LudumData

Decrypting Handwriting by pauljs

[raw]
made by pauljs for Ludum Dare 53 (COMPO)

Welcome agent, your final test will began. You will have to decrypt some nasty handwriting to get the password and join our organisation

Capture d’écran 2023-05-04 130819.png

A few months ago I saw a Tom Scott video about trying to analyse hard to read handwriting and I always thought it was a great idea for a jam! So I've made it!

Streamer warning : I advice the streamer to play the Post LD version, which has made it impossible to doxxed your self. The LD version has a address form to keep note of the addresses, but when you click on it, google/firefox might auto suggest your address!

ScreenShot.png

Post-LD version changes: - Let you continue the game if you have failed - Reverse Enhance direction - Proofreading - Made the template disable and safe for streamers

(i used an external generator to generate fake addresses, don't worry it is not real addresses, data used: https://www.briandunning.com/sample-data/)

Web (Post LD) https://imbojack.itch.io/decrypt-handwriting
Web (LD) https://pauleyheramouno.com/jeux/ld46/finalexam/
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/53/decrypting-handwriting

Ratings

Overall 132th 3.733⭐ 62🧑‍⚖️
Fun 195th 3.4⭐ 62🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 1th 4.733⭐ 62🧑‍⚖️
Theme 254th 3.675⭐ 62🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 319th 3⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Humor 284th 2.427⭐ 50🧑‍⚖️
Mood 187th 3.361⭐ 56🧑‍⚖️
Given 38🗳️ 31🗨️

Feedback

Gzalo
01. May 2023 · 02:44 UTC
Great game!!! love the idea!! 5 stars :star2:

you have to continue it developing it, it has great potential
Ranthaz
01. May 2023 · 03:35 UTC
# Fun

*I really like your game*

Thanks, keep working on it :D
MiniBetrayal
01. May 2023 · 10:47 UTC
I can't decide if I had fun while playing that, which at least means it was extemely engaging. I was not a fan of the address list being in no obvious order. perhaps by surname rather than id, but CTRL+F helped me enough to not need any specific order in the end. More just a nit pick. Good Job!
justslavic
01. May 2023 · 11:36 UTC
I was really difficult to read handwriting, so I didn't finish the game. Also controls might update the image on every update, instead of releasing mouse, so I can see how much I rotated the image.
Enhancing works in the opposite directoins, it seems, and doesn't make any sense, why would I move it to lower value. The focus length might be better fit for this control.
🎤 pauljs
01. May 2023 · 11:40 UTC
@justslavic Thank you for your feedback! But to give you a bit of context, i did all of that on purpose, i wanted the control scanner to be a bit cluncky to give the mood of a hard to control scanner and so-on, for me it is part of the mood i am building! But maybe it didn't transpire enough, thank you for your feedback, nonetheless!
SlimeBOOS
01. May 2023 · 11:49 UTC
I liked it, a unique concept. You really captured the difficulty of decrypting an address using different handwriting and levels of damage on the paper.

My only question, why does increasing "enhance", ALWAYS pixelates the images? I'd say if the "ideal" position was picked randomly somewhere on the slider and then you would need to fine tune your "enhance", to get the clearest possible image.
🎤 pauljs
01. May 2023 · 12:01 UTC
@slimeboos that's honestly a great idea and would have fit perfectly, the enhance is a thing i added at the end last minut because i like the idea to have the stupid "enhance picture" from movie that is not a real thing x) But yes you are totally right finding the right enhancement would have been way more fun/on point than just having a slider (which indeed would have been better in the opposing direction!)
LDJam user 277876
01. May 2023 · 12:23 UTC
Really cool idea! I don't have all too much to add, you found a simple yet unique idea and ran with it.
ollie_d
01. May 2023 · 17:54 UTC
Wow, a great submission. I watched that video as well and was really impressed with how they did. I thought my handwriting was bad until I watched that/played this game! This would be a great way to (ethically dubiously) collect more training data for classification if you had users label individual characters ;)
drazil100
02. May 2023 · 01:33 UTC
This was a neat concept. A little too challenging for the level of fun but I did enjoy figuring out some of them.
jakeblake
02. May 2023 · 03:52 UTC
The most unique entry I've reviewed thus far. Thanks! I really like the premise. I'd love to see how it would play if the static document was instead a list of search results from the info you fill in. Maybe you could have wildcard character to represent what you're not sure about when filling it out. That's not a critique as much as a brainstorm. :slight_smile:

I had fun and enjoyed playing.

