Pretty cool!
Author Comments
On one shoulder, I have an angel enthusiastically encouraging me to participate in my very first game jam.
...but on the other shoulder...
The Devil On My Shoulder places you in the shoes of... well... me! Join me on my quest to design a game (specifically, this game - things get meta real quick) over the course of a weekend for my very first game jam, notwithstanding my non-qualifications and the nebulous negative nudging of a nefarious nay-saying ne'er-do-well nestled naughtily next to my neck!
Part 2D-platformer and part interactive narrative, The Devil On My Shoulder sees you (me) struggling to make a game jam game before the weekend is up. At a loss for ideas, and plagued by your (my) incessant insecurities, you (I) decide to make a game about making the game, while those insecurities try to sabotage you (me) at every turn. Your choices shape the outcome of the game*, but be mindful of the time you have left when deciding whether to add a new feature; an unfinished game can't be submitted to the game jam, and scope creep is the devil's only friend!
*They shape the outcome, but like, in a fairly superficial way. (This is a game jam game, after all, and my very first one at that.)
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This game was made for Mini Jam 111 over on itch.io, the theme of which was "you are your own worst enemy," and I'm proud to say that the game ranked third overall in the jam! (You can check out my jam submission page here.) Since the jam's theme describes every moment of my life anyway, I figured this was the perfect excuse to wrangle my self doubt into submission, get some good practice in a new game engine, and live out a life-long dream of publishing a video game. Hope you enjoy it!
MyCousinJimmy responds:
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Some cool ideas here, that red guy was mean
MyCousinJimmy responds:
Thanks! And I know, right? (Imagine having to live with him!)
The fact that the game is both satisfying in its most simple form and that there are multiple screens and paths through text you can find from going y/n really speaks to the quality. The start is a bit long but that's on purpose or the sake of the narrative so it adds to the whole feeling. The idea of being in the arts and fighting your worst critic yourself given life in a simple 2-D space that reminds me of other great flash games from a by-gone era is both nostalgic and fresh as can be.
GG!
MyCousinJimmy responds:
Thanks very much! I tried to keep the branching paths relatively limited, given the limited time, but I was happy with how they turned out! And yes, the long start was intentional (thanks for noticing!), but it’s definitely a fair point to bring up. (If I’m being completely honest, I think I may have let it go on a little *too* long, haha.) Thanks again, and glad you enjoyed it!
this was so meta and fun!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could rant a lot about how good this was but I'm at loss of words.... it's sooooooooo good and mindblowing how not only you used the jam's theme but also wrapped it in itself and,,,?????? I don't know how to say it but WOW that's so genius and simple. I loved it
MyCousinJimmy responds:
Thanks so much! I’ve always been a big fan of meta fiction, so the general idea came to me pretty much the moment I saw what the theme was, haha. Glad you enjoyed it so much, and thanks again!
