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Until the Morning Breaks's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Art style | #4 | 4.083 | 4.083 |
| Audio | #6 | 3.583 | 3.583 |
| Creativity | #7 | 4.083 | 4.083 |
| Gameplay | #7 | 3.417 | 3.417 |
| Overall | #8 | 3.817 | 3.817 |
| Fits the Theme | #12 | 3.917 | 3.917 |
Ranked from 12 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Comments
Maybe I'm a big baby, but I was genuinely a bit terrified, lmao. To the point where I couldn't even beat it! I just can't deal with scary games, I guess xD Great work making such a compelling experience
Thanks for checking it out :)
It really scared me too! And I was the one developing it.
I wanted to see if I could make a successful horror game in 2D. Maybe a jam was not the best time to try it 😆
Fun game, would get devoured by Martin again
The game was very entertaining. It's a really cool spin on the theme, with it being a horror game. At first, I couldn't tell what I was looking for, but it was very fun once I got the hang of it. Good job the game was great. :)
Thanks for giving it a go!
Yeah, this game could really use a tutorial level and a better intro 😂
The first time getting caught by one of the beasts gave me real goosbumps. I think I fixated on that feeling too much, and didn’t realize that it alone couldn’t carry a whole game.
If you want to see more of what’s going on under the hood press “=” when in game.
There is a bug in the last version that was released. When you generate a new level, previously hatched monsters can carry over. This makes the game much more difficult on the second play through, even when you’ve selected the suggested easy (not so easy) mode.
I’ve fixed this bug, but the submissions are now locked. If you want to play at the suggested difficulty, I recommend pressing period (.) when you first load the game and select “Easy” mode. This gives you more time to react to monsters.
I apologize for the inconvenience.
I’ve included a guide section on the game’s page which includes some strategies that will help you beat the game on the first two difficulty levels.
It was a nice looking, eerie experience however I never really knew what I was doing, sure I can cut down a tree but why? sure I can break these rocks but why? I never really understood, maybe I'm just stupid but I feel the game lacks a sense of direction, just my take on it.
Thanks for playing :)
There are four end states. Two clear losses (the fire goes out or you are devoured), one win (as described in the opening, you collect the three stones and break the curse of eternal night) and one bonus win (you manage to coax all 6 woodland creatures back to your fire before you collect the three stones).
Ok, so I finally got to load the game up and try it, and I liked the art and the background chills this game gave for the most part. I would of loved to have some eerie audio added into the game to give it a better mood as well though. The gameplay I feel could use a bit of polishing. For example, the player should probably get a flashlight or atleast be notified of the howling sound quite a bit earlier so they can detect if they are near a wolf in the shadows. I had quite a lot of trouble when encountering these wolves as I literally heard the sound effect of them approaching me and I had almost no time to dodge or evade it, especially since I didn't really know where I was going. Overall though, this game was pretty interesting and fun to play!
Thanks for testing it out! I definitely agree about increasing the warning time.
When the beasts hear or see you they howl and are immobilized for a split second before beginning to chase you. In the “Easy” (really not that easy) mode the beasts freeze for twice as long, making the game less twitch based. I regret not making this the default.
Some tips for playing in normal mode:
When walking in the dark you can see the tracks of the monster. When you are close to their home there will be lots of tracks. Avoid that area in the future as much as possible.
When starting the game the monsters will be in their eggs, take this opportunity to smash them. The eggs will spawn back a few minutes later, but it gives you more time to collect wood and search for the Morning Stones.
Since all monsters start in eggs, chop as many trees as possible before you hear the first egg crack.
If you are just walking around and hear the noise, it means the monster is close enough to see you. Start running immediately. If you’re chopping wood, crushing their eggs, or already running, you have a bit of time to react, since they will hear you from a distance.
If you want a better Idea of how everything is working press “=” when in the game. This will toggle the debug renderer.
When I tried to run the Mac version of the game, it said the file was damaged sadly.
Yeah, since el’Capitain I’ve been having issues distributing to macos. There is a work around to get it running, but it is an absolute pain.
The easiest way to play the game on macos is to download love2d https://love2d.org/ ~(6mb) and use it to run the =.love= version of the game!
Love the style, it's very atmospheric and genuinely spooky. Wasn't completely sure what I needed to do though besides chop wood and keep the fire going, though. Will try again on "Easy" as you suggested....
Thanks for giving it a go!
There are three stones out in the darkness. If you find them, pick them up and place them in your bonfire. Once you’ve collected all three the curse of eternal night will be lifted, i.e. victory.
As a bonus, you can try and save the little woodland creatures along the way. They will follow you back to the fire if you coax them.
Like your faithful dog, these woodland creatures can detect monsters in the dark. If you see an exclamation point (!) above their head, monsters are close.
At the start of the game there are no monsters. As the game progresses they will emerge out of their eggs scattered around the map. If you find an egg, smash it. Doing so will make your life considerably easier.
Word of caution, when you hear a crackling sound a monster is about to hatch. If you’re smashing an egg, it might be the one that’s hatching. Also, even if you smash all the eggs keep your guard up, they will re-spawn a few minutes later in a random location.
The monsters can’t see very well, but they can hear just fine. Be careful when you’re chopping wood, smashing eggs or running in the dark. Be ready to make a beeline back to your fire if you see a monster. You will hear a distinct howl when they have discovered you.
One strategy is to run around the map right off the start smashing any egg that you find and taking note of the locations of stones and animals. Another is to cut down as much wood as possible before you hear the first egg crack, leaving the chopped wood by the tree. There are a bunch of other fun strategies that are required to win at the “Hard” and “Good Luck” levels of difficulty.
This is SOOOOO helpful, thank you. The game has a lot more nuance and complexity than I realized. Will definitely give it another try now. Nice work.
its so simple... cool
Thanks for checking it out :) If you want to see how the AI works press “=” when you’re in game. It will activate the debug mode and you will “see” what they are thinking.
To be honest, I have only been able to beat “Good Luck” mode while playing in debug mode.
It's always nice to see how simple you can make a horror game, really nice. And the graphics fit really good into each other. Unfortunetly the timespans to see the monstere are too short ;)
Thanks for playing and hope you enjoyed it!
I highly recommend selecting the “Easy” Mode after your first run in with a Monster. It really should have been the default difficulty. I only “win” at the normal difficulty a quarter of the time.
To skip right to the credit window, so you can change the difficulty, press “.” when you’re in the menu.
FYI I had to fix a game breaking bug in the previously uploaded version. Please use the most recent upload.
If you have any issues running the game on Linux or Windows please let me know!