Madvent Calendar 5 : Post Mortem
A downloadable game for Windows
Guess whoโs back …
Itโs been two years of unending silence since the fall of the North Pole.
With no one to shepherd the flock, the world has only grown colder.
But a new voice beckons, tinged with rust and merriment.
Following the call, you venture North again, past the endless tracks and
ruined factories, finding an old dilapidated postal station, isolated in time.
The Stars align and the Pyres need tending.
Gather 24 Dreams to light the way.
They say dead is better, but Madvent is the exception.
"...it's just weird enough to become a Christmas tradition." - CBR
"...a shooter? A fishing game? ... open yourself up to whatever comes and let the fear wash over you." - Indie Game +
Organized by DinoBit16 & Alexander Kroot
Special thanks to Vladimere Lhore for previous years.
Launcher Code Base by colter. itch.io CSS by iwilliams.
Plus countless game, art, and music contributions by many talented members of The Haunted PS1 Community!
(full credits in launcher!)
If you download the Madvent Calendar through the itch.io app, you'll automatically get any future updates or bug fixes. If you experience any problems with the download from this page, check to see if a new version has been released!
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Not really understanding the negativity. Previous Madvents had broken and unfinished games too, as would be expected from what it is: a collection of small games put together by devs of wildly varying experience levels in a short time. Quantum Reindeer is an absurdly well polished outlier.
Frankly, it's a miracle things like this get made at all considering organizing unpaid devs is often compared to herding cats. I, for one, appreciate the work that goes in to giving me a free little digital treat to open every day of December.
I feel the same. I appreciate Madvent and the Demo Discs whenever we can get them. I love these games!
Made a video
I've enjoyed some of the other madvent packs, but this one honestly is bad and I don't wanna complete it. only 2 good games so far, and a dozen plus games that are either barely concepts, unplayable, or completely broken.
this year is meh
very meh compaired to previous years imo
Just FYI: Day 10 (Into Cathedral) is NOT running properly. It seems to load then immediately force quit. I was able to manually run the game by going into the Games folder.
Is this like a godot engine problem? didn't seem other ppl have this issue. But I can't run all the godot engine games without the graphic being pitch black... Is that because I run them on a AMD GPU? (RX 6750 GRE 12GB)
Hi! There is a known issue with AMD GPU's on older driver versions causing black screens in Godot Games. I believe AMD has already fixed the issue so I would recommend updating your drivers and trying again. Let me know if that helps, and happy holidays!
Thanks! I made some search and it seems Version 25.6.2 is the last Version that have no issue with this
๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ 8'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐)? ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐! ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
Warning: We are breached. Follow containment procedures. Anything else is secondary.
Day2: "Missing numbers can be counted on, until they're no longer missing." *Maybe the cups?*
Day3: "Why choose a dessert when you can have them all, as a Starter" *Something about the chart of desserts?*
Day1: "Answers can be framed in not just the words we see in what is lost" *It might be color or perhaps something in the picture?*
Day4: "Nothing is at seems. Puzzles aren't puzzles and colors aren't colors." *Maybe it's an order or maybe letters? Perhaps the puzzleโs a decoder or something?*
Day5: "Three overlapping words is all takes. Make sure you get the right words"
Day6: "Be careful, there was no pie, it was gelato. Not primates but in your prime..."
Green: England - London, Red: France - Paris, Orange/Yellow: Switzerland - Bern, White: Austria - Vienna /or/ Budapest
Link to this image: 1920s Overland Limited Brochure on Train Conveniences
This image is of a photograph or print titled Old Steam Locomotive No. 97 by Gary Heller.
Link to this image: Old Steam Locomotive NO. 97, Fine Art Photograph, Signed Print, Trains, Railroad, Antique Steam Engine, Industrial and Nostalgic
The painting "Silent Night" (also known as "Merry Christmas" or "Juleaften"), created in 1891 by Danish artist Viggo Johansen
Itโs a painting titled Warmond Castle in a Winter Landscape, created by the Dutch artist Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraten between 1661 and 1665.
What I can guess is that there's a rug in the cabin that's red, and next to it is football gear, but this is Old-Timey and British, so it's rugby! Now the rug is red, so... red B? B's red, I think?
