Day 11 was awesome. Wish we could see what lies beneath the ice longer though! It ends abruptly. Very cool game, awesome graphics and sound for immersion. Loved the sense of vertigo going into the ruins. Would be even crazier in VR.
Yeah we were really pressed for time so the main focus was the atmopshere and visuals. I do wish I had done more with the ending but I had to finish up and move on due to deadlines.
No worries, it's definitely in the top 5 for me, maybe even top 3. I have to play through them aagain but thanks for making this! I understand the deadlines and no worries. It was dope.
This game had an interesting premise with a rather disappointing ending.
I liked wandering through the forest, searching for these ruins and being tricked by trees and mirages. And finally finding the ruins was really cool.
When walking down the stairs I started getting really cool ideas for a horror game that *I* would want to make, and was hoping the game would do.
I was reminded of this story that I heard in a Jacob Geller video, where these scientists find a lighthouse with a stair way that just keeps going down. And down. With seemingly no end, a staircase that just tunnels deeper than the Earth could possibly be, that drives people to madness just thinking about it.
I thought that this game's ruins would be this never ending staircase, and my player would slowly go more insane, maybe my flash light batteries die, or as I try to run back up I find I'm stuck in some loop and cannot leave, hallucinations and mind tricks as I keep going down this endlessly deep staircase, with the entrance still visible, but a distant memory and never reachable.
But it wasn't that, I was excited when I got to the bottom and thought there was more to explore, but it was just a hallway that lead to a big monster. The monster itself wasn't that particularly scary, and I feel like this game had a great set up with a weak pay off.
Honestly we didn't have much time to spend on it so the main focus was the environment and mood. I do feel the ending could have been more and bigger but yeah I had to finish it an move on. That idea does sound good actually and now I am kinda kicking myself for not thinking of it first xD
I have a problem with how slow the parts are when talking to the glowing dog are. The animation looks laggy and the text boxes appear slow. The text within in it appear slow as well. It feels wrong.
Picking up those those things in the pool feels like a chore. Just a little of that would have been nice but not a lot like in the game. Just felt like a waste of the players time. The last part of this level with the glowing dog seemed interesting but went on for too long because of it also being laggy. The story in general still doesn’t make sense or has anything to stand on as of yet.
There’s a second area where I thought the game would pick up and certain characters from a big franchise are there. Not really sure why. This level is kind of frustrating until you figure it out but the stacking mechanic is actually a great thing. Text boxes do not reappear and that’s fine since none of their dialogue helps you. Also, the text boxes in this level are normal now and it’s clear that there was some kind of slow down in the last area for some reason.
Then there’s a third level. The dialogue here still doesn’t give us anything for the story except for the last one that talks about grandpa who was talked about before with the glowing dog. We are then shown an animation that lingers on for far too long and overstays it’s welcome. I had to turn it off. Don’t know if there’s more after that part but I wasn’t going to waste anymore time. You could hear laughing while it’s showing as well. Seemed like a joke but there’s a problem when the joke goes on for too long or doesn’t serve any purpose or have any hook, line, and sinker.
Even though the game appears to be experimental in nature, it's interesting and I would give it a go if it doesn't lagg.
After watching a bit of the 5mg playthrough, it appears that the slow down was just me but I couldn’t have possibly been the only to have experienced the game this way, could I? And if there are some people who have experienced it, would they comment about it? So yeah, I’m not sure what to feel about the game lagging anymore. I guess I just had a bad experience with the game.
It sounds like you had an issue with a shader I used for the glowing effect, considering it happened during the dog and grampa cutscenes. I'll be on the lookout to see if anyone else gets it!
I hope you stick around for the rest of Madvent even tho you didn't care for my entry!
Oh yes, the glowing effect is most likely the culprit.
I will and I do like your game. It was weird and strange and I like that and the stacking was a great mechanic to use. It's really the laggyness that turned me off though I can see my other points making the game seem worse than it is when it's really just critiques on the gameplay. I'm sorry if I sounded too harsh.
I appreciated the story the game was telling. I was reminded of the Winchester Mansion, a mansion that the owner just kept adding rooms and stories to until she died. It's like whatever trauma or grief the co-owner of the bar was experiencing he was processing through just adding on nonsense additions to the bar.
I also liked the beginning effect, where I walked into the bar, and it was empty and desolate, but somehow, like I blinked, and then the lights were on. I'm unsure if that's intentional.
This one felt like the least PS1y game. It didn't emulate the low texture resolution and it had lighting that would be way to advanced for a ps1. It made the bar a little more eerie, because there was less for my imagination to fill in so it's this, weirdly empty and oddly constructed bar.
I have to agree with another comment here. The walking is so slow. I got this sense that I'm going back to an old place and just taking it all in, so I'm taking my time. But I am not this character, I am not nostalgic for this place, and unless the character started saying something else, walking from place to place was rather boring.
The ending was intriguing. Really didn't expect the giant head and static walls and floors. It also sort of solidified that I probably had died out in the cold and just hallucinated exploring this bar that was once a memory. Maybe.
I thought this game was a mixed-bag.
SMS
This was a tight, short experience with not much room for any issues, and I really liked it.
At first I'm creeped out by how empty and dark the train is. Then I realize I'm in the middle of nowhere.
