Get To The Airlock by Dan Davis

made by Dan Davis for LD 42 (JAM)

“The Ludux Mega-Mining Corporation has a monopoly on the rare mineral “budiakium.” Their freighter-factories pick every celestial body they encounter clean for the substance, leaving very little for anyone else. That’s alright though. It just means that when I steal the budiakium right from under them, I can make a fortune on the black market. Most of these mines were dug out years ago, before people knew what to look for. Unfortunately, my ship won’t fit in these tunnels, so I’ll have to park at the entrance to a mine and jetpack my way in. My whole life, I’ve been running out of time, running out of danger, running out of trouble… Now, I’m literally running out of space… to get to the airlock.”

Get to the Airlock is a game where the main character is literally running, or jetpacking, out of space before her air supply runs out. Collect the crystals, stick it to the man, and survive to tell the tale as you traverse dangerous, alien mines. Dodge sharp edges… If you don’t, your air supply depletion will accelerate leading to a compromised spacesuit. Whether you take your time to keep yourself from getting damaged, or go quickly to collect all the treasure, don’t forget that to survive, you must GET TO THE AIRLOCK!

GameTitleScreen.png Dare 42 - Get To The Airlock 8132018 22648 PM.png

Controls are simple. Up, Down, Left and Right keyboard keys plus we have added Controller Support. Press Esc to exit the game.

Still some bugs but the team plans to keep working on the game and release updates but as per the rules of the dare the linked download is the download that we submitted for review and it will not be changed. Any further updates will be available from AlienAirship.com

Windows	http://alienairship.com/bin/gttal/GTTAL.zip
Original URL	https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/42/get-to-the-airlock

Ratings

Overall	464^th	3.51⭐	50🧑‍⚖️
Fun	435^th	3.385⭐	50🧑‍⚖️
Innovation	946^th	2.83⭐	49🧑‍⚖️
Theme	960^th	2.99⭐	50🧑‍⚖️
Graphics	470^th	3.604⭐	50🧑‍⚖️
Audio	421^th	3.202⭐	49🧑‍⚖️
Humor	761^th	2.244⭐	41🧑‍⚖️
Mood	304^th	3.457⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Given		31🗳️	33🗨️

Feedback

max6333

14. Aug 2018 · 01:33 UTC

I like the acceleration. The art was ok, the gameplay was somewhat fun. I had a little trouble with the window though. It wouldn't go into the background when alt tabbing or clicking away, had to manually minimize it.

minibobbo

14. Aug 2018 · 01:33 UTC

I enjoy these "maneuver through the maze" sort of games. This one was interesting with your air being the timer and the thrust. I liked the different music for each level and the different way each level looked. Plus the unique death screens and menu is something that rarely makes it into jam games. Well done!

The spikes were a little punishing since hitting one slowly pretty much instantly killed you because it took off so much air that completing the level was impossible. Maybe the spikes should deal fixed damage and then knock you back?

Joshua W

14. Aug 2018 · 01:40 UTC

I had a lot of fun telling my self, "Okay, speed run. Speed run. Gotta go fast!", and then realizing that my route had been carefully taken into account. The later levels punished expected behavior and you had to be on your toes. As for a death animation, I can understand the difficulty in picking one. I might have went with one where your character just floats off with x's for eyes and bounces off stuff, lifeless. Great job!

Bobgar

14. Aug 2018 · 01:44 UTC

Really fun entry! Also, I love that you use Godot! I've been experimenting with it but I haven't bitten the bullet to try it on a game jam. I love the running out of air mechanic, it makes the game really tense.

Bloc97

14. Aug 2018 · 01:48 UTC

A classic side-scroller where you have to dodge stuff, but with a caveat, you're the one moving uncontrollably towards the "enemy". And the lack of gravity doesn't help. Pixel art was very nice. The music was a bit repetitive, but acceptable. The graphics remind me of SS13 for some reason. Overall I had fun playing this game.

![Get To The Airlock.png](///raw/c7b/81/z/18c8c.png)
*A uranium crystal in its natural habitat, capturing prey*

Roy Berardo

14. Aug 2018 · 01:52 UTC

This is sure a fun one! I sure loved the visuals too. It was a great "Aha!" moment When you realized you should move slowly through and not zip through the mazes. I could imagine other elements which encourage you to move fast would add a nice dynamic to the gameplay. The spikes were an interesting touch, but as minibobbo mentioned, they are essentially insta-kill. I found that if I touched them I would loose so much oxygen and then I'd choose to suicide because its hopeless. Overall great job! Didn't run into any bugs which is very very impressive.

schizoid2k

14. Aug 2018 · 02:01 UTC

Nice game overall... I liked the graphics and sound, and the wee bit of parallax scrolling for a great effect. Congrats on a solid entry.

Kevin Prehn

14. Aug 2018 · 02:05 UTC

Fun and challenging game. That first part of the tunnel in the fourth level was very hard to get past!

G4MR

14. Aug 2018 · 02:09 UTC

Godot! haha, really solid game too bad the controller doesn't work. wasd doesn't work either just arrow keys unfortunately. Cool idea, felt right.

