Play Horror
Static Memory [GameDev.tv Halloween Jam 2025]'s itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Theme | #16 | 4.154 | 4.154 |
| Story | #26 | 3.462 | 3.462 |
| Aesthetics | #40 | 3.962 | 3.962 |
| Overall | #74 | 3.308 | 3.308 |
| Mechanics | #81 | 3.077 | 3.077 |
| Sound | #111 | 2.962 | 2.962 |
| Fun | #113 | 2.846 | 2.846 |
| Music | #175 | 2.115 | 2.115 |
Ranked from 26 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How many people worked on this game in total?
3
Did you use any existing assets? If so, list them below.
KayKit_DungeonRemastered_1.1_FREE, KayKit_Furniture_Bits_1.0_FREE, KayKit_Prototype_Bits_1.0_FREE, KayKit_Restaurant_Bits_1.0_FREE, Tiny_Treats_Bubbly_Bathroom_1.0_FREE
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This game has such a cool concept, it looks great (presentation, graphics etc.) and switching between video-footage and real life is the most creative mechanic I've seen in any GameJam in a while. But it has several issues . . .
1. A lot of the puzzles/puzzle-elements in this game are pretty random and nonsensical. You're just expected to know things or just figure them out on the fly. What a fool I was for my inability to predict that, without any indication, some of the specific parts of the video drop the item that is needed to progress, except the mom-bed room where you're just expected to bum-rush every corner of the real life room until you come across a drawer with the key inside of it. And what a fool I was for my inability to predict that when the objects around you ask you to bring a "sharp object" near them to cut them, when you finally find a pair of scissors, you're meant to use it on a lock instead of snipping those ropes off . . . or towards the end of the game an eyeball and a piece of knife next to a police officer will magically turn into an axe, and a brick with what looks like a piranha's tooth turn into pliers. Just illogical nonsense with zero explanation, which is not a good thing in a puzzle game
A better way to go about all of this would have been that the video-footage's dialogue should give more indication towards the puzzles themselves, like for example: "Laadi-daadi-daa, oh hey let me use this thing to cut this thing! Oz noe, where is mi knife?" Or something like that, "Hey, let me leave my walking cane here in the corner of the door since I don't need it anymore". It would be clever and it would actually tie the video-footage in into the gameplay as well as explain what is going on with the puzzles better, instead of you just having to guess things blindly without any kind of guidance or a hint
2. I got stuck behind the fridge after trying to open it up, this should be physically impossible
3. After the monster chases you, you end up in this state, without any idea if the game is over or if you can still progress or what's going on
Hi! Thanks for trying the game.
I understand the problem with puzzles. each item was originally supposed to be an element of a more expansive lore that, due to time constraints, we weren't able to implement! So we did our best to include indicators to help you understand what to look for. Personally speaking, they could be clearer! But having the characters themselves talk about various items that might be useful doesn't seem very satisfying. But we'll take note for future game jams and in case we want to resume the project!
For collisions, yes! They're a problem! I could never have imagined not using the mesh collisions generated by Godot. Right after this jam, I'm making personal prototypes to better understand some things, also because I've never done Level Design!! (and originally there were supposed to be 4 of us doing it and not 3, another friend of mine who is actually trying his hand at level design)
For the ending, I wanted to convey a sense of eternal limbo. But I understand that doing so just makes it seem like the game has stalled or something else is going on. I'll take that into account too!
Thanks for the criticism and for taking the time to share it! It's truly appreciated! I'll treasure it!
