I lost my shit when we read grandma's heartbroken note and the protagonist proceeds to immediately announce that he's hungry. But honestly, the notes were the best part, that aside.
This was great! It actually made me feel a lot which you can read in my comment. I really do hope you continue making games because you have a great talent for it! You tried a lot of different stuff too which is brave and helps you get a sense of what works best and what doesn’t as much. I’m sure CJU would play the next game from you too. Best wishes! ❤
@@theIaurenshowOhh, thank you! Ofcourse i will 😉 That was my very first try to make game and using game engine at all and now I'm reading all of the comment everywhere to work on mistakes. Next game will be much better with the atmosphere, tension etc. and simple with the explanation, for sure. Btw, I'm glad that you're enjoyed! Thank you so much! 🙃
I think we're all equally confused on the game. Did she have dementia/alzheimers and that's why she couldn't get home? Did she kill the grandpa by giving offerings to that totem? Is that why the house is haunted? If it was haunted was it by grandpa or an actual threat? Also the way the protagonist spoke I couldn't tell if he was 15 or 35?
I sure hope you saw the apples at the construction site in post production, 40:14 There were three apples on the table next to the hard hat and the note about seeing the lonely grandma walking in the woods. I guess the dev put more in, in case people did like you, and just continued on. A couple of the jumpscares definitely got me, though the rest did not. I wish there was more to explain what was going on, especially with the ending that felt like I was slammed into a wall. Talk about abrupt! It did get the feels across though. Glad he found his grandma and took her home.
For me it was when he found her and read the subtitle: "I immediately ran up to her. I put my jacket around her shoulders and said...make me some pancakes." 🤣
I feel kind of sad for the ending. I wish there had been more stuff going on. I hope the developer doesn't stop making games. The talent for storytelling is right there.
Huh? If the entity in the house had been male, I would've thought it was Grandpa doing some haunting, but who the heck was that "nun" and why was she in Grandma's house? Was she a manifestation of Grandma's grief or just some forest spirit jonesing for pancakes?? 🤔😆 I liked the look and sound of the game, the poignant story, and your commentary, of course. But, I wasn't scared by the game...I just wanted to bring Grandma home to live with me.😢
I'm a bit late to comment do to work but when was the last time you've actually gotten scared by a video game or movie? Horror is my favorite genre after sci-fi or high fantasy but for the past several years the only video game that I had to take breaks from and was scary was alien isolation.
@@isabellanoble1280 You're absolutely right, Isabella! As a life-long fan of horror, I'm pretty tough to scare (at least video game- and movie-wise 😆). Movies centered around murderous psychopaths _can_ scare me because these people exist in rl. But, tbh, I can't remember the last game or movie that really scared me.
Aw, the ending actually made me feel quite sad. I know I’d go to any lengths to protect my grandma and grandpa even if they were possessed haha. I remember when my great granddad had Alzheimer’s and we were taking care of him. Giving people love and dignity is so important which this game did try to get across, I do appreciate the sentiment! Not a perfect game but I hope the dev makes more! ❤
I enjoyed the creepy ghost elements early on and not so much the blaring jump scares that the game turned into. Hearing Grandpa walking above you to turn on the tv chilled me, really well done how that was set up. Developer should stick with the creepy and not rely on the familiar horror tropes so much. Not bad at all though for a first horror game. Unreal Engine lighting helps as well.
Yes THIS. I feel like in your face jump scares ruin the creepy vibe. Only reason people jump, is because it’s LOUD, not scary lol but I 💯 agree with you, subtle scares are the best.
Off early from work and a new video?!! Love it!! Thank you!!! Edit: What the what? Why everything? This game was strange, didn't answer any questions and just put 'scary' things in the damn game! Hated it.
You know what, I actually thought that was a fairly solid experience. Sometimes indie games skimp on the story for the scares but I felt pretty invested in this one compared to others. The ambiguity of Tom's experience could be a great avenue to explore how a family handles grief and the reality of caring for someone near the end of life. Which apparently involves wanting peaches, cereal, and PANCAKES at like 12 am when grandma is MISSING, but everyone has their process I guess.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the play of light and shadow, when either the electric lamps are lit or how light plays with the candles. It increases the spooky factor.
YOUR LAUGHTER AT THE END JUST ABOUT ENDED ME OMG HJGKHJK holy shit, haha, that was... surely something! the game was weird but fun in a strange way? some hits and some misses, definitely, just as you said. I wish we would have gotten more explanation as to what the heck was going on! thank you for playing!!
As you said, Chris, a mixed bag. I appreciate the effort of the developer to build a story and create an atmosphere. I liked the 'cinematic' introduction and cutscenes, and the visuals and atmosphere were done well, both inside the house(s) and outside. Despite being yet another variation of 'It was a dark and stormy night...' I think it worked fine. I also appreciate the fact that this DIDN'T turn out to be yet another game where your grandma finally appears, she's some sort of demon, and starts chasing you around. The weak part for me was that the game clearly needed the player to follow a certain progression path and the system of clues (visual, auditory, written notes) ended up being involuntarily clumsy. The protagonist's inner monologue was a bit distracting at times, with the constant 'I need to do this and that' or 'I thought I heard something' or 'What was that', leaving the player confused. It's a pity, because these awkward elements worked against the tension the game was clearly trying to build, resulting in an ending that managed to be both abrupt and anticlimactic. But as always, I enjoyed your playthrough and your humour, Chris! Cheers, //Rick
Really there isn't much to say about this one, its another Unreal "Horror Engine" Walking Sim that heavily focus on Jumpscares that we have seen so many times now. Sure its the devs first game, and honestly starting with a Walking Sim and using something like the Horror Engine is not a bad way as a first practice. But still its just tiring seeing the same Gameplay style and feel, and the same Jumpscares that use that VHS Static flash effect (like that is a default scare that comes with the Horror Engine), which I have to ask why is that even a thing? The game is not a found footage inspired game, so why is this person seeing VHS static when a scare happens other then that was the default effect that the Horror Engine provide.
