Thornegrave Manor

[RyuuProductions]

Genre: Horror / Mystery / Riddles
Playtime: ~2-4 Hours
 
Hello! This is my second Project with the maker. Since my first game, Withermoore Castle I gathered quite a lot of experience which made me reach for a higher goal with this project. This includes, but is not limited to better sprites, animations, a longer, more complex story as well as more interesting and diverse gameplay.
 
The story starts where Withermoore Castle left off. However, this time we play as the psychologist Finlay who is once again trying to cure her patient with methods best described as unorthodox. As with Withermoore Castle, the focus lies on creepy atmosphere and solving riddles, although every now and then, Finlay has to run for her life in an action sequence or even stand her ground and fight.


 

Characters:

Finlay Wainwright:
Our protagonist. An ordinary, green-haired psychologist at first sight, but she holds a dark secret she has kept to herself until now.

John Thornegrave:
Finlay's current patient. Has been suffering from insomnia for a few months now and shows symptoms which Finlay regards as highly alarming.

Graham Avery:
Yes, Graham, protagonist of Withermoore Castle also makes his comeback. Now cured from his insomnia, he appears more optimistic and even more wisecracking than in the first game.

...and a few more, which you will meet along the way!
 ​

Screenshots:

Spoiler

 

Trailer
Download (81M
Walkthrough​

Credits:

Spoiler

GRAPHICS:
Title Screen by Needle Nerd:
http://needle-nerd.blogspot.de/

Game Over Screen by Fenris:
http://steampoweredwerewolf.blogspot.de/

RPG MAKER Futuristic Tiles Resource Pack
[Copyright]© 2012 ENTERBRAIN, INC;
artist Celianna.

HIGH FANTASY I RESOURCE PACK
[Copyright]© 2014 ENTERBRAIN, INC;
artist: PVGames.

Valkyrie Stories Ruins Set by Hanzo Kimura

Small and big paintings by Ayene-Chan

Large Mirror Tile by ccoa

Additional Tilesets provided by RPG Maker Resource planet:
http://vxresource.wordpress.com/

Character Portraits created using HeroMachine 3:
http://heromachine.com/heromachine-3-lab/

Lighting by Khas Arcthunder:
http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/4917-khas-awesome-light-effects/

Ace Message System v1.05 by Yanfly:
http://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/rmvxa/core-scripts/ace-message-system/

Move Restrict Region v1.03 by Yanfly:
https://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/rmvxa/field-scripts/move-restrict-region/

SOUND:
freesound.org
Scream.ogg by "Madera del este Films"

MUSIC:
"music_sfx_timesend" by www.reflex-studio.com
"Grabsuche" by www.reflex-studio.com

"It's You"(feat. Ran) by Fox
"(Un)Justified Risk" by Fox

"Clouds" by Tunguska Electronic Music Society
"Sunrise in the Dark" by Tunguska Electronic Musicy Society

"Species - Etheran - Diplomatic Imsaeis" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"Species - Harvesters - Buildup" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"Species - Harvesters - Defeat" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"Species - Harvesters - Diplomatic Ithkul" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"Species - Humanoid - Defeat" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"Species - Ichthytosian - Diplomatic Nommo" from the Master of Orion 3 OST
"UI Navigation" from the Master of Orion 3 OST

"Stay Down Here Where You Belong" by Tiny Tim

"Industrial Music Box" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Everything else by StuKa

Special Thanks to Beta-Testers:
Vindicorvus
ands
amethyst
feuerZwerk
berni
Tobbe
Fenris
SumoFlorist
Needle Nerd

Developed with RPG Maker VX Ace and Game Character Hub
Time spent on the project: ~340hours
For questions/bug reports, contact me at derryu@gmail.com

Thanks for playing!

 

[purplehills]

Beautiful lights effects!

It seems very interesting, and has a nice atmosphere !

I'm gonna try it

 

[RyuuProductions]

Thank you!

Please give me a brief review once you're done

 

[KanaX]

I gave it a go and finished it. Twice actually. And I'm glad I didn't keep notes on my first playthrough. I decided to make a review! Keep in mind that I may be a little strict, as this is not an unfinished game (where polish may be still implemented). It is completed and I can only presume you have cared to make it as good as possible. I have to inform  you that I never read the synopsis, character bios, or walkthroughs before playing. I want to experience purely what the game has to offer. I may refer to some stuff you have already stated above.


