Left arrow key - Go left
Right arrow key - Go right
Spacebar - Jump
ESC - Quit and return to main menu
ENTER - Play
-1 HP
-5 HP
-10 HP
+10 HP
+0.5 speed multiplier
Full invincibility
+50 score
+100 score
On a cold night in October, the night dripped with rain. The cold fall breeze could be felt within the walls of Steve and Grace O’Lantern’s modest home. They slept soundly, lulled into a bliss by the taps of the rain on the roof. Suddenly, Grace awoke, startled by a strange sensation. Steve jumped up. “What’s wrong?” he asked, worriedly. “I think it’s time,” Grace murmured. Steve lept from the sheets and ran to ready the car. Grace hobbled behind in haste. As they climbed into their car, the two made eye contact. They both knew what was going on, but neither were ready for what was to follow.
The hospital door burst open by Steve’s hands as he ushered Grace through. “What’s the problem?” shouted a nearby nurse. “We’re about to have our baby!” shouted Steve, nervously. The doctors rushed them to a private room. Hours went by while Grace screamed out in pain, until the moment happened.
“Push!” yelled the nurse. “Keep pushing!” The doctors waited calmly, but grew more and more unsettled as the night went on. “A baby’s head can’t be that orange,” proclaimed one to another. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life.” Grace kept pushing, on and on, until he emerged. The doctors stood there aghast, staring at the emergence. “It can’t be,” they said, almost in unison. “This isn’t possible,” murmured one. By now, there was a large crowd starting to form, composed of doctors and nurses. They stood quietly. None of their years of medical training could have prepared them for this moment.
“How does someone give birth to a baby with a pumpkin head?”
"We’ll call him Jack," Steve said.
...
Years passed as Jack grew up. By all accounts he was just like any other boy. He liked to play the guitar, football, and even enjoyed acting in his school’s theater. It was not an easy childhood, however. It was tough being the kid with the pumpkin head. Bullying, torment, and years of pain swelled in Jack’s mind.
Steve and Grace loved him however, and they always wanted the best for their boy. Seeing Jack being tormented by his classmates broke their hearts, and they feared that one day it would push him to his breaking point. And yes, that day did come. That day was take your kid to work day, where Jack would follow his father Steve to work, at the local nuclear power plant.
So Steve and Jack hopped into their car and drove off. “What am I going to see today?” asked Jack. “Well, I’m hoping to get to show you all about the power plant,” replied Steve. “Who knows, you might even get to participate in my daily schedule!” They arrived at the plant. The giant steam towers stood tall, almost reaching the clouds above. They entered the plant, and to Jack’s amazement, there was virtually no security! “Morning Steve,” exclaimed a coworker of Steve’s from across the room. “Morning, Kevin,” replied Steve. “What’s on the schedule for today?” “Not much, y’know, just organizing the waste dropoff, shouldn’t take too long. Let’s do lunch later,” replied Kevin.
Steve toured Jack around the whole plant, showing him virtually every knob and button. Jack found it quite amusing. Midway through the tour, Jack said that he needed to use the restroom, and darted off. But he wasn’t heading for the restroom, no. He was headed for Kevin’s desk.
Upon the desk read a note.
WASTE DROPOFF LOCATION:
There was no location filled in. Jack took the opportunity, and hastily scribbled the address of his school onto the form before running back to join his father.
The next day Jack awoke. He glanced at his clock, and to his surprise, he had slept in and was late for school! He hurried out the front door. But when he arrived, he was shocked. A green ooze was visible from about a block away from the school, and a foul stench filled the air. Jack knew what he had done, but didn’t know that it would happen so soon, and to such dramatic effect. It was silent, except for a faintly audible moan. The kind of moan you would only hear in a movie.
Uhhhggheerr
Jack was petrified. What had he done! This could not be, no, this was far further than anything he thought possible. The waste from the power plant must have been dropped off right after school began that morning! “Oh no!” exclaimed Jack. He stood there in the same spot, frozen as a stone in shock until nightfall. It was beginning to become quite cold, and he knew he needed to do something. However, the noise was coming back, and more audible this time.
Ugggnnrrreehhuuufff
Zombies. It could only be zombies. Jack ran towards the graveyard just next to his school, thinking it was the best place to take cover from his impending doom. The nuclear waste must have turned his classmates into zombies! This was insane, and Jack knew it. His breathing increased rapidly, and his eyes widened.
Visible in front of him were several randomly placed platforms. “What in the world...” mused Jack. What am I ever to do with these? Especially now, where he was about to be eaten alive by his nuclear waste ridden classmates. That was the moment he knew what he needed to do. Jump across the platforms in a rightward direction. This was the only thing he could do. The only solution. Jump from platform to platform, running and jumping, and avoiding his zombie classmates.
And so begins the adventures of Jack.
The Adventures of Jack O’Lantern.
— #1 Jack O’Lantern Fan
Graphics from Game Art 2D under Creative Common Zero (CC0) outlined at this license.