itch.io

Thanks for sharing the game link! This was a unique experience, so I’ll start with the positives.

Positives:

1. The sound-based mechanic is fantastic. I’ve seen games like this before but never really played them. I’d say your game is one of the first I’ve tried with this kind of mechanic. I love how footsteps create a noise wave with its own duration—that was really cool.
2. It was great to find that environment objects also make sounds. There weren’t too many of them, but it was nice to see that this detail was included.
3. I always feel relieved when a game has save points. The game isn’t exactly difficult, but I did make some mistakes, so I appreciate that the developer respects my time.
4. The particle effect on the spacebar is a clever idea. At first, I thought it was a bit of a cheat since I could move slowly and press space to see where to go, making the louder sound waves from “F” seem unnecessary. But I’m glad I was wrong. You cleverly broke my assumption about “comfortable” gameplay by introducing a monster that’s hard to avoid, forcing me to use all my abilities. I loved the shelf room because the particles weren’t as effective there as I thought, and you can’t rely on them alone to navigate the final maze, which is great as it encourages using other abilities. This was a smart, elegant design choice without unnecessary complexity.
5. Another rare quality in game jam entries: knowing when to end the game. After the final maze, I immediately felt it would be perfect if the game ended there, and it did. I never felt fatigued from overly long gameplay, and I appreciate that!

Negatives:

1. The monster makes a sound that the player can hear, but it doesn’t factor into the mechanics. Logically, if the character can’t hear the monster without a sound wave reaching it, how can we still hear the “growling”? This confused me a bit, though I understand it’s a creative choice. If you’d considered this detail, I would have marked it as another positive.

Conclusion: This is a wonderful, compact game that I enjoyed so much that I immediately started thinking of ways to make it even better. You may already be aware of these ideas, but I’ll share my thoughts anyway:

1. It would be great if the game had a bit of a horror element, like a silent observer following the player. This observer wouldn’t harm the player, just watch, creating discomfort. The player could discover it only through sound waves.
2. Adding a bit of lore or story would be fantastic. For example, take inspiration from the game “The Dollhouse” from this same game jam. If the character were exploring a strange space and occasionally receiving guidance from a curator, it would be excellent. You could try playing that game to see what I mean.
3. It would be nice if footsteps changed sound based on different surfaces. For example, carpets could muffle sounds, while glass could amplify them. This would be a great addition to your game—another example is the game “HomeInvade” from this jam.
4. Maybe you could add a throwable item to explore the area? Throwing an item that makes noise on impact could help distract the monster or highlight a potential trap. I’m not completely sure about this mechanic, as it might complicate gameplay, which isn’t something I’d want. But it might be worth testing.

In short, I really loved the game, and I don’t understand why it hasn’t received more feedback. It’s fantastic and better than many other games that get constant comments in this jam. I feel your game is underrated and deserves more attention. Thank you once again—I thoroughly enjoyed playing it!