Freak Waves

by rewzu
Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.52
Fun★★★★★★★★★★3.52
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★4.00
Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.17
Graphics★★★★★★★★★★3.50
Audio★★★★★★★★★★3.00
Humor★★★★★★★★★★2.62
Mood★★★★★★★★★★3.74

Images:



​About:

Freak Waves is a Compo game made for Ludum Dare 57.

A ship caught in storm.

How to play:

- Sail towards the target.
- Compass shows the direction.
- Watch out for freak waves.
- Try not to lose the cargo.
- Cargo influences your score gain.
- Do not sink.
- Have fun!

Default controls:

- A/Left Arrow - Turn left
- D/Right Arrow - Turn right

Have fun! :star::star::star::star::star:

Comments12

Prunus Padis
Prunus Padis7 Apr 2025, 13:29
Gameplay wise this was quite a simple. But the mood is really great. The waves and interactions with them is really also nicely done (had to look up how it was done).

Though its pretty random with its difficulty, it was nice to getting rammed by giant wave and flipping the ship and the cargo :D.

Really like the wibes you went for.
Nestral
Nestral13 Apr 2025, 11:58
really cool waves, 10/10 game, would sink again
Flying Dog Fish
Flying Dog Fish13 Apr 2025, 12:04
Nice game. I like how it makes you choose between keeping your ship straight and going in the right direction. Those giant waves hitting from behind are a pain.

You should leave some feedback on other people's games to get more ratings yourself. Just rating doesn't cut it. It would be a shame such a nice game didn't get enough ratings.
Sam Minh
Sam Minh13 Apr 2025, 12:14
This is such a good entry! I love how the waves look and feel. The foam of the water when you crash into it is super. What I mostly love is the feeling of going up and down the waves, it really feels like you are there and in what danger you are in. Loved it!
SimonL
SimonL13 Apr 2025, 12:19
Mood is awesome! Also the realization in general.
I'd like to have seen the end goal, but didn't manage to go past 800m in 5 attempts :D It is quite hard actually
ljol317 Apr 2025, 03:54
I almost made it to a full km.

That's like halfway to the other side of the Atlantic. I almost made it!

But i did like the ocean physics and the feeling of riding the massive waves.
someone
someone19 Apr 2025, 18:55
That was really cool. The physics worked well and the water looks great.
I managed to get 1212m. It would be nice if it tracked your high score.
I would have liked to be able to look around to not get completely blindsided by some of the massive waves.
dhim
dhim20 Apr 2025, 16:22
Whao!

First, let me preface with the fact that waves are my absolute nightmare! So this is literally hell and so stress-inducing! And with that entry, you perfectly capture that terrible feeling, so I think you nailed it!

I really felt the tension to navigate and keep my cargo, holding my breath throughout.

Game wise a bit more UI (level, radar, or some other element would be nice). The fact that there was no coast or any clue of where the end goal would really be played well in my anxiety of being lost in the middle of the ocean. But being more in control of what is happening, would happens would be nice.

The wave being somehow random in their direction is an interesting challenge but a bit out of context. A more steady set of challenges (front facing, then starboard, then maybe changing the frequency or intensity) would feel more like a progression. In one run an extreme freak wave got me from behind with no way of reacting which was a bit frustrating.

Good luck
bentglasstube
bentglasstube21 Apr 2025, 01:35
Really impressive physics for sailing through waves. I enjyoed how the audio was tied to the waves crashing as well, it made it feel very immersive. I capsized a lot thinkink I could steer through a big wave :cold_sweat:
Asieke
Asieke21 Apr 2025, 02:37
Really good job capturing the atmosphere. Almost felt like I was on the boat myself, dropping with it on those big waves!
Ava Skoog
Ava Skoog26 Apr 2025, 00:36
Wow! That wave simulation is amazing. Simple gameplay but difficult. Definitely not holding on to all of that cargo. Some humour in there too with how flimsy the containers are, not secured at all.

I don't know if it's just on my machine but the audio was kind of clipped and sounded a bit broken. But other than that it felt good. Really added to the power of the waves. Some more creaking from the ship and clanging of the containers would've been nice.

Is there a way to get that outside view of the ship shown at the top of this page? I wasn't able to figure it out.

I always failed before I reached any destination but since it counts the distance I assume there isn't one?

This was super cool, well done!
LDJam user 410492
LDJam user 41049226 Apr 2025, 06:30
Wow! This is a great experience! The wave effects are great, the physics are fun, hard but simple. Really cool!

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