ECHOMAZE by LDJam user 424326

[raw]
made by LDJam user 424326 for Ludum Dare 59 (JAM)

So you are the Robot. Grab that box and bring it to the Outside. You are the last hope of humankind.

How to play?

  • Use WASD to move.
  • Left Mouse Button — shoot your lidar.
  • Right Mouse Button — interact with objects.

Your goal is to escape the maze using your special vision. Movement and shooting consume energy. Recharge by collecting batteries scattered around the map (use RMB).

Ratings

Overall 535th 3.429⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Fun 680th 2.929⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 392th 3.434⭐ 85🧑‍⚖️
Theme 515th 3.566⭐ 85🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 438th 3.732⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Audio 390th 3.366⭐ 84🧑‍⚖️
Humor 370th 2.885⭐ 76🧑‍⚖️
Mood 500th 3.5⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Given 128🗳️ 215🗨️

Feedback

kristinamay
Apr 20th · 15:47 UTC
So is the goal to navigate a maze in the dark? I was confused about all the options available to me, I didn't realize I could click the box until I was almost out of power, lol, and I wasn't totally sure what it did. and I started wandering before I saw that I had a map available, sooooo, I guess I'm the kind of person for whom they make tutorials :D This game has a really good vibe, though, and I like the music and pixel art!
IndigoWolf
Apr 20th · 16:27 UTC
This is a great concept, although I did find myself ultimately just relying on the minimap rather than using the core mechanic. I really liked the echo shader (assuming it is a shader)
criatura_nocturna
Apr 20th · 16:37 UTC
i guess it's one of those weird compatibility web port oddities, but on firefox the background tiles had a sort of antialiasing "filtering", that kind of detracted from the beauty of it. so I tried chrome instead and had no issues.

absolutely loved the vibe!
penagwin
Apr 21st · 05:13 UTC
I love the potential here but its currently rather difficult to navigate
LDJam user 427212
Apr 21st · 05:16 UTC
I really like it but it's too difficult for me to beat it! The concept and art are great.
Julia Nistel
Apr 21st · 05:17 UTC
Cool game! I loved the art and music. It was hard to tell what was going on in the dark, but that's probably the point.
OldDog
Apr 21st · 07:09 UTC
A highly creative and unique title. The visuals are truly refreshing. Although the difficulty curve is a bit steep, the game has immense potential
James_7777
Apr 21st · 07:47 UTC
I really like the vibe and the little animations were a nice touch! I ended up just using the minimap to navigate which like IndigoWolf said felt a little like it detracted from the main mechanic. The time limit also felt a little bit strict. Overall though really nice work!
🎤 LDJam user 424326
Apr 21st · 08:14 UTC
@james-7777
Thanks for your feedback!
The game has a limit not on time, but on the “energy” that is consumed by movement and shots
I think this will be a small lesson for us in the future on how to present clearer visuals
nyxkn
Apr 21st · 08:54 UTC
Hey loved this game! Visuals are great, and I really liked the gameplay of navigating relying on the minimap! I managed to finish it just like that without any need for the laser beam, which used up a scary amount of energy anyway. At first I didn't understand the battery was the lifebar so that could have been made more clear at the start. Drawings were also super cool! Maybe overall the game wasn't very fitting of the theme though.
PastMoments
Apr 21st · 11:11 UTC
The illustrations definitely elevated the experience. The mechanic is a great interpretation of the theme, and being able to scan your surroundings is really cool. The balancing is a little hard, especially since shooting the laser takes your HP points, and it can be hard to see the boxes that you can pick up sometimes. Regardless, this is a great submission, very cool!
juyr
Apr 21st · 13:47 UTC
Great game! Story and visuals (especially the contrast between before and after falling down the stairs) were especially good.
Eugenik
Apr 21st · 16:00 UTC
The whole concept of being the last hope of humankind adds such a fantastic layer of drama to the maze navigation. The contrast between the dark setting and the way the light reacts to movement really built a strong sense of tension. It was a super atmospheric play session!
MajoMirez
Apr 21st · 16:02 UTC
I loved the idea! I like how the visuals after the stairs are confusing (as probably intended), my only problem is that the echo is expensive, so I relied more on the minimap than the echo to navigate
Dywanix
Apr 21st · 17:08 UTC
interesting concept!
Maocaroni
Apr 21st · 18:00 UTC
I like the game mechanics, I find it interesting, I also like the colors
Crygos
Apr 21st · 23:03 UTC
The artwork in-between is really awesome and it is an interesting take on the theme. The sound of the laser thingy is also very nice. I think the sight is a bit too limited. It was very hard to tell where you were (I guess that was also the point of the game ^^). Nice entry!
LDJam user 423872
Apr 22nd · 01:42 UTC
Very cool idea and super implementation. The story art is simply amazing!
Hiretsu
Apr 22nd · 05:17 UTC
Loved the idea and concept, especially the intro changing the vision of the robot, very clever! But I do feel there are too many things going against the player and not much helping them, so it ends up being a bit frustrating and hard. But overall I still really enjoyed it!
LDJam user 426288
Apr 22nd · 06:57 UTC
The combination of pixel art and CG is really interesting, and the storyline flows smoothly. It's also fun when you encounter special items that change the visual effects 🎮😊
digital bacon
Apr 22nd · 12:09 UTC
Cool little game. Great concept, and I love the scanner effect.

