FoonLudum Dare ExplorerLD29 → SUNK

SUNK

By georgebroussard

View on Wayback Machine

CategoryRankScoreCount
Coolness1100
Theme264.10
Mood334.06
Audio583.79
Overall733.88
Graphics1373.92
Innovation1633.69
Fun3223.31
Humor3952.68

Comments

agentparsec 2014-04-27 23:00

259.6 seconds.

hampa 2014-04-28 04:40

101.6

jerick 2014-04-28 05:20

This is one of those games that is super simple, but incredibly moody It tells a story with very little words, and puts you in an emotional state that you weren't necessarily in before. I loved it.

paperblurt 2014-04-28 07:53

I like the sunset and the mood.
It's like OPEN WATER - THE GAME!

mrpiglet 2014-04-28 12:14

Does something simple, but does it very well. I could stand a lot more LD entries to be like this! :)

zebi24 2014-04-28 12:18

Awesome game, very well done! :)

seyroth 2014-04-28 14:18

52.8 :<
I like how you rely on real-life advice about drowning for the player to understand how to play in order to survive longer. You didn't write "be careful not to drain your stamina for nothing, use the waves to avoid tiring yourself efficiently", you just explain how to _try_ to swim back up. It was great.

designernap 2014-04-28 19:32

Great work. Simple approach, nice visuals but top marks for audio. Makes the game for me :)

2014-04-28 20:51

Loved it! Simple to play, difficult to master.

whiterabbitgames 2014-04-28 20:56

Fun game, I really enjoyed it!

ekanaut 2014-04-28 21:41

Fantastic work! I love the feeling of desperation and overall production value.

pent 2014-04-28 22:25

138.7 seconds! surprisingly fun

kunonooni 2014-04-28 23:30

56.5 secs. Holy Cow George I think you've out done yourself. It simple, elegant and powerful. Kudos to you my friend.

jlay 2014-04-29 00:05

Wow! 63 seconds of sheer terror. My god, this could be the next Flappy Bird on mobile devices. So simple, but SO fun.

georgebroussard 2014-04-29 00:12

Thanks Jason (and all above). I may well take it to phone as I was intending that with the 1 button press etc. Using LD for feedback and input :)

madjackmcmad 2014-04-29 00:35

I enjoyed this game but I don't think I'm really any good at it, I keep drowning. Will you offer life vests as IAP?

garbagetrucks 2014-04-29 02:03

Great concept and good proof that a simple mechanic can be emotionally engaging. Confirmation that I DON'T WANT TO DIE THIS WAY.

tentativedibs 2014-04-29 02:24

Nice work as usual George. I won't even post my score because I suck!

danbo 2014-04-29 03:09

Really depressing game (in a good way), interesting mechanics. One of my favourites this LD

alucard-j 2014-04-29 03:39

130s on first run, took me a while to realize 'work with the waves'. The text is a great addition, quite panic-inducing, well done.

kevinvdburgt 2014-04-29 04:17

Nice game, fits the theme haha. Score was: 82 seconds xD

rylgh 2014-04-29 05:27

elegantly simple and effective, A+++

cambrian_era 2014-04-29 05:50

Yeesh, that was grim. Looks and sounds good, but more than that, it 'feels' nice. Well, until you inevitably drown, I suppose.

orangepascal 2014-04-29 09:01

ouch, 147seconds.. nice game! very original, should turn it into a mobile game ;)

merlijnvh 2014-04-29 09:46

Very polished and (positively) grim, I love the character sprite animation together with the water sound effects. After 5 minutes I could still keep afloat easily using the same rhythm, though. More difficulty would be cool!

edibletoaster 2014-04-29 09:57

209.something Really cool. I'd love to see it get harder later on but. Love the sound effects and visuals.

ahmeni 2014-04-29 09:58

Simple and amazing.

papygaragos 2014-04-29 17:10

Haha your were right, our entries are very similar :) Did you draw your inspiration from that ad as well?
270.1

lightsoda 2014-04-29 17:52

736.8s

I gave up waiting for the inevitable, I started to get bored around ~300s, not my type of game I guess.

