murder of Zafu by Franklin's Ghost

[raw]
made by Franklin's Ghost for LD31 (COMPO)
@FranklinsGhost

Third Ludum Dare attempt and really fell apart at the end. Didn't get as much time as I wanted to work on it this weekend and wasted to much time on animation.

Wanted to interpret the theme a bit differently this time and decided upon the idea of the player observing a room through a peephole. You know a murder is going to occur and all you can do to stop it is turn off the light as the killer attempts to shoot. (Like the old Space Ace games where it was all about timing)

Game doesn't make much sense but you click as the game plays and it goes black as the lights are turned off which you have to time with the killers attempt to throw him off.

Restart button at the top left of screen.

Wanted to have different things occur depending when you pressed the button and more killer attempts but ran out of time.

Happy with the idea and the graphics but that's about it this time, feels really unfinished.

UPDATE: Plan is to keep working on this and posting updates on my Twitter. Have plenty of ideas to work with. Eg one hard level is a scene at a Halloween party where lots of people have fake weapons. Also want to limit light off switch in the expanded game.

UPDATE 12/12/2014: Started working on the Post LD version.
-Have removed annoying clicking. (Don't really know what I was thinking with it but guess that's what lack of sleep does)
-Removed restart button so you just need to click the screen at the end to restart
-Added gun flare

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 2.97 789
Audio 2.86 472
Fun 2.37 1078
Graphics 4.53 11
Humor 2.25 731
Innovation 3.35 392
Mood 3.54 123
Theme 4.10 106

Feedback

Nuclear Napalm
08. Dec 2014 · 11:54 UTC
I love the art style but the game is pretty short((
indigofiz
08. Dec 2014 · 11:55 UTC
The animations are so good, too bad that you didn't have time to add much to the gameplay though.
OFF
08. Dec 2014 · 12:25 UTC
Nice idea it reminds me the game based on the movie The Shining where you have to close your eyes before seeing the twins ghost.

With more levels, an increasing difficulty and a punishement when you close the light too soon, it could be a real good mini-game.

We can imagine level with false alarm, and even several killers for the same target.

Simple but efficient.

More levels please! :)
StabAlarash
08. Dec 2014 · 12:28 UTC
pretyy short but interesting concept
Thepattybeast
08. Dec 2014 · 12:30 UTC
Amazing graphics and animation. but the gameplay is clicking a button and a specific point in a sequence which take almost no time and you get the same sequence every time so no real replay value. iIt is an interesting concept/use of theme though.
🎤 Franklin's Ghost
08. Dec 2014 · 13:06 UTC
Thanks everyone. Yep it's way too short and not enough gameplay. Ran out of time and didn't get to spend as much as I wanted adding the levels. Had ideas for other scenarios which I didn't get time to do but hoping to expand upon the concept later.
Tinimations
08. Dec 2014 · 13:25 UTC
Really good animation. Did you film reference and trace? Couldn't beat it though?
Anti
08. Dec 2014 · 13:37 UTC
The art style is really great and the animations are fantastic. But the gameplay falls short.
lisac
08. Dec 2014 · 13:37 UTC
Very original, I like the overall mood and the graphics are fantastic.
It might have been more challenging if you could only flip the light switch once.
Akurn
08. Dec 2014 · 13:42 UTC
Wow were the characters rotoscoped? They look amazing. I wish this was longer!
LostTrainDude
08. Dec 2014 · 13:44 UTC
It's a pity that this one is so short, but for a quick prototype I think you achieved a great result!

Loved the characters animations (don't know the name of the technique - if it has one - which reminds me of rotoscoping) more than the environment.
hectorhon
08. Dec 2014 · 13:44 UTC
Great art! The gameplay is really short though (art is not easy indeed), would be great if it the story "continues" after flipping the switch!
caporaltito
08. Dec 2014 · 13:47 UTC
You just fell short of time, your game would have been really nice if it was longer. I love the art and the simple but surprising game mechanics.
kraln
08. Dec 2014 · 13:48 UTC
I am digging the squigglevision. Shame that it's so short!
CatOnMars
08. Dec 2014 · 14:47 UTC
Wow, the animation is really smooth! I like this concept, maybe you can add more kind of story branching into your game. Nice work!
yongcamu
08. Dec 2014 · 22:40 UTC
Like the others have said, really well done on the animation mate. :) It looks so cool. Also, the middle person creeps me out, can't stop imagine that he/she knows I'm here and would wink at me any minute now. x)
ponk
08. Dec 2014 · 22:52 UTC
Really nice animations !
🎤 Franklin's Ghost
09. Dec 2014 · 02:46 UTC
Thanks everyone glad people are liking the animations and concept, know it's not much of a game at the moment but working on expanding it. Have lots of ideas to work with so excited for that. Will update on my Twitter as I work on it.
miotatsu
09. Dec 2014 · 04:03 UTC
The graphics are stunning, this is sick. Wish it was longer but that is understandable considering the time constraints
nicotuason
09. Dec 2014 · 07:36 UTC
Amazing style! If this were turned into a full game it would be something really special.
Davision
10. Dec 2014 · 15:28 UTC
Very cool style but the gameplay obviously lacks. It also has that problem of having to watch a cutscene over and over again after failing at a boss encounter.
K.Chplr
11. Dec 2014 · 11:38 UTC
Nice art and animation, however I have a issue with the sound. I get a continuous click all the way through the game.
alpha_rat
11. Dec 2014 · 11:39 UTC
The game is very short, but 48 hours are short and it still presents an interesting idea.
I like the nimating and sounds you made, like in your previous LD entry you have a very strange and original atmosphere. The idea is very creative also

