I kept getting slain :(
Would love to see an update to this with more instructions
Play game
Cursed Boards's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Fear Factor | #26 | 2.571 | 2.571 |
| Audio Design | #53 | 2.643 | 2.643 |
| Overall Impression – This Decides the Winners | #60 | 2.500 | 2.500 |
| Visual Design | #61 | 2.786 | 2.786 |
| Pacing | #78 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
Ranked from 14 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Additional info
Melloxa: Art and Level Design
ksznorbi: Game Design, Programming, Level Design
Comments
Hey, thanks for writing the feedback! Not sure if your issue with is with understanding the controls / the goal, or if you feel that the game is unfair. If it's the former one, please use melloxa's guideline with a minor addition, that pieces are walking on a set path, so if you move slowly, you'll see what paths the enemies take so you can "plan" accordingly (I think this is not well articulated by us anywhere and if the player is rushing, they might not notice this is intended pace for the game).
The presentation, main theme, and visuals really appeal to me — I like them a lot. I had to go back to the game’s page to check what the actual goal was, but I still couldn’t quite figure out how it works. Maybe that’s on me... The sounds and the fast-moving chess pieces (like the ravens, etc.) genuinely create a sense of fear, and I actually flinched a few times when one of those ravens darted across the board. The accompanying sounds fit perfectly, too. A tutorial would definitely help — as already mentioned. I’m sure the game has a lot of potential, since I really love the combination of horror and chess.
Submitted
InfestusHey, thanks for the feedback glad you could immerse yourself in it. One of the main focus for this jam was to focus on the (spacial) sound first design so I'm glad for it.
Yes an interactive tutorial or some gif would have gone a long way. Probably if our game uses non-standard controls this is a must have.
Interesting vibe - cool sound design. I got killed by the raven a bunch... I am not very good at this version of chess it seems - haha.
Submitted
Worm SurgeonHey, thanks for the feedback on the game! If you'd like to give it another try, try to wait in safe areas to learn the enemy pathing. It might not be obvious with the camera zoom and the guide we shared, but they are walking on a set path. I was hesitant about sharing this in the game info page.
Also, just to make sure you are not going down the wrong path: the game's goal is not to collect all pawns, but to use them to convert the enemies into friendlies by putting the pawns in their path (more details on the itch game page). Just wanted to make sure you won't leave with a bad experience, as I see this can cause confusion to some of the community members.
I hate ravens I hate ravens I hate ravens, I want to complete one level but these evil cretins snipe me from across the map. I think this game would play much better if I would see further and plan moves, you could keep the fog of war to keep things feeling claustrophobic but as it is its too zoomed in for me. Also it's possible to move through walls and more spaces than a king can normally move but I think getting sniped across the map is a bigger issue. Atmosphere and sounds are good and I like the jump scares I just wish it felt more fair.
Submitted
Parasite BlasterThank you for trying out the game.
We'll look into the zoomed out version. Our main design goal (originally) was to have I cell and hear different pieces lingering around and moving towards you.
Some tips if you are still interested in completing the game: If you know which raven is causing you issues, you can try to use the pawns strategically, as the pieces will move on the same set path on each retry of a level.
On the longer term, we'll need to revisit your comment on fairness with the zoom idea and some other alternatives. This is a very constructive feedback, thanks!
I see you also found the king double move bug/feature. We ended up not removing it, it's for the player to decide if they want to do a leap of faith to an unseen cell, where they do not hear the surrounding enemies.
I love the concept of a close up horror chess with fog of war! I collected the pawns and tried to intercept and block the enemies, but I could never get the enemies to react or figure out what the win condition was. Feels like it would be very solid if the gameplay was fleshed out and clarified a little more.
Submitted
Wilted StarHey, you are right, the win condition is not visible to the player and maybe my instruction on the itch page is not that clear. If you'd like to retry the game, here are some pointers:
- Enemies turn into "hosts" if they hit a pawn (still an enemy, but is being converted)
- After some time the parasites turn them into friendlies
- They only ignore you if they are friendly, so you can stand in their path
- Turn enough enemies into friendlies to win the level
Did you wait for the enemies to turn into friendlies before moving the king in their way? I think you may have stood in the way of a "host" enemy, that was being converted by the pawn parasite based on your comment that they did not react to the pawns.
Thank you for the feedback on the game.
Hey, thanks for trying out the game! Did you manage to use the pawns on the enemies? I see many players are struggling with the pawn placement. Let me know if your struggles lie in some different part of the game, and we'll try to think how it should have been improved.
I'm glad you liked the raven "jumpscare".
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