Synopsis

Thornegrave Manor is your classic Horror/Mystery/Puzzle RPG. It combines elements seen in Witch's House and Ib rather well, in comparison to most other horror RPG maker games. However, as we don't have a silent protagonist, it loses some of the exact luster those two have.

The puzzles are original (enough) and require some thought to solve (and some times more than enough labor). However, their design would sometimes make them merciless to the unprepared.

It has a good atmosphere (as expected from a horror game), with an intriguing story, fitting BGMs and general lack of vanilla graphics.

I wouldn't say that it is as long as 2~4 hours like the developer; it's probably closer to 45' ~ 1 hour (and I took my time searching for clues and details).

The characters are not wooden -especially the dialogs between Finlay & Graham are pretty solid- but I could deal with the rest having a bit more exposition, (if the story allowed it).

The two endings came faster than expected and did not do much in terms of grand revelations. Perhaps because the cast was limited and generally no very well explained, so I didn't have any reason to care very much as to who was the perpetrator. The "true" ending didn't actually reveal anything new. It did however raise more questions (that I'm not sure if they are making me more enticed or not).

I noticed only 2 bugs; one was incredibly minor and the other one potentially game-breaking (more details later on).

Introduction to the story

The protagonist, Finlay Wainwright is a kind of peculiar psychologist, who only takes some equally peculiar cases (I wonder if that number of cases keeps her fed). The current case is John Thornegrave who suffers from insomnia and sought help from the young woman. Finlay however, found out that his problem may have roots to her field of specialty. She decided that the best course of action would be to visit him in his manor and try to face the issue head on, with unexpected consequences of course.

Details (major spoilers)

Spoiler

• The intro's scrolling text is a foreshadowing mechanic (regarding Edgar), which I found out in retrospect. I enjoyed it. Gives the impression that there's an actual story.
• The painting you get from Graham shows an empty text box on the bottom. I would guess that's because you wanted to have something controlling the opening and closing of the picture. I would suggest you either fill in the text box, or use a loop button trigger [loop -> conditional branch: C button is pressed -> erase picture (1?)-> break loop]. Also, it gets TOO dark to see when you are in a dark area. If you don't want that to happen, lower the surface Z on the Khas script by 50
• I appreciate the detail of having her actually drive to her apartment. The apartment itself is small, realistic and cozy (unlike some huge empty rooms we often see). However, I am jealous of her huge TV, so I'll rate the game 1/5.
• The nightmare sequence was decently made, but nothing we haven't seen before. The question I have is, why we see Finlay on the TV as she was on her ID. Is there going to be a sequel? Was there ever a prequel (Because it's hinted by Finlay's and Graham's dialog multiple times). What I mean is that her dream doesn't seem to be directly related to the game. And the knife...
• MINOR BUG: When she wakes up, the knife is in the kitchen, but when we control her again, right after, it's gone.
• The manor is beautiful and I like the fact that I can walk behind objects (like, hide Finlay's character behind them). The windmill was BEAUTIFUL. You seem to know some good sprite animations too. You should make the fog a little more transparent and if you could, make it dynamic.
• I dine with the family. In my two playthroughs I chose different dialogs. Apparently enraging Edgar was necessary for the "true ending". I don't know how to feel about that, since that choice would seem really inconsequential to most players. Then again, true endings tend to be hidden and tricky to get.
• I enjoyed the second dream sequence. The slit-her-throat animation was pretty good too.
• What I didn't like was how easily Finlay recovered after her nightmare.
• Now the main game has started and I find the kitten dead, hanging from the windmill. I like cats. I change my rating to 0/5.
• When Finlay fell and ended up on the puzzle area, she loses her weapon. At that point I slightly rolled my eyes, but hey, some things cannot be avoided.
• They atmosphere is really good. I was expecting to more of the scythe (kinda like the equivalent of pyramid head from silent hill), but I never did. Kinda disappointed.
• I respect the fact that you want limited saves (especially if they are so pretty), but you should warn the players about the fact. I activated both by mistake and that cost me.
• Adding the one instance in the manor with the rest in here, we see the slight changes and shadows in the edge of our eyes that we loved in Witch's House and Ib. I missed that.
• The first puzzle was easy enough, the second one kinda common, but well executed, the third one slightly tedious (simple mazes don't compliment puzzle games) and I'm not sure I completely understand the fourth one. Obviously you have to read the sign first, but when you straight up give the correct option to the player, it loses the puzzle aspect of the game. Can you find a better was for Finlay to close her eyes? After that... I just guessed?

