You managed to put a lot of mood into those few pixels, the art is quite good and I liked the mood of the start.
I took me awhile to figure out how the mechanics worked, but when I did I found it very interesting!
I also love how the character uses her head as a hook to climb with and how they all sound like basketball!
After I got to the ending, I went back there to dive into the pit before the mirror to see if it had any secrets.

Very atmospheric game! The voice acting was a very nice touch. Would have liked to see some small tutorial hints along the way.

Voice acting added a lot along with the mysterious background music

Graphics are good and the mood you made is really impressive, i love the voice acting part it gives a lot to the game.

Cool little game! I fouund the main mechanic of using the lightining to "attack" and at the same time be the antagonist very interesting.

If you would like to fix the embedded build to work with chrome/ium try this (worked for me) : https://twitter.com/johnpennycook/status/1576756004061995009?s=20&t=GqI-FUb1U_X5osP3aCLMuQ

The game is difficult, but interesting. I liked the drawing and the topic is revealed interestingly)

I really enjoyed that, great atmosphere and good take on the theme, not completely bound to IRL time. Gameplay is nice with good difficulty curve, but there was one enemy that I don't know how to beat and I guess I just got lucky. My only little issue is that rain audio at the start is really loud IMO. Fun game overall.

A Great idea to complain the theme, I like the BGM and the level design. but it's quite hard to understand the rule, I was confused at first, but thanks to the walkthrough video I finally got the point. Maybe you can add some hint text on the background or on the wall.

It was a fun little game, but moving through the cave, the camera jumping around felt a bit disorienting. The audio and mood made up for it though, great entry!

One of the better uses of the theme I've seen so far. How the very first section worked was a bit cryptic, as the positioning is rather tight, and the stage didn't suggest that a candlestick was just a few steps away, but beyond that things were pretty smooth. Definitely a fun experience. Also cute little headclimber with a cute voice is cute. Well done!

Interesting mechanics, kept me captivated for the whole game. The graphics are cute! The rain at the beginning and the music adds to the mood nicely. I had to play it twice. First time it took me embarrassingly long to realize how the mechanic works (I died a lot at the first candle ^^'). Second time I of course knew it but I think it was introduced quite well, I just screwed it somehow at first.. Well done!

I REALLY dig the atmosphere and music! Great job making this and I hope you continue working on it after the jam.

Gameplay is great. Nice idea for theme

Nice game. I like the atmosphere you set and the little details like walking the stairs. Nice to see another game stopping the timer when not acting. The lightning mechanic is cool. Unfortunately the precision of striking it felt off, even when enemies were highlighted and I believed having enough reaction time to hit the button.

EDIT: The starting rain blew off my ears. Appreciate the sound slider, even if it is not clearly for it.

Good work.

Seemed like an odd concept at first, but I started really liking it as I played. I got stuck for a while because I didn't realize you could zap the candle through the little window... I am not a smart man. Besides that the puzzles were challenging but doable within a few tries. I enjoyed that you could hang on to ledges with your chin. The atmosphere was great, I really liked the character art and voice overs-- especially impressive for a compo. Super cool entry, really innovative mechanic!

Great game! I got stuck somewhere near the end (couldn't get past the enemies) but I love the game mechanics. The concept of not being able to move without losing health and then basically stealing it from other characters to progress was pretty neat and fun. The graphics are great, I love the player sprite and the animation of the hair. The sound effects are nice too. Overall, I liked the game. Well done!

Really cool concept! At first I thought the other cloaked figures were friends, before realizing what I had to do- am I the villain? Having the necklace act both as an attack and a detriment is definitely a unique idea, I like it a lot. I do feel like the targeting on the enemies can get a little precise at times; sometimes I'd be next to one of them and try focusing to use the lightning, and it'd still hit me instead. Outside of that though, I really like the idea! Well done!

