Inwards (New Demo)

[+ EraYachi 180]

Added the first playable demo! I clocked in at around 25-30 minutes playtime, and I know all of the tricks/puzzles, so I breezed through it. New players should take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour unless you're a bonafide genius.

 

Please provide feedback, and report any problems you're having, especially the technical ones. I'll help you if you get really stuck, but none of the actual puzzles so far are that difficult.

 

For those afraid of horror games, I promise it's not too bad. If you like horror games, keep the volume up and turn off the lights. If you don't, then keep the lights on and keep the volume medium--or better yet, use speakers. The game is more creepy than it is horrifying.

[SpookyMothman 361]

I first want to preface by saying I didn't finish the demo. I got the roped bottle, and then my brain stopped working. It's too late for horror for me anyway. Scary or not, my sleepy brain is impressionable, and I'm a wuss. ;w;

 

I really hate to start with something negative, but it's something I don't like in any game: instant kills. I got killed for checking something out, and then I got killed again (twice) for getting a puzzle wrong. In fact, I didn't realize that the glowing yellow crack things are save points, and I avoided them, fully expecting to die again. This isn't just specifically directed to Inwards; every game with instant kills basically trains it's players to be meek and to not take chances. Maybe make a cutscene that introduces the save points, rather than have your players take chances with strange objects? Just a thought.

 

Now, with that out of the way, the game is beautiful. The forest area (the outside, anyway) is lovely, and I got really sad when the inside of the house turned out to be a horror den. That's a good thing, by the way. I only ever ran into one bug (um... spoiler warning, I guess?):

 

You can walk through the wall here. Also, those tiles jutting out at the bottom look like they should be doorways, but they're not. That tripped me up.

 

... and the best part by far are the background sounds. Seriously, they're great. I can't stress that enough.

 

Also, my computer is really, really bad, so the light effects are butchering my frame rate, making things take so much longer than they normally should.

[+ EraYachi 180]

I first want to preface by saying I didn't finish the demo. I got the roped bottle, and then my brain stopped working. It's too late for horror for me anyway. Scary or not, my sleepy brain is impressionable, and I'm a wuss. ;w;

 

I really hate to start with something negative, but it's something I don't like in any game: instant kills. I got killed for checking something out, and then I got killed again (twice) for getting a puzzle wrong. In fact, I didn't realize that the glowing yellow crack things are save points, and I avoided them, fully expecting to die again. This isn't just specifically directed to Inwards; every game with instant kills basically trains it's players to be meek and to not take chances. Maybe make a cutscene that introduces the save points, rather than have your players take chances with strange objects? Just a thought.

 

Now, with that out of the way, the game is beautiful. The forest area (the outside, anyway) is lovely, and I got really sad when the inside of the house turned out to be a horror den. That's a good thing, by the way. I only ever ran into one bug (um... spoiler warning, I guess?):

 

You can walk through the wall here. Also, those tiles jutting out at the bottom look like they should be doorways, but they're not. That tripped me up.

 

... and the best part by far are the background sounds. Seriously, they're great. I can't stress that enough.

 

Also, my computer is really, really bad, so the light effects are butchering my frame rate, making things take so much longer than they normally should.

 

Wow, thank you for the speedy feedback! I'm glad you told me about the save points. I made them glowy so people would investigate them, but I can definitely change it to a cutscene so people know to save. The insta-kills are only part of the game's death mechanic, the latter being a health mechanic which isn't implemented yet. Perhaps I should give warnings for when you're definitely gonna die, like in Ib? I tried to make it obvious as to when something is a BAD idea. A good example is the music boxes. You can avoid those deaths if you take the time to listen to the two music boxes in the girl's room and figure out the tunes, and what parts are missing (that's the puzzle part of the game). Instant death is your punishment for rushing decisions and not working through the problems, such as:

 

 

When you do the second music box, if you don't heed the 'no noise' warning and play the music box anyway before sealing the door, you die. Basically, if you rush into things, instant death awaits. Same as the option where you get to smash the bottle without actually figuring out the puzzle--instant death.

 

 

So the instant deaths will stay, but I'll try to give a bit more warning. If you're stuck on the roped bottle part, you may not have *cough* read the books in the library and searched the room well enough.

 

Yeah, I've found out what's wrong with that one room. The overlay for the parallax map didn't properly switch between the first and second rooms, so you're seeing the wrong overlay there. Sorry 'bout that. Easily fixed, though.

