https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/data-authority

I had this idea to make something like Papers, Please, but about moderating internet traffic. Instead of a desk — a screen, instead of passports — data packets. The decisions stay the same: allow or deny.

Your job is to manually inspect each packet — analyzing IPs, protocols, data formats, and more — constantly cross-checking everything against a large rulebook that keeps growing and evolving. It’s a fun concept that could also be used to explain things like IP addresses, subnet masks, protocols, and more through practical, real-world examples.

But I ended up diving a bit too deep into the visuals — shaders, ambience, sound design, the tutorial pipeline, and so on…

And it was awesome. Game jams are a great chance to try something new, and I ended up picking up a bunch of cool techniques on the fly — things I’ll definitely use in the future. Especially that amazing CRT shader by SittingDuck.

Right after coming up with the concept, I immediately had a clear vision of what the Inspector’s workspace should look like: a big chunky retro monitor, a metal desk, and an empty black room in the background. The CRT shader does a fantastic job of selling that old-school tech feel — it adds character and context even to the simplest geometric shapes. I wanted to bring that same vibe into the environment itself.

So I threw together a few mixed-format assets, spent a couple of minutes in Photoshop… and then about five hours tweaking shaders — post-processing, screen parallax, terminal and background layers, dynamic zoom, light scattering from the monitor, and a ton of little details — all for… five seconds of a transition from the main menu... And I absolutely love those five seconds.

I also love GameMaker Studio for the freedom it gives when working with graphical surfaces and shaders. I’m pretty sure that one day the mindset of “just throw something together — shaders will fix it later” will be the end of me.

Play it here: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/data-authority