"But having the characters themselves talk about various items that might be useful doesn't seem very satisfying." One's own personal feelings should never get in the way of what's good for the game. What we grow accustomed/blind to as developers, for we know our own games the best, others may not know since they could have no possible way of knowing, naturally
"For the ending, I wanted to convey a sense of eternal limbo. But I understand that doing so just makes it seem like the game has stalled or something else is going on. I'll take that into account too!" That's fair, it just genuinely made me wonder if something's not working as intended or what's going on, did the game break or what? Putting in at least some kind of an ending-text would have been a better indicator, no matter how cheesy that would be
"each item was originally supposed to be an element of a more expansive lore that, due to time constraints, we weren't able to implement! So we did our best to include indicators to help you understand what to look for" That is fair, and I have no reason to believe otherwise
"(and originally there were supposed to be 4 of us doing it and not 3, another friend of mine who is actually trying his hand at level design)" I can relate to this with my own project of Hauntlings, that ended up being a revolving-door for programmers. My sympathies and condolences, friend
"also because I've never done Level Design!!" Considering that you've done a servicable job, well done!
This game has a lot of flavour and intrigue, and I could see this easily being able to be turned into a full release with slightly more elbow-grease
Very interesting! Entering the TV world and moving items between worlds is very promising mechanic and I liked the way you used it here. I think I managed to get stuck by getting some items out of order though 馃槀
Some polish suggestions if you're interested in working on this more:
On screen control hints would go a long way to smoothing the experience. Dedicated controls for the VCR buttons as well, as others have suggested.
The house was pretty dark, but even in the Compatibility renderer you can bake lightmaps, which can help bring up your light levels (using your existing lights) that looks much better than just brightening up the ambient color in the WorldEnvironment node
Thanks for the advice and thanks for playing! I take note.
its nice. i like the swapping in and out of the tv. and i liked the static
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
very spooky very cool!
Thanks for playing!!
I really like the crt effects on the TVs, I wanted to add some myself but didn't find the time. How did you manage that the dialogue appears in the other viewport at the right position? I really struggled at that, it always took the wrong screen dimensions for positioning xD I have to look into that later. Your switch between TV and real world was pretty cool.
Performance was bad in the beginning (browser), but it got better after the first outdoor scene. I found the scissors, but the door "I need something sharp" didn't react to it and I didn't find another way to move on.
Thanks for playing! Unfortunately the web version is horrible... Sometimes it's both the browser's fault but in this case also the lack of optimization (I recently discovered occlusion and culling, oops). As for the rest, the scissors should let you into the kitchen. If they didn't let you in, is it probably a bug? I suggest you try again!
Now: (on the next reply)
I had to take a screenshot because itch has a character limit, oof.
thank you very much, I'll try that :D
It鈥檚 perfectly dark and spooky — just the way Halloween should be!
Thanks for playing!!
Perhaps my PC is a toaster, but I couldn't get the browser version to work for me. It wouldn't let me interact with the two people in the first area or leave TV mode for some reason. Looks like a fun concept though!
Hello!
Have you tried the web or PC version? The web version is really slow! I recommend the PC version!
The visual and initial start to the gam were well crafted and looked cool, the video effects also looked great. Unfortunately I got stuck in the first room fast forwarding the video and trying to get the tool box down,
I think it could have used some guidance to keep players on track. sounds and music would have also added much. I kind of understand the TV video system and played on browser (so I know you mentioned that was not optimal). I think probably with simplified controls could be better.
Hello! Thanks for trying the game! Can't you really hear the sounds?
In any case, I suggest you try again and explore better! If I can give you some advice:
The woman could leave something before entering the house.
The game is really cool the mechanics are unique, i like it a lot, but it's kinda difficult i got stuck at a certain point, also i think i passed trhough i wall because i got stuck in the walls in front of the stair and then i found myself in a room (the kitchen) and could'nt find the way out even tough i founf three items, anywas for the time we had this is an amazing game and idea, good job.
Thanks for playing! I hate collisions that are out of the way out haha
I suggest you try to play again as soon as you have the chance
Okay I will ahahz same too anyways collisions are my nightmare, especially when you have to interact with them
Ah, It seem I got stuck in the first room not knowing what to do =). I will give it another try tomorrow.
Seems promising so far...