1. With the lever puzzle starts a row of puzzles that you need to look at, more as a player and less as yourself. The lever puzzle, while simple in concept, still takes a while to figure out, and the correct switch sequence is too long to find and to memorize. I suggest you either reduce the number of switches needed, or increase the duration of time.
2. The second one was just a nightmare for me. I don't have a musical ear in the least. And the fact that I have to hit the right notes  3 times makes it even worse. Making a puzzle based on a special skill is generally a bad policy. You should at least have 3 scales instead of 4. Still, the puzzle left me an impression that I will mention later.
3. The third one was also weird. You cannot expect players to realize the nature of an object when it's only a square bit of color(replace the small parts wit bigger ones). The timer is also too short and even when I cut off my finger, I didn't know I had to still run to the door (there is no indication that it opened, I was expecting a message, or the danger to go away). Again, don't expect the players to know what you do. Give them a break. You may say that you want to implement "trial and error", but it doesn't really work in a game with puzzles, with the goal being survival. The error means game over. It would be fine for the player to die from actively making a wrong choice, but not from not knowing what he is doing.

• Proper essentiality is given to the cut off finger (that Finlay seems a little TOO eager to separate from). It kinda threw me off. But still, after it was cut, you gave the situation proper respect and you asked the player to bandage it up. I HAPPENED to remember that there were some rags in the bedroom. Other players might not know that. So they will wonder aimlessly (with an annoying x2 slower speed) dying left and right. Unless the dream catcher gives a hint where to look, I think you should point them at the right direction. Again, dying because you don't know what to do is not fun.
• After she escapes death from blood loss, Finlay kinda forgets about it; her wounds don't open, she has no trouble holding weapons, there is no pain, etc, etc. Try to not forget the consequences of your actions.
• We find lady Thornegrave eating whatever fleshy thing she finds in front of her, because she has already mastered the western cuisine and she went to the French one, with the rare meat. That's the only explanation I can give for the assault to the animals and to us, when at the same time the daughter seems fine.
• This next part took me waaaaay too much time to figure out. But it's not your fault.
• When I find Lord Thornegrave an action sequence initiated, which I really don't care for. The music too breaks the immersion. After we have slaughtered the heads on an ancient family and let their masterpiece of a house fall to ruin, we leave.
• Instead of going home to rest and deal with the shock, or to the hospital, Finlay displays the balls of a thousand men and goes straight to a library.
• Why is the library so dark? I get it that you need it for atmosphere and for what's to come, but it doesn't make sense. NOW it would be the time for a maze-like library, that was busy looking at first, but as you lose yourself in the back ends of the sectors (looking for an old occult book), it becomes more dark and more silent with every step. When you would return, there would be no one there, as the nightmare has taken you (think Ib).
• We escape the library and we enter the catwalk... I had no idea it was a catwalk. It was the same color as the road below and it's too small. One of the few badly designed pieces.
• Enter the gallery, enter the Ib. One of the most enjoyable areas.
• The first puzzle was... ok? I mean... I choosing the "I don't know" answer is a little disappointing. It IS original, I guess.
• The second one was... Incredible. It told it's own little story with no dialog while combining it  with the puzzle. It was truly great. Now it's time to give my impression for the music puzzle. In puzzles like these two, I feel like they are moments in the lives of those lost souls; a child abused to achieve perfection, a sociopathic and unstable artist, etc. If that's true, then it's brilliant. Try to bring it out more.
• MAJOR BUG: Interacting with the clock without having completed a task, will have the artist hanged. The clock stops and If I try to interact with the template, the artist appears in front of it AND on the bed. Nothing happens, no matter how many times I enter\exit the room. Had to load from the previous save.
• The third one was so unbelievably cliche, I still got jumpscared. -1/5 for the fact I actually jumped, not for the cliche. Those cannot be easily avoided
• Fourth one: Iiiiiiiiiiiiiib.
• I don't know how all that got me a hook, but HEY WE GOT THE HOOK!
• We read the lore and even when she has the ornament, Finley still blames herself.
• Another action sequence  and another occurrence of a too difficult task. But you don't have to change it, I might just be too bad at it.
• He finally meet Graham and I find myself wondering why all the men in the game are hunks.
• Their communication in great and realistic. Their past in the text rolls fluently, like in a real conversation. It's almost as you created a different game and you are referencing the events of that one... Unless you did make a previous game...
• We go to the ruins of the mansion read the diaries that survived the fire, while metal, stone and wood was incinerated. I appreciated that you made his tone different in every note. How he refers to his father, at three different time periods, starting from very young, to now.
• We enter the different realm and the small dialog between the couple is too good to be true. I'm almost positive that you had a previous game now.
• The music is...
• I could guess that you were trying to pull off an Insidious type of song, but it only works partially, because it's reeeeeally funny at the same time.
• Nothing to say about the ending (pretty mild) other than the fact that I still have some questions.

