this was a super fun romp that made me never want to step in a cabin again!!! :D
(SPOILERS)
srsly tho, i had such a great time lol. mel and millie butting heads the entire time over the smallest of things never got old XD i like how the game itself doesn't *force* you to side with one or the other, instead showing you how each one justifies the way they feel about her sister. it's both great for the narrative, since it further defines each of their personalities; and great for the comedy, cuz the things they say to explain why they do something can be fcking hilarious haha.
i think mel and millie are two of the best characters in this universe! (the librettoverse if you will) mel's intensely logical approaches to everything makes her really easy to sympathize with, and it's a great source of fun moments when things don't go her way (which is almost always- i mean the entire plot is going to a vacation spot she didn't wanna go to lmao). and watching her mind be utterly destroyed with her sister's reasonings, the bad stuff that happens out of nowhere or out of their petty fights, and the things they're both willing to do to survive was always intriguing & fun to see. on the other side, i think millie could've been easily annoying or cliché, but she ended up being one of the best parts of the game! :D her "rich kid" attitude and way of talking showing up at ALL times, even when she's in mortal danger, was super funny lol. and her remarks over things not being up to her standards? (like her bed or *gasp*, having to work!) fun as shit XD and it's all such a great contrast with how she's completely okay with eating a dead body, like that's such a memorable and completely insane character trait lmao. oh and her creepy infatuation with oliver being what saves the day is peak comedy lol. but in the end, how their bond remains just as strong (if not stronger) during all the things that happened shows how they actually care for one another, and that's what mattered the most in the end.
once again the art & music are amazing!! really loved the use of color and how the screen distorted when something bad was happening/about to happen. and mel and millie's designs are really clever! just changing how their hair is done makes them look both really similar and really easy to tell them apart, which works great with two characters who're twins but couldn't be further apart personality wise lol. also, there were more CGs than in your other games right? it's probably really easy to measure but i'm really bad at keeping count, i'm just going off from what i felt haha. it's cool if they were more this time around, they give these games a lot of style and identity :>
at some points the banter between mel and millie got a bit repetitive, since their relationship or understanding of each other don't really visibly progress a lot. and i feel like there could've been more done with the antagonist, or at least a bit more explaining as to why he does what he does, or how he can seemingly break into the cabin or appear at random... but honestly it's already impressive how a jam game can be up to 40 minutes long with this much art made for it, so it's not really a super big complaint.
overall this was really fun!! and kind of a nice change of pace considering how... dark some other games in this universe can get haha (the darkness in the other games is really well done, but something more shitpost-y feels good from time to time XD). can't wait to see more from this world!!
ayyy thank you so much for giving my game a try!! :D
i laughed out loud at multiple parts of your video, your commentary is really funny haha (that comment about whale noises killed me XD). i'm glad you thought the game subverted your expectations! that's definitely one of the things i was aiming for, with the intro sequence and whatnot :> i wanted to make something i hadn't really seen before!
sorry that the text at the end was too fast haha, that's something that happened in a lot of the playthroughs i've seen, and honestly i should've made it so you have to press enter to trigger the next dialogue haha. i'm also happy to know you thought the game was creepy! i'm honestly pretty new to making horror games so i've still got a long way to go in terms of knowing how to create an uneasy atmosphere and effective scares (there's some jumpscares here that i admit might be a little gratuitous lol), but i'm really glad people seem to really like this one.
thank you for playing!! <3
if this is the last game in the GANA series, these games definitely ended with a great entry!!
(SPOILERS)
i love how the plot kind of goes back to the origins of the series (things lost) with how mind-screwy it is; from the first time enfys talks about how certain events were a dream, i knew the story was gonna be confusing in the best way haha. i love stories where time and memories seemingly go insane and you can't tell what's real and what's not, and the plot did a fantastic job of making everything feel eerie with how nothing seems to make sense. characters not remembering conversations, entire months passing that were actually dreams, going back to the same locations again and again... it was all so intriguing and i was dying to know what was happening!
but the uneasiness could've easily become overwhelming if it wasn't for the characters, who are all super charming and endearing! as per usual in this series, it's super cool to see characters from other games make appearances in new ones, and getting to learn more about their personality and history. enfys' neverending stoicism and sarcasm about everything is super entertaining (and her hatred of anything not emo related is fcking hilarious), aurinko's endless optimism and curiosity is just as charming as in her game, and sowa is such an adorable dork i love him haha. i feel like their banter (aside from being really funny in general) had a good juxtaposition with the overall mystery of the story and the events. also, i think by making this game you destroyed the minds of at least 95% of horror directors, because the characters in here actually make coherent deductions and reasonable choices XD
(also, VOICE ACTING?? WHAAAT omg that was so cool)
while i was playing, i kept wondering what could everything be leading up to, and man it did not disappoint; the bad end town was SUCH an amazing sequence! not only is the idea of a place with the worst possible versions of every story EXTREMELY cool, but it's also helped by the fact that we've seen all these bad endings in the other GANA games; it really made it feel rewarding to have seen all those endings! and the atmosphere there is super chilling: the extremely dark lighting, the creepy locations, the fact that you teleport to different places seemingly at random... it gave this place such a dangerous and surreal vibe, and i loved every second of it. and the fact that each bad end version can only be defeated by their good end counterpart was really unique, and a really clever explanation of why the characters were manipulated into not bringing millena. and last but not least, hank was there, which automatically elevates any game into certified banger™.
while the story is super intriguing, i did think that some dialogue segments went on for a bit too long without pauses or gameplay, but maybe that's my brain worrying about the miniscule chance of the game crashing and having to play sections again XD oh! but i loved all the references to other GANA games!! it didn't feel gratuitous or fanservice-y, it all worked to make the game feel really conclusive and connect everything that happened in the series so far :D
if this truly is the last GANA game, i'm sad to see this series go but i'm glad it went out with a bang. these games are so incredibly creative, so impressive with their worlds and characters. just the fact that the saga's title is the name of this country already shows how much effort and passion were put into the worlbuilding. and the stories that have been told in this universe have been so intriguing; stories about loss, mystery, religion, the supernatural, how is it to feel like there's more out there than you know, the thoughts and mindsets that appear when you're not sure what to believe in (or when you're too sure)... playing these games and following these stories has been nothing but a treat, and this series will go down in my mind as one of the most creative and passion filled i've ever played since i joined itch.
thank you for making these games, and i can't wait to see what you do next!! <3
this was an amazing expansion of gorgonia's plot and world!! :D
(SPOILERS)
i love sequels where the main character isn't the same as the previous game, but their story does continue the plot from the previous game. it makes the world feel bigger, and it's a really cool way to expand on the lore and worldbuilding. learning about more things about this world, and seeing how it connects to other games from the same universe, was really awesome to see!
but the plot doesn't just do a good job on expanding the worldbuilding, it's also really intriguing on its own two feet. neil and marina are really endearing characters; i love how kind marina is and how determined she is on her quest to help her sisters, and neil... honestly he was just super relatable lol. the characters being so easy to endear yourself to made me really want them to succeed (making a compelling motivation for the player is surprisingly hard haha, so i really admire how much i wanted everything to go well! :>). speaking of the characters; i love how pretty much all of them aren't just "all good" or "all evil", they're just people in harsh circumstances (except hydros and flameryn, those two can go die-). the sirens tried to prevent the fate that was assigned to them, cynthia didn't want to give up and gave in to the curse, marina wants to help the other sirens even though she abandoned them for so long, even the goddess who made the curse in the first place regretted her actions... the fact that the characters make risky choices makes the story feel a lot more real and alive. (btw i didn't know where to put this but the notes on every room were REALLY cool and did an incredible job in giving context to the situation and showing each siren's personality)
the focus was clearly on the story and not the gameplay, but there were a lot of little segments i really loved! the chases were really frantic, and i love how the characters sometimes jump ahead, legit startled me when it happened for the first time haha (i feel like the last chase with cynthia didn't give me enough time to process that it's her, since when it started i thought it was medyuu and thought that i had to get captured to progress the story... probably a me thing lol). they felt really fair too, which is pretty complicated to do for chase scenes. like if i got captured, i knew it was my fault and not the game's and i got a little better with each try. also, the desktop at the beginning??? soooo cool haha, completely took me by surprise.
i really liked the visuals! not uncommon for a daybloom project game but yeah, everything was really pretty and the designs were really good. love me some pixelart with big pixels. the UI? absolutely gorgeous. the bubbles and light effects when you're underwater? gosh darn beautiful. the character designs, especially the goddesses'? super creative (learning about their concepts and development in the bonus room was really interesting!). even small things like the characters moving slighty left and right when they move (great attention to continuity from gorgonia) help make the visual presentation pop absurdly well.
