This Is How It Ends by Oreganik

[raw]
made by Oreganik for LD25 (JAM)
Solo jam entry due to extenuating social obligations. Have they no respect for the iron embrace of Ludum Dare Compo? =)

So, this is a story game. Just want to put that out there to begin with.
Also, the web version requires Unity plugin.

"This Is How It Ends" features you, the villain, standing in the ruins of a world you have just finished destroying with your seventh act of destruction. You have the chance to journey back in time through each scene, watching the scenery revert to its state before each catastrophe. Re-discover your motives to realize how destroying the world could seem like the right choice. Read letters from those affected by you, and affecting you. And piece by piece, the outrageous ending becomes the natural conclusion. But if you venture too far, you risk being consumed by the darkness which taints your life.

If you encounter any bugs, please e-mail me at ted@oreganik.com .

Thanks for playing!

*edit* *possible spoilers*

1. To make progress, check both computer terminals and the letters. You can then walk into the "memory" and go back in time.
2. You can decide to stay in an era by disabling the doomsday device and resisting the pull of memory. I didn't have time to give each era a proper ending in this situation, but if people ask for it, I'll do it post-compo.
3. There is a tragic ending if you go far enough. If it disturbs you, I'm sorry.
4. I added stat tracking post-compo. No other changes were made, so I used the same link. Consider this "full disclosure." =)
5. There is sound in the first stage... but apparently only if you have nice speakers. It's all bass, apparently. :{

Ratings

Coolness 59% 3
Overall(Jam) 3.24 117
Audio(Jam) 2.63 185
Fun(Jam) 2.41 246
Graphics(Jam) 3.06 186
Humor(Jam) 2.00 250
Innovation(Jam) 3.45 55
Mood(Jam) 4.00 10
Theme(Jam) 4.12 15

Feedback

SkyPirates
18. Dec 2012 路 04:47 UTC
Interesting take on the theme! The controls weren't great, and there wasn't a whole lot to do, but it was certainly innovative. The environmental graphics were also quite good. I loved the letters :)
Twisted Devotion
18. Dec 2012 路 05:20 UTC
I really liked the mood in this game as well as the concept. It felt kind of strange having this relative discourse between being the lone survivor in a desolate wasteland (common for heroes of survival type games) and finding out through gameplay that you are the reason you are the lone survivor. Good job!
Radiatoryang
18. Dec 2012 路 05:42 UTC
interesting narrative but clipping was really buggy, I activated the explosion and it teleported me but not all the tiles synced so I was walking through walls and stuff
馃帳 Oreganik
18. Dec 2012 路 05:59 UTC
I will try and reproduce it so I can fix it. Thanks for letting me know about the issue!
Hume
18. Dec 2012 路 06:09 UTC
I do love a story, even a tragedy.

Well done, sir.

On a replay, I trapped myself in the "burn every bridge" path. Not sure how I would have taken it if I'd done that the first time.

I hope I never receive a letter from the Alaska Fishermen's Union.
ReveLorenfield
18. Dec 2012 路 10:44 UTC
Interesting story of a man remembering how he became who he is at the beginning of the game.
I like the idea of the progression and how we can modify history by disabling the machine anytime.
DeathBySnail
18. Dec 2012 路 22:24 UTC
Nice to see a game about a villain which isn't one-dimensional. Like it.
dcolgan
18. Dec 2012 路 22:35 UTC
Very moody and heavy. I was intrigued and wanted to keep playing to see what would happen. Nice story development, and great job overall for a weekend!
Cake&Code
18. Dec 2012 路 22:38 UTC
Wow, that was surprisingly engaging. The narrative was great and the controls were really well done. It has an almost Saira-esque lonely feel to it, it was really shocking.

Some more work and this could be a really, really amazing game! Please keep working on it!
Winterblood
18. Dec 2012 路 22:40 UTC
Wow. Fantastic storytelling. Game engine and UI is a bit crude, but served it's purpose. Very thought-provoking...
angrygeometry
18. Dec 2012 路 22:44 UTC
really excellent mood. i love the letters a lot. a cool take on the theme! i liked it.
rylgh
19. Dec 2012 路 01:56 UTC
Neat story, and I liked the interface with the hold left/hold right controls.
Mythalore
19. Dec 2012 路 11:51 UTC
Nice graphics and a solid adventure game!
Starspell
19. Dec 2012 路 15:24 UTC
Interesting take on the theme and always good to see a narrative-driven game like this. Not my kettle of fish really but still interesting.
Milo
20. Dec 2012 路 23:25 UTC
It was fun to see the character seeming less and less evil as I went backward.
Per
22. Dec 2012 路 15:26 UTC
Very nice storytelling.
Not for everyone, but I though that this game had the best story yet this LD.
The graphics and sound are really nice as well.
BNeutral
22. Dec 2012 路 19:41 UTC
Interesting story.
Pitoum
28. Dec 2012 路 00:30 UTC
Very moody!