Play Switching Off
Switching Off's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Theme | #46 | 3.947 | 3.947 |
| Audio | #46 | 3.421 | 3.421 |
| Graphics | #60 | 3.737 | 3.737 |
| Overall | #76 | 3.278 | 3.278 |
| Fun | #87 | 3.105 | 3.105 |
| Controls | #112 | 3.000 | 3.000 |
| Originality | #117 | 3.263 | 3.263 |
| Accessibility | #173 | 2.474 | 2.474 |
Ranked from 19 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Godot Version
4.4.1
Wildcards Used
Immersive; Boom!!!1
Game Description
You gotta make your way to find the exit out of this hotel without getting caught.
How does your game tie into the theme?
If they see you wandering they will chase you. If you're running away you can't find time to escape. You have to remain "unseen".
Source(s)
n/a
Discord Username(s)
garbagemonkey_jlsv
Participation Level (GWJ Only)
1
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Comments
It was an interesting concept, but could use some refining. It took a while before I ended up in the correct spot to find the fork. Perhaps adding something to draw the player's eye to the things they need to interact with, especially that first one. I had an issue when playing fullscreen where the door handle did not move at all no matter what I did. When I switched out of fullscreen, after reading the comments here on how it was supposed to work, the handle would move as I moved the mouse, though I'm still not fully sure what the pattern was when I finally got it open.
The game was rushed since I started it all on AI and then build the models all alone. In the end I had to build the puzzles and maybe balance the gameplay difficulty.
It endeup ok but for someone who never saw the game it got really “complex”. I only saw how hard it was when a guy from twitch played the game.
The flow of the game isn’t clear at first so I really needed to add a sample level before actually putting the player in the heat (the level I hate so much in games: Tutorial).
For me, I don’t really care about tutorials since I always played random when kid, but people have standards and mostly they must understand your game. The fork, the puzzles and the light switches aren’t clear and that’s something I didn’t put a lot of effort into explaining to the players and the whole “flow” of the game is flawed because of that.
Conclusion is that the game is good and the gameplay is fun, but new players just can’t undestand in less than 5min and that’s a big flow in the design. Taking into account I tried to make all that alone I think is a win but as a game you deliver for people, it lacks tutorials.
About the door handle puzzle, all you need to do is move your mouse quickly sideways (left-right or vice-versa). The concept idea for that takes into account switching lights off to gain a few time + you’re thriving to escape the hotel. Since you found a fork then you might try to open that door in any way possible; Since your input to the door is your mouse, the motion on the mouse(sideway movement) is the equivalent “desperate” you would have in that situation… So on trying to explain the little details, the idea is that your input on the mouse reflects the “rush” the character has to open the door.
Next time just try to move is sideways and that would be easier (the same with the storage room which is somewhat hidden into players view but it’s there).
I think my issue with the fork is that in fullscreen I did not move the mouse far enough. If you are basing the input on how far the horizontal movement is proportional to the total width, then the same amount of mouse movement in the smaller window translated to a bigger input. In fullscreen I was simply not moving the mouse far enough. I pulled it back up and moved the mouse from end to end in fullscreen and was able to get the handle to start moving. The default viewport size felt a bit small, so I did not really like playing it without fullscreen.
The code for the input was just “InputMouseMotion.relative * weigh”.
I took viewport into account too but overall it works the same on both “modes”.
In my tests the fullscreen were easier but I didn’t tested the web version, I just “deployed” to match the jam requirements (I mostly took optimization into account rather than tweak the gameplay settings).
Anyway, the game wasn’t meant to be played out of fullscreen so in a way it’s totally a bug (I tried using both axis on InputMouseMotion cause the player could get confused if the motion were supposed to be up-down or left-right; I just used both so any input like randomly moving the mouse very fast would have the same effect and not just left-right which was harder even while I was developing).
Also, the viewport is small cause I couldn’t get the godot 3.x “downscale” effect on 3D so in a way it was meant to improve performance but also to “look” like PS1 artstyle. I took “256 * 5 / 4” x “224 * 5 / 4” as a rule for the resolution but since 512x480 was “too laggy” because it lacked optimizations I just kept that lower (on 512x480 the fork is visible but that was a cheap way of picking performance x quality – I wanted a PS1 look so PS2 resolution was “too good” for the design I had in mind, I’ll probably use 800x600 in the future since it’s more standard but still as pixelated as 512x480).
Amazing work! I won using the fork, but it took quite some time to figure out how to open that door with the fork. The atmosphere, light and music work really well.
If you have the time, please check out the game I worked on.
I did, the whole game is special and the idea behind it (the unseen concept we have in real life about ecosystems being degraded daily) is noble.
My game lacked a key part on development which is playtesting. I added those pickable items in the last days possible and I didn’t tested out how they would be “experienced” by players. I should’ve made a sample level teaching how to play to then push the final one; It’s a jam and I take that as a improvement for the future.
The fork and most pickable items were ok on high resolution, but this game is using somewhat of 320x240 so all the main pixels are shrinked and you can’t barely see a thing in the kitchen; Unfortunately I haven’t tested it with anybody so even though I couldn’t see the fork I knew it was there BUT players on the other hand can’t see also and they don’t know what to do when the game begins which was the problem of the whole “flow”.
