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A jam submission

Dreamscape InfectionView game page

Fight the monsters from your nightmares by screaming as loud as you can!
Submitted by virtuaalijonna — 15 minutes, 17 seconds before the deadline
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Dreamscape Infection's itch.io page

Link to gameplay video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuFlWqCcYfA

Team
Game design, Art and Visuals - Jonna Eloranta
Game design, Coding - Felix Bade
Game design, Coding - Simo Naatula

Tools and Resources
Adobe Illustrator
ChatGPT
Typeface (https://velvetyne.fr/fonts/fungal/) by Jérémy Landes, Raphaël Bastide and The Deja Vu Legacy Authors

Estimated work hours
15

AI Tools?
We used ChatGBT to help with ideation and code. It also came up with the name of the game!

License
ISC

Theme
A child, who is stuck inside a recurring nightmare, fights monsters by screaming. The sound particles damage the enemies.

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Comments

The sonar-like screaming was a cool mechanic - I could see an expanded version of the game include things like walls you need to detect in the darkness. I also liked how the scream effect seemed to favour the direction I was facing, meaning that while I could affect monsters "behind" me, those in front would get the brunt of the scream.

The seemingly-unlimited space combined with the 360-degree attack meant that I could avoid the monsters and slowly defeat them without worry until they became so large that they spawned right on top of me. That said, I think it's nicer for a jam game to feel somewhat too easy than somewhat too hard.

(1 edit)

Nice particle effect for the scream! Overall nice execution in line with the given theme. Simple and straightforward, but not bland at all. I did find that I was really pressing only two buttons the whole time though: D + scream. For me the particle effect eventually became too much (my brains are easily triggered by repeating patterns or flashing lights) so I couldn't continue playing for long. Maybe some kind of low-contrast option would make wonders, and I'd love to see point system or some other way to know how you are progressing :) 

Submitted

This is very interesting - the subject of dreams is endlessly fascinating. 

I like how the game has it’s own physics for the “weapon”. If you stay still it pounds out scream in all directions, if you move it pounds more scream in the direction you are moving. Once you get the feel for it you can really survive for a while. I find myself picking one direction and just going that way and dodging enemies - kind of like a “bullet hell” flying shooter. 

I also LOVE the way the game/nightmare seems to get mad at you if you are doing well and how it starts spawning larger and more intimidating enemies. If you practice lucid dreaming you know that the dream can get "angry at you" for doing certain things. I once made it so far that the game was producing enemies that started taking up ¾ of the screen. 

The scenario is a dream in the world of sleep - so “dying” means you wake up. “Press space to go back to sleep.” Solid. I like it. 

Dreams are always a fun subject for any art form, thank you for choosing that path. One day AI might end up dreaming everything we see and experience. 

My suggestions would only be some kind of points system - some way to break through the wall of nightmare and end up in a good dream because you survived long enough and got enough points. I just like to have a way to “win” the game. Maybe you could do something like  “arcade mode” and “survival mode” on the main screen. Part of me wants to suggest a sound for the scream but that would get horrifying given how much of it the player does - maybe a background song. 

The whole experience was fun and easy to pick up/play. Good choice of eyes. The only thing more threatening than eyes is teeth. If you see teeth in you dream it’s time to wake up.

Submitted

Nice!  I like your idea of visualizing the scream with a particle effect, and I also like how you can use that doppler effect to direct more intense particle waves at targets.  The silence mixed with the visual effect kind of turned the scream concept around, I like it.  The eyes also felt very threatening, especially as they got big -- mission accomplished :).  I usually play Itch games on Firefox but the character (the white face) doesn't show up on Firefox, FYI (just blackness where the face would be).  I played on Chrome, though, and it worked perfectly.

Submitted

Just to confirm - I played on Chrome and the face was visible.