Well, that's basically 30 ratings.

This game's basically on track to being the biggest LD submission I've ever had a hand in.  More than that, we plan on bringing the game to Itch, Android, and possibly Steam over the next year.  It's been a wild ride, this jam... and despite the many snags we hit along the way, it's all been worth it.

As a special thank you to the community for once again making this event something to cherish, here's a curated list of my highlights from the competition!

Note that this list is only comprised of games I've played myself.  There's a number of interesting titles I saw on various streams that I unfortunately don't have the link to.

Please give these incredible submissions a look!

(also please make sure to play our game at https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/balancing-act-2/ we really tried to make something cool and also it's coming out on ItchIO and Android next year so your support is appreciated k thanks)

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OVERALL:

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JAM:

Rocky Rhodes and the Cracked Case by @holbinski, @crelish, @loveboxf, and @brainloaf-studio

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/rocky-rhodes-and-the-cracked-case

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I thought this was going to be a clever and witty noir-themed game.  I was so wrong.  *I was so wrong.*

A short linear experience that will leave EVERYTHING to the imagination.  Originally my Best Humor pick, I sent it up here.

The more I say, the less impact the game will have... so go play it.  Go **experience** it.

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JAM:

HONK III by @justcreative, @sava-tsurkanu, @krik-iddqd, @astramorae, @onlymorozov, and @tricky-fat-cat

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/honk-iii/

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This one was VERY close to being my Best Overall, so much so that I broke my rules and made an honorable mention when I said I wouldn't.  As a complete package, it feels like a love letter to Quake II with its own odd little movement scheme and a dedicated honk button.  In short, this game NEEDS a postjam commercial release.  When's HONK, Civvie?

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GRAPHICS:

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JAM:

Apollo's Lab by @clonze and @graylure

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/apollos-lab

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A simple puzzle-platformer that finds a tricky balance between adorable artwork and body horror with a unique revival mechanic, among other weird gadgets.  Tightly designed and presentation first, with bonus points for a raccoon protagonist.  Gimme the gawubage.

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INNOVATION

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Innovation is going to be a two way tie... I just couldn't make up my mind!

JAM:

Fellowship Manager by @elysiagriffin, @brainoid, and @honest-dan

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/fellowship-manager

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You did this in a weekend?!  Everything okay over there?

To summarize the game in one word: Depth.  It's a fully fledged Civilization/For the King meets Darkest Dungeon where you have to dismantle the unstable throne before your party naturally dismantles itself.  From customizable battle tactics, to micromanaging units with weapons and stats, to a dynamic reputation system that forces you to keep on fighting so the enemies don't forget to fear you, Fellowship Manager can be quite unwieldy at first glance but has incredible potential.

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JAM:

Mech Mapper by @curdlegames and @thestoff

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/mech-mapper

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A physics-based building game about building your own solution-car with quality presentation of a fun concept.  This almost went under Audio, but I would have felt terrible leaving this out of Innovation for how hard it tried to make this concept work, and how it succeeded in doing so.

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MOOD:

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COMPO

The Salatroitsk Incident by @drunkardwolf

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/the-salatroitsk-incident

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A slow-burn PSX survival horror game where you collect radioactive materials for research and evade a formless monster.  Once again, DrunkardWolf has nailed PSX aesthetics for an easy win in this category.

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AUDIO:

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Eek, another tie!

JAM:

2001 Unstable Space Oddyssey by @emurga, @dephon, @rujum, and @nopogo

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/2001-unstable-oddyssey

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The space theme of this title is complete with an inspiring soundscape and some impressive visuals for the jam.  I do love me some space.

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JAM:

U-49 MELTDOWN by @ashley-gb , @matias-correa, @likenjay, and Viktor from @blue-pin-studio

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/u-49-meltdown/

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A main beat that rocks, audio logs, and an adorable little isotope.  This almost went under Theme as it gets the Unstable point across quite well, but I had to give credit for that main track and the voiceover.

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HUMOR:

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Just pretend Rocky Rhodes is on this section too, okay?

JAM

Oh, Hello? by @joah-reason and @itsboats

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/oh-hello

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A goofy physics based puzzle platformer about being a Verizon customer.  Fling your way to finish the call through the most absurd yet effective means you can think of, and try not to get too far away from the signal point once you're there!

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FUN:

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JAM:

Unstable Explosives by @spoky

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/unstable-explosives

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A chaotic top-down arcade game where you chuck live bombs towards your enemies while avoiding the same fate yourself.  This game ended up being the kind of quick fun I'd love to see scoped out into a small-scale party game.

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THEME:

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JAM:

Manicat by @rextgun

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https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/manicat

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Next time just give me a virus.

What exactly am I looking at?  I've been asking myself that same question, every night, for two weeks, all night because I can't sleep anymore.  It's cruelty squad all over again.  send help.  I think Unstable is a fitting word.

I can crack jokes all I want, but this isn't here just because of the theme.  This gameplay is incredibly tight, and it EMBODIES PURE CHAOS.  It's one worth fighting over the best scores with.  @rextgun, excellent work.  You monster.  I'm gonna go take a depression nap.

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And with that, this concludes my list of personal picks from LD49!  There's plenty of amazing games I played that didn't quite make this list, so share them in the comments!

Once again, it's been a pleasure jamming with you all again.  I look forward to seeing you all again in LD50, and hope to see some of you around when BALANCING ACT gets its full release in 2022.