 

I think I should've added a script to help with framerates. There are lag-reducing scripts out there--hard to test them though, with my good computer. >_> Sorry...

[SpookyMothman 361]

Wow, thank you for the speedy feedback! I'm glad you told me about the save points. I made them glowy so people would investigate them, but I can definitely change it to a cutscene so people know to save. The insta-kills are only part of the game's death mechanic, the latter being a health mechanic which isn't implemented yet. Perhaps I should give warnings for when you're definitely gonna die, like in Ib? I tried to make it obvious as to when something is a BAD idea. A good example is the music boxes. You can avoid those deaths if you take the time to listen to the two music boxes in the girl's room and figure out the tunes, and what parts are missing (that's the puzzle part of the game). Instant death is your punishment for rushing decisions and not working through the problems, such as:

 

 

When you do the second music box, if you don't heed the 'no noise' warning and play the music box anyway before sealing the door, you die. Basically, if you rush into things, instant death awaits. Same as the option where you get to smash the bottle without actually figuring out the puzzle--instant death.

 

 

So the instant deaths will stay, but I'll try to give a bit more warning. If you're stuck on the roped bottle part, you may not have *cough* read the books in the library and searched the room well enough.

 

Yeah, I've found out what's wrong with that one room. The overlay for the parallax map didn't properly switch between the first and second rooms, so you're seeing the wrong overlay there. Sorry 'bout that. Easily fixed, though.

 

I think I should've added a script to help with framerates. There are lag-reducing scripts out there--hard to test them though, with my good computer. >_> Sorry...

 

It's funny you mention Ib. Playing your game, I actually thought "this kinda reminds me of Ib". I think it's safe to assume you drew inspiration from it? That's not a bad thing at all; I love Ib. ... I'm sorry, but Vincent is nowhere near as adorable as Mary. Sorry.

 

The instant deaths aren't a problem so much as they were an inconvenience. I had to put Vincent together and go through the Chapter 1 opening cutscene, like, three times before I realized the glowy thing was a save point. I didn't mean to suggest I hated it; I just hated going through the same cutscenes three times with lag. ... but that's all on my end, so no worries. Also, there's no need to apologize for not taking my awful computer into consideration. That's all on me -- I can deal with it. You do what works for you... and what works for most people with good computers.

 

I did read the story in the library, and that was another thing I loved; it was imaginative and kinda cute. I like that, and I'd probably be hard pressed to come up with something even remotely similar. I have no imagination.

[+ EraYachi 180]

It's funny you mention Ib. Playing your game, I actually thought "this kinda reminds me of Ib". I think it's safe to assume you drew inspiration from it? That's not a bad thing at all; I love Ib. ... I'm sorry, but Vincent is nowhere near as adorable as Mary. Sorry.

 

 

 

Vincent's not meant to be cute. He's meant to be funny, and a tad bit annoying. The real bonding between Vincent and 'the kid' starts right after this demo ends, actually, which is the point where the cuddly fuzzies start sinking in. It's too bad people won't get to see that part until full release. But really, you'd have to decide whether or not to trust Vincent--the entire game has toys going insane, after all. 

 

And yeah, I loved Ib. I took the 'instant death' inspiration from a few RPG horrors I've played/seen played, though I use a different item/puzzle solution mechanic. I truly loved the multiple ending idea from Ib as well, so I've got that too, but 5 instead of 2. There's one important moment in the game, a big decision that will impact the end, plus a lot of smaller built-in and optional choices (like looking at the Van Gogh painting in the lab) to make that affects the end as well. Gotta go with what people love.

 

Yeah, that story in the library is kinda supposed to be a parallel to something else in the game...probably noticed. xD Thanks for that, though. Each chapter has a certain theme/story to it, and they get progressively darker, impact Liam's psyche as they go along...

[Corpse Wyrm 8]

Looks like the answer to my own question was "I was really impatient and downloaded the demo immediately." Didn't get a chance to play it until this morning, and just finished up.

 

First off, just wanted to note a couple minor bugs really quick: you can walk through the tombstone in the first scene (I'm not sure if right away, I only noticed after having already collected two of the music boxes), and if you're moving diagonally, you clip through the top corner of the bookshelves in the library. That was all I noticed, though, aside from the one that SpookyMothman already pointed out.

 

All right, with that out of the way, now onto the good stuff!

