Lost in the Darkness by TobiasW

[raw]
made by TobiasW for LD27 (COMPO)
Your three friends are scattered in this nightmarish world, turned into creatures of darkness.

Find the fairies. I heard they are tiny and yellow. I don't know where to find them: You'll have to look around.

Lead the fairies to your friends! The music volume will guide you to them.

This world is in constant change. Be ready. And don't stay in the darkness for too long...

You'll only need WASD or the left stick of a gamepad (Windows release supports vibration too!).


That's everything you need to know - if you feel like exploring, don't read on.

---------------------------------------------------

Some guidance for the less adventurous:
- Your light shield holds for 4 seconds.
- The little critters are harmless in itself, but they will slow you down.
- Touch a fairy and it'll follow you.
- Touch one of your turned friends when you have a fairy to help him.
- The music is louder when a friend is near.

---------------------------------------------------

Used fonts:
- http://www.fontriver.com/font/a_song_for_jennifer
- http://www.fontriver.com/font/maras_eye
- http://www.fontriver.com/font/mage_script

Used base code:
- http://dragonlab.de/projects/ld27/base-code-unity.zip

---------------------------------------------------

Win Condition Bugfix Update 2013-08-30:
The mechanism that guides the players to their friends is a hot&cold music volume mechanic. I forgot to normalize the ingame music volume levels - so the music contained some louder parts which probably lead some players astray. I'm sorry for everyone affected! With the blessing of the fine folks at the IRC channel, I've updated the source/builds with a normalized mp3 file.

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.37 271
Audio 3.27 161
Fun 3.13 383
Graphics 2.54 778
Humor 2.19 582
Innovation 3.75 100
Mood 3.35 166
Theme 3.68 141

Feedback

matthias_zarzecki
26. Aug 2013 · 03:43 UTC
Solid adventurer! I like the dark/light switch :)
ellipticaldoor
26. Aug 2013 · 10:26 UTC
Nice game! I like the difficulty of the game
Bekokstover
26. Aug 2013 · 12:08 UTC
It's cool! I finished it. Good effort with the sound effects, and it's challenging. I would have made this even more abstract, without magic/fairies, just shapes and colors.
BerdiNerdi
26. Aug 2013 · 13:13 UTC
Really love this concept actually! Very fun and quite different. The audible concept is very interesting too. I also like the details you put in game over, when the player avatar becomes a creature of the night ;) I did get to complete the game :)
dmastergames
26. Aug 2013 · 13:47 UTC
Good Game Well done love that the idea behind it
epicSpeedTurtle
26. Aug 2013 · 13:48 UTC
I loved your game! The idea i genuenly original and fun and the execution is on the high level.
Zelun
26. Aug 2013 · 13:55 UTC
Pretty innovative but repetitive(:

Did you make a random map generator or something like this? (If yes, what was your technique?)
Ghostik
26. Aug 2013 · 16:15 UTC
Really good idea! I like how you are "zombified" after death :D.
Bjeaurn
26. Aug 2013 · 19:55 UTC
I loved this game. One of my favorites so far. The music is astounding! Only downfall for me was that I had to read your description instead of the game introducing me to some of the mechanics. Loved it nonetheless!
Bjeaurn
26. Aug 2013 · 19:56 UTC
I loved this game. One of my favorites so far. The music is astounding! Only downfall for me was that I had to read your description instead of the game introducing me to some of the mechanics. Loved it nonetheless!
Do you have Twitter or something?
RobotParking
26. Aug 2013 · 21:52 UTC
Very solid bit of game design.
Zuige
26. Aug 2013 · 22:17 UTC
Nice idea! Quite simple gameplay. Solid experience.
DanHayesGamer
26. Aug 2013 · 22:17 UTC
5/5. I really liked this one :)
andwhatnot
26. Aug 2013 · 22:21 UTC
My friends! I cannot get to my friend. Damn red-eyed demons ;)
Cute and fun game.
Brassawiking
26. Aug 2013 · 22:25 UTC
No idea how I am supposed to know where a fairy is. Cool effects both visual and audio wise. You could push the mood even further I think. Nice work!
12323op
26. Aug 2013 · 22:26 UTC
Loved the game. I think the whole idea is great!
Meep
26. Aug 2013 · 22:30 UTC
Very neat concept; I liked the dark/light switching and overall idea. Great job!
juaxix
27. Aug 2013 · 09:40 UTC
Very magical :)
I used the 360 gamepad with Win7-64b.

I like the flocking using those easings
senseidav
27. Aug 2013 · 12:51 UTC
This one remind me to some masterpiece games, like Eternal Darkness or Ico.. Games about light and shadow.