overall this is was an amazing and really compelling continuation of gorgonia!! i'm someone who tends to get lost with lore and big universes lol, but this world is super engaging and i can't wait to see what comes next in it!! :D (i hope neil's memories can be restored T_T)
(p.s. I'M IN THE SPECIAL THANKS IN THE CREDITS WHAAAAAAAAAAT :O thank YOU for making such amazing games!!! <3)
heyyy, thank you so much for giving my game a try! :D i definitely get the feeling of a game giving you an existential crisis haha, i'm... sorry? proud? XD
you made playthroughs of two of my other games right? it means a lot to me, thank you for playing them and making videos about em, it's honestly kind of surreal to see full playthroughs of my games on youtube lol (in a good way ofc!)
thank you for playing!! <3
this was a very silly and fun time! :D (yes i'm extremely late to the party shhh-)
the murder mystery was a really creative setting for these completely unrelated characters to interact in, and i love the balance between the story being taken completely seriously and also not seriously at all. all of them doing their own thing and jokingly talking about the tropes/storytelling of their own games was super fun. even though it's all very jokey, it still felt like genuine reflections on these topics? (at least it's the vibe i got from the dialogue of raffle and the forest lesbians™, it makes the game feel interesting and reflective) speaking of the different characters, i love how their different ways to narrate and the different text boxes they have are kept completely the same and the jokes that come from it XD and the characters pairing up in odd ways was really neat! felt strangely fitting too, like yeah, i don't know why but that kid would argue about storytelling lol. overall the jokes and humor got multiple chuckles out of me, and comedy's pretty difficult to get right, especially if it's all conveyed through reading text in the player's head, so good job! :>
honestly i feel like this concept could've been expanded on? like, i know it's just a one off experience and it's probably better left alone without stretching it too long but... idk, the idea of different characters from different games trying to solve a murder mystery while reflecting on their own games and storytelling and comedy as a whole is REALLY cool. (this isn't a jab at the game for being too short, especially considering how little time there was for making it haha, it's just some food for thought :>)
wow, what a fun and lighthearted game! i sure hope letting my guard down isn't a bad idea and chevie's next game won't leave me emotionally scarred! :D (sorry- XD)
(p.s.: this is the canon end of tiny floof, he was found and cared for and lived a happy life with gladiolus i won't accept any discussion)
THAT WAS SO SAD WHYYYYYYY T_T this was sooo tragic and sooo well made, what an amazing game.
(SPOILERS)
i really loved the plot and how it progresses; starting with relative normalcy, going deeper into uneasiness and then end up full on horrifying was a great choice, and it made me both both super intrigued and super dreading of what would come next. the characters and dialogue were really strong and conveyed the characters' feelings really well. since this is based on the medusa myth, and myths don't tend to focus character's thoughts, it was really cool to get an understanding of these people and their motivations, if that makes sense? medyuu was a super endearing character, and i love the relationship between her and her sisters; even if they don't have too many scenes together, it's made very clear they care for each other and understand each other really well (love the moment where one tries to make medyuu promise something, and she doesn't even have to finish the sentence for medyuu to know what she means). the atmosphere in the village was great; definitely made me feel as uncomfortable as the main character. and the forest and hydros parts? incredibly dark and twisted, i can't get those sequences out of my head (if hydros was real i'd kick him in the groin so fucking)... medyuu's curse and the hunter showing her sisters' heads were both heart wrenching to see, and finally that last conversation with sirensia (i'm guessing she's sirensia lol) was a much needed spark of hope amongst all the dispair. overall, the plot and characters were incredibly memorable, and made me SUPER intrigued in knowing what happens next.
daybloom project try not making the best looking rpg maker games ever challenge (impossible). seriously, i'm always ASTONISHED at how insanely good your games look, and at how differently they all manage to look from one another, and this was no exception. the great sprites, the cute style for the busts and the detailed style for the cutscenes... the way medyuu's sprite moves side to side when she runs, the way circles appear for when lightning strikes in the chase sequence... the entire forest part with its repeating paths and its glitched screens and its dark & red twisted sprites (seriously that part was SOOO friggin' good)... the sketchy style and disturbing angles for the goddess... the way the hunter appears briefly at the start of the game when you go to buy groceries??? that was so cool omg. there was sooo much love and attention put into every part of this game's presentation, and i can't help but respect the hell out of it :D
if i had to critisize anything, the chase sequence at the end was somewhat frustrating, since i didn't know where to go and got caught a bunch of times. that wouldn't be too bad on its own but the fact that you can't save (or at least it didn't work when i tried) after the previous conversation with the hunter, meant that i had to repeat that cutscene every time i died, which was pretty frustrating. i think just having a save menu before the chase would've made it a lot more bearable. (again, i don't know if you can save in the actual chase, but it didn't work when i tried to so i assumed you can't)
this was an absolutely fantastic game!! and a really creative and intriguing interpretation of the medusa myth. i can't wait to see more of this super original world :>
not just a stupid tradition is not just another jam entry, as the intriguing story and fun characters made this really memorable! :D
(SPOILERS)
i really like the story and how it escalates in suspense. the setup of a couple of teens messing up a ritual and it having horrible consequences feels very much like a classic horror movie haha, and the way the story progresses is really intriguing throughout, learning about what's happening and how this custom works (i love learning about cultures through games :>). but the plot clearly relies on the characters being entertaining, and luckily they're all really charming. chloe and izzy feel 100% like teens who think they're too old for this, which makes the setup feel realistic and the eventual supernatural stuff be even more unexpected. i felt so bad for ethan and how he kept getting bullied and scared lmao. and i really loved how caroline started out as a stern figure, then made me feel a sense of security as she explained what was happening and what was needed to fix it, and finally made me super intrigued with the secret basement, and think if i could really trust her. it was a really neat progression! (the twist gave me grunkle stan from gravity falls vibes, which is a HUGE achievement haha).
the art is really good! i like how simple everything is, if that makes sense? the designs and tileset not being too detailed and the use of solid colors give the presentation a unique sense of identity, like we're watching a halloween children's book or tv show haha. so many scenes stood out; the possession at the sea, the basement's paintings, walking through the dark forest... the face pictures were also pretty good (love how they're inside coffins XD), tho like others have said i would've liked if there were more faces, since a lot of the game is watching dialogue and it would've made it feel more dynamic. but due to the jam's time constraints and how long the game already is, it's not really something i can hold against it lol.
the code puzzle was really clever!! i got stuck there for a while but when i figured it out i felt sooo smart haha. i did think it was a bit too hard to figure out, and since this is a visual novel i feel like having a hint system would've helped, so you don't get frustrated with a puzzle you can't beat when what really matters in the game is the story. that's just my opinion tho.
overall this was a really great and intriguing time!! i really hope you keep working on this, i'm super intrigued in knowing what happens next :D
thank you for the kind words!! :> the rtp-turning-into-not-rtp, having a game composed of different in-universe games, and even that gramophone song are all things i've really wanted to put into a game for quite some time haha. i'm really happy that i could finally do it, and that it's been received so positively! i tried my best to polish everything and make the game as original as it could be :D
thank you for playing!! <3
thank you so much! :D i love meta games too, and my goal was 100% making the player think "wow this doesn't look like rpg maker at all" haha. i'm really glad you liked it!
believe it or not, the ghost clues were originally even more quick and easy to miss lol. in the testing phase i tried to make them as obvious as possible but still, i'm sorry that you had to repeat the second game :(
i'm happy to know you liked the soundtrack feature, it was totally a last minute decision but i always like rewards focused on bts stuff haha (and since it softlocks the game, it means if anyone wants to play it again they have to give me another download >:D).
thank you for playing! <3
this was really good! i liked the story and characters a lot :D
(SPOILERS)
really love the concept and how it's presented; going from marcus' pov to avelina's was pretty effective in showing a situation that seems completely normal from the outside, but slowly becomes more unsettling. there isn't any real confirmation of something bad happening, but the way characters talk, the little details that feel off-putting, build the eeriness until the eventual plot unravels. it feels very subtle; enough to make you think that it might be just your imagination (did marcus actually call on avelina's room or could it have been just a dream...?) the storytelling and the way the mystery is told is really clever, and kept me really intrigued to know what was actually happening without giving away too many clues. felt like i was watching a thriller/mystery film at some points haha. and i loved how the supernatural elements were foreshadowed; bringing up religion throughout the game made the eventual reveal feel unexpected and totally fitting within this world.