1. What made the knife so important? I could guess that it's the same knife as the one we saw in the first dream.
2. Consequently, why was the first dream so irrelevant? Why did it show a past version of Finlay?
3. What's with the crow. The question is only enhanced by the true ending.
4. What happened to the daughter?
5. Why did the mother turn insane?
6. Is there a cat heaven and if so, did the kitty make it there?
7. Why does Graham look like a super hawt me? We even have the same fashion sense.

All those (especially the last two) make me think that you MAY have a previous game related to this one AND you are planning a sequel)

• Those were the most professional credits I have seen. Teach me.

Overall:

Pretty good!

Not a masterpiece by any means (although if it was a longer and more polished, it would have potential), but I would definitely recommend it to die-hard RPGMaker horror fans. It deserves a full playthrough (which will be fun) and a second one for the true ending. However you DID make me want to know if a prequel exists and play a sequel, if it ever comes. Give it some more lovin', it will pay off, believe me! However it has some very similar features to my own game and there can be only one, so -2/5.

 

[RyuuProductions]

Wow, now this is something that really helps me as a developer, thanks a bunch!

Since you were so kind to give me a thorough review, I'll do the same and respond to most of your remarks

Details (major spoilers)

Spoiler

•  
• The painting you get from Graham shows an empty text box on the bottom. I would guess that's because you wanted to have something controlling the opening and closing of the picture. I would suggest you either fill in the text box, or use a loop button trigger [loop -> conditional branch: C button is pressed -> erase picture (1?)-> break loop]. Also, it gets TOO dark to see when you are in a dark area. If you don't want that to happen, lower the surface Z on the Khas script by 50 - Guilty as charged... Thanks for the tip, I'll get right on fixing that!
•  
• The nightmare sequence was decently made, but nothing we haven't seen before. The question I have is, why we see Finlay on the TV as she was on her ID. Is there going to be a sequel? Was there ever a prequel (Because it's hinted by Finlay's and Graham's dialog multiple times). What I mean is that her dream doesn't seem to be directly related to the game. And the knife... - Actually, yes there is a prequel. It's the first game I meantioned in the post and you can check it out here. Also, Finlay's dreams are in fact quite important for the plot, since (as she later discovers) they actually mean that the spirits are after her, not her client.
•  
• MINOR BUG: When she wakes up, the knife is in the kitchen, but when we control her again, right after, it's gone. - Awkward! I'll fix that as well.
•  
• I dine with the family. In my two playthroughs I chose different dialogs. Apparently enraging Edgar was necessary for the "true ending". I don't know how to feel about that, since that choice would seem really inconsequential to most players. Then again, true endings tend to be hidden and tricky to get. - Yes, I realize the endings in this game are not as interesting as in my first game. By the way, you could have gotten Edgar's Ornament by pressing Isabelle for more info after the first night at the manor, as well.
•  
• What I didn't like was how easily Finlay recovered after her nightmare. - Indeed... Portraying a character's emotions is something I still have to improve on.
•  
• When Finlay fell and ended up on the puzzle area, she loses her weapon. At that point I slightly rolled my eyes, but hey, some things cannot be avoided. - Some kind of reverse Chekov's gun if you will. Giving your protagonist a gun in a horror game was an experiment for me and while I wouldn't say that it failed, I'll probably won't do it again, if only to avoid repetitive gameplay (We're not making Call of Duty 16 here!)
•  
• They atmosphere is really good. I was expecting to more of the scythe (kinda like the equivalent of pyramid head from silent hill), but I never did. Kinda disappointed. - Then you were quicker with the lever riddle than my beta-testers... (they got decapitated quite a few times )
•  
• I respect the fact that you want limited saves (especially if they are so pretty), but you should warn the players about the fact. I activated both by mistake and that cost me. - Noted. (It's hard to design your savepoints so that a player cant overwrite his save file moments before being killed and basically stuck himself)
•  
• The first puzzle was easy enough, the second one kinda common, but well executed, the third one slightly tedious (simple mazes don't compliment puzzle games) and I'm not sure I completely understand the fourth one. Obviously you have to read the sign first, but when you straight up give the correct option to the player, it loses the puzzle aspect of the game. Can you find a better was for Finlay to close her eyes? After that... I just guessed? - Yeah, I guess it was a bit abstruse... I wanted a situation where a player would have to rely on his character's hearing and other senses instead of vision. You basically had to move around and feel your way through while standing still if a monster was nearby.
•  