I've been on the other end of the phone with someone not answering my texts, and so I empathized with that worry that "they're probably okay but what if they died" dread you get. I was getting a little mad at my character, like even if you hate your mom you could have just texted "ok" so she wouldn't come looking for you.
Once the mom started coming to the train, I was filled with anxiety. Like I know this is a horror game there's no way this is going to end good, she's not coming to help me, where the hell even am I? How did she find me so fast? Why am I the only one on this train?
With each text saying she was coming closer I got more scared, and walked away from the doors. That little jump scare at the end was totally earned, and I liked the twist.
Good job!
Paralysis Penguins
Huh...
I have some thoughts and interpretations about this game, but I'm not as sure about them as I was with Godforsaken Hole.
Well, first, I actually like that the camera can't be turned in the beginning, the only way to discover new things was to walk into the unknown.
The delay that the dog has in speaking is really unnerving. Like I *really* did not like watching this dog stare at me waiting for his line.
This game feels like a fever dream. I could imagine someone calling RIP a fever dream, but that's not really what I mean. RIP has a consistent theme about it, paper and ripping.
This is where my interpretations come in, but unlike the 4th game where I was like 85 percent sure of them, here I'm only like 30 percent sure.
This game feels like the fever dreams of a child who had a traumatic experience with their grandpa, or at least, the fever dreams of someone who is remembering their childhood trauma.
There's this nonsense disconnected world filled with random characters that aren't linked in any way. The fever dream is filled with what the child has experienced and with media they consumed. Like, the TMNTs are in the library, and the blue dog looks like he's from a cartoon he could have watched.
The interpretation that I am least sure about is the grandpa. My mind immediately went to (Content Warning) : the grandpa molesting the child. My only evidence for it is that the grandpa is practically naked, I am powerless when he arrives, and when he comes down he starts eating me right at my pelvis. That scene also made me completely uncomfortable, I did not want to watch.
But I feel like I'm reading too much into it, and that kind of thing isn't in the content warning for the game, only body horror and suicide. So again I'm like, 20 percent sure about my interpretation.
But, whatever the traumatic event is, the rest of the game coincides with that for me. Suicidal thoughts, and people not being understanding of me and getting mad at me for being late to some stupid event. School trauma.
Like really, sorry if my interpretation is completely off base, but I don't know what else to make of the game. It's weird, disconnected, and off putting. So it fits the haunting scene aspect perfectly. As uncomfortable as it made me, I liked it.
I want to know how you came up with everything. Nothing seems connected through a theme but it feels purposeful.
Also, not sure if "Second conversation! This is a placeholder! Nothing important, just some monologuing" is intentional, lol.
I'll respond with more detail later, but Paralysis Penguin is a mashup of many of my dreams. Grampa is a manifestation of my sleep paralysis, a sleep disorder I have.
I really like the things you wrote, and no interpretation is invalid, so no reason to apologize or anything! Cheers!
Episode 9 finished. It seems to me that this game was more narrative-focused. But it was interesting seeing that you can understand much of the plot only by SMS sent by his Mother. Very interesting indeed.
I just stood in the corner and waited for texts to appear. I think the ringing is annoying but that’s how I feel about such things in real life as well. Same goes for alarm clock sounds.
Only thing that has any relatability with Christmas is that the place where the main character is staying is cold. I think having snow falling outside of the train would have been nice.
The tone of the game is overall kind of creepy and made me kind of scared of the mom. The music helped with this.
In the end I thought it was an original idea and it was great!
As more games unlock, it’s interesting to see each developer’s approach to the season, and how it’s wildly different from one to the next. I think one of my new favorite elements to this collection is just how downright weird some of these games are.
These are all standard unity, unreal, and game-maker projects, all from well known and reputable community members in hps1. That said, when you bundle multiple EXEs in nested folders, sometimes antiviral software gets spooked!
A unique game that I feel told me a little bit about the story of ones past. It has it’s own feel, and it’s a bit dark in terms of lighting. Throughout the game I kept asking myself who the hell is this guy talking about but you find out by the end.
In the beginning of the game I walked through the sliding door, only to be forced to walk out the other door because of some invisible wall. I then walked outwards into the snow until I hit an invisible wall because I thought that, that was what the game wanted me to do. I’m glad that the game didn’t let me walk too far but why are those doors even accessible? And to make matters a little worse, there’s another window/door that you can go into and actually walk around in the place that you tried to walk in before. Like what was the point of that? Anyways, it’s not actually a bit deal so whatever. What you were supposed though was open the front door which gives a cool effect but I feel like being able to walk into those other doors before weren’t needed.
You collect a bunch of things that look like florescent lights in this game. I remember being in his room and going into more rooms which lead to nothing but a sink and toilet. I kinda expected to find a florescent light in there but it’s a waste of time to even explore his room in general.
The text in the game disappears too fast. Hard to read the text when some last way longer than others like the first bit of dialogue that you read.
I think this game is one of the best looking games with a unique style. It has music that reminds me of the something that sounds like it could have been from the 90’s and it works well with the game. I thought the amount of story in the game was pretty cool but still hard for me to know what I really liked about it other than it being strange.
