itch.io

The way you conveyed the story through the sequence of frames without any extra dialogue is undoubtedly spectacular! It’s completely clear that this is a memory of something that happened to the protagonist, even without any additional explanation.

The scene where he’s running through the ship, with the cuts and the completely dark screen, made the animation feel fluid and added an incredible sense of tension to the narrative, without introducing unnecessary complexity. The sound of the alarm also contributed greatly to the overall immersion, making the entire environment feel even more tense.

The graphics clearly improved significantly throughout the sequence, which is a great way to distinguish the dream from the present. The ending is really sadder than I expected, as it effectively conveys the protagonist’s feeling of guilt.

Undoubtedly, an excellent piece of work! The only thing I might suggest to add an even more empathetic touch is that, at the moment the protagonist closes his eyes, a few subtle tears could appear. Not streaming down, as that would be too dramatic, but something simple and subtle, indicating that it still hurts deeply.

Congratulations on the cutscene, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam! Incredible work for just 8 hours.

The art is undoubtedly very cute. I really liked the color palette you used — the shades of green, white, and pink were very pleasing to me. I also really enjoyed the perspective of the scene, which, despite being simple, is well done and fits the overall aesthetic.

From what I noticed, you emphasized the main elements by filling them with color, such as the traffic light and the characters themselves, while the rest remained simpler. This creates an interesting visual hierarchy for the composition of the story as a whole.

My only critique would be that it’s a little unclear whether only one of the characters wants to confess, or if both are thinking about telling each other they love one another.

I honestly thought the ending would be tragic haha, but it seems it wasn’t (thankfully — enough of sad endings). The sounds were pleasant and gave the scene a really relaxing and engaging vibe. The color changes reflect the protagonist’s inner state very well, which shows great care in expressing feelings beyond words.

Congratulations on the cutscene — it’s really well done and interesting, even if the intentions behind the confession weren’t entirely clear. I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

A very interesting story that clearly shows what being late can cause for a “clumsy” hero haha. At first, I really thought he was going to be late because he overslept, but apparently it was because of the coffee, right? Since there’s a five-second timing involved, which I personally found amazing — I actually ended up using a scene that lasts exactly five seconds in my own project as well (even though it wasn’t as explicit).

The animations turned out excellent, and the level of detail in the artwork is undoubtedly very beautiful. I particularly enjoyed the dance that was presented, which, together with the nearby effects, makes it much more comedic and engaging.

The scene transitions happen naturally, and the sound effects contribute greatly to the immersion the viewer feels throughout the story. Along with the background music, they complement each other in a truly impressive way, which shows the great care taken with the sound design to provide the best possible auditory experience for the audience.

Honestly, I don’t have much to add, as everything works exactly as it should. This might be more a matter of personal taste, but I would have loved a bit of extra context on why the hero has to stop the villain, since the story leaves that up to the viewer’s imagination. Not that this is a negative point, of course — it would just be nice to satisfy my curiosity haha.

The real-time rendering showcase also worked very well. It was interesting to notice how some elements were created using animations on different layers, such as the scene with the clouds outside the window. This kind of approach is very effective for saving time and making the presentation more vivid and satisfying.

Overall, a great scene! It’s genuinely very good and fits the proposal perfectly. Congratulations to everyone involved in the cutscene, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

It was an interesting adventure to watch! I really liked how the robot interacts differently depending on which biome it’s in. The animations fit the environments well and gave it a lot of personality, especially when combined with the lines you added.

The camera angles were effective and made the scenes more dynamic, which was definitely another strong point. One thing I wish had been added is a few extra sound effects during the scenes, to give the environment more personality and bring it more to life.

I didn’t expect it to have wandered so far away from its ship haha, so it was quite a surprise that it was late by five seconds instead of five hours.

Overall, it was a very fun scene and one of the funniest I’ve seen so far. Keep up the great work—congratulations on the cutscene, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

A very funny take on the theme — I really liked the use of the “five-second rule” and seeing its effect in practice. Even though I’d consider it an extremely fast-paced scene, I’d say it fulfills its role well.

That said, some initial context would have been interesting, as I felt the characters are very well developed in terms of design, and I would’ve liked to see an introduction to them, even if a brief one.

I also really enjoyed the real-time rendering showcase — it was funny to see the white blood cell getting killed repeatedly when pressing the space bar. Great job on that!

A background track would definitely add a lot to the viewer’s experience, although even in its current form it already manages to convey enough emotion to keep us engaged in the scene. Congratulations on the cutscene, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

I really liked the contrast this scene has. While the art is fun and playful, the story takes a dark turn that is, at the very least, shocking for the viewer. I definitely didn’t expect it to end that way.

The clarity of the scenes is noteworthy, and I’d say it’s a strong point, as it clearly shows the progression from the phone call to the tragic outcome. Great job on the story progression.

