Hey there and thank you so much for playing! Thank you for your kind words and yeah, I do remember the issue you were facing with the resolution aspect.
Unfortunately, this was a very old version you were playing. I think it’s almost 2 years old. Either way, I still watched your video to the end. It was nice to revisit the past.
Since then, the game has been updated gradually. There has been added so much more content like: voice acting, the last companion (NPC), puzzles, multiple endings, multiple choices, more scares and more. About a year ago I released Athemore on Steam as well and now, I’m pretty much done working on the game. I’m only missing a few things.
If you're looking at the reviews to get an idea if the game's worth playing, I'll give a short review and then a more in-depth one after if you really want to know about the game, feel free to check out my video.
Short review - If you enjoy horror games, with jumpscares and an intriguing story then play this game. It is alot of fun, the audio in particular is noteworthy compared to many other horror game's I've played. Just be warned, you'll have some hurtful things said about you by the bad guy (I've only just got over it). Just make sure you take time to make your choices as they really do alter the outcome of the game.
Long review - This game builds on the first version from itch.io, adding new content and presumably fixing bugs from the previous version. It was just as much fun to play through the second time as it was the first.
The jumpscares really got me, even one's that got me last time. The combination of the graphics and audio really does immerse you and makes you feel like you're in the castle, it's a haunting place.
Now this is a balanced review and I do have some thoughts about the game in a constructive sense. My raw reaction can be seen at the end of the below video, but I've also had time to dwell on it and have some thoughts which I'll go through briefly, both good and bad (I want to preface this by saying that any of the below could be player error, so I'm not using them as criticisms because it may just be me being stupid)
Using the hint I was able to get across the puzzle to the vault door early on in the game, but the door wouldn't open. Unsure what else I could have done beforehand, as going on any further felt like I was leaving that area well and truly behind.
The prison are will give you nightmares. Awful place.
Having the woman follow me was very buggy as she kept getting stuck, to the extent that I just abandoned her in the end. Loved the addition of an NPC, but she just could not follow me at all (not sure whether to take it personally)
I found it difficult to make a choice when it said that I can't go back on it e.g. the crown can't be collected again, but that's more down to my own indecisiveness than a criticism on the game, I think that may have contributed to me not being able to conclude the game (an example was I didn't place the crown on the table originally, but then sat on the throne, not realising it would disappear)
Not sure if it was because of my resolution choice in the graphics settings but I had to place my cursor on a certain part of an item in the inventory in order to read its description (I play on 4k but put the resolution down to 1440)
I think if I'd had some sort of clue in one of the letters about the whereabouts of the sceptre I may have gone back looking for it but because of how vast the map is I didn't even know where to start once I got to the throne room without it
Like my first playthrough of the game, the latter part, personally, was not as strong as the beginning / middle. As you'll see in my gameplay, I got truly stuck and wasn't able to finish the game. I understand that some players want a challenge, a game that won't hold your hand at all. But my personal experience I wasn't able to ascertain from the notes I collected what I was meant to do with the jars of blood (I found the room just not where to put them). I also found that once I sat on the throne wearing the crown and it disappeared, I was at a loss on what to do next. Maybe that was just my particular ending, stuck in that cursed place forever, so if that's the case then it was my own fault for poor decision-making.
Overall, I love this game. For those reading, I've talked to the developer a couple of times now and I can tell he's passionate about it, and I appreciate he took the time to reach out to such a small content creator to ask if I'd give the game a go. Hence I took the time to give my full thoughts on the game. Well done you've made a brilliant game, and whereas the final third of the game may not be to my fancy, the rest of my time playing the game more than made up for it. Check out my video if you want to see someone terrified try and get through this evil castle. (If you want to see my gameplay of another one of his, then make sure to subscribe :) )
Hello Rhys and thank you so much for playing once again. I really do appreciate you spending your time doing an entertaining video and leaving such a great and thorough review.
Those scares seemed to get to you. I was very entertained watching you playing. I would never have guessed you became that scared of Audrey..LoL
As you mentioned a couple of times in your video, that the game isn’t holding your hand. This is definitely true and fully intended, because that’s how I mainly prefer games to be like, when I’m playing myself. Likewise I really like games that offer the possibility of making my own decisions during gameplay. This is also the concept I usually prefer to develop my games around. Likewise I try not to make my games too linear. Some players find it very difficult and not their cup of tea, while others really enjoy it. It’s impossible to please everyone.
In the early versions, I didn’t even have any warnings within the decision making panel. I added those, to indicate that the choice the player was able to take, had consequences. However, I might be more clear about how I want to inform the player if items can disappear or something.
The journal system has been added to the game very recently, to help the player, because I must admit, that the game was definitely missing it.
About the floor-puzzle - You aren’t supposed to skip the last two glyphs by jumping over. It’s intended that you would have to do the combination by starting with the first glyph and ending with the third: ABC-ABC-ABC and so on. Then the big metal door will open. However, the floor-puzzle seemed to have a bug not registering one of the floorplates you stood on. I will admit that’s a glitch and I will take a closer look into that issue. The vault area is however optional, and only contains loot.
I did actually fix the inventory item tooltip glitch about a week ago, but unfortunately, you did your recording just before that update. It wasn’t your resolution. The skewed text UI issue was however, so I’ll look into that.
When you decided to put on the crown and sit down on the throne it disappeared from your inventory, because it was on your head. The whole idea behind it is that you're becoming possessed by the king and aren't able to zone back. I know the game isn’t showing anything to indicate that. It’s still on my todo list. Likewise, when you decide to put on the crown. It narrows down to only two possible endings.
About the blood ritual - You needed fresh blood to do the ritual. There were only two sources of fresh blood. Yours and Audreys. If you chose to kill Audrey, she would have dropped a drawing about the blood ritual and the scepter.
About Audrey’s AI - Yes, there’s definitely something to improve upon. And even though it's one of the most difficult things for me to improve upon, it’s going to happen, when I have the time. However, it wasn’t necessary for you to have her to follow your every footstep :)
Even though you didn’t get to an ending, I’m still truly glad you enjoyed the overall game experience.
Hey, thanks for playing and for the video so fast!
First of all, just to clarify. Of course you guys are within the credits :)
That king jumpscare getting stuck in front of you, wasn’t supposed to do that lol. Good thing it got rid of itself. I was kinda worried it wouldn’t disappear.
It happened because you were grabbed right at that same moment, where you took the crown. So that’s something for me to fix. I appreciate, you showcased that glitch though.
The ghost in the prison who was blocking the entrance and grabbed you through the wall. He has been temporarily fixed, so he now gets disabled every time he kills the player and then spawn again over a period of time. I’m currently working on a way more advanced AI. One that can’t grab the player through walls, that’s for sure.
When you were about to make a decision, I also noticed some skewed UI too. It has something to do with the resolutions. I’m going to work on that.
The reason you died within the throne room was because you were standing in the fire for too long. I’m going to add some damage-taken indicators at some point.
It was good you managed to end the game after all, because your options were limited, since you needed access to the prison area to unlock the other ending options.
Finally, good job on finding my little secret chamber. :D
I’m glad you had a good time playing. It sounded like you guys were having a lot of fun and I was having a good time watching as well.
Athemore is coming to Steam soon, therefore we are currently working on finishing up a large update, which is also going to be the “final” version. This update will include more content like the missing NPC, voice acting for the NPC + the player character, more scare events, more enemies, new choices to make and much more.
Thank you so much for spending that much time within my game. It definitely tells me that you enjoyed it somehow. Good job achieving 5 various endings :)
I have watched every minute of your video and read your feedback as well.
There’s definitely some flaws in your version, where the crown disappears for instance. I believe I have fixed those issues in the latest version.
The same goes for the mouse cursor appearing on the screen when pressing escape.
The objectives with the ritual and so, are just some quick brainstorming I did. It’s not fully thought through. It’s very likely I'm going to make some changes on the matter in the future.
I agree that some jumpscares seem cheap. Even though jumpscares aren't my strongest suit, I still have to give them some more love and attention at some point, because I want them to be scary.
From the replayability point of view. My thoughts are to make events more randomized and unpredictable. Same goes for the loot spawn locations and the dungeon level design. Unfortunately, this will take some time to implement, because I also have other unfinished projects.
If you are interested in how to achieve all the endings, I have a document which describes what to do. At the moment, there’s also two unachievable endings, because I haven’t finished the stuff, which can trigger those. So theoretically, you completed 5/10 endings.
Sorry for the delayed responce, made a video a couple weeks ago but forgot to post it here or email because of the holidays. Really enjoyed the game! Its got a lot of promise and I very excited to see where it goes! It was super spooky, very dark (and im very afriad of the dark), and made me need to change my pants a few times through the game lol!
For the most part I had a very great time, all up until right befor ethe cathedral were theres that pit and the board you have to jump across. If you wind up dying before the next check point, and theres a fair chance you could, you wind up back at the beginning of the pit, but the board has fallen, making the way across again, EXTREMELY difficult! Tried several time to find the next ok spot to jump on and felt like i just got very lucky with it and if it wasnt for making a video I would have given up, althoguh i did give up at one point and just restarted from the very beginning again.
With all that, I feel like i wasnt very happy with the ending I got, didnt really feel like an ending and I expected to respawn at any moment, until I wound up at the menu. I know this has already been adressed and hope to see the save file implemented at some point or at least being able to respawn after an ending. I definitly want to try again at some point in the future for a better ending! Dont know if you got to watch the video yet, but I hope you enjoy!
Thank you for playing, your video and your feedback!
No worries, better late than never :)
I have watched your playthrough.
First of all, I’m truly sorry about the missing checkpoint. That was my mistake. It has already been addressed a few patches ago. The reason why the planks are falling into the hole, is because I don’t want players to backtrack all the way back to start (armory) after collecting the crown. Some players have actually done that in the past. They were confused and unable to finish the game. I’m glad you kept trying. I also have to admit it was a great jump you did. I didn't even think it was possible. So thumbs up.
Just to clarify, if you would have died to the lost souls, you would have respawned at the entrance to the cathedral.
The game ended because you were finished with the game. There isn't any more content to explore. You got that ending because you used the cursed blood. I could, as a developer, leave the stone door open (coffin room), but I don’t think that would do anything special, only to confuse the player about what to do next.
The torch was also bugged. It has been fixed.
I have tried tweaking the default brightness of the game also. I’ve had some complaints about it being too dark from others too. However I have some issues with Unity on the matter.