Excellent work -- well done!
Strainer
Apr 22nd · 16:26 UTC
kind of a nothing burger just wandering around a dark maze with the trial and error aspect
Stormdrill
Apr 22nd · 20:13 UTC
Great vibes! The music and art style are perfectly in sync. It was surprisingly tough for me, but I enjoyed it!
BigDippers
Apr 22nd · 23:06 UTC
Wish it was a bit more forgiving but overall super solid. Well done!
BruceZoom
Apr 23rd · 00:30 UTC
Cleared it in the first run! Nice work!

With the map, it is still toooo simple. One way I can imagine to extend the game is to let the player draw the map with few runs and add salvagable upgrades like increased battery, extended signal time.
Oleksandr Marynenko
Apr 23rd · 00:39 UTC
Visually, the game looks really cool - I like it. The idea of navigating a maze in the dark is also interesting, but what confused me was that I kept getting stuck in the same spot for a long time. It turned out to be a battery. In my experience, the game is quite challenging but still enjoyable. Good job, and good luck in the future!
🎤 LDJam user 424326
Apr 23rd · 07:00 UTC
@brucezoom A nice idea with drawing the map.
Thanks for playing!
Jo Bettaque
Apr 23rd · 09:08 UTC
I really like the concept and the echo effect looks great, i also really like the switch from light on- light off in the beginning, really a nice intro, especially with the drawn pictures too.
FLOWERFIELD Games
Apr 23rd · 09:52 UTC
Nice blind maze concept! I like the simple mechanics, and the graphics are good, the color indicatior around the character is a great design idea. For me, what’s missing is a growing sense of time pressure. I think the sound should become more and more dramatic to build emotional tension throughout the journey.

Anyway, great job!
Faust_Mi
Apr 23rd · 10:34 UTC
Cool narrative introduction and art. I felt a warmth toward the robot, which continues to follow its goal even after taking damage. Good handling of the theme, nice visuals. Got a bit lost at times, but in the end I managed to do everything!

