LudumData

Deep Harvest VII by Bloodfin

[raw]
made by Bloodfin for Ludum Dare 52 (JAM)

Thanks for checking out our teams jam entry! WideImage.jpg Come explore the depths of the ocean and see what you can collect from the wreckage on the ocean floor. Find Audio Log Drives to learn the story of what happened to the crew of the underwater geothermal power station as you maneuver your submarine through the remains.

Our first Ludum Dare and had a blast running around modelling, recording all the sound effects, making and photographing textures, along with writing the story and recording the narration. While not every feature got in (subtitles and the big ending sequence) still happy with what we got done over the weekend.

All assets, sounds, textures, and music made over the weekend by the four of us.

TIPS: Everything to find is nearby the large power station. The game won't stop you from wandering off into the distance but there's nothing to find out too far away other than empty ocean.

Audio is important and we didn't have time to implement subtitles so make sure your audio isn't muted.

Simply download unzip and click "DeepHarvest.exe" or check out the web version over at itch.io. Screenshots.jpg

Link https://bloodfin.itch.io/deepharvest-vii
Link https://bloodfin.itch.io/deepharvest-vii
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/52/deep-harvest-vii

Ratings

Overall 93th 3.977⭐ 66🧑‍⚖️
Fun 477th 3.25⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 203th 3.619⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Theme 285th 3.897⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 87th 4.328⭐ 66🧑‍⚖️
Audio 4th 4.595⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Humor 305th 3.164⭐ 60🧑‍⚖️
Mood 3th 4.603⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Given 76🗳️ 133🗨️

Feedback

LDJam user 252856
09. Jan 2023 · 21:22 UTC
I like the voice acting and active comms. They really add to the atmosphere. Though there isn't a sense of urgency or any obstacle to my gameplay which makes it calm but not super entertaining.
Knatterton
09. Jan 2023 · 21:25 UTC
Very very nice, getting strong Outer Wilds vibes here.
Love the dialogue and general sound and ambiance. Made me feel very alone. Super well done for this short amount of time!
Tinybuttybutt
09. Jan 2023 · 21:28 UTC
Man this one is special, the atmosphere is so cool (I love the person who did the audio). I wish that the progression would be a bit more linear or the ship was faster. Anyway, you guys did fantastic and if I don't see this game at the top of the jam I'll be so mad!
Tommo120
09. Jan 2023 · 21:35 UTC
I enjoyed playing this, very nice work :) Got some strong Iron Lung vibes from it! My main complaints would be the lack of subtitles and the lack of any sort of pay off at the end. Just feels like it kinda ends?
Cassreads
09. Jan 2023 · 21:41 UTC
Yeah, we actually have a different ending planned, but ran out of time for this build! We hope to keep working on this after Ludum and flush it out more. We actually have a ton of dialogue, interactions, and story (even with alternative endings) planned (some even already written and recorded) for when we have a bit more time to actually implement. Thanks so much guys for playing and for the feedback!
chompdev
09. Jan 2023 · 21:57 UTC
Wow, you guys really nailed the atmosphere and lonely/eerie mood in this one! The methodical crawling across the ocean floor and carefully collecting things with the mechanical arm was really cool. I also love the system where the collected item deposits in the interior slot so you can inspect it more closely. Very much reminded me of Subnautica's exploration, which is a great thing. Nice work!
thejan14
09. Jan 2023 · 22:51 UTC
The atmosphere is amazing! Never was so happy about fishing some boots out of the ocean floor, but was somehow unable to find other points of interest :(
But as it felt so amazing navigating the device that was not mutch of a big deal. Loved it :)
Vipaka
10. Jan 2023 · 02:54 UTC
This thing was a 5 on mood for sure! The audio recordings sounded very authentic for a submarine. The ambient sound effects were very eerie. I was impressed with the amount of content you were able to put in for a 3d game, nicely done!
Rincs
10. Jan 2023 · 03:12 UTC
FANTASTIC SETTING. I was hooked after the first recording. Can't wait for Deep Harvest VIII!!!
Aurailus
10. Jan 2023 · 06:20 UTC
This game was incredible! I loved the voice acting from the very beginning, both actors were so talented! I'm super impressed by the amount of polish your team managed to cram into 3 days. The story was interesting to hear unfold, the atmosphere was mysterious and foreboding, and the underwater craft felt clunky in all the right ways. I can't help but feel like the story would have hit a bit harder if you were actually travelling down the same ocean vent that was being described in the black-boxes, wondering if you might discover the same creature as the quiet creaking of your ship made you painfully aware of how vulnerable you were, but given the insane time constraints of this jam I perfectly understand why that didn't happen. I'd love to see you guys flesh this game out into a beautiful environmental horror, it's already 90% there. Amazing job, all!
qqruzkin
10. Jan 2023 · 06:56 UTC
While I was playing, I was chatting with my friend in the background. Picking up trash on the bottom, I swam to the edge of the abyss. I don't speak English very well (I think the subtitles helped me better absorb the information) and I heard the voiceover characters talking about something creepy. I gritted my teeth and started to descend to the bottom, I was very scared. But at some point I decided to go back and realized that I was under the textures of the map)