The music felt a bit loud, which I think slightly took away from the immersion of the other sound effects. In addition to that, it’s noticeable that some sounds continue playing even after the scene changes. I noticed you made this in GameMaker, so one approach that could fix this would be stopping all sounds (except for the main music) when switching rooms—of course, assuming it wasn’t done using a sequence, which didn’t seem to be the case.

I’d say the approach was quite bold, since some people aren’t very fond of gore. But as someone who appreciates storytelling, I enjoy experiencing different styles, so I really liked this one.

Congratulations on the cutscene, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

The way you managed to integrate the story and make it feel believable through elements of reality is, to say the least, brilliant! I really liked the concept of the five-second delay in space, and I’d say it was applied excellently throughout the entire context of the scene.

Focusing on silhouettes instead of details was a smart choice—it makes the story more engaging by allowing us to fully focus on it without getting distracted by details that could break immersion. And what can I say about the voice acting? It was fantastic!

Honestly, I have nothing to complain about regarding the scene; everything fit together very well for me. The scene truly has a strong “game introduction” feel, which opens up possibilities for reusing it at some point, if that’s something you’d like to do.

The only point where I might suggest an improvement is the subtitles. While they do their job well, I felt they stray a bit from the overall aesthetic. Perhaps using black text with soft white outlines and a background box with around 50% opacity or less could help them blend better with the rest of the elements.

Overall, though, it was an incredible piece of work. Keep it up, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

I really liked the artistic style you went with — it undoubtedly adds a special touch to the scene, especially given the dark context in which the story unfolds. The moment where flowers grow from the wounded wrists is, without a doubt, a very powerful artistic expression.

The entire sound design also blends perfectly with the overall atmosphere, making everything feel more intense and emotionally engaging. The font choice was also a good one; it isn’t overly attention-grabbing and fits well with the rest of the aesthetic you presented.

The theme is indeed quite heavy, but I appreciated the willingness to explore something so deep and that can easily cross into uncomfortable territory. It’s precisely this kind of approach that makes some works so impactful and memorable.

Congratulations on the work! It truly is a very strong scene. I wish you the best of luck in the jam.

A great story — the idea of “arriving too late” even with the power to stop time was very well thought out. I really liked the models you used and the animations you included, especially during the running sequence combined with the sudden camera movement, which created a very engaging sense of immersion.

Personally, I enjoyed the sound effects, but I feel the music didn’t quite fit the atmosphere. This may come down to personal taste, but I think something more dramatic and intense toward the end would better convey the devastating feeling of helplessness the protagonist was experiencing in that moment, knowing there was nothing more she could do about what had happened.

One thing that could harmonize really well with your scene would be having the background music playing continuously while the character hasn’t stopped time, and then, once time is stopped, the music would stop as well—just like the objects freezing in place. This would give the impression that the character’s power is so overwhelming that it can stop absolutely everything, which would make the final moments of the scene even more tragic.

Overall, it’s a beautiful tragic story showing that even one of the greatest powers can’t do everything. Great work, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam.

I really admire people who push themselves to think outside the box, and you are undoubtedly one of them. It’s very noticeable in your projects that you try to convey as much authenticity and personal identity as possible. This comes through clearly in your digital art combined with elements from the real world, creating an uncomfortably pleasant atmosphere that taps into the well-known “uncanny valley.”

I noticed that you intentionally aimed for this “uncanny valley” vibe by avoiding colors that would naturally blend or harmonize with the real environment. Instead, you used highly contrasting, attention-grabbing colors, and your drawing style feels like a “basic” representation of reality, but seen through a 2D perspective.

To push this even further, I strongly recommend taking a look at the fundamentals of drawing—especially shapes. Everything else, such as perspective, shading, anatomy, and so on, can be incorporated over time. Try focusing on shapes first, and you’ll undoubtedly see a significant leap in your art.

The improvised sounds were also quite fun. You did a great job producing them and making them fit naturally into the scene, haha. Maybe I’ll do the same someday in some of my own games.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the “uncanny valley” feeling is definitely present in the game. At first, I thought it was heading toward horror, but by the end it didn’t seem to be the case. Even though I didn’t fully understand the ending, I got the impression that the character escaped to somewhere else, though I have no idea where.

In any case, keep up the great work and continue pursuing your own artistic identity. Eventually, you’ll find something truly appealing that fits your style perfectly! Congratulations on the cutscene, and best of luck in the jam.

P.S.:

Just one extra question—did you use sequences to create your scene? I’ve been having issues with left and right audio in mine, haha, and I still have no idea how to fix it.

GameMaker gang strikes again!

Another beautiful story about our beloved hero, Dick Storm! As always, you managed to strike a great balance between humor and tension, combined with the frenetic action of the scene. I’d say you have excellent potential for creating engaging stories, and that really shows in your cutscenes.