LOL almost like they forgot there was even a grandma halfway through and went "oh shit right that's who we were looking for, riiiiight, I thought we were lost lmaaaao"
The dev really needs to learn "less is more" especially when it comes to jumpscares, and how to craft more effective scares. But if this is really their first attempt it's certainly not the worst tbh
Jumpscares are a storytelling crutch in these horror games and that is on full display here, they're just there to provide a scare without the writer having to do any work for it. Literally just removing every jumpscare would make this so much better. The setup is great, using grandma's house was a brilliant set piece because it's almost a forbidden idea, that a beloved grandparent's house could ever be menacing or dangerous. The storytelling through notes and reminiscing is very good, the issues are really with basic design. So many "what was that" moments where if you aren't looking directly at whatever the player character supposedly noticed, you have no idea what they're talking about. So many jumpscares that just made no sense (one or two that made me chuckle a bit and I am pretty easily startled, so not the reaction you were presumably going for). It's a good, visually beautiful game hiding under a lot of bad design
Also once it left the house it just turned into something very odd. The nun's character made no sense to begin with (representing grandma's guilt maybe?) but her animations were just bizarre and silly. It was almost like the designer lost confidence in their vision and just turned it into something more typical horror? The use of space in the house was honestly pretty good and it just fell apart into something that made no sense once you leave.
omg I found you again thanks to outlast 2! I watched all of your videos during a super dark time in my life where it basically crumbled around me. it was what. 2017 2018? lost my youtube account and couldnt remember your name! I always knew it was something games lol. So amazing to find you again. So glad to watch you once more
I love watching you play horror games, because with your accent and laughing through everything, you make it seem more like comedy and not scary at all..
I watch a lot of these, but they just don't seem to have anything to say but this one left me thinking more than all of the games you played i watched, "NOT BAD"! I enjoy it and to wish it had more information or content maybe a full game would work in this game. Hopefully they have a good story planed count me in.
Visually, the outdoor sequences were good. The house looked cheap by comparison, and generally too dark. Which might have been a good thing to cover up the banality. However, it was still a good playthrough, thanks to Chris. The Dev needs to iron things out a bit here and there, and look more carefully at his next effort.
The house section was definitely the better part of the game. I wish there was more explanation for the events happening. Just when things were getting interesting , you're teleported outside and the game ends flatly.
"I put my Jacket on her shoulders and Said" WANNA SEE SOMETHING REALLY SCARY ? Cue The Twilight Zone music 🎶 Damn typical I got a phone call at the 15 Minutes section and hung up just in time to have missed 2nd half and make the ending XD. Typical ✨
Certainly not a bad game by any means. Yes, the beginning of the game was more enjoyable I feel. This is on account that the game seemed more polished and buttoned-up in terms of atmospheric setting, and the story as told via the notes found throughout the house. And once the game led you outside, it really lost the positive aspects and meandered into something that to me, quite literally lost its sense of direction. Metaphorically, we really lost out the story during the outside wandering. Yeah, like you said, we ended up with a lot of unanswered questions. Also, I both love and hate the notes from the house. Loved that they imparted meaningful story plot lines concerning grandma. Hated that they were just So Sad! Damn... poor grandma...
A Wild Theory but I think that her sadness and feel of emptiness create an open space for all those spiritual beings that are living in the forest to, I don't know, maybe try to keep her company of some sort? Anyway, this or the game just have it's plot holes.
Just sitting here, grading schoolwork, then almost died when that monster came out of nowhere! Thank goodness there aren’t crazy red pen marks all over the papers, but man! And the second one almost got me as bad too lol
I do not get scared easily, at my age some time I watch to late ...I felt asleep and when I look at the screen that first scare got me . Man , Nice anyway .
