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For Games Ranked 15–12
15.
Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure
by
Nathan Karr
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
Buckle up for a quick game about exploring one-screen towns, fighting the usual monsters, visiting expensive shops, and storming an impossible dungeon with screen-scrolling features.
Okay, maybe it’s not so quick, after all.
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
6
Lowest Rating:
1
Achievements
Achievement
Call a Tow Truck?
-Yeah, I’m making a Triple-A (AAA) joke.
Achievement
The Microcosm
–Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure tries to distill the common RPG down to its basic elements and serves them up in a tiny capsule.
Achievement
Just Another EA Game
-And there’s another AAA joke.
Achievement
The Imbalancing Beam
-Even though Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure shoves the core RPG tropes into the first 30 minutes of game time, it tosses that gimmick out the window when it introduces a final dungeon that takes forever to beat.
Achievement
I See a Monster
-What we scream when we see a monster: “Aaa!”
Achievement
Oops, Sorry ‘Bout Dat
–Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure wasn’t made for Heart of the OHR, but I convinced Nathan Karr to enter it. Then the game went on to lose the contest hard. Oops.
Achievement
Call a Tow Truck?
-Yeah, I’m making a Triple-A (AAA) joke.
Achievement
Just Another EA Game
-And there’s another AAA joke.
Achievement
I See a Monster
-What we scream when we see a monster: “Aaa!”
Achievement
The Microcosm
–Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure tries to distill the common RPG down to its basic elements and serves them up in a tiny capsule.
Achievement
The Imbalancing Beam
-Even though Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure shoves the core RPG tropes into the first 30 minutes of game time, it tosses that gimmick out the window when it introduces a final dungeon that takes forever to beat.
Achievement
Oops, Sorry ‘Bout Dat
–Alliterative Abbreviated Adventure wasn’t made for Heart of the OHR, but I convinced Nathan Karr to enter it. Then the game went on to lose the contest hard. Oops.
Audience Consensus:
It’s a Nathan Karr game. Maybe even the “most Nathan Karr of Nathan Karr’s games.” Cool scrolling transitions between screens, but given how everything else feels disjointed, it seems maybe the scrolling is the only reason for the game. Nevertheless, it has interesting characters and fun map names. But that’s where the good parts end. Ultimately, it’s aimless. Graphically, it uses one of FnrrfYgmSchnish’s predesigned packs, but it doesn’t use more map layers to display transparency. Tweaks to RPG systems hurt, not help. Final dungeon not worth the effort. Throwing weapons? Why? Some magic items don’t work. Enemies don’t follow any logical grouping. What’s the concept? It’s just a mess.
14.
Slimes World
by
Matokage
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
Clever character selection precedes a lackluster generic adventure about an uncommon hero who must mine a bunch of rocks and chop a bunch of trees because…wait for it…
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
6
Lowest Rating:
2
Achievements
Achievement
Star Character Picker
-In Slimes World, the player chooses his character based on a series of slime classes, making it one of the best character selection modes in this year’s Heart of the OHR.
Achievement
The Big Empty
–Slimes World wins this season’s award for expansive areas that feature nothing for the player to explore or interact with. Previous winners include Illusions (2012), Mr. Triangle’s Adventure (2014), Dragon Chaser (2016), and Arc Wars (2018).
Achievement
No, You’re Not Being Trolled (*Wink*)
-When the player goes through the character selection process, he or she is given a bunch of choices that seem arbitrary thanks to the same-y design of the character models for each choice.
Achievement
Survivalist
-The main gimmick in Slimes World is to cut trees and mine rocks for supplies, just like in a traditional survival game.
Achievement
Flip the Script
-RPGs are almost always about human heroes going out to fight slimes (and other creatures). This time, the slimes are the heroes. No word yet on where humans fit in, if anywhere.
Achievement
Oh, This Isn’t a Kid’s Game!
-The cutesiness of Slimes World ends the moment one our towns-slimes drops a curse word into the dialogue.
Achievement
Star Character Picker
-In Slimes World, the player chooses his character based on a series of slime classes, making it one of the best character selection modes in this year’s Heart of the OHR.
Achievement
No, You’re Not Being Trolled (*Wink*)
-When the player goes through the character selection process, he or she is given a bunch of choices that seem arbitrary thanks to the same-y design of the character models for each choice.
Achievement
Flip the Script
-RPGs are almost always about human heroes going out to fight slimes (and other creatures). This time, the slimes are the heroes. No word yet on where humans fit in, if anywhere.
Achievement
The Big Empty
–Slimes World wins this season’s award for expansive areas that feature nothing for the player to explore or interact with. Previous winners include Illusions (2012), Mr. Triangle’s Adventure (2014), Dragon Chaser (2016), and Arc Wars (2018).
Achievement
Survivalist
-The main gimmick in Slimes World is to cut trees and mine rocks for supplies, just like in a traditional survival game.
Achievement
Oh, This Isn’t a Kid’s Game!
-The cutesiness of Slimes World ends the moment one our towns-slimes drops a curse word into the dialogue.
Audience Consensus:
Starts off strong with a robust character creation sequence, but the player soon discovers that it’s the best part about the game. The concept of basing the game around slimes is attractive. The mining and chopping sequences are also interesting. But most everything else about the game is aimless, empty, or both. Has the hallmarks of a traditional unfinished newbie game, including characters that don’t speak (except for one that curses at you). Needs a lot more development. As of now, it’s incomplete and unbalanced with unfinished maps, meaningless crafting systems, and battles that are tough to win even at the start. Released much too early.