Eclahn

14. Aug 2018 · 02:19 UTC

Nice game, the controls fit the atmosphere (or lack thereof!) well and incorporating the remaining psi in the end screen gave an incentive to optimize my movements. My biggest criticism would be that barely touching spikes basically dooms the attempt, their damage feels too punitive.

Zombie Virals

14. Aug 2018 · 03:24 UTC

Very nice! The controls were amazing, felt very smooth! Love the graphics too! My biggest criticism personally, is the sound effect for the air thrusters, they were ear piercing for me(maybe I'm just getting old), lol. Great job!! :D

Lauren Kaehler

14. Aug 2018 · 05:02 UTC

@roy-berardo So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the feedback! Especially "other elements which encourage you to move fast"; that's a great idea to up the antic!

Lauren Kaehler

14. Aug 2018 · 05:03 UTC

@kevin-prehn I think we can all agree ;) so glad you enjoyed it!

Lauren Kaehler

14. Aug 2018 · 05:06 UTC

@bloc97 Thanks for the review, and the good laugh at the pic caption! Happy to hear it's fun!

Kyle Kaehler

14. Aug 2018 · 05:15 UTC

Thanks for all the feedback!!! Really enjoying that people are enjoying our game.

jackw899

14. Aug 2018 · 14:48 UTC

Really fun gameplay, couldn't get past I think the 4th level ( purple ). Also really liked the graphics!

Kruemelkatze

14. Aug 2018 · 17:31 UTC

A nice take on the theme! The audio made the game really feel claustrophopic! I personally found the levels to look a bit dull, maybe some decoration on the repeating inner tiles may help?

Shafournee

14. Aug 2018 · 17:43 UTC

The overall movement felt nice, my biggest disappointment is that there weren't a lot of interesting variations in levels. I was really hoping for some new mechanics to be introduced (I didn't get passed the forth level, so maybe there were and I missed it?). Regardless, the is quite polished overall, and I'm excited to see what you guys make next LD :D

AwiX

15. Aug 2018 · 05:45 UTC

Great graphics and the audio really helps you get into the game.

Lauren Kaehler

15. Aug 2018 · 06:58 UTC

@jackw899 @kruemelkatze @shafournee @awix @zombie-virals @eclahn @max6333 @minibobbo @joshua-w @bobgar @schizoid2k @g4mr Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback, it is so rewarding to hear your input, and great ideas for improvements!

That fourth (and final at the time of submission) level is a real kicker thanks to our unforgiving level designer 😂
I enjoy hearing that it's a fun, tense, and challenging game!

Thanks again, and happy gaming!

Angela K.

15. Aug 2018 · 07:15 UTC

A lot of fun, I really enjoyed it and really liked the ambient music and how the face mask breaks.

pranjalbisht

15. Aug 2018 · 08:19 UTC

Well, this was really nice. The atmosphere you created with the music was spot-on. It was really challenging, switching between high speed flying to save time and snail's pace crawling to get through tight spaces. I was able to complete the 4th level only after I decided to ignore most of the crystals, haha.

ManBeardGames

15. Aug 2018 · 08:22 UTC

First thing I want to mention about the game is the controls. Games like this with similar controls, reminiscent of like Lunar Lander, are usually a bit too sensitive, but this one got it just right. Having the gems as collectables and a score of # out of how many at the end of a level was nice, and gave the incentive to be sure and get them all. The design of some of the levels was really cool too. Not sure if it was on purpose, but for instance in level 4, that small jut at the beginning that can just knock you up into the spike area.

One thing I wanted to mention is that the oxygen level felt really tight. It gives a great sense of urgency to get to the airlock quickly, but the later levels, you pretty much have to navigate perfectly hit no spikes to complete. For instance, you saw in the steam the failing of that one level right as we had entered the air lock.

Still, solid entry, and was really fun to play.

Here is a link to the play through from the stream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/297564166

AntonioNP

15. Aug 2018 · 08:54 UTC

Nice game! Last level was hard haha.I like the organic shapes of the environment, wich softwares did you use?

Dominic Graziano

15. Aug 2018 · 13:42 UTC

@antnionp pixel art was done using aesprite by our awesome pixel art team @kyle-kaehler and @lauren-kaehler. I helped a little too ;)

Bichodust

15. Aug 2018 · 13:59 UTC

The game is great. I love the pixel art style and the oxygen sfx a lot. The only thing i didn't like was when you hit a spike it doesn't move the astrounat as a pain reflexes. So it keeps at the same position and the life keeps going down until you exit the spike hitbox. But everything else is great. Nice work!

rEaX

15. Aug 2018 · 18:27 UTC

Fun game. I agree with what @bichodust said. Bouncing back from the spikes would be nice.