What do you think about the werewolf theorie..... it's only thing which is closesed to the story: tho totem, tho big footprints, the amounts of blood and the crime scene....perhaps the both was woolfes and one night she was not able to help him and now she lurks alone as a women through the forrest! Perhaps the apples schould schow the wrong way and normally they schould be eaten from these "forrest ghots" 🤷♀️
The last time I gave a review of a first-time indie game, story was the key weak point. In this game, it's the biggest strength, but still leaves one important detail unspoken. My interpretation of the story is that the protagonist is feeling paranoid that his grandmother's not at home and is letting his own imagination go nuts. The home isn't really haunted at all, and the combination of concern, clement weather, and grogginess leads the protagonist to imagine all sorts of haunted events. The mysterious notes aren't actually appearing, we're just reading them as we continually search the house looking for grandma. And now a few comments on the game as a whole: Indie Devs are backsliding lately into the reliance on cheap jumpscares. If you really want to add jumpscares, take some notes from the Dark Pictures Anthology. The junpscares are masterfully done in that series, usually with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it approach where most of the scares are there in the corner of your eye, just like they would be in real life. An over-reliance on loud noises and in-your-face jumpscares really cheapen any horror experience, much like how Myst tried to take the concept of exploration so far that it nearly killed the (then booming) adventure game industry. Keep things subtle and it'll be ten times scarier. Also, speaking of Dark Pictures, my interpretation of the events in the game can be easily compared with Little Hope, which I happened to think had some really brilliant twists. The presence of the nun jumpscares, the TV, the knocked-over furniture and misplacing of items... All of this really works if you go for a twist similar to those of the first two DP games. All in all, it's not a bad game, but the jumpscares need to be seriously toned down. The legs behind the sofa in the attic could simply get yanked behind the furniture with no other jumpscare tactics and it would've been much scarier. Also, the "scare disappears in a puff f static" is really overdone. That scare could've instead ended with the red light simply going out and it would've actually had just as much (if not more) impact. But overall, the writing was brilliantly emotional, and an "imagining the worst" arc would easily be backed by the almost suicidal and guilt-laden notes, as well as the calm ending. But I think one single line would've prevented the last moments from being so jarring. When we spot the grandmother at the dock, the protagonist could've said something like "Thank god, she's okay!" and then followed up with the ending sequence of putting the jacket on her and taking her home. It's one of those "one line of dialogue could've answered everything" problems that many games suffer from. On a final note, the house really weirded me out for a while, and it took me a while to figure out why. The textures are different, and it's far more cluttered, but the layout is exactly the same as some of the larger houses found in The Infected (absolutely wonderful zombie-style survival game, incidentally). Even a few of the assets (such as the bed in the guest room) are very similar to that game, although there are enough differences that I hesitate to call them an asset flip. As soon as I made the connection to The Infected's villages, that odd feeling went away and I could really start enjoying the house portion of the game.
Very pretty game, and some rather good sound direction, but the story was a mess and it was far too heavy on the "tell" rather than the "show". Side note: as someone who's recovering from a broken arm after slipping while running for the bus during a storm, don't sprint when it's raining.
I feel like the creator had a story going but just didn't know what to do with it. Or couldn't decide what direction to take. They also clearly struggled with how to end the game, so they just cut it like that. Probably went "fuck it, good enough".
Damn. This was actually hard to watch. My grandparents met at a local bar and my grandpa told my grandma he wasnt gonna leave until he danced with the most beautiful woman and she agreed. They were married for 41 years and 4 months. (My grandpa kept the exact count) Dementia slowly took her away for a little more than 15 years but my grandpa stayed by her side to the literal very end. She was bed ridden, couldnt move or talk, but he always checked on her every hour. He would smile and tell her she was beautiful and that he loved her even though she didnt understand. Some family and I watched her take her last breath. Died right in front of us. When they were carrying her body away, I looked up to see my grandpa in tears. Never in my 26 years of life have I ever seen him cry. That was the first time and I hated it. I just picture him in these letters in the game and wondered if my grandpa was doing the same things behind close doors 💔 I know its just a game but still...
If i were to fix the story and answer some questions. I'd made it that grandma misses grandpa so bad that as stated in one of the letters that she would do anything to have him back by his side. Have her done some kind of ritual or cult thingy which will supposedly bring back Grandpa back to life and had a side effect that made her possessed, had demetia or something. which explains much of the spooky things that are happening around. Btw, I like the IT reference on the raincoat.
This was overall pretty good, up until the ending. With all the jump scares I expected one of two things: 1) grandma is possessed 2) grandma is dead, haunting her old house For option 1, I would have expected the protagonist to die at the end. For option 2, I would have expected the protagonist to have found her body in the locked guest room at the end of the game. Since they didn't do either of those, they technically subverted my expectations, but I don't think they did so in a way that was necessarily well executed or helpful to the quality of the game or it's story. They could totally go the route they did, if they either provided some reason as to why the protagonist is seeing the things that they're seeing, or cut the bulk of the jump scares in favor of a more atmospheric horror approach. On the note of the jump scares, some were pretty good and well executed. But a lot of them fell flat, even for me, a viewer who doesn't even play horror games because everything makes me jump (even in videos). The big thing for me was that the ending was so out of place and jarring. I thought that the developer did a great job with telling the story through the notes scattered around the house, and kudos to them for getting this out there, and doing so well overall with their first horror game. With a bit of reworking I'd say they have something pretty great for first indie horror game.
This felt as if the developer wasn't sure what to do with the game, if it'll be something riddled with ghosts or focus on an old woman's grief for her beloved husband. As for the story itself, here's what I'd LIKE to think it happened. ---- When you woke from the couch, your grandmother did arrive home, but decided to lock herself up in her room. And while you're preparing tea, she decided to head back out to take a walk in the forest. All the noise you heard upstairs was her throwing things about in her despair, because she's been blaming herself for her husband's death (just as described in the note you picked up). Construction workers found her wandering deeper into the forest just before she got lost in the thick of it and since you offered apples to the totem, its spirit guided you to her. As for the TV and radio turning on, I'm gonna assume that it was her husband's ghost that haunts the place, wanting to stay by her side. The rest of the narrative is an utter mess. What's with the nun and that cabin with all that blood? Why did the grandma go back to the house, only to go out again and be lost? And why does she seemed possessed in the beginning? Personally, I would've been okay if they just went with the grandma being out there, leave the mysterious hauntings and creakings in the house the way it was, add a proper spirit of the forest being, and then you tracking & finding your grandma as shown at the end. All the jumpscares and the detour with the nun was unnecessary. I was even starting to get misty-eyed when you start reading about her feeling of loneliness.... but then, all that went out the window, once the series of jumpscares began. It puts a damper on what should've been a good story.
