Ludum Dare #59compo

RETURN//NULL

by shadyshade

Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.88

Fun★★★★★★★★★★3.56

Innovation★★★★★★★★★★3.04

Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.71

Graphics★★★★★★★★★★4.51

Audio★★★★★★★★★★3.85

Humor★★★★★★★★★★3.12

Mood★★★★★★★★★★3.97

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Follow the signal into the void - not everything is meant to return...

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RETURN//NULL is an atmospheric space exploration 3D experience about isolation and curiosity. Explore the void, decode transmissions.
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*"You pick up a signal from deep space. It isn’t listed in any database. It has no origin.
You are the pilot of a long-range reconnaissance vessel, sent beyond mapped routes to intercept anomalous transmissions. Your mission is simple: locate, scan, and classify unknown signals."*
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Made with Godot, Blender, Aseprite, FL Studio and ChipTone.
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Tags: #3d, #cats, #first-person, #ludum-dare-59, #mystery, #sci-fi, #short, #space, #space sim

Genres: simulation

Tools: Aseprite, Blender, ChipTone, FL Studio, Godot

Comments30

tweekus20 Apr 2026, 07:23

Do you plan to make a web build? Could you ping if yes, I'd like to play it

William Corrin20 Apr 2026, 07:34

The graphics are absolutely gorgeous. How did you make the black hole? It looks seriously stunning.

Unfortunately, I get kind of sick with roll-based rotation so i had to stop after not very long of playing. But the presentation and graphics are just fantastic, well done!

cupofmilk720 Apr 2026, 08:18

the visual assets look really cool!!

MrMastin20 Apr 2026, 12:40

Сool game, but when my fuel was completely gone I inertially flew into the cube but nothing happened and I died.
I don't know if it was planned, but when I restarted the game, I only needed to find the last satellite

ShadyShadeauthor20 Apr 2026, 14:41

@tweekus Here it is, hope you enjoy the game! :smiley_cat:
@william-corrin Cheers! You can find all my source code on my GitHub. It was made by Godot Shaders.
@cupofmilk7 Thanks! I'm so glad to hear it. :purple_heart:
@mrmastin Thanks for your feedback! I have already uploaded a little hotfix.

fabelay20 Apr 2026, 15:22

Love the game! It's really atmospheric and the black hole animation/shader is phenomenal. This alone had captivated me.

TermiGht20 Apr 2026, 15:33

It was a nice little game! I loved the skybox so much! And the ship interface is nice too especially the cat! :)

LDJam user 42814020 Apr 2026, 15:51

I could see this being a really sweet VR game. I was definitely vibing in space with my pet cat. Loved it

Tanjou20 Apr 2026, 15:55

Simply beautiful. Amazing work! Was a bit hard to get the hang of it, but t'was a fun ride.

LDJam user 28062420 Apr 2026, 16:31

Hello from XK discord!

A very atmospheric game. Navigating by radar is a bit tricky, but I really liked the idea of exploring outer space!

metalgear20 Apr 2026, 18:44

It was a cool game but I had astraphobia while playing it... the blackhole nearby is terrifying.

Mr. Flower20 Apr 2026, 21:12

So so so good, it was so fun moving through space, having that floaty feeling of everything. Also that black hole OH MY GOODNESS I need to read through your source code and "borrow it", holy cow it's so good. Plus I need to get good at shaders anyways, I am garbage, lol. Again, fantastic stuff :D

Makintosh20 Apr 2026, 21:17

The project's presentation, the conveyance of the atmosphere, the music and sounds are simply top-notch. One of the most beautiful projects at the jam.
The cat on the dashboard deserves a separate like.

FakeTrap21 Apr 2026, 00:04

The visuals are amazing! But unfortunately, the gameplay is pretty basic :( . It's also easy to get lost in space, and the map isn't much help since it doesn't show whether your destination is above or below you

debugman1821 Apr 2026, 00:41

Awesome entry! It's pretty simple, but the movement feels really good.

LDJam user 34264021 Apr 2026, 06:01

Moody as hell, despite the gameloop being pretty relaxed its stressful just 'cause of the cramped perspective and music. Really neat stuff.

Stepanoff21 Apr 2026, 12:34

A dangerous and stressful space journey. But for me, everything ended well!

LDJam user 42383821 Apr 2026, 13:13

this game is super moody and looks gorgeous especially that black hole shader and the cat on the dashboard but the roll rotation made me a bit motion sick and navigation is kind of tricky since the map is hard to read and the gameplay is pretty basic overall though the movement feels great and it's a really solid atmospheric experience

LDJam user 42383821 Apr 2026, 13:13

Allexeee21 Apr 2026, 14:54

I liked it!
I am a space cat. Nice!

Crowelian21 Apr 2026, 15:01

Wow!
The black hole, the cat, the graphics! Great job!
Oh I wish you would have made more realistic spacecraft physics, not real of course, but some more floatiness. :)

ShadyShadeauthor21 Apr 2026, 20:00

@fabelay @termight @jpat @tanjou @torte478 @metalgear @mr-flower @makintosh @faketrap @debugman18 @drainkid @stepanoff @stisdan @allexeee @crowelian
Thank you all so much for your feedback! :purple_heart:

jester145421 Apr 2026, 21:53

The controls are nice, although I felt a little nauseous at first. I still don't understand if there's a happy ending? The music gets annoying at some point, but I liked the graphics and the atmosphere

SHAKIROVICH22 Apr 2026, 03:26

Tried to get to the black hole. Good atmosphere and controls

Zyertdox22 Apr 2026, 19:01

A very beautiful and atmospheric game!

LeReveur22 Apr 2026, 22:00

I loved the mood of this game! I managed to finish the first time but probably more because it was easy than thanks to my skills. No surprise with the end though, as the name spoil it a little :P
Well done!