TellyBuddy by ColeSlaughter

[raw]
made by ColeSlaughter for Ludum Dare 59 (JAM)

TellyBuddy<em>Banner</em>SMALL.gif Say goodbye to boring old regular TV and hello to a new best friend, the TellyBuddy!

Tired of constantly losing your remote behind the couch or under the stairs? With TellyBuddy worry not! Now all the control you will ever need is right at your fingertips!

Using our patented BuddyBugging technology, TellyBuddy is able to learn all about you and your family in order to better serve you.

Finally a TV that you don't just watch, but watches you back! Order Today!

Cowboy-ezgif.com-optimize.gif Screenshot 2026-04-20 211136.png Screenshot 2026-04-20 211154.png

Feeling stuck, and don't know what you should do next? Feel free to check out our Walkthrough video, but only if you REALLY think you need the help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSxg9SOfjas

Credits

Jared Slawski - Engineer/On Screen Talent

Stephen Rudd - 3D Artist

Andrew Rudd - 2D Artist/Video Editing

Ratings

Overall 9th 4.388⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Fun 39th 4.138⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 7th 4.5⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Theme 22th 4.553⭐ 77🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 12th 4.724⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Humor 6th 4.553⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Mood 10th 4.547⭐ 77🧑‍⚖️
Given 30🗳️ 55🗨️

Feedback

Janku
Apr 21st · 02:11 UTC
Lmao, love it xD I helped fixed matrix man hair, but ended up on this screen and can't figure out what more can I do xD ![Zrzut ekranu 2026-04-21 040930.png](///raw/179/d3/z/71b7f.png)
I love all the satysfing animations, how interactive my TellyBuddy is with eyes, mouth and whatnot :D
LDJam user 428646
Apr 21st · 02:23 UTC
How on earth did you make this in only three days??? This is better than most full-priced horror games I see on Steam!! And I don't even wanna know what kind of black magic you have to be using to get that static shader working so beautifully! I was a bit confused by the ending, but I still loved this game. Definitely the coolest thing I've played thus far. Amazing work!
Sharky3188
Apr 21st · 02:40 UTC
Really great feeling the responsiveness of the TellyBuddy. The videos are on point, amazing work recording those.
I did get stuck quiet a few times, and just had to spam click a lot to get through, I'm not sure if I got to the end or not.
Great humour and well polished.
debugman18
Apr 21st · 03:32 UTC
Feels polished and you definitely achieved the atmosphere you were going for.
BadPiggy
Apr 21st · 14:29 UTC
![breaking bad meme.png](///raw/8f7/d2/z/71fe6.png)


I don't really have any complaints tbh. This is an absolutely hilarious adventure/puzzle game with a very interesting concept to match. Especially love how some of the puzzles were implied like needing to hit the side of the tv when the matrix guy showed up at the sides.

If I had a complaint, it's that maybe the tv's head could've been a little more sensitive to mouse movement in general, but that's honestly just a nitpick. Played all the way through and loved all of the videos as well.

Fantastic work overall cowboys
Borabee
Apr 21st · 17:21 UTC
Awesome game. The mood was on point. The graphics are very well done. I had a hard time at the begining understanding the control to rotate and later getting the times right, but oyther than that what a great experience!
Guilhermev
Apr 21st · 17:47 UTC
An absolutely incredible game for a jam. Congratulations!
FLX
Apr 21st · 18:56 UTC
Someone linked me this game because our has a similar concept

Impressive 3D and vibe ! But I'm stuck at the western, would love a hint :D

Edit : nevermind i'm now stuck at the dancing dude

Wish there was a little guide !

Edit 2 : Ok I finally managed to beat it. That was good. Excellent acting and work on the atmosphere. There is something weirdly fascinating with the storytelling.

Congrats, it's a 5 stars for me
MrTroy
Apr 22nd · 00:31 UTC
I got stuck... I refuse to close it until I know it's over. 😒

Edit: I eventually gave up and rebooted. A video didn't load so I couldn't continue.
Snowdrama
Apr 22nd · 01:06 UTC
I crashed the game part way T_T RIP due to pressing escape which caused "TypeError: can't access property "deleteFramebuffer", GLctx is null" I think it's an Application.Quit(); call when you press escape.

