LudumData

Keep It Pumping by Stevis93

[raw]
made by Stevis93 for Ludum Dare 46 (COMPO)

pumping2.png Warning: Contains blood, gore, and suicide.

Instructions:

Pump his heart when it's full of blood.(When the spinner is in the green section.) If you miss 3 beats you will pass out. Left click to shoot demons. (No aiming required.) He will periodically aim the gun to his own head. Try to keep him alive, ok.

Controls:

Space : Pump heart Left click : Shoot

Info:

Game was made in GameMaker Studio 1. It's the first gamejam I have ever tried so I tried to keep it simple, I'm just glad I finished something. Absolutely everything created from fresh, by me.

Full source code as well as sounds and sprites are available in the compressed gamemaker .gmz file located Here

Play it Here

If you don't have the gamemaker studio client, and want anything just let me know and I'll export it separately and send it to ya.

More:

If you want to see more stuff by me Click here

If you want to keep in contact via twitter

A note on the sensitive subject

This game is a depiction of mental illness and suicide. I understand this is a very sensitive subject for most people, myself included. If you have a history of mental illness, or you are going through some shit right now, then you might want to avoid this content. Also, please remember there is no shame in seeking help where needed.

Peace.

Youtube http://globalboring.org/Ludem/KeepingItAlive.gmz
Youtube http://globalboring.org/Ludem/index.html
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/keep-it-pumping

Ratings

Overall 310th 3.652⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Fun 507th 3.304⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 300th 3.565⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Theme 133th 4.087⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 56th 4.283⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Audio 387th 3.261⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Humor 665th 2.429⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Mood 133th 3.761⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Given 19🗳️ 22🗨️

Feedback

🎤 Stevis93
19. Apr 2020 · 23:33 UTC
I just realized there is a bug that causes game speed to change according to your monitors refresh rate. I guess that's why I should test on multiple devices.

Game remains functional regardless, but some might find it harder that others.
croze
20. Apr 2020 · 02:42 UTC
I keep dying randomly after 3 beats, I'm not really sure why. The game is incredibly pretty and it's fun for the few beats I can play, but yeah I'm not sure if there's a bug or I'm missing something. I loled when I accidentally shot myself the first time, really well done with all of it.
Sbug
20. Apr 2020 · 02:45 UTC
The basic gameplay is pretty good with the exception of it sometimes feeling a little unfair with how suddenly the gun changes direction. Graphics are well done too, but the subject matter is pretty poorly handled for such a sensitive issue that affects a lot of people. Consider including a content warning and a link to some relevant crisis services.
Zonvoi
20. Apr 2020 · 03:22 UTC
I liked the graphics, the gameplay's fun too, though i had to read the instructions over here to know how to play, but once i got the hang of it, it was fun!
🎤 Stevis93
20. Apr 2020 · 04:03 UTC
@croze Hi, thanks for playing! if you miss 3 beats in a row the character dies, it's not too obvious in-game. I wish I had added an instruction panel.

@sbug You're right. I got very caught up in making the game I didn't really think about that side of it. I didn't set out to have the whole suicide mechanic at all but ended up adding it when I needed a quick way of adding some challenge without having time to really think about it.As for the unfairness of switching stances too quickly: I added the head shake as I anticipated this being a problem, his head starts shaking .5 seconds before swapping stances. It's very subtle though so most players wouldn't even notice the correlation. Thanks for playing!

@Zonvoi Thanks for the kind words! I added the instructions text to the website that the game is hosted on to help with that. :)
FussenKuh
20. Apr 2020 · 04:17 UTC
Wow... You NAILED the mood for this game. Your art design is fantastic though like sbug noted, it is a rather touchy subject which might shock some folks. That said though, kudos for creating this art.
Marston
20. Apr 2020 · 06:08 UTC
Cool idea for sure, but after a while it just felt repetitive and tedious. Maybe powerups or a touch of spice in the future :) Nice game!
PatrickJR
20. Apr 2020 · 06:12 UTC
Great art, nice sound, love the feel. The chunks of the head flying to the side when the guy shoots himself are cool. I think there should be something to warn the player right before the guy points the gun to his head. It feels kind of like chance, where I am hoping the gun doesn't change as I click. Really great game!
Kinshuk_thebest
20. Apr 2020 · 06:38 UTC
Great concept. Nice art. Amazing. Got 38 on second try. Maybe add a little audio clip to know when the gun will change direction?
Corporation
20. Apr 2020 · 09:44 UTC
Aiming your head sometimes? Why not! Pretty fun. Should really make moment when he aimes his head more obvious (sound or effect)
🎤 Stevis93
20. Apr 2020 · 13:52 UTC
@fussenkuh Thanks a lot! It is definitely a touchy subject. I'm not sure where I sit with it, and I made it.

@marston Yeah, I get that. It was my first jam so I think I under-scoped a bit. Wanted to make sure I finished. I wish I could go back and add more, but I guess I'll wait until the voting period is over. Thanks.

@patrickjr Thanks man, I REALLY regret not adding a sound affect when he is about to point to his head, would have been a 5 minute job. His head starts shaking before he swaps stances, but that's not enough.

@kinshuk-thebest Thanks, You're right. I'm kicking myself for not doing it.

@corporation Yup! As above, haha. :)
bemmu
20. Apr 2020 · 15:06 UTC
I liked this, especially the art. Didn't mind the dark theme at all.

Btw. thanks for helping me find a bug in my game, greatly appreciated! Amusing that you also had the exact same kind of bug.
Sinamon
20. Apr 2020 · 17:39 UTC
I loved the idea.

Explore the option of having all the controls on the keyboard, so that the game can be played with one hand.
NEKORUMA
21. Apr 2020 · 02:09 UTC
great idea , i liked the arts!! but I think the sounds and music could be improved!!
PlantProgrammer
21. Apr 2020 · 07:40 UTC
I like how well graphics and topic play together here. Besides I didn't really like it. I can't pinpoint it though, so it might be the overall topic.

Great job in completing, anyways :)

@sinamon Why would you need to play with one ........ ewwwwwww xD
jomoho
21. Apr 2020 · 08:20 UTC
I enjoyed this one. But I kept blowing my brains out ... Great art, music sets a good mood but is too repetetive.
Aditya Kumar
21. Apr 2020 · 08:24 UTC
The stress of having to balance the two tasks plus the atmospheric darkening at the edges of the screen really sells the mood for this game. After a while the task started to get repetitive (and even easier as I got used to it). I can't tell if this is a flaw or you just driving the point home even harder. Either way, well done!
Kirbloid
24. Apr 2020 · 01:32 UTC
A pretty hefty theme, but the theme came through it, and I can appreciate the additional stress bubbled up through the gameplay and balancing mechanics. The graphics and mood helped bring the theme out, too.