LudumData

Human in the middle by Colisan

[raw]
made by Colisan for Ludum Dare 59 (COMPO)

.- .-.. .. . -. / .. -. / - .... . / -- .. -.. -.. .-.. .

2026-04-20_01-12-48.gif

You play as an alien spying on some very important secret communication! The humans are not easily fooled, take care to answer as quickly as possible to avoid suspicion...

Receive message and write Morse Code in this half-pedagogical-simulation half-arcade game. Start slow, adjust speed as you want, and climb the leaderboard once you're remembering a few letters!

2026-04-20_01-02-01.gif

Instructions

.. -. ... - .-. ..- -.-. - .. --- -. ...

You receive message on the paper note, send them forward

Don't wait too long, or you'll appear suspicious!

Use the Morse Keyer to write letters one by one

Holding Left Click sends dots (red indicator)

Holding Right Click sends dashes (yellow indicator)

Use the Speed Slider to adjust the Keyer's speed to your preference

edrt<em>2026-04-20</em>01-09-40.gif

Wait 3 dots to move onto the next letter (green indicator)

Wait 7 dots to send a space (blue indicator)

Wait a bit longer to finish your message (pink indicator)

If you fail a message, or take too long: you lose a life, but you start with 5!

Your score is the amount of message correctly sent

Good luck, have fun!

2026-04-20_01-08-02.gif

About this game

.- -... --- ..- - / - .... .. ... / --. .- -- .

Inconspicuously humanly made in 48h, solo & from scratch.

59th Ludum Dare, compo, theme: Signal.

Tools used: Clickteam Fusion 2.5+, LibreSprite, BFXR, Tenacity, ShareX, Shotcut...

Thanks to Shizu, Nasths, AlfEar, 0verlix, Under_NDA_, aXelis__, and all the other usual viewers on Twitch!

Thanks to you for playing =) - @Colisan

trailer_small.gif

CFT2.5 (.mfa) https://colisan.itch.io/human-in-the-middle
Windows (.exe) https://colisan.itch.io/human-in-the-middle
Twitch VOD https://www.twitch.tv/collections/elg2piloqRga4g
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/human-in-the-middle

Ratings

Overall 91th 3.667⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Fun 153th 3.286⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 99th 3.575⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Theme 20th 4.375⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 5th 4.571⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Humor 44th 3.525⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Mood 67th 3.8⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Given 8🗳️ 24🗨️

Feedback

Last Angle
Apr 20th · 19:00 UTC
Really cool idea, and amazing graphics! For some reason both mouse buttons would only send dots, so I couldn't really play it past the first message.
richjbaron
Apr 20th · 19:32 UTC
Your art is absolutely tremendous! I'm so envious of people with this skill. Nice work
🎤 Colisan
Apr 20th · 20:07 UTC
@last-angle
## .\.\.\. -\-\- .-.. -.. / - ..\.. . / -.-. .-.. .. -.-. -.- / ..-. -\-\- .-. / -.. .- ..\. ..\.. . ..\. / .- -. -.. / - ..\.. .- -. -.- ..\. / ..-. -\-\- .-. / - .-. -.-\- .. -. -\-.
FrowsyFrog
Apr 20th · 21:37 UTC
Really fun! The pixel art stands out a lot and works great with the sounds used. The only tricky part for me was coordinating what to press within the given time. I’d like the timing window to be a bit longer. Overall, everything was great!
🎤 Colisan
Apr 20th · 21:43 UTC
@frowsyfrog
## -\- ..- -.-. ..\.. .- .\.. / -\-. .-. .- -.-. .. .- .\..
Overlix
Apr 21st · 11:54 UTC
The graphics are very beautiful as usual, and the gameplay is original and satisfying with its touch of challenge that makes you want to try hard a little.
JuanRod707
Apr 22nd · 05:11 UTC
super hard but very satisfying and polished as hell, congrats!
🎤 Colisan
Apr 22nd · 15:01 UTC
@overlix @juanrod707 @richjbaron
## - ..\.. .- -. -.- ..\. / .- / .-.. -\-\- -
richjbaron
Apr 22nd · 16:23 UTC
@colisan —- ..- .-. / .-- . .-.. -.-. --- -- .
Julester
Apr 24th · 14:56 UTC
Very nice aesthetic, I love the Cursor in the main menu. It's a bit hard to know when you start the next letter making it really punishing / very hard.It would be nice if it started of a bit easier. Still very nice game,
good job !
Accelerate0814
Apr 24th · 15:07 UTC
I really love your concept and the visuals! It’s quite a challenge, but so much fun to play!
LDJam user 409682
Apr 24th · 15:23 UTC
I really liked the visual style. The tentacle is very well done, and everything is presented in a cool way. But it felt a bit difficult for me — I think I figured it out, but I was still making mistakes.
Quanthon
Apr 24th · 17:00 UTC
I love your concept and graphics!
TechnicalityCreations
Apr 24th · 17:11 UTC
I loved the graphics, the tentacle especially, but I wish there was a way to skip the intro. Got a high score of 5. Great game
Eric Nguyen
Apr 24th · 18:03 UTC
I always wanted to learn morse code, this honestly seems like a great way to learn. Really like the graphics as well. Good job!
Xeltide
Apr 24th · 20:43 UTC
Little funky getting used to the controls/timing, but enjoyed it after the fact! Great job :)
🎤 Colisan
Apr 24th · 20:57 UTC
@julester @xeltide @fassenberg

