Lovers on a Park Bench by peterthehe

[raw]
made by peterthehe for LD33 (COMPO)
Having travelled across London, 1v1-ed in the rain and engaged in intense afternoon of coffee-fuelled coding, I HAVEN'T collapsed in exhaustion but instead present you with this:

'Lovers on a Park Bench' is essentially a typing game following the story of a square, his ex-girlfriend and a series of intense and very-confusing-at-times metaphors and allusions (they're pretty obvious). All of this is topped with narration by award-winning robot voice, Stephen Hawking (or whatever Audacity can do to emulate it).

All instructions are in-game but here they are if you miss them:

Type the red text as it appears.
Attack (becomes enabled half-way through the game): Space / Click
Change Attack: 1,2
Enable and Disable Narration: F2

Heads up - shooting is random (it's all part of the convoluted metaphor).

There are 3 possible endings.


And finally, a disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: I'm only 14 and therefore haven't actually been in a romantic relationship before (life is short); I hope this will be an insight into how opera and television have contorted my view of life in general. Thank you and enjoy :P

Software Used: Unity, Photoshop, Visual Studio, Audacity, SFXR, Kawai CA 95 Keyboard, 2nd Speech Centre, Good Old Notepad ;)

Soundtrack and the 'mysterious' third ending can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/peterthehe/sets/lovers-on-a-park-bench-ost

Post-Mortem coming soon but now it's time for some SLEEP <3

____________________________________________________________________
Post-LD Change Log

25/08/15: Lowered music volume (as it was overwhelming the narration)

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.26 347
Audio 3.46 141
Fun 2.82 599
Graphics 3.11 461
Humor 3.23 241
Innovation 3.64 117
Mood 3.59 125
Theme 2.84 758

Feedback

GeeItSomeLaldy
24. Aug 2015 · 07:43 UTC
A thoroughly silly and irreverent game. I love it.
Mizipzor
24. Aug 2015 · 07:46 UTC
An interesting mashup between a typing game and something with heavy narrative. Good writing. Music was too loud and it was often difficult to hear the voice, especially at the end. I'm really impressed by this given your age.
elemel
24. Aug 2015 · 07:46 UTC
Trippy game with good atmosphere. I ended up killing my ex. Oops! I enjoyed the first part of the game the most. The combat part that followed felt disconnected from the first part.
martijn
24. Aug 2015 · 07:46 UTC
The download link for the Linux version is missing the data folder.

Overall it is a nice game. I can't think of serious problems with it.
IndigoWolf
24. Aug 2015 · 07:47 UTC
I found this very amusing and the theme idea is very original, also don't worry, romantic relationships are not that brilliant!

I gave this a high rating :)
NikinCZ
24. Aug 2015 · 07:47 UTC
Twice I killed ex, once it said me I am stupid I ended doing nothing. Did I do something wrong?

Voice acting was funny (spoderman, is that you?), but other than that, it was boring.
Techblogogy
24. Aug 2015 · 07:47 UTC
Oh man "Stephen Hawking" pronounces it as Ludlum Dahrey. The game is quite good, the story was a bit on "Indian drama" side. I loved the use of the theme.
Insality
24. Aug 2015 · 07:48 UTC
oh crap, looks like i killed my ex-gf :D
sweety game, good job!
MAnimal
24. Aug 2015 · 07:48 UTC
Good idea, music is at the end too loud so i can´t hear the voice correctly.
thx4nothing
24. Aug 2015 · 07:49 UTC
Whoops I killed my ex lol
Interesting idea and I liked the music and the voice :D
reecpj
24. Aug 2015 · 07:51 UTC
Nice experiment with the typing "thoughts" turning into speech! It was a bit hard to figure out who was the monster and why the shooting came in. The music was great, though a bit loud and I couldn't hear the end voiceover properly. Great job!
Gaga
24. Aug 2015 · 08:00 UTC
Loved it ^^
Chris M
24. Aug 2015 · 08:03 UTC
I think I lost :(
theholychicken
24. Aug 2015 · 08:04 UTC
"Do you love me, JOHN!?!?" haha
The game is so weirdly funny... the first time I played I thought it was a serious game quite beautifully done. Then I spammed meteors and killed my ex and now I am really confused what to make of it. What is it all about?
And I think I killed the blue guy but it says I killed my ex. How do I get the third ending?
🎤 peterthehe
24. Aug 2015 · 08:26 UTC
*SPOILERS - SCROLL ON IF YOU AREN'T INTO THIS STUFF*

