Pulse-8 by Jacky San
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in-game | intro
Presentation
The signal must flow. The message must be heard.
You have discovered a dormant artifact—a relic from an unknown, long-lost civilization. To unlock its secrets, you must realign its internal conduits and transmit a pulse of pure energy through its 24 sectors. Each sector decoded reveals a piece of a cryptic message left behind for those who follow.
Will you be the one to bridge the gap between stars?
The Challenge
- 24 Levels of Logic: Navigate through increasingly complex grids.
- Energy Management: From Level 6 onwards, your signal fragments are limited. Don't let them waste away.
- Crystal Tuning: Later stages require you to charge your signal using ancient crystals before it can be received.
- The Perfect Rank: Only the most precise decoders can achieve a Perfect Completion (0 fragments lost) on every level. Can you get all the stars?
Controls
Keyboard - Arrows: Move cursor - X: Rotate mirrors (Counter-clockwise) - C: Restart level
Gamepad - Tested with a x360 one - D-Pad or analog stick to move - A button to rotate - B button to restart current level
Credits
- Coding & Arts(GFX&AUDIO): KILIK (aka Jacky San)
Tools
- PICO-8
| itch.io | https://jackysan.itch.io/pulse-8 |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/pulse-8 |
Ratings
| Overall | 124th | 4⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 100th | 3.922⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 306th | 3.563⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 234th | 4.063⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 237th | 4.109⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 271th | 3.656⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 246th | 3.933⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 28🗳️ | 44🗨️ |
Congratulations!

@yorsh Yeah, I see exactly what you mean! One of my friends (who is also making a game for this LD) told me the same thing: some puzzle addicts might be thrown off by the twist. I was thinking about having two modes—Classic Puzzle and Action Puzzle—but time caught up with me! 😂
@julienlussiez I totally agree! I really love the limitations of this fantasy console. 😍
@xotraz Yes, it’s a bit jarring, almost like a totally different game! Did you find it too hard to get "Perfect" scores on the levels?
@euler-moises A fellow PICO-8 fan! ✌️ Thanks so much. I saw your screenshot—looks like you have 23 more "Perfect" ranks to go! Good luck! 😄
@toshiy :two_hearts:
@pocketdog Thanks for the heads-up on the audio! Balancing sounds is always tricky in 48h, I’ll definitely turn down that main pin in a future update! 🔈📉
@el-chivo-vivo & @flowerfield-games "Mental sharpness meets reflexes"—you nailed it! Glad you enjoyed the mix of genres. 🧠⚡
@maxededo I totally get that. Having a "planning phase" before the signal starts would be a great addition to lower the stress a bit! 😅
@tykki19 Go for it! PICO-8 is a wonderful tool, you're going to love the limitations. 👾
@python-b5 Huge congrats on completing the whole game with "Perfect" scores! 🏆 That’s impressive. You're right about the difficulty plateau; I should have explored that "double-mirror" mechanic more. Thanks for the deep dive into the gameplay, that's super helpful for my next project!
It did get a bit difficult once the infinite signals ended haha :)
I wish there was maybe a break before starting a new level because often the signal is already colliding with stuff before I have even realized where the spawner is. Overall not a big issue though. Well done overall.

My playthrough: https://youtu.be/KbEdyJz0aCY
A very solid submission
That being said, this game could use simple tweaks to add more challenge. No, not less signal pulses.
I'm blown away by this new wave of feedback! Seeing a video playthrough and end-screen screenshots is the best reward for a jam developer. Thank you all! :pray: :sparkles:
@Prismapunch Mouse support is an interesting idea! It’s true it doesn't really fit the "retro-controller" scope of PICO-8, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind if I ever do a remake or a sequel in an engine like Godot! :mouse: :rocket:
@PaulMag Actually, there's no custom JS magic! The fullscreen button is a native feature of the PICO-8 web export. I just followed the official export tutorials—it's super handy! :computer:
@Bloodbane I hear your point on the limited signals! It seems to be a "love it or hate it" mechanic. Some players enjoy the shift into "action-puzzle" territory, while others prefer the pure logic of the infinite mode. It's all about taste, but it's great food for thought for future balancing! :scales:
@DrSmey @ZedGame @yopox The "pre-level pause" is definitely the #1 fix for the post-jam version. I'll make sure to give you those 3 seconds to breathe!
@Mikan Watching your video was awesome! 75% Perfect is a serious achievement, you've got some skills! :trophy:
@nullval Congrats on reaching the end! That's a lot of pulses decoded. :alien:
Thanks again for the support, I'm heading over to discover your games now!
Loved everything about this! Simple but fun idea, tight controls, good challenge. The levels get quite difficult towards the end, especially on the few occasions where mirrors had to serve more than one purpose.
Did manage to beat all levels. No perfect rank though 😅
First attempt is always a test run. The real strategy is to trace the path backwards from the end to the source, memorize it, then reproduce it by rotating the pipes.
!> That's where the sneaky pipes that need to be reused really get you :grin: