Freeware Game Pick: Beacon (Chevy Ray Johnston)
Depending on how good you are at overcoming difficult challenges, Beacon can be a rather lengthy platformer that will take some time to beat. Shadows are lurking in every corner waiting for our protagonist to make a wrong move, but as luck would have it a beacon of light appears out of nowhere to help him illuminate the way forward.
The beacon will occasionally take a branching path that is out of your reach, and you would have to rely on the light from blue and red crystals just as often to progress. This Ludum Dare competition entry is for Windows only. (updated version with save feature)
Comments
Amazing, great ending, and made in 48 hours, too!
Posted by: Alex | August 31, 2009 10:34 AM
I can't help but feel that the text is a bit... overwrought?
"Before my eyes / my life / does not flash"? What sort of sentence is that?
Posted by: L | August 31, 2009 11:31 AM
Didnt like the logic on this one. Sometimes you jump into a black spot and "die" and continue to fall and land near a blue crystal. Thats seems a bit strange, because he is now in a lighten spot.
But the end was hilarious. Loved the "oh" compared to the poem style text.
Posted by: Bleagle | August 31, 2009 4:09 PM
Cute sure, but he's no Mr Monocle! http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-15/?action=rate&uid=1116
Posted by: mr monocle | August 31, 2009 4:20 PM
Thanks for the feature, Tim! Man that was quick.
For those who haven't heard of Ludum Dare, the entries have to be made in 48 hours, which is why the game is missing things such as a save features, or some certain level tweaks in some of the later levels.
I will be releasing a fixed up, non-compo version later on here.
Posted by: ChevyRay | August 31, 2009 9:58 PM
Enjoyed it. Quit midway through to do some work and missed the save feature, but I did like it.
I predicted the 'oh'.
Posted by: Hyudra | August 31, 2009 10:53 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm SO sorry that you lost your progress :( I would have included a save feature had the competition been a 58 hour one, and not 48. I merely ran out of time.
That's the first thing I'll add to the game for version 2.
Posted by: ChevyRay | August 31, 2009 11:04 PM
No need to be apologetic. I wasn't shocked when it happened.
The game has a nice pacing, and there's an underlying idea that's kinda neat. You get an almost 'companion cube' liking for the beacon due to your dependency on it. I think it's a bit of a shame that the beacon forces you to take alternate routes as much as it does, as it diminishes your affection for it. Did I convey that right?
If I were to offer a further suggestion - I think the 'side-spike' bit is a touch irritating (Vertical spikes, but walking horizontally into them is lethal) - drew a raised eyebrow from me.
Did anyone else see Sesame Street's Ernie when they looked at the lost boy? (See screenshot above).
Posted by: Hyudra | September 1, 2009 3:46 AM
Heh, alright. I just personally really loathe losing my progress in games, and I felt hypocritical for not including that feature from the get-go.
I haven't had anybody else comment on the spikes being much of an issue yet, but I'll give it some thought. If I find more users are a bit irritated by them, I'll consider dousing them down a bit and fixing the "side hit" issue.
Thanks for the feedback :) it's much appreciated.
Posted by: ChevyRay | September 1, 2009 3:29 PM
Very awesome game.
Posted by: mrpeach32 | September 1, 2009 8:16 PM
It's fun for the first few levels, but it gets absurdly annoying after that.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I think that some of the levels need work.
Posted by: Daikaze | September 4, 2009 5:28 PM
Really great work! Great concept, I loved the fact that there was terror without actual horror, it was genuinely scary!
I could feel that some link was growing between me and that link... which made the ending really emotional.
Looking forward for more!
Posted by: Ness | December 11, 2009 10:31 AM