Feedback from a Gamer & Game Developer

[ZerØ]

Hi Thomas!

I rarely try out demos, but I've been following some of your development, and the finished demo intrigued me—so I took the time to test it out. I'm a developer myself, so I’ll provide feedback from both a critical and objective perspective, considering both the developer and gamer sides.

As a Developer:
- I noticed occasional stuttering when entering rooms—only for a second, but it was noticeable.
- The “Game Saved” popup felt a bit intrusive. I’d prefer it positioned more subtly on the side with a background, similar to when you collect ammo.
- Footstep sounds sometimes take a moment to adjust when transitioning between different floor types.
- Some cinematic moments, like doors closing to trap the player, could use additional polish—such as adding the sound of the door closing for more impact.
- A small detail: the water in the maid’s bucket should be red, since she’s “cleaning” blood. - Also, the maid’s clothing textures seemed lower quality compared to the rest of the environment, making it noticeable.
- Early on, when a specimen appeared on the stairs and moved to the tower, I could move freely and ended up missing that moment. Maybe consider temporarily locking player movement to ensure key events are in focus.
- One thing I didn’t quite understand—why are there Halloween pumpkins? If they’re just for atmosphere, that’s fine, but they feel like extras with no real purpose. Maybe adding a reference to the in-game date being October would help justify them and make them feel more natural.

As a Gamer:
- I loved the atmosphere—it gave me strong Resident Evil and Bioshock vibes, which was amazing.
- The puzzles and jump scares were well-executed!
- The weapons felt great to use, and the hook animation was incredibly clean—I loved it!
- The slow-motion effect when using Tommy upgrades? Fantastic.
- The music, ambiance, and UI were all top-tier.
- One small gripe: I wasn’t a fan of the hammer trail effect. I think it would look better with a different effect or removed altogether.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, a solid 8.5/10—I’d absolutely buy the full release in a heartbeat. It looks like it’s shaping up to be an incredible game. Well done, Thomas!

[timchamberlin]

i think we are expecting the game to be released at this years halloween

[Josh Has Worms]

Originally posted by timchamberlin:

i think we are expecting the game to be released at this years halloween

God, I hope you're wrong and it's sooner haha

[♦Mac Bruellwurst♦]

It's really nice that movement speed in general is very classic. No exaggerated slurred turning or aiming. The jumping height is very classic, too, not just like a little hop. Up for a little platforming.

An option to turn off prompts would be neat, too.

[Baron Grimshaw]

biggest complaint is the hammer jerks the screen when used bit of a visual throttle that throws me off

[Fruchtspinne]

to be honest I´m happy with the ´´game saved´´ message. In many games I´m missing this text because of focusing on the gameplay. How the game handles this felt absolutely right for me and I would love to see this in the final release. I hate to be not sure about the game, having saved or not. just my personal preference but, I really liked it :)

[ZerØ]

Originally posted by DiesDasAnanas:

to be honest I´m happy with the ´´game saved´´ message. In many games I´m missing this text because of focusing on the gameplay. How the game handles this felt absolutely right for me and I would love to see this in the final release. I hate to be not sure about the game, having saved or not. just my personal preference but, I really liked it :)

I didn't dislike it as it was, but I preferred it to be presented differently, as I mentioned in the post.

[knighteyes]

Since you mention the cinematics, the cinematics to show where a door opened or closed felt off to me. Not sure how to improve them, though. That way of calling the player's attention to something is old school and probably that's the intention. And they are useful, as I was playing I could follow what had happened and what needed to be done thanks to the cinematics. Still, something felt off, I don't know if moving the camera from a general take of the room to the door that is closing would help, something that does not feel so much like a cut and taking control from the player to show him something important.