LudumData

H. R. Vest by mvasko2

[raw]
made by mvasko2 for Ludum Dare 52 (JAM)

WARNING: contains quick flashes of light, people with epilepsy, play at your own risk!

ENHANCED EDITION IS HERE!

For Helena, it all started like every other day at work - with a big nap! But today, it's different. What is the purpose of the HARVEST research project? What dangers await for Helena? Become a scientist H. R. Vest in this ultra-short horror adventure and enjoy:

  • Elaborate in-game world that you can put hundreds of seconds into!
  • Beautiful, hand-drawn graphics!
  • Complex story with the option to choose how long you will read the dialogue!
  • Each game level contains a complex puzzle!

Enhanced edition

  • Styled user interface and pause menu
  • Brand new visual assets and sounds
  • Animated action highlighting
  • Improved keypad puzzle
  • Other small bug fixes...

Controls

Note: Gamepad buttons are listed with the Xbox controller layout

| Keyboard | Gamepad | Action | |----------------------|----------------|---------------------| | WASD | Left stick | Movement | | Shift | LB | Run | | E | A | Use nearby item | | Enter, Space | A | Confirm menu option |

Tools used

  • Godot - game engine
  • Paper, watercolors and scanner - painting
  • Guitar, Ardour and AVL Drumkits - music
  • Phone recorder and Ardour/Audacity - sound effects
  • Explodomatica - burner sound effect
  • Kakoune - quick text edits

Team

  • Milan Vaško - Programming, sounds and music
  • NettlesCat - Graphics, level design and writing

In case you get stuck (spoilers!)

Click the gray area below to see how to advance to the next area.

!> Some people get stuck after encountering the monster for the first time. To escape and advance to the next area, go to the lab (the place where you found Greg's shoes) and press E near the burner on the bottom table.

Click the gray area below to see how to solve the puzzle.

!> Keypad puzzle solution is to order the numbers from the smallest (upper-left corner) to the largest (lower-right). Key 1 is missing, so the upper-left corner will contain a space. There will be key 2 in the top middle, key 3 in upper-right corner. Second row will contain keys 4, 5 and 6. Lower row is 7, 8 and 9.

Link https://github.com/MilanVasko/ludum-dare-52
Link https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Link https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Link https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Link https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
HTML5 (web) - Enhanced edition https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Microsoft Windows - Enhanced edition https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Apple macOS - Enhanced edition https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Linux - Enhanced edition https://mvasko2.itch.io/h-r-vest
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/52/h-r-vest

Ratings

Overall 434th 3.468⭐ 49🧑‍⚖️
Fun 499th 3.213⭐ 49🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 587th 2.978⭐ 48🧑‍⚖️
Theme 647th 3.245⭐ 49🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 270th 3.915⭐ 49🧑‍⚖️
Audio 169th 3.685⭐ 48🧑‍⚖️
Humor 199th 3.422⭐ 47🧑‍⚖️
Mood 116th 3.979⭐ 49🧑‍⚖️
Given 60🗳️ 75🗨️

Feedback

schnodelfactory
09. Jan 2023 · 22:16 UTC
Error on embedded ("Failed to read the 'serviceWorker' property from 'Navigator': Service worker is disabled because the context is sandboxed and lacks the 'allow-same-origin' flag.")

Works fine on itch. Wonderful graphics! Love the handdrawn graphics with them soft watercolor colors. Soundtrack fits really well to, nice chorus guitar sound, maybe you could have extended the loop a little bit to keep it more interesting, anyway great style and nice story, very fond of this!
🎤 mvasko2
10. Jan 2023 · 18:25 UTC
Thanks for the review @schnodelfactory, glad you enjoyed!

Regarding the embedded error - we have just uploaded a fix for that. If you have a minute, please let us know if it works for you.
eeperdeheap
10. Jan 2023 · 18:40 UTC
Game looks great, but somehow I wasnt able to open any door. Maybe this game is not for me.
Steelfeathers
10. Jan 2023 · 18:44 UTC
Well done! I love the concept of a horror harvest-themed game. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do - both the doors were locked, and the monster always killed me when I went into its room... I couldn't figure out if there was anything in the monster room I was supposed to pick up (like a key), it didn't look like it.
Nick Saulnier
10. Jan 2023 · 18:51 UTC
Love the art and audio! Game is spooky and atmospheric. Could maybe be more immersive with some flow-breaking (sound effects, camera zoom, etc.) effects, but well put together!
chompdev
10. Jan 2023 · 19:04 UTC
Great work on this one! I really liked the creepy atmosphere mixed with some dark humor and suspenseful music. The art was really nicely done and I enjoyed the pacing of the level slowly opening up as you defeat enemies and find new keys/codes/clues. The regenerating health and stamina was also nice, so you can fully recover after escaping an enemy and then get back to exploring and puzzle solving without worrying about healing up. Lots of fun ideas here! :)
🎤 mvasko2
10. Jan 2023 · 19:48 UTC
@eeperdeheap, @steelfeathers, @nick-saulnier, @chompdev Thanks for playing and the reviews!

