Power Outage by keckles

[raw]
made by keckles for LD 39 (JAM)

you're a scientist experimenting on lab rats when the power goes out and all the rats escape. Now you need to make your way down to the circuit breaker with nothing but a flashlight but watch the battery because if it goes out you're screwed.

(please not that since my computer is windows that's the only build i have tested so hopefully they all work)

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Rat.png

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Ratings

Overall 693th 2.947⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Fun 790th 2.421⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 386th 3.105⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Theme 196th 3.842⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 605th 3⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Audio 553th 2.211⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Humor 484th 2.211⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Mood 578th 2.895⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Given 10🗳️ 6🗨️

Feedback

Tyler Miller
01. Aug 2017 · 18:20 UTC
Few pros/cons from my experience:

Pros
- I like the graphics and crafty intro scene
- I like the concept of the game and that it fits the theme
- I like that there is different settings for the flashlight

Cons
- It is really hard to controller the character while also controlling flashlight angle & settings
- With that said I didn't play for a very long time before getting frustrated
- I hate rats.

I would recommend maybe moving flashlight settings to 'Q' and 'E' to make it easier, and also maybe auto pick up/drop off the rats. Overall though I liked the effort you put into the game, good job!
🎤 keckles
01. Aug 2017 · 21:18 UTC
Thanks for the feedback once the jam ends if i polish the game i will definitely change the keys or maybe make an option to pick which key does what
Brendan Engelman
02. Aug 2017 · 01:30 UTC
Nice game! The graphics fit the game well, and the flashlight mechanic was cool and unique.
Relinke
02. Aug 2017 · 09:52 UTC
Flashlight effect is really great! But I think the position of flashlight is strange, makes me feel uncomfortable
maybe because I can't see the character or rotate too fast?
There seems to be something wrong with character's friction when I stop on the wall, and it's strange that I still can jump in such a situation.
🎤 keckles
03. Aug 2017 · 23:06 UTC
@relinke thanks for the input and that wall jumping is a feature not a bug ;) (but seriously i'll look into it)
lukethecoder64
04. Aug 2017 · 01:18 UTC
Nice Game! I'd suggest that you try to improve the audio. Great job!
cudabear
04. Aug 2017 · 02:47 UTC
It would be nice if I could at least see some of the level geometry around myself without shining the flashlight on it, or maybe make the flashlight a bit bigger. There was some trial and error required to find my way through the levels. The physics felt very glitchy, I could hover by holding space, and if I moved against a wall I could stick to it and not fall. Instant death on the spikes was kind of harsh, but it's also not a long game so it wasn't too bad.
PerduGames
04. Aug 2017 · 02:51 UTC
I liked being all dark and having only a flashlight, it lacked more sounds, because it is dark, more sounds would give more life to the game XD, but great work and beautiful designs.
Archimagus
04. Aug 2017 · 03:43 UTC
Let's see, goods and the not o goods.

Good-
* The intro animation was neat.
* I liked the concept, it fit the theme well.
* It seemed like you had quite a few features.
* The art seemed pretty good for MS Paint art.

Bad-
* The controls were kinda awkward. WASD, C,V,B. A better button choice would be nice.
* The jump was basically a jet pack.
* I found it really hard to tell what was going on.
* I managed to catch 1 rat, but then didn't know what to do with it.
Aurel300
07. Aug 2017 · 16:15 UTC
We streamed your game with Danae plays on Twitch. :) Here's a link:

[Danae streams Ludum Dare 39: Day 2, part 2: Power Outage](https://youtu.be/SeUiu4ynC54?t=11m53s)

Neat little game, but needs a lot of work! The jump, while you might have intended it, seems very buggy. The rats seemed generally way too fast and I didn't realise that I could stun them with my flashlight for a long time. The darkness could be made to look better if there were e.g. things glowing in the dark – little LED lights, corners of platforms, rat eyes, etc. It would make the game a bit easier, but the difficulty introduced with the darkness doesn't seem very fair, especially when crossing spike pits.

Still, a nice game :)
SimplePotential
08. Aug 2017 · 20:58 UTC
I found this very difficult but perhaps that is what you were going for. I couldn't make it very far as I became frustrated. The good news is I think that with some polish this could be a good game. Maybe consider some other control choices or allow players to set them. I found it really hard to control the player and use cvb to control the brightness.

Nice effort though, I can see that you put a lot of work into this.
SaraMartins
09. Aug 2017 · 05:07 UTC
Interesting game, a little bit hard to control while controlling the flashlight, but very nice concept. I got stuck on some parts of the floor while trying to walk, managing only to advance by jumping (they weren't platforms). The character also appeared behind some of the wall stairs' indicators. Improving the controls and checking the floor will surely make it even better! :)
TheFlyingKeyboard
09. Aug 2017 · 17:20 UTC
Really fun idea of gameplay, but needs more polishing. Controlls seems a little bit floaty, moving flashlight is hard. Good Job!
LeReveur
09. Aug 2017 · 22:14 UTC
The base concept is well thinked, but realisation is a bit messy. Juggle between light sets and mouse, and have to pick up rats and have to pull them into cages, this is too much things to do with only two hands, and not so much power to go - even if literaly flying over spikes is fun. That said, it's obvious that you worked hard on this entry, it's just a matter of time and tweak, and you could have a good game with some polish here and there.
nerdyHerbivore
10. Aug 2017 · 17:40 UTC
Nice effort, I think the flashlight needed a longer charge. I felt I could not make it very far even when using the "dim" setting. Good idea and start, just needs a bit more polish. I personally thought the mice were adorable!
ZYXer
16. Aug 2017 · 20:18 UTC
Nice light mechanic! Graphics are well done. A bit more ambient sound or music would have definitely improved the atmosphere. It should be dark and claustrophobic, but the game doesn't quite feel like it yet. Also some random scary rat squeaks would be awesome :D

I honestly found the game very hard to play. The reaction time needed to turn on the stun mode when you see a rat is just a bit too short. I also didn't quite get how to trade in rats for energy. The falling physics also need some getting used to.

I think with some improvements this could be a very fun game.