Ice Maker

15. Aug 2018 · 18:41 UTC

I thought that while the art was decent and the audio was questionable, the gameplay BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER. This is probably the most fun game I've rated so far, I love how you have to balance your momentum so as not to run into the spikes while still going fast enough to make it in time.

honey

18. Aug 2018 · 07:13 UTC

Hey, very good one! Nicely balanced difficulty, fun concept, great execution! The only little drawback for me is absence of feedback when you hit a cave wall, your air depletes, but that's the only way how to tell you hit something. Probably the bouncing mentioned above? Apart from that, I had plenty of fun, thanks for that! :)

The_Icy_One

19. Aug 2018 · 18:49 UTC

Pretty fun, although I have to agree with @bichodust about the spikes, with the amount of drain you get in the short time it takes to notice the hit and manoeuvrer away it seems to make levels impossible if you have a single bump. Base gameplay is really fun, just needs tweaking on the spikes and maybe a little feedback on why air is being lost. The initial audio on your splash screen is also a little too loud, IMO.

TJ101010

19. Aug 2018 · 19:06 UTC

The other comments have mostly covered my thoughts. I think one opportunity is to add effects when o2 is low - dimming, blurry sprites, music going off-key.

MZA

19. Aug 2018 · 19:06 UTC

The game was fun and enjoyable mostly due to its simple controls, simple artstyle and effective mood-setting sound effects. I do have a few suggestions, which you may or may not want to consider.

-- The collision with the spikes are a bit harsh. The more your in contact the less health you get. Maybe make something like a rebound, so that it damages a little.

-- I noticed that the music was on only on some levels. I think the lack of music adds to the mood. But if you have music in some levels, may as well have it on all of em.

PS This fealt like running out of breath rathar than space.. because ut was so fun, im happy to overlook that.

Zicboy

19. Aug 2018 · 23:58 UTC

Awesome game! really enjoyed the mood and graphics for this entry!

velvetlobster

20. Aug 2018 · 00:17 UTC

I like the sound effects, the mood and the movement of the character which really seems like you are in space. Great graphics as well, specially in little details like the cracking of the glass when you die. It felt kinda too hard for me, but I know I just suck too much in these games so that may not be a problem for most players. The sound effects are sometimes perhaps too loud for things that will be played so often. Btw I would love to explore more in this universe.

IllaBom

22. Aug 2018 · 16:12 UTC

I really liked the graphics! The pixel art for the astronaut is amazing. The spike collision is a little too harsh as mentioned by others. Its repetitive but hard which makes it fun. Great job overall!

Lagman9000

28. Aug 2018 · 20:19 UTC

A really succesful jam! Pretty much all of the elements are there to make this a fun game and a decent arcade throwback. Really enjoyed playing :)

ursagames

29. Aug 2018 · 13:19 UTC

Very well done game! Really like all of the pixel art! Thanks for sharing it with my stream. Here's a link to the vod: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/297569760?t=03h39s

Ratherjolly

01. Sep 2018 · 03:31 UTC

NICE! I really like this idea :D you did a great job getting the controls to work well with this as well as adding a continual urgency in the level progression. Great job! :)

jordantanner

01. Sep 2018 · 07:30 UTC

As a big fan of spikes in 2D games, of course I'm board with this one. The placement of both the collectibles and the hazards force players to make quick decisions, which of course is great. Player choice is crucial. Take your time versus greed rush. Nice work. Overall a really nice game. If I had small criticism it would be maybe a better UI indicator of your "health" aka O2. That's being nitpicky though. Really solid entry, guys, nice work!

conk

01. Sep 2018 · 11:20 UTC

Overall a solid game but the game play on the last level was a little annoying. The spikes do so much damage they might as well be insta-kill as you won't have enough air to make it the rest of the way. The graphics are nice and consistent with lots of variety, so great job! Audio is minimal but adds to the atmosphere well and the first time I gasped for air I genuinely looked around thinking someone near me was choking :stuck_out_tongue:

Great job :thumbsup:

Lu7cie

01. Sep 2018 · 14:44 UTC

A bit hard but really cool ! The graphics and the mood are great. Too bad that there are no music or sound design.. Good job !

MonYandere

04. Sep 2018 · 04:29 UTC

The game is really hard at the first try, i'm not good at controlling but you did a good job with this. The feeling is really smooth, i like that. Also the graphics is really nice, it gave me the sense of the empty space atmosphere, too bad there is no music. Overall, this game is a bit hard, but good job!

HoldMeImScared

04. Sep 2018 · 09:59 UTC

Just a little light on the theme, but the theme is ultimately meant for inspiration anyway, so that's not a big deal. Heck I've gone a little light on the theme myself in the past, such as during the Shapeshift LD.

As for the game itself, I quite like this! I wouldn't mind being able to wasd as an alternate control scheme, but it's not really an issue since they're the only controls you need at all, and the good news is that the controls are really responsive! I very quickly knew exactly what my character was going to do when I hit one of those keys. That responsiveness and consistency make it feel really good to play.

On levels which have music, I enjoyed it.

The art for the player character and the goal ship itself are nice.

Overall execution is really solid, and this is a fun game. :)

And I laughed at the game over screen telling me that Spikes are not my friend. Indeed.