MISSION 404 by KALABHERS
We've picked up signals from the survivors. They're still breathing — we can pull them back from the other side. Fortunately, we have a dummy: mindless, obedient, ready to get his hands bloody with just a nod from you. Only your orders. But make sure you don't mix up the ampoules. One mistake — and they'll turn into a detonator. A mutant will be born that will explode so violently that all that's left of us will be a wet spot.!

If you have performance issues or tick lag, download the Windows version of the game.
Let's be real - we kind of fumbled the browser build. Rhythm input gets... quirky there. The game is technically playable, but the Windows version is how it's meant to be experienced. Oops. We recommend downloading it.
code: Nikita Fliegen
art: Dima KALABHERS
soundtrack: Damian Stern

| Link | https://fliegen.itch.io/mission-404 |
| Link | https://fliegen.itch.io/mission-404 |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/mission-404 |
Ratings
| Overall | 186th | 3.905⭐ | 44🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 241th | 3.667⭐ | 44🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 94th | 3.95⭐ | 42🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 212th | 4.085⭐ | 43🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 56th | 4.5⭐ | 42🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 86th | 4.1⭐ | 42🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 149th | 4.103⭐ | 41🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 19🗳️ | 24🗨️ |
The rhythm-based input is a cool idea. I found the timing window a bit tight for me personally. Maybe make it slightly more forgiving in the beginning? That said, the concept is solid and I can tell it'd feel super satisfying once it clicks.
Great atmosphere, clever mechanics, and tons of personality. Awesome work!
I wasn't sure but there might be a bug with the audio syncing?
Either way, awesome entry!
Very nice atmosphere and use of theme!
The timing was super hard and frustrating though...
Still, very decent entry!
ps
played again, sometimes it works, sometimes not. lack of feedback on bad inputs for me.
also liked the ending, I thought it was fun and slightly unexpected twist

@toshiy @muzzlove @rezonanc @mc-shopot @dywanix @yugimuto — thank you for the kind and positive feedback! It really energizes and motivates us.
@criatura-nocturna @slowline @tykki19 — as the person behind the visuals, it's especially nice to hear such warm words about the style and atmosphere. This is exactly why I draw)
@trav @jpat @fredrik-andersson @myokka @fkjaha @tetracold @winbion @penagwin @bobanko — huge thanks for the honest feedback. We really did notice the input response issues in the web version too late. We've already widened the input window a bit, so it feels more responsive now. That said, the best experience is still the Windows build if you download and play it, those issues aren't there. Honest feedback like yours is incredibly valuable.
@bigfatgua @geeni @ii-p — thank you for the feedback. This is our first attempt at a rhythm game, and we couldn't quite nail a smoother flow of actions without breaking the rhythm. Something to learn from.
@tkap1 — thank you! With just three days for the jam, we only managed to get the core in, a lot stayed out of scope. Glad you liked the visuals though)
Even though I hate the rhythm of the game, I really liked this one. Cool mechanics with different combinations
It was a bit distracting that the rhythm stops when the action happens. I would have liked more continuous gameplay once I got the flow
Very stylish art
And I really liked the ending

PS my last jam game was also a rhythm instructions game and it was fun to see your totally different take on it :grin:
@alexandr-gerya **Oh, thanks!** I personally felt so satisfied when we untangled all the ideas and they came together into such a tight, cohesive story. Glad you appreciated it.
@madbarron Yeah, once the jam was over and the feedback started rolling in, we realized a few ways to make the gameplay feel better. This jam taught us a ton - we've definitely taken notes) **Thanks for the kind words!**
And I made a note to check out your game from last jam too
But I didn’t immediately realize that you’re supposed to follow the rhythm (yeah, I didn’t read the message on the wall).
It’s also frustrating when you clearly hit the rhythm, but the game doesn’t register it. Maybe there’s some kind of synchronization issue. I played the downloaded version.
Сначала было сложно понять как попасть в ритм, но как дошло, игра пошла как по маслу. При этом требуется не мало сосредоточенности и внимательности, даже когда кажется что все стало легко!
Однозначно один из фаворитов этого джема