SIFT.exe by NinjaCatz

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

SIFt.png

Move to a secluded corner where nothing will distract you from your work

Receive packages containing the necessary equipment to stay connected with civilization

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Try on the role of a Signal Decoder

Select frequency, phase and amplitude to decipher the signal

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Dive deeper

Is comparing signals too easy? Try deciphering something more complex

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GUNDAMN12.png

Ratings

Overall 281th 3.786⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Fun 335th 3.5⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 495th 3.286⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Theme 365th 3.857⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 215th 4.143⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Humor 278th 3.211⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Mood 316th 3.81⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Given 27🗳️ 20🗨️

Feedback

Euler Moises
Apr 21st · 00:43 UTC
What beautiful artwork! Very faithful to the Game Boy Color.

I thought it was really cool that you made the various signal types available. Some I didn't know. Thank you very much!

"What's important is to have without being possessed by what you have."

![robo.png](///raw/23f/f1/z/71662.png)

Congratulations!
HerzogVonWiesel
Apr 21st · 09:47 UTC
Love the retro PC feel. Very cool puzzling, nearly started writing down the notes from the readme so I didn't have to pull it up for the newer signals hahah! Great stuff and vibe :)
LDJam user 425464
Apr 21st · 18:39 UTC
Beautiful and tactile game! Whole vibe is just nicely cozy. Puzzles also complemented this nicely where i could just solve them on my time without need to hurry. Very nice experience.
Alexander Stepanov
Apr 21st · 18:58 UTC
a very nice and fun game. Special thanks for a lot of explanations and hints. I couldn't solve Morse code (
talan huszk
Apr 21st · 19:02 UTC
Very nice game. Lost track of time while playing because the gameplay loop was very enjoyable. The only thing that could have been improved on is pinning the notes or the codes on the side while decoding messages. Sound is really cozy. Enjoyed the keyboard and mouse sounds very much.
Tay Elenberg
Apr 21st · 20:22 UTC
It was realy fun! I like your game, good idea, nice style
Good job!
j3m
Apr 21st · 20:27 UTC
Loved this, I unlocked all the different servers. Got stuck like an idiot for a minute thinking I had to literally type in the Morse code! I like that the deliveries literally turn up at your door and you have to get them
🎤 NinjaCatz
Apr 22nd · 07:12 UTC
@alexander-stepanov Yea, decrypting messages isn't an easy task :sweat_smile: If you get stuck somewhere, you can try resetting the signal by typing **/drop**, then reconnect; a new one should appear.

@talan-huszk Pinning the notes is a good idea, I'm planning to make a small post-jam bugfixing and quality-of-life update.
cRoxx
Apr 22nd · 15:45 UTC
The oscilloscope wave-matching mechanic is a neat fit for the theme, and the retro PC aesthetic ties it all together nicely. Gets a bit thin once you realize the loop is just match wave, type message, buy upgrade, repeat. Still a cozy way to spend 20 minutes. Nice work!
LDJam user 233659
Apr 23rd · 00:31 UTC
Played this at 3 AM (couldn't sleep) for the most authentic experience.

There's a nice little loop in here. I would've liked more furniture to cozy up the base in the middle of nowhere, but I wouldn't fault it for lack of something to work to. SIFT makes me think of the more quiet moments from Voices of the Void, I half expected to do some minor maintenance or keep up with sleep, but understandably the scope is focused more on the processing and I really like it.

I like the different decrypting, it starts deceptively easy (simply grab the message once you match the signal) and becomes quite complex by the end (flip the entire alphabet via math). I took notes, I learned encryption that I had never seen before, I busted out the *desk calculator*. I felt like I was genuinely about to crack some top secret communications and learn the deepest secrets of the world.

After this, I'll be sending my important encrypted messages in fishscript moving forward.
GARYglhf
Apr 23rd · 07:27 UTC
Мне понравилось, классная идея и арт.
LDJam user 423838
Apr 23rd · 13:08 UTC
decoding signals and learning actual encryption methods felt genuinely satisfying, like cracking real secret messages
CircleOfLife
Apr 23rd · 16:04 UTC
@mavvy -|-' ~\/~ !> (o) >o<| *>o <>< ><> ~\/~ | ~|~ >o<
Paulsams
Apr 23rd · 21:06 UTC
I went through the game and I even liked it. But it seemed unnecessary to close the window to open another one (considering that I could click on others). It also took me a while to realize that I needed to receive new content through parcels, but that's okay. Overall, well done, albeit simple mini-games. In our game, we also made signals through curves, but we went to a completely different steppe). In general, good luck in the next games.
HarvMori
Apr 23rd · 23:08 UTC
H+L, X-P, ~Z, L-X, ~P, O+D

