LudumData

USS SONAR by carterjbx

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

Equipped with sonar technology, you are tasked with searching a dark ocean for a nefarious submarine. Receive signals on your computer for clues of it's location, and deduce where it lies by drawing on a map. You have three attempts to fire upon it's location before it gets to you first.

imgradar.pngimgmap.pngimgdraw.png!

TIPS:

• USS SONAR controls like a point-and-click adventure. Make sure to click on the clipboard on your desk for a mission brief!

• Turn your audio on! USS SONAR features a full length atmospheric soundtrack custom-built for the jam.

Credits:

Aidan Beck - Programming

Brooke Eileen - Music & Sound

Carter Beck - Art & Visuals

Play USS SONAR online https://aidanbeck.com/sonar/
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/uss-sonar

Ratings

Overall 415th 3.581⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Fun 639th 3.016⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 304th 3.565⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Theme 248th 4.032⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 540th 3.516⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Audio 431th 3.25⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Humor 643th 1.981⭐ 28🧑‍⚖️
Mood 401th 3.667⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Given 23🗳️ 41🗨️

Feedback

qwesasuke
Apr 20th · 16:16 UTC
WOW! Static rendering took me back to the old days when point-and-click was popular. The static picture reminded me of the game Nancy Drew. I was just shocked when I saw it. I know that there are few fans of this genre, but I really liked it
LDJam user 234567
Apr 20th · 20:53 UTC
Great game :thumbsup: I really enjoyed trying to locate the submarine. It reminds me of when I was a kid and used to play a board game called Sector (by Miror). It makes me want to play again :smile:

The idea of being able to draw on paper is brilliant

I’ve never lost a life, despite my mistakes. Bug?
Podrez
Apr 20th · 21:46 UTC
It is very hard to understand what to do here. but when you understand it is quite good :)
lizelive
Apr 21st · 06:16 UTC
wow that's really complex systems and i love the old school graphics
LDJam user 312900
Apr 21st · 15:47 UTC
Really cool graphics, the west / east logic with the red side felt backwards imo. It would of been nice for it to be easier to understand that you can only check each scan once each turn. Really creative game, and was really fun to play! Nice job on the entry.
Pierre-Marie
Apr 21st · 15:51 UTC
It was a little tricky to figure out at first, but I managed to hit the target in the end!
shimiki
Apr 21st · 16:02 UTC
Great game. It has a nice atmosphere, but the mechanics are too hard to figure out.
nobdspace
Apr 21st · 16:20 UTC
Love this kind of games. Really cool puzzle, fits the theme perfectly.

TTP is around 2–3 seconds btw.
WeirdBitGames
Apr 21st · 16:24 UTC
Really cool idea! The atmospheric music really helps create a cool vibe and draws out the tension!
Twaerd
Apr 21st · 17:43 UTC
A fun game, it's hard to understand on first, but it's strategic and fun once you figure it out.
Well done!
Embedder72
Apr 22nd · 00:19 UTC
Great job on this. Took me a minute to figure out how to navigate the controls (i.e. moving between elements), but once I started to get it the learning was quick. Love the sound and look.
AJ Atkinson
Apr 22nd · 00:37 UTC
Cool idea! Great interpretation of the theme! good job :)
Eugenik
Apr 22nd · 04:06 UTC
The way you incorporate the sonar readings into a map deduction puzzle is really creative. Having to piece together the clues and draw the target's location makes the moment of success very satisfying. Well done on the entry!
Xiao Duye
Apr 22nd · 20:24 UTC
It’s a little hard to figure out what to do at first, but once I understood the mechanics, it became a really great puzzl. Overall, a really good game!
clymm
Apr 22nd · 23:03 UTC
Interesting idea, enjoyed the different camera views and graphics. Nice job! :clap:
tinykidtoo
Apr 23rd · 16:25 UTC
Really fun deduction puzzle. Would be nice to have a bit of help to get started. I wasn't sure what to click on at first or how many tools I had. A little experimentation later and I was hitting my target. I like the puzzle of not quite knowing where and nailing down a best guess. Wish there was a bit more tension in the sound design and set design after all you are being hunted.
MrTurtle
Apr 24th · 21:58 UTC
Absolutely loved it! The pre-rendered graphics were really charming and tracking down the submarine is quite fun. I didn't immediately realize I was scrolling through a list of options with the sensor equipment but that might've just been me misunderstanding. I also enjoyed the aspect of making manual notes. Also don't know if this was the case but the way you locate the submarine definitely reminded me of Jet Lag: The Game, in a good way.
CO5MONAUT
Apr 26th · 13:45 UTC
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the first few steps, but I really liked the overall vibe and assets — definitely a like from me, thank you!
SitronX
Apr 26th · 13:57 UTC
Little bit hard for me, but otherwise the concept is nice.
LDJam user 423693
Apr 28th · 15:52 UTC
We loved the concept of the game, the idea is awesome and fun to play!
The sound and graphic design also both really set a wonderful mood :)
SirRed
May 04th · 16:52 UTC
Neat concept, I managed to win on my first try. I liked it, and had to get out ms paint in order to help me deduce where it was. Fun entry ![image_2026-05-04_125208899.png](///raw/be1/a2/z/7315d.png)
dikkop
May 04th · 18:06 UTC
Very cool deduction game! The ending could be a bit more intense perhaps, but overall solid entry.