If you find the "hidden" item, you can talk to Gaz (The rat in the truck), and this unlocks a SuperJump Mutation in his shop! Activate the jump via 'Q' in the side-Scrolling level.
Cycle through dialogue with the "E" key (same as interacting with the environment).
The objective is to make it inside the Reactor!
(We didn't have time to introduce these things organically, and didn't want to cheapen the experience with tutorial pages).
That's fair! We wanted to make it more apparent, but couldn't in the timeframe. If it helps, everytime the 'E' or exclamation mark shows up it should activate something when you press it, whether that is talking to an NPC, picking up an item, transitioning levels, or messing around with the radioactive puddle and construction truck. We also didn't have time to show the player that if you pick up an item and talk to Gaz (The Rat in the van) that you can then buy a mutation in his shop! So far the only mutation available is the super jump in the side-scrolling level (activated by pressing 'Q')
I think my team could use a writer! Right now we have a level designer, music and comp guy, systems programmer (thats me), and possibly a fourth (not sure what they would be doing). I'm really into narrative design myself, but I find it easier to make mechanics for well thought out stories rather than doing both narrative design and systems design
