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My thoughts: 1. Space bar should advance the level when you win. 2. The "running out of time" circular gif shouldn't come up as soon, and it should be less noticeable, not covering up the screen: perhaps a small watch icon in the top right corner. It should give you more time too. 3. The levels are all very straight-forward; there should be multiple ways to beat a level (like Angry Birds) 4. You should get bonuses if you beat a level without using all your bombs. 5. The levels should ratchet up harder, much more quickly. 6. You could introduce other types of weapons, like a laser, or a missile. Overall good game, looking forward to the sequel. PS - You should publish on iPad / Android / iPhone. If the game had good level design it could sell well.
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WOW!!! excellent game, the first 3 sets are easy enough, but the real fun is in the timed levels. I loved them. Just for giving the opportunity of fine-tuning to the tenth of a second when the bombs will blow is really fun and appreciated, and add to it the challenging enough levels, it becomes a masterpiece. It's a 5/5 very well deserved.
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I don't know why people complain about the Earth levels. I actually found it fun as hell to fine tune everything. There's just something about that "A-HA!" moment when everything works together, like a Rube Goldberg, and you succeed in completing it.
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Even the minor adjustments required to beat the timed bomb levels weren't annoying. It's not often that I play a puzzle game I'm not screaming at by the end of the day. Great game!
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Insanity is oft described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting something different, so you can describe sanity as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the same result. but what about those cases where you do the same thing and get an entirely different result every time? because that would describe this game perfectly.
I see what you are getting at but it's not really correct. The physics will replay the same if you do the same thing. Just try replaying timed bomb levels without changing anything for example. If you do something a little different, there is a chance that it will lead to a big change in resulting physics - this is pretty much true of all physics-based games and I tried to design levels in ways that would minimize this as a problem.
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A potential sequel you say? Well, why not bust out the Chemistry.
Elemental Balance 2: A Periodic Challenge.
You'd still have the basic goal of setting wood on fire. However, you have things like Magnesium that coat surfaces. Once you ignite them, they burn through metal. The metal can't get to the water and rust at that point, and so you've failed that puzzle. Then, you add rust-proof metals like gold that you have to melt to take out of the field, which means that you've got to use the Magnesium to take out those pieces. Also, you could use bombs of varying strengths. That way, you not only have a greater sense of control as to how your puzzle pieces are flying around, but you can make larger puzzles.
Gunpowder bombs you use in the beginning, but then you may also have things like thermite that can burn holes straight down the field for a good distance before stopping. That way, you're not only propelling objects around the field but changing the field itself.
I would play that.
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Level 9 of the Earth set was oddly the hardest one for me. I could have 3 balls burning and by adjusting the timing on one bomb without doing anything else results in everything changing, 3 balls in turns into only 1.
But oddly enough it wasn't frustrating trying to figure out exactly how to beat it. It was oddly easy figuring out the right times to set off the bombs on the Earth level for all of the rest.
I have to thank you for not doing a difficulty on the last level that was needlessly complicated by slapping together all of the elements and physics where we have to get the metal into the water and stop the wood from floating into the sky while getting it towards a small fire surrounded by water. I rather dislike it when puzzle games do that.
I agree that a sandbox mode would be great.
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Ohh another fiddly must get bomb within 0.5mm of perfect or restart.... I dislike I have 'badge' of week, you have 1 star
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Why can't I complete level 10 (Herder) if it's Medium, but I can complete the Water and Earth levels in a matter of minutes? Someone help me... *cries
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i really liked the game... what would make it even better.. would be i there were several different kind of bombs to use and mixing them up a bit:)
thought the earth levels was the BOMB! ;)
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Puzzle games games usually hurt my brain, but this was relaxing. Hitting my head against the wall doesn't help either... :(
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I really ripped through this game. Only got super stuck on one level. Super simple concept, yet super fun. Nice work bro.
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i give it 3 meows (out of 5) :3 amasing gameplay and fun but it can get somewhant annoying with 3 back-to back timed bomb levels
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game was nice and soft, but waaaaaaaaaaay too easy imo. levels have potential to be much much harder. why isn't there combination of fire, metal and timed bombs together? why is there no combination of metal and sky? metal/sky/time? etc etc.