@eeperdeheap, @steelfeathers I've added a guide to the description here on the LD page explaining what you need to do when you get stuck, hopefully it helps :slight_smile:
LDJam user 246128
10. Jan 2023 · 23:38 UTC
Cute game, enjoyed figuring it out and spooky, unnerving atmosphere. Loved jokes about "environmental storytelling" :slight_smile:
nullval
11. Jan 2023 · 10:32 UTC
Really cute and fun, it was fun to figure out the puzzle with the fire. the graphics are really charming and appealing. I liked it a lot :) great job
Pfannkuchen
11. Jan 2023 · 11:00 UTC
I like it. Unfortunately, couldn't understand what to do after killing the monster, maybe I'll return to this later. But this is a nice game, I like horrors and puzzles
DzejPi
11. Jan 2023 · 12:23 UTC
Finished this. I love the use of the hand drawn graphics; nice change from the usual pixel/low-poly look of most of the games, I always have a soft spot for hand drawn graphics. Atmosphere here is just amazing! The use of light going out is superb and works great. Puzzles weren't too hard for me. The only thing to improve would be a text - sometimes it rendered slightly blurry, but that's realy nitpicking. Great game, one of my favorites!
koboldskeep
11. Jan 2023 · 15:21 UTC
Nice horror game! I like the drawings, good stuff!
Szivacs
11. Jan 2023 · 16:34 UTC
I feel like with this theme, storytelling is not really a common thing, but you executed this really neatly. Cute graphics, good sounds, and intriguing story.
The only thing is, and I'm not sure what I did, but when I ran away from the monster it just disappeared. Then I realized that the burners should have been used.


P.S. I hate sliding puzzles, so it made me frustrated, but I kept going :smile:
Kelvin Mulungu
11. Jan 2023 · 16:40 UTC
Well, I was genuinely horrified, so... good job on that end. I have now developed a fear of all GMO grain products, RIP bread.

Anyway, music is nice and atmospheric, drawings were lovely, dialog is hella funny(as soon as I saw the line about gregs shoes in the red slush puddle I knew this was going to be good) it was pretty tough for me because I don't do well with horror but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless. Great work here.
Hulya
11. Jan 2023 · 20:09 UTC
The game caught the eerie lab atmosphere quite well and it made me curious to learn more (so to play more). Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to progress. I was stuck at burner, used the spoiler then stuck with the padlock. Prompt says the digits are shuffled, arranged them from 2 to 9 but nothing happens I must be missing something... For that adding a gameplay/walkthrough video would be very helpful for anyone who couldn't progress and give up. Also making the interactable objects slightly different from the background would help as well.
TildeCat
11. Jan 2023 · 20:21 UTC
@hulya We added also hint for puzzle to description under game.
Jiri Hysek
11. Jan 2023 · 20:51 UTC
Hi! Nice game, I dig the hand-painted graphics. And thanks a lot for the hints :) I was stuck in the locker - sorted it from 2 to 9 but I didn't realize that the first place must be empty. And I like the funny twist at the end. Good job guys!
kikiriki367
11. Jan 2023 · 21:04 UTC
Cool entry! I just wish i saw the cute Mr Beast a 2nd or 3rd time! :))
Hulya
11. Jan 2023 · 21:17 UTC
@tildecat Oh, that ending was funny. Glad I finished it.
mactinite
12. Jan 2023 · 02:30 UTC
Nice stuff! really brought the creepy atmosphere. It would have been nice to have to use the stamina/sprint mechanics more. Great ending! :smile:
Substain
12. Jan 2023 · 14:09 UTC
the graphics fit well together. nice seeing a different genre between all the crops-based games :) :thumbsup:
Reikan
12. Jan 2023 · 18:09 UTC
Very nice work !
Pe7e
12. Jan 2023 · 20:53 UTC
Really cool graphics. Did you add furniture in engine or in the painting software?
OctoPulse
13. Jan 2023 · 12:25 UTC
The atmosphere works perfectly, i really like the graphics and the environmental storytelling your bring here.
Even the ending got me ahah ! congratulations :)
🎤 mvasko2
13. Jan 2023 · 15:46 UTC
@pe7e Everything is a separate object, we put it together inside the engine :slight_smile:
Lex
13. Jan 2023 · 19:12 UTC
Well done! A good idea would be to change the music to something more laid back at the ending, so we know the mood had actually changed. I kept thinking something bad would happen anytime, haha.
bezbiletnym
14. Jan 2023 · 07:02 UTC
Very nice atmosphere!

