|
Cabin in the Woods is rad, dope, and a bunch of other possibly outdated adjectives. Crosspost from the Kickstarter and adventure threads, Fran Bow is out after a couple years of development. It's a point and click horror type game, which is very much my jam. It was funded on Indiegogo back around the dawn of civilization. 
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2015 19:29
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 14:37 |
|
|
Is it just me or has there been like no marketing whatsoever for SOMA. It's out in 3 weeks and I've not seen a single thing for it anywhere.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2015 22:35
|
|
|
yeah I was super jazzed for it and the release date just snuck up on me. last week i was like huh when is that game coming out...oh a month from now f'ing awesome.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2015 22:39
|
|
|
RightClickSaveAs posted:Cabin in the Woods is rad, dope, and a bunch of other possibly outdated adjectives. Fran Bow looks real, real good. It has a pretty lengthy demo on the store page as well, so everyone can try it out.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2015 22:48
|
|
|
Fran Bow is pretty neat from the demo, though fair word of warning I guess, a lot of  abuse stuff involving kids ahead.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 00:08
|
|
|
megalodong posted:Is it just me or has there been like no marketing whatsoever for SOMA. It's out in 3 weeks and I've not seen a single thing for it anywhere. They released a new trailer a couple of weeks ago I think? Nothing new since then.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 00:50
|
|
|
The Saddest Rhino posted:speaking of CiTW, i remember there were Lakeview Cabin and (stretching) Party Hard. How are those games? Party Hard is... okay. I've just played the first two levels so far and mostly it's based around timing kills to reduce police involvement and not being seen. You're going to do a lot of stabbing, and stabbing and stabbing, and poisoning and the very occasional environmental kill. I'm getting the impression that I've experienced the entire game in the first 30 minutes. I'd wait for a bundle. e: Also the "story" and voiced narration is really embarrassing. I don't know why they did that, it makes the game feel really corny and cheap.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 03:04
|
|
|
megalodong posted:Is it just me or has there been like no marketing whatsoever for SOMA. It's out in 3 weeks and I've not seen a single thing for it anywhere. Pretty much all of Frictional's games to date have had very limited marketing. A Machine for Pigs is probably the worst offender, with literally no trailers for a year up to release and no launch trailers and also a game that was almost nothing like the trailers. Not bitter or anything. When it comes to horror games, limited marketing is probably best. The less you know about the game going in, the better. They don't really need to market much since "THE CREATORS OF AMNESIA" is probably more than enough to sell a good amount of copies anyway.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 04:08
|
|
|
Why pay for marketing when every Youtuber is going to stick their screaming face in the corner?
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 14:58
|
|
|
I remember reading about Amnesia that it took several months before sales really took off, again because of basically no marketing. Frictional Games was in a tough spot financially at the time so they weren't even sure about their long term future.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 15:02
|
|
|
I hope it doesn't involve hiding from the same boring monster in dreary environments until the initial panic wears off and I get bored and quit.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:10
|
|
|
I think I would kind of prefer it if there was a "horror" game that involved exploration and puzzle solving that didn't involve a monster that could kill you at all. I mean like drat, if you are exploring a creepy abandoned hospital at night in real life, you're gonna be creeped out even though you know there's not gonna be a ghost or monster attacking you. I think too many of these horror games rely on you being in actual danger of something killing you when really all you need is just really good atmosphere. You can still have ghosts and scares, but a scary game can be scary without something on the hunt for you. I didn't particularly like the bits of Amnesia where you deal with a monster because those parts aren't scary. They're stressful in that you need to get away from it, but the parts I was scared the mosts were parts where I was perfectly safe but the environment around me was creepy as gently caress
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:28
|
|
|
You might want to check out The 7th Guest and/or The Eleventh Hour. They're old, technically I guess they are adventure games, but they are spooky and have puzzles and I don't believe there is a monster or similar.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:30
|
|
|
Macaluso posted:I think I would kind of prefer it if there was a "horror" game that involved exploration and puzzle solving that didn't involve a monster that could kill you at all. I mean like drat, if you are exploring a creepy abandoned hospital at night in real life, you're gonna be creeped out even though you know there's not gonna be a ghost or monster attacking you. I think too many of these horror games rely on you being in actual danger of something killing you when really all you need is just really good atmosphere. You can still have ghosts and scares, but a scary game can be scary without something on the hunt for you. I didn't particularly like the bits of Amnesia where you deal with a monster because those parts aren't scary. They're stressful in that you need to get away from it, but the parts I was scared the mosts were parts where I was perfectly safe but the environment around me was creepy as gently caress yeah i kinda wish there was more of this because no monster is gonna live up to what you've dreamed up in your nogging. on the flip side you need some kind of payoff for the buildup, even Jaws eventually shows you the shark.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:47
|
|
|
Macaluso posted:I think I would kind of prefer it if there was a "horror" game that involved exploration and puzzle solving that didn't involve a monster that could kill you at all. I mean like drat, if you are exploring a creepy abandoned hospital at night in real life, you're gonna be creeped out even though you know there's not gonna be a ghost or monster attacking you. I think too many of these horror games rely on you being in actual danger of something killing you when really all you need is just really good atmosphere. You can still have ghosts and scares, but a scary game can be scary without something on the hunt for you. I didn't particularly like the bits of Amnesia where you deal with a monster because those parts aren't scary. They're stressful in that you need to get away from it, but the parts I was scared the mosts were parts where I was perfectly safe but the environment around me was creepy as gently caress
