Time!! (Patreon)

Besides some extra behaviors, I have finished the first actual enemy, whom I call Flowerman. Now testing the game is immensely uncomfortable unless I cheat to know where it is.

After that I got back to the game's main objective and implemented a simple time system; during each "work shift" you have until nightfall to get back home, or it becomes much more dangerous to get back. Dusk happens to look prettier than anything else in the game right now, so I included a video. It's probably so pretty because its murkiness hides the game's ugliness.

When I considered adding in this time mechanic, I paused, because Lethal Company is starting to seem a lot like the "Living Halls" game mode from my other game It Steals, which was usually the least favorite. I don't want to repeat that mistake! So let's look at the problems with Living Halls:

1. It requires too much spatial awareness for most players

2. Its nuance is awkward as it tells players, "Go fast but not too fast!" (Ambiguity like that is good, but in this case it turned out confusing.)

3. It crams too many mechanics together that don't fit.

Lethal Company so far is avoiding these issues; #3 worries me the most. I've always been drawn to scary time restrictions in games, from Subnautica's oxygen to Outer Wilds' super nova to Majora's Mask's moon. So I want to get it right.

Next up, I'll probably give players a shovel that they can use to beat each other over the head instead of actual threats.