LudumData

can u talk? by The Big Lost

[raw]
made by The Big Lost for Ludum Dare 59 (JAM)

Important! A game-breaking bug was fixed after submission. Please play the bugfix/web version.

can u talk? is a short 2D platformer where you must navigate the environment to keep a phone call from dropping while providing emotional support to the person on the line.

Move between transmitters to stay connected; if you move out of range for too long, the call drops and the game ends.

Can you find a steady signal and finish the call like the friend you want to be?

Screenshots

screenshot1.png

screenshot2.png

Playthrough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz66guHSHYo

Controls

| Input | Action| | - | - | | Arrow keys | Move | | Space bar/up arrow key | Jump |

(Also R key respawns, ESC quits and Alt + Enter toggles fullscreen)

How to play

Complete the level without your "call health" (the bar at the bottom of the screen) hitting zero. It recharges when you are in the line-of-sight and range of a transmitter, but slowly depletes when you're not.

Transmitters emit signals which are represented by lines: Green is clear, red is blocked. Opaque means the signal is strong, translucent means it’s weak.

Thank you for playing!

Development

No AI was used in any part of the development of this submission 🙅

Full project with source code is avaiable for download (canutalk-source.zip).

Tools used

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Audacity
  • FL Studio
  • Godot
  • Piskel
  • SFXR

Assets used

All assets created by me, with the following exceptions: * New York City night ambience by SpliceSound (CC0) * PICO-8 FONT * Old sample CDs

Please play the canutalk-[platform]-bugfix.zip or web version below

Link https://thebiglost.itch.io/can-u-talk
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/can-u-talk

Ratings

Overall 399th 3.6⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Fun 359th 3.471⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 379th 3.457⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Theme 69th 4.343⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 228th 4.129⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Audio 191th 3.838⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Humor 185th 3.5⭐ 18🧑‍⚖️
Mood 252th 3.929⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Given 31🗳️ 51🗨️

Feedback

Vadoha5
Apr 21st · 15:02 UTC
Great addictive game
Enriranjan
Apr 21st · 15:06 UTC
Gameplay veri addictive and fun, congratulations!
Tineks
Apr 21st · 15:09 UTC
Why do you decide to move controls to arrows
DZO
Apr 21st · 15:11 UTC
good game! i loved the art and how the theme was used, i kinda got stuck at some parts (skill issue), still enjoyed it!
cRoxx
Apr 21st · 15:13 UTC
cool concept, love that the signal theme is baked right into the mechanic. but i think there might be a framerate bug, my call health drops to zero in like 3 seconds and i couldnt make it past the first section. might be tied to high fps? couldnt really test the game because of that. the art and vibe look great from what i saw tho, hope you can figure it out!
Julester
Apr 21st · 15:14 UTC
I like the concept but the game didnt let me get past the first section. Not sure if im missing something. 😅
antbrl
Apr 21st · 16:01 UTC
Quick but lovely game! I like the atmosphere and the controls feel snappy. Sometimes it felt like a puzzle game, trying to find the best path to the next checkpoint just in time.

At first I couldn't go through the first corridor because the bar was depleting too fast. After locking my screen at 60fps it was playable (be careful to use delta when tweening in your process function, don't assume the framerate will always be 60fps!)

Other than that, the Linux build works fine.

Good job overall!
🎤 The Big Lost
Apr 21st · 16:13 UTC
@croxx @julester @antbrl
Thank you for making me aware of the issue! It was indeed framerate related 🤦‍♂️ I've uploaded a new `canutalk-[platform]-bugfix.zip` version which I hope fixes the issue
braktheman
Apr 22nd · 16:17 UTC
Conceptually this is one of my favorite games I've played so far this jam. The puzzle mechanic to the platforming is on theme and satisfying.

The vibes are fantastic. Music and color palette sets the mood very well and the quick story bits felt like they added to the experience. Love that the talking on the phone did not interrupt gameplay or get distracting.

I did find myself getting some slight frustration around the level design when needing to wait for the moving platform after the second(?) checkpoint whenever I respawned, but for a solo jam game I think this is an entry you should be really proud of.

Excellent work! Keep making things like this!
HagamosVideojuegos
Apr 23rd · 10:35 UTC
I really loved your game! It’s a simple idea, but it fits the theme very well. Some of the jumps feel a bit tight in certain parts—right at the beginning, I already found it quite challenging to get past the first platforms.

Aside from small details—which are totally understandable given the limited time in a game jam—the overall result is outstanding!
zhangzhimu
Apr 23rd · 15:15 UTC
The opening music is very jazz-like,immediately transporting the listener into the atmosphere.However,it would be even better if the performance were more powerful
vydra
Apr 23rd · 20:37 UTC
I don't understand what should i do after i reached end on the platform!

