Murder in the Refuge of Retired Monsters by gogo199432

[raw]
made by gogo199432 for LD 41 (JAM)

The old Columbo gets a new case! There was a killing at the Refuge of Retired Monsters! Frankenstein died, but which of the 7 other monsters did it? You'll have to question all of them and untangle their lies. Can you solve this murder mystery? Only one way to find out.

EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback guys, the bugs mentioned in the comments below should hopefully fixed now. But not the annoying traps, those are here to stay ;)

Screenshot01.PNG Screenshot02.PNG Screenshot03.PNG Screenshot04.PNG Screenshot05.PNG

Ratings

Overall 342th 3.676⭐ 56🧑‍⚖️
Fun 449th 3.434⭐ 55🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 626th 3.308⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Theme 820th 3.269⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 487th 3.613⭐ 55🧑‍⚖️
Humor 191th 3.657⭐ 53🧑‍⚖️
Mood 158th 3.849⭐ 55🧑‍⚖️
Given 65🗳️ 54🗨️

Feedback

MariosManiatis
24. Apr 2018 · 18:29 UTC
Awesome game, loved it! But when i died i couldn't leave the "you died" screen :(
Bhavin
24. Apr 2018 · 19:08 UTC
Concept of investigation game with a bit horror effect was really great, I also liked the background Music!!
But those traps didn't really work, i was passing through them and they didn't seem to kill me!!
Seanale
24. Apr 2018 · 19:15 UTC
I really liked it! Some dialogue options didn't work for me, but I managed to figure it out nonetheless! I don't know if the traps worked either, I feel as if they didn't kill me when they should've. I still loved it though, I love monsters and this was a fun concept.
🎤 gogo199432
24. Apr 2018 · 19:19 UTC
Game has been updated and hopefully the bugs fixed. The hanging of the death screen happens because the game couldn't create a save file. Please try to run as admin if that occurs (save file is placed in your documents folder as save.json)
Elbcore
24. Apr 2018 · 19:29 UTC
Very cool! I really liked all those references! The personalities of the characters were also all very distinct, and i liked the writing! As for the traps, they seem no not damage you at all? They were all very safe until one pushed me though the wall and i fell through the map. Awesome game overall! Good job!
DoctorAlpaca
24. Apr 2018 · 19:35 UTC
While the platforming/detective mix didn't do it for me, the detective/horror combination is really cool. While all the graphics are very low res, they all still are very identifiable. I really liked seeing all the different monsters, great work on them and their rooms.
Dovakla
25. Apr 2018 · 03:31 UTC
It's a pretty neat idea and I love the surreal aesthetic of the Refuge. The characters are all enjoyable and distinct and the mystery is fun to solve. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the dialogue options didn't correctly unlock or stay locked for me and the Mummy just kept looping his intro dialogue. I also sort of thought that the traps were more of an annoyance than anything that just interrupted the fun part of investigating and talking to everyone.
morrilet
25. Apr 2018 · 14:01 UTC
Wow, you really nailed it with the setting. The tone was set well and the refuge was interesting to explore. The dialogue was well written given the time frame and I really enjoyed hearing the lore of the refuge. I found the traps to be a bit annoying, but they did serve to break up the area and make you more conscious of not just running to everyone and spamming dialogue. The dialogue buttons were a little buggy, as well, but I managed to get through it. It should also be noted that some of Dracula's text was cut off as it ran out of space in the box and I felt that I missed some info. That said, I still managed to get it right on the first guess! Overall this was really well done, so congrats.
Wassim
25. Apr 2018 · 14:30 UTC
Try to Polish up the game mechanics and the UI a little bit, the controls are a bit hard to get used to too!
Wish you best of luck!
Sempiternal
25. Apr 2018 · 22:02 UTC
I like everything about this game except for the traps/platforming aspect, it just feels so forced to fit the theme. So a great game overall, but doesn't quite hit the theme for me. Amazing job nonetheless!
chainedlupine
26. Apr 2018 · 09:09 UTC
Very interesting blend of genres, and I loved the setting! However, I do agree above about the traps. They were glitchy and seemed to kill me arbitrarily, and it was the least fun aspect.
Yahialds
26. Apr 2018 · 13:23 UTC
Just the kind of game I want to do some day. Loved the narrative and has a really NICE setting. Just some more polish to the gameplay and it would be perfect. I think you had a great idea, feel proud :)
Velocity7
26. Apr 2018 · 15:29 UTC
Interesting idea man and I liked it. Needs some polishing but the story was cool
fashionbatman
26. Apr 2018 · 19:04 UTC
Really unique game, Great Job! I loved everything except for the traps.
Tikikala
27. Apr 2018 · 03:11 UTC
so i found out that when the traps are retreating you can just waltz through them

