House of Rules

Im LOVING this game so far!!! I genuinely can't wait for the full game! 

I really enjoyed this game. The story was very creepy and kept me guessing what was going on. Keep up the good work! 

I just loved it..This game is so creepy and dark ,it's awesome!Can't wait for the full version!

Hello, I played this game and I really enjoyed it actually, I don't really play many games like this but I had a lot of fun with this one, can't wait to check out the full game, great job! :)

Had fun playing this game I couldn't find Pam however so I couldn't eat my meal apart from getting lost it was great experience.

Ok. So. I spoke with Colin after watering the plants; and the screen turned black and the game froze. Music was still playing.

1. Why did you decide to play the game? (what you expected before actually playing it) 

I saw gameplay from alphabetagamer and thought it looked very atmospheric. I only saw it for a few seconds before I wanted to play it myself. I expected the rules would play another role in the game. Like "Do <thing> but in a very specific manner or you're punished". I'm more happy with how the rules are presented as a part of the game.

2. How much were you curious about the story? (on a scale from 1 to 10) 

Before playing, maybe 7/10. During gameplay, 9 or 10.

3. How much did you think it was scary? (on a scale from 1 to 10) 

8/10. The atmosphere really pulls you in. There aren't many jump scares, which is the usual method in this genre. I think the key is leaving enough time between jump-scares to let the player lower their guard, which is definitely what happened to me.

4. What did you like about the game?

The atmosphere. The lighting effects are great. I like how the rules are used to drive the game and I think there's even more potential to be found there. The sprites and landscapes are perfect for this genre.

5. What didn't you like about the game?

I've seen people mention the art here. I agree that the portraits could use a little updating but I wouldn't sink resources into a super polished look.

6. What bugs did you discover? (If none, skip the question)

It seems like the game should have a brightness adjustment in the menu but it didn't really do anything for me.

There were a couple times where Alexis walked away and the light of her lantern didn't follow her.

Not really a bug but after you successfully sing the song to Colin, you continue to ask the other's about the song even though that part of the story is complete.

7. What else would you like us to know?

I'm really excited to see the end product. 

Wow! I just saw a let's play from the Alpha Beta Gamer' youtube channel and I can't wait to play the game for myself.

I especially love the story and the writing, the dialogues are good (which often is the thing that suffers the most in horror games). The ambiance and creepy effects throughout were really cool, the way the light changes and the reaction of characters for example.
I loved that the characters had little reactions to your actions, it made the whole thing more real.

The only thing that is bugging me is the art, especially the portraits (when the characters speak or when you meet them), it looks amateurish. Right now I think it distracts a little from the whole experience which, aside from that is amazing. The small animation though was creepy and did a great job.

[small spoilers for the demo]
I surely will have nightmares about bleeding eyes and puppets. The game's mechanics are fun. That you had to solve puzzles whilst distracting the mansion's staff and them wanting to kill you instantly, added a cool stress level to it. I especially loved the small notes gained during the game, which helped to solve the puzzles and at the same time added a strong element of mystery each time.

In short, I love it and I was hooked by the story, can't wait for the game's release!

1. Rpg horror with grim gothic aesthetic, I thought the characters would look a little different colour wise because of the page art 

2. 7/10

3. 6.5/10 

4. Character art and dialogue, ambience, music, endings, puzzle difficulty is fairly balanced, black cat! 

5.  Maps are too dark at times, direction with puzzles is a tad confusing at times 

6. Wrong name tag for Alexis in one scene (Colin), pantry QTE and escape after dialogue won’t trigger successfully even after pressing SHIFT fast? (I have disabled sticky keys so it doesn’t interrupt the sequence, maybe just bad luck, suggestion: to change the keys used maybe press them in a certain order?) 

7. This demo is very promising so far, thank you for making and translating it and I wish you luck with development. 

10/10 Very interesting history and creppy ambient, i can't wait for the full game!! 

Game theory (also, spoilers): 

The work rules stated that there are no subitems because they didn't actually exist, at least not before the work rules got torn out. And whoever tore it out is trying to control your actions through the subitems, considering how they were worded and how spot-on they always were at every moment. And this is why Alexis is so quick to fire you when you admit that the work rules got torn out of your book.

Wow. I've only seen 10 minutes of a gameplay (alpha beta gamer) and then stopped watching, but because I want to play it by myself. This is really really deep, congratulations. Idk how it goes on, but I hope it will be a top game. 

1. I saw a youtuber (Alpha Beta Gamer) play the game and it piqued my interest. I really like the concept and idea of having a house where you go and are led by these mysterious rules while also avoiding being caught from breaking them. I expected an RPG horror adventure game like so many other I've played in the genre. This one specifically reminded me of The Witch's House due to the setting, tone and mystery. 

2. I wasn't too interested in the story as much as the atmosphere. Still, I'm sure there's some twist related to the main character and Jane. I can't say I'm too interested at the moment, however.

3. I was spooked by the initial jump scare in the beginning, and all of the small changes when you leave a room. Because of this I was on edge a lot in the begging expecting this to be a big jumpscare game (which I don't like) thankfully none of the other jump moments were as bad, and just enough to keep me on edge. Continuing like this would be good. 

4. I think the dialogue is very good for a game of this genre. It's brutally simple and to the point, and not too wordy. Works well for the setting.

5. I didn't like the initial jumpscare in the  game. It seemed a little much right off the bat. 

6.none

7. Keep up the good work! Like I said, this game reminded me a lot of The Witch's House, whether you want the game to be more like it or less like it is up to you. I'd recommend it if you need inspiration!