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:49
|
|
|
You know what did a good job of that, mostly? Gabriel Knight, the old adventure game. Most situations in the game it's impossible to die, and they reserve the possibility of dying for situations that are obviously dangerous and usually the solution is right nearby. It lets them contrast the rest of the puzzles and make the climax of the story stand out.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 22:49
|
|
|
Groovelord Neato posted:yeah i kinda wish there was more of this because no monster is gonna live up to what you've dreamed up in your nogging. on the flip side you need some kind of payoff for the buildup, even Jaws eventually shows you the shark. The issue is that you might want to not put a monster in, but you can't actually -tell- the player they aren't in any danger. But it seems like every horror dev that wants to attempt it put -NO MONSTER NO DANGER ALL ATMOSPHERE- in bold on the top of the features list and just screw it up.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:05
|
|
|
DreamShipWrecked posted:The issue is that you might want to not put a monster in, but you can't actually -tell- the player they aren't in any danger. But it seems like every horror dev that wants to attempt it put -NO MONSTER NO DANGER ALL ATMOSPHERE- in bold on the top of the features list and just screw it up. The problem is that if you don't let people know ahead of time, you get a billion angry Steam reviews bitching that they couldn't properly scream and cry with the lack of spooky pop-out monsters.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:11
|
|
|
Macaluso posted:I think I would kind of prefer it if there was a "horror" game that involved exploration and puzzle solving that didn't involve a monster that could kill you at all. I mean like drat, if you are exploring a creepy abandoned hospital at night in real life, you're gonna be creeped out even though you know there's not gonna be a ghost or monster attacking you. I think too many of these horror games rely on you being in actual danger of something killing you when really all you need is just really good atmosphere. You can still have ghosts and scares, but a scary game can be scary without something on the hunt for you. I didn't particularly like the bits of Amnesia where you deal with a monster because those parts aren't scary. They're stressful in that you need to get away from it, but the parts I was scared the mosts were parts where I was perfectly safe but the environment around me was creepy as gently caress So something like Scratches or Gone Home
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:14
|
|
|
Speaking of horror games with unique mechanics, I recently discovered a flash game called entity that I think is some well made and some creepy poo poo. No jump scares or gore here, nice pixel art graphics and chip tune music, and can get pretty hectic. It's about sleep paralysis, a goon favorite malady. I'll give a tip, though I haven't beaten the third wave: Take a good look at the "how to play" section and remember those keys, try them when nothing else seems to be working.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:21
|
|
|
ayn rand hand job posted:So something like Scratches or Gone Home gone home doesn't have enough gameplay. though tbh horror games need to stop being "full game" length and be shorter like 2-5 hour experiences. one of the frictional guys wrote a good blog post about what horror games should do and that's one of his points and i can't disagree.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:22
|
|
|
Anyone checked out Layers of Fear? It looks pretty interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxO6jxH4SdY
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:26
|
|
|
weekly font posted:Anyone checked out Layers of Fear? It looks pretty interesting.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:28
|
|
|
Groovelord Neato posted:yeah i kinda wish there was more of this because no monster is gonna live up to what you've dreamed up in your nogging. on the flip side you need some kind of payoff for the buildup, even Jaws eventually shows you the shark. Saving the monster til the very end would be a good compromise I think. It's just the encounters with monsters multiple times throughout the game that is like "alright..." I mean I'm one of those people that hated Cloverfield because you barely got to see the monster. Show me the drat monster in this monster movie! So I totally get being disappointed when they keep you from experiencing the monster. But at the same time, scary games are most scary when it's the atmosphere doing the work
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:28
|
|
|
yeah that same post by the frictional guy i'm talking about specifically says horror games should be shorter due to the fact you have build up then the reveal. you can't do 20 hours of build up, nothing is gonna pay off after that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:29
|
|
|
Groovelord Neato posted:yeah that same post by the frictional guy i'm talking about specifically says horror games should be shorter due to the fact you have build up then the reveal. you can't do 20 hours of build up, nothing is gonna pay off after that. I'd be totally okay with that. I mean some of the best experiences in gaming I've had so far this year have been the Life is Strange episode which are only a few hours long if you explore. Granted that's not the best case cause when all the parts are out it'll be one long game, but I think shorter but really good games is something that is starting to happen more and I'm totally down with it. I loved Witcher 3 but that game took me weeks to finish and it didn't stick with me nearly as much. A good short horror experience is better. Plus when something scary outstays its welcome it just stops being scary. That's probably why PT did so well, beyond just how well made it was. It was a short experience, but it was really good and scary experience.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:35
|
|
|
I wonder if it would be possible to make a really long horror game that's almost all build up. I'm imagining something like hunting Dracula, where you start in some tiny village, venture off into the woods, climb mountains, pass through ruins, climb to the castle, make your way inside, and when you find him it becomes some super intense chase. Tons of atmosphere and build up to one short burst of visceral fear. I think I just described a Castlevania walking sim, actually.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:49
