Snap by fishbrain

[raw]
made by fishbrain for LD25 (COMPO)
I managed another dark LD entry. Go on a shooting rampage - blame the theme I'm afraid. I like to use LD to explore unusual themes, game mechanics, and ideas.

I was drawn to the idea of some interesting game mechanics. Innocent people are worth more points than police, although police can shoot at you and deal health damage.

I was also intrigued by the idea of a "Suicide Bonus". If you die from wounds, you get no Suicide Bonus. If you suicide, you get a bonus based on your current health. But of course, if you suicide, you can no longer score points. So... when to suicide?


And then the Newtown tragedy happened, and made me feel sad and uncomfortable. RIP.

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.13 288
Audio 3.43 63
Fun 2.07 674
Graphics 3.45 183
Humor 1.57 675
Innovation 3.17 220
Mood 3.81 26
Theme 4.14 23

Feedback

kivifreak
16. Dec 2012 · 18:25 UTC
lol, how am i a coward if i kill myself XD
But it is abstract i like it
Edocentrique
16. Dec 2012 · 19:06 UTC
Original
KhaoTom
17. Dec 2012 · 05:19 UTC
Kivi, The game isn't calling you a coward for killing yourself, but for going out and killing innocent people.

Anyways, a poignant game, and this was truly an unfortunate theme choice given the tragedy in Connecticut. This game does it right though, without glamorizing the deed.
Rex Peppers
17. Dec 2012 · 15:52 UTC
Pretty creepy, but that's the theme for this LD.
loren
17. Dec 2012 · 15:52 UTC
intense mood, nice work
Mysterarts
17. Dec 2012 · 16:29 UTC
Very uncomfortable! I'm confused... Well done!
Nik
17. Dec 2012 · 22:47 UTC
The game created a very disturbing atmosphere, good job with that.
pereubu
17. Dec 2012 · 23:55 UTC
nice work on the atmosphere, really liked the graphics and feedbacks, nice job 3:
evilseanbot
18. Dec 2012 · 00:53 UTC
I really like the audio and visual composition. The visuals were abstract enough to be able to play the game without feeling sick, while still registering a nice twinge of guilt.
yadurajiv
18. Dec 2012 · 04:03 UTC
In some way, the confusion was apt for the idea, as if the killers mind could be just like that.
nickworks
18. Dec 2012 · 06:41 UTC
Dark, difficult, but simple. Nailed the mood.
Jiddo
18. Dec 2012 · 18:16 UTC
This game made me feel bad for doing what I did. I guess that's pretty high praise and it hit the theme perfectly..
Mythalore
18. Dec 2012 · 18:17 UTC
A light gun game on acid!
rustybroomhandle
18. Dec 2012 · 18:19 UTC
Nicely put together. The sounds/graphics work really well. Incidentally, my own game tackles the same idea, but it's more of a non-game and takes a slightly different viewpoint. And it's blue. :)
TwilightFlandre
18. Dec 2012 · 18:19 UTC
This game has a really nice visual style to it, I've always been a fan of dichromaticism. Though it is dark I thoroughly enjoyed it.
csanyk
19. Dec 2012 · 07:26 UTC
Despite being insensitive/controversial, it is a great concept for a game that can send a message.

I don't think it was working quite right, because when I played it it didn't seem to give me any points for shooting anyone, other than me. So I only got a suicide bonus.

Graphics, Audio, Mood, Theme were awesome. Wasn't very fun to play due to the scoring being broken, and also because it's such a downer in light of the horrible events of Friday.

