Thank you for sending over your game. I just finished playing it.

Let me start with the positives:

1. I really liked the visual style. I think you should keep developing in this direction, particularly in storytelling through illustrations, as it shows a lot of promise.
2. The music is fantastic! It does a great job of capturing the suspenseful moments throughout the game and emphasizes the uniqueness of the project. There are quite a few sound samples that aren’t overly repetitive, which is refreshing. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into both the music and the visuals.
3. The storyline is well-developed. I love that you’re focusing on the narrative, and the genre and gameplay choices really fit your vision.
4. I appreciated that if I chose an option leading to the main character's death, I didn’t have to restart the entire game. The option to continue from the decision point is very convenient.
5. Even scenes leading to the protagonist’s death are carefully crafted. I liked that the individual story branches are visually detailed and richly depicted.

Now, here are some areas for improvement:

1. Sometimes, the music loops don’t transition smoothly, which can be a bit jarring. It was something I noticed right away.
2. I found the dialogue box system a bit confusing and wasn’t sure why it was set up that way. I figured it out by the middle of the game, but it could be simpler. I think a single click to change text might work better.
3. The text appears quite slowly. It’s a minor issue, but a faster text speed would improve player interaction with the game.

Final thoughts: the game is crafted with heart and attention to the story. It might help to make the plot a little clearer for the average player, as it became a bit challenging to follow the storyline near the end. I’m confident you’ll be able to release all three chapters of your game. When the new chapter comes out, let me know—I’ll definitely play it!

Hi! Thanks for sharing your game. I had a lot of fun with it! I'll start with the positives since there are clearly more of them:

1. The visual style of the game is a real treat. The illustrations aren’t just well-made; they’re done in a pleasing style that I really enjoyed. The main menu screen alone shows a high level of artistic skill from the developer.
2. I was glad to see plenty of settings in the main menu and a user-friendly interface in the dialogue window. I especially appreciated that you can skip the dialogues when starting a new game. At first, I didn’t notice this and was going to list it as a downside, thinking I had to listen to everything again, but once I looked closer at the menu, I realized it was all set up for user convenience. Well done!
3. The music is fantastic. I enjoyed how it builds as you progress through the game, which really highlights the tension. I love how the visual style and music complement each other.
4. I was delighted to see the parallax effect on screen objects. It’s a small detail that adds to the quality of the game, especially for a 2D game.
5. It’s great that you paid attention to road animation. It adds liveliness. I would have been okay with a static image, but an animated background is much better.
6. I liked the structure of the text. It’s easy to read, and it’s not overly complicated. It’s not written in a complex literary style, but it’s artistic enough. The text strikes a good balance in writing. Personally, I enjoyed reading it, and the text layout didn’t distract me from the game.

I wouldn’t say there are any major downsides to this game because it’s very well-made. I don’t even want to find any, honestly, since I enjoyed the game so much! But if I were to nitpick, here are a few points:

1. I didn’t like that there are timed events in the dialogues. Personally, I always get annoyed when there’s a time limit on dialogue choices.
2. For all the visual style, I would have liked to see more illustrated endings. The game often cuts to a dark screen, but that feeling comes only because I wanted more of your illustrated style!
3. This isn’t a downside, just a question: Why does the main character look so much like James Sunderland?

In conclusion, the game is awesome! I didn’t add the story to the positives since I think that’s subjective, but it’s very good. The idea of finding ourselves in such a situation is incredibly captivating. The game is beautifully done—thank you for creating it!

Thanks for sending the game link! I’ll start with the positives, as always:

1. The graphics are nice; it seemed like they were sourced from third-party assets, but I don’t see that as a negative. The assets are chosen wisely and work well together.
2. The music is tense. I wouldn’t call it outstanding, but it fits the mood well.
3. The main character’s voice acting is funny. I laughed at her reaction when the lights went out.
4. It’s cool that you went beyond the typical “running from a monster down hallways” mechanic and added some helpful perks. The blood trail idea is great, though I’m less sure about the sprint and jump options, especially since they appear as bonuses near the end. But I’m glad you included these—it made the gameplay more interesting.

Now for the negatives:

1. A couple of times, I got stuck in textures. Once, I was running up the stairs and got stuck in the middle of the doorway, as if there were a collider box there. I came back to it later and had no problem getting through, but it felt unfair at that moment.
2. I didn’t quite understand what the circles on the floor were for or if they’re needed to complete the game.
3. The controls felt odd, and I don’t think they were intended to be that way. However, it’s still playable.
4. At one point, I reached a fireplace with a bright light coming from it. I stopped, thinking the monster couldn’t get there and that I could take a break from the chase. But the monster ignored the fireplace’s light and killed me anyway. This is debatable, but I’d have liked it if the light affected the monster.
5. Some rooms were so dark that I had to keep dying and using trial and error to find the path. It could be my monitor’s brightness, but adding a brightness setting might help.

