Trench Diver by Hatherton

[raw]
made by Hatherton for Ludum Dare 57 (JAM)

How deep can you dive?

⬇️ Navigate a narrow trench and see how far you can go.

🔫 Defeat enemies and earn power-ups as you descend.

⚠️ Maneuvering in the depths isn't easy. Try not to let anything get behind you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Iif0Q694c

Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 10.19.46 PM Medium.jpeg

Ratings

Overall 712th 3.119⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Fun 756th 2.81⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 681th 2.857⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Theme 351th 3.825⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 533th 3.452⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Mood 598th 3.31⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Given 35🗳️ 20🗨️

Feedback

2009yasha2009
08. Apr 2025 · 02:14 UTC
Hmm... I definitely like how the character moves! There's something... elegant about it?
Celian
08. Apr 2025 · 02:14 UTC
Hey pretty cool, i like the idea and the mechanism. When an enemy is too close i don't know what to do, except try to move fast. The rotation is a little bit slow in these cases, but for the rest its cool ! :)
dstoc
08. Apr 2025 · 02:16 UTC
Fun experience and mood.

I struggled with the controls in the beginning. Kept getting stuck on the sides and felt like it took too long to turn around. But certainly a game that you can build skill in and improve on future runs.
Team 9tailed
08. Apr 2025 · 02:22 UTC
Very on-theme entry. Controls have a bit of a learning curve, and it isn't readily apparent how often you get to level up, but overall quite well done. The water effect really adds to the polish.
Neon
08. Apr 2025 · 02:24 UTC
The eels are real slippery! Couldn't quite figure out a strategy for dealing with them, but that did add a neat tense atmosphere when descending, as I was trying to spot and shoot the fish before they got behind me :D Didn't manage to get more than 160m deep, but it was fun while for a few rounds. Some atmospheric noise or music could've helped with immersion a bit.
AlexRak2
08. Apr 2025 · 15:17 UTC
Pretty dope, could've been better if the diver had some sort of flashlight. I get that its deeper in the water, but there could've been some type of light to help the diver.
LDJam user 259103
08. Apr 2025 · 20:20 UTC
I like the silhouette aesthetic, and the introduction of new enemies as you continue descending! The diving controls feel nice and smooth, though because of how slow you turn they made shooting enemies very difficult. It's also not the nicest to have to try to aim bullets with WASD (especially because that also makes you move!). There was also no indicator of when I would level up - something like that should probably be added to the HUD. Solid work overall, though.
Civ92
08. Apr 2025 · 22:11 UTC
Really enjoyed the atmosphere and really in-touch with the thematics. I couldn't figure out a good way to deal with the eels once they're stuck to your character however :(
pabloa31
09. Apr 2025 · 02:45 UTC
I like the game's idea and atmosphere, the controls are intuitive, and the art style is cool. I did feel the enemies were a bit too fast for the beginning of the game, I tried using the bullet but gave up after a few attempts and just started to run. The upgrade system is a good idea too! Overall, I found it interesting, nice work!
gamurmakesgems
12. Apr 2025 · 06:03 UTC
The character is difficult to control + with the aiming, the character also face down when idle which messes up the aiming too, by result, it's harder to kill the enemies in general, especially the eels and the starfish. Great upgrades, really makes it impactful
ScrivenerOfLight
13. Apr 2025 · 03:07 UTC
I loved the overall aesthetic - the dark silhouette against blue is perfect. The character animation and movement was great, too. Aiming was tough, but I got a little better... The upgrades helped a lot. Got to 156m deep... Great work!
MoD_Wiz
18. Apr 2025 · 20:07 UTC
I really love how this game looks and sounds, the mood is great and the style is brilliant.
But i don't exactly love how it plays especially with how awkward the aim is. And i think the part of it is that the first and most common enemy is the eel and when it is facing a player it's a really narrow target, difficult to reliably hit.
I have reached 123 meters before dying.