If this is caused by that issue you can this, it will protect from this issue by disabling the quit command when building for web
```cs
#if UNITY_WEBGL
Application.Quit();
#endif
```
I think I beat had basically finished it but uhh >.> whoops!
DAYA
Apr 22nd · 04:16 UTC
Awesome game! The flickering static, the old TV, and that creepy doll face really had me on edge, fearing something terrible would happen. Fortunately, it turned out to be more funny than scary. The puzzles are well-designed—the kind that make you think for a moment before you get the answer. It feels very complete and the experience was great. I've already recommended it to my friends!
penagwin
Apr 22nd · 06:09 UTC
This is actual art.
oxnh
Apr 22nd · 06:11 UTC
Congrats, you guys made a creepy and funny game at the same time, I'm sure filming was a lot of fun. I did reach the end and I enjoyed it nice job.
thormoth
Apr 22nd · 06:11 UTC
Such a unique entry haha, and really well made. Such an impressive entry for a game jam, very good interpretation of the theme!
orangeoceans
Apr 22nd · 06:18 UTC
I had to get my wife to hold me because it was too scary
_radiolaria
Apr 22nd · 06:33 UTC
I see CRT TVs I give 10/10 simple as that. Absolute masterpiece I want a 7 hour version with a Sega Saturn filter applied to the FMVs.

GIVE ME MOOOOOOOORE.
babyfoodstudios
Apr 22nd · 06:36 UTC
You guys are all so talented! I'm in love with my TellyBuddy
.
jk5000
Apr 22nd · 06:44 UTC
A great game! What to do is not always super clear. It's also a bit difficult click on the right places on face. But overall a very well made jam game. Well done.
Wabutt
Apr 22nd · 07:19 UTC
This was so charming! Really solid presentation, and lots of fun!
Legosky007
Apr 22nd · 07:53 UTC
GIVE ME MOOOOOOOORE
Tetracold
Apr 22nd · 08:18 UTC
Another awesome entry like usual!

The presentation is fantastic, it's both weird and evocative of the 90s in the best way possible! The shaders are done beautifully, love how the antenna and slapping the tv influences the signal

I thought the videos/commercials were both really funny and also well integrated with puzzles. The clues were communicated well, I didn't get stuck on any of them for long.
Stormdrill
Apr 22nd · 08:45 UTC
Great job! Loved everything about it. This concept has a lot of potential for further development.
Lenny Rudeberg
Apr 22nd · 09:22 UTC
Very interesting concept here, at it's core it's quite a simple mechanical game with tones of film and vfx work to make it really pop. I did get stuck on the cigarette puzzle at first, but then I watched that section of your walkthough video i got a better understanding of what I need to do to get through the rest of the game.
Great 80's/90's TV references, the FMV green screen elements are my favorite part, GG!
mofox
Apr 22nd · 11:12 UTC
You create this game in three days? Monster! It is amazing game. Do more!
LLlarsO
Apr 22nd · 12:10 UTC
That was a lot of fun!
The graphics are nice and the idea with the TV with the face on the back (TellyBuddy™) is very good.

I had some troubles activating the chin. Everything else worked fine.

I like the puzzle ideas. I think every puzzle was doable. Felt like an escape room. You used the different gameplay mechanics in a good way.

Special props to @coleslaughter. Your performance was funny. I guess you had a lot of fun filming that stuff.

Can you tell me what the end is supposed to mean? Or is it open for interpretation? :)
braktheman
Apr 22nd · 15:08 UTC
That's the good stuff right there. No notes.