Please don't name download files generic titles like "LD25"
peggiosoft
19. Dec 2012 · 09:27 UTC
I think "Conceptual" is the keyword.
Markavian
19. Dec 2012 · 11:59 UTC
I stood there, and shot no one, but it still called me a coward.
🎤 fishbrain
19. Dec 2012 · 12:22 UTC
@Markavian yes you did, it's in the backstory ;)
killmonday
19. Dec 2012 · 13:02 UTC
Horrible mood! Loved it. In a very sick absurd way...
blackmagic
19. Dec 2012 · 20:35 UTC
Creepy, like it, it just misses a very little "misleading" introduction imho :)
iandioch
19. Dec 2012 · 21:09 UTC
Wow. A very clever game, presented superbly. You really managed to get a message across. The sound effects were great too.
tomvert
19. Dec 2012 · 21:39 UTC
Great mood and sound design. Very interesting, it gave me a lot of ideas. I felt there wasn't enough feedback when you shoot people, you don't know if you missed or not. The suicide mechanic is a great idea too that could be used in other kind of game.
shaneshanekavanagh
20. Dec 2012 · 11:52 UTC
What does it mean to be a villain? Very well thought out and implemented. Well done!
otus
20. Dec 2012 · 15:56 UTC
Cool and creepy! Killing myself for more points is a nice 'shoot'.
SamoojaMies
20. Dec 2012 · 21:14 UTC
This succeeds at giving the villain feeling with the correct mood. Nice experiment. Good job!
Ludonaut
20. Dec 2012 · 22:05 UTC
Dark and disturbing. Well done.
char68
21. Dec 2012 · 02:30 UTC
I agree with the others saying this game makes them very uncomfortable, well done on that front. It almost seemed like the game was done in poor taste, but criticizes the act as it should.
timtipgames
21. Dec 2012 · 14:27 UTC
I felt so bad playing this game, that even rating it high (which I did) feels wrong. Well done.
YopSolo
22. Dec 2012 · 00:15 UTC
great atmosphere, i feel so guilty now...
Drabiter
22. Dec 2012 · 02:27 UTC
I agree with all, this is dark and original. This is the 1st entry I given 5 stars for theme and audio. Well done!
Dark Acre Jack
22. Dec 2012 · 04:40 UTC
I would have made a "first act is to suicide" a "win" condition. Was a bit disappointed that wasn't the case. Also would have given a "win" for getting gunned down by police without killing an innocent.

Bonus points for recording the crowd audio, that's always hard to do during compo.
Faust
22. Dec 2012 · 08:41 UTC
Excellent mood, this is probably one of the best mood creator I played in the jam.
WiseGAMER
22. Dec 2012 · 11:06 UTC
Creepy Music!
Will Edwards
22. Dec 2012 · 13:00 UTC
ummm... clever and well done. Simple game. Very DARK and SICK
Yacodo
22. Dec 2012 · 13:28 UTC
Creppy one... can't find my word(s)...
lotusgame
22. Dec 2012 · 17:06 UTC
I like the art approach, i mean it's more art than gameplay. It has a very modern style. If the purpose of creating a game is to offer an experience, your game is a success. I like it !
Bullseye8841
22. Dec 2012 · 20:56 UTC
I found the visuals to be interesting and the theme portrayed well. However, I also had some difficulty gaining points for kills.
dev_redant
22. Dec 2012 · 21:16 UTC
Abstract and atmospheric game. I couldn't really figure it out, but the audio and creepy graphics make up for that. Cool game!
cwilloughby
22. Dec 2012 · 22:42 UTC
Abstract and creepy. You definitely took it to a dark place. Elicits the biggest emotional response of any entry I've played.
illugion
23. Dec 2012 · 01:51 UTC
This game is really dark o.o
GeorgeBroussard
23. Dec 2012 · 11:09 UTC
I think considering events of last weekend I'd have stayed away from doing the obvious like this, but this was pretty well presented. The audio (thought we had to make the sounds vs use free ones, but anyway) and visuals were good. The gameplay was average but could be improved (although not sure how as you really want to shoot everything). Maybe the cops, if on screen long enough, would kill you, so they become priority. Anyway, solid title, but a really disturbing time to make it.
SonnyBone
23. Dec 2012 · 16:59 UTC
VERY moody and disturbing. It would be nice if the player image were pointing the gun towards the others and then clicking for suicide could bring the gun up to the head.
aare
26. Dec 2012 · 14:52 UTC
Very original. I would love to see this idea expanded into the proper game.
goulding57
26. Dec 2012 · 15:36 UTC
Very dark, and fits the theme on a very realistic level. Nice job.
Mesene
26. Dec 2012 · 19:13 UTC
laggy on firefox and chrome, I'm the only one?
nice mood and audio, I tried to kill miself at start, expecting another end :)
AumaanSnake
27. Dec 2012 · 01:41 UTC
Disturbing, but true to the theme. The BGM was very creepy.
Floko
27. Dec 2012 · 14:07 UTC
awww man, I'm a coward! :(

nice idea =]
recursive frog
27. Dec 2012 · 16:16 UTC
Yeah, the timing of this game is really bad given what's happened in the world lately. On the other hand, the mood and theme are incredible, and the graphics and sound add to the disturbing experience.