## .-\- . .-.. .-.. / -.. -\-\- -. . / ..-. .. -\-. ..\.. - .. -. -\-. / - ..\.. . / -\- -\-\- .-. .\.. . / .\.. - .- -. -.. .- .-. -.. / - .. -\- .. -. -\-. .\.. / .- .-. . / - -\-\- ..- -\-. ..\.. / .. -. -.. . . -..

@accelerate0814 @quanthon @technicalitycreations @eric-nguyen

## - ..\.. .- -. -.- .\.. / ..-. -\-\- .-. / .-\-. .-.. .- -.-\- .. -. -\-. / .-.. -\-\- .\..- . .-.. -.-\- / ..\.. ..- -\- .- -. .\..
TechnicalityCreations
Apr 24th · 21:11 UTC
@colisan **-. --- / .--. .-. --- -... .-.. . -- .-.-.- / .. / .... .- -.. / ..-. ..- -.**
Longfall
Apr 24th · 21:59 UTC
Really good visuals and nice take on the theme ! I could hardly get to a score of 6, at some point the suspicious bar was too stressful so I messed up all the letters and I couldn't git gud haha
CodeRaurus
Apr 25th · 10:19 UTC
Couldn't quite get the hang of it but managed to send a message! Liked the theme and aesthetics. Well done!
svalski
Apr 25th · 11:56 UTC
../.---/----/.--..--.-/..-.---.-./-........./--..---.
svalski
Apr 25th · 11:58 UTC
.---------/.---------
Wendel Scardua
Apr 25th · 21:48 UTC
```
-... . ... - / -- . ... ... .- --. . / .-- .- ... / .-..-. ..-. -.-. -.- / .--- -.- .-. .-..-.
```

```
.- - / ..-. .. .-. ... - / .. / .-- .- ... / ..-. .. -. -.. .. -. --. / - .... . / -.-. --- -. - .-. --- .-.. ... /
-.-. --- -. ..-. ..- ... .. -. --. / -... ..- - / -... -.-- / - .... . / . -. -.. / --- ..-. / .. - / .. /
.-- .- ... / --. . - - .. -. --. / ..- ... . -.. / - --- / - .... . -- .-.-.- / .. / -... . - / .. /
-.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / -- . -- --- .-. .. --.. . / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . /
-.. . ..-. .. -. .. - . .-.. -.-- / .. ..-. / .. / .--. .-.. .- -.-- . -.. / .. - / -- --- .-. . / -... ..- - /
.- .-.. .- ... --..-- / .. / --. --- - - .- / .--. .-.. .- -.-- / .- -. -.. / .-. .- - . / -- --- .-. . /
--. .- -- . ... --..-- / -- .- -.-- -... . / .. .----. .-.. .-.. / -.-. --- -- . / -... .- -.-. -.- /
.-.. .- - . .-. .-.-.-
```
LDJam user 336560
Apr 25th · 22:21 UTC
![Screenshot 2026-04-26 011359.png](///raw/0b2/25/z/72b9b.png)

