Keep Hope Alive
This game is from ldjam.com, which is currently unavailable.
You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive (may not load correctly).
You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive (may not load correctly).
I was feeling extremely depressed and saw Ludum Dare was starting.
Many people don't understand how impossible depression and anxiety can make life. It's much worse the later in life you are trying to get better.
I thought I'd make a lander type game to express this feeling, giving people the power to set their starting year, level of anxiety/depression, and personal history.
The game itself is an abstraction on reality. Being high up means life is good, being low means life is bad. Being far right means your are looking forward and achieving success, being far left means you are looking back and growing regret. There are opportunities and obstacles, and All of these things impact your Energy, Hope, Exhaustion, Depression, and Anxiety.
The poem after the menu page may seem like flavor text but it entirely describes the mechanics of the game.
When you reach 50 years old, your life from when you started will be summed up. Game is very short (~3min) so you can play it a few times and experiment with different histories and personalities.
(Left/right turns, up is thrust)
PS:
I know the programmer art is atrocious, I spent so much time on the mechanics not much could be done with the art. I'd gladly accept art help for a post jam version. All comments and feedback are welcome.
PPS:
Web version is identical to original except for 1 quality of life UI update. (It now shows if you are in good times/bad times)
Many people don't understand how impossible depression and anxiety can make life. It's much worse the later in life you are trying to get better.
I thought I'd make a lander type game to express this feeling, giving people the power to set their starting year, level of anxiety/depression, and personal history.
The game itself is an abstraction on reality. Being high up means life is good, being low means life is bad. Being far right means your are looking forward and achieving success, being far left means you are looking back and growing regret. There are opportunities and obstacles, and All of these things impact your Energy, Hope, Exhaustion, Depression, and Anxiety.
The poem after the menu page may seem like flavor text but it entirely describes the mechanics of the game.
When you reach 50 years old, your life from when you started will be summed up. Game is very short (~3min) so you can play it a few times and experiment with different histories and personalities.
(Left/right turns, up is thrust)
PS:
I know the programmer art is atrocious, I spent so much time on the mechanics not much could be done with the art. I'd gladly accept art help for a post jam version. All comments and feedback are welcome.
PPS:
Web version is identical to original except for 1 quality of life UI update. (It now shows if you are in good times/bad times)