The animations remind me of cboyardee or pilotredsun type of animations and style. I don’t like walking up to a door to only have the door above me on the next level level. It makes it difficult for me to stop running since all I was trying to do when walking through the door was go up. So basically what happens is I go up into the door, in the next screen there is a door above me, I then exit the door that I tried to enter which is annoying. This happens when walking “right” into doors as well. I don’t like it.
The art was really good with the characters and stuff and how they moved. The animations and everything were neat.
Anyways, I felt that the game was pretty cool and the story about the substance was alright. Nice game!
Day 7 played. Really, this is interesting. On same vibe of some PS1 bizarre and obscure games and a little curious plot about reality distortion. I liked that.
I feel like there's more to this that I'm missing.
So the first time playing, I struggled to catch any fish, but I read all the dialog and waited out my demise. I liked the story, and how ominous whatever the event was. Somehow this frozen landscape is warmer than where ever the researchers are.
Having the screen get whiter as I get closer to death, making it harder to fish was a nice effect. I want to know more about who this person is.
I am a little confused about who they are, that they are part of the research team but apparently hated all the research.
That's also a really weird eating sound, but I liked the weirdness.
My second time playing, I paid attention to the title. "Six and Six" Six minutes to live, maybe I need six fish?
On my third playthrough I finally got the fishing mechanic. It's just time, and if you just cast the pole right on top of a fish they bite it, and you just wait for the bob to go down to reel it in. It's a really hard effect to see, and there's no sound effects for it.
I cook a fish, and see that the whiteness went down. Cool! I can eat fish and survive longer! Maybe there's more dialog.
So I keep catching fish, and get 6. Nothing happens. Okay, I just keep fishing and it seems like it just delays the dialog.
My next play through, I try walking away from everything. There's an invisible wall, and I die quickly.
Then I look at the title and now I can't tell if it's actually Six 8 Six or Six & Six, Now I'm just more confused and I feel like there's more to it!!!
So this was a neat little experience, and knowing the original prompt I wouldn't be surprised if there was nothing more, but it just *feels* like something is there.
HWAJILGUJI
I really liked the art direction in this game! It was so unique, the glitchiness and weird carboard cutouts with mismatched textures. I also love the surrealist, Zelda CDI esque cutscenes, they were super entertaining to watch.
I don't know if English is the creator's first language, because a lot of the dialog has odd word choice and grammar that doesn't feel intentional. Like, obviously "A magazine exists in your vision" is on purpose, but idk if "They doesn't know how they get here" doesn't. But it didn't bother me, I feel like it kinda adds to the odd nature of everything.
I thought the "The the the the the times" newspaper was funny. And the dialog kept me entertained, especially the oscillating guy, and Isabella telling me she manages all the supplies in a completely barren room.
I think the story is a *little* generic. Scientists makes chemicals that causes problems, I feel like there could have been a more interesting backstory to all of this. But I really do like the surrealist and complete destruction of the world it had.
Is there anything I can do for the guy looking to go home, or is that it?
I just wanna stress again that I really like the art direction. This felt like an actual PS1 game, especially the neon flashing arrows.
I also appreciate the sound design. Creepy, surreal, and most of all gives me feedback on what I am doing! Sound is so important! I was confused by the world, but not by the game mechanics themselves!
Six & Six dev here, a lil late but better than never I guess. There isn't more in the game, it's got a six-wheeled offroader stuck in the snow, it's on the sixth day and you can survive a maximum 6 minutes(unless you are a fish god).
Who the main character is is currently up to interpretation, which was done on purpose, it's meant to be a chill game where you can relax and fish(and yes, die).
Nice game and I am starting all the way back at #1 But I shall catch up. Took a bit of understanding the first game I played RIP but I got it and I think I am the only one to reach the ending? Anyway The stylish one and the prime time crew are going to spread the word of this awesome game keep it coming peeps at haunted ps1
The sixth game was very interesting... Enjoying the last minutes of life before dying from hypothermia is a very weird way of face the imminent end of the world...
You are in some winter landscape in front of a pool with fishes in them and you have a fishing pole. Trying to fish is hard and trying to read the dialogue that’s going on in the bottom of the screen while fishing is hard. Let alone with fishing being hard, I couldn’t catch anything. I don’t know if it’s because the fishing mechanic wasn’t actually implemented but it just doesn’t seem to work cause once it looks like a fish is caught and you try to reel it in, the fish unhooks itself. With no controls, it’s hard to know how to play.
And I had no idea if I was supposed to fish to continue the story and get the true ending. I saw a campfire and I kinda expected to fish to survive to get the true ending but it seems like the fishing was just there to be there and all you really had to do was stand and read the text, wait like 8 minutes and watch the screen go white and let the game end. I get it and to be honest, I prefer the game be that way. It’s just I was juggling fishing with trying to read the story and missing out on it.
Day 5 Concluded (I think...). Yep, this is more strange than the last game. I confess that until now I can't understand this game, but it was fun nevertheless.
I’m not exactly sure what I just played and where the theme of Christmas takes part in. I’m not a fan of the huge warping of textures and something about the game feels modern. I would say that it has to do with the textures. Usually when I play old ps1 looking indie games, I want to feel nostalgic and imagine that the game could have been released back in the day. Also, I just love low poly looking games.
