When we first rolled out Day of the Bobteds during our Casual Gameplay Design Competition #4, commenter Bobby had this to say about author Rob Allen:
"Forget the old 'on a scale of one to ten' rating system. Rob Allen is so far removed from that dated, mundane world, his creativity deserves its own scale."
Therefore, I am proud to reveal that according to our esteemed panel of judges, Day of the Bobteds has received a final and well-deserved grade of: DAVE +.
Yes, Rob continues to impress with Day of the Bobteds, a game in which you must obliterate all of the Bobteds to save the Kingdom of Implements from their menace. What exactly are Bobteds? Ah, if only it were that simple. Bobteds can take the form of a number of different Earth-objects: barbecue grills, stars, %s, even spinning LOLs! Your best bet is just to try to destroy everything — if it goes away without an explosion, it's a Bobted. If it explodes, well then you might not want to do that again.
Click to place your metallic balls on the screen. They'll start to fall as soon as the last one is placed. Then just sit back and watch them bounce around — you'll either pass the level or you won't. Sure, you could place your balls haphazardly and hope for the best, but careful consideration and a little ingenuity will save you lots of time. Well thought-out levels also work to minimize the pixel-hunting that can plague games of this type. Eighteen levels await, each with its own unique challenges, and some which are just plain unique in the way that only Rob knows how.
Don't expect Day of the Bobteds to take as long as the games from Rob's Hapland series. Fifteen minutes should be plenty of time — which is kind of a mixed blessing. While it's clear that much work and creativity went into the artwork and the theme, the gameplay is not that different from previous games, and the levels don't generally require a lot of thinking on the part of the player. Overall, it seems that at its core, Day of the Bobteds just needed a little bit more — either more difficult levels or more of them. If that had been the case, I'm certain the game would have received at least a LEONARD -.
This is the first game I've played in the competition and it may stay that way for a while because I'm loving it. Is this what I have to look forward to with the rest?
Well I'm stuck on 14 but I'll stick to it.
Tan fastic. Especially the last level ^_^. Only game so far I've enjoyed enough to play to the end.
Cute game! Fun, but too easy/short.. I beat it in just a short time..
Very nice and polished game:)
I like the game, and the ball physics were certainly there, but... it was awfully easy. It only took me about 7 minutes to finish the whole game.
I have to admit, when I read that this was a Rob Allen game, I was expecting a little more. I don't mean that in any sort of offensive way towards Rob, whose games I've always loved, it's just that this game didn't have nearly the amount of complexity I usually expect from his games.
Very polished game. Level 16 is extremely difficult. Still haven't solved it after about 50 tries.
I'm also having trouble with level 16 but other than that this is a very good game, very polished
I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Some of the levels were hard and it seemed to be a matter of random selection, but like a game of billards, once you understand the physics, you can get it...
Some of the levels you had to walk away from to salve. Not to think through it, but because they were really slow, and if you just let it go, it would solve itself. For this reason, some of the levels were really frustrating because you wanted it to solve easily.
Patience seems to be the biggest thing for this game.
Great graphics, captured the spirit (at least I think so) of the ball physics idea very well, but it was a little too short and a little too easy. The most challenging part of the game is to place a ball in the same space twice. It should remember placement of the balls for your subsequent attempts.
wow, and lol
This game has a lot of really good things going for it. The only thing i could ask for is just more of it.
Above all, this game was fun. Which is what it is all about.
Thank you Mr. Rob Allen
I feel like a moron for being stuck on level 4.
I'm actually surprised just how much I loved this game. It kind of felt like those Find the Star games almost. I'm stuck on 14.. and just about that point where I want to just toss it though. Overall its the most fun I have had with a game so far.
nicely implemented, but I finished it in only 3 min.
last level
drop the ball on the right side of platform just to the left of the cats arm. a fair distance up. it bounces once and then gets flipped over. takes a few tries to find the sweet spot.
I love it! Especially level 20.
Lolcats! I can has mor games now, plz. kthxby!
Hint for 16:
The lava doesn't kill you (or melt your ball, or whatever the equivalent of game over here is).
i like it. that's what ball physics is all about!
my favorite so far X]
Okay, I'm lame - what's the secret to the Mario level (#6)? I know I should be able to make them bounce high enough to bump the blocks, but can't get it to work.
lawduck:
just drop down from above.
good game but im stuck on 14. any hints?