the characters are really great!! marcus was really charming and his determination to help his "masters" and then avelina in any way he could, even by swordfighting, made him really likeable; avelina was really endearing and i really wanted her to find out what's really going on (the scene when she realizes she and marcus were married and the ending scene were really well done), and whenever she cried i felt so bad haha. i love how you're not told she doesn't remember a lot of things, but the way she acts and talks about things in her life made it clear; great use of show don't tell. love how seemingly kind and loving ricardo is to his "wife" before the reveal, and how his attitude towards marcus can just be seen as tipycal rudeness towards a servant. and belinda and carlos were really charming, honestly they totally convinced me they were genuine kind people lol. and finally, ophelia was a great helpful-character-who's-actually-divine-intervention, i love that trope so much haha (tbf any story is better with an elder who gives the mc matches and gasoline-).
obviously the focus is on the plot and not the gameplay, but i enjoyed a lot of small mechanics. the swordfights were fun and something you don't see in a lot rpg maker games, and the dark hallway part was really tense, such a cool use of gameplay, sound and lighting (i got hit a looot of times, maybe i'm bad at chase sequences lol). while i liked how the things you could interact with were highlighted, it did make the game feel a little too linear at times, and like it was holding my hand a bit too much. i understand they were necessary to highlight stuff that could blend in with the areas that are more open, maybe it could've been used only for big zones so you feel more free in the small ones? that's just my opinion tho.
overall, this was a super intriguing plot told with really great art!! (the character designs are really good and expressive :D) and using the 'fear the devil' theme from the jam to tie into a fictional fantasy religion was super creative. i really enjoyed this! :>
abra got tired of all the westwood x oliver jokes so she made another yaoi couple we can obsess about! :D
seriously tho, this was REALLY great and creepy as hell!!
(SPOILERS)
despite the short length, the repetition of your tasks really sells the feeling of mundanity and hopelessness. each day you need to check some stuff, start the drill, and read the old logs that get printed. it's really simple, but it quickly sets in that these guys may have been doing it for who knows how long, and every timeskip drills (hehehe) that thought into your head further. it's not boring at all though; this game is a really effective example of building dread throughout the mundanity. the drill is your main task and keeps you warm, but when you learn what it does you can't help but feel nervous when using it... (i'm drilling two feet into what?). you have a partner to keep you company, but who knows what's he thinking about... (why would he want to sleep far from me?). reading the logs is really intriguing, but every time you do there's the underlying feeling you'll find something you don't want to know... (when will i reach the logs that were written after the incident, and what will they say?)
and eventually, when your friend can't handle it and it's only you in the facility, the dread goes from an underlying feeling to coming around full force. the mc talking with his conscience, the days going through without anything except using the drill, and eventually not even knowing what day it is, all worked wonders in unsettling me haha. and the twist was really great, really unexpected but with really clever foreshadowing. suddenly it makes sense why your partner did what he did, why you're going insane from guilt... and the concept of being trapped in an abandoned building with no way of keeping you alive except torturing an innocent creature (btw i loved how we don't get to see what it looks like, and that it's up to our imagination) is so cruel and tragic on its own. and the ending was really great; abstract and open to interpretation in the usual superb abra geroni way :>
overall a really absorbing and incredibly well crafted experience. looks like the polar expedition jam is off to a great start! :D
this was a super creative and incredibly well written interpretation of the jam theme!! :D
(SPOILERS)
the setup is horrifying; a child stuck in a room and slowly starving because her mother told her not to come out is SUPER scary and feels so hopeless, but when she does come out, the house feels terrifyingly empty, like your mother or whatever else could jump at you at any moment. you almost wish there was something so there could be a stealth section or something like that, so you at least knew what you had to be scared of. but nothing comes, and you just try to be sneaky and brace yourself for a scare that doesn't come. then, a sinister figure appears and you find your mother dead on the floor. then, you look through your somehow-changing house for clues to solve the morbid puzzle in your freezer. then, after you solve it, you find an even more wretched figure that chases you. the way the situation escalates is pitch perfect, making you feel more and more hopeless and confused, until the eventual calm when you find someone who can protect you and (at least somewhat) explain what's going on. it's a really great design for a story like this, and when i wasn't overwhelmed with tension i was really intrigued as to what was going on :>
camellia and hedrik were amazing characters, and their banter was adorable haha. i like how they butt heads and don't always understand each other (especially with hedrik trying to explain, pretty poorly, what is actually happening-). if the writing was more generic they'd act like best buddies immediately, but they feel realistic and i really liked that. hedrik being like a kind-of-fed-up older brother was really funny considering he's supposed to be a professional exorcist lol. i loved a lot of little moments, like him being too nauseous to walk among the rotten apples, or telling camellia to go away so she doesn't see how he burns the bush haha. and camellia was a really well written child character; she felt appropiately scared, confused, but also understanding, in a way that's pretty hard to write. it feels like she doesn't fully understand what's happening, but she can kind of get it, which feels realistic. really loved how her feelings for her mom change, from being heartbroken by her death, to confused by her motives, to angry at her (gotta highlight that moment were she screams at her mom for starving her), to eventually understanding. it was a really well written progression.
the plot was super interesting! learning about these "breaks" and how magic works in this world was really intriguing. the concept of helping these abstract creatures with their petitions was super original and appropiately supernatural; i loved how each one has a different personality and way of speaking, they felt like characters you'd find in omori or undertale. their quests and the puzzles in general were pretty well done, they were pretty fair and the only one i had some trouble with (the code one), i managed to beat it after a few minutes and i felt really clever when doing so haha (speaking of the puzzles, i'm sure there was religious symbolism with the things these peeps ask but i’m too dumb to get it lol). the flashback sequence at the end? absolutely heartbreaking. the mother’s story was incredibly compelling, and a really neat & subtle way to let the player know it's okay if camellia doesn't forgive her. what an effective way to demonize and immediately afterwards humanize a character we've come to assume is pure evil. like chevie i was a liiittle worried the message was “the mother was right”, but i think it was pretty well conveyed that camellia forgave her, while not following in her footsteps. like camellia says, i wished she did what she did because of hate, because it'd be easier. but she did it because of love. i'm amazed at how well this complicated topic was managed, well friggin' done (also, the writing & descriptions are super good!! the narration was so effective that i almost gagged at the part were camellia eats lmao-).
lastly, the art was really great too! the use of color was INCREDIBLE, with the blue hues of the house at the start, the red as you get closer to the break, the warm colors in the flashback sequence... the sprites were really good, i like the contrast between how camellia walks moving her arms around, while hedrik’s sprite barely changes. the face pics are super expressive; love the range both mcs have while never looking too off model. the monster chasing you has a super horrifying design, the mother in the flashback being completely white was a great touch that made her feel more ethereal, the lamb eye image is disgusting and i love it, the cg in the sunset is absolutely beautiful... i'm just listing stuff at this point, it's hard talking about a game's art without sounding like i'm rambling haha. honestly the only thing that could be different is that i wish there were less default assets, just to make the visuals feel even more unique. but with how big the game already is and how limited the jam time is, i can't really call it much of a flaw haha.
overall, this was an amazing and deeply affecting game. speaking from experience, due to the time constraints it's hard to make a jam game that hooks you in with its story, but this one absolutely did and i really hope you guys keep working on stuff. just fantastic, and its win was super deserved!! :D
making a sequel based on the bad ending of its predecessor is such a creative concept, and it's done really great here! :D
(SPOILERS)
once again, you nailed the feel of the game. it hooks you on the first sequence alone; taking the role of dean, doing normal things in his home with seemingly nothing out of the ordinary, after the hell he made you go through was super effective. the disconnect between these events going as usual and the chilling ambience playing at all times was excellent; it's like the game itself knows there's something really wrong with letting this guy scot free, but it can't do anything about it. and when the actual plot starts, the chilling atmosphere doesn't stop. seeing hank explain so calmly the supernatural stuff he's been researching was really spooky, just watching this previously pretty normal guy fall into this rabbit hole was honestly kinda sad, and the anticipation from finding out exactly what he's gonna do to dean was super well done. searching for objects for the ritual felt just as dispassionate and detached as hank probably felt haha. and when the ritual is complete and... "billy" is brought back, the reveal of his form (i can't get the sound of the flashlight clicking again and again out of my head-) and the chase around the dark house was sooo scary, really great job.
the art is once again really good! with this game being shorter than purge: desperation, i'm glad there were even more cgs with sweet, sweet gore than last time! once again they're all really good and their references are really cleverly chosen (the thousand yard stare soldier meme being used caught me off guard tho- that's right i unlocked the bonus folder again because i'm still a true gamer™). and i did like how the gore is even MORE extreme than last time, with blood staining everything, guts flying around, skin being snatched from bodies (that was an unironically really good drawing, really disgusting haha), and of course retrieved billy's design. i'm not praising it just because "yay there's even gorier stuff now! :D" though that's cool too lmao, but it really feels like an appropiate and natural escalation from the last game. like, even considering all the messed up stuff dean made hank do, the things hank does to reverse it being arguably even more extreme felt pretty ironic and fitting for his character haha.