I would say that the sound design is really good and the way that they did the lighting was really good as well! It goes from dark to light and the use of many colours was really nice! I think the character art was nice as well and I liked the way that they talked.
I felt that a lot of the game felt cut off and it felt very limited but even though it stays true to what the story was about, I was kinda expecting to open doors and find keys. I would like to say that I’m thankful for being brought back to life after falling in the pit.
With the knowledge that the original prompt was to create a haunting scene, I am approaching these games with a different mindset that I am enjoying much more. I'm not necessarily looking for a fun, mechanically driven experience, more so just *an* interesting experience
December 3rd
I have now replayed this game, and I appreciate it a lot more.
I like the atmosphere, the first prompt I get to see being a way to commit suicide I still love, it perfectly sets the mood for the game.
I think the aimless wandering around the sea is the point, and it certainly had an effect on me, but I found handling the boat to be awkward. It was really hard to see out the window, the snow and it being night felt intended, but the personal light on the first person controller would glare and make it almost impossible to see out the window. The perspective was also completely different when standing up, that I'd see something in the distance, start driving, and get completely lost because now it's obscured.
I liked the story, I think circling back to the lighthouse is cool. Almost makes me feel like I'm just exploring the mind of this depressed person, clouded, disconnected thoughts with the one certain, clearest thing being a memory from childhood, that we always come back to. We can clearly remember everything before the incident, but the incident is foggy and we have to do searching to find it.
Or maybe I'm reading entirely too much into it. Death to the author I guess.
Artists of a Dead World
Oh I really like this one. I think this finally gave me that resolution that I was looking for. Of course, not everything was explained, but that's not really what I wanted, I wanted the interesting part of the experience to continue past the first drop.
At first I just explored every room I could, until I got caught by those guards and kicked out of the game. Then I go back in, intrigued, noticing areas I couldn't get into last time. I realize that I can jump really high, and make my way into that hidden room, with the girl who tells me that maybe I can get to other places.
This feels like a really subtle and hidden tutorial. I noticed that I probably *could* make it up there, and when I do the game tells me to do it some more.
I found the thing that speaks in that weird font, I took a screenshot, and continued on. I jump over the gate, get into the green room, do the parkour, and take a screenshot of the next font message.
I looked at the game credits, found the font, and decoded my screenshots. That part was so awesome. It really made an impact on me. I go back in the game and see its all corrupted.
Anyways, I won't just walk through my entire experience, but I am really happy that this game required multiple playthroughs, and the interesting parts kept going. I liked the idea behind this horribleness happening because of my own curiosity (very Undertaley). Even though I don't know what's going on with these districts and characters (maybe I missed something), I am still content with an experience that went beyond the very first interesting thing. Very well done!
And another thing, I think the art is really cute and I liked it a lot.
I will say, that my one issue is the parkour sequence in the room with the giant pit. Jumping on those lampposts is the most finnicky thing I've ever done, and it was really frustrating to miss a jump that I could barely tell I was making, or to make it and just slip off by a pixel.
When you walk into the room, on the left corner there is a little lip on the wall that you can stand on. If you run and jump from there, you'll get to the fence. If you just spam jump while on the fence, there's apparently some part you can jump on and it gets you over the fence.
wow! i really didn't expect people to find the secrets on their own and even go as far as to decode messages. so glad you liked it and found everything! 🖤
It felt like there were just enough clues hinting toward something else under the surface, and pretty clear signposts letting me know I was on the right track. It was really nice to know precisely when I'd seen everything, too. It's a really tight experience with great flow, and it comes together incredibly well despite being obtuse and cryptic.
Very intrigued by this collection so far and enjoy checking out a short game every day. RIP was really cool, once I figured out the mechanics of it. Screenplay in Autumn was a really cool concept, but it felt like could've been longer and felt disappointed that that was it. December 3 was an interesting concept, but I could hardly find anything to remember and since the graphics were making me a bit sick, I called it quits on that one.
Godforsaken Hole Called... was one that I, surprisingly, enjoyed. I don't usually enjoy mazes, but something about this one kept me going to see what was at the end. And Artists of a Dead World is my favourite one so far, I kept restarting that one to find out more about the world. I still haven't figured it all out yet, but I look forward to it.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Thanks for your comment and video :D
Yeah we were really pressed for time so the main focus was the atmopshere and visuals. I do wish I had done more with the ending but I had to finish up and move on due to deadlines.
No worries, it's definitely in the top 5 for me, maybe even top 3. I have to play through them aagain but thanks for making this! I understand the deadlines and no worries. It was dope.
Thank you for the kind words! 🙏
What Lies In The Ice
This game had an interesting premise with a rather disappointing ending.
I liked wandering through the forest, searching for these ruins and being tricked by trees and mirages. And finally finding the ruins was really cool.
When walking down the stairs I started getting really cool ideas for a horror game that *I* would want to make, and was hoping the game would do.
I was reminded of this story that I heard in a Jacob Geller video, where these scientists find a lighthouse with a stair way that just keeps going down. And down. With seemingly no end, a staircase that just tunnels deeper than the Earth could possibly be, that drives people to madness just thinking about it.
