Lethe's Fate

[Dimitris]

Lethe's Fate​

a short psychological horror game by Dimitris​

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STORY

You play the role of Lethe, Commander General, sworn protector of the order of the One Godess. Lethe wakes up in a forest, not remembering how he got there, not remembering his past. Help him find a way out of the forest.

GAMEPLAY

Lethe's Fate is a Psychological Horror Adventure game. Your goal is to find 8 notes that explain the situation and find a way out of the forest. The game is very short and can be beaten in under 10 minutes.

TIPS

• There are 8 notes you need to find for the story to progress. Search everything, everywhere.
• The game only ends when you see the Game Over screen. If you are stuck, either you missed a Note or you haven't searched everything. Keep trying!

SCREENSHOTS

Spoiler

DOWNLOAD

Spoiler

http://www.mediafire.com/download/091sk3sefkjc4eo/Lethe's_Fate_by_Dimitris.7z

CREDITS

Spoiler

Story-Dimitris

Music-Lethe's Fate by Dimitris

Engine - RpgMakerVXAce

Graphics and SFX - Enterbrain : RpgMakerVxAce RTP

I made this game for the Melody Mapping Contest. I was happy with how it turned out to be, so I post it here for everyone to play.

I hope you enjoy this game as much as I enjoyed making it. Thank you for playing!

 

[Matseb2611]

This was a good game from when I tried it during the mapping contest and the story was very well presented. Are you by any chance thinking of expanding it? I think some players would be curious to know more about this world (I certainly am).

 

[_Shadow_]

Question:

Does Lethe stands for greek  "ΛΗΘΗ" (forgetfulness)?

If yes you freaking nailed it on naming your game after such a powerful word.

 

[Dimitris]

@matseb2611 Thanks mate! At the moment I don't have plans of expanding that particular story. What I am thinking is, placing differend stories in the same universe and expanding that universe. I already have plans for the next short story and I'll see how that works.

@Dreadshadow  Of course dude, you got it ( matseb also figured it out when he played the game for the contest ). There is another name in the game that has great importance for the story. You will get that too, I am sure

 

[_Shadow_]

Added A review after the Original post.

Both are inside spoiler containers.

 

My Original post:

Spoiler

 

About the story:

 

What I sense is a guy trapped in a non ending loop like Sisyphus.

That alone seems like a fearful eternal torture. A kind of hell if I am allowed to say.

 

If you wouldn't put that medal as equipment and the name Lethe to the guy, I would bet it was Ixion.

I mean Ixion took Lethe (woman) got involved in a murder and Zeus felt pity on him, taking to Olympus (the floating land makes sense as vessel)

Then Zeus found out that Ixion wanted to have sex with Hera, and tricked him to have sex with a cloud. (Floating land makes more sense).

Thus centaurs were created by that sexual incident with the fake Hera cloud. 

Then Zeus having such evidence of his crime (not following the hospitality rules) casted him with a thunder to a for ever spinning fire  circle around the sun. (Even now the floating land makes sense)

There is only one problem.

The guy is named Lethe, servant of Dea.

So he isn't Ixion...

 

Thus he is probably just a guy condemned, exiled, casted say it as you please, to a place that he can not escape.

Even suicide would bring him back here!

And I bet that's what just happened.

 

Dea, as a name does not help me a lot here.

 

..... and then I asked you... and I found out I must revisit that spot you told me to. You should make the hero wonder what is there after finding the final note, to help the player in not missing it. I thought that was it.

 

Adding THAT into the whole experience... my God! 

Wow! EXACTLY as it should had to be....

Tisiphone! F@!!!

This is hell all right!!!

 

It kinda reminds me Hellraiser Inferno (same ending almost, with pinhead delivering a new meaning for the word "Engineer")

 

It is fantastic how horror this game is and what you did in the end left me speechless.

Wow!

They say that conscience is like a shadow. You always carry it with you.

Thus Tisiphone too.

That was a fantastic game!

 

Review is coming on!!!

 

 

FOR THE FORUM EVENT, THE REVIEW COUNTS FROM THIS POINT AND ON:

 

TL; DR;

This game is not big.

It is actually small.

But it is a great experience! It's good! 

 

Spoiler

 

As you already know Dimitri, I like horror genre so much that I am really strict when it comes to such games.

Even being a good forum friend the last few months, I must be fair and square and not biased.

I believe you want the same thing, to make the game even better!

 

Graphics: 70/100

The graphics are consisted as a well usage of RTP resources.

You can understand that it is hard to make something extraordinary, using only the default tileset and not parallax mapping.

But still the graphics made a very nice impression.

The tint is a plus to the atmosphere, but I suggest you should pre-apply it, beofre the fadein.

Suggestion: For the record, the DS DLC is way better than the RTP.

 

Sound FX: 80/100

Most of them are well used.

Maybe changing the default SFX would really help it sustain the atmosphere.

Suggestion: Search RTP sound FX and play with pitch a little. Low pitch is the key.

 

Music: 90/100

Both music pieces are great.