This has to be one of the few games I've played where the "Overall" score is higher than the "Fun" because it's really not fun at all, but it *is* powerful.
waveon foxdale
27. Dec 2012 · 19:08 UTC
A really dark game. Good job on this.
Spelchan
28. Dec 2012 · 01:35 UTC
I really liked the abstract way you handled the shooting. The theme did come at the worst time so I went the opposite direction and tried to avoid any violence because of the shooting.
zenmumbler
28. Dec 2012 · 12:57 UTC
Damn, very disturbing atmosphere and conveying the message with abstract graphics that make this playable. Sounds and visuals create a sense of chaos and panic.
Pierrec
29. Dec 2012 · 14:25 UTC
Excellence in graphics.
In Audio too, I guess you didn't record it yourself, but I guess you "made" it in a way, so, it worth some stars.
This is a clever and innovative entry. Good job!
DDRKirby(ISQ)
30. Dec 2012 · 11:48 UTC
Could have executed a little better, but yeah. This is...yeah.
brantkings
30. Dec 2012 · 18:35 UTC
I liked the aesthethics. You tried to make us see through the shooter's eyes, I guess, where everything is blurry and meaningless (haha, that sounds horrible but I mean in a very good way!). I think the game would benefit from more feedback from shooting people, both game-wise and story-wise. Good work there!
GameRespect
01. Jan 2013 · 05:40 UTC
The aesthetics and music make a creepy experience, and the prominent silhouette of the player pointing a gun at his head throughout the whole thing makes it even more creepy.. Awesome game.
Per
03. Jan 2013 · 07:44 UTC
Very uncomfortable :)
Nice graphics and soundscape!
DavidErosa
04. Jan 2013 · 00:16 UTC
Dude, felt like on drugs... Really original!
Pacifist Games
04. Jan 2013 · 22:47 UTC
Great job!
My only complaint is that I couldn't tell when I had successfully shot someone, or when I had been shot. Perhaps adding some more visual feedback would help?
You did a really great job setting the mood!
azurenimbus
05. Jan 2013 · 01:36 UTC
The visual style of this is really cool and certainly unique. I think it needs some work, I believe you have not yet reached the full potential of the game, visually speaking.

The game itself is really interesting, especially because of the suicide bonus. It is a pretty cool idea and it does change the whole dynamics of the game.

But the actual gameplay could do with some polish. There needs to be more of a challenge if you want the game to actually be fun to play aside from the "experience" of it. And I think it works really well just as an experience, I like the ending and the whole idea of forcing the player into this position of becoming a coward.

Really interesting, the timing and all. But we've seen so many tragedies like this, and with a theme like that, it makes sense that someone would make a mass shooting game. I think you handled it very well, though. Congrats.
Gungnir
05. Jan 2013 · 08:50 UTC
Definitely tapping into a deranged vibe - nicely done, and brave! Could have used more definite visual feedback for successful hits.
ddionisio
05. Jan 2013 · 19:44 UTC
The game really captures the mood and gives a nice perspective. Pretty chaotic, I like the muffled gun shot sound, it adds to the detachment of reality for the killer.
Start_
06. Jan 2013 · 15:13 UTC
To say it's well themed would be an understatement, I love how the art creates this uneasy feeling quickly, and the guilt of shooting at a pixel is rather huge in comparison to many other games. This experience is very interesting, and it did avoid the pitfall of glorifying the fact of killing. Congrats!
dragonfi
06. Jan 2013 · 15:45 UTC
Really dark. Conveys it's message well.

I obviously didn't rated humor.
Madball
06. Jan 2013 · 16:47 UTC
I think there isn't enough feedback. When I shoot people they don't disappear! Sometimes they continue shooting back.
A great idea for mood, but I think you aren't there yet.
jfroco
06. Jan 2013 · 16:55 UTC
Controversial beautiful game. Having dead animations/fx would be great, but I understand the time constraints. Congrats, great entry.
leafo
06. Jan 2013 · 17:52 UTC
Interesting concept. Good mood. Nice graphics. My only complaint is that some sort of effect to confirm a hit would have been nice.
chrismwaite
07. Jan 2013 · 19:09 UTC
Interesting concept. Found it difficult to rate. I didn't get much out of it on a "game" level but its visually impressive and has lots of atmosphere.
rylgh
07. Jan 2013 · 21:23 UTC
incredible atmosphere, very well done.
PaulSB
07. Jan 2013 · 23:04 UTC
Wow, very dark indeed. You created a disorienting experience very well. The shooting didn't feel too responsive but that just contributed to the unsettling nature of it. Good job.
AdventureIslands
07. Jan 2013 · 23:13 UTC
How delicously disturbing, the mood in this game is really intense! I liked it, but I think the game had some trouble to register my mouse clicks for shooting though.