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DIRE-004's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| SCREAM MACHINES | #1 | n/a | n/a |
| BEST GAME | #31 | 3.024 | 3.429 |
| SCARIEST GAME | #57 | 1.512 | 1.714 |
Ranked from 7 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Comments
I loved the sense of atmosphere here! There's something really cool about games that explore a really short timespan or sequence of events. The fairly light ruleset and limited turns both work in the game's favour, with the former directing the player's focus naturally to the secret-sharing mechanic and the latter providing ever-increasing tension and a "deadline" to play in the face of. The fact that the players cannot “win”, but that this is not explicitly stated anywhere but deducible from the mechanics in play, works well too.
The (kind-of) unwinnability and the way tension naturally increases both reminded me of Ten Candles, but this definitely feels like its own game. In particular, the secret-sharing mechanic makes the game feel less like a puzzle to be solved and more like a brief moment of intimacy between the characters and a meditation on death for the players. The mechanics that are there prevent the game from feeling too freeform, and give an extra layer of tension in holding off the threat long enough to explore the characters' secrets fully. I think this would be a really enjoyable (if sad!) game to play with the right people. Thanks for submitting!
A surprisingly intimate experience for something set in the conjunction of horror/sci-fi. Can get as dark and gory or bittersweet and indulgent as players choose; very simple rules made this a short but enjoyable run for us!
Thank you so much for the feedback, this is so sweet!
i like the twist about the secrets
its an interesting way to make the game uniquely personal
Thank you so much!
It’s always a pleasure to see LARPs and RPGS submitted to SCREAM JAMs and it reflects the diversity of skills that content creators bring to the table. As far as roleplaying games go, DIRE-004 is a very original concept that uses the roleplaying format as a metaphor for psychic connection.
There’s a lot of interesting game mechanics going on! The idea of sharing clues to secrets and guessing them successfully as a win condition is a really fun way to bring in the roleplaying. The dynamic between ‘low power’ and ‘full power’ offers quite a bit of strategizing and variety to rounds. Framing the opposing/loss mechanics as an UNKNOWN monster is also a fun flavour to the game.
The only feedback I think I could add is that some of the flavour could have more specifically explained how the secrets have a significant part in the neural interconnection and success in defeating UNKNOWN. Perhaps the neural interface allows a more co-ordinated attack by DIRE with the pilots in psychic synergy? Who knows?
Thanks for submitting DIRE-004 to SCREAM MACHINE!
- SCREAM CATALOGUE
Thank you so much for the rich feedback! I really appreciate your comment about the mechanics invoking roleplaying, as that was certainly an important focus for me. My intent with the connection between secrets and defeating the UNKNOWN was strengthening the mental connection between the pilots allows them to hold off the monster before the mech self-destructs, though that absolutely could've been conveyed more clearly.
Thank you for hosting - it was a lot of fun trying to blend my typical influences with a more nihilistic horror tone! Looking forward to the next one.