ECHO KICKOFF

See the facility. Make yourself heard. Survive what answers.

Echo Kickoff is a 2D top-down stealth-horror campaign created for the IUT 12th ICT FEST 2026 GameJam.

You play as a rescuer trapped inside a dark and hostile facility. Your normal visibility is extremely limited, so you must emit powerful Echo Pulses to reveal the environment around you.

But every pulse has two consequences: it reveals the world to you while alsobroadcasting your location to sound-sensitive enemies known as Listeners.

Restore the facility's reactor network, redirect enemies using limited sound decoys, and return to the extraction gate before the facility finds you.

THEME — KICKOFF

Echo Kickoff interprets the theme “KICKOFF” directly through its central Echo mechanic.

Every Echo Pulse kicks off two events at the same time:

• Vision for the player
• Danger from the enemy

Each pulse begins a new tactical decision. You must determine whether the information gained from revealing the facility is worth attracting nearby Listeners.

HOW TO PLAY

1. Move cautiously using the rescuer's short local visibility.
2. Emit an Echo Pulse when longer-range information is worth the risk.
3. Watch for nearby Listeners investigating the sound.
4. Throw limited sound decoys to redirect enemies toward another location.
5. Find every required reactor and hold the interaction key to restore it.
6. Return to the sealed entry gate after the reactor network is fully online.
7. Cross the reopened extraction gate to complete the operation.

Warning: If a Listener catches the rescuer, the run ends immediately. Reactor progress and decoy charges reset when the operation restarts.

CONTROLS

Movement

• W, A, S, D
• Arrow Keys

Actions

• Space or Left Mouse Button — Emit Echo Pulse
• Q or Right Mouse Button — Throw sound decoy
• Hold E near a reactor — Restore reactor
• Escape — Pause or resume
• R or the Restart button — Restart after capture

Menu Navigation

• Mouse
• Tab
• Arrow Keys
• Enter

The optional bottom-right virtual joystick controls movement only. Keyboard and mouse remain the complete default control scheme.

THE CAMPAIGN

Easy — Orientation Deck

• 3 reactors
• 2 Listeners
• Par time: 12 minutes

Medium — Resonance Labs

• 5 reactors
• 3 Listeners
• 1 Reactor Warden
• Par time: 18 minutes

Hard — Blackout Core

• 7 reactors
• 4 Listeners
• 2 Reactor Wardens
• Par time: 25 minutes

Completing an operation unlocks the next one. Each successful run receives an S, A, B, or C rank based on completion time and chase pressure.

Echo usage and decoy usage are recorded as descriptive play-style statistics. Campaign unlocks, best ranks, and best completion times are saved locally.

KEY FEATURES

• Atmospheric 2D top-down stealth-horror gameplay
• One Echo mechanic with both tactical benefits and dangerous consequences
• Sound-sensitive Listener enemy AI
• Limited sound decoys for redirecting threats
• Three-operation campaign with escalating difficulty
• Reactor restoration objectives
• Sealed entry and extraction-gate system
• Run-ranking and local progression systems
• Procedurally animated gameplay characters
• Original visuals, UI, icons, branding, and synthesized audio
• Browser-playable Godot Web build

ACCESSIBILITY

• High-contrast presentation
• Reduced-flash option
• Screen-shake control
• Separate volume-mixing options
• Keyboard menu navigation
• Mouse support
• Optional virtual movement joystick

ENGINE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Engine: Godot 4.7.stable
• Language: Typed GDScript
• Renderer: Compatibility
• Primary platform: Web / HTML5
• Additional export: Windows Desktop
• Web configuration: Single-threaded export

No external runtime or account is required.

The project does not use:

• C#
• GDExtension
• Native plugins
• Phaser.js
• Three.js

PLAYING THE WEB VERSION

No installation is required. Press the Run Game button and play through a modern desktop browser.

Fullscreen mode is recommended.

Browser audio starts after pressing the Start button because modern browsers block automatic audio before user interaction.

TEAM — DU_ASTRAL_ENGINE

• Mohammad Mahmudul Kabir Fahmid
• Shashwata Nandi
• Animesh Singha Ayon

LINKS

Public GitHub Repository: https://github.com/mohammad30395/Echo-Kickoff

Alternative Web Build: https://echo-kickoff.vercel.app

ASSET AND TECHNOLOGY CREDITS

All game code, procedural visuals, user-interface resources, SVG icons, branding, and synthesized audio were created for Echo Kickoff.

No third-party game assets or copyrighted franchise material were used. Godot Engine is used under its own license.

AI DISCLOSURE

Generative AI tools assisted with parts of the planning, coding, and development process. All AI-assisted outputs were reviewed, modified, tested, and integrated by the development team.

GAMEJAM

Created and submitted for the IUT 12th ICT FEST 2026 GameJam.

KNOWN ISSUES

No known game-breaking bugs at the time of submission.

The public GitHub repository contains a known-issues document describing any current non-breaking limitations.