LudumData

We need to talk by bereg

[raw]
made by bereg for Ludum Dare 47 (COMPO)

“We need to talk” is a short narrative-driven game, a mixture of dialogue and card games. The story reveals around the married couple stuck on a Ferris wheel on their 10th anniversary. At any stage of the conversation you can use a card to open new speech options.

The game was inspired by dialogues in “Disco Elysium” and “Fallout New Vegas”. It has a branching dialogue tree and 3 endings. The only way to win the game is to be honest with yourself.

Controls are: mouse and Escape (pause).

bandicam 2020-10-04 19-48-12-476.jpg

The game was created in 48 hours for Ludum Dare 47 Compo by Stanislav Demchenko.

I used some preexisting code written by myself. Other than that everything was created from scratch.

Tools used: Unity3D, Houdini (Modeling), Adobe Photoshop (UI), Cubase (Music), Adobe Audition (Sound design), DSP Motion (Sound generation)

Youtube https://bereg.itch.io/we-need-to-talk
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/47/we-need-to-talk

Ratings

Overall 156th 3.721⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Fun 395th 3.091⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 121th 3.75⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Theme 134th 3.978⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 190th 3.672⭐ 69🧑‍⚖️
Audio 267th 3.212⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Humor 168th 3.047⭐ 66🧑‍⚖️
Mood 69th 3.816⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Given 97🗳️ 108🗨️

Feedback

Lestat
04. Oct 2020 · 23:48 UTC
Very cool concept. I really liked it. Good job!
Tadeas Paule
05. Oct 2020 · 09:06 UTC
Incredible, amazing job. Everything was so well polished, I'm surprised that you had time to include stuff like the idle animations etc that really added to the feel.
Henrik Ganard
05. Oct 2020 · 09:08 UTC
I liked the design and graphics the most. Nicle done.
Rolly
05. Oct 2020 · 09:13 UTC
The mobile game should be made a separate entry and would be the best one so far :D

It is a nice game, the 3D models are really well done, credible, and you can actually feel empathy for lowpoly's! The dialogue system is nicely executed, and I like your take on the theme!
🎤 bereg
05. Oct 2020 · 10:17 UTC
@lestat, @tadeas-paule, @henrik-ganard, @rolly Thank you for your kind words!
Flopo
05. Oct 2020 · 10:27 UTC
The game is lovely! I really like how polished it feels in such a short amount of time.
peeweek
05. Oct 2020 · 13:42 UTC
Very polished and good time playing it. Congrats
Aterlamia
05. Oct 2020 · 13:52 UTC
Interesting take on the theme, i liked the talking part much, the "play a game" part was a bit les interesting . But the game feels pretty polished.
Elizir
05. Oct 2020 · 13:56 UTC
Pretty good work for 48hours! I'm really impressed by that piece of art. And nice concept :smile:
Wakobu
05. Oct 2020 · 14:20 UTC
Congratulations for making this game !
Awesome entry !
I loved the animations !
pkenney
05. Oct 2020 · 14:31 UTC
Played a few times and managed a positive ending. I was pulled into the atmosphere of the game by the ambient sound of the Ferris wheel, the way the lighting made the shadows move as the wheel rotates, and the idle animations. These details were all in the nearby things, focusing me on the conversation, while the far-off things were highly abstracted. I felt like it was really well put together.

My hand of cards seemed like it always wanted me to be snide and evasive, but I guess that was a commentary on the difficulty of dealing directly with your fears!

Nice work all around, and very well polished for a compo entry.
Skyvastern
05. Oct 2020 · 14:37 UTC
It was fun little experience. I like these types of game. Took me a while to understand how cards and dialogs work, but after that I was immersed into the game. In the end, I got the good ending!

