Posted as part of the Review The Old Event #1: January 2025

Gameplay - 3/5 Stars: Serviceable

The main mechanic in this game seems to be puzzles and collecting "Things". There isn't a lot of explaination in how to solve puzzles or which things to collect, which certainly adds to the dream-like atmosphere but can also make the game a little more confusing for players.

I think puzzles like the hooded lady asking you to bring "three friends" is one of the easier to understand ones, especially since the "friends" are found all in the same building. Other things, such as using the items requires more experimentation to figure out their purpose. Probably the most confusing part of the game is figuring out what to do next to reach the next area. Particularly in World 2, I spent a lot of time just trying to explore the desert looking for doors and such, and didn't find things like the building or the train station until way later.

I like how this game encourages you to not only think outside the box but also experiment a bit, but I think it could have been balanced by helping out the player a little more. It's hard to think of ways to do this without being too obvious and destroying the dreamlike and curiosity-driven atmosphere, but I think even something like shadowy footsteps that lead you to the next location, or ominous pointing NPCs or so on could help with the navigation a lot. Even just making the map smaller could help with players figure out where to go instead of wandering for longer than needed (unless that's the intent?).

Presentation: - 4/5 Stars: Good!

I liked the use of custom assets in the game! Also small touches, like the starry background being used like water reflections was a nice touch!

I also liked the use of custom sound effects and background music, particularly the sfx in the menus. I will say I think this game could have used more of them? Such as drinking sound effects or a wobbly sound effect, maybe when Iva drinks the Drink. Overall the game sounds  just a little quiet.

Creativity - 5/5: Great!

This is certainly a creative game. I think some of my favorite parts was using the background to represent water or other areas, and also how you can use the items to solve puzzles but they also double as clues to the story. Nice work!

Horror - 4/5: Good!

This is a pretty subtle game, and especially subtle in the horror. I liked how there were small moments, such as wondering about the fate of your "friends", the touches of red when the world fades into night, and Iva's portrait getting more distorted as the game goes on.

I think other aspects, such as confusing story and navigation lessens the dreamlike and horror aspects a bit. There is a section that seems pretty spooky and has more red areas in it than the rest of the game, but it's one of the smaller sections of the game. I think maybe a little bit more of a focus on horror could have helped make this game really memorable, especially later in the game.

Story - 3/5: Serviceable

I have a couple theories about what the story might be, however the game is vague enough that I'm not sure which one it could be. At first I thought maybe Iva had been drugged and kidnapped, thinking about how she responds when drinking the Drink, maybe it takes place at night, could that also explain her strange dreams? But after seeing the ending I think maybe it was something a bit more different.

I think maybe the game could have benefited from being more direct, or at least including more items and locations having to do with the story. I think if the focus was on the girl, the school, the city and her classmates that it could have had more of those elements and less of the desert, the train, and so on. I think it helps make the game feel more dreamlike and absurd, but it ends up making the story feel more confusing and disjointed as well.

Overall:

This is a nice little game, and it certainly is trying some interesting things in terms of presentation, creativity and atmosphere. However, the dreamlike atmosphere often clashes with confusing game play and story. I think it's a difficult thing to balance between holding the player's hand while also trying to be more subtle and allow room for exploration and experimentation, but I appreciate this game for being willing to take that risk! Despite confusing gameplay, there were neat little moments I got while exploring that I hope to have more of in other games I play in the future.

Posted as a Review The Old Event #1: January 2025

Not a whole lot to say for this one. Very confusing at the outset and through most of it, almost as if it wanted to be oblique but for no particular reason. I would say nice job on the whole fragmented memories theme piece though, although it could be made way more understandable and/or guided at least, particular with the puzzle/tasks to push the experience forward.

I do like the overall sparse and ephemeral art and level design. Almost like being in someone's mind or memories. Same goes for the overall soundtrack, although it would be nice to have it be a bit more connected.

I'm fairly new to horror games, especially indie ones and I have to say that this one didn't make me feel much of anything other than confused and a bit antagonistic.

Only played it once, haven't gotten to the end because it's confusing for me and things aren't made clear enough. Despite that, very interesting and I'm willing to see more from the developer.

Pretty neat game! I do wish there was some kind of message for using items in the forest area after you trigger the cutscene, but other than that I had no problems.

Really neat game, I like the black and white aesthetic, it ties in well with the jam's theme because it feels like your playing out a memory or a dream. Also thought the music fitted the spooky atmosphere very well :)

Wow, this game was awesome! I really like the art style and the way you were able to tell the story through visuals. My only complaint is that the sound effect that plays when I close a menu sounds like it's ripping through my eardrums, but even that is only a minor thing when compared to the sheer amount of awesomeness on display! Thank you for making this!

Pretty good so far, was this game inspired by Yume Nikki by any chance? It gives me that vibe so far :D