Torch by DarknessFades

[raw]
made by DarknessFades for LD29 (JAM)
//EDIT: Added post-compo version, I'm still polishing it but for now it has bg music and throwing sound, also I've solved problem with shader so sprites aren't burnt up when overlapping. Also people don't like the idea of very harsh placement of falling triggers, for now I'll just hint that every next platform is reachable by torch from another with one exception (gotta jump for that torch). Looking forward to more feedback :)

Lone soul surrounded by darkness, will he overcome his fears and find the way to better tommorow?

Controls:
move - wsad | arrows
jump - w | up
aim and throw - mouse

Everything is easier when you put some light on it.

More information:
-scout for platforms with your torch throw
-collect additional torches to increase light radius
-hit exclamation marks with your torch to drive off shadows, failing to do so will make you die after 2-5 sec
-dying out of nowhere is in fact being attacked by a shadow on a black background, this animation is only visible on rocky bg and after failing to hit exclamation mark with torch (design oversight).

Authors:
Wojtek "DarknessFades" Czarny - graphics and programming
Szymon Czarny - graphics (special thanks for hard work with animations)

Ratings

Coolness 80% 2
Overall(Jam) 2.60 659
Audio(Jam) 1.80 639
Fun(Jam) 2.07 722
Graphics(Jam) 3.52 321
Humor(Jam) 1.71 637
Innovation(Jam) 2.79 461
Mood(Jam) 2.71 566
Theme(Jam) 2.93 485

Feedback

bentog
28. Apr 2014 · 22:57 UTC
The graphics were good, but the gameplay was confusing (dying out of nowhere, random exclamation marks, torch runs out etc). It's also impossible to know where you are going to fall.
stenol
28. Apr 2014 · 23:16 UTC
Not an easy game but good graphic. Miss some music. Great game mechanic with a lot of potential.
Jacksendary
28. Apr 2014 · 23:17 UTC
Very confusing and it seems like i'm dying out of nowhere
Benjamin
28. Apr 2014 · 23:18 UTC
After the 2-3 for first attempt you start to die randomly. If I reload the entire game I can have the normal torch timing again. I think that startnig idea was pretty good. For the control It was a bit difficult too use arrow + space + mouse.
hexabeast
28. Apr 2014 · 23:29 UTC
Confusing game, but good game mechanic!
kmakai
28. Apr 2014 · 23:55 UTC
I like the art and the concept is very interesting, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to progress.. Good job though!
🎤 DarknessFades
29. Apr 2014 · 00:10 UTC
Thanks for feedback. I've added some more instructions to lessen confusion a bit.
SirSpectacular
29. Apr 2014 · 08:13 UTC
Great Job! I rly enoyed graphic and mechanic of game. :)
kbm
29. Apr 2014 · 14:34 UTC
Really cute, interesting game, soundtrack would have been awesome! well done!
BoTreats
29. Apr 2014 · 14:34 UTC
It looks nice, but I have no idea what's going on. The exclamation mark seemed to imply I should go that way, but then I died.
fullmontis
29. Apr 2014 · 14:37 UTC
It seems like what ever I do I die :/ Still, I like the concept and the graphics :)
Maschinen-Mensch
29. Apr 2014 · 14:38 UTC
The graphics are nice and I like the general torch throwing mechanic, but I had some problems with seemingly random deaths. Reloading the game didn't help. Not sure if buggy or I didn't fully understand the mechanics.
suurin
29. Apr 2014 · 14:38 UTC
Nice art and idea, but really needs some explanation of mechanics ingame. It's confusing.
SirSpectacular
29. Apr 2014 · 15:18 UTC
As i noticed, if we see red mark we should touch it by torch, otherwise something black will eat us :O
Ludipe
29. Apr 2014 · 19:38 UTC
I kinda like the concept but the gameplay is confusing and I die randomly.
TheGameFather
30. Apr 2014 · 02:46 UTC
The control feels good, the lighting definitely makes the game feel more horror..However, after 5, 6 times try, always die suddenly..
ryebread761
30. Apr 2014 · 02:46 UTC
Really could have used some audio. Very interesting mechanic, hard gameplay.
mrexcessive
30. Apr 2014 · 19:01 UTC
Hi. Like the graphics, like the torch throwing mechanic, a more gentle introduction would be nice.
Fox_in_sox
01. May 2014 · 16:11 UTC
I got confused very fast. I had to die a few times to know where was the problem. It's hard to tell where is the danger and when you can jump to darkness just like that.
Otherwise the idea is pretty nice, so why not polish the game a little bit.:)
jsmars
05. May 2014 · 06:32 UTC
Really nice graphics, I thought the movement was a bit too fast which made the game a bit too hard.
atomic_swerve
06. May 2014 · 00:48 UTC
Gotta say, a little bit of audio and this would be one of my favorite submissions :)
PTSnoop
06. May 2014 · 18:08 UTC
Very nice graphics, and the music in the post-compo version really helps to make this a very atmospheric game. I'd have liked to have seen some more platforms to jump onto, though - since you can't see much of the screen, I found myself searching through lots of nothing before I could find the way forwards. I'm also not entirely sure what the exclamation marks were meant to represent. But still, a game mechanic with lots of potential.
🎤 DarknessFades
06. May 2014 · 18:25 UTC
About exclamation marks, they were supposed to be eyes or smth
to represent shadow's interest in player. We were just out of time to make proper animation and find matching sound effect. I'm just sad that the whole 'consumption' animation turned out to be invisible on black background, it confuses a lot and breaks the mood a bit I think.
Jadernak
07. May 2014 · 12:12 UTC
Exclamation mark as an indicator of incoming threat is really confusing, especially since it does not provide any more info about when it is coming. Otherwise, nice graphics and the torch mechanic is not bad idea at all.
danbo
07. May 2014 · 22:35 UTC
Nice interplay of simple lighting on pixel art. I always wonder about this style but it seems to work a treat here.

Little frustrating to play though. I got quite a Heart of Darkness vibe from it.