One good thing: the 10 sec. changing concept.
One bad: it looks like has no end:

My score in light balls:
[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/2a0hpqf.jpg[/IMG]
MegaMasterX
27. Aug 2013 · 15:53 UTC
The music mechanic was epic. The difficulty isn't too harsh, and the flow of gameplay is smooth as butter. VERY nice entry!
ratalaika
27. Aug 2013 · 18:49 UTC
good job
Diogo Muller
27. Aug 2013 · 21:37 UTC
The Light/Shadow mechanic is really interessing, and the audio really helps to set the mood. Great game. :)
jay griffin
28. Aug 2013 · 01:41 UTC
Some really clever stuff going on with the mechanics here, I enjoyed that a lot. A great game that deserves to do well.
TammiLion
28. Aug 2013 · 06:33 UTC
The 'Game Over' text gives me the chills... aaah! I couldn't find any of my friends :( Found 2 fairies on two gameplays. What do the look like? Liked your game ^^
🎤 TobiasW
28. Aug 2013 · 13:57 UTC
Thanks for all the comments! I appreciate it :D


@Bekokstover:
Thanks! And: Really? It might be just me, but I think the eyes and the little plot there is (which needs the fairies and magic) give it a bit of charm that I'd miss otherwise. Abstract it would've been too dry for me.


@Zelun:
Thanks! And yeah, it's a bit repetitive, but well, also pretty short. I had other enemies planned that would've come in later, but then I ran out of time.

The map generator is mostly just:
- If a tile is visible, create all neighboring tiles if they aren't already there.
- With a certain chance it's a white tile.
- Every set of 80 light tiles contains exactly one fairy.
- Every created dark tile contains 1 (or later 2) Scurries (the black critters)
- One of dark tiles in the outer rim of the starting tiles contains one of your friends.
- As soon as your friend is found, a new one is created on the current outer rim within a certain maximal distance.

I might write more about it in a post-mortem, but that's it in essence.


@Bjeaurn:
Thanks a lot! Which mechanics did you need the description for? I tried to put most of it in the starting screen and thought that the remainder might just as well be explored - so I'm interested in what I've missed there!

I don't have a twitter, no; I use Facebook for communication. I have a blog/YouTube for new games though!
- http://blog.dragonlab.de
- https://www.youtube.com/user/TobiasWehrum


@Brassawiking:
Thanks for the praise! And sorry - the fairies said they were too shy for me to implement any searching mechanism. They said they wanted to be found via exploration. If you keep walking in one direction, you are sure to find one though; there are enough for everyone.


@juaxix:
There's isn't any flocking actually: They just like the tile they are currently on, and switch position every 1.5 to 2 seconds. And if they find out they are on a light tile, they search the nearest dark one. It does LOOK like flocking though, and I'm glad you like it :)


@senseidav:
Thanks! It DOES have an end though - remember, you're here to find your friends, not just collect fairies. Find a fairy and lead it to the place where the music is the loudest. Look out for somebody who looks like you when you're game over - and touch him. Congratulations, then you've saved your first of three friends!


@TammiLion:
Well - your friends went game over before you, so that's how they look like! The music gets louder the nearer you get to one. (And I'm glad the Game Over text has the intended effect, haha. It even gives ME the chills :D)
caranha
28. Aug 2013 · 14:56 UTC
Awesome game! I really liked it, even though it was a bit too hard for me - I didn't manage to save even one friend! I guess I suck at "hot/cold" games :-(

But I really like your choice of music and sound effects: the little guys are terribly creepy! And the bad ending is great :-)

Thanks for the game, and I hope you enjoy my video review:
http://youtu.be/161iPzyL1EU
🎤 TobiasW
28. Aug 2013 · 15:47 UTC
Caranha! You're video review is AWESOME, and I didn't "enjoy" it, I LOVE it! This is a really cool way to review a game and it was immensely satisfying to watch. Thanks a lot!

For the music, I used http://abundant-music.com by the way - the same generator I suggested to you in my comment.

I am really unsure about how to make the direction clearer without giving it away. It's still about searching, and I wanted the player to "feel" that he's getting nearer to a friend - I thought music would be the best medium for it. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you! Do you have an idea how I could do it?

What you might want to try though: Walk only in one axis. Walk left, see if it's getting louder or quieter. If it's louder, continue for a bit, otherwise turn around. Then do the same with up and down. Once you've got a the general direction, start walking there. Repeat as necessary.
ddionisio
30. Aug 2013 · 00:41 UTC
Wow, that gameover is really mystique and melancholic, I love it! Awesome mechanic with the light and dark switch. I like how the shadows spew out of you as you enter the light regions. The music is great too!