Really cool idea, impressive visual storytelling! Cute, scary characters, and a fascinating main mechanic you came up with. Perfect audio that really sets the mood.
Only thing I'd change is the targeting of the lightning, it gets frustrating when it misses or when you miss the timing. I get that you made the enemies jump when they got close to avoid the attack, which is a neat idea, but I'd consider skipping that part and just have it as a radius around the player. Aiming is for me not priority or interesting part of your game :slight_smile:

Great job though, I'd say keep going!

Huge shout outs for voice acting! It took me a while to figure out how to strike other people with lightning, but as soon as I got a grip on how to make it happen, I immediately fell in love with the mechanic. It's clever, and a really great take on the theme. I especially love how it's a "SUPERHOT" situation, where the time only moves when you do.

The character design is fun, and I love how you have to hold on to ledges with your giant head. ha!

I recoded myself playing so you can have extra feedback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Rj49CVpI8

Very creative use of theme. I love the atmosphere and sounds. It's really hard to get that first enemy stuck by lighting. You probably should introduce mechanics easier and then slowly get harder. It just starts really hard. Would love to see this game expanded. Good job!

Very nice spin on "Every 10 seconds". Had some issues and thought I didn't get the mechanics, but figured it out in the end. Need to play around a bit more, cause I think there might be a secret that I can find if I do some magic with the last couple of enemies :eyes:

I'm SO glad you provided the walkthrough. I was getting stuck around the 2nd and 3rd set of enemies because I couldn't reliably figure out the lightning mechanic. I had some semblance of when it worked, but I'd often run into scenarios where I'd die and be like "wait a minute...." The video showed me the way and I was able to piece it together though.

I absolutely love the idea of a weapon that when wielded incorrectly, is a dangerous one. I don't often (ever?) see something like that. Usually it's in the form of a card that gives you [+10% crit / -5 move speed] or whatever. But having it be a tangible thing you deal with in the form of lightning is far more interesting. On top of that, it's LIGHTNING, meaning the player already has a general sense of how it should work. Great choice.

Getting to safe zones was definitely very intense. I could see why you went with the timer mechanic and it's a good choice to do that. It allows you to have tight timers without putting an extreme execution requirement on it.

A really cool concept and it'd be interesting to see how many more things you could interact with beyond candles and enemies.

great game! and i really needed that walkthrough haha, very fun, interesting atmosphere and good puzzle design!

Hey there! I played your game on stream. If you'd like to go back and watch the vod, here it is:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1623452036?t=0h9m37s

The core set of mechanics in this game -- the timer and the lightning -- are really clever. I mean, as far as cursed items in video games go, this necklace is one of the best ever, as the mechanics actually feel like a trap that a powerful magic artifact would put you in! I think that's really cool.

It took me a while to figure out the way that the enemies worked at first. In particular, the first time I played I actually somehow glitched to the checkpoint (?) that spawns you on the stairs to the right of the first enemy, even though there is no candle in sight. As such, I was confused, as I had never figured out how to actually get past that enemy. (At that point I restarted the game so I could figure it out properly).

The other section I had trouble with was the enemy that appears at timecode 2:13 in the video. I kept trying to use the lightning, I didn't realize I could lure them away, which was obviously much easier. The red outline would flash for like half a second though, and I kept trying to hit that window, and because it seemed possible I didn't even stop to consider alternative strategies.

That is, of course, mostly coming down to that section being a twist on the mechanics, requiring the player to strategize a bit to get past it. I think the only thing I would criticize is that some other sections of the game do seem rather precise, such as the first enemy encounter, which I think may have contributed to my feeling that the intended strategy was to zap that enemy.

One thing I do really like is the use of collision shapes in this game.

Many people have already mentioned the player head, which is great of course. I actually do have one thing to say about that, which is that the enemy hooked on the ledge is an incredible payoff for that mechanic. It relates the enemy to the player character super strongly, as now they both have this nifty head-collision mechanic. And, the enemy is in a super vulnerable spot, hanging off the ledge, holding on for dear life... and the easiest strategy there, as a player, is to kill them. This is like, really neat, I think. It really feels evil, and it's just the conflation of a couple of game mechanics that we have already been introduced to. It's great.