I absolutely love this pixel art. The computer interactions and music are also cool!
I buy this Gandam...
I`ts hard to decrypting Morse code, and I didn't know where one symbol ended and another began...
🎤 NinjaCatz
Apr 24th · 07:11 UTC
@HarvMori Thanks for the feedback! The Morse symbols (grouped dashes and dots) are separated by one space symbol rn, and I agree that the font and CRT shader make the spacing a bit... _difficult_ to read :sweat_smile: Two spaces (or different font) would probably fix this issue; I'll keep that in mind.
quasilyte
Apr 24th · 13:57 UTC
Fuuuuuuuuu, I accidentally refreshed the page and my entire comment draft is gone. Hafta do this again :'(

I think you made this game with your brother again, right? Very good job, I was a fan of Absolve.

This game deserves more feedback. It has not 1 signal-related mini game, but several :D I only played 2 so far and I believe there are 3 in total? I haven't realized that I can do other stuff until solving several wave alignment rounds with pathetic rewards xD I bought the auto-solver, but it gave like some $ per 30s I think? :D I think I was scammed there :D

The outside art is cool. I wish we could interact with it a bit more - it's a pity we have so much cool looking stage areas and they're not very utilized (at least that's my impression - I tried touching the grass to no avail, but that's kinda realistic; it never worked in real like too: every time I go outside there is nothing of interest).

Ah, and also - the cover art is fantastic
🎤 NinjaCatz
Apr 24th · 18:12 UTC
@quasilyte Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, we created this game together with my bro, just like last time — it's become something like a tradition :smile:

There are four servers in the game:
1. **The default one**, for simple, unencrypted messages; they're the cheapest ($15-$20 per message)
2. **Morse code server** (the name speaks for itself, ~$50 per message)
3. **Fishscript server** (also a type of encryption, $100-$200 per message)
4. **Lambda server** (this one based on math and the position of a letter in the alphabet, the most expensive ones are $500+ per message)

I agree, there wasn't much interaction outside of your PC (to be honest, just picking up packages xd). But I felt like being able to go _offline_ was an important part, even if we didn't have time to fill it with _engaging content_.

And I believe everyone should touch the grass from time to time, one day it will definitely bear fruit~
Dennis
Apr 26th · 16:05 UTC
cool artwork
VenomousMouse
Apr 27th · 10:48 UTC
Superb vibes. I like the pixel art and overall mood. Very cool game.
LDJam user 278146
Apr 27th · 14:43 UTC
I really like the gameboy-esque art, so I'm glad you had to step away from the computer every now and again to go pick up a delivery. It was pretty clear what I needed to do and the different ciphers kept it interesting.
Nordin
Apr 27th · 18:05 UTC
Great game, i really like how you combined different kinds of "signal" games into 1
BeastPanda
Apr 27th · 19:36 UTC
I loved this! It had so much personality and the sprite work was so good. I almost wish more of the game took place outside the PC, because the environments you built there are really beautiful and feel underused.

That said, I did enjoy the gameplay loop of solving puzzles to earn money, then using that to buy more servers and scale things up. The pacing felt snappy enough that the mini-games didn’t really get stale.

Like others have mentioned, being able to have multiple windows open on the PC would help a lot, especially for things like keeping notes visible while you’re working.
🎤 NinjaCatz
Apr 28th · 06:39 UTC
@beastpanda Thanks for the feedback!
A few days ago, I added a **post-jam version**, which includes minor improvements and bug fixes. It features a redesigned computer UI system, allowing you to **open multiple windows at once**.

But to keep things fair, I've left the main two links untouched ( ´ ω ` )
liz_h
May 06th · 02:51 UTC
This game is so good!! I really love the CRT monitor effect, but also just all the pixel art. From the design of the building/sprites to the desktop icons, I feel like there are so many little details that really help build out the setting by showing rather than telling. The gameplay loop is fun too, the actual challenges themselves are a fun puzzle to solve but I think the money/upgrading hardware mechanics make it a lot more engaging to follow the progression.

Overall though, the concept is fun and innovative and the execution is perfect! And it's very on theme.