js13kGames 2023 Review

js13kGames 2023

Last year, I joined js13kGames, a game jam where participants create JavaScript games under 13KB. In 2022, I ranked 103rd, and I resolved to plan more strategically for the next event. However, as this year approached, work commitments, personal appointments, and various other excuses led to procrastination. By mid-September, I found myself scrambling to finish my entry, once again focusing on participation rather than perfection.

This year’s theme was “13th Century,” evoking images of Genghis Khan, the Crusades, and Mongol invasions of Goryeo. Initially, the theme felt abstract and challenging to translate into a game concept. Despite the pressure of the deadline, I managed to submit something, albeit hastily.

Reflecting on the experience, I realized that while strategic planning and early execution are crucial, sometimes just showing up and participating can be valuable. The theme, though daunting, pushed me to explore historical narratives and consider how to distill complex events into a simple gaming experience.

In the end, my submission may lack polish, but it represents a learning opportunity and a step towards improving my game development skills. Participating in JS13KGames, despite the last-minute rush, reaffirms my commitment to continuous learning and creative expression.

Game Concept and Development

I was thinking about what to make, and I was thinking about making a survival game using the Mongolian army as my enemy, but in August, I briefly fell into a game called “Defence Derby,” and when I saw the content of the Cheo Inseong battle, I thought it would be okay if it was a defense game where the Mongolian army invaded, so I decided to make a defense game. When the enemy moves along a predetermined path, the player character moves within a predetermined area and shoots an arrow. I thought about this and that, but as I said earlier, I couldn’t complete it at will due to various excuses, so I quickly completed it and submitted it.

To give you a rough description of the game, you go to the arrow key, and when the enemy comes within the range, you automatically fire the arrow and level it up by filling the experience value, and you’re going to choose the range, the speed of movement, and the restoration of stamina.

For pixel art, I used Aseprite, similar to previous projects. In hindsight, I realize that creating characters viewed from above would have been easier than from the side. The sounds were generated using jsfxr and converted to MP3 format. Although I initially wanted to include background music, time and space constraints limited me to just creating sound effects, which I then compressed, resulting in less-than-ideal audio quality.

Submission

When I came to my senses, I didn’t even finish making it, but it was already the submission date. When I finished it in a hurry and compressed it… It was over 13kb in 18kb, and I also reduced the image size to reduce the capacity, compressed the mp3 file, and compressed the javascript code so that it only came within 13kb submitted ). I submitted it and checked that it was registered in the queue, and I think it took about 3 hours to register because it was the last day of submission. There was no problem like last year, but… When I uploaded it and turned on the game, I found out that maybe I made a mistake while compressing it, and when the animation of the characters went to the left, it didn’t work, and with the help of Papago and Google translators, I passed the code back to the organizer with Slack, so I was able to submit it safely.

Reflection

Despite the rushed nature of my submission, I valued the experience and insights gained. Reflecting on my approach, I realized the importance of planning and utilizing efficient graphics and coding practices from the start. Considering vector graphics or consolidating image files could have streamlined the process and avoided last-minute compression issues. My unfamiliarity with Canvas also contributed to suboptimal code and slower development. Nevertheless, the experience was rewarding, and I anticipate participating again next year. Although my game development skills may not have advanced significantly, I acknowledge that consistent practice and application are essential. With lessons learned from this year, I aim to improve and produce a better game in future iterations.

Additional Updates

Fortunately, this year’s game placed within the top 100, a notable improvement from previous rankings.

I received merchandise, including a badge that I particularly liked, arriving about a month after the ranking announcement.