I liked the simplistic low poly art of the game. As well as the music was also very good, I liked it. Overall a fun and relaxing game. A great entry, keep up the great work :)
Cyborg Studio
05. Oct 2020 · 16:15 UTC
Well-executed and atmospheric. I love your take on the theme. Congrats!
Listonos
05. Oct 2020 · 16:20 UTC
I saved the marriage, brutal honesty for the win. Got me thinking about my personality for a little bit which is amazing for an LD game so good job. I think slightly more emotional music would underline the atmosphere more. Animations and graphics were pretty good for a 48 hours.
GettingRekt
05. Oct 2020 · 17:54 UTC
Really solid entry with a great atmosphere and dialogue. I missed an indicator for when a dialogue card wasn't playable. Getting a "a honesty option is not available now" removed some of the immersion from a great game. Good job!
Demetri
05. Oct 2020 · 17:58 UTC
I'm a sucker for narrative games, and the card system paired with the writing is just superb. I love the atmosphere of it.
Warrrkus
05. Oct 2020 · 18:14 UTC
So is that a narrative card game? Very innovative :) Had fun. Good job!
🎤 bereg
05. Oct 2020 · 19:19 UTC
@flopo @peeweek @aterlamia @elizir @wakobu @cyborg-studio @warrrkus Thank you! I appreciate your kind words, as I wasn't sure if a game like this could appeal to someone.
🎤 bereg
05. Oct 2020 · 19:22 UTC
@pkenney Thank you for such quality feedback. Yes, I've tried a couple of options and ended with the fully random hand of cards. It feels more natural as sometimes you just don't have the right words or can't fully control yourself.
🎤 bereg
05. Oct 2020 · 19:24 UTC
@gettingrekt You're right. I should've added the indication of available options, maybe as a slight tint of cards.
🎤 bereg
05. Oct 2020 · 19:27 UTC
@listonos @demetri Thank you! I wasn't sure if this kind of game can appeal to the public. Glad you liked it.
doomerismo
05. Oct 2020 · 20:52 UTC
One of the best games so far. The graphics are very charming and the ideia very original and engaging. Would be nice if using a hug card really made they hug.
Zackavelli
05. Oct 2020 · 21:07 UTC
This fits the theme in such a smart way! Dialogue was great and funny, but also very real feeling. Gives you that uncomfortable feeling when having a difficult discussion.
MikoziQ
05. Oct 2020 · 21:10 UTC
So I ended up with positive ending, even though I am not married yet! I would love to see them hug though! Great and unexpected (in a good way) emotional experience. All pieces well put and executed, especially the animations and the cuteness of the couple. Well done!
Remzo
05. Oct 2020 · 21:37 UTC
Really impressed with this game and overall quality, nice job! It was tight and didn't get too repetitive visually with the spinning wheel and changing camera angles. Wish there were more cards than Manipulative and Comedian though! Solid entry!
MatchaMaze
05. Oct 2020 · 23:36 UTC
I'm impressed how much 3D you have done for a 48H game!
An interesting reflection on life and relationship.
It's nice to see how many topics can be disccussed as a game.
The only thing I would change is that you would loose card, is you use them and there is no dialogue option.
Michael Feldman
06. Oct 2020 · 01:11 UTC
Very interesting use of the medium. It felt like an honest expression and work of art. Plus I enjoyed the card sound effects, and felt like I could relate somewhat... Best of luck with the game dev & life <3
ChickenCastle
06. Oct 2020 · 08:21 UTC
I like that there is a literal and metaphorical aspect to your take on the theme. It took me some time to understand the mechanical aspects of the game like playing cards or selecting dialogue options. Really good submission, i liked it!
Iluvatar
06. Oct 2020 · 10:49 UTC
This was simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I really felt like talking to a real person. The dialogues were well written, the responses were cool and the whole concept of the card and dialogues was just on spot. I loved the little details such as wife kicking her legs just like girls like to do when sitting in the air :). It was really cute, seeing her enjoying the ride.

The dialogues were thoughtful and full of hard decision. Maybe the only one thing I would change would be to have more options, because sometimes I just wanted to say something else but I couldn't and then I felt bad for saying that stuff (like with the kids for example). But overall it was really great experience.
Amin_JK000
06. Oct 2020 · 17:01 UTC
very cool I liked it specially the graphics :v:
blobo
06. Oct 2020 · 18:04 UTC
Oof, a lot of emotions in this one. I **loved** the story, and I felt awful when all my cards were to be manipulative. Great work all around! I loved the animations of the characters, especially the little leg kicking from the wife. Nicely done.
Coding4rtist
06. Oct 2020 · 20:09 UTC
Really nice concept, great low poly graphics. The game is really well written and polished. Good work!
Q-Bert Reynolds
06. Oct 2020 · 20:30 UTC
My wife was very concerned that there were no safety constraints on the Ferris wheel. Thoroughly enjoyed this. First 2 marriages failed, but I finally figured out how to save my marriage.
Hakro
06. Oct 2020 · 20:43 UTC
Cute little game. I liked the idea and the simple graphics.
I got stuck on few occasions though. No enough courage to do anything, and no GameOver. And the dude didn't want to replenish his courage.

Good game overall.
Cheers
🎤 bereg
06. Oct 2020 · 21:54 UTC
@doomerismo @zackavelli @mikoziq @remzo @matchamaze @michael-feldman @chickencastle @amin-jk000 @coding4rtist @hakro Thank you for all your feedback, guys. Much Appreciated.
🎤 bereg
06. Oct 2020 · 22:00 UTC
@iluvatar Agree, more options would be great, time restriction is the one to blame. But also I've tried to convey the idea of the lost control when the conversation went off the rails, and you can't think of anything good. And you end up saying all the asshole words without even thinking. So it's an intentional decision to make the player feel bad.
🎤 bereg
06. Oct 2020 · 22:02 UTC
@blobo Thank you! I glad the game gave you such emotions.
🎤 bereg
06. Oct 2020 · 22:03 UTC
@q-bert-reynolds Yep, someone should be fired for that safety problems. Thank you for your kind words.
melvinng
06. Oct 2020 · 22:09 UTC
Great gameplay and very enjoyable! I loved the blocky visuals ;)
IndieDevDan
06. Oct 2020 · 22:12 UTC
Nice little experience. Clever idea for the theme too! :)
Dodidouda
07. Oct 2020 · 08:08 UTC
Cute experience, I liked the dialogues and the graphics are simple but clean. Good job!
M8rix
07. Oct 2020 · 12:00 UTC
Cute little game. Somehow remembered me of Tomodachi Life and its ferris wheel!
JudgeZedd
07. Oct 2020 · 13:48 UTC
Successfully managed to save my marriage, so I'm going to call that a win. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and throw playing cards at my girlfriend.
TheCreator
07. Oct 2020 · 14:02 UTC
I didn't think I'd find a clicker game that carries such mood![Screenshot_2071.png](///raw/4df/53/z/39718.png)

