The Piano Sitter is unlike any game that I have seen before in this genre. The ominous music that is present from the start, instantly sets the tone for what the game play will look like. Though, the game does not live up to normal horror game expectations or parameters, and for this it makes the game stronger. I found myself expecting a jump scare while I was following along with the music, as I missed quite a few keys in my playing. I’m not a fan of horror games that skip over the build up of tension that comes with the uncertainty of the game play, as seen here with the music and note left for the player. We don’t know what is happening, what will happen if we make a mistake or what will happen if we succeed. The imagery also adds to the uncertainty of the game, as I found myself wondering who is displayed above the piano, if it was their son they spoke of, because it almost appeared unhuman. This, with the music and tension of the atmosphere it all created, left me with a sense of eerie prying into something I felt wasn’t for me.
As for the game play, it is reminiscent of the Guitar Hero franchise that I grew up playing, and for that I was instantly a fan. I was able to pick up game controls quickly, though written in the introduction they were somewhat wordy and confusing. This aside, I enjoyed the game and how it brought a horror narrative to a game play that relies on the players complete attention to succeed. This amount of focus that I had to dedicate towards the game is what had me on end, as it felt like something might come out at any moment while the game had my undivided attention. I think the game could benefit in some aspects for the piano playing, however doing so could alter some of the games overall feeling. Having the keys that needed to be pressed be displayed ahead of time, would help in pressing them at the exact moment; As it is currently the player has to go into the game play blind. However, by not having them displayed ahead of time, also adds to the inherent uncertainty of the game. Even having played it twice through, I did not know which keys to expect per each song and so made the tension of the gameplay greater than if I had known what was coming. So, adding this could have dual effects, making it easier to follow along, but also perhaps not as haunting. I could also see aspects being added to this game, such as searching for the piano notes, as mentioned in the opening title, and waiting for the parents to arrive. This game has great potential for future additions to it and I am interested to see where it is taken.