LudumData

The Ultimate Martian Roulette by HaaYaargh

[raw]
made by HaaYaargh for Ludum Dare 50 (JAM)

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CW: self-harm/suicide (a game of Russian roulette).

In not so far away future, the Mars colony that had been turned into one giant prison is filled to the brink with all kinds of insidious criminals from Earth. Pity them not for they are guilty of such disturbing and gruesome crimes as jaywalking, vegetarianism, being poor, attempts at unionizing, questioning authority, or other mutinous thoughts.

They are all rightfully sentenced to death. But each prisoner has been given a gracious chance to delay the inevitable death by participating in, now ranking 1st in popularity on Earth, suspense heavy, award-winning show "The Ultimate Martian Roulette" where each takes a chance to prolong their lives by one, whole, day.

Extremely exciting fun for the whole family!

But you know all of this, you've been a big fan of the show until they got you. Now it is the time to put on your happy face and take your chances. Your game starts NOW!

The game was created during Ludum Dare 50 Game Jam with a theme Delay the Inevitable by:

M.Kusy - Twitter

SparklingSushi - Twitter

HaaYaargh - Twitter

HexStart

using: Unity, Audacity, Substance Painter, Blender

Credits for assets downloaded:

Font: Distant Glaxy, Source Sans Pro

Music: Eggy Toast - Lose Your Head, Eggy Toast - Fun

Gibberish Generator: http://acedio.github.io/animalese.js/

Blaster SFXs: Laser Gun, Empty Gun Shot, Laser Gun.wav, unfa's Laser Weapon Sounds

Other SFXs: Bike horn

Menu Ambient (remix): Cell Door.aiff, Yangoon Street repeating megaphone messages, Prison Cell Door sound effect.mp3, Electrical discharges.wav

Link https://tanocollective.itch.io/the-ultimate-martian-roulette
Link https://tanocollective.itch.io/the-ultimate-martian-roulette
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/50/the-ultimate-martian-roulette

Ratings

Overall 111th 4.056⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Fun 107th 4.016⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 127th 3.927⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Theme 62th 4.306⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 264th 4.169⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Audio 166th 3.957⭐ 48🧑‍⚖️
Humor 48th 4.282⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Mood 145th 4.082⭐ 63🧑‍⚖️
Given 46🗳️ 91🗨️

Feedback

Tieran
05. Apr 2022 · 17:52 UTC
Wow this is amazing, such a simple concept but the fact you've gone 3D and smashed it is awesome!. The environment is spot on and adds to the whole aesthetic of the game.

The music is so good and I will always pray to rngesus haha

Well done to everyone involved, you did a great job!
Marvis
05. Apr 2022 · 18:01 UTC
for me it was difficult to understand the idea, but overall cool!
Cedric86
05. Apr 2022 · 18:06 UTC
This is very well presented. Good music loop as well. Graphics are well done for only three days.
And most importantly fun gameplay. Like!
Very good stuff! Keep up the good work.
LDJam user 4886
05. Apr 2022 · 18:07 UTC
Damn, I died with a 5% chance!! Reasons for imprisonment are hilarious. Unsettling and intriguing at the same time!
his-games
05. Apr 2022 · 18:11 UTC
Clean UI, and good cinematography (really specific compliments, I know). I really love the gameplay mechanic, even if it felt rough at points, and was in awe at the environments and the modelling quality. Good soundtrack too!
kristinamay
05. Apr 2022 · 18:12 UTC
Lollll This game was great. I love the time and attention put into crafting a good atmosphere, and I loved watching the other inmates play as well. (I also appreciate the not so subtle political commentary.) Thanks for making it!
LDP
05. Apr 2022 · 18:14 UTC
Such a good concept! The mood, the ambiance of the game are amazing. A single turn in the game says it all. And there's a lot of possibilities to extend this concept. Let's make it multiplayer now ;)
Really good work, congrats.
joselor
05. Apr 2022 · 18:16 UTC
Wow, i was really not expecting that level of quality for the first game I test in this jam !
Everything is well made : you made a splendid use of the theme with this russian roulette remix, the setting is really original ( a prison in Mars in a kind of weird reality show where people die to the odds ). The graphics are really nice, fits the game perfectly. The music is nice too, but I feel it could have included a bit more tension.
But the best quality of your game is its humor : it is a hilarious game, the name of the actions, the gameplay itself ( doubling and tripling the odds always feels satisfying ), and also the reason the prisonners were sentenced to death.
Great entry !
Genpaku
05. Apr 2022 · 18:22 UTC
I've survived only to round 2, game is realy cool, played it twice.
Awesome game, would love to see it grow even more, like multiplayer version :)
Rendow
05. Apr 2022 · 18:23 UTC
Got to day three on my second try, I think I got pretty lucky!

