Obey the Signal? by RetenQ

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

Hello everyone, and no matter what, thank you for clicking on this page—my respect to you!

This version is still quite rough and mainly showcases the core ideas and mechanics. If I have time, I’ll improve it as soon as possible.

I wanted to submit a version early so I wouldn’t end up rushing everything at the last minute later.

This is a 2D platforming puzzle game. In it, the player must follow (or figure out how not to follow) the signal from below in order to reach the goal.

Controls:

  • A / D to move
  • Space or W to jump
  • Ctrl to dash
  • Holding jump allows you to jump higher

I’ve always worked in collaboration before, mainly on programming, so this is my first time participating in a Compo as a solo developer. I aimed to create a puzzle game centered around gameplay and mechanics, with simple controls and systems. However, due to time constraints, I don’t feel I was able to design particularly strong puzzles this time.

In any case, I hope you enjoy playing it!

You can download it.ch as well.

Hey, I have to admit something. I feel that this project is quite rough in terms of both completion and art quality (especially the art part—I’m basically a complete beginner, and this is my first time using Aseprite). But I still hope you enjoy it! And thank you so much for playing.

If time allows, I will update this into a more complete version, including an HTML build of the game.

My Story

Hey, if you’re interested, you can also hear a bit about my story.

It’s actually been a long time since I last joined a game jam—my previous one was LD49. Back then, I had just started my undergraduate studies, and quite a lot has happened since.

Game jams marked both the beginning and, in a sense, the end of my game development journey during my undergraduate years. After LD49, I didn’t participate in any more jams for various reasons. I still joined competitions with others and was lucky enough to win some placements in game company-hosted events. But over time, I started to feel that game development wasn’t as fun as it used to be (maybe you’ve heard of the “overjustification effect”?). Still, I wouldn’t say I quit—I just gradually changed how I saw things.

At first, I planned to go straight into the game industry after graduating. Even though I never completely stopped making games, the more competitions I joined, the more I felt that “turning game development into a career was slowly draining my love for it.” So I ran away from that idea. I wanted to keep game dev as a hobby, something I do in my spare time—that felt like the only way to preserve my passion.

So later on (which is now), I went on to do a master’s degree, thinking I could still make games in my free time. But the reality is that I’ve been too busy (still am, lol), or more honestly, I kept convincing myself that “I’m too busy.” The result is that I haven’t really developed any games in the past two years since graduating from undergrad.

My undergraduate final project was a game development project—that was actually the last game I made before LD59.

Recently, I told myself I couldn’t keep going like this. So I decided to start again. I hope joining LDGJ this time can rekindle my passion for game development—or at least warm me up again. Even though I think this project is just okay, I feel like I’ve started making games again. I feel that spark again—and that’s what game jams are for, right?

But no one can deny time. Some of the friends I used to make games with are still in the industry. Some are working on AI-related projects in game companies. Some, like me, went on to pursue completely different graduate studies. And some have left game development entirely. From LD49 to LD59, the world has also changed—we have to acknowledge how AIGC is reshaping everything around us.

Anyway, I don’t want to overthink things anymore. I make games—starting again, and continuing on.

If you’d like to get in touch with me, you can check out my website (I’m currently rebuilding it, lol)

Ratings

Given 28🗳️ 1🗨️

Feedback

SteveOfStevesGames
Apr 20th · 13:26 UTC
Way too short but fun.
Keep the graphics how they are, I love the quick drawn basic look.
xotraz
Apr 21st · 01:42 UTC
I did not understand what the red cross was, and how to do this move, but nonetheless it was a nice take on platformers.
Euler Moises
Apr 27th · 11:34 UTC
Hello!

I'd like to congratulate you on the game. Even though it's simple, it has great potential.

Just the courage to make a game on your own is something admirable. Even more so in such a short time.

I clearly understand the type of game you envisioned and I can imagine something much bigger. You'll succeed! Keep going strong.

Parabéns! (congratulations in brazilian-portuguese)

![Sem título.png](///raw/23f/f1/z/72cd2.png)
suzysu
May 08th · 10:30 UTC
Nice concept! I like the idea of following—or trying not to follow—the signal from below. Even though it’s still rough, the core mechanic is clear and has potential for interesting puzzles. Congrats on joining Compo solo, and I hope you keep developing it further!
13pilgrims
May 08th · 12:06 UTC
The gameplay is short, but the mechanic is pretty interesting. It asks you to follow given signals and reach the goal within a set number of steps. It's a promising mechanic with a lot of potential — keep it up!
JamesGames1000
May 08th · 13:01 UTC
Saw that it only had 5 ratings but 27 rated games so I hope you guys hit the 20 ratings mark! :)
LDJam user 428640
May 08th · 13:14 UTC
A work with great potential, the mechanics are very interesting, and the design around the theme is well done. Overall, well done!
BrahGold
May 08th · 13:29 UTC
I really liked the idea of the central mechanics. I could really see the potential there. A solid execution to start with as well!
galareteg
May 08th · 15:40 UTC
Pretty fun short game. I like the idea and the mechanics are showcased well. It definitively requires some polish, but it's cool for a game jam!
LDJam user 424953
May 08th · 20:09 UTC
Short but fun game, nice take on the platformer, but may need some polish.
ouhiiiii
May 08th · 20:35 UTC
Mechanics are good. It will be better if there are more levels.
LDJam user 261037
May 08th · 20:44 UTC
Cool. I played it a couple times. I wish you luck in further development. A small note that the message at the end of most of the levels says "Congratulation" instead of "Congratulations."