@theholychicken The third ending comes when you fail to kill either of them (logical, eh?)
sydream
24. Aug 2015 · 08:48 UTC
Nice job for so little time and for such a young developer. Love the music even though the volume is bit too high and cover the voices, also love the synthesized voice. The problem i'm having is that there isn't much gameplay, all is good until the black cloud appears and at that point I'm lost and don't know what to do, yes I can shoot but can't direct it and don't know what I'm shooting at. Theme adherence is not really there since there isn't much gameplay, well there is until the black cloud appears. Was another theme, this could be a winner. So keep up with the good work and don't get disappointed, you have great potential!
MrDave
24. Aug 2015 · 08:49 UTC
I love this, being a Dave I found it really enjoyable. You really captured a mood and I instantly wanted to know more about the story. I hope this entry does really well.
Andrew Deem
24. Aug 2015 · 08:50 UTC
Cool idea. I love the art style and the music. Stephen's voice could be louder. :P Enjoy your well deserved slumber.
Split82
24. Aug 2015 · 09:36 UTC
Very interesting. Love the strange mood.
jorgemoag
24. Aug 2015 · 09:49 UTC
very original, i like it.
nonetheless
24. Aug 2015 · 10:15 UTC
I would prefer some more precise typing rules (proper timing, etc.) to make it harder, but in general it's very interesting. Also making mistakes could alter the story etc. This is very nice idea. Great job.
YerghaizVerot
24. Aug 2015 · 10:20 UTC
I think every Ludum Dare game should have your warning at the beginning of it. Well done...this has my highest rating so far :D
K1llercake
24. Aug 2015 · 10:47 UTC
Oh goddamn it. I hate it when other teens make better games then me. Awesome job though, didn't realize attacking was with mouse till the end.
TLansdale
24. Aug 2015 · 10:57 UTC
I am a murderer :( Good job though, nice to see a bit of typing gameplay!
g_o
24. Aug 2015 · 11:04 UTC
Lol what I like most is that at some point if you get annoyed you just kill the ex randomly haha
I like the innovation and mood, though kinda annoying to both shoot, read instructions and read the plot.
bbqbaron
24. Aug 2015 · 11:08 UTC
Argh! What is the narrator saying at the end?

I wasn't clear on exactly why I needed to kill the ex, as his existence didn't seem to affect my score, nor was I clear on the effect or nature of my attacks.

All that aside, it was a pleasant aesthetic experience. I enjoyed the music and prose. For some reason, reminded me of Einstein on the Beach (Philip Glass, not Counting Crows).

Well done.
bbqbaron
24. Aug 2015 · 11:08 UTC
Whoops; forgot to vote.
raducumiczzz
24. Aug 2015 · 11:42 UTC
interesting naration of event, Good atmosphere. Killed the ex so i guess that's the best i can do . Great game what so ever:D
Acerio
24. Aug 2015 · 12:23 UTC
It was a little hard at first, but this gave me good vibes of happiness. The music was a little loud but this was a great game, visually and with the story. Good job.
Pantelis Petsopoulos
24. Aug 2015 · 14:08 UTC
One of the best entries so far.
cxsquared
24. Aug 2015 · 15:19 UTC
I really liked the gameplay and the music. The story was fun and had really nice atmosphere. Good work
LastLeaf
24. Aug 2015 · 15:19 UTC
It is a great game with great atmosphere after I played in Windows. The Linux version is not playable.
AdenMansonGames
24. Aug 2015 · 15:41 UTC
Very interesting and cool art and the idea for your game is original.
LittleThor
24. Aug 2015 · 16:00 UTC
Perfect! This game made me laugh a lot. Awesome sound work and art work. Awesome work!
JackDegree
24. Aug 2015 · 16:39 UTC
Had me at the "not for big babies" xD
Also, you're a genius. Awesome writing, awesome sound, awesome art!
Zerkruemler
24. Aug 2015 · 18:52 UTC
Interesting concept. I am not sure what my 'playing' did to the story, but made very cool. Sometimes the music is too loud to understand the voice.
OldPeculier
24. Aug 2015 · 18:54 UTC
How bizarre. But it's also oddly affecting. I like it.
RHY3756547
24. Aug 2015 · 18:58 UTC
I'm a little confused. Also drat, I killed my ex. Guess that's a bummer. Had me laughing, but the narration had an entirely different mood from the game, which was confusing. Well put together, background is beautiful, music is great.
Jod
24. Aug 2015 · 19:46 UTC
I loved this. I loved exploring, trying to see what I needed to do. Great!
Jeasonfire
24. Aug 2015 · 19:57 UTC
The narration is silly and the graphics are awesome. That's a recipe for greatness if anything.
BuffaloPhil
24. Aug 2015 · 20:23 UTC
That was really unique! Great job
JoshyOshKenoshi
24. Aug 2015 · 20:43 UTC
I really enjoyed playing this. To be honest, I didn't really understand the shooting element on my first playthrough, but I felt that the game was fine without it. Quite beautiful, really. :-)
Demetz
24. Aug 2015 · 20:47 UTC
Oh man, i really enjoyed the style of this one! haha.
Overall pretty fun game, but the music was bit louder than the voice, making it difficult to hear what the narrator said.
Digitaldude555
24. Aug 2015 · 20:50 UTC
I killed my ex!
mantis
24. Aug 2015 · 21:05 UTC
Really nice twist on the theme
Ithildin
24. Aug 2015 · 21:24 UTC
I killed my ex...oops 0:-D