Loved the setting, great looking graphics and the simple game mechanic. I think a way to speed up the enemy turns would have been nice to have.

Overall I liked the game a lot, great job guys!
Vitor Milioni
05. Apr 2022 · 18:45 UTC
Honestly what a gem, from idea, to presentation, to execution... everything was spot on. Making some kind of card game mechanics around russian roulette and presenting it as a martian game show? I can't even begin to imagine how you all pulled that off so well in just 72h. Amazing stuff, everything looks and sounds good, the game is super fun to play, the odds menacingly staring you from the middle of the table at all times really gets me kinda nervous every shot. And the little sprinkles of humour here and there work wonders to take some weight off of the subject and really make it seem like a little fun gameshow, i mean, sentenced for opinions? damn i laughed at so much here, and had truly a great time, 5* across the board from me that's for sure, amazing entry!
Kaljal
05. Apr 2022 · 18:46 UTC
Simple but effective idea, good job guys.
kickononnell
05. Apr 2022 · 19:02 UTC
Humorous as a short film, but extremely limited as a game.
mira
06. Apr 2022 · 13:07 UTC
definitly fit to theme. I love the voices of martians. Cool game, I am rating very high.
Kimberly
06. Apr 2022 · 14:33 UTC
Simply blown away by the presentation of this. Everything looks and sounds amazing!

I would've liked some slightly more meaningful options, though. Looks like each option was just completely random, and the one picked refreshed immediately, so it was never a question of whether to use one or not.
Niklas Zhaga
06. Apr 2022 · 16:02 UTC
I never get lucky in such games, but now I won from the first attempt and I love it! :sunglasses:

I kile that this game is totally undestandable, without complicated rules and calculations, moreover manipulation of probabilities is one of my favorite game mechanics :smirk_cat: Thanks for the game, I really enjoyed it

![123123.PNG](///raw/00f/d3/z/4d1ec.png)
Okamit
06. Apr 2022 · 21:13 UTC
Great take on russian roulette and I absolutely love the graphics, art style and presentation!

Would love a explorable game with this style for the world and inmates.

Great work!
paulhocker
06. Apr 2022 · 23:20 UTC
altho i really have no idea how i made it through day one. seemed random. it was a great idea and followed the theme. thanks for making it.
stamestratagem
07. Apr 2022 · 00:17 UTC
Cutscenes are not easy to find in LDJ games, refreshing!
As @ldp and @genpaku wrote earlier a multiplayer version would be interesting.
But what pokes me the most about russian roulette is the strange mechanism: when you think you did it right, you actually spoiled it for the future yourself. This with the absurd setting makes the game pleasantly blackmirrory to me
Anaxie Studio
07. Apr 2022 · 07:46 UTC
Been wanting to try out this one ever since I saw it on stream! Wasn't expecting the neat voice acting paired with subtitles and everything :o

I wish there had been a little more instructions, but I understood what to do pretty fast.

There were so many different funny things! The dialogue, the little facial expressions, the scribbles on the table... lol. Imagine playing this online with other people, it'd be great! I love being able to look around. Got to day 3 on my first try. Really fun game with a cool concept.