![decrypting.png](///raw/0e0/b3/z/5a628.png)
JiexDrop
02. May 2023 · 10:04 UTC
Ok! Got in thanks to crtl-F too.
The last one was definitely tricky.
Liked the enhance filter joke.
LDJam user 279622
02. May 2023 · 10:14 UTC
i'm a secret agent now 😎
AndideBob
02. May 2023 · 13:08 UTC
This was super cool! I love the idea and what you did with it! I honestly have nothing more to say other than maybe add more adresses. Really well done!
Tvorojok
02. May 2023 · 13:22 UTC
soo huge!!
osh.studio
02. May 2023 · 13:27 UTC
i absolutely LOVED this game. It reminds me of spy books with coded messages I loved as a kid, I want you to make more levels!! I could play that all day, my favourite game of the jam so far. Super unique and innovative idea, amazing entry :)
RIBOUT Horace
02. May 2023 · 14:23 UTC
Truely unique and quirky and fun! I like the mood which callback on the old scanner or old equipment that post man can still have even today, with laggy and not perfect tool. I cheat a little by copy-paste the data in a excel and having the ability to sort the data, but I think it fit the game too!

Some of my favourite entry so far
pdotjpg
02. May 2023 · 17:01 UTC
What a clever idea! Would love a more developed version of this with more advanced search and sort tools. But it's cool to sleuth over the PDF too. Very cool vibe - like Papers, Please or Stop Talking and Nobody Explodes, etc. Tactile and really makes you feel like you're sleuthing. One of the most original entries I've played.
JimmyMcGinger
02. May 2023 · 19:44 UTC
Very clever idea, loved this! Just needs some CSI music or something in the background and it would be perfect. Fantastic work!
Augmotic
02. May 2023 · 23:08 UTC
Thanks for hanging out in the stream and bringing your game!

Here is a link to the VOD that starts at your section.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1809875425?t=00h34m50s
Squidly
03. May 2023 · 02:16 UTC
Never in my life did I think I'd be taking the postal exam in a jam

But that was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had in one
jebouin
03. May 2023 · 02:56 UTC
Very unique entry, the last address took me a while to figure out!
DGo
03. May 2023 · 03:27 UTC
I love the idea! One of the most unique games I've played during the jam so far :)
Terrabalt
03. May 2023 · 06:54 UTC
I'll be honest, this feels more like work rather than a game. Not that i apreciate the idea and implementation of it, but to me it's one of thos ethat rely more on the presentation being top-notch, and this one unfortunately feels too clunky to be fun.
Rincs
03. May 2023 · 09:12 UTC
I'm a sleeper agent now.
ruruie
03. May 2023 · 10:35 UTC
Remarkably engaging for what it is.
greenphox
03. May 2023 · 13:04 UTC
Really nice idea! I just found way too hard, as English isn't my native language. maybe a difficulty setting would be nice, but it is of course really difficult to implement a difficulty setting to a jam game.
Nice one!
Andreadbx
03. May 2023 · 15:53 UTC
this is totally out of the box! love it!
Spacespytv
03. May 2023 · 17:35 UTC
Such a great idea, finally got round to playing it off stream, and I've got to say, it's interesting and just clever in general, turning an interesting mechanic like that and turning it into something engaging is so hard, and you nailed it. Well done.
Honest Dan
03. May 2023 · 21:39 UTC
very original content! Had a good time working through this. Its gonna be tough to appeal to everyone with these sort of games, but great if you got a bit of time to focus on it! Appreciated the warning about doxxing too, thoughtful.
Nivbeth
03. May 2023 · 21:49 UTC
Your idea is truly unique, I never saw something like this in a LD contest. Nicely done.
GreenwoodDrive
03. May 2023 · 22:01 UTC
Ok i must admit i saw the last address on Tobugis stream, but i figured out all the others ! Like i said in the chat, its such an original and great concept ! Amazingly innovative <3 <3
abi.code16
04. May 2023 · 11:20 UTC
What an innovative idea! I think this game is great and different from the others I have seen
Adam Gaskins
04. May 2023 · 11:48 UTC
Hahaha this is awesome, I immediately thought of the Tom Scott video when I saw this, and it really recreated the experience for me :D
aile
04. May 2023 · 12:58 UTC
One of a kind idea, I absolutely loved it. Felt so proud when I passed the test! xD Hoping to see it more polished, or maybe taken and used in some other context/game? Would be awesome!
Pacha
04. May 2023 · 13:00 UTC
This idea is soo nice ! Got caught in it for a long time ! Really well done <3
Aglou
04. May 2023 · 14:36 UTC
Super duper cool game, it was really fun to decipher the writings like an old postman.
LDJam user 278146
04. May 2023 · 14:51 UTC
Very clever idea. Would've liked some more like the last one where you really had to be creative with how you deciphered the address.
notdepressedeveloper
04. May 2023 · 22:34 UTC
In the beginning i really liked the game when after the time passes it made me feel really anxious. Your idea is really amazing
BodhiAgora
04. May 2023 · 23:37 UTC
Super unique, great idea for a game, and well put together! Good job!
NuiN
05. May 2023 · 00:10 UTC
Cool game, gave up on address 5 though that person deserves to be cremated
jitspoe
05. May 2023 · 00:21 UTC
I have a hard enough time reading printed letters... I can't believe you've done this!