1.  
2. With the lever puzzle starts a row of puzzles that you need to look at, more as a player and less as yourself. The lever puzzle, while simple in concept, still takes a while to figure out, and the correct switch sequence is too long to find and to memorize. I suggest you either reduce the number of switches needed, or increase the duration of time. - Oh then the scythe did indeed get you. I suppose the amount of levers is a bit high... As you probably know, it is harder for a developer to put himself into a player's perspective than it might seem...
3.  
4. The second one was just a nightmare for me. I don't have a musical ear in the least. And the fact that I have to hit the right notes 3 times makes it even worse. Making a puzzle based on a special skill is generally a bad policy. You should at least have 3 scales instead of 4. Still, the puzzle left me an impression that I will mention later. - Gotcha, will keep in mind for the future.
5.  
6. The third one was also weird. You cannot expect players to realize the nature of an object when it's only a square bit of color(replace the small parts wit bigger ones). The timer is also too short and even when I cut off my finger, I didn't know I had to still run to the door (there is no indication that it opened, I was expecting a message, or the danger to go away). Again, don't expect the players to know what you do. Give them a break. You may say that you want to implement "trial and error", but it doesn't really work in a game with puzzles, with the goal being survival. The error means game over. It would be fine for the player to die from actively making a wrong choice, but not from not knowing what he is doing. - Duly noted, guess I went overboard on that one. My goal was that a player would first have a look at all the parts, then throw the first one in and start the clock.
7.  