Thanks for the experience!
VerttiXPertti
Apr 23rd · 10:43 UTC
I found the power to be kinda useless and it takin away from my energy made me not use it at all. I was just looking at the minimap and trying my best to move in the maze. Not that fun, but the story screens were very good. I think the colorful look of the light in the darkness was also nice.
Roitchie
Apr 23rd · 10:47 UTC
Love the artwork and a great introduction to this. Felt so bad after seeing the dead scientist. The blind maze is a really interesting take on the theme. The fuzzy limited vision reminds me a bit of Scanner Sombre. I did also get stuck at first on the battery but once I figured out it was a battery then the mechanics made a lot more sense. Wasn't too difficult to navigate the maze after that. Well done!
god1385
Apr 23rd · 12:03 UTC
The potential for this game is phenomenal, audio and art are outstanding bro. The idea behind this is large and it can be made into real game, think about it
dvan1337
Apr 23rd · 12:14 UTC
Interesting concept, unsettling atmosphere but the energy is pouring out too quickly even without using signals. Good game nonetheless!
Woooo
Apr 23rd · 14:57 UTC
Good idea with an impressive artistic style. (It's a bit difficult for me, I've always been nervous while playing.)
3blackpixels
Apr 23rd · 15:37 UTC
The cutscene art is greate. But there wasn't enough time, I couldn't get through.
Egrassah
Apr 23rd · 16:20 UTC
Nice idea, the art looks nice, but yep the game is a bit difficult because of the limited time... And the music is a bit repetitive ! Anyway, i hope to see some balance and rework on this game !
franklyn01
Apr 23rd · 19:04 UTC
Really great art and cutscenes! The lidar effect also looks very cool! Good job!
Doridie
Apr 23rd · 19:20 UTC
I didn’t save the Earth… but it was fun trying! I did need a while to understand the controls and mechanics though, at first I was just wandering around in the dark. Once I realized I could shoot light by clicking, it got really cool.
IRKAR
Apr 23rd · 20:16 UTC
Cool art and beautiful cutscenes. Good job!
🎤 LDJam user 424326
Apr 24th · 00:42 UTC
@3blackpixel @egrassah

Thanks for the feedback!

There are batteries scattered around the map that restore your energy. The progress bar shows your current energy, which is consumed by shooting and movement.
frozenfire92
Apr 24th · 02:40 UTC
I really liked this one. The concept of the scrambled signal from the robots perspective was cool. The laser took too much battery, I just wanted to fire it constantly :joy: Keep on making games!

![image.png](///raw/6f9/1/z/7288c.png)
JoeGreen
Apr 24th · 10:14 UTC
Sweeet. Super fun to play, and the style is absolutely fire!
Nadan
Apr 24th · 17:46 UTC
Very pretty visuals! I wish I could fire the LiDAR more without being worried about my battery life. Maybe the LiDAR could show nearest battery packs, so it is not that punishing to fire it? In the end, I just walked through the maze blindly, just trying to navigate myself via the map.
Great cutscenes, nice music!
gKthegkpchannel
Apr 26th · 00:01 UTC
i saved earth and markiplier was there too.
TheSmellofOxygen
Apr 26th · 03:39 UTC
Very funny and short. I liked the idea of the lidar pings, but I felt that I got too infrequent uses of them and often just used the minimap. The variety of visual styles was pretty delightful. The illustration were good and the "blind" VFX effect was phenomenal with the lidar.
alexey_bobrovskiy
Apr 26th · 08:04 UTC
Great game, the map was really helpful, it was pretty easy with it, but without it it would have been really tough. Good job.
zhangzhimu
Apr 26th · 08:39 UTC
I really like the idea and story of this game. The introduction is also very detailed. I think the part about the robots is very interesting.
Hahaha. I'm really looking forward to the teachers' future works.
The1
Apr 26th · 09:36 UTC
Love the graphics! A little bit hard, but fun. It fits the theme very well. Good job!
VenomousMouse
Apr 26th · 11:14 UTC
Very nice game. Brought me the memories about a robot form a movie Short Circuit (1986).
PanDuplan
Apr 26th · 14:45 UTC
cool little maze thing, scanner effect is really nice, kinda makes you feel smart until you get lost again 😄 vibes are great tho, retro music + visuals fit well. Plot drawings are top notch bro
LLlarsO
Apr 27th · 14:48 UTC
That is an interesting entry. :)
At my first playthrough I had no idea that my battery is drained due to my scanner "shooting".
I think having more visual feedback would be great, for example if I use the light/laser then the battery in the top right will flash or pump, so the player knows that it is effected.