Game could've and should've been better simply by using better assets than a white stick figure or the nun, could've even used the Prognostic old lady model and some other scary old Man model instead of that stick figure etc lot of promise though if they can build off of this first attempt
Oh yeah and better timing and placement of jump scares, as well as the amount of them, little less of that and a bit more creepy parts that don't just jump out at you and more atmospheric and they'll be on there way
The change of format was a little startling at first, but, as usual, no it's great, polished and all. And most importantly, the content is unaffected A+
Interesting game. Just needs a little more by way of explanation to help wrap things up. Is grandma possessed? Does she have dementia or suffers from a disease herself? Who was walking around the house and kept turning on grandpa's tv if grandma wasn't even home for most of the game? Is his spirit or presence still in the house? So many questions. But, overall not bad for a first time game .
That was a good let's play 😊 I just bought and played a game on ps5. It's called "Cions of Vega".... Pretty sure I found the "silent nights" gandma's house in there. Could you play it just to make sure?🙏
Yeah, it's a strange one. I can't tell if I like it or not, it feels like it's doing this weird, two steps forward, two steps backward dance. It seems like it's torn between being a traditional horror game, with a malevolent spirit of some kind tormenting the protagonist and maybe also the grandma, and going for a more subtle, grounded sort of horror in trying to build mundane but relatable fears into something designed to scare. The issue is that the two ideas don't play nice with each other, at least with the way they've been assembled. As a traditional horror game, I think it has a very strong start, with a good ambience in the house, setting up a mystery about what's going on and how Grandma is involved and whether she's another victim or part of the cause. As time goes on though, the jumpscares seem to become a little too frequent and get overbearing, and in the end all the mystery gets left basically entirely unresolved as it gets set aside for a different direction for the narrative. As more grounded horror, it still has a strong start with the setup of a grieving and isolated family member, and the general, overall narrative of 'going to check in, things go weirdly wrong, it gets (potentially) scary before ultimately resolving with finding the grandmother having wandered off to grieve'. Only, now a lot of the scares don't make sense, and seem tacked on. Why use that particular imagery? How does that fit the notion of fearing for grieving or elderly family? I feel like it would need to use different, more specific imagery to the family involved to really work in this way. I think there's definitely some promise here, it just needs some focus, and then some paring down and/or retooling of the things that don't fit.
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I lost my shit when we read grandma's heartbroken note and the protagonist proceeds to immediately announce that he's hungry.
But honestly, the notes were the best part, that aside.
The notes were absolutely crushing
Thank you so much for playing my very first game ever made. I hope you enjoyed! 🤠
You did a great job 😀
@@Tina.Di.Napolithank you so much☺️
@@Skaldenwolf Thank you, bro. Yeah, I have many stories to tell too and the next game will be the next level for sure 😉
This was great! It actually made me feel a lot which you can read in my comment. I really do hope you continue making games because you have a great talent for it! You tried a lot of different stuff too which is brave and helps you get a sense of what works best and what doesn’t as much. I’m sure CJU would play the next game from you too. Best wishes! ❤
@@theIaurenshowOhh, thank you! Ofcourse i will 😉 That was my very first try to make game and using game engine at all and now I'm reading all of the comment everywhere to work on mistakes. Next game will be much better with the atmosphere, tension etc. and simple with the explanation, for sure. Btw, I'm glad that you're enjoyed! Thank you so much! 🙃
I think we're all equally confused on the game. Did she have dementia/alzheimers and that's why she couldn't get home? Did she kill the grandpa by giving offerings to that totem? Is that why the house is haunted? If it was haunted was it by grandpa or an actual threat? Also the way the protagonist spoke I couldn't tell if he was 15 or 35?
"I put my jacket on her shoulders and said...make me some pancakes." lmfao I lost it!
I'm still unsure if she was possessed. 🤔
Nah, typical behaviour. My grandma's even worse when I visit.
No idea 🤷♂️
Is that what we're calling dementia now? 😂
Some things don't make sense 😂
There are still so many questions. Was she really just a regular Grandma? 😄😄
I sure hope you saw the apples at the construction site in post production, 40:14 There were three apples on the table next to the hard hat and the note about seeing the lonely grandma walking in the woods. I guess the dev put more in, in case people did like you, and just continued on.
A couple of the jumpscares definitely got me, though the rest did not. I wish there was more to explain what was going on, especially with the ending that felt like I was slammed into a wall. Talk about abrupt! It did get the feels across though. Glad he found his grandma and took her home.
regardless, having to carry them my summer car style across the map wasn't a great design choice
I laughed so hard when my heart was still pounding from the jumpscare and you're like "is grandma a nun?!"
For me it was when he found her and read the subtitle: "I immediately ran up to her. I put my jacket around her shoulders and said...make me some pancakes." 🤣
“Grandma? Nunma?” 😂
I feel kind of sad for the ending. I wish there had been more stuff going on. I hope the developer doesn't stop making games. The talent for storytelling is right there.
Huh?