Nice atmosphere you've got there, and I really liked the concept, although the typing part felt slightly disconnected even if the words were actually related.

Great work!!
evandaley
24. Aug 2015 · 21:36 UTC
"Drat you killed your ex". hahahaha that was awesome. 5 stars
vividhelix
24. Aug 2015 · 22:12 UTC
I loved this. Couldn't figure out how to aim, but the mechanic of revealing the story and the thomas-was-alone-esque lover action was really interesting. Well done!
KunoNoOni
24. Aug 2015 · 23:20 UTC
Very original take on the theme. Music was too loud, about the only change I would make. Good Job :)
Integershift
24. Aug 2015 · 23:32 UTC
That voice was the best thing for this game. I don't know if this was meant to be funny.... but it was. Creative idea I had fun playing.
TailyILoveYou
25. Aug 2015 · 00:54 UTC
Hilarious little game, nicely done! XD
CaptainKraft
25. Aug 2015 · 01:34 UTC
Trying to play on Linux. The zip folder only has the executable with no data folder. Maybe try repackaging everything back up again?
EwChap
25. Aug 2015 · 02:21 UTC
Very unique. I did kill my ex by accident though. Ooops.
andyman404
25. Aug 2015 · 02:33 UTC
Hahaha. Well done. I love the twist.
Mekuri
25. Aug 2015 · 03:38 UTC
Very creative. I tried a few times, but ended up killing my ex every time- Apparently I wasn't good at the combat part.
The writing was great, and I liked the mood of the game. Nice job!
Mikhail
25. Aug 2015 · 05:39 UTC
Not a bad game. I enjoyed the game. Great job btw being 14 and competing. I know it can be hard cause im only 16 but keep it up man!
mklee
25. Aug 2015 · 05:48 UTC
This is hilarious and I cannot recommend this highly enough. The "twist" so to speak is pretty great and the overwrought dialogue with the voice synthesizer is just the icing on the cake. Terrific job here!
DruhinM
25. Aug 2015 · 07:02 UTC
Nice fun idea
madmaw
25. Aug 2015 · 08:40 UTC
Absurdity! Nice!
Raspadsistema
25. Aug 2015 · 10:56 UTC
One of rare LD games I replayed 3 times out of curiosity. Kid you're a genious o.O Btw voice is more like a cross between Hawking and grandpa Simpson.
bytegrove
25. Aug 2015 · 12:26 UTC
Nice writing, I started pretty silly I thought, with the robot voices, but then I got kinda moody by the story. Too much started happening at once when the shadow appeared, so I got a little lost there of what it meant. There was no text in the narrative at the end, and due to the music volume I couldn't discern what was said.
Awesome music, really sets the atmosphere.
I think you really got a knack for writing, nice work!
Franklin's Ghost
25. Aug 2015 · 14:22 UTC
Just tried the windows link and it says the file no longer exists. Web still works though so was able to play it through that. This game was really well done, nicely executed and felt really polished. Played it all the way through and got the "best" ending. The dialogue is great and can't find any fault in this. Impressed at your age and this is now on my list of favourite games this Ludum Dare. Oh yeah, before I forget the music worked really well in setting the mood.
boardtobits
25. Aug 2015 · 14:40 UTC
Nice work! Clean look, funny juxtaposition of narrative, typing game and... well, I won't spoil the ending.
Tuism
25. Aug 2015 · 14:41 UTC
Holy batman, you're 14? 14?!?!

