Serum Run
A remote town in the Arctic is facing an imminent diptheria epidemic. Only you and your party of skilled mushers can get them the antitoxin serum they need. Or can you?
An Oregon Trail-like game loosely inspired by the 1925 serum run to Nome.
Originally made in 48 hours for Ludum Dare 53 compo (theme: "delivery"), although I improved a few things in the days following the jam (see section below). Made using Ink, Godot, and Aseprite.
Post Jam Update #1 is out!
Featuring:
- music (to be clear, I did not compose the music, which is by Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com as credited in-game)
- bug fixes
- assorted small UI improvements
- some additional narrative content
The web version on itch is currently the post-jam version. The original compo version is still available as an alternate download for Windows & Linux.
CLARIFICATION: The party members are humans, not dogs. The dogs are not harmed in this game! I think this is clear now in the post-Jam version, but I might as well leave this disclaimer up in case some people are still getting confused.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Comments
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I seem to have encountered a bug in that I was supposed to lose my lamp while fording a river, but I didn't lose it. I did download the game a few months ago, and only played it recently though.
I think I fixed this in my local version way back when it was new, but didn't upload the fixed version because I was planning to roll it into an update that never actually happened. Sorry.
Love the Stan Rogers reference 🥹
Managed to win my first run, but that doesn't make it any less forgiving, lol. Definitely check it out
This is excellent! I had a wonderful time playing!
I had fun. Looks and feels really good.
omg this game is amazing!!!
I died after one minute LOL LMAO
Hey checked out your game and blog. I'm a fan and actually went to UW too! My wife and I are working on a game about the northwest passage you might find interesting. We find those expeditions really gripping.
Thanks for checking out my blog, glad to see a nonzero number of people reading it. Maybe this is the motivation I need to actually start posting there again.
The Franklin expedition would definitely be a compelling setting for a game!
one of my guys got dysentery and immediately died LMAOOOOOOO
Was NOT expecting the "I'M the real x!" twist with stopping at the cave lmao. I think I chose correctly, but he died of dysentery anyway. RIP.
Fun little game, would love to see it expanded on!
Really good game, I managed to make it with everyone alive and only two hours left.
Made it through with everyone alive on my first run! :)
Nookrium on youtube played your game, thought you might enjoy :) (time linked live stream):
I recognize that Stan Rogers Northwest Passage reference! Fun game for a playthrough or two.
I made some sacrifices, two people died, but I arrived and completed the mission!
Nice game, you achieve a lot with just this style, and there is so much that could also be added. Really cool!
Woooooow. Quite impressive. You achieve a feeling of epic journey with a very minimalist design. I thought the decision-making was very interesting too. I'll re-play it a couple of times for sure. Just to see variations of the story and the events.
I wish reaching the town was more of an event though! The game just sort of ended. Also some decisions didn't have any payoff, like allowing two people to fall in love.
Whoa, this is intense even though not much changes apart from the description. Left me speechless, didn't make it to town, great work <3
Nice work ! 😊👍
Great game! Really enjoyed it, it really has an atmosphere and I got immersed.
This game really is amazing! It's like an easier version of Oregon trail! Really good game!
you cant turn of the sound
I'm dead, with everyone...
Serum Run Gameplay
good job ! it reminded me the deck builder Frost.
I enjoyed this a lot! love the stan rogers cairn. I absolutely thought they were dogs all the way through even when two of them fell in love.
Good job :) Nice game
Really enjoyed this game. Good job!
Great game!
Yessir! Got no death run second try!
This game reminds me of the Oregon trail
very nice game, got the epidemic is averted first try without any deaths. :)
Wait... so these names don't represent the dogs?? I just accepted that my dogs had fallen in love and could use a gun.
This is cool! I made it on my first try!
i made it all the way and that was pretty awesome, i think it could be expanded on if you wanted to
I was so close smh... :C
I was two hours away and my sled broke. So close...
Your game gives me good memories of Burning Daylight, a novel by Jack London playing in Alaska during the gold rush. The main character takes on a bet to fetch and bring back the deliveries from a post office in what seems an impossible short time. It's a great story - and so is your game.
1st run - thousands will perish
2nd run - thousands will perish. wild bill died in vain
3rd run - the epidemic is averted! wild bill may have perished, but they will be remembered as a hero
My first run was your third
and why can't i take both jacks?
Not enough room in the sled for 5 people