If the entity in the house had been male, I would've thought it was Grandpa doing some haunting, but who the heck was that "nun" and why was she in Grandma's house? Was she a manifestation of Grandma's grief or just some forest spirit jonesing for pancakes?? 🤔😆 I liked the look and sound of the game, the poignant story, and your commentary, of course. But, I wasn't scared by the game...I just wanted to bring Grandma home to live with me.😢
I'm a bit late to comment do to work but when was the last time you've actually gotten scared by a video game or movie? Horror is my favorite genre after sci-fi or high fantasy but for the past several years the only video game that I had to take breaks from and was scary was alien isolation.
@@isabellanoble1280 You're absolutely right, Isabella! As a life-long fan of horror, I'm pretty tough to scare (at least video game- and movie-wise 😆). Movies centered around murderous psychopaths _can_ scare me because these people exist in rl. But, tbh, I can't remember the last game or movie that really scared me.
Aw, the ending actually made me feel quite sad. I know I’d go to any lengths to protect my grandma and grandpa even if they were possessed haha. I remember when my great granddad had Alzheimer’s and we were taking care of him. Giving people love and dignity is so important which this game did try to get across, I do appreciate the sentiment! Not a perfect game but I hope the dev makes more! ❤
Definitely agreed on that aspect!
I'm only about 13 minutes in but I am going to call this now: Grandma is not going to make us any pancakes. 😭
Indeed she is going to turn you into indigrients for pancakes instead.
Chris, you are one entertaining guy! There's no way i could enjoy this game with a silent gamer! 👍
I enjoyed the creepy ghost elements early on and not so much the blaring jump scares that the game turned into. Hearing Grandpa walking above you to turn on the tv chilled me, really well done how that was set up. Developer should stick with the creepy and not rely on the familiar horror tropes so much. Not bad at all though for a first horror game. Unreal Engine lighting helps as well.
Yes THIS. I feel like in your face jump scares ruin the creepy vibe. Only reason people jump, is because it’s LOUD, not scary lol but I 💯 agree with you, subtle scares are the best.
32:53 The workers had three apples on their table.
I notice that the toilet seat was left up. No man in the house, clear male Dev.
This reminds me I need to call my grandma-
same lol
Everyone should!
She will think 'Good Boy'
And ask her for pancakes.
Im kind of surprised that the game had an intro cutscene. Most of these low budget games dont even bother so kudos for that
Off early from work and a new video?!! Love it!! Thank you!!! Edit: What the what? Why everything? This game was strange, didn't answer any questions and just put 'scary' things in the damn game! Hated it.
This game could have a part 2! Interesting story with the notes.
"Make me some pancakes."
Why did I laugh so hard at that line at the end?
You know what, I actually thought that was a fairly solid experience. Sometimes indie games skimp on the story for the scares but I felt pretty invested in this one compared to others. The ambiguity of Tom's experience could be a great avenue to explore how a family handles grief and the reality of caring for someone near the end of life. Which apparently involves wanting peaches, cereal, and PANCAKES at like 12 am when grandma is MISSING, but everyone has their process I guess.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the play of light and shadow, when either the electric lamps are lit or how light plays with the candles. It increases the spooky factor.
YOUR LAUGHTER AT THE END JUST ABOUT ENDED ME OMG HJGKHJK holy shit, haha, that was... surely something! the game was weird but fun in a strange way? some hits and some misses, definitely, just as you said. I wish we would have gotten more explanation as to what the heck was going on! thank you for playing!!
As you said, Chris, a mixed bag. I appreciate the effort of the developer to build a story and create an atmosphere. I liked the 'cinematic' introduction and cutscenes, and the visuals and atmosphere were done well, both inside the house(s) and outside. Despite being yet another variation of 'It was a dark and stormy night...' I think it worked fine. I also appreciate the fact that this DIDN'T turn out to be yet another game where your grandma finally appears, she's some sort of demon, and starts chasing you around.
The weak part for me was that the game clearly needed the player to follow a certain progression path and the system of clues (visual, auditory, written notes) ended up being involuntarily clumsy. The protagonist's inner monologue was a bit distracting at times, with the constant 'I need to do this and that' or 'I thought I heard something' or 'What was that', leaving the player confused. It's a pity, because these awkward elements worked against the tension the game was clearly trying to build, resulting in an ending that managed to be both abrupt and anticlimactic. But as always, I enjoyed your playthrough and your humour, Chris! Cheers, //Rick
plot wise i'm still confused, but man the protagonist's jumping train of thoughts was hilarious
Really there isn't much to say about this one, its another Unreal "Horror Engine" Walking Sim that heavily focus on Jumpscares that we have seen so many times now. Sure its the devs first game, and honestly starting with a Walking Sim and using something like the Horror Engine is not a bad way as a first practice. But still its just tiring seeing the same Gameplay style and feel, and the same Jumpscares that use that VHS Static flash effect (like that is a default scare that comes with the Horror Engine), which I have to ask why is that even a thing? The game is not a found footage inspired game, so why is this person seeing VHS static when a scare happens other then that was the default effect that the Horror Engine provide.
and I saw her by the lake and said, those pancakes are not going to make themselves... XD
the ending feels like the devs got bored and just ended it half way by introducing the totem lmao
LOL almost like they forgot there was even a grandma halfway through and went "oh shit right that's who we were looking for, riiiiight, I thought we were lost lmaaaao"
The dev really needs to learn "less is more" especially when it comes to jumpscares, and how to craft more effective scares. But if this is really their first attempt it's certainly not the worst tbh
Gotta build up the tension, and not rely on jumpscares. Also the lame tropes of "find a key, unlock something to get another key" kind of lameness.