Having to hold the buttons instead of clicking made it surprisingly difficult! I wish receiving the message didn't take such a long time. Also I wish the suspicion would rise faster in the late game because right now there's not much reason to use max speed other than just less waiting time. Otherwise pretty epic game! :D
ruddiculous
Apr 26th · 00:51 UTC
This ended up really coming down to just morse code deciphering and input (though you really had me worried the cheat sheet was going to be taken away lol). I think the concept of receiving and transmitting messages with morse code is a wide road and would have liked to see how you narrow that mechanic down a bit more. Maybe there is a way to abstract the morse code element a bit so that you could end up hiding the cheat sheet but still get the sensation of morse code? A little more to the mechanism would invite a more unique challenge and use the translation as just one part or the framework of the game rather than being the whole thing. That being said, everything is well constructed and operates really well! The visuals are strong and I love that tentacle arm, all the little quirks to how it clicks buttons and taps morse are soo good.
ColeSlaughter
Apr 26th · 04:04 UTC
[Thanks for submitting your game to stream!](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2756861534?t=02h42m52s)

Despite being embarrassingly bad at this, I'm proud to be in the top 10 :sunglasses:
conduit.games
Apr 26th · 04:19 UTC
I'm not even trying to beat Mark or Ategondev...

I too am bad at this and I went in without reading the instructions and couldn't figure out how to dash instead of dot. Once I figured that out, smooth sailing. Well done, I'm bad, don't take my instructions away from me. Fantastic visuals on this one too. With a leaderboard even!
blobo
Apr 26th · 17:25 UTC
Brilliant. Once upon a time, a friend and I learned morse code as a bit, but that was ten years ago, and as it turns out- unlike riding a bicycle, you can absolutely forget the entirety of morse code. That being said, this game can unironically be a tool to learn morse code, making this the winner of the **Greatest Edutainment Game of LD59** award!

![Edutainment.png](///raw/b02/2/z/72c47.png)

There were times where I attempted to match the cadence of the message coming through, and the next character wouldn't start in time, causing me to continue adding to the current character. (perhaps I was a frame or two early...) I think this game could benefit from some sort hand holding, where if the current letter has all of the inputs complete, the player is sending the correct signal ('.' or '-') for the first pip of the following letter, and there's less than 0.2 seconds until the next letter should begin, then just allow the player to start the next letter instead of ruining the current message. I get that this style of hand holding makes the game a bit less "hardcore", but it would go a long way in terms of user experience.

I recorded my playthrough to provide maximum feedback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dwoKu5N5xw
🎤 Colisan
Apr 26th · 19:45 UTC
@100th-coin
## -.-\- -\-_- ..- .-. / .-. . .\..- .. . .-\- / ..\.. -\-\- -. -\-\- .-. / -\- . / ..\.. ..- -\-. . / - ..\.. .- -. -.- ...

@markais @wendel-scardua
## - .-. ..- .-.. -.-\- / .. -\- .-\-. .-. . .\.. .\.. .. .\..- . / .\.. -.-. -\-\- .-. . .\.. / .-.. -\-\- .\..- . / -.-\- -\-\- ..- / -\- .- -.. -\- . -.

@coleslaughter
## -\- .- -. -.-\- / - ..\.. .- -. -.- .\.. / ..-. -\-\- .-. / .-\-. .-.. .- -.-\- .. -. --.

@coderaurus @longfall @svalski @ruddiculous @conduit-games
## -\- .- -. -.-\- / - ..\.. .- -. -.- .\.. / ..-. -\-\- .-. / .-\-. .-.. .- -.-\- .. -. -\-.
zimny11
May 06th · 19:13 UTC
The art style is great! Super impressive entry. Event that it is "just" morse code it was still quite satisfying to do all the dots and dashes :D Also wow I'm bad at this.