•  
• Proper essentiality is given to the cut off finger (that Finlay seems a little TOO eager to separate from). It kinda threw me off. But still, after it was cut, you gave the situation proper respect and you asked the player to bandage it up. I HAPPENED to remember that there were some rags in the bedroom. Other players might not know that. So they will wonder aimlessly (with an annoying x2 slower speed) dying left and right. Unless the dream catcher gives a hint where to look, I think you should point them at the right direction. Again, dying because you don't know what to do is not fun. - You have quite a lot of time in that situation and there are actually two spots where you can bandage yourself. Also: emotions again...
•  
• After she escapes death from blood loss, Finlay kinda forgets about it; her wounds don't open, she has no trouble holding weapons, there is no pain, etc, etc. Try to not forget the consequences of your actions. - Emotions once more. I at least put in a throwaway line in where she mentions downing a bunch of painkillers offscreen.
•  
• We find lady Thornegrave eating whatever fleshy thing she finds in front of her, because she has already mastered the western cuisine and she went to the French one, with the rare meat. That's the only explanation I can give for the assault to the animals and to us, when at the same time the daughter seems fine. - Actually, in my mind Isabelle was going through the same "phase" the rest of her family did on that night (with the obvious exception of Edgar). Only after John's death, Edgar called off his minions which led to the manor and her returning to her senses.
•  
• When I find Lord Thornegrave an action sequence initiated, which I really don't care for. The music too breaks the immersion. After we have slaughtered the heads on an ancient family and let their masterpiece of a house fall to ruin, we leave. - That one really made me chuckle :3 (emotions)
•  
• Why is the library so dark? I get it that you need it for atmosphere and for what's to come, but it doesn't make sense. NOW it would be the time for a maze-like library, that was busy looking at first, but as you lose yourself in the back ends of the sectors (looking for an old occult book), it becomes more dark and more silent with every step. When you would return, there would be no one there, as the nightmare has taken you (think Ib). - I suppose you missed the lightswitch at the northern wall? I wanted to give the impression that this was dark place holding even darker secrets, which you now shine light on...
•  
• The second one was... Incredible. It told it's own little story with no dialog while combining it  with the puzzle. It was truly great. Now it's time to give my impression for the music puzzle. In puzzles like these two, I feel like they are moments in the lives of those lost souls; a child abused to achieve perfection, a sociopathic and unstable artist, etc. If that's true, then it's brilliant. Try to bring it out more. - Right on the mark, that was exactly what I was going for!
•  
• MAJOR BUG: Interacting with the clock without having completed a task, will have the artist hanged. The clock stops and If I try to interact with the template, the artist appears in front of it AND on the bed. Nothing happens, no matter how many times I enter\exit the room. Had to load from the previous save. - Oh, bollocks. Dunno how that got through beta-testing... EDIT: I think I just tried every possible combination and I'm not able to reproduce the bug. Do you remember what exactly you did?
•  
• I don't know how all that got me a hook, but HEY WE GOT THE HOOK! - I was just trying to get people hooked! (get it?)
•  
• He finally meet Graham and I find myself wondering why all the men in the game are hunks. - The chuckles again, have mercy!
•  
• Their communication in great and realistic. Their past in the text rolls fluently, like in a real conversation. It's almost as you created a different game and you are referencing the events of that one... Unless you did make a previous game... -
•  
• We go to the ruins of the mansion read the diaries that survived the fire, while metal, stone and wood was incinerated. I appreciated that you made his tone different in every note. How he refers to his father, at three different time periods, starting from very young, to now. - I actually tried to keep the foundations intact (-> the stone parts of the structure) and have the wood burnt/burning, except for some things which luckily escaped the fire - like a few notes)
•  
• I could guess that you were trying to pull off an Insidious type of song, but it only works partially, because it's reeeeeally funny at the same time. - Right on the mark again... I did reach a bit too deep into the comedy crate, didn't I?

1.  
2. What made the knife so important? I could guess that it's the same knife as the one we saw in the first dream. - It is, in fact. From the occult book you read later on, you can gather that the "mystics" in that universe use special items to augment their power (like every good wizard does). The knife was actually the object the spirit I called "Husk" used as his object of choice. Quite ironic then, that it should be the thing that slays him
3.  
4. Consequently, why was the first dream so irrelevant? Why did it show a past version of Finlay? - The first dream was supposed to show that there might be something wrong with Finlay's mind and not John's.
5.  
6. What's with the crow. The question is only enhanced by the true ending. - The girl appearing at the true ending was following Finlay throughout the game in "crow-form" and keeping her "safe". Like Finlay did with Graham in Withermoore Castle. As to her motives, I'll keep them to myself for now ;-)
7.  
8. What happened to the daughter? - She also was quite eager to leave the manor. However, not being crazed with the desire, like Edgar, she merely used the events to get out. Current whereabouts: unknown
9.  
10. Why did the mother turn insane? - Like John, she had a hard time bearing the horrors occuring at the manor. One can only guess what she had to witness that drove her to that level of madness...
11.  
12. Is there a cat heaven and if so, did the kitty make it there? - There is actually an equal-opportunity heaven where the cat is chilling out, drinking tea with the chicken that got beheaded, as we speak.
13.  
14. Why does Graham look like a super hawt me? We even have the same fashion sense. - Now I am seriously intrigued! Perhaps we have met someday and I have subconsciously crafted you into my game?
15.  

All those (especially the last two) make me think that you MAY have a previous game related to this one AND you are planning a sequel) - Right on both points!

•  
• Those were the most professional credits I have seen. Teach me. - And that although my mind was going "I don't know how to bureaucracy"
•  

Overall:

Pretty good!

Not a masterpiece by any means (although if it was a longer and more polished, it would have potential), but I would definitely recommend it to die-hard RPGMaker horror fans. It deserves a full playthrough (which will be fun) and a second one for the true ending. However you DID make me want to know if a prequel exists and play a sequel, if it ever comes. Give it some more lovin', it will pay off, believe me! However it has some very similar features to my own game and there can be only one, so -2/5. - One last chuckle to top it off

Again, thanks for taking the time to give me such a detailed review, I really appreciate it. Once I'm done fixing bugs, I'll be sure to check out your work and maybe make myself useful as well

EDIT: About the playtime: You were actually very fast then. My beta-testers mostly took about two hours or more and that with impatitent me giving away a few tips. Ingame clock will of course be lower, since it cuts off all the time spent between a checkpoint and a Game Over screen. In any case, the last thing I wanted to do, was pad out my game or indeed lie about its length.