i really liked the contrast between hank sounding monotonous the entire time, aside from a few bursts of anger, and how he breaks down and the game focuses on his feelings in the two endings. whether he reunites with his son, or he finally lets go of him. really good stuff. and in the true ending, i loved the scene with his wife's picture. i totally believed he spent so long looking for a way to bring his son back, and in just one moment opening his eyes and realizing how deranged what he's doing is. felt very realistic, and really cathartic for his character, as is the actual true ending which is appropiately bittersweet.
if i had to complain about anything, i think the chase sequence with retrieved billy was a bit annoying since i kept trying to find a way out and didn't understand what i actually had to do haha. hank's bedroom was open unlike all the other doors so i assumed i had to do something there? don't know if that was intentional but i think making it locked too would've made the way to win even more clear (the "don't stop running" hint at the start is pretty good tho!)
lastly, i read the "thoughts" file and i'm really happy to know you stepped out of your comfort zone and found enjoyment in using rpg maker <3 i'm really excited for the games you plan to make, whether you continue with the lawson story or not, and i hope you keep improving the super great skills you've proven to have! :D
(edit: OMG i can't believe i forgot to mention the tv scene haha. such a funny and unexpected crossover XD)
what an effectively dark experience! (which is verbose for: this was f*cked up but in a really good way XD)
(SPOILERS)
the atmosphere and horror of this whole situation are conveyed really well. at first, the complete calm in hank's home (aside some mentions of safety precautions) made me lower my guard and believe, like the protagonists, that everything could be okay and the purge could just be avoided and treated like a normal day if you just stayed inside... but the moment billy's inhaler is empty and you need to go outside, reality hits. the combination of incessant screaming and thugs running all around made the outside feel super tense. the speed of everyone was a little jarring at first, but after a few seconds it dawns on you just how hard it's gonna be to avoid them, and you have no idea what these people will do to you if they catch you... it felt appropiately super dangerous, and everytime i had to go outside i felt a non insignificant amount of dread haha. and when dean and his lackeys broke into hank's house, forcing him to do all these horrible things... man, it's really hard to nail true desperation (heh) in a game, but you did it. seeing hank like this, wondering if it's even worth it for saving billy and watching how he does increasingly horrible things... it kinda made me sick to my stomach (in a good way ofc! haha). even so, the most visceral feeling you'll feel here is by far the sheer hate for dean lmao, that puntable bastard- the horror aspect was super well done, you really have a grasp on how to make a plot gripping and intense!:D
the art was really good!! hank and dean's faces were really expressive and sold me on their personalities a lot. i love how exaggerated hank's drawings are to show his anger, contrasted with how calm and on model dean looks. just some good old clever juxtaposition haha. loved also how hank's sprite and art would change and get bloodier as he killed more people, the sprite change is SUPER subtle but i the extra effort is really cool. i really liked how initially, gore is not seen anywhere, making me think subconsciously "oh ok, so there's no real graphic violence and the trigger warnings were probably just for the themes". then you see billy's ear, and suddenly "oh god oh shit there's actual gore-". then you start killing the thugs on the street (side note, really appreciated that you had to just touch them to kill them and it wasn't necessary to interact with them haha) and kinda become desensitized by the violence, thinking "oh okay, smashing people's heads with a wrench is probably about as hard with the gore and this will go, looks like i'm good!". and then you start finding billy's body pieces around your home (amazing sequence btw) and it's right back to "OH NO OH GOD OH MY GOD I HATE GAMES I'M NEVER PLAYING A GAME AGAIN-". just a really clever use of shock, and a rollercoaster of emotions haha. lastly, the cgs were great too! the way you used references was super cool (that's right i unlocked the bonus folder because i'm a true gamer™) and it didn't feel like you were plagiarizing those pics, it felt like you were taking inspiration of really smartly chosen pictures. and they're all really well drawn and have a good amount of detail; i'd say my favorite cg was the one in the bad ending, where hank hold's billy's head... man that look in his eyes is gonna stay with me haha.
(also i didn't know where to put this but the save slot thing was so clever! no idea if you could go around the house from the start or if it was exclusive from that save, but either way it was a really creative way to lead into the true ending :>)
if i had to criticize anything, i think hank and dean's designs felt a little too different from each other, like they weren't characters from the same universe. hank fits 100% with the game's tone and world, but dean kinda looks like a disney prince and it's a bit jarring (i KNEW you used a disney prince for reference! i'm always three steps ahead >:D haha). and obviously this isn't a dig at the game or your skills, but i feel like the rtp holds the flair back a bit. i would LOVE to see this game with an original tileset, or a dlc/fanmade one (like egg uses in their games). i think it would've made the presentation even more memorable, but as is the original art is still really great and the game overall is well designed and looks good!
this was a really great experience! and i think it's so cool that you decided to make a sequel based entirely on hank and billy living a happy life and nothing bad happening at all :D (*cries*)
(SPOILERS)
imagine not showing up at your boyfriend's exorcism and then being surprised when he's rude to you smh smh.
srsly tho, this was yet another really solid visual novel!! :D
really loved the story and characters. the concept of everyone in your family trying to "cure" you of something they won't even tell you about is such a terrifying one. everything in this event feels so wrong and manipulative, down to the exorcist referring to clarence simply asking what he's going to drink as "resisting". the game builds such a creepy atmosphere, and it's impressive how solidly it's built considering how short it is, and how all you really do before the exorcism is talk to relatives. i really liked clarence; not only is his design super memorable (characters with long blond hair my beloveds-) but his struggle is very well written. the way he talks about his encounters with asher really worked in emphasizing the idea that they couldn't get caught. that they had to keep their relationship a secret. and that in the end, he didn't even know how a long term relationship with him would've worked. his emotions were really well written and laid out... and speaking of which, i think your 'snarky narrator' technique worked incredibly well in this plot especially, contrasting clarence's intense feelings and thoughts throughout this whole ordeal, only for these descriptions of emotions to run dry at the ending, when he's been... fixed. it was very effective! (and yes said ending did destroy me, thank you for asking-) the other characters were great too, and it was neat to see peeps from tcpc make a return! mother charity was a definitive standout in the cast, something about a fanatic leader that believes you're evil incarnate, yet is still always grinning and saying things that should be comforting... it struck a chord with me in terms of uneasiness haha.
omg a liminace game has really great art, what an original opinion- XD really tho, i think this game's visuals stand out from your other ones in a subtle way, while still looking awesome as ever. i love the sketch-like quality of some drawings (especially in clarence's busts), it was a really cool little style choice that didn't really need to be there, but it shows how much attention to detail was put into the art :D i also loved the atmosphere in the church, with snow particles floating outside, blue hues and a general aura of mysticism. like you were in an actual place reserved for a divinity haha. and there's so many other small things; the way the screen turns darker and redder as you light the candles? love that. the way the colors turn sepia when you're strapped in that table? love that. the candle? that's a good candle. i don't know why but i want to highlight the drawing of the last candle specifically. that's a good ass candle drawing. oh! and the brain! that was also a good ass brain drawing.
...where was i? oh yeah, the visuals are great! :D
the music and sounds were also great! the sarcastic applause™ making a return is always nice to see lol. loved the switch up from the normal game sounds to the uncannily realistic buzz of the lights and the... squelching of flesh when the lobotomy happens. what an uncomfortable scene my god- (in a good way ofc haha) and the music wow!! so ethereal and extremely well made. still can't believe you compose the entire ost for all your games, seems like such an impossibly difficult task from afar lol. i'm always so impressed by people who make almost all the stuff in their games by themselves haha. so yeah music was great too! again, what an original opinion XD
i only really had two problems with the game; firstly i found some typos in a few places, which weren't too big of a deal and definitively understandable for such a dialogue-heavy game, but i thought i'd mention it. and the sequence from when you talk to samuel to when the exorcism begins ran for a tad too long for me, and i would've liked if it stopped somewhere in the middle, maybe when she-who-shall-not-be-named appears lmao. but yea that's about it.
will clarence appear again? will he and asher rekindle their love? will she finally be dumped into a frozen lake like she deserves? all of this and more in chapter 4 of the cardinal park chase, coming out in your nearest itch.io server!