|
|
|
Macaluso posted:Saving the monster til the very end would be a good compromise I think. It's just the encounters with monsters multiple times throughout the game that is like "alright..." I mean I'm one of those people that hated Cloverfield because you barely got to see the monster. Show me the drat monster in this monster movie! So I totally get being disappointed when they keep you from experiencing the monster. But at the same time, scary games are most scary when it's the atmosphere doing the work Among The Sleep did this. The ending of that was dumb, but I thought the rest of it was alright.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2015 23:49
|
|
|
Speaking of The idea of the monster getting too much screen time being a deterrent for horror: the one thing that took all the tension out of Alien Isolation was the fact I died so many times that it just became annoying when I got gored.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 01:22
|
|
|
I just played Layers of Fear and it's really good. And it's also weird how well it fits exactly into the type of game people are describing on this page. It's got its fair share of jumpscares, but primarily it's about wandering the mostly-empty mansion of a clearly disturbed person as physical reality becomes increasingly flexible in how it functions. No action mechanics, gameplay involves some very light puzzle-solving that's usually focused on exploration (like Gone Home, except slightly more involved). Nothing is chasing you... but there are signs that something is prowling about, all the same. Unfortunately, it ends sort of abruptly with a "thank you for playing" message, as the game itself is not actually complete yet. Frankly, though, the rest of the game was good enough that I don't even care if that was the final ending.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 01:47
|
|
|
Acne Rain posted:Speaking of horror games with unique mechanics, I recently discovered a flash game called entity that I think is some well made and some creepy poo poo. No jump scares or gore here, nice pixel art graphics and chip tune music, and can get pretty hectic. I couldn't stop getting choked. ):
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 02:21
|
|
|
Len posted:I couldn't stop getting choked. ):
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 02:32
|
|
|
Niggurath posted:You gotta turn off the tv. I couldn't get the spider off my face and that made me pretty sad. check the book of monsters for hints, it records every creature you've encountered.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 02:35
|
|
|
Wanton Spoon posted:I just played Layers of Fear and it's really good. And it's also weird how well it fits exactly into the type of game people are describing on this page. It's got its fair share of jumpscares, but primarily it's about wandering the mostly-empty mansion of a clearly disturbed person as physical reality becomes increasingly flexible in how it functions. No action mechanics, gameplay involves some very light puzzle-solving that's usually focused on exploration (like Gone Home, except slightly more involved). Nothing is chasing you... but there are signs that something is prowling about, all the same. e: also Fran Bow is great so far. I hadn't played it since the original demo, and they've really polished it. So my earlier comment about her being mostly expressionless or just irritated around all the crazy stuff that's happening doesn't really apply now, they added in a ton of animations and little touches. I really love the way the pills mechanic is implemented, it lends itself very well to point and click puzzle solving. Point and click horror is something that needs to happen more, and this one seems to get pretty horrifying from what I've seen so far.  
RightClickSaveAs fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Aug 29, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:10
|
|
|
RightClickSaveAs posted:This sounds awesome, thanks thread for letting me know about it! How "finished" does the game feel up until where it ends, is that the only reason it's in early access? I'm running on basically zero sleep today. But at least that made the shadow in the second screenshot more double take worthy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:24
|
|
|
i still remember how the protogamergaters used the lack of an actual threat hunting you in gone home as a talking point over how it was Not A Game
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:33
|
|
|
gone home is a lovely game regardless of homophobes being mad about the plotWanderer posted:I think half of them are just salty about the ghost-story bait-and-switch, and I can almost see the value in that criticism, but then they take it off into the wastelands of Poor Critical Thinking. i am salty about this red herring. Groovelord Neato fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Aug 29, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:45
|
|
|
Phobophilia posted:i still remember how the protogamergaters used the lack of an actual threat hunting you in gone home as a talking point over how it was Not A Game I think half of them are just salty about the ghost-story bait-and-switch, and I can almost see the value in that criticism, but then they take it off into the wastelands of Poor Critical Thinking.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:46
|
|
|
There are things Gone Home did right. The creepy atmosphere, the dysfunctional family, the fear that your baby sister had done something crazy and hurt herself hits a good emotional note. Yes, the ultimate reason for everything was ultimately mundane, but it's possible to play up both the mundanity and mystery at the same time. My biggest problem was that the love story wasn't that convincing, and how they would repeatedly break the narrative fourth wall. Most of the narrative was diegetic, you find notes lying around, and the player character would occasionally monologue to herself. But then at random timepoints, the player character/player would psychically connect with the sister and the sister would monologue her story to you. This repeatedly broke immersion, and tells me they were trying to cheat with their writing.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 03:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 14:37 |
|
|
Yardbomb posted:The problem is that if you don't let people know ahead of time, you get a billion angry Steam reviews bitching that they couldn't properly scream and cry with the lack of spooky pop-out monsters. The biggest problem with these games, at least from a development standpoint, is that when you make these walking simulators with no actual gameplay, Youtube becomes your number one source of piracy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 04:47
|
|