Overall: Great game inspired by a meme. I think memes are one of the best sources of inspiration for humorous games, and yours has that touch of humor. I liked that I got better with each attempt, and the blood mechanic strangely reminded me of Dark Souls, haha. I finally made it to the bed but died 19 times along the way. It was nice seeing stats at the end that showed this. Thanks for the game!

Thanks for sending the game! I’ll start with the positives:

1. This is a crazy art style that instantly sets up a unique and unusual experience. Honestly, the style is so wild that I physically felt like I was inside the mind of a mentally unstable person—in a good way :)
2. The death screen is creative, with pop-up windows that feel quite original. I also didn’t immediately notice the QR code that opens in the browser; I tried scanning it, and it led to a website name and password. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to access the site. Maybe I missed something?
3. One thing I understood right away, and from the gameplay too, is that the developer is pursuing their own vision of gameplay. This is very cool since games this unusual are hard to find.

Now, the downsides:

1. I was really confused by the registration process before starting a new game. It felt strange. If this is for a leaderboard, it doesn’t seem worth it.
2. Since the game is difficult, the long intro screen was unexpected. Having to wait each time before starting again feels tedious.
3. At one point, the game just threw me down to the ground. I wasn’t sure what happened, and it repeated several times. I don’t think I did anything wrong—it just felt unfair. If that’s the intended design, I didn’t quite connect with it.

Conclusion: This is a very strange game, and I can’t say I enjoyed it, but maybe that’s not the point. It’s unique in its own way and doesn’t follow typical game design. If it were more refined and developed, it might resonate more with me. But for now, I think I’ll clear my computer of potential viruses :) Thanks for the game!

When I download the game folder, Windows reports that it contains a Trojan virus. Is this issue only on my end, or is there something you can do about it?

I would also appreciate it if you would play our game /jam/scream-jam-2024/rate/3038320

Hi!

It’s a pretty strange thing that’s hard to even call a game. It feels more like a virus than a game. Sorry, but I decided not to run it on my computer.

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

Positives:

1. I immediately noticed there are a lot of options in the main menu. It’s always great when a game jam entry includes customizable settings in a short development time.
2. The menu music is very atmospheric and has a Silent Hill vibe.
3. The environmental sounds are highly immersive. I especially enjoyed the satisfying crunch of snow underfoot—it’s fantastic!
4. The environment itself is really well done! The interiors are detailed, filled not just with furniture but also with items that seem to tell a story, revealing hints about the bunker’s purpose or what happened to the missing group.
5. I was pleasantly surprised after starting the generator; I loved that the lighting appeared both outside and inside the building.
6. The generator quest is well-implemented, despite a few minor issues I’ll mention in the negatives. I appreciated that it wasn’t just a simple task but had some complexity to it. Adding a physics-based puzzle (like in Half-Life 2 or Penumbra) would make the quest even more engaging.
7. I’m also a fan of PS1-style graphics and games in the vein of Silent Hill and Resident Evil. The game’s atmosphere is cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket.

Negatives:

1. I immediately noticed the mouse sensitivity was too slow, even at the maximum setting. Also, the smoothness of the mouse movement was a bit disorienting for me. I understand this is subjective.
2. As soon as I got off the snowmobile, I noticed the watchtower and ladder. I wanted to climb it but couldn’t; I just walked through it as if I were a ghost, which was a bit disappointing. A journal from the missing group would have fit nicely up there.
3. I wanted more interactive items, with the protagonist giving inner comments about intriguing surroundings. For example, when approaching a door, he might say something like, “It won’t open, no power.” This would help explain what’s needed next.
4. Bugs: When I first picked up the crowbar, pressing the mouse button made me drop it. I was surprised to see it fall with physics, so I experimented a bit, but after a few seconds, it just vanished, forcing me to restart the game. I also got stuck between the electrical meter and the bunker door building.
5. A minor issue with the quest I mentioned in point six—very small interaction colliders on objects. Since there’s no crosshair on the screen, I had to search for the exact point of interaction to press “E.” It would be better if the collider were larger, so players don’t have to pixel-hunt.
6. When I opened the bunker, I was ready to enter, but a demon suddenly attacked me from behind, killing my excitement. I have mixed feelings about this ending. I know it’s meant as a placeholder since you’re developing the game further, but it felt a bit abrupt. Honestly, it would have been better without the monster; I’d prefer the game ending with a “to be continued” screen upon entering the bunker.

Conclusion: This is a well-crafted project clearly inspired by classic horror ideas, though it reminds me more of Penumbra than Silent Hill or Resident Evil. The description mentioned a feeling of paranoia and tension, but I didn’t really feel that. I was more focused on the generator quest than on being scared. It might help to separate segments where quests happen from those where exploration and potential monster encounters take place. My critique may seem extensive, but that’s because I really enjoyed your game, and I’d love to see it polished up into a full version. Thanks for the game!

Hi! It wasn’t easy, but I managed to finish the game :) I’ll start with the positives.

**Positives:**

1. I always appreciate in-game settings in the main menu. It’s great to have the option to customize the game.

2. The PS1-inspired style is spot-on, and I love it. Special shout-out to whoever decided to add the PS1 startup screen at the beginning—it really hit me with nostalgia.