I do appreciate your feedback, however I’m a little sad to see, you didn't play one of the latest versions at the time. I have been working hard since the first release, fixing a lot of glitches like those you were experiencing above. But if your recording is older than that, please just forget what I just wrote.
A little pointer for you. I had trouble hearing the game audio in your video. You might want to increase the volume a little bit. Obviously, I know there’s random audio whispers in the game, and that’s why you suddenly get interrupted from time to time, but I don’t think your viewers do. Just keep that in mind :)
Other than that, great content. I had fun watching. I guess I owe you a new pair of pants :D
This is something I need more of in my life! haha, it's always: I'm trapped in a house, or in an apartment, with some sort of monster. But a game like this from an indie dev is absolutely awesome, it takes the spooks to another level! Unfortunately, my fate was sealed during my playthrough haha looking forward to more dev!
I agree that many indie horror games are all about walking around in houses/apartments. I can’t really tell if the majority of players prefer that style or not. Either way, I always try to create my own games as I would like to play them myself.
I’m glad you liked the atmosphere. I bought this cool dungeon asset package a while back, so I thought it needed to be showcased by making a game out of it.
That particular jumpscare in the prison seems to scare a lot of players :)
About the audio - The torch being on/off doesn’t have an impact on the random voices. However I might consider making it do that in the upcoming release. It’s actually a good idea :)
About going for another run - I suggest you wait a while, because I have more content coming up at some point. This includes the missing person, voice acting, more threats and scare events etc.
A solid game with great scares, a solid story and good visuals. I did have an issue with the sword and crown but dev got back to me super fast about. 👌
Here's my play through without any ending, but it was super fun. 😎
I have now watched your playthrough, and it was very entertaining. The scares seemed to get to you. Too bad you were unable to finish the game.
You needed to press the numbers (1-4) to make a choice. Not by dragging items from the inventory. That’s why it didn’t work. There’s a few other players, who were stuck at these choice selections, so I’ll probably add some hint description of some sort, when the choice display appears on the screen.
The crown disappearing from your inventory on the other hand is a bug. Good job spotting that. I’ll look into that issue.
Other than falling through the map before getting the crown, it was a really good game, i wish there could be a longer version of this, more story lines, i was actually reeled in by the story reading the notes. also, don't mind me hiding behind barrels and in walls most of the time :D I will be playing more later on!
I just watched your video and yes, you managed to break the game. Sorry about that.
You are actually the first one to fall into the void. The funny part is, that in the very recent version, I did actually address the possibility that this scenario could occur. Therefore I added an invisible floor in the void to kill the player from fall damage.
After watching your video, I did some testing, and the same issue occurred to me as well. It’s because you are crouching close to the walls. It happens when you release the crouch button, then the player collider gets pressed through the wall somehow. I’m considering disabling the crouch function for now, because it doesn't do anything special to the game anyway.
There’s definitely more content within the game for you to explore. You were far from done with the game.
Too bad this issue stopped you from going again, but I understand.
About falling into the void: It happened to me in the following way: during one of my first playthroughs I tried to open a chest while standing on it. It pushed me through the wall and trapped me where I couldn't come back, so I jumped into the void to respawn. I think it's in that small room with treasure and a spike trap.
I didn't mention that because I'm fairly used to these sort of bugs and since they don't "break" the game I don't give them much attention.
Also, there's a lone barrel in the storage area that you can walk through, it was probably an oversight.
EDIT: Regrettably, I can't figure how to get other endings. Will there be a walkthrough of sorts, even if just tips as to how change one from another?
Thanks for your input. I actually saw this particular scenario from a guy who played. The exact same room with the chest as you are referring to. Luckily he didn't clip through the wall. I did some testing and it happened to me. That's why I made the invisble platform. How to solve the issue, I don't excactly know for the time being.
I didn't know about the barrel. Thanks for pointing that out.
About the endings - I have a document which describes each end scenario in detail. At the moment, there are two endings (5 & 7) which can't be achived yet, because I'm missing implementing the last AI. I'm truly sorry if you have spent time in vain looking for those.
I can send you the document to your mail/discord, or give some hints instead if you prefer.
Encountered what seems to be a bug on latest version: Trying to achieve other endings, I collected 0 loot - not even collecting the crown - and then at Throne room, all doors are blocked (i.e. the left one is a wall so there is no way to collect the catacombs key).
It isn’t a bug, but intentional that those side rooms are sealed off, because they aren't needed anyway if the player doesn't have the crown. The catacombs aren’t important either. I’m aware some players still might look for the catacombs key, even though it’s not to be found. So I have to do something about that.
You should however, be able to escape the dungeon via the stairs without collecting the crown, because the entrance by default always is open.
Just out of curiosity. How many endings have you achieved?
Thanks for responding. Well, the stairway was blocked, just as all other rooms. I couldn't do anything and so I've restarted.
Since I was playing again after a game where I got another ending by entering the coffin, perhaps that what made the stairs remain blocked? Maybe they aren't reset on some occasions? EDIT: I also had 0 loot.
As for endings, i've got the best one (1) first and then 2, 3, 8 and 12. 12 was cool.
EDIT: i'll retry a crownless run right now by speeding through the game.
EDIT 2: I can confirm now that making a beeline to the exit with 0 loot results in all doors either blocked or locked at the throne rooms. Collecting loot does not change this after reaching the throne rooms
EDIT 3: Just found out an important item on prison that was overlooked since rushing to the throne room doesn't involve getting there :)
Ah yes, I totally forgot, that I changed the disc’s (which is used for opening the wall) location to the prison, when not having the crown. It was not open by default as I described it earlier. My bad.
