judge on your play-style here.

Couch Co-Op

We at TIA strongly believe in kicking your best friend’s butt in person. That’s right. Couch-Co-op! For Ambuuu we are still researching various ideas and alternatives but we believe a couch co-op version of the game could be just what the doctor ordered! Imagine sitting together around a TV/PC, controllers in hand, a mess of popcorn all over the floor as you battle it out. Almost a Kirby Air-Ride meets Overcooked. I’m talking chaos! That’s right, a full on battle to save the city of Montrifer!

Customization

We heard that everyone loves to personalize things. Well, good news for everyone! We are looking into allowing different color combinations, paint jobs, and the such for Ambuuu! Bring your creative side out and rescue your city! Maybe you keep it classy with humans. Perhaps you want lizard people. Why stop there, the combinations could be endless! Combine this with a mixture of task-based unlockables and your experience will become your own!

Steam

Lastly, we know that most of you use Steam (if you don’t, we highly recommend it!). Ambuuu will be brought to Steam for your convenience!

TL:DR
What may or may not be coming to Ambuuu,

Online Highscores & Metrics
Multiplayer Functionality
Game Unlockables & Personalization
Steam

Who We Are

We are just a bunch of friends who enjoy video games and make them for fun! A combination of both inexperienced and experienced individuals of various expertise, all are welcome Between us, we have a vary wide taste of video games and styles, but we try to add at least one quirky thing to all our games. If you’d like to learn more or want to reach out, we have a plethora of ways to be contacted and followed, from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to YouTube and even LinkedIn(we don’t know why though)!

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