It's more likely than you think!

Looking for people to try out my demo
HERE

If you leave your thoughts on it below, I'll add ya to my white list. If I get some attention, I'll even gift something nice to my white list.

3 years ago

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Do you like Visual Novels?

View Results
No, reading is for nerds.
Sometimes, I've happened across a couple that were pretty neat.
Yes, I live for cute anime girls.
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3 years ago
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That's quite frustrating. I've heard a very small handful of people mention something similar. But to the best of my knowledge, it's not an issue with the build itself, but some misfire of drivers or hardware. But I don't have enough info to know if what the common factor could be.

I have no idea what to offer as a fix other than using another computer if you have access and hoping.

Anyhow, thank you for at least trying it out to the best of your ability. ^^

3 years ago
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No Linux version :(

3 years ago
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Don't have a way to test it, and last time I made a linux build all willy nilly, I was told it was busted and unplayable.

3 years ago
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I never really understand this response from developers. Linux is free, you can run it in a VM, or boot off a USB stick to at least check if a build runs. So 'no way to test' sounds like BS.

What you really mean is that you don't have the time and/or inclination to learn Linux and test. Which is a far more honest response, and while disappointing, fair enough.

3 years ago
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Yes, that is what I mean when I say I don't have a way to test, is that I don't desire to spend the time to learn and the time to go through the process of setting something up.

It was inherently implied in the text.

To think otherwise is to say someone who tells you they're starving is lying cause they could go farm. It's 'free'.

Perhaps later down the line I will decide to try Linux for the full release when I have time. But this is just a demo build I made for a game jam.

3 years ago
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+1

3 years ago
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it was entertaining and ran perfect

3 years ago
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Ah! Some good news! Thank you so much.

3 years ago
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Entertaining demo with good ideas, the flickering and post-processing effects made it almost unplayable (maybe those are technical issues and not intended, but I can't know for sure).
The screen looked like a broken TV, with the image warping and flickering nonstop, I actually felt a little nauseous.
If I could turn those off, I can see myself loving the final game.

3 years ago
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When Fast Forwarding, REwinding, Pausing, and during choices, there's a glitch overlay.
Was it too much even in those small bursts?

It would be a good idea to work options in. I'll look into figuring out if I can just make a setting that'll disable it. ^^

Thank you for the feed back.

3 years ago
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What I assume is the glitch overlay was present all the time. :'D

Maybe it is an issue with drivers, I have an old integrated video card.

If the overlay is only present during those moments, I don't think it would be too much, it really helps with the atmosphere.
That being said, options would be great. I know people that wouldn't stand it even in small bursts unfortunately.

3 years ago
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Oh, I remember you shared a demo some other time, I'll try this one too.

3 years ago
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I got 100% completion and I have a few things to comment.
First, scary without jump scares? Yes please. Just the way I like it.
Second, nice PS1-esque graphics, although it felt at the same time more rigid and more fluid than PS1 games (but still enjoyable)
Lastly, I found a weird bug in a scene. If Hana stays behind, when you get to the scene where it starts raining, fast fowarding with the E key freezes the game, and only by closing the game unfreezes it (either by pressing Esc or hitting alt tab then closing the app)
Lastly, the demo got me curious to see the direction the story will take.
I can't wait to see more of it.

3 years ago
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The rigid feel might be cause I'm using bones to animate instead of vertex animations. And the fluid would probably be that I'm letting Unity interpolate the key frames, which was done in later PS1 titles, but there is a charm to the choppier all key frame animations.
Crash 1 is all key frames, Crash 2 was interpolated.

Ah, yeah, I'm aware of that bug, and it'll be fixed in the full release. ^^

Thank you for taking the time, I greatly appreciate it and the kind words. I'll definitely be posting something for it's full release.

3 years ago
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Since I was getting the black screen too I tried leaving it in the background, and after a minute I had to press ready at a loading screen, then waited and another loading screen, then another loading screen and I was in the main menu back again with 50% progress. Everything happened in a span of 2 minutes and I didn't click any keys outside of the mouse to press ready on those loading screens. IDK if there are choices or something or it just skipped everything.