Having the crown, removes the seals in the throne room. Loot can define which ending you are going to get.
Good job achieving those endings. I’m impressed :)
Hey Alan, I was one of those who you asked to play your game! I did a very long comment here too, maybe you can remember me with that now XD
Well, you didn't know that I also do TOP BEST games almost every month... and this past month, yours been seleceted to be on top 3.. so congratulations and best of luck with your projects!
I had a really good time playing this, the atmosphere was good and the story was pretty solid. The jump scares got me more than I would like to admit but I still got through. Few bugs here and there and the compass doesn't work but it didn't ruin the experience so in my opinion it was good!
I do appreciate you went for two different endings. You are actually the first who managed to get out with the crown even though you carried the curse with you. Thumbs up for that one.
The dagger needed to be blessed for the good ending. There’s a holy fire burning in a secret room inside the catacombs.
I have seen the compass act like this from others too. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s resolution related.
I didn’t know about the collider bug. Good job spotting that.
Crouch doesn't mean a thing in this game. Don't worry.
Appreciate you asking me to try out the game, sorry it took so long to get this video out. I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional but I had a pretty game breaking bug happen to me twice. I can't lie, it kinda ruined the experience for me. It may have been fixed already but I got jumpscared and flung my mouse around really fast and something about that inverted my controls. The first time it was just forward and backwards but the second time my mouse was inverted.
Ignoring that big issue, I really did start to get into the game after the crown section. The beginning was a bit slow for me but it definitely picked up when it needed to. I wish I could've experienced more of the game but I ended it soon after the controls reversed but apparently there's 5 endings??? That's pretty awesome.
All together, ignoring the inverting bug, this is a pretty cool game. Really reminded me of older games like dungeon nightmares and similar titles. Thanks again for reaching out and thanks for making it!
I’m truly sorry about that weird reverse bug. I had no idea at all and definitely not intentional. I totally understand it ruined your game experience. I would have complained about it too.
I’ll see if I somehow can provoke that issue and hopefully be able to fix that.
The torch was bugged but has been fixed.
Something went wrong, when you died inside the small breach after the cathedral. The soul didn’t respawn. Instead it stayed, and was able to grab you again. That event happened a few times in a row and added up your total death amount. That’s why you died more than you should.
I’ll have a look at that issue.
You were on to something about 5 endings - There’s 12 endings and the total loot amount does have an impact on which ending you are going to get.
I do agree that loot collecting is not the funniest in the world, especially if it can’t be traded or something.
If you don’t know the Thief games, I would recommend you check them out. They are a little old, but I believe they are still very good. Unfortunately, the recent Thief game (2014) is nothing compared to the old ones.
I can’t really say if they fit your kind of game genre. All I can say is that I love those games.
I really enjoyed this. I can tell a lot of time and effort went into making it. The Elder Scrolls vibes I got from the whole game were great. The fact that there are 12 endings and 6 secrets to find add replayability, which I really like.
The only thing I feel was missing was a possible save system so I wouldn't have to start at the very beginning if I wanted to get another ending. I can see why you didn't add one though because it's a rather short game. I also really liked the cinematic ending for the one cutscene I did get (although, I wasn't entirely sure what was going on xD).
Yes, there are definitely some Elder Scroll vibes to be had.
I might implement a saving system later. I do have the functionality within another project already. So it shouldn't be too hard.
You were on to something about collecting all loot. It does have an effect on the ending.
I also hear your complaint about too much darkness. However I’m a little surprised you had a hard time noticing the lost souls in the cathedral. I could see them fairly in your video. Maybe it was darker in your game view. I wouldn't know.
Either way, I will tweak the default brightness a little bit, because a few other players also mentioned that the game is too dark. Likewise I might add some brightness options.
The switch you pressed behind the shelf between the bridges opened a secret. You needed to backtrack a few steps to find the chamber. I was actually surprised you missed that, because of your thorough search during the beginning of the game.
The prison has two levers for opening the pit. You had them both in your vision a few times.
The blood you poured into the bowl was cursed, that’s why you got that ending. The letter on the table mentioning fresh blood samples for the ritual. Like in offering you own blood for example.
Finally, those flying things aren’t birds. Those are bats :)
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Hey there and thank you so much for playing! Thank you for your kind words and yeah, I do remember the issue you were facing with the resolution aspect.
Unfortunately, this was a very old version you were playing. I think it’s almost 2 years old. Either way, I still watched your video to the end. It was nice to revisit the past.
Since then, the game has been updated gradually. There has been added so much more content like: voice acting, the last companion (NPC), puzzles, multiple endings, multiple choices, more scares and more. About a year ago I released Athemore on Steam as well and now, I’m pretty much done working on the game. I’m only missing a few things.
Cheers
If you're looking at the reviews to get an idea if the game's worth playing, I'll give a short review and then a more in-depth one after if you really want to know about the game, feel free to check out my video.
Short review - If you enjoy horror games, with jumpscares and an intriguing story then play this game. It is alot of fun, the audio in particular is noteworthy compared to many other horror game's I've played. Just be warned, you'll have some hurtful things said about you by the bad guy (I've only just got over it). Just make sure you take time to make your choices as they really do alter the outcome of the game.