The other thing about collision shapes I wanted to say is that I quite like the stairs. They add a good bit of precision in a way that is both pretty natural and kind of novel. Navigating stairs quickly is just a cool bit of gameplay.

So overall, I think this game is just packed with cool mechanics and cool applications of those mechanics. Absolutely some of the most creative and clever game mechanics I've seen so far this Ludum Dare.

Interesting stuff. Audio and overall mood was really well made, but the movement feels weird, especially when jumping and climbing on things.

The concept works pretty well! I had a hard time figuring out how to use the lightning. there is no clear indicator that the "target" must be in line of sight, so I got stuck looking around the first candle , trying to interact with it, until eventually it got struck by accident. Same thing happened with the enemies, it's only after the third successful defeat that I fully understood that I had to look at them when they was on the same level, in front of me. I think this mechanic could be clearer with some kind of VFX coming from the eyes?
Anyway, the level-design was really nice! I liked how at several points it feels like you reach the next candle just in time. It builds a great tension, while actually leaving enough margin to not be frustrated. The puzzles are clever, and although some parts are tough, knowing them feel like speed-running the game.
I'm not sure I understood the ending. It feel like there's a "good" one hidden, but even after a second playthrough I couldn't find it. ^^' The experience was still great anyway. Well done!

I like the idea, one major issue, the timer that is in the top left corner, it doesn't work for me, just black blocks, both on ld page, and itch.io, very weird issue, makes me unable to beat the game, since i have no clue when the next strike is

@noeloskar Browser version?

@alaah 106.0.1 firefox actually checked, and the itch.io version on google chrome does work, so i'll play that

@alaah okay now that i can enjoy the game properly, it's really good, my only complain is that the controls could be a bit more responsive, like for example, when a girl rushes at me and i want to strike her with lighting, lining the shoot at her is pretty hard, in an annoying way

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/missdemanor/post-mortem-ish-rambling-missdemanor

Thank you everyone for feedback, I really appreciate it

I came here to see after reading [this post](https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/missdemanor/post-mortem-ish-rambling-missdemanor). :) So, testing, but trying to add some remarks that may be novel.

**Semi-on-the-fly remarks**

1. Controls are layout-independent, great (I have an AZERTY keyboard), AND arrow keys are enabled. (Some people sometimes get it right without even knowing, so, letting you know!)
2. The whole rain effect and dramatisation are great. The music layers feel right. (As a coincidence, I have in mind using this concept for a big project, with even ‘deeper’(!) implications. Also used it for bubble sounds in a submarine game, depending of your depth. :))
3. Even though I had read your post last night, I still came with a fresh mind/outlook and thought at first that CONTACT with the candle was the trigger; I guess the outline is indeed not that clear, maybe because *the character sees the candle upon arrival*. I guess the terrain would have to be designed in such a way that you have to move vertically, so that you clearly get the difference; and I think putting the candle rightwards, out of reach (even better: behind a wall with a hole), would make it sure the players do not interpret the mechanic as contact-related.
4. The wall/ledge-grip mechanic was not obvious to me at first (although you are quickly forced to use it, which is a good thing); I guess just some visual cue (picturing a hand, for example) would help.
5. Bug: after beating first character, in the downward slope, tried the focus key because of the indication (although I guess this would kill me :p), then respawned before the encounter (with the additional music layer from the slope still here); then died touching the first character, BUT respawned ON the slope, as if a checkpoint had been activated only in between. And then, the girl is here (rightwards of the hole)! Taking her out; I realize I should have let her alone to see if this would cause a bug later, although I suspect not. (later: I see Honey Pony experienced the same bug)
6. Respawning: the girl is still here, letting her there, this time.
7. General thought: I think the current implementation of the theme, while clever, is a diverting of it toward ‘Every 10 **distance units**’. To have it properly match the theme, it would have been great to make TIME pass as you move — therefore in a *SUPERHOT* fashion, as already mentioned.
8. Room with three girls: I think you said it in your post, but action seems to get the upper hand over reflection (in particular, when the third girl coming from the right jumps to the upper-left ledge, she seems to get us instantly when falling, even before actually reaching us — or rather, she seems to be "teleported" to the ground). Making time only roll as you move would solve *both* problems of theme connection and having more cogent reflection.
9. By the way, the AI seems nice too, these opponents have an eerie life of themselves.
10. Died several times because you cannot apparently focus an opponent that is too far off in an outside screen. You can have them at some point without seeing them, so this would need to be clarified.
11. Rightwards: climbing this long staircase is surprisingly and unbearingly hard. XD Left Arrow would often not respond at some leap, which is enough to make you lose "time" and not be able to make it. Phew, finally made it, reaching zero somewhere at the transition, which the game somehow considered fair game.
12. Second leftward candle: weird, I was looking at it from the left, and it was not counted!
13. Only now do I realize the red outline gets more intense as time nears zero. I think the outline should merely systematically get maximal intensity (or better, blinker).
14. By the way, witty that checkpoints are also lifesavers.
15. Reaching a hole, but… nothing! Is this a bug?
16. I thought there were some voices out my window, but now, I realize this comes from the music layers! Some background voices?

