LudumData

Kardiossomatic by NeitherNathan

[raw]
made by NeitherNathan for Ludum Dare 46 (JAM)

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CAN YOU KEEP IT ALIVE?

Your life in your hands (literally).

Follow your heart's shine and survive dangerous illusions and a strange reality. Find the ones it's calling for, they're waiting for you.

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Pay attention to your heartbeats, they reveal your feelings to the world!

And be aware, the things you'll see will can make your heart race... Or stop completely.

Revista<em>-</em>kardio.png

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • WASD for walking
  • Mouse to look around
  • Esc to pause

GAME EXPLANATION (Kind of a spoiler if you want to have a complete experience): find 4 different rooms by following your hearts glow. keep it alive by stabilizing its heartbeats. there are objects that will affect that. take a look around and enjoy the view ;D

ATTENTION: THE VERSION THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE COMPETITION IS THE ONE LABELED "JAM VERSION", THE VERSIONS MARKED AS "UPDATED" WERE UPLOADED AT 25/04, BUT YOU ALL ARE STILL INVITED TO PLAY IT

Youtube https://neithernathan.itch.io/kardiossomatic
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/kardiossomatic

Ratings

Overall 828th 3.653⭐ 38🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1415th 3.23⭐ 39🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 630th 3.583⭐ 38🧑‍⚖️
Theme 617th 3.944⭐ 38🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 514th 4.108⭐ 39🧑‍⚖️
Humor 1220th 2.833⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Mood 107th 4.208⭐ 38🧑‍⚖️
Given 58🗳️ 45🗨️

Feedback

sayumeki
21. Apr 2020 · 23:12 UTC
Curious about the game given the cover, but it crashes for launch on me on Windows 10. Is this helpful?:
![crash.png](///raw/173/6/z/320cf.png)
🎤 NeitherNathan
22. Apr 2020 · 01:33 UTC
@sayumeki Hey, i don't know what is happening yet, but we're going to do a huge upgrade to our game and then you can play again and see if the game runs ;D (I tag you again when we release it)
Emperor Eagle
25. Apr 2020 · 05:13 UTC
Cool graphics and smooth gameplay! I liked the art from your blog post. It had the creepy feel I'm sure you were going for but I didn't really understand how to play so some instructions would be good. I got a few minutes in collecting those red things and the game definitely commanded my attention! Definitely keep working on this one, it has potential and already is good! P.S. My game is also about keeping a heart alive, feel free to give it a play.
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 05:14 UTC
Hey @sayumeki, the game is available, please mind giving it a try now, and report to me if it still doesn't work !
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 06:04 UTC
hey @emperor-eagle , thanks for the Feedback, i'll play your game right away!
krakadushka
25. Apr 2020 · 06:43 UTC
OMG, awesome game! Cool visual style, measured game design, music-all this creates an amazing atmosphere for your project. I really love this game!
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 06:50 UTC
@krakadushka thanks a lot! we are really glad you liked it!
picross
25. Apr 2020 · 06:56 UTC
Interesting game! I like the art and aesthetic a lot. I found a secret room, I think, but I couldn't beat it. I wish the environment varied a little more so that it was a little more difficult to get lost. Nice work!
Emmitt
25. Apr 2020 · 07:16 UTC
This is one of the best I've seen. Enjoeyd it from start to finish. Took me a couple of attempts to get to the party. I almost felt I was not going to make it.
It is very unsettling and funny at the same time, very nice humour.
The way you have to listen to the heartbeat to make decisions is great, I love the concept.
Retro references are good, too, the visuals and everything. Thank you for great experience.
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 07:24 UTC
@emmitt we are very pleased that you've liked the game and really happy by the fact that you ended the game and finished it <3 .
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 07:25 UTC
@picross Glad to know you liked the aestethic, we worked very hard on it!
And we also liked your feedback, be sure that we'll acknowledge it!
Local Minimum
25. Apr 2020 · 07:38 UTC
@neithernathan I saw that you said on itch that you have updated the game, but please note that only very few types of fixes are allowed after the jam/compo ended and that for this reason it is customary that people upload several versions of the game. So is the version on itch.io now the one eligible for voting on?
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 08:12 UTC
@local-minimum in fact it is not, we ended and uploaded this version today, we want to know what can we do.
Do we disable the voting? Or do we upload the version that we had when the Jam ended? We really don't know what to do in this case :P
Local Minimum
25. Apr 2020 · 08:35 UTC
Upload the version you had when jam ended too and mark it clearly as jam and perhaps also update the description here to make it clear which should be used for voting. Then let me know when you are done so I can try out your game :wink:
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 08:49 UTC
@local-minimum can i let this version on but pointing out clearly that the other one is the one made in the jam?
Local Minimum
25. Apr 2020 · 09:08 UTC
yes just call that one something like post-jam or so
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 09:24 UTC
Made it, i put a big header warning both here and at the itch page @local-minimum
Local Minimum
25. Apr 2020 · 09:36 UTC
I see why you wanted to update on it.

