Barbotine

Neat little horror game that can be completed in less than 20 minutes if you're decent at games. I just loved the style and atmosphere when I saw it, so of course I had to support it. No reason to refund a game I enjoyed that costs as much as a soda. Personal Opinions: 1.) I don't understand why people think the combat was "clunky". All you need are two clicks and decent reaction time, and no physics are involved. "Clunky" has to be one of the weirdest descriptions I've ever seen over the most simple combat mechanics. 2.) I never understood why people think horror loses its meaning as soon as you add combat. The whole point of combat in horror is being able to overcome your struggles, which is the message of this game. Not every horror media has to have the main character be in a bleak situation, just like how not every main character has to be given combat. Ultimately, it's up to the creator to decide what narrative tools they wanna add in their story, and either way is cool. And it's not meant to be this big, epic, complex, deep message. It's just a small experience with relatable themes of isolation and whatnot, and that's cool too.

A surreal PSX-style horror micro-game set over seven increasingly nightmarish days in a decaying apartment. Each day mixes exploration, environmental interaction, and eventually grotesque enemies, stunned with a timed parry before being finished off. It starts with an uncomfortable house party and sinks into body horror, blending Silent Hill's psychological decay with the lo-fi PSX look of Bloodwash. Like Nobody's Home, it turns an ordinary apartment into a mirror of the protagonist's deteriorating psyche, while its surreal ambiguity recalls Who's Lila?. Its greatest strength is atmosphere. Day 1 perfectly captures social anxiety: guests block your way inside your own apartment, conversations feel distant, you awkwardly dodge people, and the only interaction is someone asking you to fetch another beer. As the apartment and protagonist's body deform together, the game evokes alienation, agoraphobia, body dysmorphia, self-hatred, and the drain of social interaction. Each day traps the player in an anxious mind, replaying and trying to bury an embarrassing social encounter. Its aesthetic, recalling John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, is enhanced by superb texture work, effective …

There is a potential here for something bigger and greater. The aesthetic is definitely there but the story, not so much. It's an extremely short glimpse into what this creator can do and therefore I don't believe it's enough to make a full judgement. If I could give my own mixed rated review I would. I think given the price, it is worth to play to support the developer in a small way for future plans. But its because of the lack of story and lack of depth that makes me feel that maybe this isn't quite the best introduction to their work. It isn't ready. Yet, I look forward to more.

neat

👍

A fun little 20 minute surrealist jaunt. Combat was pretty fun for something you had to learn and execute in a few minutes, though the AI does sometimes have problems when it gets stuck on the stairs. A lot of complaints seem to revolve around paying any money for a 20 minute game, but if you feel that way, the game is free on itch.io, so you can grab it there if you're curious.