3 years ago
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Huh.. there are choices, but they're timed to put a little pressure on the player, and if you don't pick one, it'll pick one for you.

It sounds like... the black image I placed in front of the camera for fading in and out of scenes isn't fading, but I can't imagine why it's only affecting some people.

It's tied to the animation, which is clearly playing like normal, there's no script to go wonky.

Curious, do you have an AMD card?

3 years ago
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Yeah I'm using an AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Six-core

3 years ago
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^^ Are you using integrated graphics?

3 years ago
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Nope

3 years ago
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Ah, I was curious for your GPU, not CPU.

3 years ago
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Ah then yeah, sorry but I'm not that much of an expert in this things lol

3 years ago
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Black screen for me as well. I get the menu just fine, though. I have an old AMD card, if that tells you anything.

That said, looking at the screenshots and videos of it, it looks great. I love the aesthetic and it looks fun. Keep on working on it. I think you've got something people would be interested in.

3 years ago
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AMD... one other person mentioned they had an AMD... I wonder if that's the common factor. Thank you for telling me that!

I'll certainly work on it, and hopefully I can figure out the black screen of death.

3 years ago
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Could you tell me which old card you have specifically?

3 years ago
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AMD Radeon R9 200 Series

3 years ago
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Hm... That is pretty old ^^

So it's busted with RX 200 and RX 500 series.
But 5000 it's fine?

So it's not all AMD, but RX 500 is only like 3 years old. Hm... Still need more info. Thank you. ^^

3 years ago
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For white lists you do have to make white list giveaways for it actually be worth something. ;)

Will this come to steam?

3 years ago
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I certainly have hopes to get it on steam, but it is, and this is true, a process.

I did one the last time I did something like this, for Katamari Damancy. I'll hecking do it again. I just don't know what I'll give this time.<.< I want it to be something substantial.

3 years ago
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I changed category to Game Showcase, as User Projects is for more general things.

3 years ago
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That is fair! ^^ Thank you.

3 years ago
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Hey, this looks interesting, can you tell more about your project? Why this format, what is your goal with it, where did the idea come from, etc. I am intent on doing my own game eventually ( I am busy working in 12 hour shifts and also am lazy AF, so it wont happen very soon ), but i am also interested about other people's individual projects.

3 years ago
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I once had a 12 hour shift, 7 days a week, job that murdered my soul. Money is nice, but you got no time to live. It's not even a lazy thing, but exhaustion. (Plus if you got depression that doesn't help)

The idea started as a group of friends exploring a 'haunted' house and the player making decisions to decide the outcome. Then the HPS1 community hosted a summer jam, and a couple weeks prior I had discovered a really easy way to animate scenes together, so I figured I'd used the jam to practice that.

And I went with the anime flavor of a club cause I had just finished a Japanese inspired school room set, that I thought I could use. (Could end up in the final product)

The initial idea was to explore several locations before the big finale at the house, but I only had 6 weeks to make the game, so I decided to focus on one location and if I finished it I'd make more, and I figured a tunnel would be the easiest to start.

Unfortunately my scope widened as I didn't have a clear vision for how it was gonna play when I started and it's been widening ever since. Making games is a very... fluid process. Don't ever be dead set on anything, cause the variables change constantly. Your skill level, the time you have, etc.

3 years ago
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Wow, that must have been hard! My case is not that bad (3 day swork, 3 days off, rinse and repeat, once night shift, once day shift; give or take some overwork), but still tiring nevertheless. Commuting 1-1,5 hours to and from work dont really help either.

Thank you for answering and sharing so much about your game! I will definitely check it out! :) The concept seems to be right in my alley!