I believe I could’ve just add a “task” on top-left corner like: Find the exit > Search for tools in the environment. But again, I didn’t tested so I never realized how bad it was for new players to understand the design of the level. Anyway, thanks for playing and good luck on the next (idk about the results but if you want to join the next one I hope you win there or double win there if you take this one). <3
Cool game, but I couldn't figure out what to do exactly, but it was a great touch on having the guards rush you and nice balance and excitement and pacing!
Thanks I really didn’t made any playtest so I’m lucky that the guy from twitch played for everyone to see.
I added the pickable items in the final moment possible so I never realized how bad the design was for newcome players. I should’ve added a tutorial or something, even just a camera floating around the key parts of the map would be good.
Anyway, thanks and good luck.
Over all, I enjoyed the style of this game, and started having a good time with the challenge of it as I started to understand what was asked of me. It is, indeed, a very hard level, but that’s part of the fun.
That said…
There needs to be a better hint system. I doubt I would have ever learned about the fork in the kitchen without having been told, and it may have taken me forever to figure out how to use said fork on the locked door (and I’m still not sure, beyond just “thrash that mouse like it’s biting your figure”). Had I not been given those clues, I may never have figured out how to even get started.
The guards detection of the player when in a dark location is… unclear. Visually, I see the “flashlight” of the guards, which act as a visual detection area, but the guards often found me easily even when my character was well away from that light and in the dark. I’m told this has to do with “sound” also being an element… if this is the case, this is not something that’s telegraphed in any way to the player. As the player, I can grasp the flashlight being a detection area, but without any other indicators, it just feels like the guards see me WAY too easily and without much reason. My suggestion is either removing “sound” as a detection system, or, add some visual elements to the player which indicates they’re making too much sound (I had suggested a small sound wave like effect when the player moved in the dark)
What lights are affected by which light fuse boxes isn’t totally obvious to me for all of the fuse boxes. For instance, the left corridor fuse box shuts off the left corridor light, and the center corridor fuse box shuts off the center corridor light. These make sense! The Kitchen fuse box I never figured out what light that affected, and the right corridor fuse box I also had no idea! All in all, this made it near impossible for me to use the fuse boxes to my advantage as they didn’t behave in a way that worked with my way of thinking.
Over all, I think this would make for an awesome, challenging, escape style game with only some minor tweaks. Even as it is right now, it IS very impressive and challenging!
If you want to watch a grown man cry, or, at least, grumble loudly, here’s my stream of the game!
Thanks man, I really got to thank you for testing cause the current state I released the game, it wasn’t tested at all.
All the key points you mentioned are important and I would never fully understand the players “difficult” to play the game if I hadn’t seen you doing in live.
Again, it’s a jam and those are all things to learn and evolve. Thank you again and good luck.
Cool submission! I think the music is a little too loud, and there could be some highlighting on important objects, but I loved how the guards behaved, and the overall art style is great. Awesome work :)
Thank you, I sented the link to a guy who tested the game on twitch and I got to say, that was hard to watch “basic” stuff being hard to be accomplished by players.
I added the pickable items in the last few days of development and I didn’t playtested it with nobody; So as a developer the games was quite easy(I got to say, the guards catch me often so it wasnt really “easy”) but I never stopped to think that it was because I knew every “corner” of that level.
But overall the game is fun, but it’s not fun when you don’t know anything and the game doesn’t tell you anything.
Anyway, thank you and good luck.
Still love the endings haha!
Thanks, that’s my personal “humoristic” sense into action.
It’s both funny, “neat” and also tragic mixed all together. To me it’s funny everytime, well, for a “game over” it’s cool having a funny “ending” cause this game is hard so you have to “relief” and de-stress a bit before trying again.
Thanks and good luck.
I wish there was a written explanation of the game in addition to a video. I'm sure I'm probably in the minority, but I much prefer reading about how to play a game than watching someone else do it. I thought the art and music during the game were were fun, though the choice for vivaldi after you get caught was a little jarring. While I didn't finish the game, I enjoyed the parts I did play. Nice job!
It’s an old-school type of game. I’m used to contra 3, chrono trigger and so on.
For a jam I made the quick choice of making the main goal of the game being run away.
Since your goal is to escape then your task is to find out what’s the tools you might find in the small environment that can make you escape the area. I made the spawn point strategic for both player and AI.
The player spawns near the safe and the kitchen; In a way it provide both the starting point and the ending points; To reforce this idea I made all the AI push forward against the player, meaning your only way around is to went into the kitchen and maybe quickly find tools over there. But the AI will also push you out of there, making the kitchen a good start but not a “safe place”.
For the safe room(a place where the player can hide) I made a bedroom. The idea is that once you hide there you will casually notice the AI pattern. You will figure that switching lights will also slow the AI down, making you win a bit of time and even escape easily after that (to match the theme, you got to be unseen to escape). There’s 2 rooms next to the bedroom. One has a passcode and the other seems “useless”. If you pick the fork you might aswell try the 3rd room and find out the “cool” option: Unlock.