I thought that this game's ruins would be this never ending staircase, and my player would slowly go more insane, maybe my flash light batteries die, or as I try to run back up I find I'm stuck in some loop and cannot leave, hallucinations and mind tricks as I keep going down this endlessly deep staircase, with the entrance still visible, but a distant memory and never reachable.
But it wasn't that, I was excited when I got to the bottom and thought there was more to explore, but it was just a hallway that lead to a big monster. The monster itself wasn't that particularly scary, and I feel like this game had a great set up with a weak pay off.
Thank you for the comment on our game :D
Honestly we didn't have much time to spend on it so the main focus was the environment and mood. I do feel the ending could have been more and bigger but yeah I had to finish it an move on. That idea does sound good actually and now I am kinda kicking myself for not thinking of it first xD
another part 😉
I also got drug trip vibes. Weird
Paralysis Penguin
Game 10
I have a problem with how slow the parts are when talking to the glowing dog are. The animation looks laggy and the text boxes appear slow. The text within in it appear slow as well. It feels wrong.
Picking up those those things in the pool feels like a chore. Just a little of that would have been nice but not a lot like in the game. Just felt like a waste of the players time. The last part of this level with the glowing dog seemed interesting but went on for too long because of it also being laggy. The story in general still doesn’t make sense or has anything to stand on as of yet.
There’s a second area where I thought the game would pick up and certain characters from a big franchise are there. Not really sure why. This level is kind of frustrating until you figure it out but the stacking mechanic is actually a great thing. Text boxes do not reappear and that’s fine since none of their dialogue helps you. Also, the text boxes in this level are normal now and it’s clear that there was some kind of slow down in the last area for some reason.
Then there’s a third level. The dialogue here still doesn’t give us anything for the story except for the last one that talks about grandpa who was talked about before with the glowing dog. We are then shown an animation that lingers on for far too long and overstays it’s welcome. I had to turn it off. Don’t know if there’s more after that part but I wasn’t going to waste anymore time. You could hear laughing while it’s showing as well. Seemed like a joke but there’s a problem when the joke goes on for too long or doesn’t serve any purpose or have any hook, line, and sinker.
Even though the game appears to be experimental in nature, it's interesting and I would give it a go if it doesn't lagg.
After watching a bit of the 5mg playthrough, it appears that the slow down was just me but I couldn’t have possibly been the only to have experienced the game this way, could I? And if there are some people who have experienced it, would they comment about it? So yeah, I’m not sure what to feel about the game lagging anymore. I guess I just had a bad experience with the game.
It sounds like you had an issue with a shader I used for the glowing effect, considering it happened during the dog and grampa cutscenes. I'll be on the lookout to see if anyone else gets it!
I hope you stick around for the rest of Madvent even tho you didn't care for my entry!
Oh yes, the glowing effect is most likely the culprit.
I will and I do like your game. It was weird and strange and I like that and the stacking was a great mechanic to use. It's really the laggyness that turned me off though I can see my other points making the game seem worse than it is when it's really just critiques on the gameplay. I'm sorry if I sounded too harsh.
all good!
Day 10 Concluded. Bizarre, but fun to passing time.
good game <3
195 Days in the Cold
I appreciated the story the game was telling. I was reminded of the Winchester Mansion, a mansion that the owner just kept adding rooms and stories to until she died. It's like whatever trauma or grief the co-owner of the bar was experiencing he was processing through just adding on nonsense additions to the bar.
I also liked the beginning effect, where I walked into the bar, and it was empty and desolate, but somehow, like I blinked, and then the lights were on. I'm unsure if that's intentional.
This one felt like the least PS1y game. It didn't emulate the low texture resolution and it had lighting that would be way to advanced for a ps1. It made the bar a little more eerie, because there was less for my imagination to fill in so it's this, weirdly empty and oddly constructed bar.
I have to agree with another comment here. The walking is so slow. I got this sense that I'm going back to an old place and just taking it all in, so I'm taking my time. But I am not this character, I am not nostalgic for this place, and unless the character started saying something else, walking from place to place was rather boring.
The ending was intriguing. Really didn't expect the giant head and static walls and floors. It also sort of solidified that I probably had died out in the cold and just hallucinated exploring this bar that was once a memory. Maybe.
I thought this game was a mixed-bag.
SMS
This was a tight, short experience with not much room for any issues, and I really liked it.
At first I'm creeped out by how empty and dark the train is. Then I realize I'm in the middle of nowhere.
I've been on the other end of the phone with someone not answering my texts, and so I empathized with that worry that "they're probably okay but what if they died" dread you get. I was getting a little mad at my character, like even if you hate your mom you could have just texted "ok" so she wouldn't come looking for you.
Once the mom started coming to the train, I was filled with anxiety. Like I know this is a horror game there's no way this is going to end good, she's not coming to help me, where the hell even am I? How did she find me so fast? Why am I the only one on this train?
With each text saying she was coming closer I got more scared, and walked away from the doors. That little jump scare at the end was totally earned, and I liked the twist.
Good job!
Paralysis Penguins
Huh...
I have some thoughts and interpretations about this game, but I'm not as sure about them as I was with Godforsaken Hole.
Well, first, I actually like that the camera can't be turned in the beginning, the only way to discover new things was to walk into the unknown.