 

First off, I gotta say, I'm wowed by the sound. The ambiance is really incredible, and the music and sound effects definitely creeped me out more than once. In every area, the music really set the tone, and man there's nothing creepier than little kids and their assorted belongings. (The rocking horse, man. The rocking horse.) I'm not as big of an aficionado when it comes to the visuals and what is and isn't impressive when it comes to RPG Maker games, but I have to say I feel what you have works really well. The transitions between areas (like the hall to the forested area) is both unsettling but also blends very nicely. Plus, all the custom art is a huge plus for me. Just personally speaking, I like your style. It's not as crisp and clean around the edges as your out-of-the-box faux-anime style, and I think that suits the grungier atmosphere.

 

From what I've seen, too, I enjoy the writing and characterization. I really enjoy the bits of humor when it comes to both the item descriptions and the "yes/no" options for Liam; they definitely provide a nice voice to the whole piece. Also, I feel both Liam and Vincent have their own distinct voices, which would be really important since they're going to be our main duo throughout. I feel Liam is very much a broody teenage boy, and Vincent definitely has a fairly sarcastic tongue. I've liked their interactions a lot, and occasionally poke Vincent just to see what he'd say. Also, I get this strange sense of anachronism from Vincent's dialogue as well? I understand it's set in the modern era, but he's mentioned having been there for a while. (But also, that time doesn't move the same in the Daze.) I actually count this as a point in favor of the writing. It seems a bit disconcerting at times, and both dated and modern simultaneously. 

 

A bit about the puzzles now, spoiler'd so as to not ruin it for anyone else:

 

I found most of them fairly intuitive, for the most part. (I'm a rabid puzzle gamer, so I would have been disappointed in myself had I not!) I completely understood what the music boxes wanted of me, but I do admit I died twice on the second one. This might be because I'm not very auditory, though. First one wasn't a problem for me.

 

Also, I did die with the "NO NOISE" with the second music box the first time as well, but I knew exactly what my problem was. Saw the warning, bypassed it, didn't think on it. Felt I deserved that death, and when I reloaded, only died twice more because of the above mentioned not-so-musical-eared.

 

It also took me a bit to figure out where to wash the crusty key. Had to do a lot of running around knowing what was wanted to me, but not knowing where. My assumption was that the big thing underground was going to still be there. When I finally caved and asked Vincent, the hint didn't help much since I already knew to wash it off. Might be too hand-holdy, but would have maybe jogged my memory if he asked something about running water? (E.g., "You seen any running water 'round here?") But again, I got it eventually.

 

The puzzle that gave me the hardest time was the "roped bottle" puzzle. I initially missed the books in the library. I thought I had poked at all the shelves, but apparently I had missed the three I was supposed to. I think you could easily chalk this up as user error on my part, or you might want to make the books sparkle if this is giving everyone a hard time. I personally think it's fine and would have poked them again eventually. But that wasn't really my issue. I had sort of figured out that the roped bottle should be tied around the line between the two poles, but I had a hell of a time getting it to work. I kept trying to get the center of the line, or then kept clicking on the poles from the side. Took me a while to figure out you had to hit the poles from the front, or else it wouldn't register. My only suggestion might be to make it proc when you look at the poles from the sides, too.

 

 

I appreciate the continued callbacks to the Librarian. There's a definite persistence of story here; the monsters aren't just confined to one room as a set up jump scare. There's an established pattern that reoccurs, and I immensely enjoy that. In that, I also feel there are a few "shotguns on the wall" that are waiting to come back into play.

 

 

For example, I am positive that there is some important connection to Vincent and Vincent van Gogh. Not only does he take that first name, but also goes on quite a bit at "Starry Night," and specifically mentions van Gogh's older stillborn brother. That little conversation really piqued my interest, and I enjoyed its placement. And in that, and with the two sisters, I'll eat my hat if the Daze doesn't have something pointedly to do with siblings. Which is pretty vague, yes, but something is definitely being set up there.

 

 

As a fan of survival horror/adventure games, I personally didn't mind the insta-deaths. To me, they all seemed pretty obvious as dangerous. Plus, the save points were nicely placed that I didn't ever have to do much over again, even as I was poking just about everything to see what it did. I personally didn't feel like there needed to be a cut-scene to explain the save points, but I don't think adding one would be out of place, either. Definitely nicer to your players if you include one.