Great game, although 16 has me stumped. Very nice way that it gets you into the game and ramps the complexity quite quickly.
ha nevermind...
for 14
don't even use the center circle... if you drop the ball to the far right, just catching the corner of the first one, itll bounce over and get the other one
Love. This. Game.
It's exactly what I look for in a casual puzzle game, it's fun, it's cute, and it's very well thought out.
The theme is totally integrated into gameplay, everything about the game screams ball-physics.
I especially loved the way you could take a break and quickly skip a level if you were having some trouble with it, and then come back to it later. It's a tactic that I wish many more developers would employ.
Gameplay and control manipulation itself was simple, self explanatory, and seamless. Not a lot of random clicking, mouse pointing, and arrow key mashing that tends to happen with even the best ball physics games. Even the first "tutorial" level was short enough for a habitual tutorial-phobe like me to barely even notice.
This is definitely one of the better Games I've played, never mind the competition, Day of Bobteds is head and shoulders above the rest. I'd love to see it continued *hint hint Rob Allen*!!
Thanks,
Yany
For me, this game is the most fun out of the competition games thus far. I did find it on the easy side, but due to a short attention span, I quickly lose interest in games that are too hard to finish. This was just about perfect for me.
Some people have said that patience is needed to solve some of the puzzles. I disagree, while you certainly can drop the balls randomly and wait, you can also use your brain. I ended up solving some levels in ways that I had not considered at first.
Yarr, Am I the only one who gets a 404 when clicking on the Rob Allen link?
*le sigh* I'd blame it on my crummy computer, but I just got a spiffy new MacBook *sweeeeet*
Thanks!
My favorite part of the game
Epilogue:
After you save the Kingdom of Implements from the Bobted menace, the world rejoyced and the princess suddenly exploded
Many years later, a mountain gave birth to an inkblot and busses ran free in the feilds.
sooo funny.
It appears Rob is having some issues with his foon.co.uk site. I'm sure it will be back online soon. I've reported it to him.
funny game, I went through it pretty quickly though, sometimes with a lot of luck and a lot of waiting patiently :)
Really good game, but Factory Balls still gets my vote (for those keeping track :)).
Best CGDC4 game yet!
Well...I like it as a toy. I don't really think it's a game in the real sense of the word - many of the levels weren't solved by skill or mental prowess, but simply by luck - and having patience to wait and see what develops.
The ball physics were elastic, some levels the balls act heavier, others they act lighter softer and more 'sticky'.
The ring was tediously slow on two levels.
The final level was complete luck. The ending was cute.
Overall a fun little piece of art to play with.
LOL. I love the last level.
And I found level 10 to be really hard. I'd be OK with that being the next-to-last level.
A really good effort from Rob Allen.
I need help on 3rd yo last one. PLEASE!
good game loved the cat at the end
Cool, thanks Jay!
Nice art, Playablity is nice. I wanted to finish it. I kept at it until I did. The sounds got a little annoying, but they were fine. Cute is what it is.
I laughed at the
cat!
Good job.
OH PLEASE ANSWERS TO 16!!!
The wheel is in the way!
>.
Loved this entry. I unfortunately suffer from a lack of patience, and I tend to give up when things get too hard. This one was fun enough that I stuck through it. Very well done.
Loved this game! Especially the last level. Thank you!
First game I've commented on since CGD's started. Fun and not hard enough to make me give up. The cat was a blast, probably 20 tries. Would be great with user generated levels and scoring. A+
All hail longcat! I loved it. Thanks a million :)
ok i'm dumb. completely stuck on lvl 5
Well, this was definitely a strong implementation of ball physics. It definitely has that same style as the rest of his games, and while it was fairly easy, some of the levels required some good critical thinking and it was definitely stylish. In my opinion (and in response to people who think it is too random) I feel completely the opposite. It requires some problem solving to figure out the positioning of the balls, especially on some of the multiple ball levels, and while I suppose you could just randomly throw them out there, it is much more rewarding to figure out the trick. Oh, and to Jae113:
Try bouncing the balls off of each other and see what kinds of results you get.
Very fun and I would definitely play more levels. The speed of solving for each demands it! Grah ha ha!
