LudumData

A Deep Frame of Mind by Space_man

[raw]
made by Space_man for Ludum Dare 48 (JAM)

Rating games getting tiring? We get that. Take a break from the digging and fighting and relax by scratching off some paint.

A deep frame of mind

Scrape away a painting to find what lies below - and embark on a journey to the depths. Along the way there are 11 secrets to reveal - can you find them all?

A relaxing game where you scrape away images layer by layer.

Left click or space bar to scrape. Secrets can be revealed by scratching out specific objects (or occasionally by leaving them untouched). If you have issues with audio I recommend trying the download version.

The core

Hints for the secrets: * Tranquil Meadows - Turn out the light !>Scratch out the light next to the house, leaving the surrounding area - Goodnight moon !>Scratch out the moon, leaving the surrounding area * Home - Chase the cat !>Scratch out the cat, leaving the surrounding area - Drop the bucket !>Scratch out the rope but keep the bucket * The Well - Lost feather !>Scratch out the feather, leaving the surrounding area - Save the boat !>Don't scratch out the boat, only the surrounding area * Ocean Depths - Predators beware !>Scratch out the angler fish, leaving the surrounding area * The Core - Brave explorer !>Don't scratch out the lizard, only the surrounding lava * Atomic - Break some bonds !>Scratch out the molecular bonds, keep the atoms * Deep Space - Planet destroyer !>Scratch out the planet, leaving the surrounding area * Returning Home - Goodnight moon?

Link https://space-man.itch.io/a-deep-frame-of-mind
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/48/a-deep-frame-of-mind

Ratings

Overall 683th 3.645⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1588th 2.839⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 128th 4.047⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Theme 54th 4.391⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 230th 4.297⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Audio 223th 3.953⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Humor 1231th 2.271⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Mood 151th 4.188⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Given 30🗳️ 38🗨️

Feedback

notpjriavs
28. Apr 2021 · 03:12 UTC
Love the idea. It is a little slow for me, but I love the concept. Amazing fit for the theme.
nyanpierre
28. Apr 2021 · 03:12 UTC
nice game
Matt Swieboda
28. Apr 2021 · 03:13 UTC
really cool, nice job! I wish the brush/scraper was a bit larger, but maybe that would be too fast then.

music and mood is terrific! Finding the secrets were oddly challenging in a good way.
Numex
28. Apr 2021 · 03:14 UTC
Great art. Relaxing game and a pretty nice idea.
HCS_Hades
28. Apr 2021 · 03:17 UTC
Nice chill vibe, not sure how the secrets are unlocked... although does that defeat the purpose of a secret? Art was neat, very chill overall. Could make for an interesting side mechanic in a bigger game.
Enrique Romero
28. Apr 2021 · 03:17 UTC
I really enjoyed this game, its not all that "fun" but it still kept my attention and was very calming to play. The soundtrack also perfectly fits within the overall calm melancholy vibe.
blob
28. Apr 2021 · 03:20 UTC
Original idea that fits the theme well. I didnt understand how to get secrets?
syg
28. Apr 2021 · 03:20 UTC
Cute game, not really "fun" but relaxing, fits the theme and has very nice art and audio.
Scowling Pastry
28. Apr 2021 · 03:20 UTC
Very calming and unique game. A great change of pace. Art was lovely too. The scraping was a bit slow but I think the point of the game is to be slow and calming so it fits well.

Nicely Done
Pascone
28. Apr 2021 · 03:21 UTC
This game is phenomenal, I enjoyed every second I played.
windfall890
28. Apr 2021 · 03:37 UTC
I cant believe this hasn't been rated more.

this is an atmospheric and delightful spin on the theme. it more than makes up for it in style.

My hand is now tired because I _HAD_ to see the rest of the pictures.

- The stylus feels so right. Large motions dont work, you really need to get in there and meticulously chip away at it. The details on the ragged edge of the brush shape as you scrape are a great touch too. Only nitpick is that it jitters tracking the mouse.

- The transition effect is just stellar. When it happened It made caught me off guard and I was stunned. and the ambiance all combined together is awesome.

- I didn't figure out how to make the secrets system work until after "the core", and that was a bummer because its a very cool system and once i discovered it it really helped to make this more fun.

- I liked the sound design a lot, i really wish the ambient sounds changed for each scene, that would heighten the already excellent mood.