3. It was nice to see animations change based on the character’s health level, making gameplay feel more realistic.

4. I found a hidden room with corpses in the cave and picked up a shotgun. It was a nice surprise, and I assume it was an optional find. It’s always great to discover hidden areas in a game.

5. I loved the audio tapes; it’s much better to listen to the story than to read and break the game’s flow.

6. I expected cultists to be the only enemies, but then a new type appeared and surprised me—and killed me a couple of times.

7. The inventory in RE style is awesome, and I noticed a quick-access slot (which I didn’t actually use).

8. The pop-up Windows message asking, “Are you feeling lonely?” was something I truly didn’t expect—a clever fourth-wall break.

**Negatives:**

1. The camera was a big issue. The game has a classic horror feel with tank controls, but the camera jumps all over the place. I was glad to see the third-person shooting mode, though I only realized what the eye icon was for at the end. Initially, I thought it was an indicator of enemy vision and only later noticed it controlled the third-person view, which wasn’t intuitive. The camera needs some work.

2. Sometimes, when approaching an item, I couldn’t interact with it until I moved closer, even though the interaction icon was showing. The icon appears before you’re actually close enough to interact.

3. When listening to an audio recording, the voice on the tape and an enemy whispering overlapped, creating a sound mess.

4. At the start, there’s a developer’s note in a dead hand on the roof. At first, I tried jumping to reach it, then thought I needed to shoot it down, which just wasted my ammo—not a pleasant experience.

5. The character model sometimes disappears, especially during cutscenes.

6. The gun’s damage is strangely similar to the main character’s kick. I don’t think a kick should equal a gunshot, but the game treats it that way.

7. There’s no visual feedback when the protagonist is hit by an enemy, aside from an animation that only shows after the fight.

8. It’s odd that you find shotgun ammo before pistol ammo, even though you find the pistol first. This could be a resource management issue, or maybe I just missed the pistol ammo.

9. I noticed that items don’t respawn after death. After my first death, my flashlight, which I’d previously picked up, was gone. I had seen a code on the wall using the flashlight, but I couldn’t remember it since I was attacked right after. When I returned for my items, the flashlight was missing—maybe the monster took it.

10. I managed to skip the second gate code by parkouring over it. I’m not sure why there’s parkour in a tank-controlled game, but it saved me time on the puzzle. Although I’m grateful, it’s still a downside since it allowed me to bypass part of the game. However, if that was intentional, consider it a positive.

11. The pipe weapon behaves strangely. Sometimes it seemed like the character ran out of stamina and switched to kicking while still holding the pipe. Switching weapons fixed this, though.

12. By the end, the music was overlapping and created quite a noise.

**Conclusion:** Whew! The game is strange; it has a lot of cool and odd elements and a bit of both positive and negative experiences. For example, I broke a cultist’s flashlight at the start, which was funny, though maybe that’s why my flashlight went missing later—the cultists took what was rightfully theirs from my corpse. The parkour mechanics felt like they’d been left on by default. The cultists’ whispers were amusing, especially when I kicked them while they were in ragdoll mode and still talking. There was a strange message on the gate about hiring workers—is this an in-game offer or an actual job post for a modeler? Haha.

**About the Ending:** After the Windows pop-up, I chose to let the developer take control. He agreed, and then I saw him standing in a room with a TV. When a picture appeared, I thought, “Oh, the developer recorded himself in the game—cool!” After a few seconds, I thought, “Wait, he looks a lot like me…strange,” and only then realized it was a feed from my webcam. That part genuinely blew my mind. I was impressed but felt uneasy, realizing I was being watched. It was incredibly inventive and unexpected.

A fantastic experience, even if the game itself was a bit contradictory. You clearly put a lot of effort into it, and it shows. Thanks for the game! :) 

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

Positives:

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

Negatives:

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

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

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

Positives:

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

Negatives:

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

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

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

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

Thanks for sharing the game!

Positives:

1. The settings menu is a plus, allowing customization for controls and graphics.
2. Visuals are well done, and I’d love to see more unique scenes in rooms—it seems like a matter of time to add.
3. The music, both in the menu and throughout, sets a tense atmosphere without distracting.
4. Exploring narrow spaces was tense—I expected a jumpscare around every corner, which added to the suspense.
5. The monster design is creepy, like a human-insect hybrid.
6. The sound of the monster’s footsteps adds immersion; at first, I rushed around but soon learned to move cautiously, realizing the monster has a hunting system. Very cool!

Negative:

1. The monster’s sharp turns and animations felt a bit abrupt, which might look like a work-in-progress rather than an intentional style choice.

Conclusion: A solid Backrooms-inspired game, perfect for a game jam. The monster’s inability to fit through doorways became a strategic advantage I used to map safe routes, which felt rewarding. Thank you for letting players discover this themselves instead of spelling it out. I completed all four levels up to the credits but didn’t encounter the monster on the fourth level despite fully exploring. Maybe I missed a door choice? Overall, great game, thanks