Net Runner

Dev diaries
#1

Net Runner is a cyberpunk-themed puzzle game based on an old flash game namedExploit.

The goal of each puzzle is to get a data packet to the core node. Various other node types obstuct the route and will need to be accessed in some way to clear a path.

It’s not finished at present so there is only a tutorial and 4 levels to play through. Some will find them easy, others, not so much. Getting the difficulty curve right on this sort of game is pretty tricky. I want the game to remain accessible to lots of people, hence the comprehensive tutorial.

Still many more levels to design and maybe, time permitting, I’ll add another node type or two.

A demo is up on the community page linked from this post.

nr

19 Likes
#2

I love it!

2 Likes
#3

Lovely game! Even tho I’m not puzzle game lover whole aesthetics made it enjoyable.

2 Likes
#4

The game jam release is now live on the community page and on itch.io here

Had a lot of fun making this, both the puzzle aspect and getting the cyberpunk aesthetic suitably neon and glowing.

10 levels at the moment, I can always add more of there’s enough demand.

6 Likes
#5

Hey there, its really nice didn’t suspect was from a ludum dare event in my playthrough.

Reached level 10, tryed to rush but for the last level i actually had to count the sequence to follow it. Maybe it was just weird me.

My only hint, could be that for tutorial sections, could be useful to try to make the player learns one or two Implyed ways to go with the puzzle.

Tutorials must be short, so i’ll just re-configure the Test 5 so it needs to press a single node twice for timing. Hopefully wont be that difficult to discourage anyone.

Keep it up! Great game!

1 Like
#6

I think I need to mention one thing, maybe it’s useful in the future.
I rarely run into problems where my colorblindness stir up something because I have it in a light form (green color dichromacy - hard to differ similar green shades). You already have distinct symbols for all nodes I am familiar from electronic schematics, but the very first moment in the tutorial (Click the yellow transmission node…) the core node to me looks more yellow than transmission node. So I got confused for a second.
My suggestion is to show nodes one by one - this is a transmission node/ core node or basically show them to player in mindset as if there’s no colors involved.

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