This is one of the more unusual and interesting games I’ve played in the jam. I really wanted to figure it out, and I eventually managed to finish with one incorrect answer!
The semaphore mechanic is genuinely interesting. I don’t think I’ve used this much scratch paper for a game in years.
Once I understood how everything worked, I ended up developing a whole process for decoding the incoming messages, translating them into letters, converting my answers into key combinations, and then transmitting everything back.
I actually created my own reference chart of all 26 letters and their corresponding key combinations. Once I had that, the game became much more manageable, although still pretty time-consuming.
The biggest challenge for me was getting to that point.
I spent roughly 40 minutes just trying to understand the controls and how to construct a response before I felt like I was making any real progress. I eventually figured out that you have to hold combinations of number keys simultaneously until the green circle completes a rotation, release them, and repeat for each letter.
A clearer introduction to that process would make a huge difference.
I also tried using the in-game note-taking system, but drawing the symbols with the mouse was difficult for me, especially since I’m left-handed. I ended up using actual paper to copy each signal, translate it, and then write the corresponding key inputs underneath.
It worked, but it was quite a process!
The other major issue is how unforgiving the game can feel.
After spending several minutes decoding and transmitting a response, getting the entire question wrong because of a single mistake is pretty discouraging. When I missed one, I seriously considered whether I wanted to keep going, knowing I might have to restart the whole sequence.
I’d really like to see a way to replay incoming signals, along with some more forgiving feedback when transmitting answers. Even knowing whether a mistake came from the translation or the input would help players learn without removing the challenge.
Visually, I really like what you’ve done. The artwork has this painted, almost cut-paper storybook quality that gives the whole experience a distinct personality.
The setting and presentation fit the unusual mechanics nicely.
It took me around an hour and a half to finish, and I think a significant part of that was learning how to interact with the game rather than solving the actual questions.
Once I understood it, though, I found the process genuinely engaging.
There’s a really interesting game here. I think making it easier to learn and a little more forgiving would help more players experience what’s good about it without losing the depth that makes it unique.
Really glad I stuck with this one. Nice work!