Demon Well by blobo

[raw]
made by blobo for Ludum Dare 55 (COMPO)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play an escort mission from the perspective of the idiot constantly dying? You know, the best part is saying the same stupid voice line every time you die.

In Demon Well, you are a demon summoned in a plot to assassinate a necromancer. The hero that summoned you says he'll split the XP points 50/50 with you, but what if there was a way to scam him out of his half too?

Controls (Can be rebound in-game)

  • WASD - move
  • Spacebar - jump
  • Mouse - look around
  • Left mouse button - advance dialogue
  • F - zoom
  • Esc - pause

Additional comments

This is by far the most voice acting I have done in a jam game (and my fifth game in a row to feature acapella music). The last time I had cutscenes of this scale was my LD46 game, Morose, and I'm very glad to say that I was able to add voices, and make even more dialogue while still delivering a full game. Progress!

Screenshots

<em>ScaledScreenshot1.png </em>ScaledScreenshot2.png _ScaledScreenshot3.png

Ahhh! Errors with github, as there's apparently a file larger than 100 Megabytes. Will figure this out in a bit, for now the stuff will be on dropbox.

Please leave a comment if able. All feedback is appreciated.

Ratings

Overall 21th 4.196⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Fun 22th 4.196⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 56th 3.909⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Theme 60th 4.08⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 83th 3.973⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Audio 3th 4.482⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Humor 2th 4.777⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Mood 32th 4.045⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Given 22🗳️ 68🗨️

Feedback

Domenixius
15. Apr 2024 · 09:57 UTC
This was an absolute treat! I had a shit eating grin on my face the whole time! The voice acting, the writing, the EXPLOSION! It was really fun! I love what you did with the art too! Touching the tnt barrels at the beginning felt a little abrupt how you jump into the cutscene maybe there could be a smother transition? The Song was an absolute banger and I need more of it in my life! I think I will have to give voice acting a try in my next Jam, you are an inspiration!
manabreak
15. Apr 2024 · 16:11 UTC
This was like playing a web comic - and I enjoyed it throughout! Couldn't keep myself from smirking through the first few minutes, and the boss fight... Oh man. Absolute legend.
Frogman
15. Apr 2024 · 16:14 UTC
Decided to try properly speedrunning one of your games, with a video and commentary and all. Of course, it just had to be the story-based one with unskippable cutscenes. Oh well, it was still very fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyy5Yj2aLGk

Anyway, I loved the VA & cutscenes here, they were amazing!
LocksmithArmy
15. Apr 2024 · 16:16 UTC
Clever, fun, and jist an all aroind good game. Great work
xazens
15. Apr 2024 · 16:16 UTC
Oops! I exploded! Love the humor in this game!
LDJam user 390834
15. Apr 2024 · 16:16 UTC
WoW! I absolutely love this one! Well made!
stmate03
15. Apr 2024 · 16:20 UTC
first game I tried and this was actually very entertaining in both humor and gameplay, it was a short and fun game overall!
Congeesetador
15. Apr 2024 · 16:50 UTC
This is probably one of the most hilarious jam games I've stumbled across, the sound effects, voice acting, story telling, everything was made flawlessly the entire time of playing I was laughing so hard. You made an excellent game! Keep it up!
Chii
15. Apr 2024 · 17:25 UTC
Games made by 100th-coin have always delivered a good laugh, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint. It serves as a great reminder of why I play games in the first place.
m0zrat
15. Apr 2024 · 19:58 UTC
incredible execution! I didn't feel like there was a ton of "game" underneath it all, but I didn't mind really.
LDJam user 376203
15. Apr 2024 · 20:24 UTC
I love the graphics and also purple color fits it so well!
Was a fun play.
LDJam user 236545
15. Apr 2024 · 22:28 UTC
I loved the voice acting and the humor - you've got an obvious talent for this. Henrick especially was just genuinely solid work.

Of all the humor, the "Look how long this cutscene is - I could have easily prevented this!" had me cracking up the most. And of course, the genre subversion of intentionally trying to die during an escort mission is quite clever.

I tried the dynamite level (the third one?) over and over but couldn't figure out what to do after I had gathered the dynamite. Some more feedback about that would have been nice. I only advanced because I got hit accidentally - I was looking for a way to actually craft the explosive after collecting the ingredients.

But I'm so glad I stuck through to the end because that final level was a thing of beauty. The acapella was wonderful, and using the enemies to solve platforming challenges was a great payoff.