Clever use of the theme and it gives me a new appreciation for those who figure out where those hand written addressed letters go!
SneakyFox
05. May 2023 · 01:03 UTC
**Idea is great**, I feel like I am detective, and it's so cool! But I spend a lot of time figure out where is this some adresses id's. And it is very hard and I don't finished the game, and it's disapointment for my experience. May be you should add single level at start, and make total length of submission form smaller.

I think you should simplify this game, and add some reveal to scanner where he can help you amd reveal some letters or words. And I don't like that list as pdf (literaly it's pdf), I wanna see the more simple and more gamified version of this game. Now it feels just like interesting work instrument if detective xD
Anchry
05. May 2023 · 17:39 UTC
This was fantastic, thank you for making such a unique game. Also loved the video that inspired this game, great entry!
Gmstochetto
06. May 2023 · 06:45 UTC
I really loved the game, of course there could be some improvements, like moving the image with the mouse and other things that have already been mentioned here, but the game works well as it is, there are no bugs, and it's fun to try to decipher the addresses. I think this was the most innovative game for me so far, and I really appreciated it. Congratulations :D
Fupi
06. May 2023 · 21:12 UTC
I DID IT!!! This is such a creative idea, I loved it. Only thing is that my eyesight is already kinda trash so I would have appreciated some bigger lettering on those buttons ;w; I'm surprised at how doable this was, from the screenshots it looked almost impossible, but with enough stubbornness I kept going. I think some QOL features on the scanner would be nice, like making the sliders for movement, zoom, etc update automatically as you change them, and I'm not sure what the use of the "enhance" slider is since you never want it to make the picture blocky anyway, I guess it's just there for that secret agent feel. x) Awesome game great job!!
yumykon
07. May 2023 · 00:04 UTC
Wow, this is the most original idea I've seen so far! At first, I was a bit confused, but once I understood everything, I felt determined to find all the id addresses and felt extremely accomplished when I entered everything and successfully obtained the code. I felt like a real secret agent inside the agency! 😎
I'm glad my best friend sent this game to me, congratulations on the creativity and great game with such a unique concept! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
Ategon
07. May 2023 · 07:58 UTC
Thanks for submitting your game to be played on the stream! If you wanted to watch my reaction again here’s the vod timestamped to your game
https://youtu.be/0LdDwOAkfzc?t=5460
Lomby
08. May 2023 · 02:10 UTC
Thanks for submitting your game on the stream!
Here’s the stream if you wanted to re-watch initial thoughts (timestamps in the description to jump to your game!) [youtube link](youtu.be/jljB3XXZHcg)
Francis
08. May 2023 · 06:00 UTC
Very cool and innovative idea! Would've loved to see more usage of the different image filters and stuff at the top. It seemed like once I turned on enhance all the way and remove scan lines, that I no longer needed to touch that at all. Enjoyed needing to scrape for bits of readable information and poring over the document to narrow the addresses down. Lots of potential here :)
Trexxak
16. May 2023 · 04:47 UTC
A unique twist on gaming, making you feel like a secret agent. A bit tricky, but tons of fun. Great job!