I found the way everything is presented simply amazing, from the immersive introduction (the first-person angle really makes us feel like we’re inside the scene) to the escape through the forest. Choosing to place the camera inside the vehicle was a great decision, as it fully captured the emotion of the chase—something that would likely have been lost with a more external angle.

The sound effects were very well used and are undoubtedly a strong point, contributing a lot to feeling even more connected to everything that’s happening to the character.

The only suggestion I have is regarding the text while the protagonist is inside the house, as I noticed that some of it ends up overlapping Dick’s animations. I wouldn’t say this interferes with the scene, but it could feel more dynamic if the text were placed elsewhere and followed a clearer visual hierarchy of text -> image. In this case, placing the speech bubbles next to Dick would naturally make it more intuitive to guide the viewer’s eyes from the text to the character. It may seem like a small detail at first glance, but it would certainly help make everything flow more smoothly (though to be clear, it’s already great as it is).

I would easily watch many more seconds of this scene if there were any, because I really enjoyed what you presented here. Keep up the great work, and best of luck in the jam!

The story is genuinely fun and engaging haha, I loved the ending where we find out who was actually late in the situation. I’d say you did a great job with those few seconds of screen time, as it manages to explain everything in a quick and intuitive way.

I noticed you used some external art assets, but even so, you chose styles that are very close to each other and don’t break the overall harmony, which was really well done.

Even though it’s possible to tell who’s speaking in the dialogue, it could be interesting to give the characters’ names a highlight color instead of just white, as that would make it easier to identify who is saying what before even reading the name.

Regarding the scene where the giant slime appears, it would be great to add a parallax effect in the background, with some clouds slowly moving. This would add a lot of life to the scene and make it feel more visually rich.

Overall, I’d say it was a great scene that really fit the theme well. Congratulations, and good luck in the jam!

Without a doubt, the highlight of this scene is the artwork. It’s incredibly well done and feels very unique. I really liked how you used lines to add color while also giving depth to the elements. As an artist, I can confidently say this is a great example of minimalist depth done right.

That said, I felt the colors were a bit too intense on the eyes. I understand the scene is short, but it could still be uncomfortable for some viewers. It might be interesting to have the colors gradually lose brightness or intensity as the story progresses, reflecting the character’s emotions through the surrounding world, especially since he becomes quite upset about the delay.

It would also be interesting to add the reason why she couldn’t arrive on time, even if it were through a static or very quick scene, since you still had a few extra seconds to work with. That said, I understand it might not have been possible, after all, creating a scene is more work than it seems haha.

Great work! Wishing you success and good luck in the jam!

Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm glad you liked the scene.

It's a shame that issue occurred, I have no idea why, but I've received similar reports both for this scene and for my previous game. I will try to find a solution for this before the next game jams. Thanks again!

Thank you so much for the feedback, Meru! As always, it's great to get your comments.

Regarding the scene where the protagonist opens the door, I had intended to add more animation in the background, even showing the protagonist’s hand shaking while holding the doorknob. However, time was a bit tight, so I decided to go for a more static impact, adding just the subtle animation of the darkness dissipating to reveal the body.

And yes! You understood the mushroom scene perfectly. It was an implicit representation of the protagonist’s failed attempts until he finally finds the cure.

It’s a shame that the audio issue occurred during export. It was working perfectly on my end, but it seems like it only played through the right channel for you. I really need to figure out what caused that bug, especially since I remember you mentioned something similar happened in my game Gastronoir as well (I actually tried a fix in that one because of your previous comment, but unfortunately, it seems it didn’t work).

I'm really glad you enjoyed the story. A fun but almost imperceptible detail is that the duration of the butterfly scene crossing the screen is exactly 5 seconds, and the animation of its wings flapping completes 5 cycles before it disappears completely.

A game that does a great job capturing the science fiction atmosphere it sets out to create. It’s clear that the entire game was designed with maximum immersion in mind, from the interfaces to the sound effects and dialogues, all of which are really well done, especially when experienced together.

The feeling of being a leader can be tense at times haha, especially for someone like me who’s never liked being in charge of anything in real life. However, the experience of leading the ship through space and completing the missions is truly rewarding.

Since we're limited to just one room, the sense of immersion the player feels from the environment is crucial to creating something satisfying to play. I’d say the game focuses more on emotion than action, even though we can control some aspects through the other crew members.

The scope is really ambitious, but in a great way because it gives us a glimpse of a game with a lot of potential for expansion. After all, in space, there’s so much more we could do.

You managed to make the environment feel alive with the communications with other ships, which shows a lot of care and attention to detail in the game itself, drawing the player in with those little touches.

One area that could be further improved is the visual atmosphere. I think the windows could have objects outside them, but they don't necessarily need to be 3D models like the rest of the game. Simple 2D drawings with parallax movement and some random animations could be enough to create a sense of depth and a constantly moving environment, without the complexity of 3D models.