Thanks! That would be nice! I recommend you try it again and take your time!
If you want some advice (don't read below if you want to figure it out yourself) :
The woman could put something useful down before entering the house.
The hint was very helpful, I doubt I would have seen that otherwise.
I finished the game, its pretty good, it reminded me of one of my first prototypes in godot.
The concept is really nice, I would only improve on two things, the way the "TV mode" works should be changed. It is quite hard to read the text on it, it would be better if the camera would center automatically when the player is using it. The second thing is the end, you should add something on screen mby and "The end" message on screen or something. I kept waiting for something to happen after the last cinematic, idk if there is nothing or if I should have waited some more time for something to happen. I just stared at a black screen for a bit and then I closed the game.
Very strong submission! Well done!
Hi! Thanks for playing it all the way through! I totally agree with the "TV Mode"! Unfortunately, due to lack of time, we forgot to implement the camera that provides optimal zoom.
As for the ending, again, understandable! The meaning I wanted to convey is that you fall into an eternal limbo. But it's also true that, without any hint of an ending, you wait for something.
Thank you so much for your feedback and your kind words!
Very good game! I was more scared by expecting something to happen. At the beginning, I needed a little help to understand what to do, but after a while, I got it. The story and the parallel world through the TV was a very good idea!
I noticed some collision issues. For example, you can get over the house when you are inside the TV in some episodes. Also, I wasn鈥檛 able to see the end of the story. When the thing followed me and I went to a closed door, I was able to pass through the door, get out of the house and the map, and fall into the darkness.
The problem you got at the end was the final cutscene! Let's say yes, it could have been done much better! Anyway, thanks so much for playing! And yes, collisions are a problem, unfortunately! I've learned not to use Godot's automatic collision meshes.
I really liked the idea of using a VCR interface to jump between worlds—it鈥檚 super creative and adds a lot of atmosphere. That said, the dialogue moves a bit too fast, and I found myself missing parts of the story. The ending also feels abrupt and leaves you hanging in a way that鈥檚 more confusing than mysterious. With a bit more polish on pacing and readability, this could be amazing. If you have a sec, I鈥檇 love for you to check out and rate my Halloween jam game too: /jam/gamedevtv-halloween-jam-2025/rate/3971977
:)
Send me the next link and I鈥檒l do the same style.
Hi! Thanks for trying the game!
I understand the problem with the dialogue, but that's because I wanted to convey that if you can't read, you didn't hear the tape properly. In fact, you can rewind the video using the VHS!
I'm sorry you found the ending confusing! but surely if we ever get back to the game we'll make everything much more polished and, above all, we'll add all the lore stuff we didn't manage to add!
Anyway, as soon as I have some time I'll try your game for the jam! I'm very curious!
Great use of the VCR rewind, forward and play feature within the actual TV asset. You've got to use your brain to get far in this game, which may be a bit of a struggle for some people - not naming any names (absolutely not me of course)
Thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated!
Great atmosphere! The TV mechanic was super clever, especially the VCR. Great cutscenes and overall vibe!
Thank you for the feedback!!
What a nice game!
I really liked the idea of switching between two worlds. I think it was executed really well. The game has a distinct visual style, it felt like you had some constraints in terms of model use and animations, but you've found some clever workarounds, kudos for that! I liked the spoky-cartoonish style of it all, mixing cutsey and scary elements. I also liked the way puzzles are integrated into the story (although I was left wanting more in that regard), and how the story was presented overall. The cutscenes were cute and well crafted, although I wish that the subtitles timing was more generous, or that the dialog would progress only after player input, since some of the lines changed too fast for me.
After the final escape cutscene (great cinematic timing on that!), it just ended abruptly, with no notification or anything, just the black screen, and that's it. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it left me confused.
Aside from that, very impressive work! Thank you for the fun and spooky experience :)
Hi! Thanks so much for your feedback!