Very atmospheric game, with an unexpected setting for this theme, but the harvest is really present. I wish you good luck, the game has a lot of potential!
rrsmtz
10. Jan 2023 · 08:27 UTC
Incredible job! This is very eerie and yet you want to keep pushing forward to find out what happens. I love everything about the ship - the looks, the movement, it's all great.
Macibacsi56
10. Jan 2023 · 15:54 UTC
WOW! This is amazing :)
DurkaGames
10. Jan 2023 · 15:55 UTC
Good job! Where's first six parts? :D
Artyom Volkov
10. Jan 2023 · 18:02 UTC
Narration is insanely well done, I love the dialogues and voiceovers, you guys did a superb work.
Bearacus
10. Jan 2023 · 18:29 UTC
The atmosphere and the voice comms we're wonderful, really felt like an outside source hearing and speculating over the past of these 2 characters. The navigation took me a while to realize I was more of a submarine than a underwater mech, so what I thought, were Mech Footstomps, on the sea bed, were actually just me constantly bumping into the floor. This reminds me of Subnautica/tacoma. Great submission, this one will be up there in the ratings, no doudt.
nikitavychuz
10. Jan 2023 · 18:39 UTC
Very immersive adventure. The amount of effort you put into the game is astounding - every aspect of it seems highly polished (though the audio clicks (unless it's just on my end?) are distracting). I only wish the environment wasn't as open or that it had some always visible guides/points of interest as it is quite easy to get lost with no real way to realign yourself. I look forward to playing the full release :)
Yorsh
10. Jan 2023 · 19:52 UTC
Very strong mood and superb graphics. I especially liked the camera effect when hitting the ground or a wall. There is a lot of content, it's impressive. Maybe a speed boost of some kind could have been nice, most of the time the next item is a few meters away, but sometimes going from a place to another takes a while.
CaperCube
11. Jan 2023 · 00:36 UTC
Wonderful audio and graphics! This has Iron lung vibes while still looking really good and modern!
Great job guys!
Hawkin
11. Jan 2023 · 03:10 UTC
SUCH a good atmosphere. The attention to detail you have for storytelling, pacing and ambience is apparent. All of the sound design, ambient music, and floaty motions really sold the feeling that I was operating an underwater vehicle.

Even though the gameplay was mechanical and not too varied, exploring the world (as well as the pacing of the narrative) made up for it. In fact, likely because the task was meditative, I could pay more attention to the story. I'll call it a win!

I wonder how the story would have changed if I didn't find the goo-covered item until the end, _after_ hearing all the concerning events that transpired ... would that realization carry more weight?

