Hello! :)
Thank you very much for taking the time to play the game and for writing such a detailed feedback - I really appreciate it.
- I'm glad you enjoyed the atmosphere, and that you picked up on the Silent Hill vibes. Aesthetic and mood have been a big focus for me, so that means a lot :)
- You're right about the centered expanding text - it was a bit of a risky choice. I'll be reviewing that soon, as readability should definitely come first in a story driven game.
- Thank you for pointing out that the disclaimer is a bit too fast: I wasn't really sure about that.
- Regarding controls, I agree. I developed most of the game with a controller in mind, and I underestimated how tiring repeated SHIFT inputs could be on keyboard with a pinkie. That's a great catch. I've already uploaded a new build where rolling is mapped to SPACE instead (which also aligns better with games like Enter the Gungeon).
- About the inactive enemies and the heartbeat: I understand the confusion. The intention is to have more subtle interactions with NPCs outside of cutscenes, but that system isn't fully implemented in this demo yet. Right now it can definitely feel unclear, and I see how it might come across as a bug rather than intentional design.
- Sorry about the issue with the signposts - I know that can be frustrating. They currently reset when moving away, but other testers also found this unclear, so I'm planning to review that system.
- Regarding the ESC key: it's technically not a bug, since the inventory is part of the pause menu, but I understand how it can feel unintuitive in that context. I'll take another look at that behavior and see if it can be clearer.
- You're also absolutely right about switches and levers - clarity there still needs improvement. I'm exploring ways to better communicate changes (like camera feedback or other cues) without breaking immersion.
I'm really glad you stayed interested throughout, even with the friction points. That's honestly very encouraging! :)
And thank you again - your feedback is extremely helpful. You actually pointed out several things I was already thinking about or working on, which is reassuring. Working solo on a project for a long time can make it hard to tell if you're heading in the right direction, so this kind of feedback really helps :)
Hope you'll give the updated version a try! :)