How to explain the spooky noises? (SPOILERS)

[SqueakyGibson]

I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Unlike some people on this forum, I didn't expect murders and suicides and ghosts. I knew the story would be down-to-earth human drama, and that's what it turned out to be. The "spookiness" of the house is total misdirection.

So what's up with the spooky noises? There are definitely the sounds of someone using the secret passageways, and there are definitely ghostly whispers in a female voice. They can't be explained-away as "rats in the walls" or "the sound of the storm". I expected Sam to be in the attic, having caused these noises all along... but nope, she'd gone.

So what's the deal? I suppose it's possible that Sam and Lonnie were *right* about ghostly whispers and Oscar's restless spirit; but it's just as likely that their dabblings in the occult were as mundane as all teenage girls', and no proof of anything supernatural.

How do you explain the noises? Are they literal? Is someone in the house with Katie? Are there ghosts? Is it her imagination playing tricks?

[CoffeeDialectic]

What spooky noises?

I heard nothing.

[miriam :)]

I only heard the creaks and the thunder outside. And they sent Oscar off before you came there, remember?

[Zellious]

possible trolling by the developers, just like hey did with the crucifix.

[Efreeti]

I definitely herd footsteps and voices amidst the generic creaking house noises throughout the game. Playing with headphones on might help.

[The Crying Man]

When I was in the basement I heard a couple steps above me and it wasnt creeking or thunder, it sounded like steps. And I kept hearing what sounds like door knobs jiggling. For a while I thought it was a part of the game and the knobs that were jiggling led to the room I was supposed to go to next

[vandigeth]

Very strange because I never heard voices, doorknobs, or disembodied footsteps. Occasionally I heard the house creak and the thunder of course. The whole crucifix thing made my hair raise but I didn't jump. Overall, I didn't get a terribly ghostly feel in the house except what was said by the notes and Samantha.

Did the voice say anything discernible?

[Efreeti]

No, I think it was just a normal speaking tone voice muffled by being a floor and several rooms away.

[Nihilusion]

I think I heard the whispers too. One of them was in the basement near the safe, right before I was about to pop in the cassette tape into the player. It sounded like a "hey you".

[AthenaMythos]

I also heard a "hey you", I literally just finished the game a few minutes ago so it's still fresh in my mind, and I definitely heard footsteps and the voice.

[JmzB47]

Finished 5 minutes ago and was just telling my friend who played without headphones about the footsteps and voices. Honestly was expecting some Amnesia stuff after the first time I heard it on full volume

[glypher]

First time playing, never hearing about it, so i had no idea what to expect. Just when I was relaxing and no longer expecting a "jump scare" i was heading back into the basement.
"Hey you"
Quick, quiet, and deliberate, like someone wanted to get my attention.
I turned off the game. I might finish it tomorrow in the daylight.

[Efreeti]

You're not done? I wish you didn't go here then. There are too many spoilers. Nobody playing this game deserves to have it spoiled to them.

[Surah]

I heard footsteps above me often and a few times in the halls behind me. One time though it sounded like someone was walking up behind me when holding a note up in the basement, I turned around and the foosteps stopped, noone there. A few times I also heard draweres being opened and closed along with the odd door and cuboards being used.

I got used the creaking stuff after a while when I started learning the layout of the house and all the lights were on. I ended up assuming a lot of it would have been because it was a creaky old house and there was a storm outside with drafts causing a few things to move. I did get more used to the above as as wel as I realised there would be horror stuff but I'm left curious about it all.

I don't think I heard voices, maybe whispers but I think that was just me opening drawers and paper being moved. I'd like to hear a little more about this from the devs.

edit: I went back because I forgot to play the answering machine before. After playing all the messages, I made my way back to the end so my save point would be in the attick but just as I got to the top of the stairs to the attic I heard the "hey you" whisper. It was definitely a little creepy.

[Efreeti]

I'm glad I didn't heard that whisper. I would have had a heart attack.

[Ls_K]

I also definetly heard foot steps when being in the right wing of the house, going to the entrance hall i heard footsteps, like someone was entering the house. And i actually never heard something in the basement, only the first secret passageway with the crucifix was a little bit scary. Reading all your comments now, sitting in the dark in the middle of the night...glad i already played through it...