Truth by Jason Lay

[raw]
made by Jason Lay for LD29 (COMPO)
What happens when you scratch and scratch and look beneath the surface? Does it reveal our true selves? When we are locked underground in a dimly lit dungeon, is it not a reflection of us, and our struggles?

Play my game and find out!

I went a little out of my comfort zone with this entry. It's very much a story, with maybe a little metaphor thrown in. I hope you enjoy it, I definitely enjoyed making it and learned a lot along the way!

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 2.71 999
Audio 1.50 1022
Fun 2.16 1155
Graphics 3.22 520
Humor 2.17 758
Innovation 2.39 1037
Mood 3.09 464
Theme 3.35 473

Feedback

Zer0XoL
28. Apr 2014 · 01:18 UTC
Sadly the web player doesnt work for linux, will you please add linux binaries? Looks interesting.
Jonochrome
28. Apr 2014 · 03:24 UTC
Feels like making a simple turn in the dark takes too much trial-and-error, and the text goes by too quickly unless you frequently pause your normal walking pace (making them feel unimportant, even though the text is most of the story), but I like the ambience of it, and I like the idea of using a series of hallways as a metaphor.
Caridorc
28. Apr 2014 · 08:10 UTC
This game is very deep not bacause of all the stairs but because of the meaning it has: very well done.
Somfunambulist
28. Apr 2014 · 18:43 UTC
Really nice atmosphere
flrn
28. Apr 2014 · 18:45 UTC
I really enjoyed playing this game. The distances werent that long though, it could have been much longer, don't be shy playing with the player's frustrations and make his life too easy! ;)
Taffaz
28. Apr 2014 · 18:46 UTC
Good mood. I didn't think the text stayed on screen long enough though. If I kept moving it went off before I could read it sometimes.
Anny
28. Apr 2014 · 18:49 UTC
Loved the ending, loved the journey. Sound must improve a ambience a lot
Tipyx
28. Apr 2014 · 18:49 UTC
Huuuum, a philosopical game... I leave this comment and I'm going to think about it... Mmmmmh...
Martin_Monosys
28. Apr 2014 · 18:50 UTC
Very nice graphics, but you could have turned down the lights even more for my taste. Text messages should stay longer/be replayable somehow. Still, a very good effort. Just needs some sound/music! :)
Jeasonfire
28. Apr 2014 · 18:51 UTC
Very cool, except some moody music would've been a plus. Was there? Still, very deep (har har) and cool. Also, graphics were really cool too.
Cosine
28. Apr 2014 · 18:54 UTC
I liked the game, it was a bit short-lived. The text was interesting...
loxo
28. Apr 2014 · 18:59 UTC
Great concept! Only the dimensions of the hallways don't fit the story I think. The hallways should be longer and sometimes higher/wider to truly trigger the described feelings.
TheExGenesis
28. Apr 2014 · 19:06 UTC
The text doesn't last long enough unless we stop moving to read it. You should make it disapear based on a timer
Khopa
28. Apr 2014 · 20:07 UTC
I like graphics, and it's like a mix between a text based game and a dungeon crawler. Nice :)

Text should be bigger though or have a black background, it's hard to read.
drnick
29. Apr 2014 · 00:12 UTC
Interesting, even though I am not too much into metaphors.
Artylo
29. Apr 2014 · 07:48 UTC
Very nice dungeon-crawler. Pretty linear, but it has it's charm. Anyway, a pretty decent game. Much can be done to make this a full game.
Jonochrome
29. Apr 2014 · 09:54 UTC
I have to retract my previous statement about turning corners feeling like trial and error. I've been fiddling with my computer brightness lately so that's my fault.
Jod
29. Apr 2014 · 12:00 UTC
That was good, a story with a beginning, middle and solid ending. I liked it! A good use of limited resources backing up a plot.