The sound effects are also quite pleasant and blend harmoniously with the rest of the game. Honestly, great work! I hope that at some point you continue with the project and expand it further, with more missions, endings, and potential game-over scenarios (maybe instead of just exploding the ship, the crew could end up on an unknown planet and become prisoners? That would make for an interesting game over).

The game is truly very good and I’d say it has a unique atmosphere. In a way, the graphics brought me nostalgia — maybe because of the visual effects present in the game environment.

Speaking of the environment, it turned out great and very well organized. Even though it’s small, you can feel that everything was placed exactly where it should be, delivering a satisfying gameplay experience.

I really liked the audio design too, especially the narration. The radio-like style added a lot of life to the atmosphere, making the world much more immersive.

The mechanic of throwing the packages is pretty cool as well, although it’s a bit challenging to understand what needs to be done at first. A short tutorial would be essential so that as many players as possible can understand right from the start.

Great game — I found it really fun. Congratulations and I wish you good luck in the Jam!

The game has a decorating mechanic that can definitely be expanded even more (though it's already quite extensive). I really enjoyed designing my own little apartment, though it’s clear I have no talent for decoration—if I worked as an interior designer, I’d be fired on my first day, haha!

The possibilities are so wide that a tutorial would be essential to help players understand how everything works and which buttons trigger actions (and what each button actually does). At first, I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t know how to do it, which made the experience a bit confusing in the beginning.

But once I got the hang of it, I was able to create some pretty cool things. I wouldn’t say it turned out super stylish, though—like I said, I'm terrible at decorating, haha—but I was still really happy with the results.

For some reason, my computer really struggled to run the game, even though other games that seemed more demanding ran a bit better. The FPS ranged between 13 and 15, so I suspect some memory leak might be going on. It’d be good to check that out later if you plan to continue with the project.

It’s a shame that downloadable games often get fewer reviews because yours is great. Congratulations on the game, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

The concept is really interesting and definitely fits the "one room" theme. The gameplay, though simple, has its charm. The fact that the door is random adds replayability, which is great. However, it’s good to do some extra checks to prevent the player from finding it too quickly haha.

Even though I was able to play your game, I encountered two main issues:

01. The game’s screen was excessively large. Even in fullscreen mode, there was still a significant portion of the side edges missing, which probably hurt the immersion a bit.

02. There were some texture bugs that I have no idea why they happened. Maybe incompatibility? They showed squares in lilac/purple/pink (not sure exactly which color, but it was close to one of these), almost like a visual glitch (or it was actually a visual glitch).

Even though I found the shooting a bit slow, I assume it was intentional to increase the sense of urgency and encourage the player to avoid the ghosts rather than fight multiple ones, right? If that's the case, it was a great move.

I also liked the easter egg, though I probably wouldn’t have found it without the instructions (but that might just be due to my own lack of skill).

The sounds matched the game well, and I’d say the overall aesthetic fits together nicely. I really liked the ghost designs; they’re fun (even though they’re killers haha).

Congrats on the game, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

The gameplay is actually quite different from what I imagined based on the images. I was thinking it would be something like rotating the environment to make the red ball land somewhere, but that wasn’t the case at all haha.

I admit that at first, I was a bit confused about what to do, even though I read the tutorial several times. It might be interesting to have an extremely basic level that introduces the player to the core mechanics, so they can understand what they’re supposed to do before jumping into the actual game.

The search algorithm you implemented is really well done. It’s hard to get something that precise in games, especially considering you did everything in about 25-30 hours!

The game is pretty challenging if you don’t think strategically and have patience, which might turn away casual players. But that doesn’t mean the game is bad by any means—it’s just that its audience might be a bit more limited due to its complexity.

I think to expand it further, it would be essential to have a mechanic that allows you to remove blocks by spending some of the resources you earn from your score.

Really original and fun concept, I don’t remember seeing anything quite like it before, so it was a really pleasant surprise. I had a lot of fun while playing, and the challenge is just the right level. Congrats on the game, and best of luck in the jam!

P.S:
The name fits the game perfectly. Even though it’s a clear reference to the gameplay, I only understood it after giving it a try

Super addictive game! Although the gameplay is relatively simple, the core concept is engaging enough to keep players entertained for hours, as it falls into that "easy to understand, hard to master" category.

At times, it was pretty challenging to find an item that would match with another to free up space, but I felt like in those moments, I could just throw any random item on top of another, and it was almost guaranteed that the "solution" would come soon after.

The characters’ dialogues also add a really nice touch to the storyline. I think the fact that the robots have these little conversations during gameplay makes the game feel much more alive (by the way, I absolutely loved the robot designs—they look great).

The overall art style is very pleasant. You even added a parallax effect in the background with the moon slowly moving across the windows. These are small details that maybe only a few players will notice, but they make the experience much richer and more immersive. It's a clear sign of love for the game itself.

I really liked the fusion mechanic. I think we could take certain items to upgrade the attributes of the mechanical claw itself, making the game even more engaging—things like increasing movement speed, fusion speed, etc.

