Lost Signal by williambsm

[raw]
made by williambsm for Ludum Dare 59 (JAM)

---TIPS AND TRICKS!----

We've seen a lot of comments about the grapple being difficult to get comfortable with. I don't disagree, you could say some thing were a bit rushed XD But if anyone is struggling to get the hang of things, maybe these tips will help

  • keep right click held down basically the whole time (don't release it between swings)
  • left click when and where you want to grapple to something
  • If not grappling straight above you, try jumping first so you have some height to swing
  • when attached to something, always continue to hold right click. To release:
    • either left click and hold to pull yourself up (using W/Up seems to only mess people up)
    • or use space bar to jump off the rope
    • all while keeping right click held down, so you are able to aim and grapple immediately again.
    • if your not quite swinging at the right length to make your jump reel in/out with mouse wheel (or W/S)

I hope this helps anyone else trying the game out :D Thanks for all the positive comments! <3


Your goal is to find the hidden signal on the mountain. Hold Shift to use your radio and check if a signal is within range. Your radio has limited battery, don't let it run out! No signal? Try exploring other areas of the mountain. Weak signal? You're getting warmer, keep exploring and checking your radio. Listen carefully, follow the sound of your radio to the exact signal.

---Controls---

-Movement-

WASD - Move

Space - Jump

S + Space - Drop through platforms

Shift - Hold to use radio

-Grappling Hook-

Right Click - Hold to aim (release to cancel)

Left Click - Fire grapple while aiming

Mouse Wheel - Reel in / out when attached

Left Click / W - Hold to pull yourself up

A / D - Swing left and right

Space - Jump off / detach

Ratings

Overall 722th 3.083⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Fun 548th 3.208⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 754th 2.708⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Theme 436th 3.729⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 720th 2.854⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Audio 348th 3.479⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Humor 453th 2.682⭐ 24🧑‍⚖️
Mood 601th 3.326⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Given 19🗳️ 23🗨️

Feedback

JHax
Apr 21st · 13:41 UTC
I like how the slippy snowy surfaces, windy zones and grapple points create a nice bit of variety while exploring the mountain! Enjoyed some of the fun music signals I found as well!
AJ Atkinson
Apr 21st · 16:23 UTC
@JHax Thanks for the review! I'm glad you noticed the wind and terrain surfaces!
Our biggest regret with the final product was not having enough time to put together a larger level that really showcased some of the features and mechanics we included.
Emaigualmc2_art
Apr 21st · 16:54 UTC
Great work for a game jam! The idea is really fun, I think a larger and more visible UI would make gameplay easier. Just a few polishing details, great game! xD
Ansible
Apr 21st · 17:22 UTC
Nice I jumped around a bit and found the sound the first time I pulled out the radio lucky me XD
It took a little getting used to the grapple for me, a little punishing having to keep hold of mb right and re press up. But it was fun getting up the climbing wall pieces!
Sylvic
Apr 22nd · 00:28 UTC
Like someone already said before, a bigger UI would be better, especially on the web build. The concept is fun and well implemented, it's just missing some polish on the level design to make progression smoother, and some tutorialization in-game would go a long way. Great job though!
bonedaddy
Apr 22nd · 00:42 UTC
After playing so many jam games in such a short period of time, it's nice to come across a grappling platformer. One thing, I'm not sure the right click is necessary, it might be better to just have the left click to do the grapple?
Evelyn_Rudaleva
Apr 22nd · 00:48 UTC
Good try for a jam, i like the sound effects but didn't understand the point of the game.
Cometores
Apr 22nd · 00:49 UTC
I liked that the level loops. It takes some getting used to the controls, but once you do, it plays pretty well.
JustinMullin
Apr 22nd · 00:49 UTC
Cool! I'm a sucker for a grappling hook, so I was excited to play this. It was fun to swing around, and there were some good platforming segments. I would have liked to see a bit more momentum and speed with the grappling hook - it seemed like in most cases swinging was not productive, and instead I was meant to pull myself up with LMB. Not a problem per se, but I like swinging!

Finding a signal with the radio was a bit tough - I felt I did more random exploring rather than following the signal, but once you find a bit of an indication it worked pretty slick.

Nice submission.
Theogen
Apr 22nd · 00:54 UTC
Really cool platformer! Impressive how many platforming mechanics you managed to implement in just 72 hours. The grappling hook took a bit getting used to, but was fun to play with it once I figured it out! I managed to find the signal pretty quickly on my first run :slight_smile:

![Untitled.png](///raw/b34/43/z/72301.png)
Aster24
Apr 22nd · 01:09 UTC
Excellent sound design and music! Some good vibes with that soundtrack.
IRKAR
Apr 23rd · 06:57 UTC
Very fun to play and i like sounds and music also grappling hook mechanic cool. But grappling hook not much friendly use, it would be cool if zone grappling hook always be visible and point hook set position place you want hook and press two buttons to hook is uncomfortable) Good job! ![Screenshot_20260423_094739.png](///raw/25b/76/z/726b1.png)
BjoernM
Apr 23rd · 14:24 UTC
Fun little game, controls are a bit wonky but totally playable. 👍
marudziik
Apr 23rd · 21:27 UTC
I really liked the idea, though for me there was something off about the grappling hook mechanics. One is the swinging mechanic, which I didn't find that much use for, and two was the fact that I have to hold up to use the grappling hook to jump to the platform above. This wasn't very intuitive for me and the momentum could be a little bigger - but then, maybe I'm still using it wrong. :sweat_smile: I managed to finally get somewhat adjusted, but I feel it kinda worked against me anyway.

Other than that, I liked everything else. The audio design for the radio mechanic was really great. Congrats on your entry!
metalim
Apr 24th · 21:31 UTC
daaaam. Nice style and music, but grappling hook control via 2 simultaneous buttons is absurd. It's overengineered, can't play it
LDJam user 428140
Apr 25th · 04:08 UTC
I love the grapple mechanic and the theme but the sounds were a bit jarring for me and the controls could be better ![Screenshot 2026-04-25 000242.png](///raw/c68/86/z/72a68.png)
JerryWest
Apr 25th · 10:26 UTC
"Seeking the signal at the top of the mountain" provides players with a very good motivation to "climb upwards", which is very suitable for the goals of a platformer game. This idea is great. However, the operation is not very flexible, the cost of mistakes is too high, the tolerance for errors is too small, and it is relatively difficult to keep playing.
Jhonny111
Apr 29th · 12:35 UTC
The grappling takes some getting used to, but its quite fun.
Elian Geser
May 01st · 19:05 UTC
Fun little game. The movement is a little clucky but i think u already know that. Cool idea tho :)