I wanted to announce that I just released a Blind and Low Vision mode to my audio-based puzzle horror game, Peek, in case there are any visually impaired gamers out there that want some more horror-themed action. 

To be completely transparent, though this game is horror themed, it is a (first person) puzzle game first. There are no chase sequences, combat systems, or anything like that. It's more about atmospheric tension while sitting alone in a quiet room.

Peek is an audio-deduction horror puzzle game where you sit in the middle of a 5×5 ritual grid and listen to the sounds left by a spirit as she moves around you.

Each square has its own unique sound, and the spirit also leaves special relic clues along her path. Once her turn is complete, your job is to remember where those sounds occurred and place the correct relics on the correct squares to complete the ritual.

I released this game last month on Steam and figured that the next logical step for an audio-based game was to make it playable without relying on visuals altogether, so I hammered down on that and got it going. 

Blind and low-vision player players from the audiogames.net forum were very helpful in testing the game and providing feedback to me along the way, so much props to the folks over there.

The mode is available in both the full game and the demo. It's here if you want to check it out:

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek

Thank you. Yeah I'm waiting to post on audiogames.net...you have to post in the introduction forum and be be unlocked by a mod to post on the main sub forums, and I posted the other day and am just waiting at this point. But that certainly does seem like the best place to get feedback. 

Thankfully I was able to make the game work without any use of the mouse at all. It's fully keyboard with audio narrated instructions (though I can probably remove a key or too and slim the controls down). 

The main puzzle loop takes place olin a single room and is grid based, so rather than the player wandering the room, they just use WASD to explore the grid from a static position. 

We'll see! Dying to post on audiogames though. 

Hello all,

Peek is an audio-deduction puzzle game in a horror skin, where you sit in the middle of a 5x5 ritual grid and listen to sound clues left by a spirit as she walks around you, and then place relics on those squares in order to complete a ritual.

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek/ 

The game has visuals in it, but I figured since the core loop is audio deduction, I would try to make a version that could be played entirely without them, and I'd love to get some feedback from people with experience playing blind and low vision accessible/audio-first games (or of course, you can just play it if you want normally).

The idea is to create a mode that is playable without any visuals at all (though there are large prompts for those with low vision). 

I am interested in any feedback, namely:

-Is the tutorial/training clear enough?

-Are the grid readouts understandable?

-Are the controls reasonable?

-Is the amount of narration helpful or annoying?

-Are there moments where the game assumes sight without meaning to?

-Are the audio cues distinct enough?

-Does the mode feel playable, or only technically functional?

Thanks!

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek/

Thanks a lot! I appreciate everything!

Hello all,

I just released an Alpha build of Milk Run: Tiles Over Europe, a WWII bomber-themed Match 3 game inspired by You Must Build a Boat and 10000000.  Make matches of different tile types to shoot down enemy planes and survive the onslaught on the way to the bomb run. 

https://andymetoo.itch.io/milk-run

The game currently features:

• 16 playable missions
• meta progression including upgrades and crew assignment
• recon missions and mission modifiers
• fast-paced sliding match 3 gameplay
• sweet SFX

Why an Alpha?

The game's puzzle board mechanics are pretty much in place, but I need some feedback on the difficulty and economy curves. Expect some rough edges, but the game is probably more polished than what you'd expect from an "alpha". Again, I'm looking for some balancing and progression feedback, so if you'd like to dive in and give the game a go I'd really appreciate it!

https://andymetoo.itch.io/milk-run

Hello all, 

I'm making an audio-driven horror game called Peek. The demo is out now if you want to check it out. 

Close your eyes in the center of a 5x5 ritual grid and listen to clues as the spirit walks around you. Use those clues later to place relics in appropriate grid spaces and complete the ritual. 

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek

If you're down to try something new with the horror genre, I'd love to hear your feedback! 

An audio-deduction horror game where the best way to play is to close your eyes.

Try PEEK, the horror puzzle game that you play with your ears.

**This game features immersive spatial audio, and listening closely is the core gameplay mechanic. Headphones/earbuds are STRONGLY recommended to survive.**

Peek is an audio-driven horror puzzle game where you must track a restless spirit by listening to the room around you. During tense ritual rounds, a spirit stalks the darkness while its location is revealed through the sounds of the environment. Close your eyes and listen carefully. Use spatial audio to sense her direction, but rely on the environment to mentally map her exact path. Deduce where she leaves her clues, then open your eyes to place the correct relics and banish her!