Congrats on the game, it’s really fun and enjoyable. Best of luck in the jam!

The animations are beautiful, and I really liked the models you used. The boss attacks fit perfectly with the character, giving a very satisfying feeling due to the particles that come out of the environment when he strikes, especially as they break the ground.

The attack indicator is also very intuitive, making it functional even for more casual players. The opacity change and the red color in the attack area clearly show that it’s a dangerous spot. The attack speed is just right—I didn’t feel like they were unfair or too hard to dodge.

One thing that could be adjusted is the speed at which the camera moves when the boss changes position. Personally, my computer isn’t very good, so the game inevitably slowed down a bit (not enough to be disruptive). However, I noticed that when the camera moved to where the boss was, I lost a few seconds getting reoriented, which could lead to me getting hit by one of his attacks as he burrows into the ground.

I can see a lot of potential for the game to expand, as the gameplay is already solid and responsive. If you plan to continue developing it, I wish you the best of luck. Congratulations on the game! Also, good luck to you in the jam.

Without a doubt, this was the game that used the theme the most creatively! I really liked the concept — genuinely a lot.

I’d say the difficulty is just right, especially because we don’t have to pick up all the boxes again. That was a great decision, since losing progress like that would be frustrating.

The wall-shifting mechanic was really cool and fit the theme perfectly, since we never actually leave a room — we just expand or contract the space we’re in.

It’s interesting that we can escape the holes if we move the wall subtly. However, it would be nice to also have a chance to avoid falling in when we’re pushing the wall quickly.

One idea I had is this: if the player holds the spacebar and happens to move the wall into a position where they’re about to fall into a hole, the character could cling to the wall for a short moment (2–3 seconds) while the key is held. That would give the player enough time to back up or move sideways to avoid falling.

I had a great time playing it — I genuinely enjoyed the game. The graphics are simple but functional. Congratulations, and I wish you good luck in the Jam!

What a satisfying game! I really loved the vibe it gives off — it's so cozy and relaxing. I’ll admit, scenario organization games aren’t usually my favorites, but this one is definitely the exception due to all the care that went into its production, from the dialogues and interactions to the way we play and progress.

It’s not just a game about tidying up a room and leveling up; it’s about advancing in your career through ratings, which makes everything so much more fun. I feel like some items are really much better than others, and I’d even say they’re almost universal, as they can fit nearly every client’s taste.

I really wish there was an option to stack items, as rugs take up quite a bit of space. While I’m not a great interior designer, I feel like I could’ve used the space much better if I could, for example, place tables or chairs on top of the rugs. Maybe a depth system could solve this, with each object having a depth value, and the game checking if one is “shallower” than another, allowing it to be placed on top of “deeper” objects.

A simple suggestion: in the menu, I noticed the tutorial button wasn’t very prominent. It would be helpful if it stood out as much as the other buttons, even if it's active by default. This would make it easier for players who want to replay the game and avoid going through the tutorial again. It may not be essential for your project right now, but it could definitely be useful in the future or for other projects.

Overall, it’s a very fun game to play. It was interesting to see my disastrous interior designer career finally take off and unlock new items and clients. Congratulations on the game, and good luck with the jam!

We have here a wonderful and fantastic action game! The constant frenetic chaos is undoubtedly a lot of fun, challenging, and engaging. The visual effects bring an incredible life to the game, providing a satisfying and eye-pleasing experience.

I must admit that at first, I thought it would be too visually chaotic to the point of overwhelming the gameplay at times, especially because of the heat distortion. But that wasn't the case. There were a few moments when I would charge into an attack on the ground thinking it was gold haha, but after some time and practice, you get the hang of distinguishing between what’s an attack and what’s gold.

The score system was a great addition, as it promotes a healthy sense of competition among players, and I really appreciate that. It’s something I plan to learn how to implement in my future games, and I hope I can do that at some point.

The grid movement makes the action feel very unique, as it’s not necessarily the type of movement we see most in games focused purely on action. I’d say it gives the game a lot of identity.

I really enjoyed it in every aspect, keep up the great work! Congratulations on the game, and I wish you good luck in the jam!

The game is really engaging, but also quite difficult haha. I've lost count of how many times I died without even reaching the blue room (though that might just be due to my lack of skills when it comes to having quick reflexes).

The controls were responsive, which made gameplay a lot easier. The only thing that really got in my way was, in fact, my own abilities. However, there was just one moment where the game itself felt unfair. It's clear that obstacles are randomly generated, and in one instance, within the first 15 seconds, I found myself in a spot completely surrounded by pipes that crushed me without any chance of doing anything about it.

I saw you were quite concerned about the yellow room, but don’t worry—it’s definitely there haha. However, it’s much harder than the red phase. One thing I felt was missing in the yellow phase was some kind of indication of when the blades would be launched. In the red phase, the pipes have a slight tremor that signals when they’ll collide. But in the yellow phase, the blades are simply thrown without any warning, making it much harder than intended and significantly steepening the difficulty curve quickly.

