Coward Town
A downloadable game for Windows
Exploration game made in under 7 days for GBJAM 5.
Not complete but you can still play to the end - watch this space for info about a post-jam version.
EDIT: For the most authentic experience, don't collect any items and just exit the game when you've had enough.
Download
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Carrying the bottle while those things follow you around provides a good amount of dread. Tasteful dread.
Good game.
Absolutely HARROWING soundscape; it's a crime this game doesn't get more attention for the background music alone, even if you don't factor in the incredibly striking style and palette which honestly deserve the same attention. Even when the spider (what I've been calling it) isn't chasing you, just walking around with nothing happening is frightening. The colors and stark lighting on the alien scenery make it look like I'm walking through some poisonous, dead world littered with hivelike ruins. Even with people inhabiting them, they hardly feel alive or permanent in the slightest. Makes the NPCs' remarks about money, clubbing, and the mysterious "tonic" all the more surreal. Like, is there anything outside the town? Was the town ever normal? You just don't know-- spooky! Everywhere looks like it smells like a wound, and would feel like a scab. The noise and texture are flawless. I don't know what engine you made this in, but it really gets across an amazing vision you've had here.
Randomly remembered this little gem recently and was not disappointed to revisit it-- I can see why I got too nervous to try and finish it back then! The page now says it updated less than a month ago-- what changed? I assume this sadly isn't a game you'll ever truly finish, but if I had to suggest any post-jam tweaking aside from some kind of end result for taking all actions, it'd be allowing screenshots (pressing Win+PrintScrn only nets me a solid white picture, which dashed my hopes of editing together a full map of the town), or maybe allowing a "pause" function to give you time to think mid-chase... or just attaching a full video playthrough to this page, since there's woefully little footage of it in the wild, and I'm kind of bad at the gameplay personally, heheh...
I wish there were more titles like this one. Even though I'd only sat down to play it once before today, its visuals and vibes made it unforgettable. Coward Town may be an obscurity among obscure games, but it's like a classic to me.
wow i love the art direction
the artstyle and tone of this game is like candy to my eyes and brain
es loco nunca vi nada igual, esperare el 2 XD
Cool af artwork. Well done
Enjoyed this.
Games/experiences like this are the reason I love itch. Excellent work!
This is awesome, the atmosphere. I love tonic!
I would even pay to play the full version.
I could take hour of this soundscape! Excellent work!
Had this recommended on Twitter and definitely enjoyed checking it out. I also like the vague writing style - clearly something more going on. Wouldn't mind seeing more of this hint-hint-wink-nudge-nudge
this style is gem
I really like your style, very inspiring!
I absolutely love the concept, definetly has inspired me. But I don't know how to beat the game, maybe throwing the tonic in that place?
Thank you! Yep that's it, just find all the tonic and throw it in the drain. I honestly don't recommend bothering, nothing happens. If you've been wandering around for 5 minutes then you've played the game. This was just an aesthetic prototype for a full game that I never got around to making.
This game is an art piece unlike any other i've seen
Best Town.
How many bottles to complete the game? I walk through the entire map and find 17
I think the sound is a hint, but dont works for me, any hint? =/
ps: awesome game!