3 years ago
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I also got a black screen on my PC. I have Radeon HD 6950, so I guess add another one to "possible problems with AMD" pile?
It did run fine on Surface Book however, so here are my thoughts:
Wow, that's a nice demo!
The visuals are nice and crunchy, texture warping looks quite authentic, animations feel nice - I like both the chosen style and execution. There are some small issues like clipping on Jun's mouth when she talks and the light at the end of the tunnel looks a bit weird as it fades (I think it goes to grey a bit too soon for my taste), but other than that nothing bothered me.
Sound is nice too, it's a simple soundscape, but it sells the idea of them being out in some park or forest near that tunnel even before you see anything. Though I think scenes in the tunnel should have some echo applied, make it sound more tunnel-y.
Story and dialogue feel good too - even though it's not finished, there's enough to make me want to see the entire thing. There's this weird glitch with dialogue where it shows a character's previous line for one frame and then shows the proper line, it happens from time to time, especially when the speaker changes.
Good luck with the game! I hope I'll get to see how the story ends one day.

3 years ago*
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It does seem to be an AMD issue, but not ALL AMD, another Dev who uses a RX 5500 said they had no issues.

I will take your thoughts into consideration. I certainly feel the footsteps at least could have more echo.
The 3D visual hiccups could be quirks of the PSX shader I made.

The dialogue glitch is something I'm working on, basically text boxes don't update when theyre disabled, but if I'm unable to fix it somehow, I don't think it'll make or break most people's EXP

I'm glad you enjoyed over all, and I certainly hope one day isn't too far away. I think before the end of 2020 is too optimistic. So Let's hope 2021, eh?

3 years ago
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Just played it and got 100%

Overall i liked it conceptually, but as a whole it was ok. I really liked the art and animation, I liked the music, and the dialogue and characters were nice too. I liked the concept of going into a mysterious tunnel. In general I like the idea of a PS1 graphics visual novel style game. Things I didn't like are how the endings and choices were handled and some inconveniences. I particularly liked the way the way the fast-forward also fast-forwards the music which added to the creepiness.

About inconveniences:

  • It would have been nice if we could load the story after certain choices, as skipping through the sections multiple time feels like a chore, not to say that I didn't appreciate the skip being there, but it doesn't add anything to skip through that first section multiple times just because I'm trying to go through the different endings
  • Would have been a good idea to put the controls on the menu as an option. Not to say that it was hard to go to the itch page and see them there, but just more simple to have them as a menu option
  • There was a glitch I know you addressed for a different release (skipping in rain part freezes game), but it's in the current version so I still want to point out it was kind of annoying, especially when i was going for the ending after that section. The game also doesn't save so it reset the complete %, but its short so i guess it's not too big of a deal
  • i noticed sometimes dialogue would seemingly flash on the screen. Not sure if I missed some text because of that or if it was some previous text. The dialogue flowed well, so i guess it was previous text, but it was kind of weird
  • Being able to click through dialogue would be a cool option (for easier reading) although i understand that the game is like an animated movie so it could be a little weird. I know you put a reverse option as a solution too that as well, but it's a little cumbersome for someone who might not be that fast of a reader. Would have been less of a problem if there was voice, but i understand the game was for a jam so this is a pretty minor complaint

About Endings and choices:

It's cool that there are multiple endings, but they all just felt like the same thing, with different dead ends. The dead ends also didn't feel like they were related to my actions as in all endings, it ends with "Footage not found". The choices also felt sort of random, in particular the tripping part. Reacting and not causing the trip ends the game, while allowing it to happen continues the story. It just seems to happen for the sake of it, and it doesn't feel like there is any particular reason that not tripping causes an end.

Also maybe it was just me, but because of the way the final ending happens, I thought maybe when they got to the part where the tunnel has shrunk and they question what they could do to fix it, I thought reversing the game would save them as reserving would maybe cause the tunnel to widen and eventually they would come out and meet Hana again.

3 years ago
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Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts and concerns.

I've been working on a time line / scene select for the full release, so you won't have to rewatch scenes you've already done everything in. Just pick the choice you want to change and start from that scene.

I will consider adding a controller interface somewhere in the game for convenience.

