c!ph3r by frosty

[raw]
made by frosty for LD23 (JAM)
You're an elite hacker, using your tiny avatar to explore a highly secure computer system -- try to locate Secret File X.13 before the system shuts down!

Goal:
Reach the secret file at -Node 9- before time runs out, collecting batteries along the way for extra points.
Each mistake takes time off of the clock.

Controls:
Click on tiles to move in a straight line. It's all about timing.
Click gates to hack into them and disable them.

Credits:
Game design & Programming: Joe Lesko
Artwork & Music: Wormburn

NOTE ON CONTROLS:
I agree with some of the comments that it isn't a perfect mechanic, but the idea behind the delay and the straight-line movement was to focus the gameplay on timing puzzles where a little bit of planning (and patience) is important, versus turning it into a more vanilla arcade-style maze game. Thanks!

Bonus Tip: The delay doesn't happen if you make quick moves in succession.

Ratings

Coolness 50% 3
Overall(Jam) 3.50 58
Audio(Jam) 3.26 71
Fun(Jam) 3.08 77
Graphics(Jam) 3.83 66
Humor(Jam) 2.59 99
Innovation(Jam) 2.90 132
Mood(Jam) 3.00 96
Theme(Jam) 2.95 130

Feedback

Rex Peppers
24. Apr 2012 · 04:03 UTC
Nice job! Really liked the music and the feel of the game...
marudziik
24. Apr 2012 · 23:10 UTC
Very nice overall feel, the game is quite polished! Great entry!
matthias_zarzecki
25. Apr 2012 · 08:01 UTC
Nice little concept! Graphics and sound are quite fitting.

..but you HAD to draw a stereotypical misogynist tits-and-ass-pose?
strega
25. Apr 2012 · 13:24 UTC
Nice simple puzzle game! The art is well done. I like the sounds, too. The mouse controls felt a little bit awkward. I would have preferred tighter controls with keyboard keys.
Misfit
25. Apr 2012 · 17:05 UTC
Great game! I liked music and art. First I thought that mouse control does not work, but now (after few minutes) I have to say that controls are good.
orgarus
26. Apr 2012 · 18:12 UTC
Good entry! NIce graphics (polished and well designed, the enemies a litle out of the place but I suppose that is for a matter of time limitation ) and sound it matches perfectly with the type of game!
Congratulations!
Jigxor
27. Apr 2012 · 15:09 UTC
Awesome game! It was very polished, fun mechanics and good level design. My suggestion would be to allow keyboard controls, but I can see how in the later levels you were trying to make it about 'timing' your moves and non-clickable squares. In the end, the mouse controls worked pretty well.

I really enjoyed this one. Great job!
vitou3d
29. Apr 2012 · 05:51 UTC
Brilliant! Nice game-play and music in such little time. Well done!
johanp
29. Apr 2012 · 06:02 UTC
Nice job! Would be nice if the batteries has something more to do with actual gameplay than just score.
tcstyle
29. Apr 2012 · 06:15 UTC
What a great idea. The game mechanics work very good. The graphics and sound totally fit the concept.
Some music that makes use of the rathm made by the sound effects would be neat.
cakemonitor
29. Apr 2012 · 06:32 UTC
This is a great game and seems very well polished. The only criticism I'd make is that the controls feel very unresponsive - you click to move, then it beeps to acknowledge your move, the the player character takes his crouched 'I'm about to move' stance then what feels like an hour after your initial click he begins moving. That is quite frustrating in a game about accurately times moves. Also, some path-finding would have been nice so you're not forced to click in the same row or column that the player is currently standing in. Otherwise a great game :)
Evil Cult
29. Apr 2012 · 06:34 UTC
[Comments and ratings from this account come from various team members]
A fun, solid experience. One thing I would have liked to see is the pickups increasing your time. At first I thought you needed all of them to proceed but after I found out you didn't I cared very little for them. Other than that great work and nicely polished!
Waynetron
29. Apr 2012 · 07:00 UTC
The delay in the character's movement was pretty painful but the monsters were really cute
DDRKirby(ISQ)
29. Apr 2012 · 07:04 UTC
A level-based timer would probably work better than a whole game-wide timer, IMHO. Other than that, I love the aesthetic, and the demoscene-style title music was a great touch. 8D
samoojamies
29. Apr 2012 · 07:11 UTC
Nice pixel art. Sounds effects were great. Only thing I didn't like was controls. Good game overall!
asidance
29. Apr 2012 · 08:02 UTC
great game, batteries could've been used to add more time, other then that great game :D
Datamosh
29. Apr 2012 · 08:11 UTC
Wow, this is super complete for so little time! Really polished! I agree with the mouse response.
nornagon
29. Apr 2012 · 08:15 UTC
Controls were annoying - your character didn't move exactly when you clicked. Also there didn't really seem to be any reason to get the score things.

Nice graphics and sound though
seagaia
29. Apr 2012 · 21:05 UTC
I think you have good/balanced mechanics. The mixing of sound can use some work, I found getting hit to be an absolutely horrifying experience because it was so loud!
Tourgen
01. May 2012 · 02:31 UTC
Really a solid game and fun to play. The title gfx and music are GREAT! I liked the gameplay quite a bit. I didn't make it through level 9 though unfortunately.
deejorg
04. May 2012 · 03:50 UTC
Really nice overall with an emphasis on the graphics.
The batteries could play some other role, like getting a little more time, less than what you take to get there, but would still be a good enough reward to make me want to get them.
Johnicholas
04. May 2012 · 23:14 UTC
Wow awesome polish!
MrDanH
09. May 2012 · 12:45 UTC
Nice game, although it feels like the controls could be smoother (even with the intentional delay before moving)
thegreystudios
12. May 2012 · 09:32 UTC
This is done really well. Love the art and the gameplay!
ehtd
12. May 2012 · 16:53 UTC
Very good! I thought the batteries increased your time. Not the case.
Will Edwards
12. May 2012 · 19:08 UTC
Lovely puzzle game with great graphics.
Chaoseed
12. May 2012 · 21:09 UTC
I get what you were going for with the timing mechanics. Seems kinda cool, but not really my thing.

My question, though, is: Why am I picking up these "batteries"? Is there some purpose to it? Can I just go to the exit without picking them up? Nothing in the game explains these things.
🎤 frosty
12. May 2012 · 22:25 UTC
From the Info section above: "...collecting batteries along the way for extra points." Basically, if you can grab them without making a mistake, you'll end up with a higher score.

I agree with the comments that it'd be nice if they had an additional purpose, but that's all I could fit in under the time limit. Thanks!
Christina Antoinette Neofotistou
13. May 2012 · 09:47 UTC
Top marks for graphics, audio and mood. The mechanics were cool too!