LudumData

Optimiser by madalaski

[raw]
made by madalaski for LD33 (JAM)
Sometimes there is a price to pay for your happiness...

WASD to move. The bar on your left shows your happiness. Gather the souls of The Lost in order to increase your happiness. Avoid the increasing blasts of Negativity. Try to stay alive for as long as possible. Does it matter who gets hurt along the way? Just keep on smiling...

Just a warning, this game is very interpretive. If it doesn't make any sense to you, that's fine. If it does, good for you.

EDIT DUE TO FEEDBACK - Make sure to start moving as soon as you get in the game. Grey things are friendly and red things are not. Even if you think you can't lose, keep on playing. You might be surprised.
Windows https://www.dropbox.com/s/vc2ybgg4dxjrhav/Optimiser.zip?dl=0
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-33/?action=preview&uid=29994

Ratings

Coolness 48% 1268
Overall(Jam) 3.00 716
Audio(Jam) 2.42 621
Graphics(Jam) 2.52 897
Innovation(Jam) 3.20 376
Mood(Jam) 3.21 461
Theme(Jam) 3.80 244

Feedback

sausagroll
25. Aug 2015 · 19:32 UTC
Interesting game, the weird soundtrack fits it perfectly, also has a good message which it portrays in a simple way. I ended up just not moving when i realized what i was doing.
UrbanHelsing
25. Aug 2015 · 19:35 UTC
Nice theme
A_K_
25. Aug 2015 · 19:44 UTC
no web/osx :(
WubAlliance
25. Aug 2015 · 19:47 UTC
Interesting mechanic, I've never seen something like that. The quotes when your protectors die really help emphasize the theme. The sound did get annoying after a while. A couple recommendations: maybe give the player a chance to build up more people before the next wave, and maybe do a gradual curve instead of instantly changing the difficulty. Overall, cool idea and generally well implemented.
Jet Spy Dragon
25. Aug 2015 · 20:09 UTC
I think there is a cool idea, but not so clear. It vould be great "in game" text that explain something... not all, but a sort of guide. The sound is in fact annoying. But for the rest great work, and nice thought.
Keon
25. Aug 2015 · 21:08 UTC
The sound of the things firing sorta clashes with the theme. Other than that I really like the subtle way you presented the theme.
Rothens
25. Aug 2015 · 21:30 UTC
I really liked the mechanic, I think I could get the message as I saw a connection with the theme after some minutes. :)
Arnage
25. Aug 2015 · 22:11 UTC
You managed to convey an interesting message in a very effective way. It's hard to criticize as a lot of things that might have made this a more expansive game would have probably distracted from that message.
AsixJin
26. Aug 2015 · 13:23 UTC
Very nice entry! Love your usage of the theme and everything just seems to fit. I didn't read the instructions but I was able to pick up on what was happening fairly quickly. It was definitely worth it.
Shugor
26. Aug 2015 · 19:16 UTC
Cool game, very strange, but cool game. It's fun to try and amass the biggest shield you can!
fermenter
27. Aug 2015 · 19:54 UTC
*eye brow raise*
spooky spooky!
but wait, WAS it worth it?
stupidmindlessf
27. Aug 2015 · 21:03 UTC
hmm I guess I am not clever enough because I don't get the message everybody is talking about. But I somehow really like the gameplay. As simple as it is it is also quite addictive. Got pretty far.
1y1e
29. Aug 2015 · 12:23 UTC
I think this is kind of hilarious: as a player you've been gradually building up pressure and now you're under heavy bombardment, you're fighting to cling on and then suddenly SMASH CUT TO SILENT BLACK SCREEN WITH EXISTENTIAL MESSAGE. That unexpected jarring feeling was great. Not sure that's what you were going for but I enjoyed feeling it! I would have voted 5 stars for fun if you had let me :P
Lucho9
31. Aug 2015 · 17:34 UTC
IT S SO FUCKIN WEIRD I GET IT AND LOVE IT! i knew someone will try this idea. i enjoyed it, that is what it counts
Quij
06. Sep 2015 · 13:34 UTC
Very cool! Good use of a simple mechanic to demonstrate complex thoughts.
Like, is it worth making friends if we're just going to hurt them down the road?
Alternatively, if I'm immortal or long-lived, what's the point in making friends if they're going to die so much sooner than me? :P