I can't wait to see what you all come up with next time! Thanks for this!
Bowen
11. Jan 2023 · 09:26 UTC
I like audio and graghics! Atomsphere too! The only problem is fps is too low to let me continue playing, beacause I feel pretty dizzy!
LDJam user 258850
11. Jan 2023 · 17:17 UTC
Amazing work guys! ^^ this was a great experience, looking forward to more games done by you <3
Accatosh
11. Jan 2023 · 17:32 UTC
The mood is perfect in this game, because of different factors such as the comms, audio and graphics. The game reminds me a little of Bioshock. I also like how harvesting was interpreted and used in this game. My feedback for this game is to add a clear goal. Would definitely want to play something similar again. Good job!
Maytch
11. Jan 2023 · 22:23 UTC
I don't think I've played a gamejam game with that level of voice acting before. Great job on the atmosphere. I also felt it was easy enough to get around to the next item to collect. I'm not sure if it's because you put enough in or you have a smart spawning system. I could imagine getting frustrated by not being able to find a new piece however it wasn't a problem in this game.
Hare Software
12. Jan 2023 · 00:01 UTC
Very nice atmospheric game with great voice acting and an intriguing story, well done!
jitspoe
12. Jan 2023 · 04:47 UTC
Definitely nailed that atmosphere! Enjoyed playing it on stream.
TheOtherSamP
12. Jan 2023 · 05:03 UTC
Very impressive! This feels very filmic. Voice acting is great, and the writing feels very natural - not the cheesy writing you often see in indie games. It's not often a LD game gets me genuinely intrigued by the story! The atmosphere is perfect. The first 5/5 I've given for mood.

This reminded me a lot of Firewatch, in a good way - simple gameplay with a story playing out naturally, with characters that feel real. I would genuinely love to see this expanded to a full project!
SvenErik
12. Jan 2023 · 08:14 UTC
Firstly, this sure gave me Sub Culture flashbacks and I loved that game wished for a sequel for a long time, so nostalgia kicked in instantly. Secondly, it's better at atmosphere than the latter!
The graphics and audio overall aesthetics are wonderful and everything works together so well, usually I don't like the voice acting in Ludum Games, but this one worked out well. I also enjoyed the story a lot - maybe I'm just a sub maniac.

Anyhow like previous comments I'd love to see this expanded on to a bigger game with more features and the story expanded on. Great work!
Substain
12. Jan 2023 · 10:40 UTC
Very cool entry, the voice acting is nice! Although the gameplay itself was not very challenging, I do like story-focused games such as this one and I felt like you did a good job. Great!
Roroto Sic
12. Jan 2023 · 11:27 UTC
A TRULY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, it's so impressive what you managed to do in such a short time !
As a big fan of deep sea mission explorers ( like this channel : https://www.youtube.com/user/EVNautilus ) , become one of them was such a pleasur to me !

Great story in the vibe as John Carpenter movies :)
Very Great 3D, excelent audio !

(did i miss something in the end?, the game crashed when credits came in)

![Capture d’écran 2023-01-12 122305.png](///raw/d93/94/z/563e9.png)
Krassenstein
12. Jan 2023 · 14:12 UTC
Dude this was so great, the sheer amount of work put into this in this small amount of time is astounding. Please make this a full game and ping me and I'll absolutely play it again! Great job!

Thanks for letting me play this!

Here's the VOD, split into chapters so you should be able to find your section!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hMhAX_Rgg8
Cassreads
12. Jan 2023 · 16:55 UTC
@roroto-sic - I actually watched a BUNCH of those sub videos while doing the writing and creating graphic assets hahaha! Those types of videos absolutely had an inspiration on the game. In a bigger version of the game, I'd definitely love to add a bit of that deep sea learning into it! I even originally wrote an audio bit (the interaction didn't make it in unfortunately due to time constraints) referring to one of my FAVORITE underwater friend from EVNautilus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYLWlERyNIc
Cassreads
12. Jan 2023 · 17:06 UTC
@bowen thank you so much for playing! Do you happen to know what settings you were on when playing? Web vs downloaded? And were you in low quality mode v high quality? I can get dizzy too when playing games sometimes and have to take breaks haha!
BubbleMapGaming
12. Jan 2023 · 22:07 UTC
Wow, really cool and immersive (if you pardon the pun) environment and level. The voiceovers really set a nice theme and setting for the story. Would absolutely buy and play a full version.
Great Job!
LDJam user 273626
12. Jan 2023 · 22:59 UTC
VERY well done! The mood and atmosphere were amazing! I felt like I was right there. I always love a well done underwater game! I look forward to seeing what else you all come up with in the future! ^-^
Blue Pin Studio
13. Jan 2023 · 04:14 UTC
Good entry! I love the voice acting, it was well done! The game got a bit stale, i was thinking something would attack me or something but overall i still thought the game was memorable
Lomby
13. Jan 2023 · 05:01 UTC
Thanks for submitting your game on the stream!
Here’s the start of your game if you wanted to re-watch initial thoughts youtu.be/_eTFfxJO2YM?t=11170

