How we survived GMTK 2023

This is the third time we approached GMTK Jam make a new game in 48h challenge. As a purist I banned out team from using pre-existing assets and code, each time we started from ground zero. For only two devs its incredibly hard to deliver a good game in such short span of time and it did't surprise neither of us that we failed once. Second time we tried LAN Party format of interaction was a little more succesful, we made a board game (pic below) but I failed to make it playable within the time constraints.

 This project exposed the weakest trait of out team: organization. @zhookevil did his job creating sprites and designing UI while I did some code and when in the moment when it should be merged the whole thing derailed. Some things do not work as expected and no time left to fix it.

This year theme was confusing at first, it was easy to imagine roles reversed story-wise but gameplay-wise what would it be? Here is our shortlist of ideas:
- PACMAN but you are a ghost (too trivial)
- puzzle platformer game but you can not control the character but rearrange pieces of level to let him get to the exit. (The idea is not fresh, it was considered by our team for 'Out of bounds' game jam but was not implemented yet. Probably we'll make such game someday in the future).
- tower defence but you hire monsters instead of building towers
- fishing sim but you are the fish (are fishing sims qualify as games?)
- 8-ball billiard but you shoot balls from a pocket trying to hit the cue (why?)

So TD Reversed (working title "Tower Assault") has been chosen as the genre. To avoid the same mistake from the last time (we don't do games in our usual life so between jams we developed nothing) we needed someone to become a project manager. I analized the game and made a schedule in what order I need game resources to write code efficiently and split it into three parts:
1) mockup sprites, mockup level layout, draft description of game object behavior patterns. These were urgent to make a prototype
2) Logo and UI to make it feel like a real game (while I still working on a prototype with resources from step 1)
3) Final assets, sounds, music, more levels (when core gameplay loop is ready it's time to expand)
4) Polishing and releasing finished product

Plan worked. 12h after the jam started we already had this:

Laser beams between barricade and tower survived until the release, monsters were moving in stacks (Imp sprite with number 24 above means a pack of 24 imps). Then we had logo which I immediately sent to my frien Alex LX and his imaginary band to ask him for a tune matching the art-style of Kingdom Crush in mood.

 Everything went well up to the point when we realized that we need upscaling because everything is too small. This scale can be seen in the released version during the hire and upgrade phases of the round.

Upscaling took too much of precious time which we could not waste. After 47 hourse we still had only one level, no way to win or lose and no upgrade mechanics. Making upgrades was the most crucial and three seconds before the initial deadline @zhookevil uploaded well done game with still only one level, some upgrades and  without no sounds and no victory or defeat conditions. 

That's all I had to share for today. Thank you for your attention. Stay tuned for future updates.