I felt the graphics and sounds were pretty good, the splash sounds and gurgling when reaching above the wave was a nice touch. There seemed to be a constant underwater sound, maybe you should have activated that and toned down the other sounds when going under.

One thing I thought about when watching this on streams, was that it was hard (for me at least) to tell if the wave or the screen was moving, the gradient background gives some clue to that but maybe some horizon would have made it more clear.

lorniebear 2014-04-29 19:44

I like the gameplay and the pixilated man.
I wish that there was a highscores board :)

vilya 2014-04-29 20:09

152.7 seconds.

Very minimalist game, really nice aesthetic. I think possibly a bit *too* minimalist - in gameplay terms - for my tastes though.

badlydrawnrod 2014-04-29 20:51

Agree with the previous comments that this would make a good mobile game. I liked the phrases that the man said about missing his family, is that a fin, etc.

mrleeperry 2014-04-29 21:14

After playing about 5 times I got to ~400 and figured I could have kept it going a long long time. But the first handful of plays I was ridiculously stressed (in a great way). LOVE the theme use, and the situation I've never really seen handled like that in a game beyond a simple "breath bar" that some games use as a side feature. Really cool. Thanks for all the tech help/advice through the weekend too!

whilefun 2014-04-30 00:56

A mere 59.5 seconds the first go, and a respectable 184.6 the second try!

Very good audio. It took me a second to realize that the wave timing was the level of the water relative to the screen/frame. Once I got that, I was able to ride them a bit and took slightly longer to die. The second go round was way better.

Consider putting this up in mobile app stores, if only for fun. High score bragging rights could be fun. It's a perfect touch screen game :)

bchan 2014-04-30 05:39

Great execution on a simple, strong idea! it feels like a complete thought, with all facets of the experience considered and given equal attention. There's a lot to learn from an LD entry like this.

sonnybone 2014-04-30 08:02

Oh wow you really nailed the feeling of desperation and panic. I still feel a bit anxious and the game has been over for a while. I got about 80 something seconds. I was trying to be fancy thinking I could trade breath for stamina and just drop under the water and then pop up on a wave. NOPE! HAHA. Gonna try again. Good job with the the theme and mood.

dmcfarline 2014-04-30 10:10

Really like the camera effects in this, really adds to the disorientating atmosphere

oddly-shaped-pixels 2014-04-30 10:12

Really great idea, I love the concept though I didn't go really far. I will go back on this definitely!

notch 2014-04-30 10:58

And now I'm sad

gnerkus 2014-04-30 11:06

48 seconds

I haven't had time to concentrate on the game. I'll definitely post a larger highscore later today.

This is a very great game concept (and the second one about drowning I've seen on LD)

capnramses 2014-04-30 13:03

really nice - a lot smaller scope than last LD! the first thing i connected with was the audio which really sets the atmosphere. how did you make the water sounds? the little dude reminds me of King Graham who always ended up flailing in the water! i actually like that there wasn't a lot of noise going on with fish and boats and stuff, just his imagination.

thorig 2014-05-01 06:58

Great game! Love the mood and reaction of the guy in the water.

miwuc 2014-05-01 08:49

Nice an simple, great atmosphere and lovely graphics. I love how all the text moves with the waves.

sheepolution 2014-05-01 09:54

Cool game. It's balanced really well, and has a good mood.

xaychru04 2014-05-01 13:11

Nice game, the sound effects are really moody!

crowbeak 2014-05-01 13:21

116.1

hyperbox 2014-05-02 00:46

Wow, you did so many great things to add to the tension of this game, from the jarring motions of everything, to the sound effects. Great use of the theme.

dustoutgames 2014-05-02 00:57

Wow, this is a great example of getting as much as possible out of a simple concept. It's impressive how much depth (haha) is here for just using one button.

javifugitivo 2014-05-02 01:26

Nice concept! Simple and clean! Really awesome and tragic.. Very nice art.. I don't know what more I can say.. Really really good. GOD. Damn! Genius! ;) Five stars.

elforama 2014-05-02 01:56

Such a sad game, but well made too! I survived for about 50 seconds before sleeping with the fishes. Good job.

ithildin 2014-05-02 02:26

Wow, you managed to capture the agonizing feeling of fighting to rise to the surface wonderfully. A brilliant interpretation of the theme, congratulations!