Very impressive making so many different solutions using limited interaction points. Really enjoyed it!
recursor
Apr 22nd · 16:44 UTC
Finished it without hints and really enjoyed it. Love the idea and the use of FMV content with just a few possible "inputs" to create little puzzles that were satisfying to solve because I got to see another commercial bit.
Wouter52
Apr 22nd · 17:56 UTC
Damn wouw I'm speechless! I must admit, I couldn't figure out how to play until the end so I watched the video. This is really impressive for an LD entry made in 72 hours. The guy with the sunglasses and the green background really reminded me about the Max Headroom signal hijacking incident. Was that an inspiration for you?
LDJam user 234567
Apr 22nd · 18:57 UTC
What just happened there...
🎤 ColeSlaughter
Apr 22nd · 19:33 UTC
@lllarso Thank you for the kind words! As for the ending, since I can't really spoiler tag anything in the comments, I added a vague explanation in the description of the Walkthrough video for you, in case you're curious. :wink:

@wouter52 You are one of the few people who clocked the Max Headroom reference. :sunglasses: Congratulations! :tada: :tada:
NBumgardner
Apr 22nd · 20:12 UTC
Tense and with good storytelling. I'm not usually one to hit the side of a T. V. but I sure got used to it! Nice idea on using stock footage for background.

A couple things for a future version, is the chin hitbox could be larger in case the user is not looking from below, and some more shortcuts could be always available from the beginning of the game.

Great job, its always a pleasure to try out your team's games.
Emsea
Apr 22nd · 22:59 UTC
We had a great time playing your game [on stream](https://www.youtube.com/live/AsrUFSHAVx4?t=3895s). Check out the link to hear our feedback.
Andreadbx
Apr 23rd · 00:08 UTC
Cinema. Aura. And all those nice words that younglings use nowadays!
atmospherium
Apr 23rd · 01:04 UTC
This is your masterpiece, gang. Dude Ranch ain't a thing anymore, TellyBuddy is for champions.

All the cheerful and quirky sendups of everything from Shamwow to Max Headroom, to creepy AF baby doll face. Weird puzzle mechanics and emotionally resonant acting performances. Maybe not that last one.

Seriously, this is everything you guys already do well just with the dials cranked up til they're broken. I can't imagine another game in the jam topping this for me.
awr
Apr 23rd · 01:19 UTC
absolute favorite of the whole jam
LDJam user 342640
Apr 23rd · 01:19 UTC
AWESOME. I don't have much else to say, just super funny & entertaining the whole way through. I loved it.
LDJam user 387548
Apr 23rd · 06:28 UTC
Interesting idea and cool realization, super wow
Tundra
Apr 23rd · 06:46 UTC
Really great! Definitely the most unique and polished entry I've seen so far.
VLAD_LEN
Apr 23rd · 07:56 UTC
GENIUS IDEA
Seong
Apr 23rd · 08:19 UTC
Impeccable execution! I adore the writing and the acting here. The nonlinear writing and acting felt responsive to interactions, and the character felt like he was really reacting to my actions. Whoever wrote the script did an amazing job. The television content was utterly delightful, it really had me saying "oh my god, I can't believe they did this" multiple times. Only complaint would be that the TellyBuddy face didn't have a clear feedback for when a specific part of its face was being touched when being rubbed, meaning I wasn't ever quite sure whether I'm hitting the right zones. But even that added to the anxious vibes of the game. I would love to see a full game with the horror aspects more explored. Having to interact with either side of the TV whilst not knowing what's going on on the other side was such an effective mechanic.
HagamosVideojuegos
Apr 23rd · 11:17 UTC
absolutely loved your game! The video effects, visual style, and storyline really stood out to me, especially considering you pulled all of this together in just three days. That’s seriously impressive.

Overall, it’s a fantastic piece of work with very few flaws, especially for something created over a single weekend.

I genuinely think that combining what you’ve built with what we’ve been working on could result in something really exciting and unique.