But game looks nice and very cozy. One thing is beat me off - hardness.
CaptAndrey
Apr 23rd · 21:01 UTC
Funny concept! accidently discovered the double-jump ability, if you press it very fast - I was able to cheat my way in the ending =). Good level design, but jump felt a little off
🎤 The Big Lost
Apr 23rd · 21:34 UTC
@captandrey 🤫 It's a bug from the "coyote time" I tried to implement. Noticed it too but sadly didn't have time to fix it.
🎤 The Big Lost
Apr 23rd · 23:40 UTC
@braktheman Thank you! I totally see what you mean about the moving platforms. I would've liked them to reset when you die, but the way I had built it it wasn't a quick fix and then I just ran out of time 😅

@hagamosvideojuegos @vydra Thank you! I agree the game is difficult in kind of a frustrating way. I wish I had prioritized fine tuning the platforming more. I didn't and as a result, jumping feels stiff and unforgiving.
thomaspixelart
Apr 24th · 03:55 UTC
I looooved this aesthetic. Also loved the pixel text showing on top of the player, such a vibe. Amazing game, congrats from a friendly pixel artist!!
Daliamha
Apr 24th · 04:02 UTC
I really enjoy this game. I love this pixil art style)
zakchaos
Apr 24th · 06:10 UTC
Pixel art was incredible! really clever interpretation of theme, and enjoable platform engine, well done!
Quanthon
Apr 24th · 17:11 UTC
Great level design!
hoarime
Apr 24th · 19:47 UTC
tHH3 gaMeplay felt Good andResponsive aNd i likeD the Visual Styl3 0f the gaem but WHO w4S cAlling mE 1 Th1 nkthis Is tH3 Moths From My waLls th3y C4nt Stop call1Ng MY phoNE I hoPe they wilL Gnaw The Telephone lines someD4y and Run out of connection with a progress bar from this G4me
ACartlidge
Apr 24th · 23:15 UTC
Cool game! You did a great job introducing a unique mechanic and making it fit with the story and platformer gameplay, it didn't feel like just a bunch of random things bolted together. And art plus ambiance is really great! Nicely done!
conduit.games
Apr 26th · 03:49 UTC
Loved the concept, the presentation (especially the music). Really sets the mood.

I really had difficulty playing this with the arrow keys. I wish I would have been able to play with wasd. Also, volume settings would also be a positive here. I basically couldn't complete the first room - the jumping and movement with arrow keys was just too awkward for me. My apologies. Cheers on a beautiful looking and sounding game!
🎤 The Big Lost
Apr 26th · 08:19 UTC
@tineks @conduit-games About the key bindings: Sorry about this, I feel dumb 🤦 Arrow keys is what feels natural to me, but it would've been super simple to add WASD bindings as well. It didn't even cross my mind.

@conduit-games About the volume: Thank you, noted. Just out of curiosity, was the volume too quiet or too loud?
conduit.games
Apr 26th · 12:15 UTC
Too loud - I was able to counter with modifying the volume of the tab.
Grimslinger
Apr 28th · 09:37 UTC
Nice visuals! Cool idea. I feel you lose signal too quickly, some of the platforms are too slow, and the stretch between each checkpoint can be pretty tricky. Jumping feels a bit too unresponsive and imprecise.
🎤 The Big Lost
Apr 28th · 11:13 UTC
@grimslinger Thank you for playing my game! Yes, the game is difficult in a kind of a frustrating way. In retrospect, I wish I had focused more on fine-tuning the gameplay and difficulty. Definitely a lesson for next time!
Grizwhirl
Apr 28th · 16:27 UTC
Very challenging, but very cohesive entry. Art, Story and Gameplay blended really well
galareteg
Apr 28th · 19:15 UTC
A bit frustrating at times, but a nicely executed platformer with an interesting mechanic. I did find a bug where you can double jump, if you jump twice quickly, but what's a gamejam without bugs? :p Overall a pretty fun experience!
jelch
Apr 30th · 03:46 UTC
Everything very good. Except camera should be flipped so it looks ahead in the direction you are running, rather than lagging behind you. Great use of theme in gameplay mechanics!
Helgust
Apr 30th · 06:56 UTC
Very good game! I really like the music and the art style—it’s wild. I also like the way you handle the theme through the narrative of staying on the line.
Le Don
May 01st · 10:16 UTC
Good game! I really like the art style. As someone else mentioned, it might be better if the checkpoints were after the moving plattforms or if the plattform position would also reset, as it can get a bit tiresome having to wait for them.
aniretti
May 02nd · 16:01 UTC
WOOOW! a real hidden gem! the music, atmosphere, graphics, gameplay — everything is just amazing! i really like the idea of ​​the game itself, it's very original and well-made. the atmosphere reminded me a bit of Hotline Miami. in some cases it's a little counter-intuitive that the signal is lost, but overall the gameplay itself is interesting and well-made! surprisingly, i even managed to get to the end, even though im not very good at platformers.

i wonder what they said on the other side of the line?
fourApril
May 04th · 15:01 UTC
Really cool art, good music, and a wonderful idea. But the fucking difficulty just destroyed me. Because I'm an old nerd who doesn't know how to play games. But it's a really cool game.
BorodaOlen
May 04th · 19:59 UTC
Great atmosphere, great music, everything looks nice, and the theme is well explored.
Purrseus
May 05th · 18:38 UTC
Great choice of music and great atmosphere in general! I love the ultra stressful gameplay, that's great use of the theme!

The platforming was pretty unforgiving at times. For example, in the room with the moving transmitter and the lift I didn't make the jump the first time and it took foreeever for them to synchronize again in a way where I could make it.

The core is really solid and the graphics are really nice too!
Jvdwijk
May 05th · 20:40 UTC
Nicely polished game! THe music was very fitting for the game.

I'd recommend resetting the platforms when the player respawns, having to wait each time you fall or lose signal is a bit of a punishment
partialmoon
May 08th · 21:25 UTC
very cool atmosphere! I like the concept and I think the execution was really good. as another commenter said, I also think that resetting the platforms when the player respawns would be a good idea. at one point I wasn't sure if the platforms were going to return :)

the movement was fluid, and the music and sounds also fit the game very well. congrats!