The Bitsy Jam: Daydream was a game jam that challenged developers to create a game using the Bitsy Engine and the theme Daydream. The Bitsy Jam is a monthly game jam, run by the creator of the Bitsy Engine. You can follow him on twitter to hear about the next big jam! I was able to play and record all of the games entered into this jam in my video compilation series. Below are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.

A Bit of Revery is a relaxing little exploration game that sees you making your way through a dream. You start off in a school, where you are able to interact with other students and teachers. Once you take your seat, you go into a whimsical land full of strange creatures and weird environments. These little colored sprites are nice to marvel at and interact with, telling you what the character thinks of things such as flying fish and small owls. As you explore the land, you will get to experience a wonderful little adventure, all inside a dream!

I Wonder… is a game that wonders about everything you can interact with! You are a small thought cloud, attempting to understand what other people are wondering about, while waiting for your bus. Everyone wonders about something! As you explore the sky, you will find that there are tons of different routes to take before getting to the bus. I found it fun to hear what each of these little sprites wondered about and to think about what the answers to their wonders would be.

Penroses is a mysterious game that uses the engine in a very different way. You do not play a character on the screen, but instead experience the game from your own point of view. There are several other-worldly creatures that will attempt to guide you or tell you about aspects of the world, but ultimately it is down to you to choose your own path. There are many, many doors to travel through, taking you to new sections of this world. Choose wisely, and figure your way back home.

W.I.P. is a lovely game that tells the developer’s story of achieving what they dreamed of. It follows the developer through his process of creating a game jam game for a different jam, working on it after the jam, entering a contest to win tickets to go to GDC, and finally going to GDC. This little look into a developer’s life and story highlights some of the lows highs, all the while relating back to the original game that sparked it all. I really felt like an insight into a part of their life when following this story, understanding what that person went through to get to where they are now. Its really amazing when developers open themselves up like this so we can see inside their life. It is a rather emotional and well written game.

The WARRIOR and the BEAR is a short game that sees you making a huge decision; to kill or not to kill the last bear in the forest. Before finding the bear, you get the chance to interact with many villagers and creatures that are affected by the bear in the forest. No one has seen the bear in quite some time, as there is only one left, but this bear still strikes fear into them. You get to hear the pros and cons of getting rid of the bear, before deciding what to do with the animal. Your decision, as a warrior, affects the entire town and its population. Hopefully you make the right one!

What Happened to Augusta? is a mysterious and slightly emotional game where you play an unwanted tourist, visiting a destroyed site. There are little remains of what used to be here, something or someone called Augusta. Apparently many tourists would visit this site, but now that it has been destroyed, the tourists are to blame. You can walk around picking up notes and talking to people to try and figure out exactly what happened, but what you learn will not fix it. What Happened to Augusta? has a strong ending with a message, on top of a mysterious yet sad story.

Greener on the Other Side is a very different game that has you figuring out what different creatures desire! Depending on the path you take, different creatures will appear on the first screen. If you keep taking the same path, you will keep seeing the same characters, so make sure you explore a bit. Once you speak to the character, you will learn what they want in order to be happy. Then, you get to go to the next screen and see the thing they wanted, as well as react to it! Greener on the Other Side is a very interesting little game, and it’s quite funny too!

#BitsyJam #ABitOfRevery #IWonder…#Penroses #WIP #TheWarriorAndTheBear #WhatHappenedToAugusta #GreenerOnTheOtherSide