 

[KanaX]

As you probably know, it is harder for a developer to put himself into a player's perspective than it might seem...

It really is... I constantly struggle with trying to see what's fun for the player to play instead of what's fun for me to develop.

I suppose you missed the lightswitch at the northern wall? I wanted to give the impression that this was dark place holding even darker secrets, which you now shine light on...

Oh I found the light switch just fine. It just doesn't make sense to me that a library would be empty and dark in the middle of the day!

Also consider this:

You escape the nightmare. You feel relief. Yeah, you plan to return, but for now it's time to stay safe and think our next move. It's day outside, makes you feel even safer. You enter a BIG library, fully luminated, filled with people. Relief. You ask where the occult books are. "In the far end of the library, because REASONS". You start making your way to the book through a maze of bookshelves. Not many people back here and soon no one is in the same place as you. Still, you hear murmurs. As you progress they fade out. Little by little the lights become darker too. You feel an unease. "WHY?! I'm not in the manor any more!" For half a second, you think you see something at the end of the screen. Things are bad. Soon, the library is dark. 

Do you remember what exactly you did?

Definitely not. I did screw around quite a bit, though...

get it?

No.

I actually tried to keep the foundations intact (-> the stone parts of the structure) and have the wood burnt/burning

Oh, I know. You did a good job too. I was just commenting of how unlikely it would be for the pages to remain intact, while the full manor is leveled .

used as his object of choice

How did it end up in Finlay's house? Also I thought that the Husk was "bound" to Edgar (until of course he sent the creatures to kill her. How does the knife come into the equation?

 As to her motives, I'll keep them to myself for now ;-)

I have one important question:

Spoiler

THAT THING WAS A GIRL?!?!?!

Perhaps we have met someday and I have subconsciously crafted you into my game?

Unlikely, unless you have gone on vacation in Greece recently.

 

[RyuuProductions]

You escape the nightmare. You feel relief. Yeah, you plan to return, but for now it's time to stay safe and think our next move. It's day outside, makes you feel even safer. You enter a BIG library, fully luminated, filled with people. Relief. You ask where the occult books are. "In the far end of the library, because REASONS". You start making your way to the book through a maze of bookshelves. Not many people back here and soon no one is in the same place as you. Still, you hear murmurs. As you progress they fade out. Little by little the lights become darker too. You feel an unease. "WHY?! I'm not in the manor any more!" For half a second, you think you see something at the end of the screen. Things are bad. Soon, the library is dark. - Great idea, that might have actually worked better. In my mind, this library was some kind of rundown place for the occult where only the scum of the universe would hang out, that's why it was so dark

How did it end up in Finlay's house? Also I thought that the Husk was "bound" to Edgar (until of course he sent the creatures to kill her. How does the knife come into the equation? - Husk was fueling some of his power into Edgar, to use him as his minion. Once Edgar had sacrificed enough people (which he turned into shades to haunt Finlay), husk could dispose of him and escape into the "human world". As to how the knife ended up at Finlay's place...maybe someone put it there? Maybe someone trying to help Finlay?

THAT THING WAS A GIRL?!?!?! - Hooray for gender ambiguity!

Unlikely, unless you have gone on vacation in Greece recently. - Sadly, no. I've heard the weather is nice this time of year.

 

[purplehills]

I really ADORED your game!

Some of your puzzles mad me nuts, some are really difficult. But they are very originals, you had really good puzzles ideas.

The music, and the sounds were very good. The light's effects also.

It was really a great moment to play your game. It took me about 2 hours to complete (but my native langage is french, and some of your puzzles took me more time to be understood )

The story was very good, and your maps are rich and various. I felt really involved into your game, and had really a great time playing it!

If you want to be even better, maybe some of the bust draw can be improved, and some puzzles can be easier. 

Congratulations Ryuu for your great game, and sorry for my poor english

 

[RyuuProductions]

All that positivity! Thanks

And don't worry about your english, I was able to understand you well!