The gm(48):Escape was a 48 hour jam where developers needed to make a game using Game Maker. The theme of this jam was “escape”. There were many games entered in this jam, I recorded all of them in my video compilation series. Below are some of my favorites, in a random order.

Path of Dismay is a unque twist on a tower defense game where you are looking to defend the HQ from routhless attackers! Humanity has colonized other planets, living in peace for many years. Soon, humanity ran out of materials and looked to take what they needed from aliens. These aliens found this material to be sacred and were not willing to just give it up. This started a great war - one that humanity is not currently winning. They are looking to escape space and the aliens that are coming for them. It is up to you to help aid in the continuation of humanity. To do this, you must protect your HQ to give your people enough time to make their escape. Aliens do not care about casualties, they just want you dead. You must set up towers that will then destroy the aliens. This game, unlike a normal tower defense game, has you connect two towers across the screen. Once these towers are connected - taking up two separate spaces - they will blast a line between each other. This line is the area that the tower will attack. Sometimes, there aren’t enough places to put another tower, so make your choices wisely. The fate of humanity is in your hands.

Glowsword is an extremely challenging action platformer that has you escaping the lab with your glowing sword! You are an amazing sword-wielding fighter who is working their way out of the dangerous lab you have found yourself in. You must be fast as you only have 3 minutes to make your escape. Powerful enemies block your way; some chasing and attacking you, while others shoot at you from afar. You must defeat them all to move on to the next area. As you jump, slash, and fight your way to your escape, you can combo up your sword. Using it a few times in a row to hit an enemy will allow you to get more damage out of it as well as attack in a bigger area. Are you up for the challenge of making it out of this lab?

Rocket Flood is a charming platformer that has you trying to escape a flood using a rocket launcher! You have limited ammo, but need to get high up the screen as fast as possible. The water is rising in your area, so you need to shoot towards the ground to push yourself to the surface. As you shoot, your rocket will do damage to the ground, breaking it completely, so it can be used to clear out paths as you get higher. Enemies and spikes are also dotted around the randomly generated worlds. You can shoot enemies who will then drop ammo so you can continue on your way. This game is super fast paced, but very fun to play. With each level being different (and affected by your shots) each replay is very interesting! Can you make it to safety above the flood?

Catch That Kid! is a stealth game where you must sneak toys into your cart while your mother is chatting away! You are at the supermarket with your mother when she started what seems like a never-ending conversation with a friend of hers. This conversation bores you, so you have decided to try and find all the toys you want and bring them to your cart. The only problem is, many of the store’s employees are walking around, restocking shelves or cleaning up messes. If they see you running around without your mother by your side, they will surely tell on you. As you run around you make a lot of noise. This can be easily heard by the workers nearby, so you are able to sneak - going far slower but making less noise - as long as you do not have a toy in your hand. Once you have grabbed a toy, you must make your way to the cart. If you throw the toy or anything you find on the ground, it will make some noise when it hits the ground, causing the employees to check it out. This can cause distractions to help you make your way to the cart. Once you are close enough to it, you can throw your toy in and run off for another. You can also hide in carts and move them along the axis they are facing. Once you have all the toys you want, return to your mother’s side before she is done talking!

Science Mishap is a short platformer that has you running for your life after a mishap in your science lab. You are a scientist who has caused a small explosion in your lab. This wouldn’t normally be a big deal, except you hit a pipe causing it to burst. Now the whole lab is filling with water and there seems to be no way out! Each exit door you come across is out of order, causing you to jump and run higher through the building as the water floods the floors. As you are rushing up, you may need to jump on boxes or go through vents inside walls to continue. The screen tilts and turns as you go, adding to the chaos! There are checkpoints here and there, helping you along the way. This game is currently unfinished, leading you to a read area where you will fall onto a winning screen, though it shows a lot of potential and I quite enjoyed it.

