itch.io

Thanks for sharing the game link! I’ll start with the positives.

Positives:

1. The graphics are simple but have their charm. It’s nice to see you animated the candle and gunshot—it looks really cool.
2. I like the phone mechanic. It would be great if you could display messages directly on the phone screen instead of a separate screen since switching between the two feels a bit clunky.
3. It’s cool that you can search many things in the house. I didn’t find anything, but I assume you’ll add more interesting items in the future.
4. I love how you made different footsteps for different floor surfaces; carpet is quieter, and hardwood is louder. I nearly had a heart attack when I first stepped onto the pavement at the start—it was loud, unexpected, and funny.
5. The game builds tension with darkness very effectively. It’s such a simple but powerful tool that’s surprisingly underused. Your darkness feels perfect. At first, I thought the flashlight was too dim, but then I realized it’s just right.
6. I jumped at the first scare—the falling wardrobe doors from the second floor. That was unexpected.
7. When I reached the basement door and entered, the endless dark corridor gave me chills. I had to admit, I even took my headphones off for a moment. I actually restarted the game because, on my first playthrough, I hit ESC to pause, but the game crashed, and I had to start over.
8. It’s great that you have to hold the phone instead of the flashlight. The absence of light while holding the phone creates tension, as you anticipate a jumpscare appearing when you lower the screen.
9. Usually, I make notes as I play to record positives and negatives, but after turning on the power, I was so immersed that I just kept playing, feeling both tense and intrigued.

Negatives:

1. I noticed from the start that you can’t walk around the outside of the house. It’s not really a downside, but I would’ve liked to see the house from different angles.
2. It seemed odd that the protagonist picks the lock instead of using keys the manager could have provided. Maybe I missed something, but it felt strange that he didn’t pick any other locks in the house.
3. Toward the end, the tension was high—I was expecting a jumpscare or monster at any moment, especially after finding the gun. But instead, I had a fairly dull encounter with a screaming woman.

Conclusion: Even though the game seems unassuming at first glance, it has significant potential as a horror game. It’s a classic horror setup with darkness and a flashlight, but I enjoyed the brutal scenes with monsters and ghosts, and the basement lab adds a Resident Evil vibe. I’m glad it doesn’t end with a typical death screen; instead, it shifts towards a horror-action or survival-horror tone. The final finishing scene is intense and awesome. I’m curious about the stolen tape, so when you finish the game, please let me know—I’d love to play it again. Thanks for the game!