The dialogue flash is a known issue, basically the text box doesn't update when it's disabled. I'm working on figuring out solutions, but if I can't, I may just take the loss on that one as it's more a quality of life thing.

I'm still working on the pacing of dialogue for the final release. I don't want people to have to rely on the FF/rewind/pause.

I'd love to add voices, but that's definitely a stretch goal. Gotta finish the main game first.

And as for the choices and endings, the game is very incomplete, and "Footage Not Found" was just meant to symbolize that there will be more scenes after that I have to add still. The cause and effect of choices should make more sense in the full release.

3 years ago
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So, I've played the demo. I have to say, I am impressed! The concept is great, and the way the events unfold before us is also pretty good.
The found footage style, fits the story well (I personally did not feel nausea from the effects, despite watching it on a 27 inch monitor from close proximity).

As suspected, the game's atmosphere and theme are perfect for my taste. I like old-school horror titles. Early PS consoles had many horror titles, so the visuals are a excellent fit.
Your game definitely have a bit of a Silent Hill-esque vibe, which I really appreciate, but it also manages to feel like its own thing. Okay, teenagers checking out a supposed curse is nothing new, but I like stories like this. I've also encountered the cursed japanese tunnel trope in anime and possibly even games. But thats not a problem either. The mystery makes me very curious and eager to experience this game further!
I am also glad that the horror element is not tied to cheap jumpscares, but rather to the fear of the unknown, the supernatural, which, in my honest opinion, is infinitely more satisfying and effective.

The girls are cute, but fortunately not annoying and dumb, as in many anime/japanese stories. A bit naive, a bit easygoing, just what you'd expect from young teenagers. The dialogue fits them rather well, maybe only small bits "sound" off here and there. I liked how you introduced them, color-coding their names with their bags' colors (maybe if the bags were a little wider/bigger, it would help some more) , repeating their names more frequently at the early parts.

The sounds and music were excellent. The tracks have befitting horror-feel in and on themselves, but the fastforward effect makes them even more creepier and terrifying, which is a nice addition to the camera/found footage-theme.

My biggest problems with the demo are technical in nature. As this is a very early representation of your idea, I am more than willing to look the other way, but just in case, I will write them, so that You may improve upon the overall experience.
-I did encounter the bug, when Hana sits outside and the rain starts, fastforwarding that scene freezes(?) the game.
-The ending, when Hana waits for the girls outside and says stg like "Flippin finally", that moment seemed too long and i thought it was another freeze. Only when I watched a video on youtube about that part, did I realize that I should wait more after the quoted line and nothing more should happen.
-The text-pacing is sometimes a bit too rushed. Especially when the 3 girls progress further in the tunnel. The shorter lines disappear too fast for me to read at a comfortable pace. Rewind is an option, granted, but suboptimal and feels a bit bothersome. Some alternative would be nice! The text flash is noticeable, but also bearable.

On the other side, my favourite detail was the introductory speech of Jun about the tunnel, when she is talking to the camera. I like how naturally the animation comes off as a whole and how her eyes dart to her friends' faces during the conversation. Its a small nuance, but it felt incredibly important in establishing the connection between the characters and me, the player.
All in all, i enjoyed the demo very much! I hope to see more in the future and if possible, a full version eventually. :) I am rooting for you!

Also, as I said, I am planning to do my own game in the undefined future. Till then, if I could help you with your game in any way, I would like to offer my assistance. I like your vision and concept, so I would be glad if I could contribute something for its completion,
Sadly I am not experienced in 3D animation and/or sculpting. I am also not very knowledgable about coding. I've tried Java and Python but did not progress too far into them. So my offer may be useless to you.
What I do practice is photography lately. Also, I like to draw (mostly digitally, but I can also do pencil sketches). I am not very good, but I am always going for improvement.
I also experimented with simple 2D animation and image editing (GIMP, Photoshop) occasionally. Additionally, I am learning cinematography ATM, as I am currently working on a hobby-film that I wish to fully plan and shoot by the end of next summer. As you can see, I am mostly interested and experienced in visual media.
I am kind of an artist-soul, with big passion, vivid imagination but short focus bursts. xD If there is something that a person like me could possibly do for your project, juts contact me, and We may see what I can bring to the table!