This is so confusing, I feel like it's a joke that wasn't intended, or an accidental art piece, but it is wha it is, and it a different thing to whoever interacts with it I guess :)

No aiming to the attack, so you just spam it?
No point to the score?
No real point to the story?

Yeah, just like american tv romance, really :)

Good job :)
gty
25. Aug 2015 · 14:51 UTC
Amazing idea, very well done.
HiVE interactive
25. Aug 2015 · 16:20 UTC
It was sad when I killed my ex.. interesting game dude!
Jakob37
25. Aug 2015 · 19:09 UTC
Haha, what, I was not sure what was going on in the end. Liked it a lot though. Might be nice with some more info on what is happening during the combat :) (Who am I? Who do I want to kill? Did I win or lose when I killed my ex?)

Well done. My life feels a little bit richer after having played this.
Claire1605
25. Aug 2015 · 19:46 UTC
Really interesting idea, I really enjoyed it! Loved the change in mood in the narration and the words that mirrored that :)
hexagore
25. Aug 2015 · 20:20 UTC
Well this is so unbelievably strange and confusing but this didn't stop me thinking it was great. Love the voice synth (or is it a voice synth effect?!).. and the story. And the art style really worked too. I killed my ex (only in your game though)
peterkirk
25. Aug 2015 · 21:20 UTC
The voice acting was good but a bit difficult to hear over the music.
The visuals were simple but portrait the right amount of emotion needed to tell the story.
I really enjoyed this. Great work.
Erkberg
25. Aug 2015 · 21:39 UTC
A really original game, telling the story through typing gameplay is something I have not seen before. The voice acting was cool and I dig the visual style. The combat part caught me by surprise though and it was kinda hard for me to focus on both things, the typing and the combat. Overall though, a really nice game!
Dizzyman572
26. Aug 2015 · 06:38 UTC
This was an excellent game. I loved the art style, and microsoft sam was a nice touch! I was curios how the monster theme was going to fit in there and you pulled it off very well. This is probably another one of my favorites in this game jam. :)
ArchBang
26. Aug 2015 · 10:16 UTC
Remarkable! I'd rather play this than that other quadrilateral game, thomas block or whatever. Tasty!
Caracole
26. Aug 2015 · 10:21 UTC
Hilarious... can't find other words to describe it. Loved it, really. Awesome job !
collaboration
26. Aug 2015 · 11:35 UTC
That was reeeeeally fun, love the idea and graphics, palette is also great, and this voice at the beginning is just hilarious. Awesome! 5/5
crucknuk
26. Aug 2015 · 15:53 UTC
I kill my ex :) I like the music, the voice narration is so weird, but there is a great atmosphere. Good submission!
Josh H
26. Aug 2015 · 17:53 UTC
Well that took a dark turn! I didn't care for the computerized voice, but the story was engaging and the attacks were fun. Pretty well done game. Good job!
Zammalad
26. Aug 2015 · 22:17 UTC
Firstly, well done for an entry of this quality at your age.

Interestingly weird game which I really enjoyed. Audio needed a bit of fine tuning to get sound levels right but were good none the less.

