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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
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Comments
Good job! I love the artwork, amd the game seems very creative.
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you liked the artwork and the concept. I had a lot of fun putting it together!
Really unique concept! The ASCII visuals and terminal-based gameplay work perfectly together, and trying to type commands while being chased creates a surprising amount of tension. Great job!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad the ASCII style and terminal gameplay worked well together for you. Trying to make typing feel genuinely tense was one of my main goals, so it’s great to hear that came through!
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!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad the UI still felt clear despite how much information is on screen. I appreciate the sound effect suggestion too. Adding more responsive audio feedback is definitely something I’d like to explore after the jam!
Hey, 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?
Hey, 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
Thank 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