I remember those days with a lot of free time. It was during my university years, but I was on vacation, so I spent my time playing games and learning a bit of everything. I was always interested in making games in my free time, but I never dared to release something on my own. Back then, while researching and looking for communities, a friend told me about Ludum Dare, a game jam with different modes to participate in. I was interested in the ‘jam’ mode since it was my first time, and I had 72 hours to make a game. What could go wrong?

Those days, I barely slept. Maybe four hours, and then I kept programming, testing… I had a lot of energy and big dreams xD. Well, that hasn’t changed much, except for the youth part, haha. When I’m passionate about a project, I go all in and lose track of time.

Back to the point: 10 years ago, I published my first game, Please Mamma. The theme for Ludum Dare 34 was “two button controls” and “growing”. Looking back, I only fulfilled the first theme; I honestly have no idea what happened to the ‘growing’ part.

Please Mamma – Main Menu

This was the small description I wrote at the time:

Engine: Unity 5.

Graphics: Paint.NET, Photoshop.

Music: Guitar Pro.

You arrive home at 3:00 o’clock and your mother is waiting with a little surprise.

The game does not last more than five minutes but we learned a lot thanks to the LD34. Sorry for bugs. <3

For some reason, the main character was a punk guy, and the mother was a thick girl. I don’t know what I was thinking, probably the first thing that came to my mind.

I vaguely remember the levels: the first was the house, the second a park or forest, and the last one, the moon. Maybe I’m missing one, but that’s what my goldfish memory recalls for now.

Gameplay Mechanics:

• The game used only two buttons: down arrow to crouch and space to jump.
• It was a side-scrolling runner, not infinite, since each level had an end.
• If an object hit you, you were pushed back.
• After a while, you automatically gained distance again.
• The mother randomly threw objects to slow you down.

Ideas that didn’t make it into the game:

• Sync object throws with the music rhythm.
• Levels lasting about a minute, each with a specific song.
• Better art and animations.
• More musical variety.
• Easter eggs and a way to show the distance left to the goal.
• More responsive controls.

What was actually achieved?

• Functional main menu.
• Music, thanks to  argvil19.
• Basic side-scrolling runner mechanics.
• The mother throwing objects randomly.
• Pushback when hit and automatic distance recovery.
• Game Over and Win screens.

I don’t remember the exact duration, but I tried replaying it recently, and the controls feel unresponsive. It needed a lot more polish.

Was it fun?

Honestly, I didn’t think much about fun back then. The funniest part was the concept: a mother chasing you for coming home late. Gameplay-wise, it wasn’t very entertaining beyond a couple of levels.

What did I learn?

I learned how to take an idea from a simple sketch to a playable game, which was a great experience. I didn’t know anything about Unity back then, and thanks to documentation, tutorials, and curiosity, I made something playable. The feeling of publishing my own game was motivating.

What could have been better?

In a game jam, time is limited, which forces you to be creative and find quick solutions. Still, I could have worked more on control responsiveness and player feedback. These details make a big difference in the final experience. I noticed it back then, and I still do after replaying it recently; the controls needed more polish, and the game could have been much smoother with a few adjustments.

If you want to try it, you can find it here: Please Mamma.

I’ll update the post if I remember more details. I’m actually considering making a rework of this game to start the blog with something fun.