Jumpscares are a storytelling crutch in these horror games and that is on full display here, they're just there to provide a scare without the writer having to do any work for it. Literally just removing every jumpscare would make this so much better.
The setup is great, using grandma's house was a brilliant set piece because it's almost a forbidden idea, that a beloved grandparent's house could ever be menacing or dangerous. The storytelling through notes and reminiscing is very good, the issues are really with basic design. So many "what was that" moments where if you aren't looking directly at whatever the player character supposedly noticed, you have no idea what they're talking about. So many jumpscares that just made no sense (one or two that made me chuckle a bit and I am pretty easily startled, so not the reaction you were presumably going for).
It's a good, visually beautiful game hiding under a lot of bad design
Also once it left the house it just turned into something very odd. The nun's character made no sense to begin with (representing grandma's guilt maybe?) but her animations were just bizarre and silly. It was almost like the designer lost confidence in their vision and just turned it into something more typical horror? The use of space in the house was honestly pretty good and it just fell apart into something that made no sense once you leave.
This thumbnail was bette than the game. Fell flat for me
I enjoyed it! The painting of the two girls being in the house like 5 different places drove me nuts though.
Very entertaining. Thank you for playing, CJU!
Many questions but all in all, good atmosphere.
17:21
I am shocked Chris did not see this! It scared the crap out of me!!
Idk if it's a shadow, or supposed to be a scary shadow... got me good tho!!
omg I found you again thanks to outlast 2! I watched all of your videos during a super dark time in my life where it basically crumbled around me. it was what. 2017 2018? lost my youtube account and couldnt remember your name! I always knew it was something games lol. So amazing to find you again. So glad to watch you once more
Thanks for the great content . You are the best :)
You play some of the neatest games. Loving them all 💛
I love watching you play horror games, because with your accent and laughing through everything, you make it seem more like comedy and not scary at all..
Great video, Chris. I enjoyed this one.
Been watching you for years! Please keep up the amazing work! Much love from Germany
As someone that has a widow grandma, the sorrowful parts were very touching, but the game was a little flat.
I watch a lot of these, but they just don't seem to have anything to say but this one left me thinking more than all of the games you played i watched, "NOT BAD"! I enjoy it and to wish it had more information or content maybe a full game would work in this game. Hopefully they have a good story planed count me in.
But why did she hold herself responsible for her husband's death? 🤔 Great vid as always.
Visually, the outdoor sequences were good. The house looked cheap by comparison, and generally too dark. Which might have been a good thing to cover up the banality. However, it was still a good playthrough, thanks to Chris. The Dev needs to iron things out a bit here and there, and look more carefully at his next effort.
The house section was definitely the better part of the game. I wish there was more explanation for the events happening. Just when things were getting interesting , you're teleported outside and the game ends flatly.
Nunma? LOL, that made me laugh more than I expected.
I was super hyped after that cutscene with her hand in the beginning and thought "this is going to be good!". boy, I was wrong
And in Alien Isolation you find the alien, you feed it and make a pet of it; and everything is alright.
"I put my Jacket on her shoulders and Said" WANNA SEE SOMETHING REALLY SCARY ? Cue The Twilight Zone music 🎶 Damn typical I got a phone call at the 15 Minutes section and hung up just in time to have missed 2nd half and make the ending XD. Typical ✨
this one is more sad than scary, felt like his grandma had dementia or something :(
Certainly not a bad game by any means. Yes, the beginning of the game was more enjoyable I feel. This is on account that the game seemed more polished and buttoned-up in terms of atmospheric setting, and the story as told via the notes found throughout the house. And once the game led you outside, it really lost the positive aspects and meandered into something that to me, quite literally lost its sense of direction. Metaphorically, we really lost out the story during the outside wandering. Yeah, like you said, we ended up with a lot of unanswered questions. Also, I both love and hate the notes from the house. Loved that they imparted meaningful story plot lines concerning grandma. Hated that they were just So Sad! Damn... poor grandma...
A Wild Theory but I think that her sadness and feel of emptiness create an open space for all those spiritual beings that are living in the forest to, I don't know, maybe try to keep her company of some sort?
Anyway, this or the game just have it's plot holes.
I would be amazing if you found the other endings to Snafu in the next video. No one else has made videos doing that yet😥
Everybody's Grandpa would snooze as the tv plays!
Not the ending I was expecting lol.
😅 can't take that away from the Dev. Certainly subverted horror tropes! Lol
The nun made me jump! Haha
⛪️📿
Grandma be watching Netflix on that piece of junk 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great one Chris! The game had superb atmosphere and I was legit scared at times. Cheers mate!
Just sitting here, grading schoolwork, then almost died when that monster came out of nowhere! Thank goodness there aren’t crazy red pen marks all over the papers, but man! And the second one almost got me as bad too lol
Dang it those jump scares got me 🤣
Best treat on a Tuesday- SQL and CJU sessIon on deck for the afternoon, nice!
I love your channel!! Your so funny! LOL!!
I do not get scared easily, at my age some time I watch to late ...I felt asleep and when I look at the screen that first scare got me . Man , Nice anyway .