Check PEEK out here!

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek

Hello all, 

Hello all,

My name is Andy and I am the indie solo dev of a game called Peek. The game is a spatial audio driven deduction horror puzzle game where you use 3D sound clues from a spirit walking sound you in order to perform an exorcism.

I've just had a major update to my demo and plan on releasing it in mid March. If you'd like to try a new, unique mechanic in a horror game is w be honored if you'd give it a shot!

Check it out here:

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek

Hey all,

Welp, we're coming around to Next Fest and trying to get everything in order! I'm pretty proud of the work I've done on my game Peek, having semi-necroed it from the dead and working my buns off these past few weeks to try to get everything in order. I've just released a MAJOR update to the demo that fixes MANY of the previous issues and turns the game into an actually enjoyable experience. Full version coming out in early March!

A lot of horror games on here involve darkness, flashlights, note collecting, VHS filters, and doing chores (not that there's anything wrong with any of that!), but I tried to make something a bit different here and use spatial audio as a main game-driving mechanic. So make sure you have your headphones ready!

Here's the itch link: PEEK on itch.io

Or, if Steam is more your speed: PEEK on Steam

Trailer on YouTube:PEEK on Steam

From the itch description:

Peek is an atmospheric, sound-driven deduction horror game that relies heavily on spatial audio to uncover clues. In this ritual-based survival experience, a restless presence stalks the room in tense rounds, leaving audio clues on specific, chosen squares as she walks around you. Close your eyes, listen carefully, and track the direction, distance, and nature of each sound to piece together the ritual and end her pain in this game of audio-pattern deduction. 

THE RITUAL: Kneeling in the center of a 5x5 grid of blessed salts, you must engage in a terrifying exchange of "Horror Simon."

• Listen: The spirit moves throughout the room, triggering each square's unique audio clue: a squeaky floorboard, a blood-soaked rug, hanging windchimes, and more...
• Pinpoint: Identify her pattern. Map her movements on the grid using only your ears, listening as she makes key sounds on specific squares.
• Bind: Place the correct relics on the active tiles to exorcise the room of her presence. 
• Survive: If you make too many mistakes, the room may be your final resting place, as well!

I'd love it if you would check it out and tell me what you think!

Andy (Loyal Mussy)

Hello all,

In preparation for Steam Next fest, I just realized a large update to the demo for my game Peek, a spatial audio-based audio deduction game. 

Peek is an atmospheric, sound-driven deduction horror game that relies heavily on spatial audio to uncover clues. In this ritual-based survival experience, a restless presence stalks the room in tense rounds, leaving audio clues in all directions around you. Close your eyes, listen carefully, and track the direction, distance, and nature of each sound to piece together the ritual and end her pain in this game of audio-pattern deduction. 

It would mean a lot if you'd give it a go and try some unique mechanics in a horror game!

Cheers!

https://andymetoo.itch.io/peek

I'm glad your stress has been melted away.

I just released a Web game, Horse-Mower. Drag the lawn mower from behind you and mow the lawn as a horse. It's not to be taken too seriously, but surely it's worth 45 seconds of your time? It even has an original theme song, with vocals performed by yours truly (in my car in the parking lot of my work during lunch break). 

Gallop. Mow. Run free.

Please enjoy...Horse-Mower.

https://andymetoo.itch.io/horse-mower

Thanks a lot for taking the time to check it out!

I like the art style a lot!

Thanks a lot for taking the time to check it out! I really appreiwit and can't wait to check out the video. Happy new year!

Sorry the rage was building! Thanks a lot for taking the time to check it out. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

Thanks for checking it out! Can't wait to see the vid.

Thanks a lot for your playthrough and for giving it a shot. I just mentioned this in another comment, but I did release an update that O hope helped to fix some of these frustrations. Glad you eventually got it working!

Thanks a lot for checking it out and I can't wait to check out the video! Not sure which version you may have had downloaded, but I released an update a couple of days ago that *hopefully* cleared up some of those errors.

Anyway, thanks again!

Thanks a lot for playing! Appreciate your time in checking it out and I am glad that you liked it. Have a great week!