 

I think it was only slightly annoying before coming to the first save point. Again, because I was poking everything, I got myself killed in the first area twice, and then had to go through the intro to Chapter One again. (And you can't fast-forward through the text. Which I don't really mind, but did in those 20 seconds.) Definitely not a game-ender for me, but in the spirit of fairness, that was the only place I would have foreseen liking another save point.

 

I can definitely see your inspiration from Ib, but not in a bad way at all. I absolutely loved Ib, and I feel this is a great game in the spirit of the genre. (Also, Ib has a lot more than two endings, at least now!)

 

I'm absolutely looking forward to seeing more.

[+ EraYachi 180]

I'm not even gonna quote you, Corpy. That's a looooot of feedback. xD Man, learning all this from you guys has definitely given me lots of work with--I know how to improve and fix the game up now. Guess that's the point of a demo, right? I'm all giddy. xD

 

Anyway. My response to the spoilerish-type stuff, so people don't get spoiled as to the puzzles and/or story. For anyone who's played the demo but isn't participating in discussion, feel free to read away

 

 

This isn't all that spoilerish, because I tried my best to make people catch onto it, and you did. You're incredibly astute with your guesses on the story. There is a background, behind-the-scene theme pulling all of the rooms and its inhabitants together. It isn't a coincidence there's a lot of mentions of siblings, and Vincent's not just a random teddy bear who happens to have not gone insane like the other toys. In fact, there's an even deeper reason as to why toys inhabit the Daze, and why Vincent and his fascination with Van Gogh even exist. Even why the Daze is a good mix of modern and traditional. What makes the game really float though, is just how deep the Vincent character gets. I hope you play the whole game at release, because if you enjoyed that palty-by-comparison Chapter One story, Chapter Two and Three are gonna rattle you.

 

As for the puzzles...yeah, it's now obvious I've gotta make some subtle changes. I sorta just assumed everyone would go 'Oooh, library. Well, better read EVERYTHING'. To be fair, there are 2 copies of both Parts 1 and 2 of the necessary books in the library, and only like 8 places to check FOR books. There's also a certain journal in there that gives you insight into the Daze itself...

 

The Crusty Key clue that Vincent gives, aka "I haven't seen a place like that..." is actually the clue itself. There's only one map in the game he hasn't been to with LIam, and that's the sewer. Hoped that would ring a bell--buuut it's too subtle, probably, so I"ll change it to mention  running water or a little more obvious. I seriously thought the Tongs + Vending Machine thing was gonna be the one people get stuck on. O.o

 

 

 

 

And that concludes the spoilery discussion part of the spoilerish 45 minute demo. xD I'm going to change the first save option to just after the 20 second introduction to the controls, etc. That way, when people go poking around and die (most people do on that...certain dangerous thing...you know what I'm talking about), they only have to reload and continue, not wait through the unskippable commands.

 

Whoo! Learning so much! I'M SO STOKED, MAN.

[Corpse Wyrm 8]

I'm certainly glad to help on that! (And yeah, I definitely write a lot. Glad it proved useful, though! Won't quote you either, though, for sake of space as well.)

 

 

Aha! I'm glad to hear I'm on the right track. Thought I'd give you as much insight into what was going through my mind, because as a writer, I know how important it is to make sure your hints are both not too subtle and not too obvious. And I'm incredibly excited for the next chapters. I could very much tell that things were just getting going, and I'm already hooked! Definitely will keep my eye out for the full release, because I certainly want to know what's up.

 

Once I started to find the books, I think I found most of them. I think I just happened to find the "default" message every place it showed up, so I missed them the first way through.

 

Ahh, yeah now that you point it out, I see where you were going with that hint! Wouldn't have thought of it myself. And the Tongs/Candy seemed natural to me, because every long and narrow thing I found I was trying to shove into the vending machine from the first time it ate me onwards.

 

 

I think moving that save is the perfect option. At least for players like me, then we won't be so worried about poking every available surface.

[SpookyMothman 361]

Reading CorpseWyrm's previous post helped me get further into the library puzzle. Um... spoiler?

 

I have no idea where to get lighter fluid. I didn't even know the thing was empty.

 

I'm not terribly bright, let alone when it comes to horror game puzzles.

[+ EraYachi 180]

Reading CorpseWyrm's previous post helped me get further into the library puzzle. Um... spoiler?

 

I have no idea where to get lighter fluid. I didn't even know the thing was empty.

