Introduction

Monkey Jam 2024 was a wild and fun experience for my artist and me. We had a blast, each dedicating around 49 hours to the game—a combined total of 98 hours. While not all our time was spent solely on the game but also on the itch.io page, we also made some lasting memories along the way.

The Game

The game is in a state that we are happy with even that we cut a lot of content  and that the game only features 2 levels.

From a game design perspective, we're pleased with how we introduced the main mechanic. As soon as you start the game, the main menu incorporates this mechanic, giving players an immediate understanding of how the game works. We also used the background to teach the gameplay loop, adding signposts with drawings and text to explain the mechanic on the background wall. We believe we did a good job teaching players how to play the game. However, based on feedback, there are some key areas for improvement, especially regarding player feedback when hovering over items they can pick up.

The Art

Overall, we're pleased with the art. All the assets are cohesive and fit well together. We aimed for a playful and cute art style, and I believe my artist nailed it. The art style is not only appealing but also efficient, allowing her to work quickly while hiding some of the rough edges.

However, we still face some environmental issues. There's some inconsistency, with certain areas missing collision outlines and other areas unclear about object interactions. While we still need to refine the environment art, we're very happy with how the objects and characters turned out.

The Future

Regarding the future of the project, my artist and I are excited about continuing the project and developing it into a full game. We see significant potential and, after conducting market research, believe there's a niche we can fill with our game concept. This means fans of the game will have something to look forward to. Once we complete the vertical slice, we'll update the itch.io page with a new demo.

Here are our plans for the project. If you have any feedback, please let us know.

New Content:

• More Levels: Six unique worlds with six challenging levels each, including a final boss battle. Worlds include Jungle, Tundra, Desert, Factory, Space, and Hell, with World 0 as a tutorial.
• Storyline: Follow the protagonist's journey across the six worlds.
• Different Characters: Introduce various cute animals to enhance diversity.
• More Music: Each world will have its own unique soundtrack.
• Order System: Revamped system rewarding quicker order completion. Customer moods (happy, neutral, unhappy) affect patience and scoring, with higher scores for satisfying unhappy customers.
• Customization: Personalize animals with unique looks and personalities.
• Streamer Integration: Enable viewers to participate in voting on in-game events during gameplay.

Improved Content:

• Player Feedback: Dynamic interaction with objects, varying object weights, and visual cues for happy monkeys.
• Quality of Life Features: Smoother bike rotation and immediate wheel snapping for better gameplay experience.
  

Its going to be a fun journey.