Dagger's Last Testament
A retired star pilot receives an unwelcome visit.
A button to interact, B button to shoot.
Keyboard controls:
WASD/Arrow keys to move.
Z to interact, X to shoot.
Enter = Start button
Browser version playable on mobile. ROM compatible with Gameboy emulators.
"Dagger's Last Testament"
Created in 10 days for GBJam 11
Theme: Space
Tools: GB Studio and Aseprite
(c) 2023 Alexander Kazazis
Download
Install instructions
The ROM can be run on a Gameboy emulator.
Development log
- Postmortem and post-jam updates (v1.1)Oct 09, 2023
Comments
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Great game, I played to the finish and enjoyed it! I enjoyed the rich narrative, which was very nicely written, and the injections of humor (band poster especially :)). I appreciated the style of discovery here, where items that can be engaged are not visually set off from background items, which enhances the feeling of exploration. The game reminded me of The Gnawing Hunger -- I realized only after playing that you created that game as well. Your developed narratives stand out. Nice!
Thanks for your kind words! So glad it kept your interest.
I'm curious what it was that first brought The Gnawing Hunger to mind. The writing style? The art style? The setting?
It's the sophistication of the narrative and language, I think, with some darkness to it, which stood out to me in both games and made me mentally match them. I don't see too many game jam games where the player is temporally shifted for portions of the narrative. The style of game, sci-fi/space setting, pixel art style, and the reference to a sun-god right near the start -- those probably also prompted me to think of the Gnawing Hunger. Other aspects differed, but those were the ones that made me look to see if you made both.
Thank you for sharing that. It's always gratifying to hear that the writing is appreciated! I would like to explore this futuristic feudalist setting more in future games.
You did a really good job, I enjoyed my playthrough of your game. I'm sorry I was so late, a lot of games got released at once for Spooktober!
Always thrilling to get a playthrough from you, Meeka!
The family perished in a flying accident not long after the events of Proxima Centauri b--Dagger was never himself after that. I also originally meant to create a branching storyline, but it wasn't feasible within the timeframe. I may develop all this a little more in a later update.
The bug where it takes too long for the crawling enemies to kill you has been fixed, along with a few other subtler ones.
Thanks so much for checking it out! Were you using a Gameboy emulator? May I ask which one?
I'm glad you liked the playthrough, I had a lot of fun. In some ways I do feel bad for Dagger, but at the same time....
Yeah, I played your game through an emulator, I use the Game Boy Advance Emulator :)
Thanks! Glad to know it worked smoothly.
Love your channel!
I like it but am kinda lost in the narrative. Also, pro-tip: use the avatars in GB Studio dialogue boxes! (I figured out how to use them on the last day lol).
I don't... like royalty and the knight-soldier stories so it's not really my kinda story BUT, I am curious, have you read Izumi Suzuki's works? Some of the terms in your game are direct references to names used in some of her stories! =D
I really like the fact that I can interact with everything! That is hard to do!
I have not read Izumi Suzuki, but thank you for the recommendation! Most of the names I use are historical or mythological, though they come from various traditions.
This was my first time using GB Studio, and I found out about avatars late in the process. When I tried them, I found that they crowded out the text, so I decided it would be too much work to change all the dialogues (over a hundred) to accommodate the avatars. Next time I will try to integrate avatars from the start.
Anyway, thanks so much for trying out the game!
even though it's not for me/my type of game, it is VERY well done and packs a lot of content and shows an attention to detail! Great job on this! :claps:
Thanks again for checking it out! Appreciate it.
This game feels 100% gameboy, palette is on the spot, pace and sounds are righteous.
Thank you for your kind words!