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Godot Version
Godot Engine 4
Theme Interpretation
NULL: THE OBSERVER is a psychological horror game set in an abandoned underground research facility. Players explore a dark environment while being hunted by an unknown creature called the Observer. The game's ASCII-based 3D visuals create an unsettling atmosphere where darkness, limited visibility, and unpredictable encounters are central to the experience.
Source
Not publicly available
GWJ Participation Level
1
Team Size
1
Generative AI Disclosure
I confirm that this jam entry does not contain any AI-generated content
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Comments
Thank you all for the detailed feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to play my game and share your thoughts. I've taken all your feedback into account, and I'll work on fixing these issues as soon as possible. Thanks again for the support!
I played through both versions and really enjoyed comparing them. I actually preferred the ASCII version. It leaves more to the imagination and gives the facility a ton of texture and personality, even if it gets a little disorienting after staring at it for a while.
The standard 3D version is much easier to read and looks really solid too. The menus/UI are especially clean.
The atmosphere worked well and the chase at the end was fun. My biggest gameplay note is that I sometimes felt like the horror was happening to me rather than me having much influence over it. Outside of breaking line of sight and hiding, I didn’t find many ways to interact with or respond to the threat. A little more player agency or utility could make those encounters even more interesting, though if the goal is specifically to make the player feel helpless, then that may be intentional.
One small audio note: the footsteps really stood out to me in a bad way. They felt very thin/metallic compared to how polished the rest of the presentation is.
Overall, this was a really interesting entry, and having both the ASCII and modern versions of the same game was a very cool idea.
Impressive and fun! I felt like the footstep noises were a lower quality than the door and what not. You did super well at making me feel unease as I explored.
I wish there had been some body to the sound so that there was some weight to character. I kept imagining running around this facility with sheet metal flip flops on.
Other than that, the rest of the audio was top notch.
Yeah, it just shows you can do really well with everything else, and a common sound like footsteps can really throw off the immersion of the game.
(To the dev its just a game jam though you did really well, just something to keep in mind :-) )
Yep, that was exactly what stuck out to me. It’s funny how one sound you hear constantly can have way more impact than a bunch of smaller details. Definitely something I’m going to pay more attention to in my own stuff too.
Walking Sfx is one of the most crucial to make satisfying. Because even though in many ways it is super important it is always there haha.
There was a Disney game I watched a steamer play and ever pair of shoes made different noises. That is pretty insane. No thanks from me haha
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback! I’ve fixed the footsteps, and they sound much more realistic now. Unfortunately, since I submitted the game to the jam, modifying the game files is temporarily prohibited, so I can’t upload the updated version just yet. I really appreciate you pointing this out, and I’ll make sure the improved version is available as soon as the restrictions are lifted!
You’re good. Plenty wrong with my game as well. You only get 9 days and it isn’t enough time to polish everything, things will slip through. I just like to be constructive with what I’ve learned the past few years. Great work!
I really appreciate that! Constructive feedback like yours helps me improve as a developer. Thanks again for taking the time to play and share your thoughts!
Yeah, I know how even helpful comments can sting when you put so much time and effort into WIPs. I’m glad I was helpful and looking forward to seeing you progress!
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback! I’ve fixed the footsteps, and they sound much more realistic now. Unfortunately, since I submitted the game to the jam, modifying the game files is temporarily prohibited, so I can’t upload the updated version just yet. I really appreciate you pointing this out, and I’ll make sure the improved version is available as soon as the restrictions are lifted!
Apologies if it sounded like we were piling on. I actually really enjoyed the game. The footstep sound was just the one thing that stood out because everything else felt so polished and atmospheric. The rest of the audio and presentation were top notch.
No worries at all! I genuinely wasn’t upset or hurt by your feedback. Quite the opposite, feedback like this is incredibly valuable to me as a developer, especially when it comes from someone who takes the time to actually play my game and share their thoughts. I really appreciate the constructive criticism, and I’m glad you pointed out something I can improve. Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to help me grow!