Having played all the entries so far (or at least given them a go!) this is among my favourites.
I have an inbuilt aversion to the word 'physics' - a subject I gave up as soon as I could at school as I coudn't fathom it out! So this competition has not been one I've really warmed to.
But this was a great game and I'd love to have a go at more levels.
It's a fun game for five minutes, but I don't feel the pulling need to play it again.
The cat should be arrested for harbouring evil Bobteds. Or something.
Either way, a fun game with the usual high standard of graphics/sound/fun we see in all the competition entries. Well done!
16 is the only really challenging level. Assistance:
You need one ball above and slightly to the left of the small circle, to knock it diagonally down towards the big one. The other ball should go above the right arm of rotating X - it should be above the very end of that arm so that it bounces off the corner sideways towards the big circle, and doesn't knock the small circle back upwards.
This still won't guarantee victory - you'll need trial and error (and a bit of luck) to find the perfect placement - but I did it twice with this method.
If you get it right, the small circle will head straight towards the big one, and the rotating X will turn a bit clockwise to let it through. It depends heavily on getting the right ball to start the clockwise rotation and then move out of the way, and the left one to kickstart the small circle without knocking the rotating X anti-clockwise (at least not too much). The small circle may bounce within the rotating X once or twice, but as long as you've got the X moving clockwise you'll be on a winner.
I really enjoyed this one; challenging but not too challenging, simple and easy-to-understand controls, and great graphics.
Best entry yet in my opinion. The physics were right on as were the graphics and music. The game was challenging enough to keep me playing - the only game I have played to the end. Later levels were very challenging and there is room for many more levels which I hope would be coming soon!
Loved this little game. Lots of eccentric little features, and a twisted sense of humour pervades. All in all, not exactly solid, but fun and original.
Another great little game from the warped genius that is Rob Allen. My favorite so far.
I need help on lvl. 7. I've tried to put a metal ball above the circle thing, and one on the bottom, hoping that the momentum will lead it back up, but it never works.
Reminds me a little of Kodama, a game in which you threw a coin around the screen to reach a green zone.
One of the best entries so far. The difficult level grows through the levels and there are no mysteries in gameplay. The levels are overall well designed, as it mix ups levels in which there's something close to a unique solution and other levels in which solution is rather random.
Level 16 is probably the only hard level (which I guess is good for a casual game, but some will disagree with me).
I. LOVE. THIS. GAME.
More!!! More!!! Exactly what I love in a casual game. No dying. Try as many times as you like. Play it again and again an again!
More ROB! MORE!! :)
By the way - nice use of the ball phyics theme!
Im having touble with level 7 as well. beat em all except for 7. anyone?
Im having touble with level 7 as well. beat em all except for 7. anyone?
Really complete and delightful game. So smooth and perfect that there isn't a way to describe what's great about it. So... nice gameplay, nice graphics, more please!
So fun! I loved it. Action + Puzzle = Good times.
I hate that stupid cat....grrrr.
I loved this game like crazy cakes. I stuck with it (and like a lot of the others I'm a quittah if it's too hard). I liked the sounds and was delighted by the fun ending. It's beautiful to look at and so, so fun to play. Thank you so much, creative Rob.
I think this could use a walkthrough. I too am stuck on level 7.
Quite fun, but I cannot for the life of me get past level 14. I've gotten all the other levels (except the last, of course), but I just cannot see a way around 14. It seems to be physically impossible. I know it's not, but I just can't see it. I must be missing something.
I tried the suggestion above about avoiding the center circle entirely and then trying to hop it over the mines, but no bounce I can get (either hitting the first bobted or not) makes it over the mine on the other side. This is quite frustrating.
Praise be to longcat and all his extended felinity. May his war with tacgnol end in victory.
Loved the game, one of the forst Rob Allen games I didn't need a walkthrough for
Great game. Right up to "save the planet", "Roll" and "factory balls". Some music would make it even greater. (Or am I missing something here?).
This already promises to become a close finish.
for those stuck with level 7 (As I was!)
The white ring will destroy the bobted if it bounces high enough. If you drop a ball bearing straight down on it, the bearing will be in the way and hold the ring down. Use one bearing slightly to one side, and drop your second ball from the other side (and a little higher).
