INTRO

I heard about the Stop Killing Games Community Jam 5 days after the start. Luckily for me, the jam was extended by 3 days, giving me 5 days to create a full game ~oof. 

IDEA & VISION

When I saw the theme - "Limited Lifetime", I started thinking about everything that will eventually end. My first, and most literal idea was the limited lifetime of a human being. Even if it would definitely fit the theme, I forced myself to look at the big picture. That's what lead me to the interpretation of the theme that I decided to follow - the limited lifetime we put on our planet. Each year humanity generates more and more trash and pollution, while not many are doing anything to offset it. Even within the next few decades, many low-lying island nations will be submerged underwater because of the rising sea levels.

With this vision in mind, I decided to make a game reflecting the need for a change as a call for action. I got inspired by the Disney film WALL-E, in which the robot was left to organize endless piles of trash left by humans, though in my game the threat is more eminent as there is no mention of humanity leaving the nearly destroyed planet.

THE HARDSHIPS

By far the hardest part of making SaveThePlanet was fighting Godot's physics engine. The open-source game engine really didn't like my  quick changes to the ground (StaticBody2D) position. Ultimately i fixed the issue by not animating the rumbling with the AnimationPlayer, but switching to a vertical camera-shake approach.  

Apart from that, as with most game-jams, especially ones you join in the middle-of, another hardship was the time management. It is always heart-breaking to give up on a feature of a fun vision, because you realize you won't be able to make it in time. Despite that, I find I'm getting better and better in accepting the imperfections of my creations. One thing that helped me was to write down all the things I wish I could do, but I didn't have the time. While it didn't help me bring all of my ideas to life before the deadline, it is a list that I plan to follow now that the jam is finished.

CONCLUSIONS

While the game I made isn't perfect, I am satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in half the time others had. 

Feel free to try out SaveThePlanet for free in the browser! I would be grateful if you left a comment with some feedback :)