LudumData

Stuck In A Loop by davidcmcdonald

[raw]
made by davidcmcdonald for Ludum Dare 47 (COMPO)

. SS2.JPG ~ an experience about OCD and anxiety ~

Protect your heart by keeping creatures off the rug and repairing the windows when the light leaks in. The clock on the wall shows your current state, keep it low, you MUST keep it low.

Movement: (ASWD /Arrow Keys)

Pickup: Spacebar (hold)

OCD feels like being stuck in a loop, someone with OCD may have an intense desire to resolve a mental conflict. When that conflict is resolved, the mind re-fires and the desire returns with full (or greater) force.

You may wash your hands, then feel immediately as if their hands need to be washed again. It's not uncommon for people who suffer from this affliction to wash their hands so much that they permanently damage their skin. For me, I have not experienced this, but I have experienced the overwhelming need to confess (even though I couldn't think of what to confess), or an over analysing of my physical health (returning to the doctor weekly and not having anything to tell them), or an overwhelming fear that I was going to hurt someone I loved.

All of these things were not rational, but they did affect me deeply and intensely and they would loop in my mind until I did mental compulsions to soften the edge. Those compulsions perpetuate the "loop" and it wasn't until I went to a psychologist that I was given the tools to escape the loop.

created in 48 hours by David McDonald for the Ludum Dare game jam. All assets, including art, audio & code, were created in that time block.

Youtube https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14rEzLP_PPjA4bX1aLH0qSZtiaZJu2feP?usp=sharing
Youtube https://davidcmcdonald.itch.io/stuck-in-a-loop
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/47/stuck-in-a-loop-3

Ratings

Overall 413th 3.238⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Fun 546th 2.643⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 387th 3.119⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Theme 369th 3.452⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 420th 3.119⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Audio 90th 3.714⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Mood 41th 3.952⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Given 21🗳️ 19🗨️

Feedback

timeloopedpowergamer
05. Oct 2020 · 08:44 UTC
Creepy and weird, which is a good thing. Second game this compo I've played that mentioned OCD--is this something people were talking about somewhere leading up? Not sure talking about the theme in the project description makes a basic gameplay loop fit. Music was good and everything seemed to work except for the danger/health meter, which only seemed to rise a lot when I just stopped playing--and even then, it just went all the way through red and wrapped around again with no end game. Not bad for 48 hours.
FabDynamic
05. Oct 2020 · 16:40 UTC
Great work! I liked squashing the bugs and the controls were good. Thanks for making the game and attempting to give us some insight into what it is like.
Nikolaj
06. Oct 2020 · 15:45 UTC
you did a good job creating a mood!
CharlieTU
06. Oct 2020 · 15:49 UTC
Good Jam man ! Loved the feedback when steping on bugs. And damn, getting slow by their trail when you are rushing to a window with the screen shacking like hell gives a special feeling. You nailed it !
a4x8e6
06. Oct 2020 · 15:53 UTC
I like the concept, and you have turned something that affected you into something creative which is great :)
Yword
07. Oct 2020 · 14:27 UTC
Unique theme with nice atmosphere and music! ^_^
burnedkirby
13. Oct 2020 · 05:23 UTC
Wow, the creepy music sure sets the vibe of the game. The green crawling bugs, the weird spiky red creature, and the player ghost also sets the stage for something eerie. Kind of sad thinking about how one with OCD would be like the ghost trying to constantly set everything "right". Good work!
somn
13. Oct 2020 · 06:29 UTC
Great job! You managed to evoke a very frantic feeling between the tip-toeing piano music and the violent screen shake.
aressler38
16. Oct 2020 · 23:04 UTC
You did a good job with the mood. The music has a creepy feel to it. The player looks kind of like a guitar pick. When the screen starts to shake, you really get the feeling of having to jump on something to fix it.
Lyje
24. Oct 2020 · 15:58 UTC
Great style and atmosphere. Mechanically it's fun if simple, although the controls are a bit slidey which makes it hard to avoid the trails, and they reaaaaally punish you!
Rialgar
24. Oct 2020 · 16:56 UTC
I feel like the game achieved exactly what you set out to do, it evoked a feeling of unease, dread and of being stuck with no way forward. The screen shake really made me want to avoid/fix the disturbances even without the danger of loosing the game. The lack of a win/loose conditions just improved it in my opinion. Very well done.
adhesion
24. Oct 2020 · 18:19 UTC
Great concept & use of the theme - using stuck in a loop to refer thought loops is really clever and the mood of the game really fit the intent. Gameplay was pretty solid though I probably wouldn't have understood the connection with OCD without reading the description, so I wonder if that could've been expressed more clearly somehow. The window mechanic was a little weird, I didn't quite understand it in-game, I thought they were doors and putting the two halves together seemed to solve the issue. Also it felt a little samey to have the game just keep going without any level breaks or significant progression of mechanics or difficulty, but I suppose that just reinforces the feeling of having to live with something like OCD all the time. Really interesting experience overall, nice work.
Sombrero Guy
24. Oct 2020 · 18:36 UTC
Cool game! I Like the visuals and the creepy mood! Nice job!
SevenLevelGames
25. Oct 2020 · 08:31 UTC
I really liked the graphics and sounds of the game ! Game has a really good aphosphere, Great Job!
ditam
25. Oct 2020 · 10:35 UTC
I wasn't sure what's going on at first, but then I came back to your description that cleared things up a bit, and it also made me appreciate the semi-abstract visual style. The game does a great job of conveying a mood and I can appreciate your personal connection and take on the theme. One of the more artful pieces this jam, congrats!