The blue room was a nice touch for the game, giving players a moment to breathe without the risk of dying, and allowing them to prepare both physically and mentally for the next challenges.

The gray room... That was my final room because I just couldn’t get past it at all. I felt the spheres were considerably faster than the player, and since it turns into a fixed square after a while, I think it would be interesting if its speed was reduced, considering that the player also depends on luck to avoid getting hit by them.

Despite being minimalist, the graphics worked really well, largely due to the particle effects and the squash-and-stretch animation for jumps and falls. However, I did feel that sometimes the collision area was bigger than expected, causing some elements to hit me in a way that initially seemed a bit unfair.

The fact that you included random music was also a nice touch; I really enjoyed it, and I’ve even heard one of the tracks on another site while searching for music for my own games.

Overall, it’s a really fun and solid game, congratulations! Wishing you the best of luck in the jam!

The atmosphere of the game is disturbingly scary. You did a great job with the environment, especially the lighting, the room’s composition, and the texture of the objects. In a way, it even reminded me of some titles like Outlast, probably because of the feeling of helplessness it conveys.

The game’s main concept reminded me of the Backrooms, mainly because of the hostile creature (Slenderman?) that appeared right behind me when I tried a number combination on the lock.

The room’s puzzle is quite interesting, but the way it’s laid out makes it seem like all the clues are on the walls. Thanks to the gameplay footage, I was able to figure out the correct order and finally reach the ending (I assume we die in every outcome, right?).

While playing, the only thing that broke the immersion a little was the mouse sensitivity. In a horror game like yours, it’s essential for it to be smooth or even subtly slow, depending on the pacing you want. In the current version, whenever I touched the mouse, the screen moved abruptly and very quickly.

The game is short, but it has a very strong concept. You managed to explore horror really well, especially for something made in just 20 hours. Congratulations on your effort—you did a great job. I wish you success as a developer and good luck in the jam!

Unfortunately, for some reason, your game wouldn’t open on my computer, which is really disappointing because the idea seems cool, and I really liked the images you used to showcase it.

If you manage to upload a web version, I’d love to try it out—that way I could evaluate it properly. I’ll leave it without a rating so I don’t negatively affect you, since I think it would be unfair to rate a game I wasn’t able to play.

Either way, I wish you good luck in the jam, and congratulations on finishing your game!

I’d say the theme was quite peculiar and very interesting—it actually reminded me of the time I had sleep paralysis and man… the feeling really is awful haha.

The artwork is spectacular. I really liked the blue tone you used for everything; it fits perfectly with dark, nighttime moods and adds a heavy feeling to the atmosphere, which definitely matches the intended horror. The apparitions also stood out well, with an interesting variety of anomalies happening around us.

However, I felt that the game’s difficulty is quite high right from the start. I’m not necessarily referring to the buttons we have to press based on the text instructions (since most of it is pretty clear), but rather the speed at which we need to switch from one place to another. Sometimes the distance is too big, and that becomes a bit confusing, and the transitions are almost instantaneous, so we have to adapt very quickly.

I believe a small delay between pressing one button and the next would be enough to reduce the steep difficulty curve the game currently has. Additionally, a success sound effect would help players reinforce which buttons to press and when.

An interesting mechanic to add could be some sort of “focus” system. While the player is experiencing sleep paralysis, there could be moments where they close their eyes to try to calm down, reducing their anxiety level. But this would come with disadvantages, such as not being able to see which key they need to press (meaning they’d have to read it before closing their eyes) and also not seeing how much time is left until the next key appears after successfully pressing one.

It’s a very unique and intriguing concept—I really enjoyed it, and it’s amazing that you managed to make this on your first time using Godot. It’s a clear sign that you adapt well, and with more practice, you can create even better games with this engine.

Congratulations on the game, and I wish you good luck in the jam!

P.S.: The Easter Egg is also really cool—basically the opposite of the game’s mood, since it has a comedic touch.

Unfortunately, the file is broken, and it’s not possible to play, which is a shame.

But from reading your description of the game, the concept sounds really fun and challenging. I would have loved to try clearing the room under the time challenge—sounds tense and satisfying, especially if a good particle system was used, cleaning would definitely be extremely gratifying.

Your Easter Egg also seems really creative. Using the colorful space to clean the entire environment sounds like a very intriguing and crazy idea (in the best possible way).

The cover art is also very beautiful—I really like your artistic style. It has a very pleasant, stylized look.

I think that’s all I can assess for now. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from participating in other jams, because mistakes happen, and you’ve probably learned a lot from it, as well as from the time you spent creating your game.

A great team effort. Initially, I must admit, I thought the human’s abilities were extremely limited, but when I reached the part where everything goes dark, he became essential for guiding the spider through the maze you created.