 

I'm not terribly bright, let alone when it comes to horror game puzzles.

Ahahaha. Well, it does say 'old, empty lighter'. xD In the descrip, too. Here's a hint:

 

 

It's an old-fashioned lighter, so it takes oil....which is in a place where you could 'lose your head'. Hee hee.

 

[Dullstar 0]

The overall concept is good and the mapping is beautiful.  The ambient sounds are excellent.  Unfortunately, the game quickly devolves into "run around pressing buttons in the hopes that something works." 

 

Parts of critique focusing on specific puzzles will be spoilered.

 

First of all, using the "key items" button vs. accessing the items menu:  why does Vincent have a different effect based on how you access him?

Second, it would be nice if attempting to use a key item would always return a "you can't do that" message when it doesn't work, instead of just some of the time.  It's currently quite inconsistent.

 

A few suggestions:

 

The leftmost bookshelf in the room where you get the bottle/rope should be made to look like the other one (assuming it's not used for anything, because nothing happens no matter what I do).  Right now it looks quite suspicious but does not seem to do anything.  If it is an important bookshelf, hint at it when it is interacted with.

 

 

 

The roped bottle puzzle is awful.  You put the roped bottle on the pole, and...  then what?  Based on reading the books in the library (and reading spoilers in the thread) I'm guessing you're supposed to set the thing on fire.  Of course, that's problematic.  Lighter?  What lighter?

 

 

Draw attention in some way to things that are important.  It is understandably hard for you to notice how frustrating having to inspect every single thing is, since you know where everything is and what to do with it.  And, of course, since you have the key item system, it becomes "inspect everything then when that doesn't help try every single item on it in the vague hope that perhaps it will just do something, dang it!"

Example: 

In the library, make the shelves that contain readable books stand out compared to the shelves with no readable books.

  Also, areas where items are hidden or that are important to certain puzzles should look in some way suspicious.

 

Possibly make it so that

it's easier to make the connection between the Mio and Minu story and the roped bottle puzzle.

 

 

 

 

Anyway, because of the

roped bottle

puzzle, I can't progress any further, so I cannot comment on anything further on than that.

 

While most aspects of this game are excellent, the "run around pressing buttons in the hopes that you find something useful" aspect of it kills the enjoyment.  if this can be worked out (without making things absolutely obvious either) it could be a great game.

[QuizicalGin 100]

Finished playing the demo and i'm in love! <3 The puzzles were fun in that they teased the mind but weren't too hard. The only one I had any real trouble with was the bottle puzzle that took me an extra 10 minutes but made sense once I finished it. I can't wait till the full version is released. I also recorded it in a lets play that I want to put up soon if that's alright >w<;

[+ EraYachi 180]

The overall concept is good and the mapping is beautiful.  The ambient sounds are excellent.  Unfortunately, the game quickly devolves into "run around pressing buttons in the hopes that something works." 

 

 

First of all, using the "key items" button vs. accessing the items menu:  why does Vincent have a different effect based on how you access him?

Second, it would be nice if attempting to use a key item would always return a "you can't do that" message when it doesn't work, instead of just some of the time.  It's currently quite inconsistent.

 

A few suggestions:

 

The leftmost bookshelf in the room where you get the bottle/rope should be made to look like the other one (assuming it's not used for anything, because nothing happens no matter what I do).  Right now it looks quite suspicious but does not seem to do anything.  If it is an important bookshelf, hint at it when it is interacted with.

 

 

The roped bottle puzzle is awful.  You put the roped bottle on the pole, and...  then what?  Based on reading the books in the library (and reading spoilers in the thread) I'm guessing you're supposed to set the thing on fire.  Of course, that's problematic.  Lighter?  What lighter?

 

Draw attention in some way to things that are important.  It is understandably hard for you to notice how frustrating having to inspect every single thing is, since you know where everything is and what to do with it.  And, of course, since you have the key item system, it becomes "inspect everything then when that doesn't help try every single item on it in the vague hope that perhaps it will just do something, dang it!"

Example: 

In the library, make the shelves that contain readable books stand out compared to the shelves with no readable books.

  Also, areas where items are hidden or that are important to certain puzzles should look in some way suspicious.

Possibly make it so that

it's easier to make the connection between the Mio and Minu story and the roped bottle puzzle.

 

 

Anyway, because of the

roped bottle

puzzle, I can't progress any further, so I cannot comment on anything further on than that.

