Navigating a mental labyrithm and mapping it out in your mind is an interesting mechanic, but I think the mood is the highlight of the game. Lovely melancholic vibes from the music alone.
I like the moody music and struggled a lot with the labyrinth. I just frantically smashed my way through, running in circles 😄, but I managed to find some portraits. The story is a bit hard to relate to. I feel like I was not able to really connect with the mission I had. Good job on the submission!
It took a bit of effort but wasn't too hard nor took too long, good thing in a LD game. Great atmosphere and theme interpretation. Gave me a bit of chills as the story is relevant to these times, evil witches have appeared and have been killing friends.
Pretty short and simple adventure game, I thought the idea of traversing through all these rooms was interesting, though some rooms/pathways didn't seem to make sense (i.e. going through a door would take me back to an earlier room). Perhaps some ability to look around the room would make the game more interactive. I didn't totally understand the story either, but I liked the art and music, it gave a very melancholy feel to the game. Nice job!
@lereveur not everyone finishes the game this time, so you did well. I tried to make it more challenging (the last few games, if I remember right, took less than five minutes to beat, on average). It's easier to get lost this time.
Yes, “melancholy labyrinth” is a good way to describe it, although completing the quest serves as an antidote. Thank you for playing.
ok i found it really interesting how u need to go through the rooms by using keys on a keyboard. also i want to mention the vibe it gives in general, really unsettling i'd say.. maybe the art style and music created this atmosphere but i kinda liked it even tho it was a pretty short experience! i'd add something more to the gameplay but it's game designer's business so it's good as it was intended! i'll try your other games 'cause i saw they have the same vibe. good job guys!
Nice game! I'm fascinated by the use of keyboard keys to navigate through the different areas, as well as the use of doors to travel backwards, rather than a 'go back' button. These choices are unconventional, but they are effective and challenge the necessity of "standard" keyboard controls.
The premise is interesting, somewhat reminding me of the story behind Five Nights at Freddy's. Accordingly, I feel that there is great potential for deep lore in this story, starting even with just the personalities of the characters. The character portraits alone are a strong start.
I love the mood, having to create a mental map was fun and I enjoyed the time I spent to get to the end. It was fun to see the result of the tools you used to created the visuals. Thanks for the experience and congrats on your entry!
Big on the mood, very unsettling backstory and in-game narrative alike. Really good music. Quite similar to your previous LD game but despite what's been said in the comments I felt this one was easier to navigate actually. Still, I did not find the hidden keys right away, I like how you did those. And how you represented things one screen at a time like the staircases. I like the noisy graphics. The portraits are again very unsettling in this context but nicely drawn. Don't have a lot to add, nicely done.
Ooohh this game really took the theme to a new level! It could have worked as just a point-and-click adventure but controlling it by keyboard somehow turned it into a completely different experience. The graphics and music really make for a somber vibe. This was definitely a mood, I love it.
@satacat it turns out the game is too short after all, as you stated. I was hoping it would be different this time, but was wrong about that. I'll see if I can make a more time-consuming game next time. Anyway, glad you liked the vibes.
@maxgun tools are key, and we played around with new material this time, construction paper, to give the game a different feel. At the very least, it adds texture to the images. Maybe we'll use it again next time as well. I think it has a lot of potential.
@ava-skoog it is good to see you again. I hadn't thought about it but yes, I suppose the portraits are unsettling, given they are in a crypt. However, the ending is not unsettling but uplifting, and so that makes everything all right, one could say.
@whirlguy yes, I was hoping for a different effect with the keyboard interface. I did not realize it would be such a different experience, however — I'm glad to read you felt that way about it. Perhaps I’ll use the same interface in the next Ludum Dare, we'll see.
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Anyway, glad you gave the game a go. Look forward to seeing you again in LD56.
Yes, “melancholy labyrinth” is a good way to describe it, although completing the quest serves as an antidote. Thank you for playing.
The premise is interesting, somewhat reminding me of the story behind Five Nights at Freddy's. Accordingly, I feel that there is great potential for deep lore in this story, starting even with just the personalities of the characters. The character portraits alone are a strong start.
@satacat it turns out the game is too short after all, as you stated. I was hoping it would be different this time, but was wrong about that. I'll see if I can make a more time-consuming game next time. Anyway, glad you liked the vibes.
@maxgun tools are key, and we played around with new material this time, construction paper, to give the game a different feel. At the very least, it adds texture to the images. Maybe we'll use it again next time as well. I think it has a lot of potential.
@ava-skoog it is good to see you again. I hadn't thought about it but yes, I suppose the portraits are unsettling, given they are in a crypt. However, the ending is not unsettling but uplifting, and so that makes everything all right, one could say.
@whirlguy yes, I was hoping for a different effect with the keyboard interface. I did not realize it would be such a different experience, however — I'm glad to read you felt that way about it. Perhaps I’ll use the same interface in the next Ludum Dare, we'll see.