Return

This was a submission for the 2025 GMTK Game Jam which ran from July 30th to August 3rd. The theme was LOOP.

This was a solo project

Return is a 2d platformer based on the theme loop, which I interpreted as "Time Loop". The player traverses through a seemingly overgrown castle full of traps and platforms, seemingly doing the same thing again and again. I did everything alone except for the text and sounds which I grabbed for free from the internet.

I decided to design the level with a platformer in mind, with similar levels but different enough where the player wouldn't anticipate it. I had a character in the beginning of the level communicate with the player indicated by an E over the character. Talking with him would give instructions to the player on how to play and the controls. Interactable floors and walls would be indicated by moss which indirectly allowed players to skip to the exit multiple times. I decided to keep this in as players seemed to enjoy it, although there were complaints that it wasn't as recognizable. Due to this, I added in little hints such as a broken sword on the wall indicating where the player should go.

Scripting wasn't too bad as I have primarily worked on 2d games so I had previous code and experience. The main challenge was the text as I don't have any experience inserting text. I originally planned on making the next button E but I couldn't make it work in time so I just had the player use their mouse.

The player character stands out with it's more saturated colors compared to the background as well as a black outline, allowing the player to know where they are at all times. The same goes with the traps with a dark base and bright top indicating the hitbox. I also added in a bit of storytelling here, having several traps the further in covered in blood or the body of the player.

The mechanics consist of moving, jumping, and dashing, simple platformer controls. Entering and exiting a room is indicated by an open door. Entering would put you at a new checkpoint and spawn you at a closed door. Touching a trap would kill you, respawning you at the checkpoint. I added in dust when jumping and a trail for dashing, although the trail wouldn't work with the background so I turned it off. After you complete the last level, the player will spawn at the top, walk across the bridge and fall, restarting at the beginning with the npc character.

https://jstafriskyhusky.itch.io/return