Enjoyed the dialogue I felt really bad as I only had manipulative cards for all the times I wanted to be honest :cry:

Overall a nice experience and had a great mood to it :)
TheBugger
07. Oct 2020 · 14:02 UTC
Nice game. Loved some of the dialog options
Redunca
07. Oct 2020 · 16:59 UTC
Very nice ideas, conversations with cards is new for me
Jakob Reborn
07. Oct 2020 · 17:51 UTC
I loved the concept, it is super unique. Still, although I liked how you blended genres, I just wanted to keep having this dialogue and those cards somehow felt like a chore. Somehow they didn't make sense in a conversation context. Still I love original games and rated yours high just for the concept itself, despite "not feeling" it.
tarfield
07. Oct 2020 · 17:51 UTC
I really wanted to make it go well, but life doesn't always give you a choice. Cool idea, bunch of work must have gone into this dialogue. :)
SpaceGuy99
07. Oct 2020 · 19:08 UTC
It's a really cool game, I love the dialogue conversation system. I REALLY hope that that gets expanded into a full game because its amazing. I think this game would work better with pixel art graphics, IMO, but its amazing as is. I love it
fermingimpel
07. Oct 2020 · 22:01 UTC
I like the game, but I think it's very dangerous to be on a ferris wheel without a seat belt
udo
07. Oct 2020 · 23:58 UTC
Simple but nice graphics, very atmospheric, well done! I recently played a game on Steam called Subsurface Circular, which this reminded me of. I like dialogue-driven, emotional games :slight_smile:

When I tried playing on the phone, it didn't do anything for my courage, which means either I did it wrong or it's an accurate simulation ;) Not sure telling my wife I don't want kids counts as "running away from my problems as usual" but maybe that's accurate too :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

This game feels complete, not sure what I would change or add. Quite a feat for a Compo game!

PS: thank you for making a Linux executable
Kirbloid
08. Oct 2020 · 00:12 UTC
It's the kind of games that makes you re-evaluate what it means to take on the theme of a game jam like this. Immediately clever, and metaphorical on different levels based on how much you want to read into it, but also touching to just play and has a lot of heart. On a more basic gameplay level using cards for dialogue is a lot of fun, too, but the initial impression it leaves is probably the most impressive I've seen of all the compo, so I really hope this wins.
WilloXs
08. Oct 2020 · 13:14 UTC
If the honest option is "i don't love you anymore" can there even be another ending? It's a really tough game after all...
coderTrevor
08. Oct 2020 · 15:25 UTC
Woah that was surprisingly intense and scary, lol.
I liked your use of multiple camera angles. I think I'll steal that for my next game. :stuck_out_tongue:
Good job!
matthewrobo
09. Oct 2020 · 05:23 UTC
The dialogue system is actually a pretty interesting deckbuilder-kinda thing but I wish it was easier to break my marriage.
DrEvilBrain
09. Oct 2020 · 05:24 UTC
Feel like the card based reaction system could be very compelling if it were fleshed out further.
LelulaGames
10. Oct 2020 · 16:37 UTC
I like the idea of using cards for conversations. Leaves it open for random changes.
Week of the agents
10. Oct 2020 · 19:38 UTC
Yeah, divorce that bitch that not even listening to
SophieMae0
11. Oct 2020 · 01:59 UTC
This is an incredibly clever use of the theme. I really liked the combination of dialogue and deckbuilding. I had a good time playing this game, great job :)
rodobodolfo
13. Oct 2020 · 01:47 UTC
Loved it! Great visuals and great mood. I really liked the deck-building mechanics and the unlockable dialogue options. Good job!
lesinvisible
19. Oct 2020 · 11:37 UTC
I liked this entry, innovative approach you used in conversations and overall feel of the game.
Narom42
20. Oct 2020 · 17:41 UTC
Great entry, I liked the mood and the polygon graphics.
VPhyre
26. Oct 2020 · 19:30 UTC
Wow, it's a very reflective, and creative game. I liked your interpretation of the theme, and the way you turned it into a game. I liked the graphics, although they are simple, they are functional and that is a good thing. Dialogues are very interesting, and the mechanics of cards and courage points are very interesting. Although I was not able to discover all 82 dialogues hahaha. Anyway, it was a very interesting experience. Congratulations.