![farewell.PNG](///raw/f5b/a3/z/4d4f5.png) ![lol.PNG](///raw/f5b/a3/z/4d4f6.png)
andrground
07. Apr 2022 · 17:40 UTC
Nicely implemented idea! Graphics and audio are definitely on point, it really does feel like a full-fledged game. Core mechanic gets quite boring after some time, but I guess that's how it is for most games. Really liked abilities' names and dickbutt drawing on the table.
Sopata
07. Apr 2022 · 22:12 UTC
I totally lost it when the guy in front of me shot himself and started glitching on the floor rolling in a sitting position endlessly. A solid entry for this LDJ!
Renge
08. Apr 2022 · 00:49 UTC
Had a lot of fun playing this one! Ended up making it to 13% survival chance when there was just me and another guy left and he survived two shots at 50%... sad. The fact that it's so simple is what makes it fun imo.
fae.pdf
08. Apr 2022 · 01:10 UTC
Excellent work! Lot of polish in many places, like the character expressions, the charges they were convicted for, the subtitles... The whole set for the game(show) is pretty good, pretty cinematographic. Nice work with the lighting! Also, the way the characters just keep the same pose and wobble back and forth on the ground in their chair after their death absolutely murdered me. The name of the cards felt a little bit like they were trying too hard to be pop culture references, so it didn't feel super aesthetically cohesive overall, but the game is pretty fun! I like that you keep your cards and can choose not to play one, to save the really good ones. There are some avenues for smart and strategic play, and they are welcome. It's all pretty light though, the vibe is very much "party game with friends", which is not necessarily my cup of tea, but I can recognize something that could make for a very fun discord-hang-out-evening for some crowds when I see one. Good job, I think you did what you set out to do very well!
Smash City
08. Apr 2022 · 04:30 UTC
I liked the sense of humor, but was honestly confused by the UI / how the cards worked. The models were pretty nice!
Jani Brezavscek
08. Apr 2022 · 06:32 UTC
Awesome idea that is inline with the theme! It just forces you to play until the end! :smile: The only little thing I was missing was just the an actual animation "take gun and aim at head" and then the animation to pass it on to the next one. But overall a very enjoyable experience!
BloooBird
08. Apr 2022 · 12:42 UTC
Great idea and great execution, hehe, good fun to just try to figure out your chances and when to do things, really enjoyed it :)
AndideBob
08. Apr 2022 · 12:57 UTC
This game is just perfect! Everything just works, the music, the sound effects, the different abilities all tied together by the nice visual... Simply awesome!
Xeke-Death
08. Apr 2022 · 12:59 UTC
I died on 5% chance twice in a row. Such is my digital RNG luck.

I love the faces and their expressions being tied to the %chance on their turn.
The audio is great, the announcer in the intro did a good job.
The card names and descriptions were great.

Needs rag dolls! And zero-G!
marcmagus
08. Apr 2022 · 15:39 UTC
Thanks for bringing your game by my stream for feedback! If you’d like to revisit the play and commentary you can view the highlight at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1448957643

Game might want a content note for imagery of self-harm.

Fantastic graphics, very effective setting. You got a surprisingly deep gameplay into a small amount of mechanics, nice work.

I particularly appreciated the summary odds at the end of the game, because people are *terrible* at mentally estimating cumulative odds like that.

Some great details in the backgrounds.
HexStart
08. Apr 2022 · 17:21 UTC
@marcmagus thank you for the playthrough and following up with this comment. Regarding the content warning - we did eventually put it on the itch page, though I rephrased it now to be more specific, along the lines of what you're suggesting. And I've also included it on the ldjam page, so that it's harder to miss.
Carla
08. Apr 2022 · 23:28 UTC
I saw your behind the scenes post and I was impresed by the progress! That's why I decided to play your game.
At the beggining I was a bit lost because I thought that I was missing something... Then I connected with the description and everything went clear.
Anyways! Although I found it a bit sadical I think you really got the idea and you did a really grat job!
elysiagriffin
09. Apr 2022 · 10:41 UTC
Thanks for submitting your game for me to play on my stream!

If you’d like to rewatch the playthrough, you can find it here:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1450162412?t=0h52m03s

Good luck on your ratings, see you next LD! :D

💜 Elysia Griffin AKA Button Feedback Lady

https://www.twitch.tv/elysiagriffin
Alurian
09. Apr 2022 · 18:03 UTC
Short game, but fun haha. Died with a 5% chance.
Emaigualmc2_art
09. Apr 2022 · 18:59 UTC
The idea is good and very well done, art and music manage to generate a great vibe and a super funny atmosphere despite the fact that you are playing Russian roulette and putting your life at risk xD jajaja! great job!!
shortCreative
09. Apr 2022 · 19:57 UTC
Very fun and funny! I love the dystopian vibe of why everyone is being rounded up and imprisoned. Very considerate to include the content warning and subtitles for anyone who may need them. I would have liked a "fast forward" option to move through the other players' turns. And I think I would have preferred more realistic players over the cartoony looking ones.

