MZ - Frozen to the Bone

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Started by BroodyGaming 9 posts View original ↗
  1. BroodyGaming
    #1 Source
    We are all one slip away from popping the bubble of the illusion of safety.

    Falling away, from one chapter of your life to the next - Maybe the final.

    We are all one breath away from finding out exactly how short life can be.

    ❄️❄️❄️

    Frozen to the Bone

    ❄️❄️❄️​


    This was made for the RPG Maker Horror Jam 7 Polar Expedition.
    There is only one ending! This one is very linear.
    There's no wrong answers, no game overs. Have fun!

    You play as Aspen, who starts the game getting lost in the forest in winter, freezing cold and soaking wet. She has to find wood to burn to stay warm. She quickly realizes she's not the first one to get lost out here and the other lost girl never made it back home.

    Includes things like :
    - unique assets drawn by me for the jam
    - 6 frame walking cycles
    - spooky things hiding in the trees
    - a few chase sequences with low stakes but high in atmosphere
    - a limited color palette for that winter feel
    - pretty short, maybe about 30 minute game time.
    - playable in browser

    TWs include : depictions of bones, some loud noises and one brief flash of light near the end, but no repetitive flashing.

    Screenshot 2024-12-21 224441.pngScreenshot 2024-12-22 094011.pngScreenshot 2024-12-22 094341.pngScreenshot 2024-12-22 094206.png

    When coming up with this idea, I had asked myself, what do I find most terrifying about the cold? About being trapped or lost in the cold? And the best answer I could come up with was the moment you would realize it was too late. You were too cold, there was no coming back. There was no fixing this. So I went into this with that at the core of what I was striving for.

    Thank you to Kiroto for making some beautiful music!! It was truly a gift to work with him, it felt like he completely got the vibe I was going for right away.
  2. Canned_Dinosaur
    #2 Source
    Wanted to give this a go for the RPG Maker Web Feedback Festival.

    The art style, music and soundscape makes for an immersive atmosphere, and both walking and running motions relayed the cold the protag must be feeling both physically and mentally. The map transition points being marked by flowers, and the menu hamburger being replaced by a note graphic were also a nice touch.

    The (back) story unfolds as the protag finds poems of a girl, but it is not very clear if what you see on screen in handwriting are those written by the girl or someone else's, as they feel a little out of place to be written by the girl. It does add to the atmosphere nicely, but left me with a feeling of "what was it all about, and how does this tie in to the protag's fate?".

    The chase sequences are presented by the dev as being low key, which I suppose means that they're mainly there for story telling and not to provide "gaming" (if that makes sense). I got "caught" once and was just stuck (soft locked) on screen with seemingly no way to escape other than to return to the title screen. Probably would have been better if you got a GAMEOVER if you couldn't escape in time?
    1738220912588.png

    All in all a short and pretty story with a decent enough closure. If I were to nitpick, would have appreciated if there was a little more layering regarding how the fate of the girl relates to the protag, and what the deal was with the chasing thing, as it kind of feels like a chance encounter that just so happened to resolve in a happy ending.
  3. Mac15001900
    #3 Source
    While it's not the type of game I'd usually play I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. Here's some feedback for you.

    Feedback
    The atmosphere you've managed to create was what surprised me the most, because it's just incredibly good. The music certainly helps a lot, but all the game's elements really come together to help create it.

    I was trying to write something else about it, but couldn't figure out what else can I meaningfully add. So let's move on to the nitpicks ;)

    There is a bit a weirdness with the way the parallax moves in this area at the start.
    1738244139209.png
    The trees in the back sometimes follow the player, and sometimes they don't.
    I was definitely wondering whether it's a mistake or if the protagonist is already starting to see things.

    It would also be nice to add some animation to that tree falling - at least a single frame of it mid-fall. My immediate reaction to it was that it appeared from nowhere, and it took me a moment to process that this is a tree and not a weirdly shaped monster.

    It's a bit strange that the chase sequences go completely unacknowledged by the narration. Even if you want to keep their nature ambiguous, just a "You're not sure if what you just saw was real or not" message after escaping the first one would greatly help.

    I'd also suggest making them a bit more random. They don't really feel scary when you know exactly when they're coming (when you pick up an item) and when they'll stop (when you move between maps).
    Maybe make the first one disappear very quickly, and the others chase you for longer and longer. The last one could even continue past one screen transition. And making the spawning a bit more unpredictable (sometimes from picking up and item, sometimes from walking to an area, sometimes when passing one a second time) could really put people on edge a bit more.