I really like the absurd, dark setting. The beating heart and the gramophone. Great mood.

I also tried out your updated version after voting and if I understood it correctly (I'm not at all sure I did), it's about balancing the heart-breaking records and chess-piece euphoria. Not getting too much of either while exploring the dungeon.
Palvel
25. Apr 2020 · 09:55 UTC
Cool game, interesting atmosphere and good sounds
SplitPainter
25. Apr 2020 · 12:40 UTC
What an awesome atmosphere and production value. Although I had no idea of what was going on and what I was doing, I loved every second of it. The mood, the music, sound effects and of course, the visuals remind of Legacy of Kain from PS1 - as somone that also made a lowres/retro 3D game, I'm a sucker for those types of visuals.

I think with what you made here, you are a contender for top positions, but I can see you almost have no ratings made, so that is damaging the game position.
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 20:07 UTC
@local-minimum Yeah!! You got the idea of the game, i'm relieved that it was something easy to understand!!!
🎤 NeitherNathan
25. Apr 2020 · 20:09 UTC
@splitpainter I'm really happy that you enjoyed the game! It's very nice to see a fellow dev that admires the retro graphics!
And yeah, we are in the process of voting the games yet, we are trying our best to do it!
Arefnue
26. Apr 2020 · 00:24 UTC
Nice visuals. Great work!
Francisco Lucas
26. Apr 2020 · 02:52 UTC
Thanks @arefnue
ROBOWARRIOR1982
26. Apr 2020 · 07:01 UTC
I tested the jam version, first i have a problem with the game used Unreal engine to made retro FPS, that make my laptoppc heat for nothing, there a lot of free light 3D engine to make that (doom,quake,halflife,build etc...). BUT the idea is interesting, you perfectly fit the theme, and i like this stange ambient. The jam version is unfinished, passed the surprise of a song played by a machine, i'll just find a void labyrinth and a painted paper, i'm disapointed but i like the idea. Continue !![XWE.jpg](///raw/bc3/41/z/3346e.jpg)
palsina
26. Apr 2020 · 09:29 UTC
I realy like retro fps asthetics, I want to do one myself one day, and also mixing digitized sprites. I also really liked the idea, I didn't read the instructions so I was confused for a bit, but finding a path balancing your heart rate was interesting. I liked it, I just want more, more to do and more to see, post jam of course.
Brachistosauro
26. Apr 2020 · 12:47 UTC
What an atmosphere. At first I was very confused about what was to be done, but eventually I got it. Balancing the needs of the heart was very tense and finding the "safe" spots always a relief. I also love the art style and the use of music, congratulations!
Airola
26. Apr 2020 · 13:41 UTC
Looks great and has great mood! Tried only the Jam version but will probably later try out the updated version too. I tend to pass some of the games that aren't playable on browser but have to be downloaded but this one looked really interesting so I downloaded it and wasn't disappointed! For a jam game the unfinished version shows tons of potential and I get where you're going at with this game. Had fun trying it out!
joemid
26. Apr 2020 · 13:58 UTC
Personally, I love the learning curve here. It took me a couple rounds to get into it- but the ambience created by your audio and graphics made that intriguing. The look and feel of this game is great, like a Lynchian nightmare produced by Midway Games in the 90's. Was rating high in my opinion, but the PC GAMER and PS1 ephemera took it up to all 5s. ;) Thank you and great work!