 

While most aspects of this game are excellent, the "run around pressing buttons in the hopes that you find something useful" aspect of it kills the enjoyment.  if this can be worked out (without making things absolutely obvious either) it could be a great game.

So many things to respond to...xD Putting response in spoilers to save space and because it contains actual spoilers:

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to play and critique. This helps insanely! Your insight's sparked me to get up and get working again. =) To answer your questions...

 

First off, there are two item systems because (with the exception of Vincent), the main menu item is just for checking descriptions on items. Sometimes the description provides a hint as to what to do. The Key Item system lets you quickly choose the items and use them to interact with objects. As for Vincent, he serves two purposes. In the Main Menu, you select him and he provides insight on what's currently happening, what's already happened or he just chats with you. In the 'S' menu with Key Items, he's another object you can use to interact with things. He sometimes has something funny to say about it (if you try to use him with the doll on the first map for example). Two functions means two different menus.

 

The roped bottle puzzle is based on the book about the two girls, you're right. The lighter is something you pick up in a locked drawer (you get the key as you grab the second music box). It's the same concept with everything else; paying attention to and simply exploring things like drawers, cupboards, etc. will net you everything you need. The very idea of a an adventure horror isn't to make everything blatantly obvious, especially when there are very few maps to actually explore, and I haven't put anything in a ridiculous-to-find spot, like in a spot that looks identical to 10 other tiles (eso no mashing the space bar in vain--everything is visible on a map, or in a drawer/cupboard). I even animated the wine bottle to make it obvious that it's super-important. I've pushed the hand-holding limit of the puzzler system already, especially with the addition of the talking hint-giver teddy bear. 

 

Now this following bit may seem kinda blunt, but I want to assure you isn't not derogatory or ill-meaning at all:

 

This is the kind of game where you're given objects and you have to figure out what to do with them. If you're just trying everything you have on every interactable object, it's inevitable you'll get frustrated or bored. If you're given a key, and the teddy bear says it needs to be washed off, go find a place to wash it off. If you have a key in your inventory, and you're stuck on what to do next, go find the door/chest/cupboard it belongs to. If you have a pair of tongs, and you're trying to use it to open a door that's rusted shut...well, you're wasting your time. The game shouldn't need to teach people common sense. There are only 3-4 drawers to explore in this demo, and just 1 of them is empty. In fact, the only place I can think of that might pose a problem for not standing out enough is the vending machine on Map 1. I do intend to make that one stand out more, since it's so dark and looks like the background. Also, I plan on updating Vincent, to make him more useful when it comes to solving the less obvious puzzles. It's a huge undertaking considering the finicky nature of variables, but being 'I'm supposed to guide you' sidekick that he is, he's unfortunately not all that useful right now.

 

I'm confused about the bookshelf part. The bookshelves in the wine-rope-bottle room in the library are identical to each other...except for a cobweb over the left one. It doesn't stand out...

 

=) If you're stuck, by the way, the lighter is in the big dresser in the little girl's room. There's oil for the somewhere, too, but it's sitting out in plain sight. I recommend beating the rest of the demo--there's only about 3-5 mins left in the game after that, and it wraps up the first chapter.

 

 

 

 

Finished playing the demo and i'm in love! <3 The puzzles were fun in that they teased the mind but weren't too hard. The only one I had any real trouble with was the bottle puzzle that took me an extra 10 minutes but made sense once I finished it. I can't wait till the full version is released. I also recorded it in a lets play that I want to put up soon if that's alright >w<;

 

I knew the bottle puzzle would be tougher than most. Vincent's not all that helpful, either. I'm updating the demo and future installments of the game to include a lot more dialogue from him when activated, to give people a better idea where to look for hints/tips on what should be done. Thanks for playing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing that 'Let's Play'.

[+ EraYachi 180]

Updated! Finally!

 

The demo is currently oudated. Feedback from the original demo has been incredibly  useful, and now Chapter 1 is almost completely polished. The new demo will still only cover the first chapter, however it sports a different ending (with an unexpected twist), re-written dialogue, and more fluid puzzles. Note that while I will be updated the demo every now and then, it will still only cover Chapter 1. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 will not be playable by everyone until the full release. Have questions? Feel free to ask!

 

This Update: Added more screenshots, many from Chapter 2, new character artwork, credits and story development. 