13.
TutOHRial
by
Nathan Karr
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
Ever wanted to learn how to make an OHR game without reading Wiki articles or watching YouTube videos? Then try the hands-on approach (kinesthetic, if you’re a psychology nerd) to OHR game-making with this expositional tutorial and practice-maker.
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
9
Lowest Rating:
1
Achievements
Achievement
True Heart
-The Heart of the OHR is about making games that resemble those featured in the engine’s early library, and TutOHRial is about using the OHR to make a game that resembles those in the engine’s early library.
Achievement
Windy Words
-As much as TutOHRial is appreciated for its good intentions, its greatest drawback as a teaching tool is the walls of text that it throws at players (budding game designers) before allowing them to practice what they’ve learned.
Achievement
Game in a Game
–TutOHRial is a game where the player makes a game.
Achievement
Custom Features
-Part of TutOHRial’s game design is to send the player into Custom, the OHR’s official design engine, to make internal changes to the game in order to progress.
Achievement
Zoom Not Required
-In 2020, classrooms were held on Zoom. However, the OHR’s latest teaching tool, TutOHRial, can be used on or off Zoom.
Achievement
Least Voted On
-In most seasons, a game will get an award for being the “Most Voted On,” but because all but two games got the maximum voter count this year, it’s easier to award the one with the least amount of votes. In this case, TutOHRial got only 12 votes from 15 voters.
Achievement
True Heart
-The Heart of the OHR is about making games that resemble those featured in the engine’s early library, and TutOHRial is about using the OHR to make a game that resembles those in the engine’s early library.
Achievement
Game in a Game
–TutOHRial is a game where the player makes a game.
Achievement
Zoom Not Required
-In 2020, classrooms were held on Zoom. However, the OHR’s latest teaching tool, TutOHRial, can be used on or off Zoom.
Achievement
Windy Words
-As much as TutOHRial is appreciated for its good intentions, its greatest drawback as a teaching tool is the walls of text that it throws at players (budding game designers) before allowing them to practice what they’ve learned.
Achievement
Custom Features
-Part of TutOHRial’s game design is to send the player into Custom, the OHR’s official design engine, to make internal changes to the game in order to progress.
Achievement
Least Voted On
-In most seasons, a game will get an award for being the “Most Voted On,” but because all but two games got the maximum voter count this year, it’s easier to award the one with the least amount of votes. In this case, TutOHRial got only 12 votes from 15 voters.
Audience Consensus:
Good attempt at trying to get new users familiar with the engine. But not really a game. Walks newbies through the design process and allows for some variation in outcome. But it isn’t flawless. Textboxes contain too much information at a time, and there’s no backtracking allowed if the “player” misses something important. Design philosophies are discussed long before they’re appropriate. Good idea that needs more streamlining and user-friendliness for it to really land.
12.
Christmas Stars
by
Kefyrra
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
A curious starfish wants to escape his aquarium to explore a Christmas tree and become its star, but his journey takes him on a quest for the meaning of life and the journey beyond.
Can he ever go back home?
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
10
Lowest Rating:
2
Achievements
Achievement
Star Character Hero
-The protagonist is a starfish.
Achievement
Late Holiday
–Christmas Stars was released in May.
Achievement
Short but Sweet
–Christmas Stars can be finished in under an hour, or even in just a few minutes, depending on how you play it.
Achievement
Hallmark Channel Gone Rogue
-The Hallmark Channel is known for its sappy movies, especially around Christmastime (including “Christmas in July”). The starfish’s tank looks a bit like a television. The plot of Christmas Stars has the starfish escaping his tank (or maybe his television), so he can battle the star at the top of the Christmas tree and take its place. It then segues into a philosophical tale about life after death. But the whole thing is still pretty sappy, like a Hallmark Channel movie.
Achievement
Star of the Show
-Another starfish as the protagonist pun.
Achievement
Battle Stars
-To advance the story, the starfish must fight the star atop the Christmas tree.
Achievement
Multiple Ways to End
-In spite of it being short no matter how it’s played, Christmas Stars has several different endings depending on which paths the player takes.
Achievement
Star Character Hero
-The protagonist is a starfish.
Achievement
Short but Sweet
–Christmas Stars can be finished in under an hour, or even in just a few minutes, depending on how you play it.
Achievement
Battle Stars
-To advance the story, the starfish must fight the star atop the Christmas tree.
Achievement
Late Holiday
–Christmas Stars was released in May.
Achievement
Hallmark Channel Gone Rogue
-The Hallmark Channel is known for its sappy movies, especially around Christmastime (including “Christmas in July”). The starfish’s tank looks a bit like a television. The plot of Christmas Stars has the starfish escaping his tank (or maybe his television), so he can battle the star at the top of the Christmas tree and take its place. It then segues into a philosophical tale about life after death. But the whole thing is still pretty sappy, like a Hallmark Channel movie.
Achievement
Multiple Ways to End
-In spite of it being short no matter how it’s played, Christmas Stars has several different endings depending on which paths the player takes.
Achievement
Star of the Show
-Another starfish as the protagonist pun.
Audience Consensus:
Simple game with simple objective. Colorful like a children’s book, pleasant to play, and comes with multiple endings (most of them bittersweet). But it’s too short to make for longstanding interest. Just one battle of note, making even its RPG elements questionable. Even still, it’s fine for what it is.