Once you unlock the door you might as well look for tools; Over there your might find a sheet of paper with a pair of passcodes.
This passcode match the puzzle on the room next to it where the guard walks around in a loop (This is the time the player must use the environment into his advantage by switching the lights off the most it can). All the rest should be self explanatory by taking all the previous knowledge into account. All the rest is unlock passcodes and even find the hidden item: A bomb.
I really intended not to explain anything for the players cause I believed that the game would be self explanatory once the players has in mind “escape the hotel” and “switching off”, which should “enlight” the exploration into the map. This is going to be a bigger game but once I made this “demo” I didn’t intended to “explain” things since it wasn’t meant to be the final version for this game (not just because of jam time but because I had and have more plans for this project).
The assets are really cute, and it's pretty cool that you had enough time to make AI that goes from searching to chasing. Also, the music is great (and you had two tracks!), and it's incredible that you even added some mini games, well done! The only thing was that the lockpicking section was a bit obtuse, I had to come to this comment section to figure it out.
The idea was that since you’re trying to escape but you have no tools on your inventory it means that you got to be “desperate” to open the door.
Usually when you’re desperate you will do anything to achieve your goal. Well, keeping that in mind I thought: When you’re trying to pick a lock in a “guarded” area you won’t take hours trying to open the door, you will literally try anything to open it.
I tried making the fork move a bit so at least the player knows what to do (move the mouse) to open the door. But I didn’t “explained” the tension you must have to open the door so the difficulty is more onto “I have to open this quick and by any means necessary”.
On my game design I tried to make the player desperate to open that door, randomly moving the mouse was the idea but it doesn’t seem to work properly going up and down since most of the screens are larger on width than height; Because of this I ended up and even created the puzzle taking horizontal length of the mouse(just like you do to use the mouse to rotate on FPS) to make the entry.
I haven’t made any playtest even with friends so I’m sorry for that unfortunate case of not matching players “intelligence”. Anyway, I’m a old-school hardcore player so on my “routine” I’m used to try things until I can’t (very persistent); I believed people would be desperate to open so any input on the mouse would be “welcome” but it ended up not being the case for most rather than a few.
Fun game, nicely done.
Nice choice of music.
Fun game, I escaped with the key. The only mechanic that I still don't understand is the first door unlock, I could only solve it by moving my mouse randomly. Still though, I liked the stealth and running away parts in this game. Good job!
The first door is using any axis on the mouse, but it’s easier when you use left-right(horizontal) movement rather than random direction.
The idea is that you’re the one trying to pick lock the door rather than just click and go; The same happens in the storage door lock but since that room has a key the puzzle is easier (the fork one uses a value of 0.52 and the storage with a key uses 2.0 which is way easier to unlock).
If you haven’t tried it before, there’s a bomb in there(storage) so you can pick and avoid the vault puzzle (end the level quickier).
NIce game just couldn't figure out the ending. Once the cops start chasing its hard to shake them off. But like the concept and game idea. Nice puzzle.
You got to use the switches so they won’t see you further than their “lantern”.
The main focus is that you start the level being pressed on all directions, lefting the kitchen to be explored. Once you pick the fork you might as well try use it on the game; Theres only one door open so you know the others are probably unlockable too (which them all are).
When you find the right door where the fork can be used, you pick the lock and enter a new room. Over there you can explore and find a sheet of paper.
Well, the vault door has phrases to match but the other rooms has a 4-code pass to use. Since the sheet has 2 codes you might try one of them. Once you match both codes, one at the door and the other on the safe you might find a phrase code that will make you able to open the vault (eat-2-dogs-alone was the original phrase but its random everytime).
The vault door is heavy so even when you unlock it you still having to hide yourself in the dark. This moment was design to make the player explore the map, go back to older rooms and maybe find a key (the storage key).
Then you might have the 2 options I mentioned on the game description: Bomb or key. But once the vault door is fully open you can use the key and escape OR use the storage room bomb and escape.
I made a quick playthrough on the yt as a devlog before releasing the game so you can check the “items” there. But after all this text I think it’s well explained the “design” of the gameplay.
i wasn't able to figure it out, but it is really nice and i love the ps1 graphics aesthetics, good job!
The youtube devlog has the playthrough I made before releasing the game. You can check where to pick items and what to do. Also the design was meant for the player to use the light switches to gain a few time in between puzzles.
Well, I didn’t meant to make any further explanation but I also didn’t play tested with friends before releasing but I think the youtube video has it all “explained” if you’re willing to test the game again.
Fun game! Got the key ending. Shoutout to that one cop who camped the safe.
The idea was that he was going to the kitchen to eat and went back to his “duty” afterwhile. Giving the player the time for open the safe in between.
But I made it very “primitive” AI so those extra tasks weren’t scripted in the final release.
fun game love the lil character and the pressure of playing,great music too
Ehehe cute and fun game, I liked the graphics. I couldn't do much tbh, but it was fun nonetheless :d
The yt video has an early playthrough I made. It ain’t the same AI but it’s the same objectives (at the end it’s easy once you know what to pick and where to go).