This is another one of the very few games I've given 5 stars across the board. Really good work!
secrt101
16. Apr 2024 · 00:29 UTC
Such a funny little game! Love the dialogue and 2D art
LDJam user 372150
16. Apr 2024 · 05:32 UTC
This was a lot of fun! The voice lines and everything was just hilarious! I tried to speedrun it a little bit, but got hung up on cutscenes slowing down my flow. But all round awesome!
Sobigdrasil
16. Apr 2024 · 09:02 UTC
That was just an awesome experience of killing yourself.
I love the sound you make - it's just gold! Was laughing pretty much all the time xD
6Knowledge
16. Apr 2024 · 09:38 UTC
My first experience with this developer's game and it was most certainly positive. Will probably check out other releases.
minjutin
16. Apr 2024 · 09:38 UTC
Use of audio is pure 10/10, humor is also top-notch, hard to fine a funnier game than this. I love how it feels like just random brain farts tied together
CaptainDreamcast
16. Apr 2024 · 12:56 UTC
Hilarious, easily one of the funniest Ludum Dare games I have ever played. I made a video of me playing it too for that extra dev feedback: https://youtu.be/4SF4fdUIdxQ

In addition to what I say in the video, I would also like to highlight the creative designs, I really like the characters you made for this game. Art, Audio, Writing, everything was not only top-notch but also felt like it fit together really well to elevate each other. Really a great game.
Rolly
16. Apr 2024 · 15:13 UTC
Once again, epic! Every time I play one of your games, I'm amazed by the level of polish! You make it look like creating a game in 48h is sooo easy, I'll need you to teach me your secrets someday :D

Really loved the visuals, audio and humor. And all that with a take on the theme that is not so common. Great job!
LDJam user 259831
16. Apr 2024 · 15:25 UTC
Great game, loved the dialogue and voice acting! Somehow the usage of 2d sprites and rotating them to always face the player instead of full 3d objects made me like the game even more. Animations are great and the cutscenes are even better. Overall I'd say it's a fantastic entry!
Mathstr0fficial
16. Apr 2024 · 22:32 UTC
This is gonna be another long one so here we go!

The negatives:
- I wish the art had been a little more polished. I realize that obviously this is a pretty big game and a lot needed to get done, but even just some flat color would have really added to it for me. Especially considering how good most of your art looks!
- The dynamite level wasn't super engaging to me, since it just boiled down to running around the whole map quickly enough. The boosts from the enemies were nice, but it still dragged a bit, imo. Also would have helped if the dynamite was a different color to be able to more easily see it amid the large map.
- Honestly I just felt the area was a little too large in general. I don't think any level really utilized the space, and it made a few levels go on a little longer than they needed to.
- In the final level, now that it was actually about platforming, a shadow on the player character would have been nice. Those first steps in the back section are pretty narrow and I spent a bit just not lining myself up properly, especially given the 2D nature of the characters.

The positives:
- This game is overwhelmingly funny, even for one of your projects. You really outdid yourself, and the voice acting really just added to it. Great stuff.
- The background and environment was really nice, and really sold the magical world you were going for.
- Music was great as usual, and the acapella track I think is one of your best. I would have no idea you rushed it in so late if you hadn't said so.
- The final level is really intuitive, even with the limited instructions you gave. The writing in the overworld was both a great guide for the player as well as a way to sell the inherent goofiness of the boss, and it worked really well. Despite it being relatively short, it did a great job at combining all of the prior mechanics in an interesting way.

All in all this was another great entry! The jump to 3D in your last few entries has been very cool, and you just keep upping the bar.
kuro
17. Apr 2024 · 00:07 UTC
Muh bruh... wut... I need this game to win overall, just so more people experience it.

I never laughed so hard at a LD entry.

Great job man 5* for humor, audio and overall.

Also I never imagined there'd be a span of 10 minutes in my life that all I'd be saying would be "Fucking Henrik" over and over again. (I didn't understand how to play the explosive-chasing part until it was over.)
T C
17. Apr 2024 · 04:07 UTC
As always, excellent game. Humor and audio are top notch. Game has that 100th-coin charm.
aeveis
17. Apr 2024 · 06:16 UTC
Very funny! The setups for each situation tied into the story well and I liked that the final scene tied some of those mechanics together. I also really liked the freeze frame right after something exploded. I did have a hard time with the collection part, but that was before i realized the monsters would give me a boost. For the platforming, there was an interesting issue of characters and flat and billboarding which made it a bit hard for timing, but there was some coyote time that helped a bit I think. I was getting a lot of West Of Loathing vibes, but with voice acting. Great job!
jvolonte
17. Apr 2024 · 12:23 UTC
The voice acting and humor are spot-on, making everything feel perfectly natural. It's a great compo entry!
The dorky demon is a real treat, and the attention to detail, like the stars. I actually felt bad for poor Henrik :joy:

Awesome job, always a pleasure to play your entries!
Togis
17. Apr 2024 · 18:05 UTC
Oups!
I exploded.
Pseudonclide
17. Apr 2024 · 19:18 UTC
That's the BEST GAME EVER! the humour, the explosions, the constant betrayal, the choir...the..the.. THE CHOIRE! ..I..I ran out of words. 5/5
Merijn Schaap
17. Apr 2024 · 19:29 UTC
Love the way you incorporated a necessary speed boost. An amazing experience that can best be described as fun!
tomi-vahamaki
17. Apr 2024 · 20:09 UTC
I loved the humour and the art style. The gameplay was pretty fun and I especially liked the movement mechanics in the last level. Great job!
BadPiggy
18. Apr 2024 · 15:13 UTC
SMT demon simulator

Genuinely one of the funniest game jam games I've played. Amazing work on that

Apart from that, I'm not exactly sure how to critique this since it seems like that was your main aim with it lol

Admittedly the section where you have to collect dynamite was really annoying up until I realised that I had to bounce into them. I thought I should avoid them until the end. ( Though I'm probably just pig-headed so you can ignore this tbh )

Also the platforming at the end could've been a little more responsive

But again, this game focussed on it's humour above all else and everything was admittedly very hilarious. Let it be the dialogue, or even the animations themselves. Wonderful presentation across the board

So yeah, A fantastic entry all things considered
Belle
18. Apr 2024 · 21:53 UTC
I treasure this hilarious game! I had so much fun playing it, what a wild ride.

What a one man army to make a game of this caliber in such a short time. The graphics work well, contrast between the colourful environment with the cutout paper characters just looks fun and add to the comedy wonderfully, great voiceacting and writing. I also can't stress enough how the pacing is perfect.

I'll remember my journey from my first suicide to levelling up fondly. :smile:
caeonosphere
19. Apr 2024 · 08:10 UTC
Alright, I'm gonna try to compliment stuff no one has complimented you on:
* I really like that moving-circles gradient around the summoning circle
* Those are some nice looking trees
* I like the unique low perspective, haven't felt that short since Katamari Damacy

Well done!
Risminator
19. Apr 2024 · 16:39 UTC
Suuuuch a hillarious game hahaha! Also sound design and music are spectacular here. This game is played one breath, the pacing is that great. And interesting how all of the surroundings complement each other and look natural within different styls. Great job!
MateusBoga
19. Apr 2024 · 19:18 UTC
Funny as hell game once again, and you really upped the ante with the voiceacting! Thanks for submitting to the stream, here's the VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2124124913

PS: I just realized, was this your idea for You Don't Play As The Main Character?
AtzederSerbe
20. Apr 2024 · 22:51 UTC
I love this paper mario art style <3
Ategon
21. Apr 2024 · 12:23 UTC
Really well made game. Theres a lot of polish everywhere that goes a long way into making it feel like a complete game. Played through it on a stream and have the vod below if you want to look at me going through the game (theres a chapter for it - the 7th chapter)

https://youtu.be/c9SO3tlrBa0

And I'm the host for the ludum dare score chasers tournament this Ludum Dare. Wanted to ask if youre fine if I put some gameplay of the game in an intermission video. Last year for reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM_eIvjBmIQ
🎤 blobo
21. Apr 2024 · 15:19 UTC
@ategon Wow, thanks for the vod! I'd be happy to have some of my gameplay shown in the intermission video!
Jimbly
24. Apr 2024 · 02:20 UTC
Success, in 5:37. My only gripe is occasionally when someone was talking and the text was being revealed too slowly I instinctively pressed _space_ and instead of the text appearing quickly it skipped to the next line without me having a chance to read the rest of it :(. Really nicely done, and I _love_ the audio, especially the boss fight music.
José Bonilla
25. Apr 2024 · 03:39 UTC
Nice game as always. I've enjoyed other games from you a bit more, but funny and inventive as always. Great job!
xand
25. Apr 2024 · 04:07 UTC
This game was an absolute treat! The comedy in this game is my cup of tea through and through. I couldn't not enjoy this even as I struggled with my incapability of playing video games. The voice acting was great, the acapella music was fantastic. I did have some slight issues with the platforming on the final level, but with a couple extra playthroughs I think I've gotten the hang of it.