PS: 114s.

lyla 2014-05-02 02:30

I had a pretty strong emotional reaction to this; it felt a little wrong to be playing it and slowly watching my little guy die (collection of pixels that he may be). The experience is well crafted though offputting.

ryan-up-in-here 2014-05-02 04:35

Good job dude. You should definitely put this on Android.

chuigum 2014-05-02 05:01

Like the graphics, very original too

benmcnelly 2014-05-02 05:10

I love it, simple gameplay and good animations.

diptoman 2014-05-02 05:22

Pretty simple, the game's very efficient at what it does. It was a lot of fun once I figured out that the camera movements corresponded to the wave motions. The audio was epic.

gertjohnny 2014-05-02 06:00

I started to play through a second time, but realized that no matter how well my dude did, he was still going to have the same fate. I let him down gently.

mcapraro 2014-05-02 06:46

a little creepy to be honest, but brilliantly executed as well ;)

tuism 2014-05-02 07:43

Great game! I especially liked that there's really a lot of hidden depth with multiple vectors of interaction even with just one button, which makes it simple but very skill-oriented. Very well done on that design.

Lots of little touches make it play very well - the "internal dialogue" and the juice. But ultimately a little more variety in gameplay or progression would have been awesome - and still can be :)

So many entries inspired by that le mer... Something ad. We know who reads Kotaku now, then :P

lars-faust 2014-05-02 07:56

Definitely something perfect for mobile, really liked the overall mood.
Couldnt get past the 60s mark, i felt like i didnt quite figure out how to ride the waves properly.

iambored2006 2014-05-02 09:03

I read your name as gorgeous bastard. It fits the game, I suppose. Those sounds, though. Haunting me even after I closed the game. Would you mind making a standalone build?

stevesalmond 2014-05-02 10:44

Crikey, I still feel a bit like I'm choking. This game gets you right in the feels!

degtyarev 2014-05-02 11:58

Quite a grim game. I managed to survive for 59.1 secs.
This game brought up some unpleasant memories from my childhood but the game is interesting. Nice work!

deathray 2014-05-02 14:41

My highest was 99.6sec. Simplest controls possible but still challenging and fun. Great game!

gwa 2014-05-02 19:37

Its amazing and hit me somehow. Cool Game.

curiousexpedition 2014-05-02 20:20

Super strong entry! Can I say it feels really good? I can really feel the desperateness of drowning. Sound effects are spot on. I did not understand the mechanic of the waves, however.

bebopbraunbaer 2014-05-02 20:29

127.7

great work! looking forward to your next game. Thx for the postmortem

arcturusdeluxe 2014-05-02 21:56

Well that was morbid. Cool game, mechanics about as simple as you can get, but its still quite a gripping game. Good use of sound effects too.

jomomomo 2014-05-03 01:29

91s. Best in show. Great job my friend.

lostautumnguy 2014-05-03 04:32

Didn't take me long to realize how to play, and the message is effective. Great execution!

tacograveyard 2014-05-03 04:38

simple but effective. thank you

boaheck_artgent 2014-05-03 10:25

Wow. My heart sunk every time I died.

hadesfury 2014-05-03 11:11

Great game ! 59.4

recursor 2014-05-03 11:21

Man that was tough. I managed a bit over 30 seconds. Nice job.

make-a-game 2014-05-03 14:15

128.6s
Took me some time to understand the the "waves" happen when the water goes up and down, since it's all a straight line.
Pretty fun for a game about drowning!

daredevildave 2014-05-03 14:40

Made it for over a minute... Nice game.

kimau 2014-05-03 18:45

Hauntingly well executed on a tight concept

buriteam 2014-05-04 00:35

Sensational! The little things like the messages just add to a incredibly grim experience. It would be cooler if the waves were clearer. GG

zkenshin 2014-05-04 02:58

Solid game play. Good entry. :)

shadow64 2014-05-04 08:54

The game is well thought out. I think the controls could be explained a little better. I though I would have to KEEP pressing up, but instead it was more about pressing it at the right time - I guess I should've read the tips first.

