Keyed Up

The Game

In the year 20XX, scientists were tasked to discover the ultimate game controls setup. To uncover the answer, a computer AI was designed to statistically find the best control scheme for a video game. 
But the AI has gone rogue! 
The trapped test subjects are being put through a gauntlet of challenges where the controls and tasks are randomised. 
How long can you survive when your controls themselves are...out of control?!

The Inspiration

Made in 48 hours for the 2020 Game Makers Tootkit Jam

Using the prompt 'Out of Control' we began discussing what can you - as the player of a game - usually control or can at least reliably depend upon in a game; consistent objectives, the timing of events or actions in a scene, and the physical controls. 
As George had previously thought of and discussed a game revolving around the premise of keys that perform actions switching over time, this prompt allowed us to finally play around with this idea. 

There are four controls in the game each assigned a keyboard input :
  - Left
  - Right
  - Jump
  - Action

As the player progresses through the game, a key is randomised. The rate at which this change of control occurs increases the further the player gets in the game. Pair this with the objective of each level being different, the music slowly increasing in speed, the time window to complete tasks getting tighter, and your poor test subject only having three lives, the player will be left feeling completely Out of Control.

The Creators

Made by Tangled Wire Games 
A two-person team of George Fiddes and Zoe Harrison

Source code github repository: https://github.com/TangledWires94/KeyedUpSourceCode

The Assets

Made using some handmade assets and assets from the Kenney Game Assets pack

Thanks!

Thank you for checking out our #GMTKJam  entry and please let us know what you think!

@TangledWireGame