(also woohooo, congrats on 500+ downloads and 2000+ browser plays!!! :D)
whenever i write a reply, i always try to make it more or less the same length as the original comment. here... i don't think i can. i'm speechless. your words have touched me in a way i don't think i can express. thank you for taking the time to write such a genuine review that doesn't sugarcoat your opinions, thank you for giving each part of this game such a unique interpretation, and thank you for playing. your words truly have a soul <3
(jk you used 'Her' instead of 'her' so your opinion is invalid >:D i'm kidding i'm kidding-)
also thanks for sharing this song, i really liked it :>
thank you so much for the kind words!! really wanted to focus on uniqueness (as in, stuff that i haven't really seen before in other games) and horror for this game, so i'm glad you thought it was creative and scary haha. seems i struck gold with the rtp opening, i'll keep in mind that people like some good ol' shock factor :>
i'll admit "cult trying to resurrect a demon" isn't the most creative plot ever lmao, but i thought having playing games be a key part of the ritual was a fun way to tie together the jam's theme and the meta "playing games within games" concept. i also 100% wanted to make the player feel uneasy, like the game could corrupt or something could come out and jumpscare them at any point, so it's great to hear it worked haha >:D
i totally get what you mean, i tried to make that sequence give you as much time as possible but yeah even in the testing phase i thought it'd be a bit hard to read (some people did fail it in their first try). i thought it'd be kind of cheap to make that part skippable too so if you fail, it just restarts pretty quickly haha. and i had a lot of fun working on the aesthetic and gameplay! really wanted to capture the "old 80s atari game" vibe and making gameplay mechanics simple enough for you to believe they could be from old ass games.
you're very right in not calling this a completely happy ending XD but hey, i don't like writing completely happy endings anyway haha. it's funny cuz earlier in my story-making journey, i was all for sad endings and everybody dying lol, but now i find those endings to be kinda... unsatisfying? like what was even the point then (obviously there's stories where it fits well, but i often see it used as a cheap way of making the player/spectator sad). so i prefer making stories with conclusions that feel more bittersweet, with stuff still in the air but some amountl of closure. anyway sorry for going on a tangent, this game isn't even that focused on the story- XD i'm really glad you liked this game! i had a ton of fun making it and i hope to keep making more :D
thank you for playing!! <3
this was great!! a really compelling and intriguing story with super endearing characters! :D
(SPOILERS)
i got really endeared to aldrich and raven, they're such a great example of the "extroverted x introverted" (platonically) trope haha. their interactions were really compelling, and even small bits like them playing in the water or aldrich carrying raven on his back when he couldn't walk were adorable (i also really liked the awkward pauses in their conversations, felt very realistic haha). i spent like half my playthrough screaming at the screen because i wanted them to be safe and okay so bad XD the father character was really well handled too, i really liked how you subverted my expectations by, like abra said, making me think he was the stand-in for the devil or something of the sort. also made him more fleshed out than if he was just a one-dimensional abusive father, since in the true ending we learn that he knew his son had been possessed (doesn't mean he's a good father tho, those are way too many bottles of alcohol for one house-). overall the characters are fantastic, and i think having relatively few made them feel more complex and three-dimensional than if the plot was overstuffed with people, and it makes the simple plot really memorable. great job! :>
i really liked the visuals too! default assets were used pretty well; no section felt like it was too big or too small. some parts of the forest looked a bit hallway-like, but apart from that everything looks natural. i especially loved how rubble and things like that were peppered across maps, blocking your way when you were trying to run and making chases even more tense, without looking unnatural or too much like a deliberately designed maze. and the original art was fantastic!! the characters' designs and face images are super expressive and adorable, and the cgs are really well made. i loved how you paid attention to really small details, like how if you don't bring your old shoes to raven, he's barefoot in his sprite and cgs. that's just great attention to detail :D (also as a person who's kind of squeamish with blood, i appreciate how you made the gore scenes look realistic without being too disgusting haha)
as someone who tries to get all endings in jam games, thank you for making it relatively easy to get all of them. it was really fun to pick different hiding spots and finding out what happens in each one. and speaking of which... WHY DID YOU MAKE 6 OUT OF 7 ENDINGS SO SAD ASDJDSJNH- i was so heartbroken with every one except the normal ending 1 why did you do this to meeeee... (i'm not actually mad, it's a testament to how good your writing that i was so invested haha) the other endings ranged from super creepy (thank you for the nightmares i'll have with the face in the darkness :D) to super depressing, and the true ending was a really cool interpretation of the jam's theme. i love eldritch beings acting super casual with the protagonist haha, and the idea that this monster takes the body of your childhood bff and makes you its new friend for eternity is a really disturbing concept... and also a kinda funny one haha. and finally, i REALLY loved the post-it drawings of each ending, made them hit 10x as hard. i'm still thinking about the one where they die next to each other... brb gonna go cry again-
i didn't love the parts where the path split and you had to guess where to go. it was kind of frustrating to die so many times before being lucky and guessing the right one. if there were clues to which path is correct (or, in case there are, if there were more obvious), or when you get caught you just go back to the start of the chase instead of the title screen, i think it would've been less frustrating. speaking of the chase, if the frequency of the father's steps was higher i feel like it could've been a lot more tense. and not a big deal or anything but at the start, when you interact with people and talk about them, i think it would've been better if their direction was fixed and they didn't turn towards you, since you're not really talking with them. these aren't big problems tho, and since you said you're just starting with the engine, i hope you keep improving with it cuz i think you really have a talent for storytelling! :>
overall, this was a great game with a plot and characters that kept me gripped to the very end, with really great art and sprites to boot. i really hope you keep making games and working with the engine, i think you have a lot of skill that shouldn't go unnoticed!! <3
heyy i'm really glad you liked it! :D
making the player think they weren't playing something made with rpg maker was 100% my intention haha, i'm happy to hear it worked for you! it was really fun trying to make an aesthetic that looked nothing like what you'd expect from an rpg maker game. and the rtp intro really seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people, and i'm glad cuz it was one of the more fun parts of the game to make :>
thank you for playing! <3
(p.s. i reallyyyyy want to try retrieval and the purge: desperation, but i don't know if i can handle such dark themes haha. maybe i'll build my confidence up and play them while repeating to myself "this is a game it's not real this is a game it's not real this is a game it's not real" whenever anything dark happens XD)
omg thank you for leaving such a detailed review!! :D
(SPOILERS)
i'm glad you liked the intro sequence! i thought that since the plot was about games-whitin-games already, it'd be cool to screw around with the player in a meta way haha. i tried to mimic how i'd write my first games, where i'd primarily use rtp assets and the writing was a bit corny, and sprinkling everything with jokes i'd actually made in my first projects so it'd feel more realistic. you hit the nail right on the head, i really wanted to capture that "first rpg maker project" vibe lol. i really liked doing the glitching part too, namely because random screen/game glitches can be super unnerving to me haha.
my goal was pretty much to make the players forget that they were playing an rpg maker game, and i'm happy to read that many people who played it think it's unique :> trying to come up with different gameplay and art styles for each game was tricky (especially since i wanted to make each one implement a bonus challenge), but i'm pretty satisfied with the result, and happy to hear you thought they all still fit together! the restricted colors were honestly pretty cool to work with, it was less "aw man how am i gonna make everything look good with such few colors?" and more "wooo there's less decisions to make!" haha (things like the rooms in his sight having randomly colored backgrounds was inspired by old atari games, where sometimes rooms would be a completely different hue than the previous one).
if you restart the game in the first two minigames the instructions show up again, but i admit it's not really intuitive. and i wanted the tutorials to be as simple as possible to both mimic how old games didn't really explain much about the gameplay (and make you feel satisfied when you found out how to play), and to spook the player when they figured out what the game's deal was haha. i get what you mean with saint peter's cross needing more explanation tho, i definitely suffered from tunnel vision with that one and assumed some concepts would be more intuitive than they actually are. partly the reason why i decided to add a walkthrough and an option to skip each game. regarding the fonts, they're the default ones you can use in pixilart (the website i use to make all my pixelart), and i get what you mean, they're not the mooost readable haha.
timing is one of the things i try to get as right as possible in my games; i think it's one of the most important parts of crafting horror in a horror game. sometimes when i'm playing horror games and something spooky happens i think to myself "man that would've scared me a lot more if the wait lasted a bit longer..." so i tend to make the waits a little long just to keep the player on edge haha. the one after the glitch specifically was done to make you think the game actually broke lol. but i do feel that some parts were a bit too stretched out.
thinking back on it, i definitely should've added more hints to the story, especially in the exorcism aaagh why didn't i think of that XD i did try to craft a sense of build-up to the plot with the dev notes in the last game but that's about it lol. and i definitely get what you mean with the devil's monologue being too heavy on exposition, i wanted to frame that sequence as it toying with you and telling you these things just for fun, but yeah i understand it felt more like the game was telling you these things. and the last wikipedia article was just me worrying that i wouldn't have explained the plot clearly enough, and i wanted it to feel like 'if you didn't get the plot, here's the full explanation of what happened. and if you did get it, at least it's a fun way to do worldbuilding' haha.
thank you so much for the feedback! i'm always trying to improve my game making skills and hearing people's opinions on my projects is a great way to do so. i'm really happy to know that even with all the stuff that could be improved, you liked my game that much :>
thank you for playing!! <3
(btw can't wait to try false fruit, it looks really unique! :D)
this was SO well made!! can't believe at how many points i was actually terrified while playing haha.
