Messier’s Bridge

This is my submission for the GMTK 48-Hour Game Jam with the theme of Only One.

In Messier’s Bridge, you have Only One second to memorize the stage to then traverse it, earn points and increase your timer. With increasingly difficult, randomly generated puzzles, your memorization skills will need to be quick. Train your mind and traverse Messier’s Bridge into the unknown.

https://kevin-ray.itch.io/messiers-bridge

Messier’s Bridge was my first well-received solo project. When I began the project, I had planned on working with a team though no one else was available. I, instead of dropping the project, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to show off my skills as an individual. In most of my projects, I work in teams so we can share the workload but not here. I had to do everything myself.

Knowing I had a 48-hour time limit, I tried to make my game as elegant as can be. One type of interaction—movement. One model that could be used for everything—a cube. I focused on the feel of my game rather than its complexity with these limitations. The behavior of all objects and art in the game would reflect the abstract nature of the game. This was the first game I had ever done sound design for and I wanted to focus on player feedback. I experimented quite a bit with many systems I have never used before but they all fit together perfectly in the end.

I finished the game and released it for others to judge for themselves. I figured no one would play it like the game I submitted the year prior. And I was right. At first, no one was playing it but I actually wanted people to play it for the first time. This is how I became engaged with the community, playing other people’s games and asking for feedback on my own in forums. People really loved my game and left constructive comments on how to make the game even better. Out of 2,626 participants, I placed 235th. I was content with my placement. Though I promise to make the top 100 next year!