The map design really turned out interesting, and I imagine it took a lot of work to make something on this scale, especially since the collisions would need to be carefully adjusted for both the human and the spider.

I understand your idea of “one room,” but I think it would fit even better if the ant nest the spider is invading were a box placed by the scientist, as if it were an experiment to see how the ants are behaving, how they’re reproducing, etc.

The sound effects and music are quite pleasant, although I think the music was a bit too intense for the situation, which might break the tension for some players. I really liked the detail of the spider’s eye following the direction we’re heading—it gave her a really cool touch of life. The way you designed the levels and distributed the powers was also effective, as the paths connected well, and it was easy to tell when we needed a new power or not. Plus, all of them were really creative and fit the spider perfectly.

The only major issue I encountered while playing was with the final boss. When I reached it, the spider just started falling endlessly. It’s a shame that this bug happened because I was really curious to see how the battle would play out (I even tried a few more times, but the same thing kept happening. It was as if the floor or the boss didn’t have the proper collision to support the spider).

But despite that, it was a fun game overall. Congratulations on the project, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

The concept of filling the room with new challenges is really interesting, and I’d say the level design as a whole is very well thought out. The difficulty curve progressed in a satisfying way, as it not only brought familiarity but also introduced new elements, which kept the engagement steady.

I really enjoy exploring menus, and without meaning to, I ended up clicking on the option with the most levels first haha. Some of them are insanely difficult, but in the beginner mode, I was able to get through it easily.

The controls are very responsive, and I’d say the feedback is great, especially the squash and stretch effect. To take it even further, maybe some small dust particles could be added at moments of impact or even a speed line during the dash—this would really enhance the experience.

For something made in just 16 hours, I’d say you really did a fantastic job, congratulations on that. I wish you the best of luck in the jam—it's a very fun and challenging game!

P.S. I forgot to mention earlier, but a small square or explanatory text appearing when hovering over options, before clicking on them, briefly explaining what each option is, would be really helpful in informing the player about what they’re about to do. It might not have much impact in the current form of the game, but it would be a great addition for future projects.

As people have mentioned in some comments, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, because the game you made definitely has several elements that deserve recognition and prove your skills as a developer.

The first thing I notice as an artist and dev is that even though you may not have advanced knowledge of art, you managed to maintain a harmonious atmosphere between the larger areas and the more zoomed-in ones. It really felt like everything was part of the same environment, and even better, it gave the impression that it was the object in the environment being viewed from a closer perspective. Sure, there’s room for improvement in composition, like the toilet water, but I don’t think you should worry about that right now.

The second point, and the most important, is that I’m terrible at escape room games, but in your game, I was able to easily figure out what needed to be done to get each item and progress a bit. Of course, some things were slightly confusing for me (maybe it’s my amateur escape room side), like the correct order of symbols to open the small box on the table. I noticed that you made the symbols on the walls stand out, which is great, but you could add more complexity, like randomizing the order of the symbols and indicating to the player whether it's the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th digit through another object in the room (like plaques, for example). I hope that example doesn’t sound confusing haha.

And third, but not least, you managed to deliver a good game even without sound effects and background music. That’s really impressive because sound is a fundamental part of the user experience, but even with its absence in your game, we can still feel the atmosphere through the interactions.

Yes, maybe there were time management issues, but that happens to everyone, even the most experienced. So, take that as a lesson, and next time you’ll be able to better decide what to cut or keep in the game, being aware of your own pace and adapting the idea accordingly based on the time left.

Congratulations on the game! Keep up your effort, and you’ll undoubtedly create amazing things. Good luck in the jam!

The game may have been "inside the box," but the concept definitely wasn’t haha. What an original and unique idea! It was really fun to see what you managed to do with the spinning-and-clicking mechanic. It added a nice variety of challenges that, despite being short, were perfectly capable of keeping me engaged until the end.

I really liked the animation you used to switch from one wall to another. Even though it doesn’t move the environment like in a 3D space, the start and end of the animation connect with the walls, which makes the spin to the left and right feel believable.

The art was minimalistic and gave the game a distinct identity. I'd even say it adds a certain sense of melancholy with the unstable lines, which, combined with the darkness around, creates a subtly eerie atmosphere. Maybe a background track with just one instrument would make the game even more immersive, though I think something soft to match the rest of the elements would work best.

Doing all of this in 6-8 hours must have been really challenging—congratulations on your dedication. With such little time, you managed to deliver something memorable and with its own identity. Even the most "outside the box" ideas can make a positive impact when executed well, like this one.

If I may offer an artistic suggestion to enhance the mood of the game, in case you plan to work more on it, the farther the box is from the player, the darker it could become. Maybe even a gradient effect would be enough to convey a sense of depth, making the environment feel more three-dimensional and elevating the user experience.