The thing that I can see improving is the time the text stays in the screen. At first it dissapeared before I could read it all. Later I realized if I don't move, it stays on the screen.
superzac
29. Apr 2014 · 15:25 UTC
I really like the way the dialogue is done, its well paced and allows you to just stop walking if you want time to read it. Solid graphics for 48 hours.
josefnpat
30. Apr 2014 · 02:15 UTC
The unity web player does not play on linux. Can you please release a linux binary?
b_bertoldo
30. Apr 2014 · 15:21 UTC
Great job man!!! Awesome work!!!
VictoryGarden
02. May 2014 · 02:58 UTC
First of all, congratulations on going outside of your comfort zone. Seriously, props to you.

The dungeon elements, though repetitive, worked well with the claustrophobic atmosphere you created. However, possibly due to this being the first story game you've done, I feel like there was too much text telling me how I was supposed to feel. In this case I didn't think I was controlling some sort of in-game personality, like you do when you're playing as a character in a Final Fantasy or Tales series game, for example. I felt, essentially, that I was supposed to be playing as myself, since the game was first-person and there weren't much in the way of markers for the narrative voice.

But then, I was told how I should feel upon finally coming across the yellow cube--and each crest of the terrain--rather than simply getting to feel it.

And the thing is, without the narrative cues telling me how I'm supposed to feel and react, there's not much game here. Yes, I'd feel all the things you wrote out: "Okay, can't get through this door, got to go down. Great. It's a cube." But, I guess the question is... if you're just telling the player how they already likely feel about the mechanics of the game they're playing, what are you as a game creator adding to the experience?
minibutmany
13. May 2014 · 01:20 UTC
Excellent job on everything, especially the graphics. I liked the titles a lot too.
brodavi
13. May 2014 · 02:01 UTC
Great job! At first, I didn't think I would get a feel for it, but you kept the anticipation going with the narrative so well, I had to keep playing until I finished. The mood was great, kept me hooked, but the metaphor was a little heavy, and for some reason when I looked I couldn't walk and vice-versa. But, all in all, a fantastic achievement for 48 hours! :)
udo
13. May 2014 · 19:19 UTC
For some reason I thought the dungeon looked more like an assortment of hotel corridors ;) Anyway, well done!
jujule
13. May 2014 · 19:44 UTC
Interesting text serving an interesting take on the theme. Reading other comments I was thinking about what music would fit and I realized I like the silence. But even if the game's mood is already pretty strong, I agree with others that it coudl greatly benefit from darker lighting and longer distances. A good entry nonetheless. Good job!
stvr
13. May 2014 · 20:15 UTC
How was it worded? An open door is the easiest to go through, even if it doesn't lead where you want to go? Pretty deep.
petey123567
13. May 2014 · 20:23 UTC
Needs some challenge or tension, preferably in the first 30 seconds. Long hallways can raise suspense, but only when there's some kind of pressure or danger.
Pavel M. Dlouhý
13. May 2014 · 21:25 UTC
Hi Jason! Nice idea! Very good job for 48 hours. Some music in game would be nice but I noticed music is missing after I finished the game and saw Audio category during rating. :)
rojo
14. May 2014 · 03:35 UTC
Cool atmosphere. I liked the graphics as well. The mouse sensitivity was extremely high for me which made things difficult to control by default. Some of the text that popped up disappeared a little too quickly. Also, I think some background audio would go a long way toward solidifying the experience.
Dietrich Epp
14. May 2014 · 20:22 UTC
I wouldn't have added any colliders to the torches, since bumping into them just means you get stuck (I read some of your post-mortem). I would also make the messages stick around longer, I often couldn't read the entire message. The script could be better, but the art is great.
Andrei Müller
17. May 2014 · 06:04 UTC
Wow! This is a very deep game...

The storytelling of this game is very good, I liked the great metaphor that this game tells to the player.

Some audio might've been good, though... But, overall, playing this game was a great experience for me!
mcapraro
19. May 2014 · 04:30 UTC
i love the concept, well done!