The delay that the dog has in speaking is really unnerving. Like I *really* did not like watching this dog stare at me waiting for his line.
This game feels like a fever dream. I could imagine someone calling RIP a fever dream, but that's not really what I mean. RIP has a consistent theme about it, paper and ripping.
This is where my interpretations come in, but unlike the 4th game where I was like 85 percent sure of them, here I'm only like 30 percent sure.
This game feels like the fever dreams of a child who had a traumatic experience with their grandpa, or at least, the fever dreams of someone who is remembering their childhood trauma.
There's this nonsense disconnected world filled with random characters that aren't linked in any way. The fever dream is filled with what the child has experienced and with media they consumed. Like, the TMNTs are in the library, and the blue dog looks like he's from a cartoon he could have watched.
The interpretation that I am least sure about is the grandpa. My mind immediately went to (Content Warning) : the grandpa molesting the child. My only evidence for it is that the grandpa is practically naked, I am powerless when he arrives, and when he comes down he starts eating me right at my pelvis. That scene also made me completely uncomfortable, I did not want to watch.
But I feel like I'm reading too much into it, and that kind of thing isn't in the content warning for the game, only body horror and suicide. So again I'm like, 20 percent sure about my interpretation.
But, whatever the traumatic event is, the rest of the game coincides with that for me. Suicidal thoughts, and people not being understanding of me and getting mad at me for being late to some stupid event. School trauma.
Like really, sorry if my interpretation is completely off base, but I don't know what else to make of the game. It's weird, disconnected, and off putting. So it fits the haunting scene aspect perfectly. As uncomfortable as it made me, I liked it.
I want to know how you came up with everything. Nothing seems connected through a theme but it feels purposeful.
Also, not sure if "Second conversation! This is a placeholder! Nothing important, just some monologuing" is intentional, lol.
Thanks for continuing with these reviews!
I'll respond with more detail later, but Paralysis Penguin is a mashup of many of my dreams. Grampa is a manifestation of my sleep paralysis, a sleep disorder I have.
I really like the things you wrote, and no interpretation is invalid, so no reason to apologize or anything! Cheers!
day 9 : the "why don't you answer me what have I done wrong ?" is SOOOOOOO MY MOTHER ! how do you know her ? :D :D :D
Episode 9 finished. It seems to me that this game was more narrative-focused. But it was interesting seeing that you can understand much of the plot only by SMS sent by his Mother. Very interesting indeed.
SMS
Game 9
I just stood in the corner and waited for texts to appear. I think the ringing is annoying but that’s how I feel about such things in real life as well. Same goes for alarm clock sounds.
Only thing that has any relatability with Christmas is that the place where the main character is staying is cold. I think having snow falling outside of the train would have been nice.
The tone of the game is overall kind of creepy and made me kind of scared of the mom. The music helped with this.
In the end I thought it was an original idea and it was great!
I've become obsessed with this collection, it's SO GOOD! Here's my playthrough of games 4-6!
Simple yet slightly tense game on this day, very nice!
As more games unlock, it’s interesting to see each developer’s approach to the season, and how it’s wildly different from one to the next. I think one of my new favorite elements to this collection is just how downright weird some of these games are.
Is this safe? There is no virus? You guys checked every 24 game?
I mean some games feel like viruses for your brain
These are all standard unity, unreal, and game-maker projects, all from well known and reputable community members in hps1. That said, when you bundle multiple EXEs in nested folders, sometimes antiviral software gets spooked!
Another Day, another Madvent Episode. That was good but a little bit confusing.
195 Hours in the Cold
Game 8
A unique game that I feel told me a little bit about the story of ones past. It has it’s own feel, and it’s a bit dark in terms of lighting. Throughout the game I kept asking myself who the hell is this guy talking about but you find out by the end.
In the beginning of the game I walked through the sliding door, only to be forced to walk out the other door because of some invisible wall. I then walked outwards into the snow until I hit an invisible wall because I thought that, that was what the game wanted me to do. I’m glad that the game didn’t let me walk too far but why are those doors even accessible? And to make matters a little worse, there’s another window/door that you can go into and actually walk around in the place that you tried to walk in before. Like what was the point of that? Anyways, it’s not actually a bit deal so whatever. What you were supposed though was open the front door which gives a cool effect but I feel like being able to walk into those other doors before weren’t needed.
You collect a bunch of things that look like florescent lights in this game. I remember being in his room and going into more rooms which lead to nothing but a sink and toilet. I kinda expected to find a florescent light in there but it’s a waste of time to even explore his room in general.
The text in the game disappears too fast. Hard to read the text when some last way longer than others like the first bit of dialogue that you read.
I dunno, this game was alright.
i love it so much 😍
HWAJILGUIJI
Game 7
I think this game is one of the best looking games with a unique style. It has music that reminds me of the something that sounds like it could have been from the 90’s and it works well with the game. I thought the amount of story in the game was pretty cool but still hard for me to know what I really liked about it other than it being strange.
The animations remind me of cboyardee or pilotredsun type of animations and style.