Nice touch, that you cannot leave without the box. The little picture showing at the stairs is a nice visual feedback.

I really like the art of the story pictures. The gameplay was fun and the audio fitting. I think there is a lot of potential to expand on the game mechanic. Congrats for finishing your project! :)
6Knowledge
Apr 28th · 17:16 UTC
Very well done graphics on the robot. The scanned area imo could've been a bit larger and the boxes(?) had some weird physics to them as some of them felt like air and others felt like they were constantly stuck on something. Didn't get all the way to the end but well done regardless.
Mekuire
Apr 28th · 18:14 UTC
One of the most unique games at the jam. Thanks to the map, the game isn't too difficult. Great visuals and sound design. Great job!
daupoh
Apr 28th · 20:56 UTC
In the first few tries, I just died, then pushed forward into immobile interactive objects.
Maybe I was a bit unfocused, so I didn’t notice any interactive icons that would help.
Anyway, it’s an interesting way to approach the jam theme. I think you should give the player a little time to get used to the gameplay, and only then introduce crisis management with energy— that would work better, I think.
Purrseus
Apr 30th · 10:54 UTC
It is very difficult because it is so easy to run out of battery charge and it's quite difficult to find new juice. So I had to give up after a few tries too many.

I really like the idea and the cutscene art is absolutely stunning! The music, while simple, also works quite well!
kanity
Apr 30th · 15:54 UTC
The art is gorgeous. This little robot is adorable. I felt bad when it hurt itself falling off the stairs, poor thing :( I wish I could help it reach its goal but my sense of direction is atrocious to begin with, so... The mechanic does fit the theme very well, but I still feel lost and run out of battery. It seems our current position also is not being shown on mini map? At least I didn't see that. It would really really help. Oh, the sound the robot makes when scanning the area is also adorable. Just the difficulty of "finding my way" is inaccessible to me unfortunately :')
Ausstein
May 02nd · 14:28 UTC
![Screenshot 2026-05-02 162610.png](///raw/7a3/22/z/7306a.png)

I like the art and mood. Especialy the vfx.

once I realized there was a map it was quite easy. And there was not much more to it than following the map. I feel with some more work the other mechanics (collecting batteries, lighting up the way) could turn this into something much more engaging.
For the limited time, it is a very nice entry!
NuclMe
May 03rd · 09:47 UTC
Really cool idea!
At first, I was a bit confused by the concept and failed to save the Earth several times right after heading outside. However, once I realized I could actually run around and explore, everything clicked! I eventually managed to almost save the planet.

It’s a very unique mechanic once you get the hang of it. Great job!
skiddings
May 03rd · 16:50 UTC
The battery level depletes very quickly and the visibility mechanic is a little limiting. Sorry I couldn't finish it. Nice are and illistrations though!
Scottyartt
May 04th · 13:54 UTC
Not my type of games honestlyt, but comics at the start are looking nice!
AO-85
May 04th · 21:01 UTC
The illustrations definitely elevated the experience. The mechanic is a great interpretation of the theme, and being able to scan your surroundings is really cool. The balancing is a little hard, especially since shooting the laser takes your HP points, and it can be hard to see the boxes that you can pick up sometimes. Regardless, this is a great submission, very cool!
Norah
May 05th · 09:42 UTC
The game was a bit difficult, I had trouble finding my way around in the dark and locating batteries, but I really liked the little cutscenes at the beginning! :smile:
Rewzu
May 06th · 23:47 UTC
The art and atmosphere are amazing! I like the limited visibility (and how it is explained) but it is a bit too limited I think. It would be nice to have a little more time at least. Overall, it is a great entry! Good job! :D