Long review - This game builds on the first version from itch.io, adding new content and presumably fixing bugs from the previous version. It was just as much fun to play through the second time as it was the first.
The jumpscares really got me, even one's that got me last time. The combination of the graphics and audio really does immerse you and makes you feel like you're in the castle, it's a haunting place.
Now this is a balanced review and I do have some thoughts about the game in a constructive sense. My raw reaction can be seen at the end of the below video, but I've also had time to dwell on it and have some thoughts which I'll go through briefly, both good and bad (I want to preface this by saying that any of the below could be player error, so I'm not using them as criticisms because it may just be me being stupid)
Using the hint I was able to get across the puzzle to the vault door early on in the game, but the door wouldn't open. Unsure what else I could have done beforehand, as going on any further felt like I was leaving that area well and truly behind.
The prison are will give you nightmares. Awful place.
Having the woman follow me was very buggy as she kept getting stuck, to the extent that I just abandoned her in the end. Loved the addition of an NPC, but she just could not follow me at all (not sure whether to take it personally)
I found it difficult to make a choice when it said that I can't go back on it e.g. the crown can't be collected again, but that's more down to my own indecisiveness than a criticism on the game, I think that may have contributed to me not being able to conclude the game (an example was I didn't place the crown on the table originally, but then sat on the throne, not realising it would disappear)
Not sure if it was because of my resolution choice in the graphics settings but I had to place my cursor on a certain part of an item in the inventory in order to read its description (I play on 4k but put the resolution down to 1440)
I think if I'd had some sort of clue in one of the letters about the whereabouts of the sceptre I may have gone back looking for it but because of how vast the map is I didn't even know where to start once I got to the throne room without it
Like my first playthrough of the game, the latter part, personally, was not as strong as the beginning / middle. As you'll see in my gameplay, I got truly stuck and wasn't able to finish the game. I understand that some players want a challenge, a game that won't hold your hand at all. But my personal experience I wasn't able to ascertain from the notes I collected what I was meant to do with the jars of blood (I found the room just not where to put them). I also found that once I sat on the throne wearing the crown and it disappeared, I was at a loss on what to do next. Maybe that was just my particular ending, stuck in that cursed place forever, so if that's the case then it was my own fault for poor decision-making.
Overall, I love this game. For those reading, I've talked to the developer a couple of times now and I can tell he's passionate about it, and I appreciate he took the time to reach out to such a small content creator to ask if I'd give the game a go. Hence I took the time to give my full thoughts on the game. Well done you've made a brilliant game, and whereas the final third of the game may not be to my fancy, the rest of my time playing the game more than made up for it. Check out my video if you want to see someone terrified try and get through this evil castle. (If you want to see my gameplay of another one of his, then make sure to subscribe :) )
Hello Rhys and thank you so much for playing once again. I really do appreciate you spending your time doing an entertaining video and leaving such a great and thorough review.
Those scares seemed to get to you. I was very entertained watching you playing. I would never have guessed you became that scared of Audrey..LoL
As you mentioned a couple of times in your video, that the game isn’t holding your hand. This is definitely true and fully intended, because that’s how I mainly prefer games to be like, when I’m playing myself. Likewise I really like games that offer the possibility of making my own decisions during gameplay. This is also the concept I usually prefer to develop my games around. Likewise I try not to make my games too linear. Some players find it very difficult and not their cup of tea, while others really enjoy it. It’s impossible to please everyone.
In the early versions, I didn’t even have any warnings within the decision making panel. I added those, to indicate that the choice the player was able to take, had consequences. However, I might be more clear about how I want to inform the player if items can disappear or something.
The journal system has been added to the game very recently, to help the player, because I must admit, that the game was definitely missing it.
About the floor-puzzle - You aren’t supposed to skip the last two glyphs by jumping over. It’s intended that you would have to do the combination by starting with the first glyph and ending with the third: ABC-ABC-ABC and so on. Then the big metal door will open. However, the floor-puzzle seemed to have a bug not registering one of the floorplates you stood on. I will admit that’s a glitch and I will take a closer look into that issue. The vault area is however optional, and only contains loot.
I did actually fix the inventory item tooltip glitch about a week ago, but unfortunately, you did your recording just before that update. It wasn’t your resolution. The skewed text UI issue was however, so I’ll look into that.
When you decided to put on the crown and sit down on the throne it disappeared from your inventory, because it was on your head. The whole idea behind it is that you're becoming possessed by the king and aren't able to zone back. I know the game isn’t showing anything to indicate that. It’s still on my todo list. Likewise, when you decide to put on the crown. It narrows down to only two possible endings.
About the blood ritual - You needed fresh blood to do the ritual. There were only two sources of fresh blood. Yours and Audreys. If you chose to kill Audrey, she would have dropped a drawing about the blood ritual and the scepter.
About Audrey’s AI - Yes, there’s definitely something to improve upon. And even though it's one of the most difficult things for me to improve upon, it’s going to happen, when I have the time. However, it wasn’t necessary for you to have her to follow your every footstep :)
Even though you didn’t get to an ending, I’m still truly glad you enjoyed the overall game experience.
Cheers
Made a video for the steam version
Hey, thanks for playing and for the video so fast!