but the camera was difficult and i dont need to jump

and i cant find any other items with purple glowing to click?
those doors near the traps i cant click them?
Jonathan Daar
27. Apr 2018 · 05:52 UTC
This is the most ambitious project I've played so far. I'm really impressed good job guys! About the murderer. I really didn't see it coming. :)
Honest Dan
27. Apr 2018 · 19:27 UTC
Big game with a surprising amount of content! Yes a lot of the game is spent reading and moving from room to room (and maybe dying to traps.....) but the scripting was interesting, you gave personalities to the characters and it was an enjoyable experience. A small bug stopped me completing all of the dialog but I still guessed the right person! Thanks and congratulations on making a very entertaining a memorable game!
Swen
27. Apr 2018 · 19:29 UTC
Watched this game on HonestDanGames stream, really enjoyed the murder mystery around it. The only things that were a bit of a hassle were the traps. But all in all it is an amazing game! Also had really good laughs!

Great job!
Kevar
27. Apr 2018 · 20:32 UTC
I really had a lot of fun playing this game. Good writing and mood :).
Team Infernus
28. Apr 2018 · 07:47 UTC
I'm bad at this detective stuff - took me 3 tries to get it. Pretty fun and nice at atmosphere with the music and feel
stark
28. Apr 2018 · 11:42 UTC
Case closed! Guessed the murderer from the first try. Mouse speed was too high and camera off, but it felt more like Colombo is in a wheelchair, I guess. Liked every piece of the game ))
Sam Machell
28. Apr 2018 · 12:36 UTC
lovely game! i really love the aesthetics and style and the interpretation of the theme is funny and original! really great job
Local Minimum
28. Apr 2018 · 13:47 UTC
Really well made game!

It was kind of fun how it felt like some characters were really screaming at times due to their texts being short "Kong doesn't know!". The 3D assets were really well made. I consider hiding/locking the mouse cursor. I kept clicking outside the game all the time. And in general the camera got confusing as a result of that.

Consider properly tagging the downloads on itch (Windows), so that they can be played in their app.

I never solved the murder, but I enjoyed playing.
tigerj
28. Apr 2018 · 16:00 UTC
I thought this was fantastic other than a few plot issues where a couple characters referred to some Amanda stuff I did not know yet. I plan to beat this later on I had to cut it short for my stream.
feedback and gameplay here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/255427387?t=01h23m42s
gonutz
28. Apr 2018 · 16:50 UTC
Really cool idea, hilarious idea indeed!

There are some technical bugs in your implementation of the idea. I am using the Linux version, it may be different from the Windows version. Here is what I noticed:

I can look around 720 degrees with my camera and then it stops. Also the camera rotation is way too fast.

When I click left to start a dialog, the dialog disappears immediately. This happens most of the time and the monsters then greet me with "Welcome back Detective".

I can go through the spikes while they are still up, while they are moving down, without getting killed.

The text varies wildly in size, depending on how much text there is in the dialog box. This means that there are four tiny lines, very hard to read, then I click something and there is a huge three words occupying the whole dialog box at the next moment.

