Some Excavated Wounds by Sand-Gardeners
Devon, England, is a root site of deep cultural trauma; the legacy of colonialism, slavery, and the systematic exploitation of workers and the land. You could say the whole place has been built on top of this exploitation, tunnels wound the landscape, many uncharted, unknown, and harbouring dark secrets.
In geological time, the Devonian period was the time in which granite was formed by molten rock.
Granite was mined in Devon and used to construct Dartmoor prison by French and American prisoners of war. The prison has not renewed its funding contract with the government and is pending closure.
The Stone Tape Theory is a way to explain hauntings: the energy present in moments of trauma is so great that it is absorbed by the surrounding rock... recorded like tape... awaiting playback under certain circumstances...
What do we use to record trauma and play it back? What memories of enslavement do these objects harbour?
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A labour sim. Content warning for dark themes, and flashing lights.
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Controls:
WASD/Arrow Keys to move
Left click to Scan
Right click to Mine
🎵 SALVE3 - Ia Med
| Youtube | https://sandgardeners.itch.io/some-excavated-ruins |
| Youtube | https://sandgardeners.itch.io/some-excavated-ruins |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/45/some-excavated-wounds |
Ratings
| Given | 10🗳️ | 6🗨️ |
I did get a bug with the stature, which prevented the character from moving. I tried to move in while narrative was playing, and then couldn’t move afterwards, I could still look around.
I think it also would fit with a light coming out from the scanner when you scan items. Other then that, very solid entry! Although I couldn't play all of it.
At first I was absolutely confused as to what I was supposed to be doing, and that's primarily because the mining aspect had no feedback aside from the knocking noise - I had no idea if I was successfully damaging the object, and since every object took quite a few whacks, I spent a long time wandering around without getting anywhere. Some visual feedback that the object was cracking would have gone a long way in that regard, I think.
The decreased walking speed was especially frustrating, but I suppose that's part of the experience you wanted to communicate.
Trippy graphics and interestingly conveyed story, nice work.