FoonLudum Dare ExplorerLD41 → Helsing

Helsing

By norris-eldridge, davidsheadgames and DigitalSmith

View on ldjam.com

CategoryRankScoreCount
Overall1403.9441
Fun1763.8240
Innovation6503.2740
Theme4543.7640
Graphics2404.0240
Audio554.0940
Humor8042.5032
Mood54.4340

Comments

hare-software 2018-04-24 01:54

Amazing work, I love the graphics, sound and the unique idea you came up with! I was very sceptical of how this game could ever be scary, but I was soon proven wrong and cornered in a room. Keep up the good work!

pkenney 2018-04-24 03:09

Fantastic job creating the atmosphere. The art, the sound, and the decisions about lighting really set the stage for the mood. The item scarcity was just about right, to where I was worried but never actually had a problem. I beat the game on my first run-through, but I had some close calls of being hunted by werewolves without knowing if a stake would work!

If I could tweak one thing, I'd think whether the rotating as a separate input step could be changed. I understand it's to aim the shooting, but the controls otherwise feel really snappy and the double-tap to turn somewhat marred that feel. I like to play turn/grid games pretty fast though, so it could just be me.

I loved the introduction of the metalish music at the end and the plot changes there, very nice touch to make it feel like a full experience.

Very nice entry!

eudes-franco 2018-04-24 03:51

Fantastic game guys, i have to say, the music and sounds are amazing!!

hankworx 2018-04-24 23:13

The sound design, music, and atmosphere are nice although navigating the dark maze is slightly infuriating. The game maintains a dark aura and suspense the whole time. Good job.

pandacultist 2018-04-25 05:13

Well done. Captured the mood perfectly, the combination of the dark tone of music, art, level design really set this game up. 2 themes were executed beautifully, the only thing i would say is it would be reall awesome to maybe see a puzzle incorporated into the game?

martintristan 2018-04-25 05:15

i love the pixel art and the foreboding atmosphere. you succeeded where other horror games failed!

justalocalhero 2018-04-25 06:11

Are you kidding me? this is unreal, good. The wooden stake as a health bar is brilliant. The music, lighting, and art style perfectly set the atmosphere and the mood. There is tension and discovery and fear and frustration. I never knew that I wanted to play a horror roguelike until now.

edit: I had to come back and say more once I finished the game. The enemy design is great. Something as simple as the enemy moving two squares instead of one made me feel like I was running for my life and losing the race. The way the level design showcased the differences in the enemies (nooks to duck into to see the guy hiding in the walls, long corridors to run from the fast moving enemies, etc). And the feeling of power getting to the end and flipping the script. I really feel like I can't overstate how much you guys accomplished in this little game

norris-eldridge 2018-04-25 06:11

@PandaCultist Yes! We were talking about that earlier today. More puzzle mechanics would absolutely be the next steps to improve this game. We even talked about doing things like destructible environments / knocking over pillars to make bridges / use levers to open up secret passage ways. If only we had more time :P

kyperbelt 2018-04-25 06:48

Wow man really nice game. Love the message at the end too haha although I dont think Vampires area ever not the monsters XD they have to suck blood for a living!

norris-eldridge 2018-04-25 06:49

@justalocalhero thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback and it's great to hear you liked the game :)

siactro 2018-04-25 10:56

Love it! I did not expect something this polished and atmospherical to be honest. :D Really enjoyed the game. Only minor complains I have: Being able to hold down a direction key would be cool (maybe have a shor delay between every action anyway?) and being able to use the arrow keys(this is more a personal thing because I like using them more if I don't need WASD). Really amazing game though! <3 :)

flaterectomy 2018-04-25 19:47

The genres seem pretty compatible the way you made this game, which is a good thing. You managed to keep the atmosphere creepy but still supply the tactical turn-based elements.

The atmosphere is very solid, both musically and visually. The art is nicely oldschool, though there is some blending of colour values though. An outline, shadow or greater contrast in colours would help there. Audio-wise, I missed some sounds for the monsters and one weird personal irk was how each movement only has one footstep sound instead of two. That's just an objective thing, I think.

Having to start the level over after dying is what kept me from completing the game. A waypoint on each door or something in that vein would've kept me going longer.

Nice work!

kroltan 2018-04-25 22:53

Man, this has to be the best sound design in all of LD. Now I need to re-rate all the other games to fit this new baseline!

ragtagradical 2018-04-25 23:05

This was fantastic. Great atmosphere and sound.

ente 2018-04-25 23:40

Nice work! Also nice to play through. Not too difficult but in a good way! ;) I liked the graphics and the sounds. The last bit was a bit too heavy for me (as in the sounds and the general atmosphere) but I guess that was also planned!?

zyuxis 2018-04-27 06:43

How atmospheric! You really set the mood visually and in sound design, you also combined two genres I enjoy. Thanks for the fun.

jamblefoot 2018-04-27 06:59

Incredibly well done! You nailed it with the music and creepy sounds throughout, which is the really spooky part of any survival horror experience. The turn-based mechanics with the limited view and no minimap were also all really good choices really well executed. And that ending just brought it all home. Bravo!

fjlucas 2018-04-27 07:08

Nice mix of genders! The sound is great! BTW, if you want to see a good mix of platformer + tetris, please have a look: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/41/unblock-the-exit :)

dankar 2018-04-27 07:08

Awesome entry! Great atmosphere. It feels really polished and almost like a full game I would pay money for :)

daanvanyperen 2018-04-27 08:15

Very effective at what it is. Had a lot of fun playing it! Thanks for that.

stark 2018-04-27 08:24

Great atmospheric game. One suggestion is to add arrow movement for right hand.

iluvatar 2018-04-27 09:41

5/5 for mood. The athmosphere of the game was incredibly well done. Gameplay was also funny, and I even got spooked once when a werewolf jumped on me. Luckily I had my weapon ready. Really nice game.

blakemcdeezy 2018-04-27 09:47

You guys are going to do great on mood! The music and art worked really well together to create something really cool. Great work!

norris-eldridge 2018-04-27 15:30

Hey @dankar what would you want to see in the game that would make it feel more like a game you'd actually go out and buy?

balint 2018-04-29 19:35

What a hidden gem. I think this might be my favorite entry so far! Mood is just spot on, nice graphics, the audio fits 100%…Just all around a good time.

jonathan-lorenz 2018-04-30 12:49

Interesting! The concept is worth exploring. I had a great time and the last level was very satisfying! On the down side, having to hit multiple times keys to move was a bit unpleasant.Very good work overall!

acuity 2018-05-09 23:21

Pretty good atmosphere! I found the game itself to be a little bit clunky though - I couldn't fire the gun, and instead it became an extra life if I got attacked, I guess. sometimes a wolf would just kill me out of nowhere! The footsteps in the audio is a nice touch.

davidsheadgames 2018-05-10 03:42

@Acuity Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, a lack of instructions in the game itself is a bit of a detriment. Space should fire the gun.

sapazu 2018-05-10 13:06

One of the best LD41 games in my opinion. I played web version but had to download this game because I will play it again <3

daragongames 2018-05-13 11:04

This game manages to create a spooky mood, but the mixed genres won't work to well because by making a game turn based, you remove the possibility of surprise, at least if actual play turn for turn and not spam the button like I did and then suddenly get hit by something :D. The graphics look good and by making the game really dark you don't have to focus on them to much and paired with the sound, it created a thrilling experience. Overall Awesome Game.