(1/2)

(continued: 2/2)

17. **[spoiler]** That upward passage was somehow dirty. X) I found it quickly, but it feels almost like a secret; the fact that the previous passage was long tends to entice the player not to come back, BUT actually, since it is *easier* to come back (because it is a *downward* slope from left to right), it would be entirely reasonable to think coming here was a bad idea, and leave! I think either preventing the player from coming back, or having a *downward* slope to come here (which would also solve the climbing difficulty issue!), would help as an implicit indication.
18. Dark-haired enemy stuck gripped at a ledge! Bug? Easy shot.
19. Weird, at respawning, when getting to the next screen, I get a (dark-haired) enemy coming, this time! The game did not seem random before. Fleeing to the right (these stepping sounds gets me goosebumps!). Coming back; the enemy actually keeps making small left-right movements at the bottom of the candle screen, so the AI may sometimes run into bugs.
20. Enemy once again stuck at ledge, so I believe this is the bug that prevents her from coming.
21. The brown-haired girl for the precision platforming section is yet another example of action taking the upper hand; very hard to manage the first time around unless you knew about it. Actually, even knowing, I get into hard trouble because focusing her at the right time. Trying to take her down down (sic!); then stuck, because the passage is too long without a "recharge"…
22. Possible navigator problem (because happened with other games): no sound after coming back to the computer after a while (even fiddling with the volume bar), so, starting again. X)
23. For the first encounter, I now wonder if her not gripping the ledge is a bug… (Jumping continuously.) (later: video: normal, but I still find this weird!)
24. Tried outrunning her to see: funny bug, after my dying because of contact, she continues running to the right, but in a moonwalk. XD
25. I also think the S indication (and others) could stay there, instead of being shown only the first time.
26. New bug: respawning at the lower-left candle from the second encounter, the brown-haired is just here, still, and I can touch her without dying.
27. The big staircase is in fact easier if you hold the left movement key, but the player is tempted not to, since this costs time.
28. FINALLY managed the platform passage! **[spoiler]** My method: nailed the second enemy from the middle platform. Somewhat tricky for timing.
29. Mirror + hole: I fear one of them is an ending and the other one not; I would like to test both. Chose one: this is an ending. XD So, checking video. (later: I see Ratrat44 also wanted to know… Wish someone would have told!)
30. **[spoiler]** Interesting, in the video, taking out the penultimate foe by going below; feels very action-oriented and risky. But you tackled the larger problem of multi-solution puzzles in the post.
31. **[spoiler]** Not showing what happens if you fall… I guess this gets you back to somewhere before? (later: too long??)
32. **[spoiler]** I cannot believe busybody me did not think of it! XD The kind of thing you do in *The Talos Principle* (which I also tend to favour over *Portal 2*, even though they are a bit different in nature, with the latter more oriented towards dynamics). I felt the pain collecting all those stars. (later: but… how do you make the jump?? I wonder if this is related to first girl not gripping as a bug for some version or system)