What do you think about the werewolf theorie..... it's only thing which is closesed to the story: tho totem, tho big footprints, the amounts of blood and the crime scene....perhaps the both was woolfes and one night she was not able to help him and now she lurks alone as a women through the forrest! Perhaps the apples schould schow the wrong way and normally they schould be eaten from these "forrest ghots" 🤷♀️
The ending's really depressed...and the ghost might be his grandfather I guess.
grandma i know you're going through a difficult time right now but i severely need some pancakes...
Would be nice if you tried the classic horror game “I have no mouth and i must scream.”
But probably there is no chance 😀
Lmaooo dissing the repetitive subtitles this is off to a great start 😂
The anxiety I'm getting by you not lightning every single candle 😩😩😩😩
The cinematic and graphics were quite impressive! It’s just a shame that the experience was bogged down with “poofers” and a rushed story…
The last time I gave a review of a first-time indie game, story was the key weak point. In this game, it's the biggest strength, but still leaves one important detail unspoken.
My interpretation of the story is that the protagonist is feeling paranoid that his grandmother's not at home and is letting his own imagination go nuts. The home isn't really haunted at all, and the combination of concern, clement weather, and grogginess leads the protagonist to imagine all sorts of haunted events. The mysterious notes aren't actually appearing, we're just reading them as we continually search the house looking for grandma.
And now a few comments on the game as a whole:
Indie Devs are backsliding lately into the reliance on cheap jumpscares. If you really want to add jumpscares, take some notes from the Dark Pictures Anthology. The junpscares are masterfully done in that series, usually with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it approach where most of the scares are there in the corner of your eye, just like they would be in real life. An over-reliance on loud noises and in-your-face jumpscares really cheapen any horror experience, much like how Myst tried to take the concept of exploration so far that it nearly killed the (then booming) adventure game industry. Keep things subtle and it'll be ten times scarier.
Also, speaking of Dark Pictures, my interpretation of the events in the game can be easily compared with Little Hope, which I happened to think had some really brilliant twists. The presence of the nun jumpscares, the TV, the knocked-over furniture and misplacing of items... All of this really works if you go for a twist similar to those of the first two DP games.
All in all, it's not a bad game, but the jumpscares need to be seriously toned down. The legs behind the sofa in the attic could simply get yanked behind the furniture with no other jumpscare tactics and it would've been much scarier. Also, the "scare disappears in a puff f static" is really overdone. That scare could've instead ended with the red light simply going out and it would've actually had just as much (if not more) impact.
But overall, the writing was brilliantly emotional, and an "imagining the worst" arc would easily be backed by the almost suicidal and guilt-laden notes, as well as the calm ending. But I think one single line would've prevented the last moments from being so jarring. When we spot the grandmother at the dock, the protagonist could've said something like "Thank god, she's okay!" and then followed up with the ending sequence of putting the jacket on her and taking her home. It's one of those "one line of dialogue could've answered everything" problems that many games suffer from.
On a final note, the house really weirded me out for a while, and it took me a while to figure out why. The textures are different, and it's far more cluttered, but the layout is exactly the same as some of the larger houses found in The Infected (absolutely wonderful zombie-style survival game, incidentally). Even a few of the assets (such as the bed in the guest room) are very similar to that game, although there are enough differences that I hesitate to call them an asset flip. As soon as I made the connection to The Infected's villages, that odd feeling went away and I could really start enjoying the house portion of the game.
I did see some apples at the construction site lol
Very pretty game, and some rather good sound direction, but the story was a mess and it was far too heavy on the "tell" rather than the "show".
Side note: as someone who's recovering from a broken arm after slipping while running for the bus during a storm, don't sprint when it's raining.
Omg!!! Dude....at 14:30 you're wandering around a dark house instead of lighting all the candles!!! Light all the candles already!!
Love the videos
14:32 Alien 👽 I paused at 2 jumpscares and Caught 2 Alien figure's BUT are they supposed to be ??? Or I'm just 2 Quick 4 you ? Lol heehee 😂
I feel like the creator had a story going but just didn't know what to do with it. Or couldn't decide what direction to take. They also clearly struggled with how to end the game, so they just cut it like that. Probably went "fuck it, good enough".
Thank you so much cju for all your videos i literely wait till you post xx
Damn. This was actually hard to watch. My grandparents met at a local bar and my grandpa told my grandma he wasnt gonna leave until he danced with the most beautiful woman and she agreed. They were married for 41 years and 4 months. (My grandpa kept the exact count) Dementia slowly took her away for a little more than 15 years but my grandpa stayed by her side to the literal very end. She was bed ridden, couldnt move or talk, but he always checked on her every hour. He would smile and tell her she was beautiful and that he loved her even though she didnt understand. Some family and I watched her take her last breath. Died right in front of us. When they were carrying her body away, I looked up to see my grandpa in tears. Never in my 26 years of life have I ever seen him cry. That was the first time and I hated it. I just picture him in these letters in the game and wondered if my grandpa was doing the same things behind close doors 💔 I know its just a game but still...
If i were to fix the story and answer some questions. I'd made it that grandma misses grandpa so bad that as stated in one of the letters that she would do anything to have him back by his side. Have her done some kind of ritual or cult thingy which will supposedly bring back Grandpa back to life and had a side effect that made her possessed, had demetia or something. which explains much of the spooky things that are happening around. Btw, I like the IT reference on the raincoat.
Best line ever: Nun?, Grandma? Nunma?!?
Always enjoy watching a horror game with Chris at the helm
There were apples at the construction site, next to the letter you pick up.