[KayakoChan 318]

Well, I finally managed to find the time to play this, and it's been very enjoyable. The puzzles were nice, there were some times where I got stuck, like when I tried to hang the bottle over the rope but it didn't work, only to come back after travelling the entire game three times and find it I had to use it on the pole (Silly me)

 

Anyway, looks good, plays nicely. The hints in the books are nice and clear, didn't really get stuck for too long except when I did stupid things. I didn't find any bugs, although I did find this which I found hilarious, when I turned off he music box and waited for that guy to arrive, then when he was right on top of me I turned it back on.

 

Oh he's such a cutiewuty~

 

[+ EraYachi 180]

@KayakoChan....you just  made me spit up a little diet Pepsi, thanks, lol. Your screenshot is hilarious. I never even thought about what might happen if you turned the music box on whilst the monster came at you.....he's just standing there awkwardly like "Uhhh, sooo...yeah,thanks for turning that on again. Enjoy the rest of the...game..." Did you just do that for giggles or by accident?

 

Best part of my night, right there. Thanks for playing it! The new demo is going up tonight actually, the polished version. I'm gonna fix the uh...issue, with the killer doll before I do. >_> 

[KayakoChan 318]

Oh my! Hope your keyboard/screen/whatever you spit it on is going to be alright! And yes, I am the type that always tries to muck around with games I'm testing to see what weird, unexpected things I might encounter, so when I saw that event and realized what it did I thought "Let's do it again, and time it exactly right!" And as such I got that.  Requires some timing but it works. I didn't really consider it to be an issue, I wouldn't even label it as a bug. "It's not a bug, it's a feature" - A wise man.

 

I also tested if it breaks the event, but if you turn the box off again it just proceeds as it should after the time runs out.

Edited November 10, 2014 by KayakoChan

[Knighterius 502]

Woah..this reminds me of the game I'm making. o.o like a hell of a lot. Though I am sure it's surely different! hehe looks good though

[DartKain 1]

Some time missing...man, you will make full game?

P.S: i hope for you and almost wait your awesome game 

Edited November 12, 2014 by DartKain

[+ Abscond 149]

This looks like something I can get into. Following topic.

[Amendment50 2]

We must have the exact same sense of humor, because I laughed at pretty much every joke.

Gotta love a horror game with some humor.

 

Also, I got the bottle puzzle almost immediately (though I certainly tried the tongs and wrapper on that bottle first).

The one that gave me trouble was the tongs + vending machine, and that's only because I had just gotten the lighter and assumed I was supposed to finish up doing whatever I was doing in the house in the woods before moving on.

Seriously, I probably tried using the full lighter on the stove six times before coming to terms with the fact that it wouldn't work. Judging from what other people said about the bottle puzzle, maybe try to make the connection between the lighter and the bottle puzzle a little more clear, since they are in different parts of the map and seem to be connected to different puzzles?

Edited January 9, 2015 by Amendment50

[+ EraYachi 180]

We must have the exact same sense of humor, because I laughed at pretty much every joke.

Gotta love a horror game with some humor.

 

Also, I got the bottle puzzle almost immediately (though I certainly tried the tongs and wrapper on that bottle first).

The one that gave me trouble was the tongs + vending machine, and that's only because I had just gotten the lighter and assumed I was supposed to finish up doing whatever I was doing in the house in the woods before moving on.

Seriously, I probably tried using the full lighter on the stove six times before coming to terms with the fact that it wouldn't work. Judging from what other people said about the bottle puzzle, maybe try to make the connection between the lighter and the bottle puzzle a little more clear, since they are in different parts of the map and seem to be connected to different puzzles?

I'm happy to know you found the funny parts funny. The game's got quite an overhaul in dialogue since this demo's release, though. 

 

The bottle puzzle is probably the toughest of them all, and the vending machine, well I feel like I gotta make it stick out more. But then, the object of the game is to investigate anything and everything that 'might' give you an item, so then perhaps not. If an adventure game doesn't stump you now and then, it gets a bit too easy. You're right about the connection between the lighter and bottle puzzle, though. I've revamped the story told in the library books, that tells you 'how' to use the bottle. Could be as simple as making Vincent saying something about it when you access him from the menu (he really needs to pull his fluff...I mean, weight...)

