Olaf the Boozer (Demo)
The Hangover: Dwarven Version
Wake Up… Remember… Fix! But in Reverse!
Morning starts with a headache, amnesia of the “dwarven ale” level, and chaos all around? Welcome to the club, Olaf! This booze-loving dwarf knows how to party hard, but the morning after is always a different story. In Olaf the Boozer, you'll have to unravel the tangled web of events from his epic night using the unique time-rewinding mechanic! Get ready for a hilarious journey in the style of the beloved Skyrim quest "A Night to Remember," but with a dwarven twist and puzzles that will make you think… in reverse!
Key Features That Will Make Dwarven Ale Spin Your Beard (with Delight!):
- Sokoban-Reverse: Time is your ally… in reverse! Forget the usual rules! In Olaf the Boozer, you don't push boxes, you pull them back in time, restoring the world step by step. Broken furniture repairs itself, dirt disappears, and the tavern "The Horned Rat"... needs your urgent help! Solve puzzles by moving in reverse chaos, restoring order and the events of last night. Sokoban that turns space and time inside out – in the best sense!
- Clean Up the Aftermath of Dwarf Olaf's Epic Bender! The tavern is in ruins, important things have disappeared, and something completely incomprehensible is happening at the lumber mill... Your task is to rebuild the tavern "The Horned Rat," find the missing property, and fix the consequences of the epic dwarven party. Each level is a memory, a piece of drunken chaos that you will methodically unravel, moving backwards in time. Can you overcome this mess and save Olaf's reputation (and your own nervous system)?!
- Fantasy World of Black Humor and Dwarven Color: Immerse yourself in a quirky fantasy world inspired by Pratchett, "The Hangover," and the quest "A Night to Remember" from Skyrim! Here you will find light puzzles, witty dialogues, absurd situations, and signature dwarven humor. Lumber mills with evil spirits? Intrigues in the Count's estate? Broken stables? Prepare for a world where fantasy borders on comedy, and every problem has a solution (if you rewind time!).
- Charming Pixel Art in Retro Style: Appreciate the exquisite pixel art that creates a unique atmosphere of the game and emphasizes its humorous tone. Feel the nostalgia for classic games, complemented by modern gameplay solutions and dwarven charm!
The Hangover: Dwarven Version is a 2-hour dive into the world of dwarven humor, time-bending puzzles, and absurd adventures. If you love "The Hangover," the quest "A Night to Remember" from Skyrim, Pratchett's "Discworld," and sokoban – this game is made for you! Add to your wishlist so you don't miss the most intoxicating adventure of the year!
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Development log
- Olaf's preparations to Steam Next Fest51 days ago
- Olaf the Boozer Demo is out!56 days ago
- Olaf the Boozer got Dialogue Audio like Celeste and Animal Crossing91 days ago
- When Things Go Wrong: A Game Announcement MishapDec 26, 2024
- Olaf the Boozer - Announcement trailerDec 18, 2024
Comments
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So I played some of this, stopping at the level where you pull the crates around. I really like the idea of it--the setup is cool, and so's the system where each level has an optional secondary goal. Up until I stopped, I did consistently go for that goal.
I'm not sure how much of my issues with it are user experience and how much is sokobans just not being my genre of choice, but there's a lot of little things that didn't click with me. I didn't like that Olaf short-teleports from square to square instead of walking (or pushing/pulling). (Or backwards-walking? I'm curious how I'd have reacted to that.)
I'm iffy on pull mechanics. I respect how they'd add variety to a sokoban, and I put up with them in Baba Is You, but the wide variety of mutable properties in Baba Is You was kind of the whole point there. Here in this game, hinging so many mundane tavern objects around them just felt...counterintuitive and frustrating. I tolerated them for the barrel level, but when some random crates in the next level also had that same "Here's another object you can't push, and if you move forward while it's behind you, you automatically have to drag it behind you" behavior, I decided I wasn't really in the mood. I think it's supposed to be part of the "Olaf is retracing his previous steps" gimmick, and I do wonder if changing the teleport-hops to another animation that shed more light on what he was actually doing would have helped it feel smoother to me, but yeah.
(Less critical, but when you beat a level, the restart/next level options are so close together in color that I didn't realize until a few levels in that they were different. I'm also not a fan of the fact that the reset button is a single click away and on the same part of the controller as the buttons you'll regularly use.)
The writing gets the job done. I really liked Cleme, and that kind of made me wish Olaf and the bartender also had that spark.
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate it.
Regarding short-teleports - in fact Olaf's position is interpolated, but movement is fast, so it may still look like teleports. Barrels and boxes are currently parts of tilemap, I'll refactor that so they will have interpolated position too.
Yes, you are right. I think I can add popus over objects with possible direction when you are going to pull them, so it will be easier to understand what is going on.
Regarding restart level: I recently played in "So fart away" and liked how they implemented restart level, when you need to hold the button for some time. I think it will help.
Regarding buttons - I'll do some UI refactoring in overall, and will think how to make that modal better.
Thanks for kind words about writing! I send it to the writer. You can skip several levels and go to the sawmill, second part of the demo. I wonder what you'll think about Grimlark.
Awesome puzzle game, super fun! Good sound design and music, too!
Fun game, great take on "classic" idea 🤩
Visual and sound superb !