I don’t like walking up to a door to only have the door above me on the next level level. It makes it difficult for me to stop running since all I was trying to do when walking through the door was go up. So basically what happens is I go up into the door, in the next screen there is a door above me, I then exit the door that I tried to enter which is annoying. This happens when walking “right” into doors as well. I don’t like it.
The art was really good with the characters and stuff and how they moved. The animations and everything were neat.
Anyways, I felt that the game was pretty cool and the story about the substance was alright. Nice game!
Day 7 played. Really, this is interesting. On same vibe of some PS1 bizarre and obscure games and a little curious plot about reality distortion. I liked that.
Started playing this and I have to say its quite weird and I love it
Six 8 Six
I feel like there's more to this that I'm missing.
So the first time playing, I struggled to catch any fish, but I read all the dialog and waited out my demise. I liked the story, and how ominous whatever the event was. Somehow this frozen landscape is warmer than where ever the researchers are.
Having the screen get whiter as I get closer to death, making it harder to fish was a nice effect. I want to know more about who this person is.
I am a little confused about who they are, that they are part of the research team but apparently hated all the research.
That's also a really weird eating sound, but I liked the weirdness.
My second time playing, I paid attention to the title. "Six and Six" Six minutes to live, maybe I need six fish?
On my third playthrough I finally got the fishing mechanic. It's just time, and if you just cast the pole right on top of a fish they bite it, and you just wait for the bob to go down to reel it in. It's a really hard effect to see, and there's no sound effects for it.
I cook a fish, and see that the whiteness went down. Cool! I can eat fish and survive longer! Maybe there's more dialog.
So I keep catching fish, and get 6. Nothing happens. Okay, I just keep fishing and it seems like it just delays the dialog.
My next play through, I try walking away from everything. There's an invisible wall, and I die quickly.
Then I look at the title and now I can't tell if it's actually Six 8 Six or Six & Six, Now I'm just more confused and I feel like there's more to it!!!
So this was a neat little experience, and knowing the original prompt I wouldn't be surprised if there was nothing more, but it just *feels* like something is there.
HWAJILGUJI
I really liked the art direction in this game! It was so unique, the glitchiness and weird carboard cutouts with mismatched textures. I also love the surrealist, Zelda CDI esque cutscenes, they were super entertaining to watch.
I don't know if English is the creator's first language, because a lot of the dialog has odd word choice and grammar that doesn't feel intentional. Like, obviously "A magazine exists in your vision" is on purpose, but idk if "They doesn't know how they get here" doesn't. But it didn't bother me, I feel like it kinda adds to the odd nature of everything.
I thought the "The the the the the times" newspaper was funny. And the dialog kept me entertained, especially the oscillating guy, and Isabella telling me she manages all the supplies in a completely barren room.
I think the story is a *little* generic. Scientists makes chemicals that causes problems, I feel like there could have been a more interesting backstory to all of this. But I really do like the surrealist and complete destruction of the world it had.
Is there anything I can do for the guy looking to go home, or is that it?
I just wanna stress again that I really like the art direction. This felt like an actual PS1 game, especially the neon flashing arrows.
I also appreciate the sound design. Creepy, surreal, and most of all gives me feedback on what I am doing! Sound is so important! I was confused by the world, but not by the game mechanics themselves!
I didn't know you could actually catch the fish! Now I gotta go back and do that.
Six & Six dev here, a lil late but better than never I guess. There isn't more in the game, it's got a six-wheeled offroader stuck in the snow, it's on the sixth day and you can survive a maximum 6 minutes(unless you are a fish god).
Who the main character is is currently up to interpretation, which was done on purpose, it's meant to be a chill game where you can relax and fish(and yes, die).
Nice game and I am starting all the way back at #1 But I shall catch up. Took a bit of understanding the first game I played RIP but I got it and I think I am the only one to reach the ending? Anyway The stylish one and the prime time crew are going to spread the word of this awesome game keep it coming peeps at haunted ps1
my next part 😁
day 6 was oddly soothing...
dev here, glad to read this!
What a great idea! I'm so excited to play through as many of these as I can, here's the first three!
The sixth game was very interesting... Enjoying the last minutes of life before dying from hypothermia is a very weird way of face the imminent end of the world...
Six & Six
Game 6
You are in some winter landscape in front of a pool with fishes in them and you have a fishing pole. Trying to fish is hard and trying to read the dialogue that’s going on in the bottom of the screen while fishing is hard. Let alone with fishing being hard, I couldn’t catch anything. I don’t know if it’s because the fishing mechanic wasn’t actually implemented but it just doesn’t seem to work cause once it looks like a fish is caught and you try to reel it in, the fish unhooks itself. With no controls, it’s hard to know how to play.
And I had no idea if I was supposed to fish to continue the story and get the true ending. I saw a campfire and I kinda expected to fish to survive to get the true ending but it seems like the fishing was just there to be there and all you really had to do was stand and read the text, wait like 8 minutes and watch the screen go white and let the game end. I get it and to be honest, I prefer the game be that way. It’s just I was juggling fishing with trying to read the story and missing out on it.
you can actually catch and eat fish. but you die anyways.
Always happy to see new stuff from the haunted PS1!
hi, big thx for the great game. greetings from rosti 😍
Day 5 Concluded (I think...). Yep, this is more strange than the last game. I confess that until now I can't understand this game, but it was fun nevertheless.