First of all, just to clarify. Of course you guys are within the credits :)
That king jumpscare getting stuck in front of you, wasn’t supposed to do that lol. Good thing it got rid of itself. I was kinda worried it wouldn’t disappear.
It happened because you were grabbed right at that same moment, where you took the crown. So that’s something for me to fix. I appreciate, you showcased that glitch though.
The ghost in the prison who was blocking the entrance and grabbed you through the wall. He has been temporarily fixed, so he now gets disabled every time he kills the player and then spawn again over a period of time. I’m currently working on a way more advanced AI. One that can’t grab the player through walls, that’s for sure.
When you were about to make a decision, I also noticed some skewed UI too. It has something to do with the resolutions. I’m going to work on that.
The reason you died within the throne room was because you were standing in the fire for too long. I’m going to add some damage-taken indicators at some point.
It was good you managed to end the game after all, because your options were limited, since you needed access to the prison area to unlock the other ending options.
Finally, good job on finding my little secret chamber. :D
Cheers
Thanks for playing. Better late than never!
I’m glad you had a good time playing. It sounded like you guys were having a lot of fun and I was having a good time watching as well.
Athemore is coming to Steam soon, therefore we are currently working on finishing up a large update, which is also going to be the “final” version. This update will include more content like the missing NPC, voice acting for the NPC + the player character, more scare events, more enemies, new choices to make and much more.
Cheers
i claimed it here. Do i also need to pay for the steam version beacuse no updates will be here
Heyo! GJ with the game, it's looking good so far.
Thank you for playing. Glad you enjoyed!
Hello
Thank you so much for spending that much time within my game. It definitely tells me that you enjoyed it somehow. Good job achieving 5 various endings :)
I have watched every minute of your video and read your feedback as well.
There’s definitely some flaws in your version, where the crown disappears for instance. I believe I have fixed those issues in the latest version.
The same goes for the mouse cursor appearing on the screen when pressing escape.
The objectives with the ritual and so, are just some quick brainstorming I did. It’s not fully thought through. It’s very likely I'm going to make some changes on the matter in the future.
I agree that some jumpscares seem cheap. Even though jumpscares aren't my strongest suit, I still have to give them some more love and attention at some point, because I want them to be scary.
From the replayability point of view. My thoughts are to make events more randomized and unpredictable. Same goes for the loot spawn locations and the dungeon level design. Unfortunately, this will take some time to implement, because I also have other unfinished projects.
If you are interested in how to achieve all the endings, I have a document which describes what to do. At the moment, there’s also two unachievable endings, because I haven’t finished the stuff, which can trigger those. So theoretically, you completed 5/10 endings.
Cheers
I liked the skyrim/darksouls feel of the game
Hello Stonewolf. Thank you so much for your support. It really means a lot.
I have watched your playthrough and I want to congratulate you on achieving the next best ending. Good job :)
I’m glad that you enjoyed playing.
Cheers
Bro incredible job, once again. I loved it and shared it on stream with everyone. Had a great time, and yes. You scared me a some points lol
Hello Ninja, thanks again for playing and your video.
I have now watched your video and I’m glad you enjoyed playing.
You have some fast reading abilities ;)
Good job finishing the game.
Cheers
Sorry for the delayed responce, made a video a couple weeks ago but forgot to post it here or email because of the holidays. Really enjoyed the game! Its got a lot of promise and I very excited to see where it goes! It was super spooky, very dark (and im very afriad of the dark), and made me need to change my pants a few times through the game lol!
For the most part I had a very great time, all up until right befor ethe cathedral were theres that pit and the board you have to jump across. If you wind up dying before the next check point, and theres a fair chance you could, you wind up back at the beginning of the pit, but the board has fallen, making the way across again, EXTREMELY difficult! Tried several time to find the next ok spot to jump on and felt like i just got very lucky with it and if it wasnt for making a video I would have given up, althoguh i did give up at one point and just restarted from the very beginning again.
With all that, I feel like i wasnt very happy with the ending I got, didnt really feel like an ending and I expected to respawn at any moment, until I wound up at the menu. I know this has already been adressed and hope to see the save file implemented at some point or at least being able to respawn after an ending. I definitly want to try again at some point in the future for a better ending! Dont know if you got to watch the video yet, but I hope you enjoy!
Thank you for playing, your video and your feedback!
No worries, better late than never :)
I have watched your playthrough.
First of all, I’m truly sorry about the missing checkpoint. That was my mistake. It has already been addressed a few patches ago. The reason why the planks are falling into the hole, is because I don’t want players to backtrack all the way back to start (armory) after collecting the crown. Some players have actually done that in the past. They were confused and unable to finish the game. I’m glad you kept trying. I also have to admit it was a great jump you did. I didn't even think it was possible. So thumbs up.
Just to clarify, if you would have died to the lost souls, you would have respawned at the entrance to the cathedral.
The game ended because you were finished with the game. There isn't any more content to explore. You got that ending because you used the cursed blood. I could, as a developer, leave the stone door open (coffin room), but I don’t think that would do anything special, only to confuse the player about what to do next.
The torch was also bugged. It has been fixed.
I have tried tweaking the default brightness of the game also. I’ve had some complaints about it being too dark from others too. However I have some issues with Unity on the matter.
I do appreciate your feedback, however I’m a little sad to see, you didn't play one of the latest versions at the time. I have been working hard since the first release, fixing a lot of glitches like those you were experiencing above. But if your recording is older than that, please just forget what I just wrote.