Aside from these bugs, this is a great idea! Really cool graphics and atmosphere. I can see that you spent most of your time on story and look and feel so I can handle some technical issues :-)

Really cool entry, keep up the great work!
szabe
29. Apr 2018 · 19:41 UTC
@tigerj Hey, thanks for playing! It was really interesting watching your stream, and seeing your approach to the narrative! About the Amanda issue: The characters know of each other and mention each other, even if you haven't met them before. Amanda is the girl from the Ring movies, she is the one half stuck in the TV.
jojocanard
01. May 2018 · 13:52 UTC
Great setting and even greater writing.
The control was a bit annoying mostly because the mouse didn't work with my dual monitors (pointer getting out of the window...) but not a big deal.
I really wanted to hear the stories of each monster and to find the right murderer (which I did).

I am using windows and met about all the same issues than @gonutz met
MacDoom
01. May 2018 · 23:56 UTC
Interesting crimescene! The combination of genres work preety well but I feel the graphics didn't helped keeping the horror atmosphere. Also the text window while interviewing suspects held more information than it could show it clearly.
Jeep on the good job!
Dreamer
02. May 2018 · 01:52 UTC
it,s so nice! but, i,m a little scared
NORRIMO
02. May 2018 · 09:01 UTC
The narrative was really great. But I figured out too fast who was the killer. Maybe it depends on the order you ask the monsters. I loved the romance part very well. :D
And I think the gameplay during plattform part was a bit weak but in the context of a monster house it was good because the traps are one thing which are involved in the murder.
Thank you for this experience.
szabe
02. May 2018 · 09:20 UTC
@NORRIMO Hey, I am glad you enjoyed the game. Would you please edit your comment, because it spoils the murder mystery?
NORRIMO
02. May 2018 · 09:37 UTC
@szabe Edited. :D
bbaf
02. May 2018 · 18:33 UTC
Cool, this one reminded me Killer 7 by Suda51 a little bit, because of its mood and atmosphere.
Great entry!
Ruslana
04. May 2018 · 21:11 UTC
I like those monsters ^_^
Pond Loach
06. May 2018 · 13:59 UTC
sounds funny x) but please leave a web version
cristiano.m.garcia
06. May 2018 · 14:27 UTC
Good job! Cool game!

I left my rating of your game, if you can leave your feedback in our game, Witch's Escape.

I hope you continue with the project.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/41/witchs-escape
kernel-panic
06. May 2018 · 21:37 UTC
Well, I guessed right first time, but after a lot of hesitation. There were a few things which were a little confusing, but maybe I was paying too much attention to detail. I won't say more for risk of spoilers.

I loved the detective aspect of this game, and got really invested in it. Good job! But the traps really didn't add anything to the gameplay. I guess they were there for the theme.

Overall, really good game!
dignifiedweb
07. May 2018 · 21:34 UTC
Neat game, thanks for trying my game Pet Food!
Rodrigo Denúbila
09. May 2018 · 12:32 UTC
Really great entry! Good job doing this amount of things in a short time! The game is really good and fun. Congratulations!

Please, take a look at my game too: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/41/confessional
Gaming Night
10. May 2018 · 17:49 UTC
nice game dude, I really liked the atmosphere and king kong !!
igor_peres
10. May 2018 · 21:39 UTC
Good mix of the genres...I Hope you guy continue to develope this one. If it's possible, rate and comment our game Not Yeti!
Ratherjolly
11. May 2018 · 03:54 UTC
Freaking YES! This was great. You got a LOT working in this title. SO much content (not to mention mechanics). I really like the dialogue system paired with the multiple camera angles. Throwing platformer elements in there was hilarious and very theme-centric. Also the plethora of references haha Great Job! Well Done!
joe40001
15. May 2018 · 04:06 UTC
I streamed myself playing your game. You can watch the vod of it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeVofreh9pA

(Starts at 4:14:35)
jusw85
15. May 2018 · 20:15 UTC
There are many things I could say about this entry, but the only thing I'd like to say is whoever had the idea and did the work of animating a man in a jumping wheelchair with floppity arms should be given a medal. Hilarious!