 

@Everyone else who's recently posted here:

 

I am continuing this game. I lost the pen to my tablet and got a new one for X-mas, so now I can continue where I was stumped, which is a whole slough of new sprites and artwork. I'll be updating the demo with the new intro (MUCH better intro to the game), new dialogue, fixed bugs and different 'ending', which...involves a new feature added to the game that took WAY...too long to record. There's a couple of extra areas to explore that are superfluous to the mechanics, but they are important to the story and give you some foreshadowing/clues to what's actually going on...because we all know horror games...well, aptly written ones don't come without plot twists.

 

 

Anyway. Enjoy!

[+ EraYachi 180]

Whew. Finally! BIG update. Brand new demo, much polish, such wow.

 

It's the same length (1 chapter), but it features quite a bit of new stuff. Here's a list of things that have been fixed/added in the new (final) demo:

 

1) Brand new opening. Far more engaging than just a cutscene.

2) Improved dialogue. I overhauled dialogue between Vincent and Liam to make it more natural-sounding.

3) A slightly extended ending to the chapter, which includes something very neat. Won't say what, but let's just say it's unique.

4) I fixed bugs, added a bonus room that has an extra 'scene'. It's the first of many that are incorporated into the game to drop hints and slowly reveal the truth behind the game's mystery. It's optional, and it's located in a spot that was previously blocked off/inaccessible.

5) Did I mention bugs? Yes, even the one with the scary stare-monster. It had to be done.

6) Improved the puzzle that's received the most feedback. Put into spoilers for those who don't want to know the solution:

The rope + bottle + lighter puzzle. I rewrote the 2 books that are your biggest hint to its solution to be easier to understand. Also, I included a painting on the wall that should give some visual lue as to what's next. PLUS Vincent now talks about that puzzle in different stages when you select him from the menu.

7) Speaking of Vincent, I've added several 'clues' in his menu dialogue. He'll be more helpful from now on. Hopefully.

8) Overhauled another scene/event/puzzle to make it more panic-inducing. I felt the game was lacking panic.

 

That's the gist of it. If you've already played the demo, sorry. Not compelling you to do it again, but at least there's a lot of noticeable substance changes from the previous, slightly rough-edged demo.

 

I'm well into Chapter 2's production, but the next release is full release--no more demos, just all 5 chapters at once. This demo, to a newcomer who doesn't know the puzzles, should take an hourish to complete. 

[RoooodWorks 165]

wow this art style is very unique i like it, i will defiantly try this out 

[Nyapurgisnacht 152]

Wow, this was beautiful o: And now you're making me wait till 2016 for the whole game, I was really getting into it xp I made a point of not reading the comments for hints, you were right, it took me almost exactly an hour (like 56 minutes) to get through the demo, and I like to think I'm pretty good at puzzles xD I spent some time meandering about and seeing all the ways to die and getting Vincent to comment about every little thing, that was half the fun in itself, reminded me of Witch's House~

SPOILERS LIE WITHIN!!!

Yes, parts were very much panic. For instance, when the noise-monster was going to come in the room the first time, I lost it for a second and pushed the statue the wrong way a few times, when, dramatically, I made it to the door in the nick of time.

I checked, and yes, I did in fact break the monster here xD He was gone when I teleported back into the room later, you see. So that was entirely on me.

I TOTALLY CALLED that Vincent wasn't to be trusted, by the way. The opening with the running back and forth (which was awesome, totally set the mood) with the bears and whatnot sort of hinted at it, and the hints just kept piling on. Great foreshadowing, nothing too obvious though. I was still skeptical of the cute-little talking to me, (it says in the credits that the voice=you? O.o If so, then that's something I definitely didn't see coming)  but I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens ;-;

So I grabbed the tongs, and I thought perhaps I would need to go back to the house for one reason or another, and apparently I went and broke everything with that train of logic:

The screen remained messed up throughout every map in the game, so I winded up having to reload my save.

The save anywhere feature seems a bit unnecessary, on that note, I found no need to use it at all, and I feel like it might get players stuck where they can't progress- Albeit it would probably take some creative timing to do that, due to the good overall pacing of things.

Everything looks really, really nice by the way, it's quite inspiring, makes me want to learn parallaxing all the more ^o.o^

 

I spent a while not getting the tong-vending machine correlation, I don't think it needs to be pointed out anymore than it already was really, but everything else went pretty smoothly for me.

 

 

 

 

So yeah, awesome work man, I'm looking forward to seeing more~

 

Oh, and I'm going to have that music box tinkling in my head for days now, just sayin' xD

Edited January 30, 2015 by Nyapurgisnacht