"Grandma? Nun-ma?" 😂😂💀
5:16 Notice this Tiny farmhouse Suddenly Grew
The apples are on the workers area, in the table :)
‘Nun-ma?’ They’re called penguins, Chris. Penguins. Not nuns.
This was overall pretty good, up until the ending. With all the jump scares I expected one of two things:
1) grandma is possessed
2) grandma is dead, haunting her old house
For option 1, I would have expected the protagonist to die at the end. For option 2, I would have expected the protagonist to have found her body in the locked guest room at the end of the game. Since they didn't do either of those, they technically subverted my expectations, but I don't think they did so in a way that was necessarily well executed or helpful to the quality of the game or it's story. They could totally go the route they did, if they either provided some reason as to why the protagonist is seeing the things that they're seeing, or cut the bulk of the jump scares in favor of a more atmospheric horror approach.
On the note of the jump scares, some were pretty good and well executed. But a lot of them fell flat, even for me, a viewer who doesn't even play horror games because everything makes me jump (even in videos).
The big thing for me was that the ending was so out of place and jarring. I thought that the developer did a great job with telling the story through the notes scattered around the house, and kudos to them for getting this out there, and doing so well overall with their first horror game. With a bit of reworking I'd say they have something pretty great for first indie horror game.
I think her madness is due to just down the road a farmhouse was experiencing some close encounters.
Seems like it's a multiple ending thing. Also, the first time you see an apple was on the table at the construction site.
This felt as if the developer wasn't sure what to do with the game, if it'll be something riddled with ghosts or focus on an old woman's grief for her beloved husband. As for the story itself, here's what I'd LIKE to think it happened. ----
When you woke from the couch, your grandmother did arrive home, but decided to lock herself up in her room. And while you're preparing tea, she decided to head back out to take a walk in the forest. All the noise you heard upstairs was her throwing things about in her despair, because she's been blaming herself for her husband's death (just as described in the note you picked up). Construction workers found her wandering deeper into the forest just before she got lost in the thick of it and since you offered apples to the totem, its spirit guided you to her.
As for the TV and radio turning on, I'm gonna assume that it was her husband's ghost that haunts the place, wanting to stay by her side. The rest of the narrative is an utter mess. What's with the nun and that cabin with all that blood? Why did the grandma go back to the house, only to go out again and be lost? And why does she seemed possessed in the beginning?
Personally, I would've been okay if they just went with the grandma being out there, leave the mysterious hauntings and creakings in the house the way it was, add a proper spirit of the forest being, and then you tracking & finding your grandma as shown at the end. All the jumpscares and the detour with the nun was unnecessary. I was even starting to get misty-eyed when you start reading about her feeling of loneliness.... but then, all that went out the window, once the series of jumpscares began. It puts a damper on what should've been a good story.
Game could've and should've been better simply by using better assets than a white stick figure or the nun, could've even used the Prognostic old lady model and some other scary old Man model instead of that stick figure etc lot of promise though if they can build off of this first attempt
Oh yeah and better timing and placement of jump scares, as well as the amount of them, little less of that and a bit more creepy parts that don't just jump out at you and more atmospheric and they'll be on there way
Killer as always buddy, thanks.
The change of format was a little startling at first, but, as usual, no it's great, polished and all. And most importantly, the content is unaffected A+
Chris , hope all is well mate, you gonna be playing the last of us 1 remake and dead island next month or are you giving them a pass?
Played THE TOILET CHRONICLES yet ? 😂 it's a laugh and perfectly has been made with you in mind
Interesting game. Just needs a little more by way of explanation to help wrap things up. Is grandma possessed? Does she have dementia or suffers from a disease herself? Who was walking around the house and kept turning on grandpa's tv if grandma wasn't even home for most of the game? Is his spirit or presence still in the house? So many questions. But, overall not bad for a first time game .
That was a good let's play 😊
I just bought and played a game on ps5.
It's called "Cions of Vega"....
Pretty sure I found the "silent nights" gandma's house in there.
Could you play it just to make sure?🙏
Yeah, it's a strange one. I can't tell if I like it or not, it feels like it's doing this weird, two steps forward, two steps backward dance.
It seems like it's torn between being a traditional horror game, with a malevolent spirit of some kind tormenting the protagonist and maybe also the grandma, and going for a more subtle, grounded sort of horror in trying to build mundane but relatable fears into something designed to scare. The issue is that the two ideas don't play nice with each other, at least with the way they've been assembled.
As a traditional horror game, I think it has a very strong start, with a good ambience in the house, setting up a mystery about what's going on and how Grandma is involved and whether she's another victim or part of the cause. As time goes on though, the jumpscares seem to become a little too frequent and get overbearing, and in the end all the mystery gets left basically entirely unresolved as it gets set aside for a different direction for the narrative.
As more grounded horror, it still has a strong start with the setup of a grieving and isolated family member, and the general, overall narrative of 'going to check in, things go weirdly wrong, it gets (potentially) scary before ultimately resolving with finding the grandmother having wandered off to grieve'. Only, now a lot of the scares don't make sense, and seem tacked on. Why use that particular imagery? How does that fit the notion of fearing for grieving or elderly family? I feel like it would need to use different, more specific imagery to the family involved to really work in this way.
I think there's definitely some promise here, it just needs some focus, and then some paring down and/or retooling of the things that don't fit.
Any chance to get you playing the game "night janitor"?