**Takeaway:** not sure why you seemed so disappointed in your post, this is a great prototype that just needs some enhancements! (The biggest one being switching from real-time action to movement-based time, in my opinion.) And audio is incredible too. Frankly, you should not care about people missing out out of carelessness, just be aware of the genuine qualities (good or bad) of the present state of the game. Mindful people certainly are. (I may not be representative of the masses, but once again, truth does not equal social proof.)

(continued: 2/2)

17. **[spoiler]** That upward passage was somehow dirty. X) I found it quickly, but it feels almost like a secret; the fact that the previous passage was long tends to entice the player not to come back, BUT actually, since it is *easier* to come back (because it is a *downward* slope from left to right), it would be entirely reasonable to think coming here was a bad idea, and leave! I think either preventing the player from coming back, or having a *downward* slope to come here (which would also solve the climbing difficulty issue!), would help as an implicit indication.
18. Dark-haired enemy stuck gripped at a ledge! Bug? Easy shot.
19. Weird, at respawning, when getting to the next screen, I get a (dark-haired) enemy coming, this time! The game did not seem random before. Fleeing to the right (these stepping sounds gets me goosebumps!). Coming back; the enemy actually keeps making small left-right movements at the bottom of the candle screen, so the AI may sometimes run into bugs.
20. Enemy once again stuck at ledge, so I believe this is the bug that prevents her from coming.
21. The brown-haired girl for the precision platforming section is yet another example of action taking the upper hand; very hard to manage the first time around unless you knew about it. Actually, even knowing, I get into hard trouble because focusing her at the right time. Trying to take her down down (sic!); then stuck, because the passage is too long without a "recharge"…
22. Possible navigator problem (because happened with other games): no sound after coming back to the computer after a while (even fiddling with the volume bar), so, starting again. X)
23. For the first encounter, I now wonder if her not gripping the ledge is a bug… (Jumping continuously.) (later: video: normal, but I still find this weird!)
24. Tried outrunning her to see: funny bug, after my dying because of contact, she continues running to the right, but in a moonwalk. XD
25. I also think the S indication (and others) could stay there, instead of being shown only the first time.
26. New bug: respawning at the lower-left candle from the second encounter, the brown-haired is just here, still, and I can touch her without dying.
27. The big staircase is in fact easier if you hold the left movement key, but the player is tempted not to, since this costs time.
28. FINALLY managed the platform passage! **[spoiler]** My method: nailed the second enemy from the middle platform. Somewhat tricky for timing.
29. Mirror + hole: I fear one of them is an ending and the other one not; I would like to test both. Chose one: this is an ending. XD So, checking video. (later: I see Ratrat44 also wanted to know… Wish someone would have told!)
30. **[spoiler]** Interesting, in the video, taking out the penultimate foe by going below; feels very action-oriented and risky. But you tackled the larger problem of multi-solution puzzles in the post.
31. **[spoiler]** Not showing what happens if you fall… I guess this gets you back to somewhere before? (later: too long??)
32. **[spoiler]** I cannot believe busybody me did not think of it! XD The kind of thing you do in *The Talos Principle* (which I also tend to favour over *Portal 2*, even though they are a bit different in nature, with the latter more oriented towards dynamics). I felt the pain collecting all those stars. (later: but… how do you make the jump?? I wonder if this is related to first girl not gripping as a bug for some version or system)

**Takeaway:** not sure why you seemed so disappointed in your post, this is a great prototype that just needs some enhancements! (The biggest one being switching from real-time action to movement-based time, in my opinion.) And audio is incredible too. Frankly, you should not care about people missing out out of carelessness, just be aware of the genuine qualities (good or bad) of the present state of the game. Mindful people certainly are. (I may not be representative of the masses, but once again, truth does not equal social proof.)