(SPOILERS)
the visuals are absolutely on point. knew from the moment at the start when you get teleported to this weird red room and immediately go back with a terrifying sound that this game would kill it with its presentation :> it's a really effective showing of how good default assets can look when used cleverly; the lighting all around looks GORGEOUS and gives ungodly huge amounts of atmosphere to every scene. from the warm orange hue of the church's inside when you arrive, to the hellish red of the scarce lights when you're trapped inside your mind... it made the tileset and overall presentation incredibly memorable. and that's without mentioning the original art, which is amazing as well! (those chunks of meat and skinned bodies are gonna show up in my nightmares lol) the designs of the original characters are great, and their character busts are super expressive. love how we don't see the mc's until the end, even when they talk to the demon in their mind; in a way it's like they've been silent for so long and, when the demon is defeated, now we can actually listen to them and what they feel without the demonic presence blinding us from them? that's the way i interpreted it at least haha. oh, and whenever a giant monster started chasing me i audibly yelped, so good job on the scare factor! XD overall the visuals are AMAZING, and the sound design is just as good! that laugh that plays sometimes is legit nightmarish haha, and the use of audio in general made me tense the whole way through. awesome stuff!
the plot was so gripping!! here and in mermaid's cove you've proven your ability to make me feel incredibly sad for the protagonist haha. the cutscene at the beginning with all the blurred faces was FANTASTIC, such a brilliant way to tell so much backstory with just a few lines and pictures. i wanted the mc to feel loved sooo bad, and felt heartbroken every time someone told them there was something wrong with them... the way they're trapped inside their mind as the devil takes a hold of them was a super clever interpretation of the exorcism theme, and how bits of their life seeped into each section was really creative (special shoutout to the kitchen part; the mother's clear disgust of her child while making them feel guilty for it, when you read her diary and learn how she thinks of you as a monster, when you enter the room she's at and it's empty and stained with blood, when the room turns dark and the fruit turns rotten, all of it with absolutely no music or ambience... that entire section was flawless!!). i also loved the characters! sister isabel's timidness and worry & father charles' determination made them really charming, and i just really liked how genuinely kind and focused on helping you they were. the mc's mother was written in an uncomfortably realistic way, and while you can understand that raising you on her own must've been hard, it doesn't excuse how much she seemingly manipulated her child into feeling horrible literally just for existing (if it wasn't clear already i kinda wanna punch her in the face-) even if they didn't get many lines of dialogue, i liked how "done with this bs" the mc looked haha. "i've lived with this goddamn demon all my life, f*ck it i can handle a few more years of suppresing my emotions" lmao. hope they at least smoked a blunt to destress or something. and i really liked the demon you talk to! love when an evil cosmic entity speaks super casually haha, and the way it gave you exposition about your situation was super well written, so many pieces of its dialogue got stuck in my head ("whatever you say, you monster" or "i love you" were especially creepy) also sidenote i really like its human design from the bad ending lol. the characters & plot are absolutely top notch, and kept me at the edge of my seat till the end!!
i really liked the gameplay too! really love how each section and each room had a different way of beating it, and they were all fun! from dodging flying spike balls, to going through a maze, to following instructions to avoid spikes... (i was SO sure there'd be a jumpscare in the mirror lol) if i had to complain about anything of these parts, sometimes the lighting was too dark and i couldn't really see where to go, especially in the maze section, and there could've been a few more light sources. nothing adjusting the screen brightness can't solve though lol. and at the part where you get chased by your shadow mom, when i got to the exit i couldn't leave. not sure if it was just a glitch with rpg maker tho, my games have had my fair share of complications with chase sequences haha.
overall this was a top tier game, and one of my favorites from the rpg maker horror game jam!! so many parts absolutely blew me away, and i can't wait to see what you make next! :D
tldr: i liked the abra cameo.
this was a really great demo, and you've definitely made me intrigued for the full game! :D
i really like the vibe of this place. it feels so much like i'm walking through an old, labyrinth-like, gothic castle. the dark walls of the hallways contrasted with the vibrant carpets really gives off a feel of "place that's trying to give you the illusion of elegance, while being clearly abandoned and destroyed". it reminded me of castlevania haha. i also really like how there's different floors, each with their own style; ones with carpets and generally nice looking aesthetics, and one that looks more like catacombs, gray and dreary and run down. and the cherry on top is the way the rooms light up when you enter them, i LOVED that detail and i have no idea how you did it but it was so cool haha. overall the visuals/presentation are great, and really effective in conveying the feel of the game!
i also really liked the writing. love me some verbose, old-timey conversations lol. i like how everyone seemed to want to one-up each other in logical reasonings, it fits a lot with the writing style of the time. the word choice in a lot of places was extremely good, and every time the writing turned to lyrics, my eyes were glued to the screen. those moments were incredibly well written. i'll admit the writing style made it a little hard to follow the story, but i liked how it made me try to piece everything together so i could understand the full plot (from what i could gather, these two men were once friends, but their friendship was torn apart by their mutual love for a woman. she started a relationship with the antagonist, but he killed her when he found out that she only wanted to be with him to be immortal. maybe i got everything wrong, feel free to correct me haha). i really like how you interpreted the theme too, not necessarily by having the devil as a character (or maybe the antagonist is the devil), but the themes of corruption and evil that are associated with him in the dialogue and plot. it's really clever! (also i didn't know where to put this but i loved how the text in the menu ui is changed to fit the setting, such a neat touch :>)
i feel like at some points it was a bit hard figuring out where to go. the maze-like hallways are a cool aesthetic but they're kinda hard to get through, especially with so many ghosts roaming around; and the rooms being dark before you enter make it difficult to remember what's inside each. maybe the items/stairs of the rooms could be visible even if the room itself is dark? and just before the ending, i entered a random room and it suddenly took me to the final part. i would've preferred if there were some stairs or something like that, just to bring attention to that room. that's just my opinion tho.
overall, this is a pretty great demo and a really intriguing showcase of what to expect in a full game! good job!! :D
finally got to see the ending! :D
man, i am just so floored by your writing skills. genuinely out of this world haha. you managed to make what's esentially 10 minutes of two monologues and not only is it not boring for a single second, but it made me feel despair, fear, peace and hope when i couldn't even understand most of the plot. love how "you do not give into temptation" turns into "do not give into temptation", like it's an order now and it's unclear if you'll actually do it; or when the character starts walking on their own, finally being responsible of their own path for once.
giving my (very uninformed) interpretation of the plot... i think this deity that we see at the beginning is trying to prevent this entity, who is pretty much death personified, from destroying the world. but they're doing so by bringing someone back from the dead to do their bidding. and every time this corpse tries to kill the entity... well, the glitch pretty much shows how well that goes lol. so the deity restores time, bringing the corpse to life again and again, as a desperate attempt to save this world, which gets more broken after each restoring. finally, the dead stops following their orders, and the deity accepts that this world will die, vowing to make a new one with compassion.