Good job!
Nadan
Apr 24th · 20:13 UTC
Whoa, very original idea and very well made! Playing this was a lot of fun, it reminded me of Inscryption. You guys are pros, very nic job for such a short time!
Trexxak
Apr 24th · 20:44 UTC
This will be one of those artifacts of the web people in the future will theory-craft the hell out of :D I miss punching my TV :/ AMAZING ACTING CHOPS BTW!!!
Zamizmi
Apr 25th · 08:06 UTC
This is proper art!
The commercials reminded me of Better Call Saul, and that alone is _very high praise_!

The video edits and audio edits area really well done; no mishaps or tenth of a second too long or anything!

Great job!
conduit.games
Apr 26th · 03:02 UTC
Took me too long to pick up on some cues, but boy, when I did pick up on them...(pure cinema).

I had a fantastic time. I see some Witness inspiration in here. :) Cheers.
LDJam user 428140
Apr 26th · 03:38 UTC
Pure cinema. The atmosphere, the FMV bits, the acting, the static shader, the creepy-cute TellyBuddy face
every single piece is doing so much work. I cannot believe this came out of 72 hours. The puzzles felt great to solve because every solution rewarded you with another delightfully unhinged commercial. Absolute masterpiece 5 stars across the board!
Euler Moises
Apr 26th · 04:38 UTC
Seeing Coleslawski as an actor was priceless! I'm still laughing!
His imitation of Max Headroom deserves an Oscar! And I'd love to know how much it would cost for you to show up at my house dressed as a puppy! :D
I wish I could be inside the head of whoever wrote the script for this game!

Speaking of the game, well... no comment. One of the most original in this Game Jam...

Keyboard Cowboys killing it!

Hugs from John, from SkinWow!
LDJam user 424326
Apr 26th · 07:50 UTC
It turned out to be a great puzzle game with hints of horror!
Conduit
Apr 26th · 10:10 UTC
I can't say anything more beyond what has already been said about this jam, absolute gem. This was by far the most impressive jam I've seen for LD59.
Dennis
Apr 27th · 18:12 UTC
got a bit stuck in the beginnig but after figering out what to do it was nice
Custodi
Apr 27th · 23:30 UTC
It was fucking awesome. Main plot, acting, and directing — it was such hard work, and the result is amazing!
It took me a while to get that need hit Tellybuddy™ when the agent on screen, but it was worth it.
xotraz
Apr 28th · 21:00 UTC
Incredible experience.
CataclysmicKnight
Apr 30th · 17:53 UTC
This was frickin fantastic, I loved it! I was so worried this would be a horror game, because I get SO scared so easily lol 😅 ​Really unique and clever mechanics, great sounds and music, fantastic acting and video. I struggled sometimes with doing things for a set amount of time, and especially with the chin (I kept clicking the mouth instead). And sometimes I had to right-click again after turning the TV so it would register my presses, but that's definitely not your fault.

Anyway, all of that to say that this is easily one of my favorite LD59 games!
HexStart
May 03rd · 21:38 UTC
I got stuck near the end for a moment, but figured it out eventually. A tiny bit of additional feedback would help I think, like sparks that keep coming the more you do the thing maybe? But other than that it was exactly like the guy on TV said! Something amazing.

Also love the horse riding technique :joy:

Top marks from me. Cheers https://youtu.be/6epzmRZk6UU?si=wx1r-meU6JnT9wii
LDJam user 427225
May 08th · 07:29 UTC
What a weird and super unique game. I actually played this one twice just because it was really fun! The art style is really well done. I liked the commercials and little jokes. They added to the game. Nice job!
pkenney
May 08th · 13:05 UTC
Wow you nailed it!! The tech at the room level, interacting with the physical television, plus the puzzles, the in-screen tech of chopping up headroom-style with the graphics background, and the actual on-screen shots with such a variety of charactahs, it was all super-well done, entertaining, and fit together into a really nice cohesive experience that was just the right length, and well-anchored into the theme. Loved it, great job.

![telly-buddy.png](///raw/81b/z/73327.png)
alexrose
May 08th · 13:31 UTC
Your magnum opus. It's a pity you can't really come out of the TV at the end. But yeah, just the right amount of friction and very enjoyable, presentation is incredible. Great job, hope you win the jam!