Artist of a dead world
Game 5
I’m not exactly sure what I just played and where the theme of Christmas takes part in. I’m not a fan of the huge warping of textures and something about the game feels modern. I would say that it has to do with the textures. Usually when I play old ps1 looking indie games, I want to feel nostalgic and imagine that the game could have been released back in the day. Also, I just love low poly looking games.
I would say that the sound design is really good and the way that they did the lighting was really good as well! It goes from dark to light and the use of many colours was really nice! I think the character art was nice as well and I liked the way that they talked.
I felt that a lot of the game felt cut off and it felt very limited but even though it stays true to what the story was about, I was kinda expecting to open doors and find keys.
I would like to say that I’m thankful for being brought back to life after falling in the pit.
Neat little game.
With the knowledge that the original prompt was to create a haunting scene, I am approaching these games with a different mindset that I am enjoying much more. I'm not necessarily looking for a fun, mechanically driven experience, more so just *an* interesting experience
December 3rd
I have now replayed this game, and I appreciate it a lot more.
I like the atmosphere, the first prompt I get to see being a way to commit suicide I still love, it perfectly sets the mood for the game.
I think the aimless wandering around the sea is the point, and it certainly had an effect on me, but I found handling the boat to be awkward. It was really hard to see out the window, the snow and it being night felt intended, but the personal light on the first person controller would glare and make it almost impossible to see out the window. The perspective was also completely different when standing up, that I'd see something in the distance, start driving, and get completely lost because now it's obscured.
I liked the story, I think circling back to the lighthouse is cool. Almost makes me feel like I'm just exploring the mind of this depressed person, clouded, disconnected thoughts with the one certain, clearest thing being a memory from childhood, that we always come back to. We can clearly remember everything before the incident, but the incident is foggy and we have to do searching to find it.
Or maybe I'm reading entirely too much into it. Death to the author I guess.
Artists of a Dead World
Oh I really like this one. I think this finally gave me that resolution that I was looking for. Of course, not everything was explained, but that's not really what I wanted, I wanted the interesting part of the experience to continue past the first drop.
At first I just explored every room I could, until I got caught by those guards and kicked out of the game. Then I go back in, intrigued, noticing areas I couldn't get into last time. I realize that I can jump really high, and make my way into that hidden room, with the girl who tells me that maybe I can get to other places.
This feels like a really subtle and hidden tutorial. I noticed that I probably *could* make it up there, and when I do the game tells me to do it some more.
I found the thing that speaks in that weird font, I took a screenshot, and continued on. I jump over the gate, get into the green room, do the parkour, and take a screenshot of the next font message.
I looked at the game credits, found the font, and decoded my screenshots. That part was so awesome. It really made an impact on me. I go back in the game and see its all corrupted.
Anyways, I won't just walk through my entire experience, but I am really happy that this game required multiple playthroughs, and the interesting parts kept going. I liked the idea behind this horribleness happening because of my own curiosity (very Undertaley). Even though I don't know what's going on with these districts and characters (maybe I missed something), I am still content with an experience that went beyond the very first interesting thing. Very well done!
And another thing, I think the art is really cute and I liked it a lot.
I will say, that my one issue is the parkour sequence in the room with the giant pit. Jumping on those lampposts is the most finnicky thing I've ever done, and it was really frustrating to miss a jump that I could barely tell I was making, or to make it and just slip off by a pixel.
You got over the fence in the room with the computer? Please share how, I've been trying for minutes now.
How do you get over the gate!? I've been trying for a while but no luck so far.
When you walk into the room, on the left corner there is a little lip on the wall that you can stand on. If you run and jump from there, you'll get to the fence. If you just spam jump while on the fence, there's apparently some part you can jump on and it gets you over the fence.
Thanks! I'll try again.
I did it like he said, but I would recommend that you should try to hug the wall
wow! i really didn't expect people to find the secrets on their own and even go as far as to decode messages. so glad you liked it and found everything! 🖤
it has a cool style and feels spooky, keep it up!
Really enjoyed the art style and how the world changed. Amazing work! I will have to keep an eye for any new releases from you.
I absolutely loved it! Just to make sure I didnt miss anything: is the 4th restart the end of the game?
yes, there are a total of 4 endings where the game quits
Really enjoyed the game, thanks for making! You like croutons?
they r fun
It felt like there were just enough clues hinting toward something else under the surface, and pretty clear signposts letting me know I was on the right track. It was really nice to know precisely when I'd seen everything, too. It's a really tight experience with great flow, and it comes together incredibly well despite being obtuse and cryptic.
Very intrigued by this collection so far and enjoy checking out a short game every day. RIP was really cool, once I figured out the mechanics of it. Screenplay in Autumn was a really cool concept, but it felt like could've been longer and felt disappointed that that was it. December 3 was an interesting concept, but I could hardly find anything to remember and since the graphics were making me a bit sick, I called it quits on that one.
Godforsaken Hole Called... was one that I, surprisingly, enjoyed. I don't usually enjoy mazes, but something about this one kept me going to see what was at the end. And Artists of a Dead World is my favourite one so far, I kept restarting that one to find out more about the world. I still haven't figured it all out yet, but I look forward to it.