itch.io

I really liked the sticker on the taskbar. I don’t think the password needs to be a memorable word, but I feel the taskbar or sticker being able to be viewed while in a terminal, or the sticker being on the side of the terminal instead. Since it wasn’t a thing that was meant to be hidden, considering it was stuck to the side of the taskbar rather than having the player memorise it, I don’t think it’s bad to make it easier for the player to view it.

The horror theme seems definitely interesting, as even throughout the game, such as the ladder lights flickering, or diverting the power, it all provided to the atmosphere of a horror/dark themed game. It gave me a slight feel of a Chilla’s art game, which is really great as atmospheric/psychologic horror seems to be one of the more popular themes in that genre. The game in itself currently is already pretty dark themed so it fit really well. While certain horror games use jumpscares and blood, I feel games that use more atomosphere, like Subnautica are also really popular. You mentioned Lethal Company, Iron Lung and Mouthwashing, which I feel all tie in to this horror theme. I don’t think it’s easy to make a game that makes the player feel nervous/anxious while building up anticipation with a dark atmosphere. So many times, like when I first diverted the power, I was thinking if climbing back up the ladder would give me a jumpscare, or even the locked room opening. I scrolled down to the description a few times to check if it was a horror game.

But at the end of the day, it is up to you and your theme to consider. Since you mentioned making more light-hearted games, this type of games might be things you personally dislike or are uninterested in exploring.