For the animations, yes! I had quite a few constraints! Both in terms of time but above all because I'm not an animator! And neither were the others who worked on the project, so the whole thing is a bit goofy! Even though I love animating PNGs.
You're right about the story! The person who worked on it, Haruki, wrote a lot of other stuff that unfortunately we couldn't include due to time constraints! Maybe in the future we could do a "Lore Update". Anyway, I know the dialogues are fast, but I relied on an invisible "vocal" tempo. If you don't read in time, it's as if you didn't hear correctly! In fact, you can rewind the video if you want. But I understand that maybe I overdid it a bit with the fast tempos, hahaha.
For the ending, yes, maybe I should have used a gradual static like with the other elements. But I liked the feeling it gives! That is, falling into an eternal black limbo.
Thanks again for the feedback! It's truly appreciated! (sorry for the bad english, but it's not my native language).
I loved the animated PNGs! I think they've added a unique flavor to the whole experience.
And for some reason, it didn't ever occur to me that I could just rewind the video! It's so strange - the buttons are right there, and I just never thought to use them, complaining about subtitles' speed instead. But it makes total sense, and it is an interesting feature, thank you for bringing it to my attention.
P.S.: English is not my first language either, so don't sweat about it :)
Very interesting shader effect! I got a little confused on what to do after you entered and exited the TV. I tried fast-forwarding but the scene kept looping.
Hi! In what sense does the scene continue to loop? By clicking fast forward again, did it start all over again?
Anyway, I advise you to try again! Maybe the woman before entering puts something that could be useful to you!
Ok I'll try that out, thanks for the tip!
First of all, congratulations on making your first game, it is really impressive. The intro was really good. I liked the story and how you can see what happened with the brothers on the TV, that was actually very clever. I also liked the monochrome art style and the mix between 2D and 3D elements.
However, making the left click the way to press the VHS buttons wasn鈥檛 the best decision, since the cursor is locked, I assume for the sake of the first person controls. This makes pressing the buttons not very intuitive, as I have to press ESC to see where the button is. A crosshair would solve that problem.
The TV effect is pretty cool. I loved the chromatic aberration; I was hesitant to use it myself, but you did it perfectly. The effect itself was just a bit too strong for me.
The game UI doesn鈥檛 scale correctly in fullscreen, or at least the main screen doesn鈥檛. The game also felt a bit laggy when transitioning between scenes; maybe a scene transition like a crossfade would help smooth it out.
The first person controls were great and responsive, but the interactions felt a bit off to me. The house was also too dark; maybe adding a flashlight would help.
All in all, it鈥檚 really impressive what you guys did on your first game. I could never imagine my first one being like this. Shout out to that!
Hi! Thank you so much for the compliments! They were really nice!
Unfortunately, the commands were designed without realizing that this would be a problem for the web! In fact, I made sure to also release a version that can be run on Windows. I think adding more keys is outside of Bugfixing, so we didn't do it. But if a cursor really does solve the problem, well, we'll keep that in mind! Maybe for a future time when we want to explore the game again!
Thank you again! Really! (Sorry for my terrible English, but it's not my primary language).
I find the story very engaging and the atmosphere really eerie, I think the 2 worlds mechanic is very brilliant. I got pretty far in the bathroom where I should be freeing one of the kids inside the bathtub, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to pick up the object inside the TV world, the little box thing in front of the mirror with the writing. Overall I had a really great time with this one eventhough I hadn't finished it!
You were almost at the end! That part is really not very obvious, we know.
Thanks for playing! and thanks for the feedback!
I love that you used the 2D/3D style! And also, you nailed the eerie vibe so well! good job! I have to admit, I was really lost at the beginning, but that's just me being bad at puzzles hahaha but what you achieved here is good. Congrats!
Thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated!
The walking feels really smooth, and I really enjoyed the 2D and 3D art mixed together, made the game look really cool! Great work!
Thank you!!