Nice narrative in the game and nice concept for the control mechanism.
aeveis
27. Aug 2015 · 03:58 UTC
Pretty good! I think it was a bit confusing,, but it kind of adds to the charm there. I found it really funny you can just shoot stuff and end the text typing stuff.
Geckoo1337
27. Aug 2015 · 05:00 UTC
Interesting idea and I liked the music and the voice. However the game is so weirdly funny. Well done ++
Crefossus
27. Aug 2015 · 09:03 UTC
great mood and innovation. The sound is well done and fitting
Maxi and The Gang
27. Aug 2015 · 09:26 UTC
ohoho, it's very good for 14 years young dev.
Nice try! i like this game, it's so funny because the dialog is weird.
Goutye
27. Aug 2015 · 17:13 UTC
Kill 3 times my boyfriend. Kill the blue, kill the red, and kill everything :> Thank for the game (Niiiice moood)!
divillysausages
27. Aug 2015 · 22:39 UTC
Excellent music and a lovely mood overall! The only thing I can say against it is the time it took to actually get into the game (obligatory 30s ad, followed by unskippable warning)
TeamCosmitronique
27. Aug 2015 · 23:10 UTC
Wonderfully original. A good experimentation.
killersnoofie
28. Aug 2015 · 00:01 UTC
Very awesome game
kaype
28. Aug 2015 · 02:11 UTC
I found the game to be kinda confusing, but overall it's still fun and the Speakonia/MS/AT&T voice is pretty funny. I love the graphics/art style.
namrog84
28. Aug 2015 · 05:29 UTC
I wish voice was done a little different. I loved the mood though.
Patomkin
28. Aug 2015 · 13:30 UTC
"Do you love me. JOHN?" is some serious Christopher Walken stuff. Made me laugh really hard :D
Cool game :)
FrederickK
28. Aug 2015 · 23:16 UTC
What a strange and conceptual game.
aaronsnoswell
29. Aug 2015 · 03:34 UTC
Hey! I kept trying to download, but the download fails at about 90% :(
iapc
30. Aug 2015 · 23:16 UTC
A pity it isn't actually voice-acted well.
🎤 peterthehe
31. Aug 2015 · 08:09 UTC
Thanks for the feedback guys :) The voice acting was deliberately done as such for comic effect :P
DrZanuff
31. Aug 2015 · 13:44 UTC
A bit difficult to type, read the story and try to kill your Ex. But then I understood that you don't need to kill anybody.
freaknarf
01. Sep 2015 · 07:55 UTC
Great, very experimental and artsy I think :) I loved the narration, and trying to play it differently to see all endings. Backgrounds and particles are nice, and I'm quite impressed by such clever metaphors from a 14 kid. It has a real weird atmosphere, and nice (weird) humor. Sadly i can't kill the guy, i keep on killing "my ex". So i guess I miss one ending, but i'm not jealous about him :)
Good work !
Big Cow
01. Sep 2015 · 22:11 UTC
Abstract, interesting, artistic, poetic. Experienced two endings one where I didn't kill anything and one where I killed my ex. I like the narrative element and the way it made me imagine this jealous ex lover (yellow box) watching this scene unfolding.
inbetweengames
02. Sep 2015 · 13:23 UTC
Great concept. Not sure exactly what my weapons are supposed to be though...
jofra
03. Sep 2015 · 18:38 UTC
Very nice! Loved the mood!
HotBoxGames
08. Sep 2015 · 16:31 UTC
Liked the style. Unique entry that was both amusing and fun to go through! :) Producing this at the age of 14 is quite an achievement - well done! :D I killed my ex :(
Jupiter_Hadley
08. Sep 2015 · 21:11 UTC
Interesting story! I included it in part 22 of my Ludum Dare 33 Compilation video series, if you would like to take a look :) https://youtu.be/CgBnxdy5Yfk
Omiya Games
10. Sep 2015 · 23:39 UTC
Hey, thought this pretty cool. Those robot voices sure take away the gravity of the situation, making Dave's fireball attacks all the more silly. Thought it was a pretty interesting deconstruction of exes depicted in popular media. I certainly ended up killing the ex, which felt like a deliberate design decision.

I do think proper voice acting would drastically improve the deconstruction part. The typing was a little strange, too.
igoramendola
13. Sep 2015 · 03:33 UTC
ooh!! That has an intense mood! ^^
The music, graphics, story and gameplay create an impressive atmosphere. It's pretty different than the other games that I have played on this LD. Besides, the interpretation of the theme is quite interesting. Good entry :D
Vladirien
13. Sep 2015 · 13:03 UTC
Impressive entry! The game was quite silly but I loved it. Good work!
MikeEnoch
14. Sep 2015 · 21:58 UTC
Really nice! Good job, especially in the short timeframe, had a good feel to the game and I did play through multiple times to get the endings!
fragileannihilator
14. Sep 2015 · 23:03 UTC
Please, add the ending subtitnes. I'm a non-native English speaker and it was hard for me to understand the synthesized speech without any accompanying text.