Hi! Thanks for sending the link to your game! I'll start with the positives:

1. The VHS filter is great, setting a distinct atmosphere for the game. It’s pretty intense, but I think it fits perfectly for a game like this.
2. It’s cool that there's some voice acting. There may not be much, but it adds something to the experience.
3. Great sound effects. Windows have one sound, doors another. There's quite a lot of sound variety, which is a plus.
4. Not a bad storyline. It’s simple but includes a plot twist, which is always a good addition.
5. The jump scare literally scared the pants off me! Big points for that.

Now, for the downsides:

1. The visual style is a bit rough. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but I think the characters could look scarier, and the environment less cartoonish.
2. I spent a long time looking for the knife. I think I searched the house five times but couldn’t find it. It turns out it was on the table, blending with the table’s texture, and the table was in the dark. It would’ve been helpful if the table had a light on it.
3. I didn’t really like that the keys for the doors just appear out of nowhere. I understand that it’s a game trigger and that you can’t let players into certain rooms too soon, but it could’ve been handled more smoothly.

Overall: The game is short but spooky. The jump scares are pants-wettingly effective, and the plot twist works pretty well. It might’ve helped to focus more on the quest logic, especially finding the keys, and I would’ve loved a little cutscene at the end, showing the protagonist sneaking into the house and killing people. Thanks for sharing the game—it was awesome to play!

I would also appreciate it if you would play our game https://itch.io/jam/scream-jam-2024/rate/3038320

Hi! Thank you for sending the link to your game! I'll start with the positives:

Positives:

1. It’s great that you made a cutscene at the beginning of the game. It’s clear right away what’s happening and how we ended up in the creepy house.
2. Good character animation. The animations are smooth and blend well together, although the heroine hunches a bit awkwardly while running.
3. It’s nice that there are detailed settings. Being able to customize the game is always a plus.

Negatives:

1. The text is broken and unpolished. First, it appears very quickly and also disappears quickly. At times, the text takes up half the screen, making it hard to read. Occasionally, the camera first shows the car and then the character, which seems odd.
2. While there is SFX, unfortunately, it’s broken. Sometimes sounds play multiple times, stacking over each other and ruining the atmosphere.
3. There are rooms with lamps that have an Emission material applied, but there’s no light coming from them, which looks strange.
4. Why include space under the house if the player can easily get stuck there? I had to restart the game twice because I got trapped.
5. The UI decisions are very odd. I was shown a list of all possible events on the map, and it took up nearly a quarter of the screen. Why not make this a separate window? I also didn’t understand how to select options in the list; sometimes it would let me, but it felt random.
6. I didn’t understand the game’s purpose. If it’s a Phasmophobia-style mechanic, how does it end? There are no enemies or threats. After I made a selection from the list, the game just restarted. Overall, the game feels broken.

Conclusion: A strange game—I can’t say I enjoyed it. The overcomplicated controls gave me hope it would be interesting, but only about 30% of the buttons seem to work. It feels like the game doesn’t have a clear sense of purpose. I don’t understand what we’re supposed to be doing or what the goal is. In any case, I hope my review isn’t too harsh and that maybe in the next game jam, you’ll make a much better game! Thank you for the game.

Hi! Thanks for sharing the game!

Positives:

1. Nice graphics, styled well to resemble PS1-era games, which suits the game perfectly.
2. Great sounds and SFX that add to the creepiness, especially the strange breathing from the fridge.
3. The game is quite eerie, even without monsters or supernatural elements. I like that it feels grounded, with situations that could happen to anyone.
4. Cool concept focusing on work and everyday life—spooky work stories are fascinating material.

Negatives:

1. It could use a progress bar for holding buttons, which would improve the experience.
2. The font wasn’t ideal. Plain white text would be easier to read than the green.
3. There’s a lot of text, especially in dialogues. The prologue text should appear instantly, as the animated text makes it hard to read.

Conclusion: The game is engaging, with a grounded story that feels unique. It almost seems like a real-life experience that inspired the developer to share it. I hope I’m wrong about that! Thanks for the game!

I would also appreciate it if you would play our game https://itch.io/jam/scream-jam-2024/rate/3038320

Hi! Thank you for sending the link to your game!

Positives:

1. The visuals and style are very cool. I love the graphics reminiscent of old PS1-era retro games, and that vibe definitely comes through in this game.
2. I liked the animation and font style of the text. It’s not too large and leaves room for the player’s imagination.
3. I really liked how you implemented the camera mechanic. The slight movement of the photo in space when we tilt the camera is a fantastic detail.
4. The sounds are creepy and well-done. I enjoyed your SFX.
5. The game is genuinely scary, and a couple of moments with ghosts sent chills down my spine. This game made me nervous at times!
6. The situations and photos were truly unsettling. I was especially impressed by the scary face that clearly wasn’t a 3D model, yet it still managed to scare me.
7. The setup and story of the game are great. I like that there’s room for players to piece together what happened on their own. I also appreciate that you tell the story through the environment rather than text.
8. The final jump scare was very well-executed and directed. It felt like a planned scene. Even though I knew where it was going, I was still scared at the end.

Negatives:

1. None.

Conclusion: Out of all the games I’ve reviewed, this is the only one with no negatives, at least for me. Every aspect is well-crafted, and I have nothing to criticize. It might be nice to add some music to the game—for instance, a gramophone playing a melody that could also feature in the main menu. Overall, for a short timeframe, this is an exemplary game, and everyone should play it to see what’s possible within a short jam. Thank you for sharing your game.

I also hope that you will play our game! https://itch.io/jam/scream-jam-2024/rate/3038320

I won’t be voting for your game because I’m not too fond of the fact that you submit it to every game jam. I also found it rather strange that you are listed as the developer of two games in the same jam. If that’s really the case, maybe it would’ve been better for everyone to focus on just one game?

From what I understand, you haven’t read my review? If you look for your previous message here, you’ll see that I already wrote a review. Please read it.