Amazing atmosphere, great audio design and voice acting! The sound of the arm moving out was perfect! Loved that the pick up points tended to breadcrumb me to the next item so I didn't get lost.

Would be good to have some indication when the audio logs had finished playing so that any other sounds could add to the tense atmosphere (I wasn't sure if the sounds were on the log or in the sub)
EnchantedBrews
13. Jan 2023 · 16:01 UTC
This game deserves awards for innovation and audio for sure. The fact that the creators did the voice acting and how well everything came together is outstanding. I’d love to see some small improvements but reading the comments it sounds like you’ll be taking the game even further and I can’t wait!
frozenfire92
15. Jan 2023 · 14:30 UTC
What a great entry! Very impressive how much pollish is in here! Good work with the storyline and voiceover work, definitely added a lot! My only feedback was the ship was painfully slow :joy: Keep on making games!
Xandruher
15. Jan 2023 · 16:03 UTC
Another nice entry we got here! It played very smooth and I had no issues. The story was pretty cool and turning until the end which kept me playing. Thanks!
Chase of Bass
17. Jan 2023 · 01:20 UTC
This was so polished and really immersive! The 3d models and colors and lighting really carried the mood, the sound design and the voice acting was great too! The story was great! Really fun experience! Awesome job on this! :D
nardandas
17. Jan 2023 · 08:30 UTC
God - ridiculously atmospheric. Bloodfin watched me stream this, but I did want to leave a comment with my thoughts as well, for the rest of the team. I had to ask bloodfin if there were any jumpscares The game *really* felt like it wanted to give me a jumpscare. Which is really cool! Holding your audience like that without ever actually cashing it in. Really really cool. As I came up to the platform and the music stopped, and the murkiness of the depths surrounded me, I felt like *something* was going to happen. As I heard about the fate of the platform with the audio logs I *knew* something should happen. As I seen the corroded metal parts I just knew Bloodfin had lied to me - but they hadn't. You all did absolutely great on making EVERYTHING work toward that vibe. Great great job.

I also really appreciated the huge HUD. It was nicely evocative of older games and really fit the graphical style you seemed to be going for. Great job!
JormaRysky
18. Jan 2023 · 15:44 UTC
Really great voice acting, though woman could be mixed higher. Also needs subtitles, though I understand time constraints. While it controls decently and level is pretty interesting for being just deep blue, it is bit too slow for me to play it until the end. Would love to see compilation video of story elements though.

Graphics while not being hugely stylized are very good for being jam. I like the 90's pre-rendered like aesthetics and huge useless "hud".

All in all, very atmospheric piece.
kuggenhoffen
19. Jan 2023 · 20:07 UTC
Very different game to others I've seen so far. Love the atmosphere and level of dialogue and voice acting. However feels a bit too slow of a game for me and at some points I was confused also whether the dialogue was my character, another submarine doing the same thing and radioing over to me or was I picking up some audio recordings from the seafloor.

Anyways I very much appreciate the style of it. Awesome work!
robobarbie
23. Jan 2023 · 00:19 UTC
oh yeah, 5 stars for everything. the immersion through the clever UI, clean sounds, and simple mechanics (helped by the controls feeling super natural, nice job) made this a really fun experience. it also gave me a lot of similar vibes as that game "stories untold", which i loved. ty for this!!
HayriCakir
23. Jan 2023 · 08:46 UTC
Great atmosphere, felt like I was there! In gameplay aspect I wish there were more variety to gameplay, challenging stuff and so on. Other than that, a great entry! Good job mate
Hawkin
28. Jan 2023 · 17:19 UTC
Had to come back and check your scores -- CONGRATS!!