    The moon animation is a bit jarring with how it suddenly jumps to a different part of the screen. I'd definitely recommend only making it move after it's off-screen, and move to another location that's also off-screen. And maybe just making it move slower in general so that it does keep jumping in the first place.


    It's definitely worth noting that those were mostly just nitpicks. The game's atmosphere was excellently made and I found it really immersive. The ominously dreamy sequences with the poems were definitely the highlight for me.
  4. BroodyGaming
    #4 Source
    Canned_Dinosaur said:
    Wanted to give this a go for the RPG Maker Web Feedback Festival.

    The art style, music and soundscape makes for an immersive atmosphere, and both walking and running motions relayed the cold the protag must be feeling both physically and mentally. The map transition points being marked by flowers, and the menu hamburger being replaced by a note graphic were also a nice touch.

    The (back) story unfolds as the protag finds poems of a girl, but it is not very clear if what you see on screen in handwriting are those written by the girl or someone else's, as they feel a little out of place to be written by the girl. It does add to the atmosphere nicely, but left me with a feeling of "what was it all about, and how does this tie in to the protag's fate?".

    The chase sequences are presented by the dev as being low key, which I suppose means that they're mainly there for story telling and not to provide "gaming" (if that makes sense). I got "caught" once and was just stuck (soft locked) on screen with seemingly no way to escape other than to return to the title screen. Probably would have been better if you got a GAMEOVER if you couldn't escape in time?
    View attachment 330145

    All in all a short and pretty story with a decent enough closure. If I were to nitpick, would have appreciated if there was a little more layering regarding how the fate of the girl relates to the protag, and what the deal was with the chasing thing, as it kind of feels like a chance encounter that just so happened to resolve in a happy ending.
    Hey thanks for giving it a go and taking the time to write this up! And good heads up about the soft lock. I’ll have to go look at that. I’ve never done chase sequences before so I wanted to keep it simple and I was anxious to put in any consequences for fear I couldn’t balance it correctly. Idk why you got soft locked, I’ll go bug hunting.

    And glad you mentioned the flowers for the map transitions haha. I’ve seen so many ppl get confused by those. I knew with such a limited palette it can be hard to navigate and wanted to add pops of color just for that navigational purpose. Fun fact theyre also little Easter eggs from my first jam game!

    Thanks again!

    Mac15001900 said:
    While it's not the type of game I'd usually play I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. Here's some feedback for you.

    Feedback
    The atmosphere you've managed to create was what surprised me the most, because it's just incredibly good. The music certainly helps a lot, but all the game's elements really come together to help create it.

    I was trying to write something else about it, but couldn't figure out what else can I meaningfully add. So let's move on to the nitpicks ;)

    There is a bit a weirdness with the way the parallax moves in this area at the start.
    View attachment 330167
    The trees in the back sometimes follow the player, and sometimes they don't.
    I was definitely wondering whether it's a mistake or if the protagonist is already starting to see things.

    It would also be nice to add some animation to that tree falling - at least a single frame of it mid-fall. My immediate reaction to it was that it appeared from nowhere, and it took me a moment to process that this is a tree and not a weirdly shaped monster.

    It's a bit strange that the chase sequences go completely unacknowledged by the narration. Even if you want to keep their nature ambiguous, just a "You're not sure if what you just saw was real or not" message after escaping the first one would greatly help.

    I'd also suggest making them a bit more random. They don't really feel scary when you know exactly when they're coming (when you pick up an item) and when they'll stop (when you move between maps).
    Maybe make the first one disappear very quickly, and the others chase you for longer and longer. The last one could even continue past one screen transition. And making the spawning a bit more unpredictable (sometimes from picking up and item, sometimes from walking to an area, sometimes when passing one a second time) could really put people on edge a bit more.

    The moon animation is a bit jarring with how it suddenly jumps to a different part of the screen. I'd definitely recommend only making it move after it's off-screen, and move to another location that's also off-screen. And maybe just making it move slower in general so that it does keep jumping in the first place.


    It's definitely worth noting that those were mostly just nitpicks. The game's atmosphere was excellently made and I found it really immersive. The ominously dreamy sequences with the poems were definitely the highlight for me.
    Ahh thanks for giving it a try! I’m glad you liked it. It means a lot, especially something that’s out of ur wheelhouse.

    This is great and useful feedback.