I think it would be more comfortable for me if the interactive zones were more clear.
Sarah Alexa
14. Jan 2023 · 15:37 UTC
Very good game! I liked the style and theme and the music reminded me of the SNES/N64 days. For some reason I got SNES Jurassic Park vibes from the music! It was nice having some exploration and puzzles, the lab felt like a place and not just a bunch of corridors. I wish you had used the space the monster was in to hide a key to turn the power on for the trap or something as the pathfinding seemed to work well and balancing stamina use with looping it around tables was fun!

I liked the block sliding puzzle at the end although I do wish there was an indication of where the 9 or 1 key goes as I had to completely reorganise it a few times to figure out the right order. Other than that, really well done! Great job!
Achilnos
14. Jan 2023 · 17:16 UTC
Liked the grahpics and the music creates a nice atmosphere. When I found the wheat monster I had no idea what to do and was just running around until I eventually found what to do through luck as it's not clear what the box on the table does.
Nice game.
EX3D0
15. Jan 2023 · 05:12 UTC
The game catches the creepy lab environment perfectly. The plot twist at the end was hilarious too.
dry-squid
15. Jan 2023 · 06:15 UTC
Love the atmosphere for this game. Also, props to the artists for the music and visuals. The creepiness and lab project-gone-wrong fit perfectly here. Great game, love the mini puzzles too. Good work!
digital bacon
15. Jan 2023 · 12:02 UTC
Entertaining game! Love the art style. Well done!
MachWerx
15. Jan 2023 · 18:47 UTC
Impressive amount of work! For games like this, I think it's vitally important to have interactable objects highlight when you approach. I got stuck because I couldn't find any keypad. For anyone else looking, look in the room to the very left of the elevator. But other than that, it was fun.
Alex de la Cour
15. Jan 2023 · 19:06 UTC
Beautiful art, one particularly brain teasing puzzle, creepy background music and unsettling vibes all around!
Yaen
15. Jan 2023 · 23:19 UTC
Quite the fun adventure you crafted here. Legit some creepy moments with mr. wheat but the ending was kind of a nice comic relief as well. Though I wonder where the wheat creature went off to...

Greg is a silly goober.
JUMPirate
16. Jan 2023 · 03:35 UTC
I didn't expect to be able to see such a game with a sense of horror atmosphere in a short period of time, very surprising. I hope that the story can be better in the future. It will be a good game.
Ava Skoog
17. Jan 2023 · 17:25 UTC
Nice game! Played with headphones and controller on full screen and was getting really into it when it kind of abruptly ended, but I know how tough it is to make a lot of content for a game jam 😅

Great work on the mood; setting alongside music and clues around the level really helped build up to the encounter, sending me running! Since I'd seen the mystery boxes and all doors seemed locked, I ran straight to one of the boxes and interacted again, which was apparently the solution 🔥

Enjoyed the little puzzle with the keypad, altho when I solved it, it disappeared so soon I wasn't sure whether it was because I'd ordered the keys numerically or because I'd matched them to the stuff from the "also my password" sign but I'm guessing it was the latter?

Even without dangerous sensitivity to light the flickering did feel a bit too sharp and unpleasant at least in full screen so could perhaps be fine-tuned to be a bit slower or less abrupt between light levels.

Good stuff!
WillPower
17. Jan 2023 · 19:47 UTC
The art amd atmosphere of the game made it fun to play! It was short so it is understood but having it all kind of be a joke at the end was a tad disappointing, but I had fun exploring :3 I like this games potential a lot!
🎤 mvasko2
14. Feb 2023 · 20:12 UTC
@achilnos, @alex-de-la-cour, @ava-skoog, @bezbiletnym, @chompdev, @digital-bacon, @dry-squid, @dzejpi, @eeperdeheap, @ex3d0, @hulya, @jiri-hysek, @jumpirate, @kelvin-mulungu, @kikiriki367, @koboldskeep, @lex, @machwerx, @mactinite, @nick-saulnier, @nullval, @octopulse, @pe7e, @pfannkuchen, @reikan, @sarah-alexa, @schnodelfactory, @steelfeathers, @substain, @szivacs, @t90, @willpower, @yaen

Thank you again for playing and commenting on the game! If you're interested, you can now play a new post-jam ENHANCED EDITION version of the game.

Feel free to give it a try and share some feedback, thanks!