The Game Maker gang strikes again! Congratulations on the game, keep up the great work, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

I've noticed from your recent games that you're diving deeply into a world of narratives involving the glorious Dick Storm. That's perfect! I love the way you describe the situations, the setting, and the charisma of the characters. And of course, this game was no different. It's clear how much care went into every dialogue, which really grabs the player's attention until the story's conclusion.

The branching dialogues were excellent, without a doubt. It was interesting to see how explorative the game is, even though it’s just one room. The amount of books, stories, and the interactions with Dick are done exceptionally well.

As I mentioned, even though it’s just one room, you’ve managed to capture a unique identity for the narrative, making the graphics and music blend seamlessly together. I noticed this time you added a transparent black background, which definitely made reading much easier.

I imagine it would be quite challenging, and while it's not something that significantly impacts gameplay, it would be interesting if there were some extra animations when flipping through the books. This could bring a lot more immersion, without losing the original essence you intended for the game.

One thing I’ve been wondering, more out of personal curiosity, is: how did Dick Storm come to be? I mean, clearly, he’s an amazing character that you love dearly, but was there any external inspiration for creating him and for him to start adventuring in the worlds of your games?

Great game, and I really liked the way you interpreted the theme. The idea of contact with the outside world was well thought out and makes the narrative very believable. Keep up the fantastic work, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam!

Thank you so much for the feedback, Meru — I’m really glad you enjoyed it!

And yeah haha, the animations were made with the environment in mind, which is why his walk looks a bit “weird” at first glance, almost like he’s leaning or tilted in some way.

About the audio, I had no idea it was only coming from the right side during the cutscenes. For some people it worked normally, but for others (especially those using mono audio) it only played on the right. I designed the effect for stereo audio, and my own setup is mono, so I had to trust the documentation blindly. Something must have gone wrong… sorry about that.

As for the theme, it’s more connected to the story itself, since the demon’s stomach is “a single place,” but I admit it ended up a bit subtle.

Again, thank you so much for the kind words! Your comments are always great to see.

Wow, that was an incredibly detailed review. Thank you so much for the feedback — I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

I’ll explain a lot of the design choices in the devlog, but yeah, the simple floor texture was intentional. Since the game throws a ton of particles at the player, I wanted the player to fill in the empty space of the environment through destruction.

The 3D audio effect was a total gamble — it could have worked perfectly or blown up in my face, especially because my own setup is mono and the effect only works in stereo. I had to trust the documentation blindly. So I’m glad to hear it landed the way I hoped.

Unfortunately, HTML export in Game Maker is terrible. I found out that to make something like this work, I’d have to write a JavaScript script directly on the game page, and I don’t know how to do that yet. I’ll try to learn it for the next project (fullscreen).

The theme was tied more to the story than to the gameplay itself, and that probably caused that feeling of disconnect. Sorry about that.

Again, truly amazing words. I appreciate them a lot.

(By the way, I played your game yesterday but couldn’t vote at the time — I did that recently, and I’ll be leaving a comment soon.)

Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m really glad you liked it.

The hearts are guided by their pulses — I decided to use 3D audio for that. If your sound setup is mono, it can make locating them a bit harder, since the effect relies on stereo audio to work properly.

As for the theme, sorry about that. I chose to tie it into the story’s context rather than the gameplay itself.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

The game has two endings: one you get after finding the easter egg and destroying all the hearts, and another one without the easter egg. If you manage to unlock it, I’m sure destroying all five hearts will feel a lot easier if you decide to give it another run.

Really, I’m genuinely grateful for your words!

The game concept is really interesting, and I really liked how you interpreted the theme. Although I think, from a broader perspective, it strays a little since we can use multiple rooms equally, even though it’s just one at a time.

From the start, the game is very eye-catching and immersive, both due to the chosen colors and the animations, as well as the dynamic text presentations that move in an interesting way on the screen.

The game is already quite engaging right from the menu, thanks to the interactions and animations you've included. It didn’t interfere with the gameplay or anything like that, but if there was a more visible hierarchy of elements in the menu (with some having fewer animations and others more), the player would be more easily guided through navigation and would feel that some options are much more important than others. As it stands, all options have the same level of detail (and again, I want to emphasize that this is not a negative point at all, just an observation).

As others mentioned, the animation is indeed a little slow considering the pace of the gameplay, which creates a slight awkwardness, but in my view, it doesn't really harm the gameplay experience.

The variations and upgrades were also very interesting. It's fun to think of strategies to overcome the challenges that arise as you progress through the game’s levels.

Overall, I had fun playing. The art is really beautiful, and if I’m not mistaken, you’re the person who recently got back into game development, right? It’s an excellent comeback! Congratulations on the project, and I wish you the best of luck in the jam.

P.S. One thing I remembered—when you upload the Windows version, it would be great if the app didn’t require installation and could just run directly. I know you don’t have any bad intentions with that, but many people are suspicious of files from jams and might end up passing it over to avoid any risks.