I recorded my first playthrough with commentary. https://youtu.be/Aon5ltKDKLA

A true gem, this one is.
JUSTCAMH
27. Apr 2024 · 14:49 UTC
Amazing game, wow! I played this on stream, and whilst I really enjoyed the voice acting, I’ve since realised I didn’t have it loud enough that viewers could hear all your funny voice delivery, a real shame! Definitely the most funny game I’ve played this jam, and outside of a few slightly confusing points, this game was perfect! Here’s the vod so you can see what happened: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2130698362
Tomssuli
27. Apr 2024 · 17:04 UTC
The voice acting all through the game was great, and this time you even gave the main (side) character a voice!

Also, I see what you did there with famous theme (you are not the main character) making a cameo.

While this game didn't make much of advancing clever game mechanics, it had humour to make up for it. 3D background graphics looked good and artsy and hilariously clashed with character graphics. I especially liked the demons with cute dresses and great singing voices in the last act.

I struggled some time with the jump right after the demon up the stairs and wasn't sure if I did something wrong, but after wandering around I went back trying it and finally got it right.

All in all polished game with nicely built comical mood where the mimimalistic music support the cartoony/playstation1-style graphics.

Good job, got some laughs out of me :grin:
LDJam user 277851
28. Apr 2024 · 14:40 UTC
![i.png](///raw/b5d/34/z/64db2.png)

It's a really wild, humorous game.

I notice that your art has improved a lot. Impressive!
Jeremy Ryan
29. Apr 2024 · 04:52 UTC
# Oops! I exploded!

Finally made it to playing yours after dodging it on at least one stream to avoid spoilers... and it was worth the wait!

As always, the characters, writing, and humor shine through. I'm always impressed by your ability to create games that are extremely different from each other while still being instantly recognizable as a Chris Siebert game.

Highlights for me:
- The first ~30 seconds of the game that set up the premise, the characters, and the delightful exchange of "Oops, I exploded!"//"Yeah... can we talk about that?"
- The freeze frame on every single exploded
- The design of the necromancer
- The a capella boss fight music

Also a relatively small detail, but I really liked the objective recap at the beginning of each level. Especially since you're being told to do one thing by the characters in-game and another thing by the game, it helps that it's laid out very clearly and there's never confusion about what your goal is. (I also like that the dialog box has demon horns)

The gameplay itself is pretty barebones, and sometimes led to some feels-bad moments where you narrowly lose because Henrick is too fast. But it does its job well enough since it's primarily there in service of the story and premise, and it switches up frequently enough to not get stale.

The player's focus on the graphics side is often on the characters and props, which are intentionally in a very simple black-and-white hand-drawn style, but I found myself looking at the environment a lot because it was so well done! I particularly liked the look of the trees and the grass.

Great work, and good luck in the rest of play and rate!

I drew a doodle of the demon:

![guest_8.gif](///raw/aba/3/z/64df6.gif)
kanity
02. May 2024 · 17:57 UTC
Hehe, that was funny! xD

Henrick is pretty good at his job, I have to say. He is really trying his best (unlike me)

I think it's a pretty cool take, and the game feels unique! Some of the visuals seem retro and I like it.

Voice over is fantastic!! And such a nice thing to add to make the game feel more alive +_+
Starlight Glimmer is best poney
03. May 2024 · 18:07 UTC
![Screenshot_20240503_193921.png](///raw/f90/1/z/64f6e.png)

You've really outdone yourself with voice acting this time, wow. I don't really have much to say; congrats on another #1 in humor and probably audio as well. I wish the game was longer, but the intensity and non-repetitiveness made up for it. I also think this is, so far, your best take on 3D; white sprites paired with a dark purple world look surprisingly good.
Simon Rahnasto
03. May 2024 · 22:30 UTC
I saved this game for last, it would not be fair to the rest of the compo entries if I played this early on. I knew you would set the bar so high, as you always do. And even though you are competing mostly against yourself since I compare your game to your previous entries, I keep getting blown away.

My favorite parts of the game were:

* Story, this rivals "The bountiful" in both in terms of humour and story telling.
* Theme, completly unique entry. This time the theme kind of produced a lot of same'ish games, this is not one of them.
* Package, How how how is this so complete? Like @belle said, you are truly a one man army.

Obviously it took 0.1 seconds to rate your game, if this isn't 5/5, then nothing is. Heck I would be giving you 5s even if it was a jam game! The fact that you have _not_ won an LD so far is nothing short of a robbery. I am rooting for LD55 being your turn!
Trexxak
05. May 2024 · 05:13 UTC
Way late to the party, but a party it still was!
https://youtu.be/L98bTuW4wDE