Old Dam Shift — a short hydroelectric plant dispatcher simulator.
You are the dispatcher on shift. Keep the headwater between the marks, follow generation orders from the grid, and don't drain or overflow the reservoir.
Made for Ludum Dare 60 (theme: Old Tech).
Controls: mouse only.
No audio.
*Quick manual* since a few people asked:
Aggregates (Level open)
↑ opens the unit (more water → more power, level drops)
My university thesis was easier than this game! :D It took me about five tries before I finally started getting the hang of it. Really interesting take on the theme!
It's an interesting idea. And it took me a few tries to figure out what to do. Some more in depth instruction on exactly what each control does would have been nice. I would have preferred sliders for the controls, but buttons did a good enough job. Once I got the hang of things it's an interesting game. Good stuff 🎱
The jump from 560 to 200 was the hardest from me, that killed me once when I couldn't reach 200 in time, but when I knew it was coming I could keep the left side at 200 and the right side at 360 output and just turn off the right side, basically for free! That was fun!
At first it seems like it's quite a lot with all the buttons and adjustment possibilities, but playing around and slowly figuring out what does what is quite fun! I must have gotten half a dozen different draining or dam flooding game overs before I got it right, but when I got it, it felt really good! I think I still wasn't playing optimally, since I kind of always had to adjust the spillways on the fly because I couldn't keep the water constant, but that's life as a dam dispatcher. Very cool take on the theme. Super fun game, very well made, great job!
Thanks! Glad the 560→200 jump became a puzzle instead of just a wall. And yeah, constantly tweaking the spillways is pretty much the job. Really happy it clicked for you.
That control panel looks great, all the little lamps and readouts make it feel properly old-school. Having to meet the power target while keeping the water level under control is a cool idea. Such an unusual job to make a game about!
a hydroelectric dispatcher sim is such an unusual pick for the theme, and i love that the whole game is just reading the water levels and grid lamps and trying not to wreck the reservoir. the tension between following grid orders and keeping the headwater in range is a really smart little systems puzzle. the learning curve is steep, but that's part of the charm of a proper old industrial console. did you base the numbers on a real plant? really interesting take.
Took some playing around until I figured out how to work it, and it definitely felt rewarding.
The 560 to 200 was like the final boss level lol, I almost gave up after losing there. But thanks to @captaindreamcast's comment which helped me solve it.
@evgenii-petrov@avi Thanks! Really happy the lamps and readouts sold the old-school feel. Unusual job was half the fun of the theme.
@perrarancino Thanks! Numbers are simplified so a shift fits in a few minutes, not taken from one real station. Glad the systems puzzle and the steep curve both worked for you.
@nitesh Thanks! Glad it felt rewarding once it clicked.
The 560→200 drop wasn’t meant to be a boss — just a normal schedule change — but yeah, if you’re not ready it hits hard.
It's a fantastic, stressful simulation that genuinely captures the intensity of a dispatcher's role. Managing the generation orders while keeping the water levels perfectly stable is a tricky puzzle, and it feels incredibly rewarding when you get the routine down.
Comments16
The jump from 560 to 200 was the hardest from me, that killed me once when I couldn't reach 200 in time, but when I knew it was coming I could keep the left side at 200 and the right side at 360 output and just turn off the right side, basically for free! That was fun!
At first it seems like it's quite a lot with all the buttons and adjustment possibilities, but playing around and slowly figuring out what does what is quite fun! I must have gotten half a dozen different draining or dam flooding game overs before I got it right, but when I got it, it felt really good! I think I still wasn't playing optimally, since I kind of always had to adjust the spillways on the fly because I couldn't keep the water constant, but that's life as a dam dispatcher. Very cool take on the theme. Super fun game, very well made, great job!
The 560 to 200 was like the final boss level lol, I almost gave up after losing there. But thanks to @captaindreamcast's comment which helped me solve it.
@perrarancino Thanks! Numbers are simplified so a shift fits in a few minutes, not taken from one real station. Glad the systems puzzle and the steep curve both worked for you.
@nitesh Thanks! Glad it felt rewarding once it clicked.
The 560→200 drop wasn’t meant to be a boss — just a normal schedule change — but yeah, if you’re not ready it hits hard.
Really interesting system, though! I just wish the interface were a little more user-friendly.