The only things I can make sense out of this is that it says ape and the Pecan pie is actually Pecan gelato.
If it has something to do with 67, Iโm throwing the game!
CGA Sanshiro in the HPS1 server said they solved it, that it is solvable. Thanks for putting all the clues together. This will be very useful for others in trying to solve it! (Me, I still need to give it another crack.)
Has anyone managed to solve it, and can put up a solution? I liked the game anyway, but the puzzle eludes me still...
I posted a solution to the puzzle as separate reply to the above comment. Mild SPOILERS: It gives you a different ending, but you can't go through the locked door, as far as I can tell. It's possible that there could be another solution that could unlock the door, but I'm not aware of one.
This is the working solution that I got (pictured below). I'll post my reasoning for each color beneath the image. Mild SPOILERS: It gives you a different ending, but It doesn't open the door, unfortunately.
SPOILERS FOR THE PUZZLE SOLUTION:
Going counterclockwise from 'F':
- F
- Orange: I got the solution from the "_15_" puzzle. If you count the items on each side (6 bottles on the left and 7 cups on the right) and then translate each number to letters (taking 15 as one number), you get 6=F, 15=O, and 7=G, making the word "FOG." "FOG" translates to the 'F' and 'G' in the puzzle, making the middle 'O' for "orange." That means the color for that "Lane" between 'F' and 'G' will be orange.
- G, Red, O, White: This is the next 4 characters. The map shows 4 nodes colored green, red, orange, and white, connected by a line. This can translate to "G - R - O - W." We have a 'G' and an 'O' already, making the two corresponding "Lanes" 'R' and 'W,' or "red" and "white" (I originally interpreted the orange on the map as yellow and the "white" color in the puzzle as beige, so I was a little unsure about this one).
- B
- Yellow: I used the pictures in the room to solve this puzzle. One seemed to be a picture of a rug, for "RUG," and the other seemed like a picture of rugby gear, for "RUGBY." I'm not sure I quite understand this one, but my guess was to take the word "RUGBY" and remove the word "RUG" from it, to get the word "BY." Using the earlier methods, we can translate the 'Y' to "yellow" and put it next to the 'B' in the puzzle.
- A
- Purple: For this color, I used the dessert menu. By taking the first, highlighted letters from "Apple Strudel," Pecan Pie," and "Eclair," we get "APE," meaning that 'P' goes in between 'A' and 'E' in the puzzle. Like previously, we can substitute "purple" for 'P,' giving us the last color, purple, in between 'A' and 'E.'
- E
I'm not sure if the door openable, but I couldn't find out how to open it. Maybe there's some other solution to the puzzle that opens the door, or maybe it's just a trick or decoration. Maybe there's something else to interact with that can open it? I have no idea, and I'm not sure how hard I'll try to find out.
Quantum Reindeer was the obvious standout here. There were maybe three other games that functioned as playable games. Most in this collection are either barely concepts of a game, don't work at all, have disclaimers that they're intentionally unfinished nothings, or seem like somebody's first time booting up a game maker. Having played a few Haunted PS1 collections, Madvent 5 is pretty embarrassing overall.
Yeah honestly I've felt this with the last demo disc as well. Especially with how underwhelming the launcher was compared to both the museum and mall before it. Are they just running low on quality developers? Moreover the thematic disparity of some of the games is off putting , many aren't even holiday based, and while I understand this is less about the aesthetic of the PS1 as opposed to the demo discs, I feel as though RPG maker games and the like are completely out of place, if not to remark on the low quality, (and effort) some of them exhibit.
I should make it clear, this is free, they get nothing from putting it out. I get that. My problem with it is, what COULD they be getting out of it if they so desired? often exposure and the community would answer my questions, but truthfully I don't think this has the same effect. Do they imagine putting out a 3 minute slide show of nothing vs the aforementioned Quantum Reindeer would actually get them noticed? Or that it even contributed more than a, "oh whatever" from the people playing? Most importantly though, free or not, don't you want to put something out there that you would be proud of? Is showing people that you were content enough with the quality of your work, and THESE are the result. Going to do anything other than show them you are proud of below mediocre performance from your games?
