Good job! I love the artwork, amd the game seems very creative.
Play game
AL13N.EXE: 10 COMMANDS LEFT's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Creativity | #859 | 4.075 | 4.075 |
| Narrative | #2247 | 2.985 | 2.985 |
| Audio | #2624 | 3.164 | 3.164 |
| Artwork | #2725 | 3.507 | 3.507 |
| Enjoyment | #3008 | 3.269 | 3.269 |
Ranked from 67 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How does your game fit the theme?
The ROOT COMMANDS count starts at 10 and counts down after every completed ROOT command. Each one also makes Glitched AL13N faster, turning the countdown itself into the game’s escalating threat. Reach 0 by completing the final command at the CORE.
(Optional) Please credit all assets you've used
All visual and audio assets were created during the jam. Visuals are rendered in Godot using ASCII glyphs, code-drawn shapes, particles, fog, and procedural effects. The cover image is made from an actual in-game screenshot. Audio was synthesized using conventional waveforms, noise, filters, and envelopes. No external art or audio assets were used, and no generative AI image or audio models were used. See the game description for full production details.
(Optional) What would you like to be called if GMTK features your game?
intriguedLoki
Comments
A really interesting and original idea. Even though the UI is quite dense, it still feels clear and never confusing. The gameplay is well integrated with the jam's theme. I think adding a few more sound effects would make the gameplay feel even more responsive and satisfying. Overall, great job!
Submitted
Yume: The Last DreamHey, thanks again for putting Dawnfall on stream, that was a good chunk of your last jam day to give to someone else’s game and I appreciated it for sure :)
Best moment for me was getting a command in at the last second and using it to get away. That little gap between finishing the typing and the thing reaching you is where the game lives.
One thing I want to call out, I had to mute at one point and the game still told me everything I needed. You can see danger getting closer without hearing it at all. That’s a nice thing to have got right, whether you planned it or not.
On the audio, the intro and how to play screen had a lot of reverb on it for me, though I had my sound turned way up so that could easily be on my end. And I don’t think there’s any music in it, which might be worth a look after the jam, either something to push the intensity up or something flat and calm underneath to play against the panic.
The other thing I got tangled in was the terminals, I’m fairly sure I was typing the right commands into the wrong ones for a while. Could just be me not reading carefully enough while being chased.
Was it always going to work this way, where clearing a command makes your life worse, or did an earlier version reward you for getting through them?
Submitted
DawnfallHey, thank you for such a thoughtful message, I genuinely enjoyed playing Dawnfall, so it never felt like a chore :)
I’m really glad that last-second typing tension worked for you. That tiny window between submitting the command and the hunter reaching you was exactly the feeling I wanted the game to revolve around. It’s also great to hear the visual danger cues held up while muted. I did want the game to remain readable without relying entirely on sound, but I wasn’t sure how well that would work in practice.
The reverb is a good callout. I’ll have to revisit the audio balance after the jam, especially on the intro and How to Play screens. There isn’t any traditional music right now, just ambience and threat sounds. I like your idea of either escalating music or something strangely calm underneath the panic.
You also weren’t the only person who got mixed up about which command belonged to which terminal, so I think the objective and location information could definitely be communicated more clearly.
The idea that making progress would worsen your situation was pretty much the central concept from the start. Every ROOT command gets you closer to restoring the network, but it also gives the rogue process more control and speed. I wanted each successful command to feel like both a victory and a mistake you couldn’t take back. An earlier version didn’t really reward you beyond progressing toward the ending, although the optional utilities were added to give the player a little breathing room along the way.
Thanks again for playing and for taking the time to write all of this out. It gave me a lot to think about for a post-jam version :)
Nice gameplay. I only have a feedback that could make your game more responsive and easy to remember the area: each area should have their own sfx when you press 'e' to interact. Because the Firewall area and the Payment area are using the same, if I'm not wrong, at least 2 areas share the same SFX (it's fine though). Anyway good game, I'll send this one for my friend who studied cyber security, he love working with terminals :)) <3
Submitted
Pay Or DecayThank you! That’s a really good suggestion. A unique interaction sound for each area could definitely make the map easier to recognize and remember, especially since a few areas currently share the same SFX. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I hope your friend gets a kick out of all the terminal stuff too! :)) <3
Great idea, really love games that integrate typing, even more so with pressure associated. Managed to restore the systems after a few tries. I'd expect you can do a lot of interesting things with the foundations of this, much potential! Well done.
Submitted
Perilous DepthsPlayed at https://twitch.tv/hedge_in Part 2 @ 1:46:28. Pretty cool concept. The pressure of typing the commands really fast builds up!
Submitted
Don't Potty, Bella!Interesting game, really like how you build up the stakes and intensity, and how you set up the premise well.
Maybe one thing is that it feels like the alien moves too fast initially, I spend a lot of time trying to shake the alien off of my trail, maybe more than I should? It's also difficult to type in the throttle command while you're being chased.
I did really enjoy that the alien just shows up in the corner as you're typing though, it certain adds to the intensity :)
Thank you for the thoughtful feedback! I’m glad the buildup and typing pressure worked for you. The alien’s starting speed is definitely something I’ll revisit, especially since spending too long trying to lose it can make commands like the throttle one feel nearly impossible. I’m also really happy the alien appearing at the edge of the screen while typing landed well. That was one of my favorite tension moments to build! :)
Really cool game! I didn't realize that I could stop typing and then come back and continue where I left off initially, but once I realized that, the game got really good. It's really cool how the game manages to make me so tense despite the simple visuals! Really well done :D
Submitted
Down in debtI love the look of this game, it's simple yet effective, perfect for a game about running commands.
Submitted
Feed pipo the hippoEventhough the alien was just simple ascii art, he kept my heart pounding as i tried evading him and completing the objectives. The sound design was perfect as well. I suppose one nice thing to have would be to use a more digital font and especially different fonts/weights in the command terminal to differentiate between commands and instructions/flavour text, making it more readable. well done!
Submitted
Full Metal NunThank you so much! I’m really glad the alien and sound design managed to keep the tension up despite the simple ASCII style. That’s a great suggestion about using a more digital font and clearer font weights in the terminal. Separating commands from instructions and flavor text more strongly would definitely help readability, so I’ll keep that in mind for a future update!
It’s a really lovely concept, and I really like the graphic style, the sound and the overall idea!
Submitted
Countdown CasinoUsing ascii to draw everything is genius, and it looks incredibly appealing. Really loved both the visual and sound design. Extra points for being playable completely through a keyboard. Very unique!
Submitted
Meltdown in SpaceThis is a cool stealth like game. There used to be a game on Roblox similar to this that was a ton of fun. The only thing I would change about this game is making the text to type simpler. even if the clone is on the other side of the map, I cant type out the commands fast enough before the clone arrives. Still, its a really cool and unique game :)
Submitted
Failure To LaunchPersonally, I liked the aesthetics.
The colors and sounds were well chosen.
But at first, it took me a long time to figure out what to do.
There's too much text on the screen, it's hard to read.
But the game isn't bad!
Submitted
THEY WILL DESCENDAmazing idea and perfectly executed.
I think the art and sound really fit together.
It was cool that you was able to do the wall breaker.
Well done :D
Submitted
Into the depthsThis is a very unique concept, but really fun to play. Really nice submission!
Submitted
Just One More Box
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