(you don't have to tell me how accurate that was if you don't want to, i'm just giving my thougths haha :>)
just unbelievable stuff, alz. let us meet again under the bright blue sky.
this was a really creative interpretation of the jam's theme, and a fun & well-made time to boot! :D
(since you asked for it, i'll follow the "one good thing, one bad thing" format for my review)
(SPOILERS)
i really like how the story is told; building from knowing that the main character's father left, to learning about the trips he'd take him with, about his hunting hobby, the secret door behid the fridge, the deformed animals on display, the notes talking about his experiments... until the "oh, shit" moment at the end when you find him haha. it all felt really natural, jumping from reveal to reveal at just the right times. maybe there could've been a bit more ambiguity with what his true intentions are, perhaps by making the notes less explicit on how he wants to improve his body? just to make the reveal in the final scene even more impactful. and both endings were a bit unsatisfying, i would've liked if there were a few more lines of narration rather than just one. but that's really about it, really solid storytelling overall!
it could be argued that the "low poly house" aesthetic is a bit overused in recent indie horror, but this game uses it extremely well by combining it with 2d artwork! i love how the minigames are depicted in this different style, since they're all memories from your childhood it really gives off a feeling of simplicity and wonder that's hard to capture. and the 2d and 3d blend in surprisingly well, i never doubted that everything i was seeing belonged in the same universe! love all the little touches too: how the fishing rod and line in the fishing minigame are 3d, how the animals and your father in the hunting minigame look like cutouts, how twisted the animals in the display minigame look (except greg, greg looks perfect), and how the final cutscene with your father is done, REALLY clever use of zoom ins and blocking to show just enough to look disgusting but just obscure enough to let your imagination run wild with how he looks like. overall praises all across the board with the visuals :> if i had to criticize anything, i think the minigame where you have to put the animals in the correct place was a little hard due to how equally deformed all of them look. greg is a perfect specimen, but i wouldn't have guessed what they look like if i hadn't just done trial and error lol. i think the names could've been clearer and/or the animals could've had less confusing anatomies.
really liked the gameplay too! the minigames were really fun and felt really fair and non-punishing if you made a mistake. adds a lot of variety too; it was fun not knowing what the game would ask me to do next haha. and how every minigame ties into your father's intentions more with each one was super clever! really makes the game a lot more memorable than if it was just walking around this house, so kudos on the creativity. although, like others have said the notes puzzle was a bit too hard and i ended up completing it by guessing (there was also one digit that was too far down and i couldn't see it, ik someone already said it but i experienced it too). i think maybe all the notes should've had digits assigned to them instead of just a few, and the order of these events should've been clearer. just to make it less confusing.
overall, this was a really creative and fun game, with excellent use of visuals and an intriguing story that's very well told! it has a few kinks and things that could be done better, but i'm glad i played it and i hope you keep making games and improving. congrats to all of you for making this one! <3
answers the question of "what if someone who's extremely good at crafting atmosphere decided to tackle the circles of hell, probably the concept that's most ripe for crafting atmosphere in all of human history?", and the results are just as viscerally horrifying and thought provoking as you'd hope :D
seriously though, this was REALLY great!!
(SPOILERS)
i love how little backstory you get from these two characters. you just know that they were a couple, that one of them passed away, and that you will do anything to bring them back. we only get bits and pieces of what they were even like, but that's not what matters. what matters is that you will find them. i think you nailed the feel of "you will do this no matter what" and the lack of exposition of why do you even love them in the first place is a big part of that (at least that's the way i interpreted it haha). i also love how the main character NEEDS to repeat to themselves that they're the hero, that they're doing a good thing, that they will find them... obviously you know they're just doing some HEAVY rationalizing, but it just adds to the tragedy of their character. all in all, the story's simplicity really works for the tone that's being built, and i was at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen when i'd finally get to the end!
obviously i couldn't make a review without mentioning the visuals, and... honestly i came into this game already expecting the art to look super cool, and you STILL managed to surprise me haha. i love not only how dark, moldy and rotten everything looks... but how DIFFERENT everything looks. every single section looks so distinct from one another, whether it's an infinitely deep ocean, a red and scorching forest, a stormy wasteland, a frozen world... i think you made hell truly feel like a place with infinite spaces and ways to torment the souls that live there, instead of the typical concept of "red place with lots of fire", if that makes sense? (it's also an AMAZING use of color palettes, i mean my god i don't know much about color theory but i can confidently say you use colors extremely well-) and the way you depicted said souls was so awesome; really love how you see rough sketches of human bodies in the background, in the foreground, reaching for you, full bodies, twisted limbs. such a genius way of making them something that's always present, but barely have a form at the same time. and i really liked the weird creatures you encounter! they have really creative designs and i like how they're not explained, they're just there vibing and you have to accept it haha (the ones in the ocean level jumpscared me lmao). just fantastic stuff, as always :> (also didn't know where to put this but i LOVED the boat sequence where the screen keeps zooming out, such simple but effective visual flair)
the sound design is amazing too!! love the drony, almost echo-like ambience you hear at all times. put me in the mindset of "oh shit, this REALLY is hell huh". and VOICE ACTING WHAAAAT?? srsly tho it was really well used haha. you and hawk are really good at sounding soothing but subtly creepy, and the final scene with both voices at the same time was super cool. overall 11/10 in the presentation aspect.
you said in another comment that you were inspired by the divine comedy right? i haven't read it so i got kinda confused with some parts lmao. but it was also kinda cool at the same time? like i'm watching punishments that i can't begin to understand, souls saying things i can't begin to comprehend... really fitting with what would actually happen if someone went down to hell haha. i do really like how the gameplay in each section is different, really clever and each part is creative in its own right, but i admit it became a little repetitive after a while... ik hell having "nine levels" is from the book and it's out of your control haha, but i would've liked if there was some tangible progression to make you feel like you're actually advancing. maybe by having the rose become wilted over time, or the character look more "dead" or something like that (the narration that talks about the character's growing doubts is neat, but i think having some more changes would've helped). it's probably my biggest problem with the game, and it sadly brings down the total score from 5 out of 5 stars to a measly 5 out of 5 stars.
i really liked the ending! don't feel like i understood it fully but it made me reflect on how life and death can be viewed as a relationship, and i really liked the "you find someone who will take turns" line, it's pretty profound.
(i feel like i said the word "really" like ten thousand times, i just have passionate opinions about your games ok- XD)
overall, this was a super disturbing and atmosphere-heavy experience from the master of disturbing and atmosphere-heavy games. thank you for making it! <3
and next time i go to hell to rescue my dead lover i'll be sure to superglue the rose i'm carrying to my hand so it doesn't fall :D
oh this was just FANTASTIC. so unique and original and extremely well made! :D
(SPOILERS)
the retro vibes are absolutely on point. the excellent use of pixelart, the few pieces of music and the credits song, the filter that seems to slightly blur the screen... everything came together at the start to make me feel like i was playing a game from the 80s haha. it's a really tricky aesthetic to pull off without breaking immersion... until you get to this creepy office and suddenly the immersion is broken in the best possible way. the uncannily realistic sounds of machines and computers and the phone call that breaks the fourth wall gave me so much whiplash, it deadass felt like something you'd see in undertale or ddlc. just excellent use of tone.
speaking of art and sounds, they were both amazing!! everything looks really clean and has a nice balance of simple enough to know what you're looking at and detailed enough to look oddly realistic (those chalk drawings on the ground were a highlight haha, such a cute detail). really love the color palette too, it's dark and moody but it never felt boring. and the SOUND DESIGN my god. incredible mix of retro videogame-y sfx and drony office white noise. i said it before but walking through those halls with the sounds of random machines turning on and off was sooo uncanny. and the song at the credits was so good! don't know if it's original or not (if it says in the credits i missed it sorry) but kudos for either making it or choosing it haha.
the puzzles were really clever! none felt unfair or too hard, and even if i got stuck at any point there's not that much stuff to interact with so it didn't take long to find what i needed to do. i think maybe the phone in the number room blended a bit too much with the background, i only noticed it when i interacted with it by accident lol. oh and of course... the file puzzle!!! so so so cool. such a fun way to break the fourth wall haha. and i played this game twice (the second time cuz i saw it got updated) so i checked because i was curious and THE FILE GETS CREATED ON ITS OWN??? I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THERE THE WHOLE TIME???? ungodly awesome haha :D
the plot seems very interesting! i like how abstract it feels, like even if you don't follow what's happening, you understand that it's supposed to be intense. the conversation (or monologue?) at the end was really well written and made me ask so many questions. i was REALLY invested in finding out what was actually happening.
but what i truly think makes this game come together the way it does, is the incredible attention to detail on everything here... the way the text moves and vibrates during certain scenes, the way it changes color depending on what machine you're using, the way it skips in the final monologue, the camera zooming in when you have to mash z, the character becoming faceless in the last stretch, how fluidly the screen moves, the sounds that appear with each letter of each text showing up, when the credits end and the main character shows up sleeping in an incredibly creepy but also kinda soothing way (reminded me of the sleeping dog at the end of undertale haha)... all of these small things make this game feel like it was treated with immense care and attention, and i really admire it :D
if i had to mention any problems i had, i found two bugs across my two playthroughs (tho the first one didn't happen the second time i played so i guess you've already fixed it): one where i was stuck outside the map when transported to the ending cutscene room; and another when after beating the game, i pressed on "log in" and it took me to the scene of the mc sleeping, except the bed was upside down until the character appeared. i know this game is really short but i'd suggest adding a way to save, just so unexpected softlocking bugs like the one i had aren't that annoying? that's just my opinion tho.
