The (other) Thing by anjack

[raw]
made by anjack for LD33 (JAM)
The (other) Thing!
a Game by Slush.Filter and Anjack

So we didn't finish in time, unfortunately.

Our idea was to make a game based on John Carpenter's "The Thing". The player would control an organism with the ability to take over human bodies. The gameplay would be driven by conversations with the inhabitants of an underground research facility. On each level, the player would need to find the person who knew the key code necessary to unlock the exit. Then they would "assimilate" that human in order to learn the key code.

The organism would take control of a "scientist" and steer the human around the facility, talking to other humans. In each conversation, the NPC would have a "suspicion" meter which would increase or decrease based on the player's behavior (dialog choices and actions outside of dialog). If the NPC's suspicion level was low enough, the organism would be able to get close enough to assimilate them.

Unfortunately we decided to use a framework with which we had very limited experience (Crafty.js). As a result, we spent a lot of time troubleshooting and trying to learn the framework. By the time we started to get into a good flow, we were out of time.

I think we'll be better prepared for the next Jam. :) In the mean time, please take a look at what we were actually able to complete!

Known bugs:
-Plenty

Stuff we would have added:
-More

Tools used:
-Notepad++
-GIMP
-BFXR

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall(Jam) 2.18 1113
Audio(Jam) 1.73 681
Fun(Jam) 1.90 1093
Graphics(Jam) 2.18 979
Humor(Jam) 2.20 819
Innovation(Jam) 2.57 850
Mood(Jam) 2.09 1034
Theme(Jam) 3.18 721

Feedback

JustinJ
24. Aug 2015 · 22:37 UTC
Cute :) Obviously a bit unfinished, but I like the idea.
MrNyarlathotep
24. Aug 2015 · 22:53 UTC
Dialogue based infiltration is an interesting idea, its a shame you didn't focus solely on this concept and flesh it out more
fdslk
24. Aug 2015 · 23:46 UTC
Great idea, I like that you sneak and stealth by using an NPC, but it felt a little short out
Bitterdeath
24. Aug 2015 · 23:47 UTC
Great start for coding while learning a new framework.
cheapmecha
24. Aug 2015 · 23:49 UTC
Nice game, I loved the "thing" sprite and animation. A bit unfinished but it's all good.
Nikteddy92
25. Aug 2015 · 00:26 UTC
Well thats a nice start! You have the skills, next time it will be better! That's how LD works! Good luck guys!
CodeNMore
25. Aug 2015 · 00:26 UTC
The idea seems cool, too bad it couldn't be finished more!
A_K_
25. Aug 2015 · 19:43 UTC
Cute game. Feels unfinished a bit, but overall good for start!
Dining Philosopher
25. Aug 2015 · 20:48 UTC
Nice concept, but indeed quite unfinished. Sometimes the texts would overlap. We used Crafty.js as well for many LD entries, it is nice but indeed it takes a while to get used to. :)
rotpar
25. Aug 2015 · 21:30 UTC
Cute
Askbackwards
26. Aug 2015 · 23:41 UTC
Awesome Idea, but needs some mechanical work!
justinooncx
27. Aug 2015 · 09:31 UTC
Interesting concept, if lacking in execution. Still, there's always post-jam, and the next Ludum Dare.
bigbuggames
29. Aug 2015 · 19:06 UTC
Great Theme and Innovation, would love to see the idea grow and to get it done without time pressure.
mantis
31. Aug 2015 · 13:10 UTC
Good attempt! Wish you luck next time!
BlackQuiltro
07. Sep 2015 · 21:12 UTC
Nice idea. Could have been great if you manage to finish it!
SoloDuoTeam
07. Sep 2015 · 21:59 UTC
The concept is very interesting. I hope you have time to improve it a little before the end of the week.
KilledByAPixel
09. Sep 2015 · 18:59 UTC
- interesting idea
- i like being able to talk to the scientists
- sometimes text overlapped and i couldn't read it
- congrats on experimenting with a new idea, i hope you continue working on it
🎤 anjack
09. Sep 2015 · 19:01 UTC
Thank you everyone for the positive comments! We'll be better prepared for the next LD! :D
dollarone
09. Sep 2015 · 19:20 UTC
Good controls, graphics and idea. Lots of potential here!
crucknuk
09. Sep 2015 · 19:26 UTC
Too bad you had not the time for finishing it.
Playing the thing would have been a dream come true :) at least i did two level with it :P

Maybe you will continue to work on it, hopefully.
EmptyThroneTeam
09. Sep 2015 · 19:28 UTC
Awesome what you could accomplish in such a short period of time. Well done!
HotBoxGames
09. Sep 2015 · 23:12 UTC
Nice concept, text based sounds cool, could do with some work but you guys already know that. Good luck in future jams.
tayl1r
10. Sep 2015 · 12:46 UTC
Shame you couldn't finish it. At least you have something playable. Good luck next time!