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I closed the game down for a minute after dying so I could pass on some thoughts: For me, at least, the sound isn't very well-calibrated, which is definitely my largest criticism. Certain sound effects are strangely loud while important sound cues forced me to turn up my headphones quite a bit to hear them. The VHS tapes in particular were a problem, especially the first one found downstairs--the piano background music completely drowned out what the lady was saying, so I was missing crucial information on how to...well, not die. Which is why I'm here, looking through the comments for a clue on what to do when I hear Spooky Breathing.

However, I think I know what I did wrong, and I'm about to go back in, because in spite of the sound difficulties (as well as some pathing issues, but other people have already mentioned those) I'm really enjoying this. The shifting environment is just lovely, disorienting in all the right ways; several times I caught myself looking at some detail and thinking, "Is that new? Or did I just not notice it before?" You have a real knack for knowing when to change things a lot and when to change them juuuust a little, giving these excellent touches of subtlety to environment as well. The upstairs bathroom is another place where subtlety really shines here--when you see a trail of blood in a horror game, you're inclined to leap right to the most nightmarish imagery you can devise, but when the door opens, it's just...a brain. Sitting alone on the floor, looking very small and sad, almost mundane. This tiny stark reminder of the whole premise of the game: the house may seem like an antagonist, opposing your every move, but it's not. In the end it's just you in the center of a collapsing mind.

tl;dr:

I just finished the early access and I really dig what you've brought to the table here--conceptually, the idea of a time-displaced ghost putting together the pieces of her own murder before it happens is excellent. I have a small novel of thoughts for you.

(fyi, spoiler alert for people who want to play this demo blind!) The environments in this demo were, for me, absolutely the best part; while the locations are a bit too clean to feel believably lived-in (which is totally understandable for a demo/proof-of-concept anyway), you show off a really sophisticated grasp of how to use color and lighting to your advantage. Sound, too. The bit in the hallway, with the breathing? Amazing. Legitimately unsettling. Honestly, there are a ton of little visual touches in here that are just so good, I could go on for a bit. Like all my favorite horror, you emphasize atmosphere over cheap jump scares.

On the other hand, I think the single greatest flaw in the demo as it stands is the writing. The newspaper articles aren't written in a journalistic style that feels authentic. The text exchanges are stilted. Most egregiously, the journal entries feel more like bland exposition than anything a grieving mother would actually write. It's easy to see that visual art comes more naturally to you than written art, which is great! For a horror game, good strong visuals/atmosphere is the most important part imo, but if you really want this to shine on all fronts, I'd suggest enlisting some friends/writer-y people to help out with the written portions.

Of course, I'm just some rando schmuck on the internet, and I'm a Known Snob about writing shit, so what do I know?

The tl;dr here is: Written portions need work but this is so good, excellent atmosphere and visuals, well worth the experience, and I'll happily play any longer/finished version you come out with!!