But they don't loop perfectly.

That's the ONLY con.

The music is fantastic.

Ok I am biased here since the music flirts with drone and doom.

It is not THAT minimalistic but it is THAT dark.

It is just fantastic!

Suggestion: CLICK ME! THANK ME LATER!

 

Gameplay: 80/100

You miss some points here. 

I put you an 80/100 because of a FEW things that can be fixed easily.

First off, after finding all the notes, you should add a comment by Lethe that prompts the user not to miss the most important part of your game.

I missed it while the contest was going on, and I am glad I now asked you about it.

Secondly, you should fix the menu (color and selections).

THIS might help you do it fast.

 

Scenario: 100/100

Solid. And horror too. I would tear apart a game that says it is horror and is not. On the other hand I will be strict but will love a true horror game experience.

Lethe, in greek ΛΗΘΗ, means forgetfulness.

So I was expecting a little more of unravelled mythology.

And it cane just in time.

I don't wanna spoil the greatest moment of the game.

I can say that it was a great thought.

Hellraiser Inferno has a similar hell concept. Oh! And if you watch it, trust me... I am NOT that kind of an "Engineer".

Tisiphone was a fantstic thought. And it has a great background to support it.

 

Directed: 90/100

I could have missed the best part mate.

But your game is perfectly directed.

Even the ending ( ending? LOL ) was perfect. 

 

Atmosphere: 90/100

The default sound fx put you a little out of the overall atmosphpere.

Also the menu is default blue, that doesn't collaborate well with the tinted screen atmospheric landscape.

Otherwise it is fantastic.

The music helps a LOT!

Try making it loop perfectly.

 

Polished: 90/100

Yes it is.

That was a contest that demanded 3 maps, graphical effects and music plus sound fx only, to deliver an atmosphere.

Here I judge the game unfairly, as a complete normal game.

Dimitri, remeber that fixing one thing, skyrockets a LOT of the ratings, not just one. If you want to spend some time to make it perfect, that's all the cons I could find.

Otherwise it is a VERY nice game indeed.

 

Overall 86/100

This game was just a contest participation.

BUT I recommend this game experience.

It has NO jump scares, it has no blood.

Still it delivers a feeling of horror all right.

Kudos!

 

[Dimitris]

@Dreadshadow Dude, your review is amazing!

Firstly, let me say that of course I want objectivity in the reviews. I want to develop my skills and sugarcoating the words does not do that. So thanks for being sincere.

On the story, when I decided to take part in the contest, I had the premise in my mind and thought the name Lethe would suit the character well. As you know, in Greek Lethe is a female name but I made the character male because of the era he lives in, his position in the world and his past. No connections with Ixion, he is just a man with an unfortunate name in an unfortunate situation

Dia is just a general naming of all the gods that might exist. In Latin Dia means just godess. No backstory there (but I might develop it in the future).

Trisiphone came in that "Eureka!" moment people have in their lives. I had to give reason as why Lethe is in that place and I was searching greek mythology for a character that had the traits I need them to have (greek mythology has a great set of characters about every facet of life, so it was a great place to start). Trisiphone was exactly what i was looking for, for the story to work. 

I suggest to everyone who finishes the game to do a google search for the names, there's a lot of symbolism behind the story.

On your review, thank you very much for taking the time and wrote it! I will DEFINITELY work on your suggestions, I already learned something new with the loop video, I didn't knew you could do it that way. Also you gave me the push to work the whole experience (menus, colors etc.) so that will happen also.

Thanks again!

 

[_Shadow_]

No connections with Ixion, he is just a man with an unfortunate name in an unfortunate situation

Yes figured that out after reading the journal...

Dia is just a general naming of all the gods that might exist. In Latin Dia means just godess. No backstory there (but I might develop it in the future).

Oh! Like Dio, but female version. Got you. There is actually a Dea  means "she who belongs to Zeus (Dias)" related with Ixion.

Trisiphone came in that "Eureka!" moment people have in their lives. I had to give reason as why Lethe is in that place and I was searching greek mythology for a character that had the traits I need them to have (greek mythology has a great set of characters about every facet of life, so it was a great place to start). Trisiphone was exactly what i was looking for, for the story to work. 

Actually I think it is ΤΙΣΙΦΟΝΗ, Tishiphone (no r) aren't you referring to the one of the Furies?

I am just a geek I know...

Oh! Let me take that "r" that we must subtract and place it into "geek"... "Greek"... this fits better!

What a coincidence!

 

[Dimitris]

Yes, no r !!!! You are correct, I misspelled it!

 

[_Shadow_]

You made something fantastic here.

Tisiphone? Really? And the nice thing is that it fits just like a glove!

 

[Matseb2611]

I think having more characters being trapped in this world would be very interesting, especially if what they experience is kind of different but in the same vein as this one. Looking forward to see what you make.

Good review there, Dreadshadow. The only thing I'll have to disagree with is that I don't really think DS set would fit this kind of game, since DS is a bit less serious looking and more light-hearted. RTP in my opinion is more versatile and fits serious games better (though PVGames set is even better for morbid-themed games).