I'm having a hard time following the musical cue when finding friends. Finding the fairies with the knocking sound is fine though.
fullmontis
31. Aug 2013 · 15:20 UTC
This is quite an amazing game! Really enjoyed it.
berkano
31. Aug 2013 · 15:21 UTC
Wow, what an atmospheric game, even though the graphics are quite simple, the creatures in the darkness feel genuinely creepy. Really love the music. One of the best entries I've played this LD.
Xaychru04
31. Aug 2013 · 15:22 UTC
Cool concept, but I found the character way too slow...
DanHayesGamer
31. Aug 2013 · 21:00 UTC
Hey Tobias, thanks for the comment on LEGACY! It means alot. Yeah I am going to make progression and things a little clearer in the full version, after seeing all the feedback I reckon It might be nice to make a proper version. :) I really liked lost in the darkness, gave it 5/5, nice original idea. :)
Almax27
31. Aug 2013 · 22:32 UTC
I like how you join the darkness when you lose :)
Dry Tree
31. Aug 2013 · 22:46 UTC
At first I thought I just had to collect the fairies, but once I got the hang of it this was really enjoyable - great game :)
darkshadow
31. Aug 2013 · 23:16 UTC
Brilliant concept. I love the bug like scurrying of the demon eyed soot monsters.
Crazi456
01. Sep 2013 · 00:13 UTC
Very neat little game. Nice use of the theme, good work!
Antidote
01. Sep 2013 · 01:05 UTC
Found about 6 fairies but couldn't find any friends ;_; I guess I'm really bad at hot & cold.
zatyka
01. Sep 2013 · 02:40 UTC
Unique idea. Nice use of music as well. Simple, but very enjoyable.
Teejay5
01. Sep 2013 · 03:11 UTC
Awesome game, excellent use of the theme!
loxo
01. Sep 2013 · 14:03 UTC
I like the atmosphere the game creates and it's fun to play! Music and sound effects are great and the simple graphics are nice too. After a few tries I managed to help 2 friends and the third one was in reach. I noticed, that the font was different right after loading the game, it changed after I died the first time.
Dir3kt
01. Sep 2013 · 17:48 UTC
Cute and very good mechanic (that goes very well with the theme).
DreamTeam
01. Sep 2013 · 18:16 UTC
Awesome idea! Your interpretation of the theme and your unique swapping light/dark mechanic is really refreshing. The audio is well done, too. I just wish the visuals were on par with the rest of the game. Would like to see a more graphically advanced post-compo version! Great work!
Jellycakes
01. Sep 2013 · 18:19 UTC
Really nice, with some more updated graphics and some more sound effects it could become pretty damn awesome. The concept was great although the enemies did make things difficult by crossing their own boundaries sometimes. Overall though good job.
ChrisGaudino
01. Sep 2013 · 21:38 UTC
Really enjoyed this! Cool idea and the difficulty was well balanced.
Doctor Broccoli
01. Sep 2013 · 21:56 UTC
Good game, the main problem I have is that sometimes it's not quite clear when the game considers me to be in a 'dark' area. The only times I died was when I was near an edge, waiting for the lights to flip when I suddenly died because appearantly I was standing on the darkness without realizing it.
bitserum
01. Sep 2013 · 22:11 UTC
I like the idea and audio, could be expanded to something really cool as it's really short now.
Ailin
01. Sep 2013 · 22:22 UTC
Great job on the auto-generated world. Game difficulty would be a nice feature to implement to have more challenge (think the game is a bit easy).
Some ambiant sounds (or very discret music) would benefit to the game in my opinion.
Great job.
hbocao
01. Sep 2013 · 23:01 UTC
I loved the idea! The alternating map was very cool. I caught my self strategizing my movements. :D Awesome use of sound too! Great entry!
davisan
01. Sep 2013 · 23:56 UTC
Nice game and loved the music!
porglezomp
02. Sep 2013 · 00:56 UTC
I remember seeing a progress post for this sometime during the compo. It's very nice!
Art wise, I think it would be more ominous looking if the eyes were just eyes, and would simply blink back into being in the darkness instead of running away in the light and looking small and helpless.
drkrunk
02. Sep 2013 · 01:51 UTC
Solid. Loved the music, mechanics, and concept.
ghRibacki
02. Sep 2013 · 01:55 UTC
At first I was kind of confused as to what my friends were, so I was just wandering away trying to find the source of the music.. haha! The light/dark switch thing every 10 seconds is amazing and the slowdown effect while being touched by the critters is very annoying (which is the point I think, so it's a good thing (not for my completionist nervs, though)!).