Thanks a lot for playing and for the feedback. The controls were definitely something I think I just got used to after testing for a while, but the feedback has generally leaned that they are frustrating and wonky. One of the biggest fears was that the controls themselves would be too much a distraction from the game itself, and it seems at this point that that may be the case.

I have just released an update in which I tried to address some of these issues...hopefully when turning with one oar, using the opposite one will no longer keep you spinning in that direction.

I really appreciate your time in checking it out and making a video of it.

Have a great week!

Thanks for checking it out! Yeah, translating boat rowing controls to digital format was kind of a tough go, and as I'm figuring out there are still some rough edges.

For this game, aside from bug fixes and updated rowing controls, this is probably it. As a hobbyist I only really have time to make little one-and-done experiences, so I don't think this one will go much deeper than this (no pun intended).

Can't wait to watch your video and I appreciate your time checking it out!

Hey, thanks a lot for checking it out! I am at work right now but I can't wait to check the video out.  Yeah, the rowing controls were something that I fought with on and off. Good to hear this kind of feedback, though, and I'll see if I can get something  a little more user friendly. I think just as a consequence of me testing the game for days on end got me used to the controls and I ended up taking that for granted.

Also, with the UI graphic, that's pretty funny that I missed that. Doh! Thanks for pointing it out. I'll throw a quick patch up fixing that ASAP.

Again, I really appreciate your time.

Have a great one!

Andy

Hello all,

I just released a little side project of mine, 'Welcome to Dell Hollow'. It can be beaten in about 20 minutes. I'm sure many of you may have played walking simulators in your time, but what about a rowing simulator on a serene lake? Float above the old remains of a drowned and forgotten town, reactivating contamination buoys after a storm has knocked them offline. What begins as a routine late-night survey on a calm lake slowly unravels into something far stranger than your team has ever anticipated.

In 1958, the dam above the town of Dell Hollow collapsed, flooding the valley and claiming the lives of nineteen residents.

Last week’s storm knocked several contamination-monitoring buoys offline, and a field technician has been dispatched to reactivate them.

To this day, no unusual activity has ever been officially reported on Dell Hollow Lake.

This is just a little hobby project of mine, and I hadn't released a game in a while, so I wanted to create something. Check out some of my other absurdist games, as well, if you're interested.

https://andymetoo.itch.io/welcome-to-dell-hollow

Thanks for checking it out!

-Loyal Mussy

Great art!

Thanks for checking it out! I'm not sure you can make anything pretty with it...kinda just a dumb sandbox lol.

This one was great. Definitely a creative and cool idea (at least that I haven't seen before), and I absolutely love the art and aesthetic of it. Nice job!

Took me a bit to get used to but I think this is a very cool and original idea. I'm actually super stoked to see a sports game on here, as well. Definitely not a subject you see often in indie games. Nice work!

Nice creative concept. I wasn't entirely sure what to do on the first stage, but there is definite potential to expand upon this. Great job!

Pretty cool little concept. I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of ingredients and not knowing where to get specific stuff for the first tower, but still very cool nonetheless. Great job!

This is actually pretty clever. What seems simple-ish at first has some cool depth to it. Nice job!

Thanks for checking it out!

No I did not, but I did see the comment where you discussed the catch, though.

This was refreshing to see, having gone through many games on here. I gotta be honest, I didn't look at the screenshots at first and it kind of startled me at the start lol. But it's a complete game and the presentation is very nice. Well done!

Haha I wish we could have seen what could have been if REAL work didn't end up stealing your time. Either way, I like the art style of the boss and the scissors. Keep it up!

Nice! I really didn't know what I was supposed to be doing at first, but I just kinda ripped it and played around with it. I will say that this game is absolutely gorgeous, though. Well done!

Seems interesting. I got stuck at trying to fill my name out, unfortunately, though. I begin to wonder if that loop was intended until I read the comments, hah. Anyway, I like the B-17 mention. Cheers!

First, I really really like the aesthetic of the game. Cute graphics with that Mode 7-esque type of rotation. Nice work!

This one was really creative and is one of the better submissions I have played so far. Crime is really out of control in this little town. I kind of oriented myself by just beating the hell out of everyone, but I'm glad to see the bit of variance. Nice!

Haha, nice little submission. I was confused at first, but it's neat. I really really like the aesthetic of it, as well. Can do so much with such simple and minimal assets.