

CRITTER COURIER
LUDUM DARE 53
THEME: DELIVERY
GENRE: Puzzle/Action
WORK SETTINGS: Game Jam participation
MEMBERS: Mateo Schell-Wack | Clément Crepel | Lola Linuesa | Oscar Berry
MY ROLE: Game Design, Level Design and more
DATE: 2023


If you want to play the game, don't watch too much of the video.
Play it on Itch.Io
Like any Game Jam, it was a very intense but very cool weekend.
We are very proud of what we produced in 72 hours and have been pleasantly surprised by the comments we have received on the Ludum Dare website.
I found this event particularly interesting and rewarding because it forces participants to try out the games of other candidates.


In this action-puzzle game, you play as a new postman in a city populated by animals.
Since there are no mailboxes in the city, you have to find the different addresses of the recipients thanks to the descriptions given and the scenery.
The intention was to offer a non-punitive experience that still requires reflection from the player, with a calm atmosphere and notes of humor.
Also, the narration takes up a lot of space in this little jam game, which tells a weird story.
SOME OF MY THOUGHT PROCESS
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The player has to make different deliveries to different locations (houses, buildings, parks).
Each location is described by several clues which, combined, can only lead to that one location.
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The clues are based on visual elements in the city, but also on sound elements, such as the sound of waves or crows, for example.
Some of the more abstract descriptions require a little imagination on the part of the player.
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Imagining these puzzles was very interesting because I also had to work on the level design to balance the difficulty and make sure that all the clues given were necessary.
Let's take an example: The next delivery is near a pizzeria, in a blue building, from which you can see the sea.
If there is only one pizzeria in the city and there is only one blue building next to it, the player will not even need the third clue.
However, if there is another pizzeria in the city with a blue building next to it, the player will have to consider the third clue and find the one with a view of the sea.


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I was inspired by board games such as Cryptide or Micro-Macro, which have similar mechanics.