Wonder Office (Jam Version)
First of all, a thousand thanks to Chunko for creating this awesome thumbnail for me! Check out their work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chunkko/
Wonder Office is a 2D platformer inspired by many classics, but with a twist. The only way to lose is by running out of time. However, how quickly your time runs out depends on the amount of damage you take. This might make it seem like fast running time is a bad thing, but in truth, you can't avoid increasing your time loss at some point; you'll need to do so to progress.
If done cleverly, though, you can keep periods of high time loss short. And you should, because the time that's left at the end of the level is your final score! For the scope of the jam, I only created one demo level, but it's carefully designed with many possible ways to play it.
If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know! I'd love to create a second level after the jam, especially since I've already implemented a few more mechanics and enemies that didn't make it into the game.
- CONTROLS -
[WASD/ArrowKeys]: Move
[Space/Z]: Jump
[Shift/X]: Sprint/Grab
[ESC/P]: Pause (You can also adjust volume settings here)
-CREDITS-
Third Party:
Courier Prime (font) by Alan Dague-Greene
Godot 4 default graphics for sliders (used for volume sliders in pause menu)
Besides that, I've created all the assets (graphics, sounds, music) during the jam.
The score screen music is an old composition of mine, but I rearranged it for this jam.
The boss' (instructor from the beginning) design was made by Chunko, who also drew this beautiful thumbnail for me. Thank you once again!!
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
It is a well-known fact amongst his fans that Mono always has another clever challenge up his sleeve. In my opinion, this game is no exception to that rule.
The movement is outstanding and feels very smooth compared to Mono's previous works. The colour palette is well composed and shows a profound understanding of colour theory. Both the textures and sounds have been beautifully and skillfully crafted and harmonize in a way that is rarely seen in the genre.
I had a lot of fun figuring out how to beat the game as quickly as possible. Admittedly, the demo level was a bit overwhelming at first - as the vast majority of playtesters had already stated in the comments.
At the same time, there's no denying that Mono's no-holds-barred approach to meeting yet another strict deadline brought forth a game which, by its sheer complexity, proves that it takes its players seriously and entrusts them with a difficult task, rather than simply being the work of an uninspired developer focused on the sole purpose of gaining influence while continuing to churn out insipid, shallow works for the half-witted and weak-minded.
Its strenghs as well as its weaknesses truly make "Wonder Office (Jam Version)" a work of art that mirrors the overall anxious zeitgeist of modern society, dominated by the ever-quickening pace of economic activity, leading to constant fear of burnout and existential crisis, while top managers sit relaxed in their armchairs - legs crossed - secretly planning the next mass layoff to increase profits even further.
Mono's work points out the ironic nature of our never-ending race against the clock by forcing players to learn the inevitable truth that they themselves don't even realize it anymore, while they focus only on being as efficient as possible in the game's challenge. A brutal yet fair point.
- unquestionably ingenious - * * * * * 5 stars
This is such a unique concept. And really well balanced too! Honestly, I loved everything about this game. My one note is that because I didn't read the instructions in the submission first, it took me a while to figure out how to grab and hold the keys.