Meltdown is a nuclear reactor management simulation where you, a new recruit, must urgently operate the reactor to prevent a city-wide blackout.
Your primary objective is to maintain the alignment of power grids, regulate the water flow and ventilation to keep the reactor cool, and deal with your manager’s nonsense.
The Lore
Landing an entry job is hard these days. But you finally managed to find something that fits your power-hungry desires. Working as a nuclear reactor operator!
You seek Power. Unlimited POWER. And that's how you ended up working at a nuclear power plant. That one very creative résumé will shape the world forever! But not until you can fulfill your boss's demands.
Gameplay
Dive into the high-stakes management of a nuclear power plant, where every decision impacts the energy flow and keeps everything else from going haywire.
It is your responsibility to keep the energy throughput above the right level so the residents can enjoy their lives and everything that modern technology has bestowed upon us.
In a post-steam world, you have to connect the wires to pass electricity to different parts. But beware! As energy is generated, the heat builds.
While the electricity is flowing, you need to manage the water flow to cool down the reactors, and tinker with the reactor pins to optimize your energy throughput. Everything is on screen.
Every tweak and change you make to the system will solve one problem and create two more!
Feeling alone harnessing unlimited power? Check the leaderboard to see how well others are managing to keep things working! The best way to motivate yourself is to see how much better others are doing with their lives.
Controls
It's a simple job that doesn't need any qualifications. Everything you need to know is on-screen! Don't mind the sparks.
Use your cursor to increase the energy throughput, switch screens, adjust the water flow, and more! Why is there a button blinking red? Try pressing it!
The power of the sun is at your fingertips, waiting to be tamed.
Are you feeling the heat? That's because your passion for contributing to society is burning bright!
But don't slack off, or b̸͓͌̓̈́́̋͒̈̚i̸̤͊̌̉͋g̸͕̜̎g̴̢͖̹̿̓̊̉͜ę̴̮̈́̂̓̓̀̑̊̈́r̸̖̺͙̥̠̱̲̩̬̈́́̇̈̿͗͊͝͝ ̸̤͉̖̳͉̞̠̰́́̈́̓͋͗c̷̢̡̠͓͙͉̙̊̏͐̽̈̀͌̄̓o̴̧̎n̷̡̡̧̯̬̻͔̜̿͂͗̍̃͊̊͝ś̶͇̫͙̔̔̅̇͒̆̔̌ẻ̷͚̘̝͇̭̜͈̊̓̄̎̂͜͜q̷̬̺̗̙͍̀͛́͜u̴̠̪̞̹̙̘̥̘̔̂͊͐̓͝e̴͚̼̰̖͒̈́̏́n̴̨̦̙͍̠̜̬̫̳̒̂c̷̛̘̲͑̅e̴̙͇̔͊̊͝ş̵̖͍̝̰̺̼̾̀̀̏̈́̊͘̚ ̷̡͙̩̪̒́ͅw̸̙͕̫͕͚͗̿̅̕ͅi̴̹̼̙͉̼̱̱͐̉l̷̥̥̱̐̒̓̏͝l̴̠̘̲̳͓̄́́̂ ̵͉̯̣͔̫͛f̴̛̜͓̥̃͗̐̈̑̕ͅo̶̼̦͙͇̺̙͆̿̏̈́̐̽̈̆̏l̶̫̑̒̽͆͑̅̿͋͋l̵̬̩͉̿̋̈́ǫ̵̳͓̬̺͍͉̃͑̅̒̽ͅw̶̖̤̗͉̍̽̃̈́͂̕͝!
Every action to solve a problem will create a different problem, but inaction will bring bigger consequences. Manage the reactor, prevent outages, and keep the plant running at all costs while your boss tells you what to do. Fumble around to keep the system working as long as possible until it collapses under its own power. No one knows the solution, but we still need somebody to work on it.
Don't worry. Your efforts and struggles will not be forgotten by those who were able to sit in their homes powering their hardware to play better AAA games. You have brought joy to others, and the world is slowly burning with passion and love.
Will you control the chaos or be consumed by it?
This game was made for the 2025 Big Mode Game Jam with the theme of "power."
Key Features
Simple and totally no overwhelming UI
Global leaderboard
An easy-to-read manual that explains everything about the game
Mini-games that affects the entire reactor
A kind and caring boss who checks up on you through the telephone
A neat radio