overall, this game was amazing. an absurdly well crafted piece of horror and uneasiness. i really hope you work on the full game, cuz you've left me intrigued as all heck and just this demo has already shown so many incredible displays of talent. great job!! :>
aaaaa thank you sm for the kind words!! <3 and OMG you made a video that's so cool!!! watching gameplays of things i've made is always so unreal haha, like a playthrough?? that a person made?? because they like my game??? haha it's so awesome. and i hope your video idea goes well, you're really good at commenting while playing and i enjoyed your vid a lot! :D
i'm really sorry the first game was laggy for you, it was very much NOT intentional. guess tunnel vision made me think "well if my laptop can run 10 parallel events at the same time, i guess any other can as well!" lol. should really get a playtester instead of trying to do everything myself, i'm definitely bound to miss bugs and stuff (partly why i made the skip mechanic). i'm glad that's the only big glitch you found though haha.
i can't believe you couldn't tell the practically imperceptible difference of 1 pixel between the Hs and Ws in the dev notes, smh! (jk XD) real talk tho, i made that font myself and trying to make recognisable letters in a 3x5 grid is pretty tricky, so i'm not surprised some letters look too similar haha. i'll keep practising though!
your "every game feels completely different and also like a natural next step" comment is so nice omg- one of the most fun things i've discovered in my game devving journey is that i have literally no clue what i'll feel like doing next. making something extremely different which each game has been super fun, and it's really helped me build confidence as a dev :> and at the same time i apparently just really like escalating my ambitions with every project haha (this is the first time i've made a full ost wooo!)
(edit: the sound i used for the gramophone is a recording of "au clair de la lune", i linked the video i took it from in my reply to abra's comment!)
thank you for playing! <3
thank you so much! :> i always try polishing my games and leaving them bug-free but it was pretty hard with this one due to all the global switches and variables lol. i'm glad that you liked it! (and nuts is exactly what i was going for haha)
in terms of publishing, i think all my projects will stay on itch.io, at least until i build enough confidence to also take them somewhere else XD
thank you for playing! <3
oh my GOD.
(SPOILERS)
i'm genuinely kinda speechless, like... how do you even do this? how can you make something this absorbing, this well-written, this atmospheric, this visually stunning, this interesting, this... friggin good???
i don't think i could talk about everything i loved about this game, but i'll try to cover the important stuff haha.
the presentation!! the presentation. thepres entation. phe tresentation. tneh sreatopt tien. uhhhhhhhhh i don't know if everything here was done by you or not but yeah no this is some of the best use of visuals and audio i've ever seen in a jam game. knew from the moment the title screen music played in the beginning and that one note aligned perfectly with the beautifully made title that this game would go hard as shit with its presentation, and it did not disappoint for one second. the music? fcking flawless. so ethereal and magical and sorrowful and absorbing. the violin going crazy when you get close to the correct path never sounded out of place with the music a single time. the tileset? again, i don't know if you made it yourself or not, but it's INCREDIBLE. extremely detailed and conveyed the darkness of this world really well. i feel like it could've looked a bit more "broken" so it could give the feeling of a decaying world even better, but again i don't know if you made it or not, or if that feeling was even the intention. looks phenomenal either way; took a screenshot of the cliff where you find the second note cause it was just that beautiful. the art/cutscenes? this artstyle is so good UUUUGGH. the main character's design is so great and we don't even see their face. the sprites are so good too, i love how the darkness of the forest part makes it hard to decipher what are the creatures that follow you (trees? spiders? mangle from fnaf?). i love how detailed the clover field looks. the sliding/fading pictures in the cutscenes were the cherry on top. oh! and i loved the blurry pixelated filter! really gives off the sense that this story is really old haha. overall i'd give this game's presentation 7 stars if i could. just outstanding :>
the plot... ok i'm ngl i didn't understand a thing but i'm guessing that's because i haven't played this "clock game" haha. but the actual writing was SPECTACULAR. every piece of narration was so eloquent and poetic and beautiful, it genuinely transfixed me. i loved the word choice of so so many parts ("rests on restless shoulders" is my personal fav, along with the jump from 7th to 7 billionth haha), and i felt like i was being told a story by the world itself, it that makes sense? like this universe was actually telling this tale. the writing here is really something special.
the GLITCH MOMENT!!!!! i'm giving it its own section haha. it was honestly so so cool, totally unexpected and the way the screen turns into a mishmash of colors and a ringing sound plays was pitch perfect. i love how you made it look like an actual rpg maker error lol.
if i had to criticize anything, i think the forest part was pretty frustrating. the area was too big and trying to remember which path took where became more annoying that challenging, even with the light from the second time you play. and it's not really clear if i got the two endings or not; the game glitched the first time i beat it, and it glitched again the second time, and i'm not really sure if i have to beat it a third time or find a secret or something like that.
there's a thousand more things i could talk about: the way the font changes when the... creature? devil? speaks, the way it interrupts your walk through the building as "you do not give into temptation" repeats, the way the shovel spins in place before you grab it, the way the lights from the candles expand...
i thought it was illegal to make jam games this good. thank you for making it! :D
ooh, this was a really atmosphere-heavy treat!
(SPOILERS)
i'd only played gray pearl before this, and i think your art skills have improved a lot (and they were already great!). the dark, rocky terrains varem and lara walk through feel appropiately empty and moody, only lightened up by the crystals that listen everywhere... the contrast between the barely visible outside and the bright red carpet inside the grotto, feeling foreboding for the dangers to come... and once again, the cutscenes that feel like i'm being told a story about a long forgotten world... it's all REALLY well done, and it makes the game brim with atmosphere. if i had to highlight anything it'd be the start of the reunion with motto, with the flashing red lights. that was cool as hell haha.
and that's without mentioning the sprites and character art! both really really good. i love how the characters move slightly from side to side when they're walking, that's a fun little detail haha. varem's face art is SUPER cute god, i love that bat boy so much- and i love how many expressions he has, genuinely makes him feel a lot more real than if he just cycled through three or so faces all the time (his winking face lives rent free in my head, it's so cute lol). and motto has a great design too, his red eyes and the crystals on top of his head are awesome and make him an intimidating antagonist, especially when he's calm and collected in your reunion, subverting how you'd think he's just a crazy maniac from the description of what he does to these people...
the plot was really good too!! both here and in gray pearl, i'm impressed with how you come up with extremely cool concepts and manage to flesh them out with such a short amount of time. a strange being suddenly showing up in this world and forcing its inhabitants to perform, where they have to do well or he'll kill them?? that's a REALLY cool concept haha. love how unexplained it feels too; you don't know why he's doing these performances or what does he gain from it... you just know that you're next. really put me into the mindset of being scared as hell about the uncertainty of what's gonna happen (though if i lived there, i would just force everyone to make a pact that they'll cheer for everyone so nobody dies lol).
last thing i want to compliment is the characters, and they're some great stuff too. varem was really likeable, loved his snarky responses while still coming off as a nice and genuine person, and i felt really bad for him when learning about his past (you should've seen my face when he said he'd go visit his parents, and then started talking to the graves-). lara felt really kind too, and the scene where she gives a piece to her neck fur to varem was really wholesome (and i did not expect that twist at all haha). and motto's design, motives and personality make him into a really memorable villain. also, i've noticed you have a moment in your games where before reaching their destination, the characters sit down and explain their past to each other, right? so good.
if i had to criticize anything, i feel like the tileset for the roads is a little too dark and could be brighter, especially since you have to make a lot of twists and turns and sometimes it's hard to see the walls. and i'm not sure what was the purpose of finding the piece of cloth, but maybe i missed an optional part with it or something. and, while i'm not that bothered by it personally, i did notice some spelling mistakes in the dialogue scenes. maybe you could have someone spell check the text? but only if you want to, and if you think it's something important enough to fix.
what i really like about the games from you that i've played is how a lot of stuff is open to interpretation. i'm growing really fond of it as a storytelling method, and i think it works really well for these fantastical, mysterious worlds. i think i've said it already but it feels like learning about stories that are centuries old, about these creatures that we could previously only see in our imagination... i think you have a real talent for worldbuilding, and i hope you keep using that skill for your future games! :D (or don't, the choice is yours haha)
thank you for the kind words!! <3
i wasn't alive in the 80s either haha, but i really liked the idea of making horror games that would've come out on that time period. i was mainly inspired by atari games; there's something about the audiovisual simplicity of those games that i think works really well for the uncaniness/creep factor, if that makes sense? and i'm really glad it worked for you!
i'll fully admit the story wasn't as much of a focus as in my other games, as i wanted to work primarily on gameplay for a change haha. but i'm happy to hear the bits of story that are there moved you :>
thank you for playing! :D