This would be interesting as a multiplayer game, too!
alks
09. Apr 2022 · 20:58 UTC
Nice game! I really appreciate the sound design! great work!
alks
09. Apr 2022 · 20:58 UTC
Nice game! I really appreciate the sound design! great work!
LDJam user 250825
09. Apr 2022 · 21:06 UTC
That's one dark take on the theme :D As a game the RNG was a bit rough but the presentation was very polished!
John llyod Apolo
10. Apr 2022 · 20:13 UTC
Nice take to the theme and great execution.
radmccool
10. Apr 2022 · 21:18 UTC
note to self: never play russian roulette, i have zero luck with it.

couldnt survive a single match but had fun doing so. i really liked the concept and making it robots with goofy crimes kept things light and fun. i mean the way things are going it would be amazing if they automated prison labour lol.
i thought the ring effect on the desk was a nice touch, overall the scene was put together quite well. really solid entry you got here, good work!
caudatecoder
11. Apr 2022 · 08:00 UTC
That's a very-very nicely done game! Cool concept, amazing visuals, great humor. The effects are really cool too, watching other npcs flying after a shot was so fun!

The cards are pretty clever idea and nicely balanced too. Overall a very polished game, very well done!

Thank you for bringing it to my stream! I had a lot of fun with it. Here's a recording in case you'd like to refer to it https://youtu.be/hPPKMGZGGDs
leokrechmer
11. Apr 2022 · 15:22 UTC
Great idea, a lot of fun and humor in there, the shots are how they should be, quite random, you can be killed with the 5% odds, or can survive 60%... so yeah :)
Really nice submission, thanks!
Sir. Syko
11. Apr 2022 · 18:26 UTC
Very nice game although with a bit of an heavy theme :sweat_smile: but very nice mechanics, sounds and art :smile: Good job!
LDJam user 189270
11. Apr 2022 · 18:40 UTC
Really great game, one of the best of the comp I've played so far. Production all around is really well done.

I think my one main criticism is that there's not enough depth to the card mechanics. I think if the card choices offered slightly more complicate risk/reward mechanics there could be all sorts of interesting emergent strategies.
Marc-Antoine Girard
12. Apr 2022 · 01:34 UTC
Really nice game! I was praying for rngesus to save me but it never came... You nailed the stress part, I was on the edge of my chair the whole time! The insult was when I died with 5% and the guys before me survived a 85% hahaha!
Edmanbosch
13. Apr 2022 · 03:33 UTC
Great game, addictive and surprisingly strategic. I really like the powerup things you can use, they made things super interesting to play around. The lighting changing as the chance of death rises is a really cool detail.
![ultimatemartianroulette_pic.png](///raw/503/6/z/4df3e.png)
MathGLO
13. Apr 2022 · 03:33 UTC
Really loved the game! Never thought someone would go this way with this theme. Great entry!
ksimaster
13. Apr 2022 · 18:24 UTC
Nice game! Playing roulette with a gun is a dangerous thing, but fun :) Good job! :)
Ehon
14. Apr 2022 · 16:58 UTC
I felt a little stressed while playing, so that's good, the gameplay surely works as it should have. The first cutscene was pure gold and I laughed at the guy sentenced to death for vegetarianism. Really cool visuals and a polished entry, also unique theme approach.

But what else to expect from a team working for 11bit studios? :D Greetings from the other PL team.
Ava Skoog
17. Apr 2022 · 14:44 UTC
Really good! Could have easily just been a straight up Russian roulette with no mechanics other than random chance, but introducing all these options to pick from is such a neat twist. The game show intro is great (just wish it didn't play after the first time) and all the little texts are funny 😁 Very well put together and presented, sounds and looks nice. Brilliant!
sameidandpw
29. Oct 2022 · 09:57 UTC
Wow, that level of quality for the first game I tested during this jam really surprised me! Everything is well-made: you used the theme well in your russian roulette remix, and the location is quite unique ( a prison in Mars in a kind of weird reality show where people die to the odds ). The graphics are excellent and properly complement the game. Although I think it could have used a little more tension, the music is good as well.
______________________
https://1win1.in/app/
Anyonesss
26. Nov 2022 · 10:57 UTC
I don't know where to ask, but my friend has a gambling addiction and is constantly hoping to win the jackpot. What to do? It can ruin his life, at times like this I want to forbid him to gamble.
bomjik
26. Nov 2022 · 12:03 UTC
I completely agree with you. Betting addiction can ruin a person's future. And it has already ruined many. However, it is still possible for a person to hit the jackpot and win a fortune. What do you think about that? I agree that gambling is wrong, but I don't think it should be banned. We live in a democratic society. Everyone can do whatever they want as long as it doesn't violate anyone's rights. So why shouldn't it? I used to be a gambler, too, I played every day at https://online-casinoau.com/, and it was pretty good. I wasn't addicted. I just played occasionally and relaxed. I would say it was a natural selection.