A little pointer for you. I had trouble hearing the game audio in your video. You might want to increase the volume a little bit. Obviously, I know there’s random audio whispers in the game, and that’s why you suddenly get interrupted from time to time, but I don’t think your viewers do. Just keep that in mind :)
Other than that, great content. I had fun watching. I guess I owe you a new pair of pants :D
Keep it up.
Cheers
Great work!
Thanks for playing, your video and your feedback!
I agree that many indie horror games are all about walking around in houses/apartments. I can’t really tell if the majority of players prefer that style or not. Either way, I always try to create my own games as I would like to play them myself.
I’m glad you liked the atmosphere. I bought this cool dungeon asset package a while back, so I thought it needed to be showcased by making a game out of it.
That particular jumpscare in the prison seems to scare a lot of players :)
About the audio - The torch being on/off doesn’t have an impact on the random voices. However I might consider making it do that in the upcoming release. It’s actually a good idea :)
About going for another run - I suggest you wait a while, because I have more content coming up at some point. This includes the missing person, voice acting, more threats and scare events etc.
I subbed to your channel as well
Cheers
On my second play through i was only able to get average collector but i found a place i wasn't supposed to be. Cant wait to see the final chapter btw
Oh, you must have been playing an old version. Because the achivement "average collector" has been removed. There's a new endgame now.
oh really okay all the more reason to play a third time, thanks for letting me know
A solid game with great scares, a solid story and good visuals. I did have an issue with the sword and crown but dev got back to me super fast about. 👌
Here's my play through without any ending, but it was super fun. 😎
Thanks for playing and your video!
I have now watched your playthrough, and it was very entertaining. The scares seemed to get to you. Too bad you were unable to finish the game.
You needed to press the numbers (1-4) to make a choice. Not by dragging items from the inventory. That’s why it didn’t work. There’s a few other players, who were stuck at these choice selections, so I’ll probably add some hint description of some sort, when the choice display appears on the screen.
The crown disappearing from your inventory on the other hand is a bug. Good job spotting that. I’ll look into that issue.
I’m glad you liked it anyway.
Cheers
Wow, that was a quick return. I wasn’t expecting that so soon. Thanks for giving the game a second try :)
Good job not breaking the game this time ;) However, I still noticed a few glitches, here and there.
You completed the game, so well done. I hope you enjoyed the last part of the game too.
Cheers
Other than falling through the map before getting the crown, it was a really good game, i wish there could be a longer version of this, more story lines, i was actually reeled in by the story reading the notes.
also, don't mind me hiding behind barrels and in walls most of the time :D
I will be playing more later on!
Thank you for playing and your video!
I just watched your video and yes, you managed to break the game. Sorry about that.
You are actually the first one to fall into the void. The funny part is, that in the very recent version, I did actually address the possibility that this scenario could occur. Therefore I added an invisible floor in the void to kill the player from fall damage.
After watching your video, I did some testing, and the same issue occurred to me as well. It’s because you are crouching close to the walls. It happens when you release the crouch button, then the player collider gets pressed through the wall somehow. I’m considering disabling the crouch function for now, because it doesn't do anything special to the game anyway.
There’s definitely more content within the game for you to explore. You were far from done with the game.
Too bad this issue stopped you from going again, but I understand.
I really hope to see more from you.
Cheers
About falling into the void: It happened to me in the following way: during one of my first playthroughs I tried to open a chest while standing on it. It pushed me through the wall and trapped me where I couldn't come back, so I jumped into the void to respawn. I think it's in that small room with treasure and a spike trap.
I didn't mention that because I'm fairly used to these sort of bugs and since they don't "break" the game I don't give them much attention.
Also, there's a lone barrel in the storage area that you can walk through, it was probably an oversight.
EDIT: Regrettably, I can't figure how to get other endings. Will there be a walkthrough of sorts, even if just tips as to how change one from another?
Thanks for your input. I actually saw this particular scenario from a guy who played. The exact same room with the chest as you are referring to. Luckily he didn't clip through the wall. I did some testing and it happened to me. That's why I made the invisble platform. How to solve the issue, I don't excactly know for the time being.
I didn't know about the barrel. Thanks for pointing that out.
About the endings - I have a document which describes each end scenario in detail. At the moment, there are two endings (5 & 7) which can't be achived yet, because I'm missing implementing the last AI. I'm truly sorry if you have spent time in vain looking for those.
I can send you the document to your mail/discord, or give some hints instead if you prefer.
Send both please! I'll start with the hints, but if I still miss one or two I'll spoil myself with the full thing. I just joined your discord server.
really enjoyed playing and the jumpscares where good and the atmosphere was really good keep up the good work
Thanks for playing and your video.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers
your welcome
Encountered what seems to be a bug on latest version: Trying to achieve other endings, I collected 0 loot - not even collecting the crown - and then at Throne room, all doors are blocked (i.e. the left one is a wall so there is no way to collect the catacombs key).
Hello. Thanks for playing!
It isn’t a bug, but intentional that those side rooms are sealed off, because they aren't needed anyway if the player doesn't have the crown. The catacombs aren’t important either. I’m aware some players still might look for the catacombs key, even though it’s not to be found. So I have to do something about that.
You should however, be able to escape the dungeon via the stairs without collecting the crown, because the entrance by default always is open.