IDOL is a rage inducing platformer that has you trying to make it out of a mysterious cave alive with an ancient idol. You have stolen an idol from the cave and now must suffer the consequences: being cursed. This curse will do everything in its power to stop you from making it out alive with the treasure. To make matters worse, no one knows you are down in this cave, so if you do not make it it will all be in vain. As you run to your escape, you must avoid traps and make it through the many rooms of the cave. As soon as you touch the idol, a huge boulder will start rolling towards you. This rock will destroy everything it touches, including the room you are in. Each room you enter is different, with spikes, falling platforms, ropes to climb, and sometimes more treasure to collect. If you succumb to any of these traps, you will die and have to start the game over again. This game is seemingly impossible, the first five rooms apparently are easier than the second five (if you can even make it that far) and there are three different difficulty modes to take the challenge through the roof. You will only score if you make it all the way through the caves. Will you be the brave soul to make it out alive?

Smoothie Galaxy is a beautiful adventure game that has you trying to find the parts needed to fix your spaceship after crashing on a strange alien planet! The only way to get back home is to find the pieces of your ship which have been thrown around the world you landed on. With only your gun, you must explore around and see what you can find. As you explore, you will find many aliens looking to destroy you, some shooting, others following you. There are even a couple of bosses waiting to be battled. You will also find chests and upgrades that will help you fight and get to new areas to collect more parts. Once you have everything you need from this planet you can be on your way home. Enjoy the charming atmosphere, avoid the deadly aliens, and put your ship back together!

Ice Cube Escape is a challenging puzzler that has you sliding your way through obstacles. You are a large ice cube trapped in a world of sponges. As you slide around the area, collecting green gems, you will shrink and leave slippery water everywhere. Sometimes shrinking is quite helpful - required even - to get into smaller places or slide by traps. As you get smaller you also seem to get faster, zooming around the area quickly, but if you get too small you will become all water and have to restart the area. Traps like spiked boxes and moving monsters that bite will also appear in some levels. You must avoid them at all cost, as they will indeed kill you. After you have collected all of the gems in a room, an exit will appear. You must have enough ice left to make it out! This game is quite simple looking, but can get quite challenging, and above everything else is super fun!

Citadel is an adventure game that has you trying to find your way out of a strange citadel. You find yourself deep inside a strange building, naked and without any type of weapon. You must make your way out of this place! Traps, like spikes and trap doors are scattered around the dungeon. You must avoid dangers and make your way forward, hoping you are going the right way. Soon, you will find a sword and some boots, so you can run and fight. Monsters like slimes and bats are crawling around the place looking to cause you harm. As you make your way through this game, you will find that sometimes the way forward is not as direct as you would expect, so you will need to pay attention to where you go and how you get there. Maybe, with any luck, you’ll be able to find a way out of this place.

The Big Top is a circus themed puzzler that has you doing flips in your quest to free animals from captivity and escape the circus! You and your grandmother live together in a traveling circus. You are an acrobat, so you must perform flips and tricks to entertain the people who come to see you. Your grandmother wants you to practice every single day, though you very much hate the circus. Each day you must do flips and jumps to land in different blue circles. At first this is pretty straightforward, the block you stop on must be the circle. You are only able to move in jumps of three - doing a flip - and cannot move in less than three jumps unless there is not three squares for you to go too. As you get better at your craft, more obstacles will be put in your way and trampolines will be added for you to jump with. Sometimes moving boxes or boxes with white outlines will appear. These moving boxes contain animals, which you can release by landing on them. White outlined boxes are moveable, to help you to stop where you are going. Try your best to free all of the animals and escape from the circus live! If you free all of the animals in the first six stages, you will unlock more levels and a secret ending!

Prison Fight is a prison themed launching game where you must be launched into the air in hopes to escape. You are being thrown by another fellow inmate. It is your goal to get as far as you can. This will somehow help you escape, according to a dodgy pair of eyes that showed up in your cell one day. Once you have landed, running into window sills that help you along or other prisoners who slow you down, a shady guy will appear. This guy will then try to sell you upgrade that will speed along your escape - things like a radar to show where prisoners/windows are, a jetpack, and a shank (so prisoners won’t be slowing you down). These upgrades really do help you get farther, but they do cost you your reputation. Have your fellow inmate launch you - hopefully straight out of this prison!

#GM48 #PathOfDismay #Glowsword #RocketFlood #CatchThatKid #ScienceMishap #IDOL #SmoothieGalaxy #IceCubeEscape #Citadel #TheBigTop #PrisonFight