There is a tension between wanting to preserve the newly colored image and needing to destroy it to go deeper and it just nails the theme. The ending was perfect.


This is a beautiful project.

Gonna go ice my hand now. Wish I had read about the space bar control first!
Daveroony
28. Apr 2021 · 03:58 UTC
@windfall890 Thank you so much for your wonderful and descript comment. The music itself layers itself more and more complex as the track progresses, unfortunately there was not enough time to implement a change per level, would have loved to been able to do that! We are so glad you made it all the way through :) hope your hand feels better soon.
Daveroony
28. Apr 2021 · 03:59 UTC
@pascone Thank you for enjoying our project!
Daveroony
28. Apr 2021 · 03:59 UTC
@blob secrets are found in how you scratch away the paintings.
beardywombat
29. Apr 2021 · 09:04 UTC
This was a very nice experience.

I wanted to go back and hunt for secrets on pictures I missed but didn't find a way to easily reset or advance levels
miej
29. Apr 2021 · 09:05 UTC
pretty unique idea here. though it was a bit limited in player agency. scraping away the image was pretty slow, but i could see it working for a very relaxed sort of game experience.
Magna
29. Apr 2021 · 09:17 UTC
This game is good but I think at least for me the background music is a little bit broken, so not really great to play at medium/high volume with headphones. Apart from that it was a nice relaxing experience!
MadHumster
29. Apr 2021 · 09:36 UTC
Great idea! So calming and music is great!
Secrets are great and searching for them is very engaging
We have an important playtest today at work and everybody is on edge. I gave link to couple of my coworkers and they said it helped them to calm down.
Thank you for this great experience.
mlho7
29. Apr 2021 · 12:36 UTC
That is deep, really nice art, very relaxing, good job.
ardorugus
01. May 2021 · 02:49 UTC
Captivating art. Though the restoration/scratching brush could be adjustable and faster. Didn't get the secrets, until reading your hints (maybe try a tutorial, if developing further). Music sets the tone, quite relaxed. Best played at rainy even hours, maybe accompanied with some theme related audio book. Enjoyed!
m-trigo
08. May 2021 · 22:38 UTC
This game deserves more love, it's exceptionally creative! :heart:

I would have liked to have an option of toggling the scraping mode instead of having to hold down a key or mouse button, which can cause strain on the fingers.

Your game is beautiful (in more than just its graphics) and it's the best implementation of the jam's theme that I've played so far. Congratulations
Kurama_Youko
12. May 2021 · 18:22 UTC
Really nice take on the theme!
Funambulist Cat
13. May 2021 · 05:45 UTC
A really great take on the theme and nice work on the idea, I specially loved the color palette that matched the sound to create this minimalist and intriguing overall mood. The paintings were beautiful, I liked the transitions between the different textures ! Can imagine a more sophisticated sound design (story driven for example) to take along the player and let him dive more in the game and the experience you offer ! Thank you !!
gamebuilder
13. May 2021 · 17:20 UTC
You folks certainly have talent. This is precisely the kind of game I need right now. One suggestion I have is to make the clues a little more evident; I ended up just scraping the whole surface most times. Regardless, the paintings and the music are beautiful. Without a doubt, one of the best entries here.
gamefive
14. May 2021 · 15:57 UTC
It was a game that fits the theme. Graphic music is all the best. But there was little excitement as a game. I didn't know what to find and what to solve. And I didn't understand what the story was about.
drawander
15. May 2021 · 09:25 UTC
Great atmosphere, music, and art, and cool interpretation of the theme! The slow nature of the scraping occasionally lead to some interesting overlaps of the top and bottom images, which I thought was cool to see.
natpat
15. May 2021 · 09:28 UTC
A really interesting experience and take on the theme! The pictures were really nicely done, and the music really contributed to the mood. I'm not sure I'm convinced by the secrets - especially as you only get really one shot to do them, and you can easily mess them up. Perhaps not revealing that there are secrets at all (and not counting them) would be better, and just reward players who stumble upon them.
Really nice to see a very different entry though!
radmccool
16. May 2021 · 09:18 UTC
i was really frustrated by having to tediously scrape off the layer so slowly yet i did feel compelled to play through the entire set. I found this a really interesting way of exhibit a set of pictures, it somehow made the places more tangible. if i had to suggest an improvement it would be: have the secrets remove large portions of the current layer. eg on the lava picture, when the lizard is moving off screen have it remove the paint on its path.