I'm curious to see what you will make from it!
hypnoticbytes
11. Dec 2014 · 14:53 UTC
Nice game, a bit short, loved the style!!!
Random Seed Games
11. Dec 2014 · 14:53 UTC
Awesome art. Would love to play more.
BlueTheLemon
11. Dec 2014 · 14:54 UTC
Lack of quality gameplay due to a lack of time but everything else is just great ! Congratulation !
gebirgsbaerbel
11. Dec 2014 · 15:22 UTC
The art style is interesting. I also like the basic game idea. However it would be cool if I as a player could have more influence (e. g. distract the murderer by throwing down a vase, etc.) The clicking sound is also a bit annoying, but the fake angry voices were quite fun and fit the mood well.
bitserum
11. Dec 2014 · 15:31 UTC
This is really great for what little there is. The animations, from the opening to the characters are really well done. The premise is great and would be cool to see a fuller story/game here.
Avant-Marde
11. Dec 2014 · 19:37 UTC
Veeery annoying ticking going on throughout the game, but other than that, really nice! Happy to see you finished it (I'm Prinsessa from TIGS)! Very short, of course, but I can definitely see this being extended to something cool.
rabbit
11. Dec 2014 · 19:40 UTC
Strange ticking noise the entire game.

I wish it was longer. It has really great art, and animation. Though the sounds are a little too bassy.
sebasRez
11. Dec 2014 · 21:52 UTC
Hi sw your game on tigsource. This is pretty cool, I didn't get it at first until I read the description (I had no idea that was turning the lights off and on) but the concept is interesting and the visuals are nice. Hopfully there is more gameplay in the future.
Kitch
12. Dec 2014 · 05:14 UTC
Wow.. that was really pretty. I didn't actually win (thought I tried about 20 times), but the overall experience was still pretty great. Good work! Thanks!
SusanTheCat
14. Dec 2014 · 03:20 UTC
This has great potential. The animations are perfect. I like the "talking" sounds.
Andynonomous
14. Dec 2014 · 04:12 UTC
Very strange, but I absolutely love the visual style. Is that motion capture!?
Gigawicket
14. Dec 2014 · 04:12 UTC
I really like the style of graphics, and the animations were great! I would have liked to see a few other scenarios perhaps, as it was very short.
CMWeissMedia
14. Dec 2014 · 07:15 UTC
Great idea, great art, and fun game mechanics. I think the main thing that this game would need is variance in each play through so you don't always know who the killer is (and when they'll strike), and some additional levels.
mrexcessive
14. Dec 2014 · 10:05 UTC
Hi there. Love the animations. Nice background art style also. The mangled voices also great. Very short game.
rnlf
14. Dec 2014 · 11:57 UTC
The visuals are stunning and look pretty fresh. Like them a lot. In the game itself, there is sadly not much to do.
kipelovets
15. Dec 2014 · 08:06 UTC
Animations are so great, it's a pity that there only one button click for a whole gameplay
freaknarf
15. Dec 2014 · 11:15 UTC
I didn't manage to stop the killer but it's very well animated...
🎤 Franklin's Ghost
15. Dec 2014 · 11:25 UTC
Nice to see people are liking the visuals and yep the complaint about it being too short is definitely noted. Working on extending this now so hopefully I'll be able to fix the biggest complaint. Also have removed the tick in the post LD version (don't know what I was thinking with that, think it was the lack of sleep). The animation is rotoscoped, something I've always played with so thought I would try for this LD.
DonovanWu
15. Dec 2014 · 19:06 UTC
The art style is impressive!
drludos
15. Dec 2014 · 23:46 UTC
Excellent idea, i like it! The animation set for an excellent mood :) A great concept that definitively need to be extended in a longer game!
Xanjos
19. Dec 2014 · 00:08 UTC
It's a shame this was woefully short as I was actually expecting more (although it actually took me about 5 tries to win) but I like the concept a lot and I loved the squiggly art style.
igoramendola
20. Dec 2014 · 04:40 UTC
A few people have already said this, but now it's my turn hehehe...
Although is short, the graphics are awesome and it has potential to be a great game if it is longer. Perhaps you didn't have enough time, but you communicated the concept in a good way. Nice work ^^
Jupiter_Hadley
28. Dec 2014 · 17:29 UTC
Nice art! I Included it in part 20 of my Ludum Dare 31 compilation video series, if you would like to check it out :) http://youtu.be/SGfwL84KAH0
EvanEGibbs
29. Dec 2014 · 02:49 UTC
The art style in this game was super nice! I really loved the feel of it. The game was a little simplistic, seeing the murder once and finding out exactly when to flip the switch. But I could see this being expanded upon very nicely!