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Mayday: Into the Deep's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Theme Fidelity & Creativity | #1 | 4.500 | 4.500 |
| AI Direction & Adaptability | #4 | 3.875 | 3.875 |
| Production Velocity | #5 | 3.562 | 3.562 |
| Overall Enjoyment | #7 | 3.500 | 3.500 |
Ranked from 16 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
The Biggest Challenge
Since it was a genre of game I had never created before, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to establish the game's atmosphere.
AI Tools Used
Antigravity, Stable Diffusion, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, suno, Sound Effects by ElevenLabs
Areas Where AI Was Used
Images, BGM, SE, code, design
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Comments
I wonder how I will fare when I try this genre (Which will also be for the first time when it comes!)
I liked the immediacy of the story it was very engaging. I did have trouble swimming to certain objects but I think if i was designing it i would deliberately retain some of the difficulty reaching them because the variance is part of the immersion.
All around an excellent first outing for a visual novel type of story mixed with light action!
Gave it high ratings, and yourself an itch follow. If you like the thing(s) on my page(s), consider doing the same.
Cheers!
--D
main website:
https://exedexes1.com,/
Thank you for playing!
I designed the game to be a bit challenging by incorporating elements like water currents and rocks.
I'm glad you picked up on that!
I also played your game, exedexes1, and left a rating!
I was curious to see what happened next, but after the "Still Not Awake" scene, no matter how many times I restarted—dozens of times—I couldn't figure out how to progress, so I gave up and stopped playing. It's such a shame.
Since I never reached any kind of emotional response—whether it was fun, moving, or anything else—and it just ended with me struggling desperately, I have absolutely no idea about the gameplay, but I think the game's atmosphere isn't bad.
Thank you for playing.
Oh, that’s a real shame; I’d love to know the cause of the issue and where exactly you’re getting stuck.
Generally, the game progresses as you keep moving downwards, and you advance by entering the light at the bottom-center at the end.
I suspect the problem might be that you're getting stuck in a loop because you can't reach the next checkpoint.
Possible causes could include getting snagged on rocks and unable to move down, running out of air because you didn't collect the bubbles,
or perhaps swimming too slowly to reach the destination in time...
If possible, could you share a video of where you get stuck? It would be very helpful for addressing this in the future.
The gameplay is similar, but I’m posting the last two attempts—out of several I tried just now—that didn't work out.
Here is the first one.
And then came the second attempt.
After repeating the same gameplay—which looked virtually identical—for over 30 minutes, I gave up.
Thank you for the video!
It looks like you got stuck on a rock the first time, and simply didn't make it to the next checkpoint the second time.
This was incredibly helpful—thank you.
For the post-game-jam update, I plan to improve the visibility of the rocks and add difficulty settings.
I apologize for taking up your time, but this was a huge help.
I released an update today that improves the visibility of the rocks and adds "Easy Mode" and "Safe Mode."
This is all thanks to michyo. We hope you'll give the game another try.
This is definately something else! Even though I didn't really enjoy the playstyle (that's just my personal preference and no gameplay is gonna be liked by everybody), but everything else was great! The atmosphere, music...it's the most artistic submission i've seen so far on this jam!
Thank you for playing!
I put a lot of effort into creating the right atmosphere, so I'm happy that came across!
Hmm, this is a truly outstanding piece of game design!
Since I used to be an amateur game developer before getting into AI, I was particularly struck by how brilliant the game design is.
Also, the opening scenario really made me want to see it through to the end, so I was able to follow the story with my partner all the way to the finish.
Thank you for playing!
I put a lot of thought into the game design, so I'm happy you appreciated it!
I'm also delighted that you saw the story through to the end!
It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Whoa, this is a piece of art! The slow dialogue at the beginning helps increase the tension.
Unfortunately, at some point I got stuck in a respawning loop and couldn't finish the game.
If I had one suggestion, it would be to make it clearer what we are supposed to do when diving. I suppose the game has an end, but I couldn't finish it because of the loop (bug?).
I like the twist on theme #1, it is super original! I guess also Theme #2 is respected Yu is the buddy of Kou.
You feel some creativity and personality in the game, which makes it stand out especially in a vibe coding game jam.
The scope is well contained, which gives a feeling of completeness. Translations for a game jam are something we're not used to seeing in a traditional game jam: it's a nice touch :))
Thank you for playing.
I apologize for the respawn loop issue you encountered.
The mechanic is designed so that if you run out of air, you restart from a point slightly higher up;
you are supposed to advance by collecting air and reaching the flashing light at the very bottom.
If you fail to reach the next respawn point, you might get stuck in a loop between respawn locations.
It is quite challenging, but would you be willing to give it another try?
(I apologize if this was actually a bug.)
I really hope you get to see the ending, too.
I intentionally withheld information about what to do while diving to better reflect Yu-kun's state of mind.
I hope you enjoy the experience of figuring things out through trial and error.
I managed to incorporate Themes 1 and 2 quite well!
I had this concept in mind before Theme 2 was even announced, so it turned out to be a lucky match.
My development style focuses on keeping the scope small and conducting frequent playtests to refine the quality.
AI did a great job with the translation!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! It’s truly encouraging!
I released an update today that improves rock visibility and adds "Easy Mode" and "Safe Mode."
Please feel free to give it another try.
Great atmosphere, music, and controls! The game stays true to the 'DIVE' theme while offering a unique story and atmosphere that you can't find anywhere else.
Thank you for playing!
I put a lot of care into the story and atmosphere, so I’m really satisfied with the unique result.
I also fine-tuned the controls through repeated playtesting!
wow
XD
I really love the atmosphere.
Thank you so much! I'm absolutely thrilled!
I loved the monochrome visuals and the unique interpretation of DIVE as going deep into the heart and mind. Once I got the rhythm of the swimming controls, moving through the water felt really smooth!
Thank you for playing!
Since the theme was "DIVE," I anticipated that everyone else would create games featuring the blue of water or colorful visuals, so I deliberately chose a monochrome style instead.
It’s a game that dives into the inner self—a rather bold approach that made me worry about how it would be received—so I’m delighted that you enjoyed it!
I also put effort into the swimming controls to ensure they become increasingly comfortable to use as you play.
Thanks for playing DEEP and for the kind words — I came to return the favor. Mayday reads DIVE metaphorically, as a descent into Yu and Kou's memories, and that's a genuinely creative angle on the theme; the restraint in the writing ("No.") and the quiet, minimal presentation give it real emotional weight, and the multi-language support is impressive for a jam. The click-to-advance pacing is where I'd push next — a little more of the click-to-swim diving interaction woven between the story beats would make the "diving into the heart" idea land as gameplay too, not just narration. Heartfelt work. Wishing you luck in the jam!
Thank you for playing!
I put a lot of effort into the presentation, so I'm glad you appreciated it.
I rely heavily on AI for multilingual support—it's a huge help.
You're right—looking back, the story could use more elements that really delve into the heart of things; that's definitely something to work on.
Thanks for the advice; I'll keep it in mind for the future.
Let's both enjoy the game jam!
The art direction, mood, and art style are fantastic! Great work!
Thank you!
I put a lot of effort into the art and atmosphere, so I'm happy to hear you praise them.
Yay!
I was going to start with a similar idea! I struggled with it emotionally and had to pivot away for a few reasons. Really cool to see, thank!
Thank you for playing!
Turning emotions into a game was quite a challenge.
Since the game is based on my own experiences, I actually found myself crying a few times during the planning stage.
I’d be so happy if it left a lasting impression on you.