Just out of curiosity. How many endings have you achieved?
Thanks for responding. Well, the stairway was blocked, just as all other rooms. I couldn't do anything and so I've restarted.
Since I was playing again after a game where I got another ending by entering the coffin, perhaps that what made the stairs remain blocked? Maybe they aren't reset on some occasions? EDIT: I also had 0 loot.
As for endings, i've got the best one (1) first and then 2, 3, 8 and 12. 12 was cool.
EDIT: i'll retry a crownless run right now by speeding through the game.
EDIT 2: I can confirm now that making a beeline to the exit with 0 loot results in all doors either blocked or locked at the throne rooms. Collecting loot does not change this after reaching the throne rooms
EDIT 3: Just found out an important item on prison that was overlooked since rushing to the throne room doesn't involve getting there :)
Ah yes, I totally forgot, that I changed the disc’s (which is used for opening the wall) location to the prison, when not having the crown. It was not open by default as I described it earlier. My bad.
Having the crown, removes the seals in the throne room. Loot can define which ending you are going to get.
Good job achieving those endings. I’m impressed :)
Just achieved another (nº 6/12).
A question: what purpose serves the empty bottles?
Nothing at the moment, but they will become usefull, when I have implemented the missing person (Audrey). Just need to finish up the AI first.
Hey Alan, I was one of those who you asked to play your game! I did a very long comment here too, maybe you can remember me with that now XD
Well, you didn't know that I also do TOP BEST games almost every month... and this past month, yours been seleceted to be on top 3.. so congratulations and best of luck with your projects!
Hello Zakaria
Of course I do remember you.
I bet you play lots of various games every month, so big thanks for including Athemore in your top 3.
Cheers
I had a really good time playing this, the atmosphere was good and the story was pretty solid. The jump scares got me more than I would like to admit but I still got through. Few bugs here and there and the compass doesn't work but it didn't ruin the experience so in my opinion it was good!
Thank you for playing and your video!
I’m glad you had a good time playing.
I do appreciate you went for two different endings. You are actually the first who managed to get out with the crown even though you carried the curse with you. Thumbs up for that one.
The dagger needed to be blessed for the good ending. There’s a holy fire burning in a secret room inside the catacombs.
Cheers
Ignoring that big issue, I really did start to get into the game after the crown section. The beginning was a bit slow for me but it definitely picked up when it needed to. I wish I could've experienced more of the game but I ended it soon after the controls reversed but apparently there's 5 endings??? That's pretty awesome.
All together, ignoring the inverting bug, this is a pretty cool game. Really reminded me of older games like dungeon nightmares and similar titles. Thanks again for reaching out and thanks for making it!
Thank you for playing and your video!
I’m truly sorry about that weird reverse bug. I had no idea at all and definitely not intentional. I totally understand it ruined your game experience. I would have complained about it too.
I’ll see if I somehow can provoke that issue and hopefully be able to fix that.
The torch was bugged but has been fixed.
Something went wrong, when you died inside the small breach after the cathedral. The soul didn’t respawn. Instead it stayed, and was able to grab you again. That event happened a few times in a row and added up your total death amount. That’s why you died more than you should.
I’ll have a look at that issue.
You were on to something about 5 endings - There’s 12 endings and the total loot amount does have an impact on which ending you are going to get.
I do agree that loot collecting is not the funniest in the world, especially if it can’t be traded or something.
If you don’t know the Thief games, I would recommend you check them out. They are a little old, but I believe they are still very good. Unfortunately, the recent Thief game (2014) is nothing compared to the old ones.
I can’t really say if they fit your kind of game genre. All I can say is that I love those games.
Cheers
Comments below clip;
Let's keep it simple; WOW!!!What a ff-ing great game.
Won't spend too many words on it.
Download it.
Play it.
Pay the guy.
He fully deserves it.
Best time ever.
Kudos and a big hug to all involved.
Thank you for playing and your video!
I’m truly glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your kind words
Cheers
The only thing I feel was missing was a possible save system so I wouldn't have to start at the very beginning if I wanted to get another ending. I can see why you didn't add one though because it's a rather short game. I also really liked the cinematic ending for the one cutscene I did get (although, I wasn't entirely sure what was going on xD).
Overall, a fun game and a really cool experience.
Thank you for playing and your video.
Yes, there are definitely some Elder Scroll vibes to be had.
I might implement a saving system later. I do have the functionality within another project already. So it shouldn't be too hard.
You were on to something about collecting all loot. It does have an effect on the ending.
I also hear your complaint about too much darkness. However I’m a little surprised you had a hard time noticing the lost souls in the cathedral. I could see them fairly in your video. Maybe it was darker in your game view. I wouldn't know.
Either way, I will tweak the default brightness a little bit, because a few other players also mentioned that the game is too dark. Likewise I might add some brightness options.
The switch you pressed behind the shelf between the bridges opened a secret. You needed to backtrack a few steps to find the chamber. I was actually surprised you missed that, because of your thorough search during the beginning of the game.
The prison has two levers for opening the pit. You had them both in your vision a few times.
The blood you poured into the bowl was cursed, that’s why you got that ending. The letter on the table mentioning fresh blood samples for the ritual. Like in offering you own blood for example.
Finally, those flying things aren’t birds. Those are bats :)
I’m glad you had a cool experience
Cheers