DARKLINE

About DARKLINE

DARKLINE is a short horror game by xk, made in Unity for the Ludum Dare 53 game jam in 2023; this is the post-jam version. It is free on itch.io, in the browser or as a download for Windows, macOS and Linux, and played with the mouse only.

You received a letter from an old friend. He sounded scared and begged you to come back to your hometown. You wrote an answer and never sent it, because you wanted to forget. Now you stand on the old hill above the familiar streets. Welcome back. You're home.

The town below is wrapped in fog and drawn in pink, purple and grey pixel art. A phone tells you there is a suitcase under your bed with an address on it, and that you must deliver it. You walk the streets, gather what you can into a small backpack and keep an eye on your health, hunger, thirst, stamina and mental state, while men, dogs and a spiked creature attack in turn-based fights where you swing a rusty pipe or a knife.

Players compare its fog and sounds to Silent Hill and its look to EarthBound, and one says the ending took them by surprise. It suits players who want a half-hour taste of fogbound survival horror, or who liked Lone Survivor.

How to play DARKLINE

1. Open the itch.io page and play in the browser, or download it free for Windows, macOS or Linux.
2. Use the mouse to move through the foggy town and to talk to people or pick things up.
3. Open your backpack to eat, drink and use what you have collected.
4. Keep an eye on your health, hunger, thirst, stamina and mental meters at the top of the screen.
5. In battle, spend your action points on attacks with the weapons you carry, or on other actions.

Tips

• Eat and drink before the meters turn red; they keep falling as you walk.
• Pick up every weapon you find; a crowbar or a knife beats your fists.
• Read the phone's messages; they tell you where to go next.

Questions