 

[_Shadow_]

Matseb2611 I certainly do not refer to charactrer sets of the DS.

I am talking about the great Tilesets that are not squared and are not so crude made.

Of course there are replacements for the problematic Resources into the community DLC, Restaff and forum resources.

But in general I consider DS a fantastic product (not to mention that I consider DS+ the BEST and MOST essential DLC)

About the light hearted feeling, you are absolutely correct. NO hero substitution should me made! 

 

[Kyuukon]

That was a really nice short game! Congrats!

 

[Dimitris]

@Kyuukon Thank you very much for playing!!!

 

[Harmill]

I just tried your game out and man, it's really cool! I love the immediate intrigue. The maps are very basic, but the game has a different focus than that. The music choice really supported the atmosphere. Every hidden note had at least a hint so that you weren't blindly trying to interact with trees.

Have you considered locking the menu? The first thing I do in RPG Maker games is open the menu and start browsing my party member's stats, equipment, skills, and starting items. Considering all of those things have no purpose in this game, it's a bit immersion-breaking to access it. Your call though.

I'm not a BIG Greek Mythology buff so I actually had no idea who Lethe or Tisiphone were. I googled them after completing the game and thought it was cool to see you put thought into their names.

Spoiler warning for anyone reading this that has NOT played the game:

Spoiler

I saw the first twist coming - enough games/books/movies have done the "You were the killer all along" twist that it's become an expected "twist" from games with this type of mystique. That didn't make it bad though -- I felt it was executed well and was still interesting. It felt like it fit with the story and wasn't chosen randomly. What I thought was really cool was the second twist that followed it. I love the theme of an endlessly recurring cycle. I've played a few games that use this theme and I love it every time its used. I guess you could say I have a soft-spot for it. And maybe it was because my guard was down after getting that first predicted twist that I found the second twist to be so much more impactful. It was just such a cool moment when you realize what had been happening this whole time.

Now, I want to mention that I chose to jump first. And when I got the "Game Over", I thought MAYBE something different would happen if I chose the other option ("this is not real"). I thought perhaps there was a way to break the cycle, which was always the overarching goal of the other games I played that used the endlessly recurring cycle theme. So I replayed the game until that point, and selected that option...only to find out it was just a simple 'cancel' option, haha. I don't really think there's a "solution" to this, or if its even a problem, but I did have an urge to try that second option out when I saw I had received a "Game Over". I didn't really read anything in the opening topic before downloading the game so I didn't see your note about the game ending at a Game Over screen (my bad).

For a game that's only ~10 minutes long, you do a great job capturing my attention and keeping me interested in playing and finding out what's going on. There are many RPGs that make their first 10 minutes BORING, and it's amazing what you can do with just 10 minutes in terms of storytelling. There is intrigue to the universe -- and you have enough of a base that you could expand on this universe much more. A prequel to the game? Reliving Lethe's life before his tragic error? Maybe exploring the nature of this mysterious prison more. Who made it? How many people have been trapped in there before? Since Lethe is the only one present in HIS prison, is it an "instance" of the prison? In other words, are there others trapped in this same prison, but everyone appears alone in theirs?

 

[Dimitris]

@Harmill Firstly, thank you so much for playing and, wow! What a thorough review! 

About locking the menu, that thought did not even cross my mind when I was making the game because I didn't know how to do it! That's why I gave a specific description to the items Lethe has, to match his story. Dreadshadow made a similar suggestion with you and I'm definitely going to consider what you guys said for the next game!

About the characters, I believe that the world building in a game is very important. I think that the connection with stories that we know existed in real life empowers that build. Also I love symbolism and the fact that when people figure out the connection they go "Wow, that's cool!". And I am very happy to see people having these feelings!

On the story...

Spoiler

The idea of a never ending cycle it isn't original of course. You can read Dreadshadow's post, he has some info from greek mythology to name one example. The different stories that people can make under that theme can be so amazing. I also love it when someone uses it tastefully, I like so much that metaphysical vibe this theme has! I love that you thought that was a cool moment for you!
On the jump, "breaking the cycle" was out of the question for a few reasons. One of these I believe is that we, the players, do not know the character. We are trying to find out who he is through his predicament. We don't care if he gets saved at the beginning, we care to find out what's going on. When the game finishes, that's when we start to ask "Can he be saved?" and that gives me the opportunity to expand on that universe.

Another reason is that the atmosphere and the whole situation is pretty dark. The music sets the mood and while we learn the story the atmosphere gets darker. I thought it would be best for a short game like that to keep a constant and maybe rising uneasiness. Also, I believe that the fact that his situation is not resolved makes people want to revisit that character again.

Finally you guessed it In my mind it is an "instance" of a prison. His prison. You were spot on! In my mind there's a different kind of damnation for every person and I want to explore that with my games. It is amazing that you find the universe interesting, my goal is to expand it more and I already know where to go for the next game.

Thank you so much for your kind words mate and thank you again for playing!