3 years ago
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I appriciate you taking the time to play.

I'm gald you enjoyed the demo, and hope you enjoy the final release even more.

I wish you the best of luck in your own endeavors making games. Best way to learn is to jump in! Do a jam! Haunted PS1 is doing another in October. Even if you don't finish, the important part is learning!

Unfortunately I don't currently have any jobs to give out, but if you work on honing your skills, maybe by the time I do, you'll be more well equipped!

3 years ago
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Hmmm. Not sure if I had a technical issue or I'm just not getting it. First off it seems to be locked at 20 FPS for me (G-sync monitor). It also seems like the text buffer isn't always flipped to the new dialog before you display it, I kept seeing different dialog flash for one frame on character text transitions, at first I thought it was flipping through the dialog too quickly but if I rewind it does not happen and I saw that no text was missed; so I think you have the old dialog still in a buffer for one frame when you flip sometimes.

Would also suggest showing the controls either in a menu option or when the game starts, had to exit out and look at the webpage to figure them out.

Saw a few grammar errors, mostly using your instead of you're.

I ran it once got into the cave, caught the girl tripping, hugged, then it went to a Footage not Found screen then back to main menu. I started another but then realized I didn't know how to ff/rw so exited to look at controls. Started another, choose to have Hana not go into the cave, girl tripped and fell, next scene was Hana sitting down outside, I ff and rw for like 30 seconds in either direction and nothing changed, so I hit Esc key and it exited the game.

Might try again later but so far the technical issues are preventing it from being an experience for me.

3 years ago
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The full release might be more your swing. Where I'm not rushing for a jam deadline and I've had time to polish it.

3 years ago
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Hi, I just found this site yesterday so I understand if you don't want to whitelist me, I just wanted to provide some feedback. I'm not sure what happened, I think I had tech issues. Everything was fine until they started walking through the tunnel then every girl's dialogue except Jun's would flash on screen for a split second without giving me time to read. Then I got to the part where I (SPOILERS) click to decide if the blonde hair girl trips (sorry, I'm bad with names) and got the footage not found screen then the game spat me back out to the title screen. From the comments I'm seeing I think that's not the end of the demo though?

I couldn't find controls to rw/ff on the itchio page and didn't realize that was an option so when it started me over and I didn't know I could skip dialogue I'd already seen I got discouraged and hit ESC for the options menu and that just exited the game totally :( EDIT: I'm an idiot and I blame myself. I saw the picture of the ps1 controller and didn't realize that provided the keyboard controls on the itchio page. I apologize and take the F on that aspect! A controls menu might still be nice for final release.

Do you want my system specs to help narrow down these technical issues? I'm running WIN 10 on a Geforce 1660 and AMD Ryzen 3700X 8 core.

That said, I'm willing to give it another try if I can get something figured out. I know you're having a lot of technical issues from players but PLEASE keep working on this! I didn't know people still made games like this and I think the concept is so cool. From 5 mins playtime I already liked the characters, liked the color coding of their names, liked the graphics, liked the concept and storyline. If it's short I could see myself finishing the full release and I like that there's replayability from the choices & it tells you what choices you've already made. It's a refreshing take on visual novels while bringing up nostalgia.

3 years ago*
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Thank you for taking the time. I'm sorry to hear ya had so many issues, but hopefully they'll all be resolved by the final release.

I appreciate the kind words, and while it's kind of on the back burner, just something I work on when I'm in the mood to animate, I certainly am still working on it, and plan to finish.

3 years ago
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Oh no, there's no reason to apologize! Just keep on keeping on and I'm sure practice makes perfect and you'll get things ironed out. I enjoyed this look into it. I followed you on itchio - I rarely am on there but I hope to check back in to see the progress.

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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Will be waiting for a full version, it was really interesting.

3 years ago
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