Where have you been so long? by Satyre
Welcome to the most serious Ludum Dare entry of all time ;D
Controls:
Just the left / right arrows to move, the up key to interact.
-------------------------------- Spoiler --------------------------------
This time I present some kind of newsgame with hidden messages.
The theme can be understood as the world that we know and the hidden world in our reality, where the news is only available when you search for it.
I had some difficulties with the time. Therefore the entry is not as polished as I wanted it to be. But I hope the message of the game will be clear to everyone :)
The post jam version will contain more features, like more usable environment and more polished graphics, more sounds and music.
Controls:
Just the left / right arrows to move, the up key to interact.
-------------------------------- Spoiler --------------------------------
This time I present some kind of newsgame with hidden messages.
The theme can be understood as the world that we know and the hidden world in our reality, where the news is only available when you search for it.
I had some difficulties with the time. Therefore the entry is not as polished as I wanted it to be. But I hope the message of the game will be clear to everyone :)
The post jam version will contain more features, like more usable environment and more polished graphics, more sounds and music.
Ratings
| Coolness | 100% | 1 |
| Overall(Jam) | 2.73 | 676 |
| Audio(Jam) | 2.76 | 486 |
| Fun(Jam) | 2.18 | 729 |
| Graphics(Jam) | 2.94 | 554 |
| Humor(Jam) | 2.20 | 468 |
| Innovation(Jam) | 2.72 | 562 |
| Mood(Jam) | 2.95 | 456 |
| Theme(Jam) | 2.57 | 599 |
Great message, good game. The backgrounds were nice looking and the music was catchy (although repetitive). Good job !
By the way, how did you make the music ?
@hamster_mk_4: Thanks for mentioning. The UI Icon will change once you visit the bourse. It will become smaller and the player can fully read the sign.
@mramaizng: I need to check that game, thanks for mentioning :)
@FinnMacd: I wanted to show that there are hidden informations that are not clear to most people.
@sprawl: Thanks. Unfortunately the opening of the eyes is the awakeing. Everthing beyond is not programmed. I did the music with Fruity Loops and used some Sytrus samples.
The graphics are ok, nothing really stuck out about them.
To me there was nothing new about actually playing the game, the background music really annoyed the hell out of me, and the mood never really hit me.
- Bradley
@Accidental Rebel: Thanks for your opinion. I wanted to add more elements, but the time frame was to short to full fledge my ideas. I'll try to add some in the post jam version.
@Chikun Dev Team: Thanks for the honest critique. I suck somehow on graphic xD, but considering working alone I think I did a great job. I'm glad you already knew the messages, you can consider yourself awakened. Unfortunately there is still need for other people to understand. The music was created shorthanded by me, so there is only a short endless loop.
@phytong: Being confused with the game is somehow essential. The messages need to be reviewed after playing. When one eye is open, then you know the secrets of this part of the game.
@Tanner: Thanks :)
It would've helped to have an indicator letting you know when you can walk off the side of a screen, and letting you know that this is a completely different action than pressing [up].
I think you should work more on the side-walk animation of the character, it's a bit slim! :)
Congrats!
A game with a serious message !
I'm sure there is more depth to it but in my opinion the message is not very original though (bank's bad, pollution is wrong etc), but still managing to throw serious questions like that in a Jam game is something great! Thank you for this experience.
The ending felt kind of superfluous though -- (I paraphrase) the "now I can see!" quote -- kind of spelling out what had preceded. And also I felt it to be a bit arrogant (sorry): that he has suddenly became this enlightened, insightful person because of a few contentious viewpoints.
I think it would have been more effective had you argued and not asserted. Try to show the player why these things are bad and not just instruct them to think that these things are bad, if that makes sense. Otherwise it's just preaching to the converted and fails to influence people like me.
Still, it's really nice that you tried something different and I was certainly intrigued while playing it. The graphics and music also work very well.
@Razoric: Thanks, I'll try to polish the up with clearer messages.
@AdventureIslands: Indeed, it is dark :). I haven't time to make the gameplay more clearer, but I'll add this later.
@ponywolf: Thanks!
@psychonull: Thanks! I wanted to play more with pictures instead of text with the instructions.
@mess110: Thanks!
@Gametery: Yes it is :) I guess my next games will only be for fun, cause my last projects were all too serious somehow.
@tschmitz: Yes I wanted to be as neutral as possible, to let the imagination space for interpretation. Adding an indicator for the possible walkable areas is a great idea. I'll try to add some in the post jam version.
@badlydrawnrod: That's what I was also aiming for :)
@jpmit: Thanks!
@vandriver: Thanks! I'm still glad that you finished the game :). The pixel eyes were the most easier part of drawing, but also the funniest.
@Druid: Thanks!
@pjimmy: Nice desciption of the game :)
@jomomomo: Thanks!
@ceosol: Thanks for sharing your experience :). Yes you got it right, these things can happen. We just have to be aware of them.
@Zolmeister: I wanted to add a street with homeless persons and some super expensive shops to have a bigger contrast. I also planned that the player can use the most furniture, but I ran out of time too fast. Maybe I add these feature in future updates.
@havana24: Thanks! Yes the character is slim sideways :D. This was my first human sprite and I've got to practice a little more.
@01101101: Thanks!
@43iscoding: Thanks!
@Raphy: Oh I see how the game can be interpreted. I didn't wanted to wage, just to clear, that there are other informations that should be stayed in our mind as well as the presented in the news. I'll think about better ways to show such images and try to be as neutral as possible :)
@Revenend Speed: I'll try to be more convincing next time ;). The next projects of this kind or the post jam version will be more refined.
@donaldducky: That's ok if it seems encrypted. See it as some kind of message, that there are unknown facts that has been revealed, besides the ones we already know.
@Evil Cult: I understand how the game can be seen. I'll try to polish the way up that the messages are presented.
@Snoother: I wanted to be as political correct as possible, so there are no real clues which I'm pointing my finger at. In fact I can't, because we all have something to do with the world affairs :). The "I can see know" is meant to be related to the news aspect (hidden news vs. the ones shown publically), not that the player is enlighted. Seeing is the first step. Thanks for the honest review.
a different song might help - the current one is this sort of goofy disco preset beat.
are you on twitter? i'm twitter.com/seagaia2
I've added you on twitter. My name in twitter is satyre_stencyl
Oh, and thank you for your review of my game :)
I hope people really understand what this game is about, because it's a dead serious topic. "Living is easy with eyes closed", because that's the only way to live comfortably, when we are awake, we see everything that's wrong, how our lazy and luxurious life stile was achieved trough destruction and someone else's misery.
I don't say people should be totaly aware, they would never be happy that way.. But sacrificing a bit of that happiness that comes with ignorance, we achieve responsability, an unrresponsable happines and life style, costs the happines of the environment and other people, specially the future generations.