The Shadow From Below by Arkthalohs
The Shadow From Below is a dice-placement game where you control an Antarctic expedition that has just uncovered an eldritch ruin far below the surface. Deal with the crises the dig has unearthed, recover artifacts from the city, and survive the 10 days for rescue to arrive. But be careful, each relic you obtain will drive you closer to insanity, making it harder and harder to fight off the terrors of below!
Instructions/How To Play:
At the end of the game, you need to have more money from relics than was lost on base repairs and the deaths of members of the expedition. Each crisis that isn't resolved adds $100 to your costs, and each death adds $100. Each relic gives you $100 in profit, or an additional $200 if you research it in the Dome.
To move, click on a character's card, and then click on a room in the base. Each room has a special ability, as does each character that may take specific dice and/or resources. Of particular focus is the digsite: this is where you acquire your relics, and the dome, where you learn what they do.
You can click and drag dice once you roll them using the button. Dice in the Dice Hold are not rerolled if you click the roll button again, and you can drag the dice to any of the glowing squares to use them there. Crises in rooms need a total value of dice added, and each die reduces it, while other abilities may require specific die values, or dice with a certain value, denoted with an arrow pointing up.
Tools used: Unity 2017.2, Visual Studio, Photoshop, Inkscape
Ratings
| Overall | 391th | 3.286⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 430th | 3.095⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 95th | 3.725⭐ | 22🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 375th | 3.375⭐ | 22🧑⚖️ |
| Humor | 361th | 2.588⭐ | 19🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 321th | 3.1⭐ | 22🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 30🗳️ | 13🗨️ |
I had trouble figuring out what to do at first because the function of things isn't very explicit (and also those researcher cards aren't very friendly) but I got hooked once I understood the mechanics and combos. Great job!
Something it could really use is more verbose instructions once in the game. Also, I couldn't seem to find a way to quit the game, or restart. If there is a way, it should be easier to find or access.
Overall, nice work! I'd like to see this on a store shelf in full-form one day.
Well done!
✱ Clever mechanics and balance
✱ Board game are pretty rare in jams, it's refreshing
✱ Despite complexity, I don't think I've encountered a bug
:muscle: **What imo could be improved:**
✱ The game need alot more feedbacks, it's not possible to understand all that is happening. A simple step could be a log journal that recap last actions. A best step would be to add immediate feedback everywhere possible.
✱ The map doesn't really look like a map I thought is was some kind of diagram at first.
✱ It's hard to get into the game, all the reading and rules must be understood upfront and it's an effort to do. The game would greatly benefit of a progressive introduction of game mechanics with help tips for exemple. ie. not all rooms are unlocked at start then an explanation tells how they work when they unlock. No room is broken on the first turn and when the first broken room event occurs them a tip explain that dice must be accumulated in the top zone (it took me 3 games to understand how to fix a room).
:sparkles: **Overall**
✱ For your next time I suggest a game that is a bit more simple to implement, with a "board-in" strategy to get players into the game. That said, it's a big realisation you have there for a board game in such a small amount of time. Good job!