Again this is Madvent, pretty different standards from the demo discs, so I hope those who participated did so only for fun, because in many cases, they are the only ones who actually had any. I enjoyed a part of what was there, I don't regret playing or downloading, what I will say though, is that I hope this isn't a sign for the next possible demo discs quality, because if it is, then personally I'd rather we not have anymore.
big retweet. hopefully they can up the quality again in the future cos this calendar was a huge disappointment. will be back for the next one anyway because i still have hope left but if this is gonna be the new standard i cant say i will continue :(
edit: maybe @Vladimere Lhore is our saving grace in the future? <3
christmas is so cool like the game
lets gooooo
version 8 did nothing to fix day 5's game
Hi everyone! Voice of Willow from Quantum Reindeer here! I have never gotten to participate in an event like this before and am only just discovering this tradition - HOW COOL IS ALL THIS?! I hope you all have fun and a huge thank you to all of the creators who contributed to this project! <3
You killed it! Loved that game, and the quality of the voice acting really impressed me.
Thank you so much! I'm trying to convince John that he should make it into a full game, I was really floored by what he accomplished.
You all really should! He's got a great foundation already. I know I'd love to play it!
Your whole team absolutely rocked it. Loved your voice characterization for Willow too!
๐ฐ ๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐5?
neither im stuck on "get dinner from the fridge" i get it then nothing im just stuck with it in my hand
lol
Me three (or five, judging from some other reports earlier?). At first I thought it might be because I did some extra stuff out of order (looking in the fridge early, flipping lights on in the bedroom), but even the bare minimum instruction following seems to hit a wall once you pull the bowl out of the fridge.
One place you don't hit a wall is walking out the front door, btw, might want something to at least reset the player to the apartment if they fall off there, or an invisible wall with an "I can't leave yet since Janet's coming" comment, I dunno.
Also might help if the character mentions where they keep their Xmas decor, I was wandering around for a minute or two before I noticed where the prompt was popping up.
couldnt have worded all my thoughts better.
Thank you for patching in the ability to deposit dinner and the little explainer. No hard feelings, sometimes you can't finish a jam game. I did really like the apartment layout though, I'd kill for a nice view with bigass windows behind my workstation.
Dovah told me to play this game (because someone close to him helped make it), so I'll be playing it tomorrow. Expect me to piss myself and also cry and also probably break your game. Thank you.
I'll be honest, a good deal of the games aren't working. And those that are? like a 50\50 they don't run like garbage. Mouse sensitivity was a big issue overall. However technical issues asides the launcher and the games that do work are great. Won't rate it proper till it gets a tune up, but I felt the need to say something at least. Keep up the good work, and happy holidays!
We're working on it.
I'm finally playing a madvent calendar this year, really excited for it! I got stuck in Demonic Christmas after getting the food from the fridge - anyone else? the prompt didn't change after I grabbed it.
same! there are some other bugs throughout so im hoping the devs will patch soon
Awesome, thanks to hauntedps1 and all the devs!
YEEEAAAAAASSS FINALLY
tis the season..so happy to have a new madvent calendar
Oh my god
I hope Wales is okay?
Of course, the wales can swim.
My partner and I are gonna treat this like a real advent calendar this year, we're excited...
fuck yes
im not exaggerating when i say this, a madvent calendar always makes christmas time more exciting/jolly, thanks for bringing back the tradition. fills my heart with happyness for real <3
Huh I kind of thought you guys stoped doing this but can't say I'm not happy to see it
you guys don't know how excited i am to play all of these!! thanks so much for coming back <3
I am so happy to see madvent calendar is here another year! It's become a christmas tradition for me and I was sad that it was ending. I hope the developers have a great holiday.
very happy to see this return!
day 22, i am sorry but it's way too ridged and strict
Yes! I'm so excited
It's here! Congrats all on the release...and Season's Greason's!
I have never been more excited let's GO
LET'S FUCKING GO!!!
It's Madvent time yet again! Thank you to all the developers and contributors for this collection!
OUGHUOGGHHHH MERRY TRANSMAS HAVE A GREAT MADVENT CHEERS TO EVERYONE THAT WORKED ON IT
Super glad I got to be a part of Madvent this time! Happy holidays everyone!
when the vent is mad?
its madventing time
Merry Madvent everyone!
ill be seeing you