Amazing game! =D
Ray_Mickelino
02. Sep 2013 · 02:04 UTC
I really like your take on the theme. I was a bit confused for a while about what my friends were. I found all 3 fairies, then ended up wandering around for 5 minutes. Good job though.
BNeutral
02. Sep 2013 · 02:27 UTC
Quite nice! It took me a bit to realize the friend I was looking for was in the dark.
archaeometrician
02. Sep 2013 · 03:18 UTC
Sweet gameplay I love it :)
DaggerHog
02. Sep 2013 · 08:59 UTC
Pretty well done. I liked the light/dark switching going on.
panurge
02. Sep 2013 · 10:51 UTC
Great idea! The simple visuals work well to create a mood (I especially loved the little eyes peering at you from the darkness) and the hot/cold audio mechanic is excellent. Everything in this game just meshes together really nicely to create a very satisfying experience. Good work!
klianc09
02. Sep 2013 · 11:27 UTC
I wanted to play this game since I saw the gifs in your progress updates, and it really didn't disappoint. The hot/cold mechanic with the music was a nice touch. And I like how you can only see the red eyes of the critters in the darkness.
Zerot
02. Sep 2013 · 11:27 UTC
Very nice game. I really love the music in it.
lambda_express
02. Sep 2013 · 11:58 UTC
Nice mechanic, there is pressure but opportunity to plan ahead at the same time.
TheMaster99
02. Sep 2013 · 12:12 UTC
Pretty awesome adventurer you've got here. Quite unique mechanic, and executed very well. Was very pleasing, both visually and audibly. Good work!
Colapsydo
02. Sep 2013 · 12:59 UTC
The use of the music as a gameplay element is just excellent.
I really like the little runes circling around when the fairies save the friends.
aquilicoco
02. Sep 2013 · 13:30 UTC
Good job! excellent use of the theme.
Sascha
02. Sep 2013 · 13:41 UTC
Great game and concept! Loved the creepy little creatures, and the light/dark switch effect. The mechanics are solid and make for an interesting gameplay! I sometimes died with half of my character already in the light, which felt a bit unfair.

All in all, a great entry!
Andrew Shouldice
02. Sep 2013 · 16:45 UTC
A sweet story of friendship. I found the experience nail-biting, as it took me several tries to complete. More than once, I was so happy to have saved a pal that I found myself deep in darkness without enough time to escape.

Although subtle, I especially like the sound of the little critters latching on to you.

In an expanded version, I would love to see varied environments to explore, and perhaps some details about who these characters are. Are the creatures in the darkness more fallen friends?

Nice work!
KunoNoOni
02. Sep 2013 · 17:01 UTC
I liked the Black/White and the Hot/Cold mechanics. They really make the game shine. Great job!
DuFF
03. Sep 2013 · 00:58 UTC
Great little game here. The mechanics are solid. Loved the music and use of volume to indicate proximity to your friend. It took me a few tries to figure out who my friends were and what exactly I needed to do -- might suggest making their eyes a different color? But maybe they intentionally blend in to fit with your story. This is a quality entry for sure, good work.
mortus
03. Sep 2013 · 17:38 UTC
I liked the game very much. Great gameplay mechanics combined with dense atmosphere and a very finished look (despite simple graphics). I especially liked the game over screen, nice touch!
Jupiter_Hadley
04. Sep 2013 · 00:30 UTC
Really fun, cool game. Found it very hard though. I featured it in my video compilation series of LD27 games, if you would like to check it out :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyApng3Bq-c
GaTechGrad
04. Sep 2013 · 03:28 UTC
I liked the light/dark swapping mechanic, and the critter movements felt realistic. The only issue I had was that I collected about 5 or 6 faries, but could never find any "friends". However, I was able to watch the video to see what happened when you cure a friend.
killerstarbunny
04. Sep 2013 · 22:27 UTC
That was incredible lots of fun and very different.
ratking
08. Sep 2013 · 11:03 UTC
I really, really loved the game. Great job! Although I was suspicious because of the graphic style first (sorry, asshole grahic artist attitude). I get goosebumbs when I see the game over screen and how he turns into a critter @-@
Nothing more to say. Cool concept! :D
Jedi
16. Sep 2013 · 21:25 UTC
I love how you combined such simple game mechanics as "Don't step on the lava" and "Hot/Cold" so masterfully!
Kudos!
Jiggawatt
17. Sep 2013 · 00:47 UTC
There's something strangely moody about this. A lot of it has got to do with the pressure in the gameplay, and the audio too. Having to protect the friends somehow would add more difficulty/variety to an otherwise immediately accessible game.