The first ball will hit the ring and cause it to bounce off the floor at an angle, at which point the second ball will right the ring back toward the bobted.
A hugely enjoyable game. Another example that the basic idea doesnt have to be very complicated still it can be a great game.
My only problem is that on not one of the levels I'm confined to the good old trial-and-error method for it's impossible to calculate the trajectories of the balls ofter even the first collide in advance.
All in all I liked it a lot. Great job!
Very unique, but it's true that it feels like more of a toy (with a lot of randomness and luck) than a truly developed game.
Level 18 OMG IT'S THE FAMOUS INTERNET CELEBRITY LONGCAT! LONGCAT IS LOOOOONG
That must be the world record! Anyway, love the ending.
Ok, so kingdom of implements saved, bobteds destroyed, world rejoiced, princess exploded, mountain gave birth to an inkblot many years later, and buses roamed the forest. WOOHOO!
Wow! I finished a Rob Allen game! Great fun
Nice game, great fun.
The only thing I don't like is that I completed most levels (specially level 16) due to luck which made me feel I wasn't in control.
Great job anyway, thanks Rob
My favorite in the competition so far. It made me want to play to the end, especially being able to see exactly how many levels there were. If Rob could implement a way to play user made levels, (or just make more) this would be a complete game. As it stands, it is a perfect 15 minute distraction.
The essence of casual gameplay. I really liked it!
The ending is a hoot ;-)
I really enjoyed this game! It seemed like some higher levels were easier than some levels before, but all in all-it was good fun!!!! I look forward to more levels!!!!!
Great game Roblovski m'man, I actually completed it! Guess you're not trying hard enough, eh? :P
A particular level of this made me laugh a lot...
Ed told me to say "Damn, you win again, gravity!"
Walkthrough for the first 5
level 1 click the sun
Level 2 click the top of the hill and roll the ball down
level 3 directly above the black ball
level 4 put the first ball in the upper left hand corner and the second ball a little bit above the right side of the teeter totter
level 5 put one ball directly on top of the middle coin and the second one under the middle coin
More later!
...this is depressing. i don't have a clue what to do... i'm stuck on the MENU.
So cool! I can almost feel the weight of the balls. Excellent logic. How do you pick a winner?!
I LOL'd so hard at the ending, and still am!
I'm going to be honest here, I wasn't much a fan of this one. Ball placement can be a little random at times, and for some of the upper levels it really does feel as though it's just a matter of dropping the balls and walking away for a while.
I feel incredibly detached from what is going on in the game, and while it's entertaining for about five or ten minutes, there's nothing that really keeps me wanting to play beyond that.
I will say that the game looks good, it's just not really my cup of tea I suppose... Sorry.
Forget the old 'on a scale of one to ten' rating system. Rob Allen is so far removed from that dated, mundane world, his creativity deserves its own scale.
At last, mental calisthenics can be as entertaining as a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs!
Thanks, Rob! ...and special thanks to Jay for the introduction!
How do you play the game? because i dont know to get to it.
how about the level 6?
help with level twelve
the last level is soo fun :D
It's more of a FREDRICK +, if you ask me.
Fun game, but way too easy. Give me more!!
Oh, I love this game. I loved it since it first came into the competition.
Day Of The Bobteds absolutely ROCKS!!! Especially loved 18- Hysterically funny!!!
grrrr your games never load for me just a loading screen and that stupid music or sounds or what ever and i hate it your games look so cool but i cant play them
Invaderzimja - for the CGDC4 games, try this link instead:
http://casualgameplay.com/cgdc4/
For this game, the URL would be:
http://casualgameplay.com/cgdc4/?gameID=8
Amazingly creative! Simple yet absolutely riveting. I racketed through them except for getting stuck at 16, which I solved by accident -- turned away for a second and it was solved. So I can't help there.
How do you beat level 17!!!????
I created a video walkthrough it explains everything
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6785AFCEE9859474
I played your game for almost fifteen minutes before realizing that I was not enjoying myself at all! Usually it takes me less than 10 seconds to realize when I am not adequately entertained. I think you may be on to something here.
Nice job!
What an odd compliment. Dude, you really ought to try harder. =/
this is a good game but who can help me pass level 13
Fun little game, not super challenging, but a good way to kill half an hour.
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