Escape from book kingdom

A words odyssey for true freedom

Created in approx. 12h. Had to really get a concept down that would be doable in that timeframe, but I'm quite happy with the outcome!

Press O / X (pico-8 buttons, not keyboard buttons, correspond to z/y and x ) to pop out / slot yourself in.
I hope the rest of the mechanics can be learnt while playing through the game :)

Have fun and please add some feedback!

Voting results

Overall
2nd
11%
7.444
Graphics
3rd
22%
6.111
Audio
2nd
11%
6.778
Gameplay
1st
7.000
Originality
1st
8.222
Theme
1st
8.667

This game entered in the Solo competition (9 entries).

Comments (14)

lody
 • 2 years ago • 

I'm blocked somewhere where there are two readers (red lines) , how do I do ?

Cuddl3s
  • 2 years ago • 

@Iody yeah this is definitely a difficulty spike.
You have to check which words fit where, and see if you can manage to plot a path from word to slot.
Basically going into each 4 quadrants separated by the red lines. Hope that helps :)

AaronBacon
 • 2 years ago • 

Fun Mechanic, I liked the idea of changing your word so that different hiding spots are availible to you, good job!

toasty
 • 2 years ago • 

Great concept! It's an interesting feeling to be reading the text while also navigating around. The difficulty really ramps up on the last page.

I'd like to see an expanded version where you really make the most of changing the meaning of sentences by substituting some of the words; I imagine you could put together a pretty interesting story and then change it through playing. I wonder what other mechanics you could work into this concept… 🤔

Cuddl3s
  • 2 years ago • 

Great point @toasty!
Changing the sentences so they have a different meaning could be a cool type of puzzle similar to something like Baba is You.
Sorry for that difficulty spike, I really wanted a level like this with multiple needed changes, but did not have the time to properly lead up to it 😅

ValdeTheAssetMan
 • 2 years ago • 

The final level was a bit hard to figure out, but after a few attempts i pulled it off. Playfully challenging, and love the cute 8-bit theme.

mesonpi
 • 2 years ago • 

This was a really nice game! As you said, it would have earn a lot if by changing the meaning of the sentences you activated different effects on the page. I liked the game :)

M2tias
 • 2 years ago • 

I always love to see new puzzle ideas. This is great! Too bad you didn't have more time. Nice effort for 12 hours! Iterating on toasty's idea: Changing meanings and having multiple endings would be cool.

Aurel300
 • 2 years ago • 

Cute. I wondered why the watchers didn't care about the obviously out-of-place blue words :)

Luu_Bi_Chu
 • 2 years ago • 

Wow, the game is amazing, it hook player into the catch and have to think of solution. Nice music also

heyheyhey
 • 2 years ago • 

A unique game that hits home insofar as the theme is concerned. It took me a while to figure things out — but that is part of the game, no doubt. Starting at Level 3 or 4 it became very difficult for me, but I suspect that other players had an easier time of it. I tend to struggle with games that require quick thinking and hand-eye coordination. That said, I think you’ve put Pico-8 to good use — I can imagine a lot of people falling in love with a game like this.

Cuddl3s
  • 2 years ago • 

Thanks so much guys! Sorry for not being active, but Im on vacation without a pc right now..
@Aurel300 haha yes, my plan actually was for them to erase the wrong word and restore it to its previous state. But that mechanic had to go in the interest of time :D

thomastc
 • 2 years ago • 

This is a brilliant concept, too bad it's short. Any plans to develop it into a full release?

Papaver
 • 2 years ago • 

Cool game, awesome concept! :D

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Cuddl3s

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