![dc.jpg](///raw/684/z/33504.jpg)
Talops
26. Apr 2020 · 14:00 UTC
A total killer in the mood category, and a nice take on the theme! I was sad there was nothing past the gramophone in the jam version, and also had to change my keyboard layout to properly play it (The french AZERTY keyboard version of WASD is ZQSD. A good practice is to bind up/forward to Z and left to Q, making your game compatible with both keyboard layouts!), but I really loved the texture/sprite work especially on the player viewmodel animation feeling gross and uncanny!
Congrats!
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:27 UTC
@robowarrior1982 Sorry for the use of an high processing engine for a game that doesn't need all its potential, the engine that i currently know the most how to use is Unreal :((.
So, the build we had for the actual time of the jam had almos nothing, just some systems working, and that's because we worked the rest of the week in a updated version, give it a try if you want ;D
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:27 UTC
@robowarrior1982 Sorry for the use of an high processing engine for a game that doesn't need all its potential, the engine that i currently know the most how to use is Unreal :((.
So, the build we had for the actual time of the jam had almos nothing, just some systems working, and that's because we worked the rest of the week in a updated version, give it a try if you want ;D
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:28 UTC
@palsina Really glad you liked the game's graphics, i encourage you to make some game with this aesthetics, i think that it is a trend that is starting now, so it's a great time to make games with this style!!!
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:29 UTC
@brachistosauro i'm relieved that you and everyone else understood the main mechanic of the game, one of our fears was that people wouldn't understand how to balance the heart.
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:30 UTC
@airola if you liked the Jam version you will sure love the finished version, give it a try and tell us if you liked it ;D
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:31 UTC
@joemid we are really glad that you gave such a high rating for our game, and me personally, as a big fan of David Lynch, loved that you compared the game to his work, Thank You!
🎤 NeitherNathan
26. Apr 2020 · 19:32 UTC
@talops You can be sure that on my next games i will pay attention to this keyboard mapping tip you gave! Thank you for playing, i'm very happy you liked it!
ultrarat
27. Apr 2020 · 01:46 UTC
Great Atmosphere and clear art direction.
Difficulty seems really hard for a jam game where players probably don't have a lot of time to understand how to play, but I get running out of dev time.
Animaster
28. Apr 2020 · 13:53 UTC
Atmosphere is great, love it. Awesome game, good job.
retrome
01. May 2020 · 17:28 UTC
Interesting premise, good atmosphere, stylish graphics. Game need more events per square meter :)
Eran Haas
02. May 2020 · 00:56 UTC
Absolutely love the art style have seen some good PSX style games this jam, but this just really nails it!
Mika la Grand
02. May 2020 · 16:09 UTC
Pretty interesting idea to say the least, but the end goal wasn't clear to me. Perhaps you can do more with the music players. The player picks up the red chess pieces to increase the heart rate, but needs to make sure that it doesn't get a heart attack. It took quite a few attempt, before I got the hang of the game. Eventually, I reached the part where you get a heart attack and took the route to the left; only to die right in front of the next chess piece. So, perhaps the margin for error can be improved a bit as well.
Dizzy
03. May 2020 · 00:37 UTC
Sensacional pessoal! Parabéns pelo trabalho, fiquei meio perdido no começo, mas depois entendi o conceito e gostei pra caramba!

Parabéns!
Ceuteum
04. May 2020 · 04:50 UTC
One of the best games I've played so far, starting from game page and to the game itself. The atmosphere is awesome. Balancing the heart rate felt intuitive, but I had to test a few times to see the limit after which a heart attack happens. There's some thrill to the gameplay, because you have to navigate the labyrinth quickly, since you don't know where exactly to go and whether there will be something to keep you heart alive; and that felt good. That being said, I got kind of lost after the first room, wandered for a while before I realized that I have no idea where to go. A very good entry.
GreenDinoGames
05. May 2020 · 12:57 UTC
Just impressive! I like the artstyle to resemblye 90's games. It took a few attempts to understand how to stabilzie your heartrate, but then it was pure fun. Good job!
Darylsteak
12. May 2020 · 16:35 UTC
I finally got around to playing this game, and I don't feel like I did it justice. The art style and mood were absolutely great, always felt like there was going to be something right around the next corner, and it cant be helped by the fact that im not very good with horror.

What I also really like is how simple the gameplay is, and yet both how relevant it was to the theme and how well it was implemented. Im not sure how it was on the original jam version, but on the updated version the controls and movement felt solid.

Sadly I never managed to finish the game, getting lost in this deep, creepy labyrinth, but overall I can say it was a fantastic entry, and underated!
Ellian
12. May 2020 · 19:32 UTC
I'm straight up amazed at the look and feel of that game. Eventually gave up, feeling totally lost after finding 3 yellow rooms, maybe wish there was something telling me what I'm doing right or wrong (if anything), but I do appreciate the very little things helping you figure out where you are in this labyrinth. Just smart use of textures, putting a screen down close to the ground or using geometry to have the most subtle hints to help finding your place is really impressive.
The sound is so simple and so anxiogenic - always being like "wait did my heartbeat got faster", leading you to feel more and more stressed out about it... combined with that amazing PS1 rendering, I'm genuinely loving this