The splashing, the timing gameplay, and really everything. Once I got the hang of it, it made sense. Nicely done. :)

romko_pidstryhach 2014-05-04 09:29

Very moody game. Great job!

myyyvothrr 2014-05-04 10:49

Simple but great, liked it!

cmaster 2014-05-04 11:50

Grim.

Great use of ambient sound.

randoman 2014-05-04 14:23

60.8 seconds. Very simple game but extremely well executed. I love the balance you created between breath and stamina. Congrats!

nicom 2014-05-06 02:25

Great balance, fun mechanic, great job:)

mustaine 2014-05-06 14:13

This actually made me feel extreme tension as my stamina approached zero. Love the overall mood and all the elements that contribute to the experience. The character monologues, the audio, the swaying camera, all great touches.

nesis 2014-05-07 05:21

A well-polished game with a simple yet challenging mechanic driving it.

crocantidepollo 2014-05-08 23:13

Very nice! Simple but tricky

zeh 2014-05-09 19:24

Awesome work as always. One of LD's highlights for me.

frogcheese 2014-05-09 21:32

124 seconds. Difficult. :/ It's a really simple game, but still effective, and an interesting take on the theme. And really polished too! Good job!

alvivar 2014-05-10 09:33

Great! Love the mood and details. The camera, the sounds. Very polish. +Overall

No feedback for you, i love it as it is. Is the kind of game you want to play again to see if you can do better :D

brmassa 2014-05-10 17:22

simple but effective. Quite the opposite of my entry Vaults Inc, which is complex but I could not refine it.

thaaks 2014-05-10 17:41

Great mood and very polished presentation (easing stamina and air when dying and for the controls information).
I sucked a lot at it - seems the waves were too tiny for me to understand when and how to ride them ;-)
Graphics and audio support the mood very well.

teesquared 2014-05-10 18:24

Very complete and polished. Simple mechanic but effective. Really felt like I was gasping for air. Good job.

elefantopia 2014-05-10 18:33

Very cool game and nice game mechanics.

robinerd 2014-05-10 19:44

simplistic and elegant! A simple concept executed really well, I like it :)

2014-05-10 20:31

Cool concept and I like him speaking when he's above the water. Nice job.

jorgemoag 2014-05-10 22:05

This game is awesome! hahahaha very hard to survive

jupiter_hadley 2014-05-10 23:09

Simple but great game! I included it in part 21 of my Ludum Dare compilation video series, if you'd like to take a look :) http://youtu.be/ARsCeJtTlas

blazecell 2014-05-11 03:07

Seems a bit odd how quickly you begin to sink without any thing to hamper you, like waves or a weight on your foot. Definitely feels like a struggle though, which I believe is what you were going for. Good sounds and atmosphere.

scam 2014-05-11 11:34

Awesome. Simple controls, but hard to master.

joe40001 2014-05-12 09:21

81.5s Can't believe some of you got so much higher, also can't believe GeorgeBroussard made the game unwinnable. :(

Poor cold guy.

drprettypatty 2014-05-13 01:29

60.2 seconds! This was simple but incredibly well executed, especially on the GUI and the sound. Fantastic job!

radmars 2014-05-14 00:39

Damn this is dark. I like simple mechanics like this but it seemed hard to get the hang of the timing. Great simple & effective graphics & audio too. Nice job!

iambored2006 2014-05-19 05:01

Hey! I mentioned your game in this post- http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2014/05/18/10-games-that-resonated-with-me/ , along with some feedback. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

davidc02 2014-05-19 16:17

Hah this is so cruel. Great job George

gamepopper 2014-05-19 20:39

50.2 seconds. Really good.

wschorn 2014-05-19 22:13

traumatizing. gold star!

2014-08-29 14:08

Amazing game, loved it. Keep it up. I am new to unity, how should i run the source. its says its not a unity project, i.e it is not a project build. So how should i run it.