    Funny thing, the thing in the trees is 1000% intentional and SO many ppl didn’t see it at all haha. So at least you noticed it moving. It’s supposed to be a hint of the monster. But mostly for me the monster was just a metaphor for being afraid of dying. Something looming that’s always there and sometimes jumps out to get ur heart pumping. I said it in another reply, but this was the first chase sequences I’ve done in a game so far and I really tried to keep it “in scope”, functional and fun. Totally agree it’s very predictable haha. But it was a great learning experience and I feel a lot more prepared to do a chase sequence at some point in the future! And these tips you wrote out help with that as well

    Kiroto killed it with the music!!! He was great to work with too. Got the vibe I was going for right away. Really nice and easy to work with.
  5. Canned_Dinosaur
    #5 Source
    BroodyGaming said:
    And glad you mentioned the flowers for the map transitions haha.
    I can appreciate these kinds of in-theme sign-posting. Beats having a floating arrow overlaying, or having yellow paint splattered over snow.
  6. Sword_of_Dusk
    #6 Source
    I gave your game a shot for the Feedback Festival. Don't have too much to say, as it was a pretty short experience, but here's my thoughts about the game.

    Observations
    - First off, the atmosphere is stellar. Right from the off, I felt tense as hell and was drawn in to the icy little world you created.

    - Big props for making the menu sounds fit with the theme. I caught that right away and greatly appreciated it.

    - What the hell was moving behind the trees in two of the areas? Creeped me out. Oh, and whatever the hell was floating in the water was also unsettling. Thought it might leap out.

    - I really appreciate the use of flowers to mark the entrance and exit to each area. Double points for marking the transition to safe areas with blue flowers and dangerous areas with red flowers.

    - The way the protagonist idles and walks really sells the cold she has to be feeling. I felt cold just watching her.

    - I'm left wondering exactly what was going on. The poem was mysterious and seemingly referring to the girl who's bones you find, but I'm not sure why we're being told it or by who.

    - If you ever feel like coming back to this and expanding on it, this is a great base to start from.
  7. BroodyGaming
    #7 Source
    Sword_of_Dusk said:
    I gave your game a shot for the Feedback Festival. Don't have too much to say, as it was a pretty short experience, but here's my thoughts about the game.

    Observations
    - First off, the atmosphere is stellar. Right from the off, I felt tense as hell and was drawn in to the icy little world you created.

    - Big props for making the menu sounds fit with the theme. I caught that right away and greatly appreciated it.

    - What the hell was moving behind the trees in two of the areas? Creeped me out. Oh, and whatever the hell was floating in the water was also unsettling. Thought it might leap out.

    - I really appreciate the use of flowers to mark the entrance and exit to each area. Double points for marking the transition to safe areas with blue flowers and dangerous areas with red flowers.

    - The way the protagonist idles and walks really sells the cold she has to be feeling. I felt cold just watching her.

    - I'm left wondering exactly what was going on. The poem was mysterious and seemingly referring to the girl who's bones you find, but I'm not sure why we're being told it or by who.

    - If you ever feel like coming back to this and expanding on it, this is a great base to start from.
    Thanks so much for giving it a go! I love that you noticed and appreciated so many of the small details I shoved in there.

    I’ve been on a crazy rollercoaster of game jams the last year that I’m finally slowing down on. I think I’ve done like ten idk haha. But my hope is to circle back and redo all the games with more time and polish. So will most definitely be circling back this at some point. Feedback like this is so helpful! Thanks again
  8. Alecto
    #8 Source
    Hey Broody, I played your game today :)

    My feedback
    I really liked the atmosphere which was opressive and the hopelessless (even though she tried to keep hope) was very real. This game has a great atmosphere.
    I did not really get the beginning at first though. I thought she intended to jump into a...frozen vulcano? I watched the intro again and then finally realized that she fell into a river on accident while falling from the broken bridge.
    • The music while the "spider" monster appears almost kicked me out of the mood I described so I felt like some other kind of music could have been better for these parts.
    • The poem is really beautiful.
    • The parts where you just have to walk into one direction felt a little to long for me. I understand that it's meant to give a certain feeling and show the struggle, but it did not really do that for me - it was more kind of bring to just walk into one direction while nothing happens for that time.
    • This game is more like a visual novel game and I think it does what was intended: The atmosphere, the poem, the enviroment - that all works pretty well together in my opinion. For me, the only thing that did not really fit, was that monster. Maybe it was just because of the music as I mentioned.
    • I think the game should not have been any longer if that style continiued because the length was enough to convey the atmosphere and the feelings. So it's a great length for this game.
    I was not really sure if she really survived - I think she did not. She probably felt the "heat" some people experience while freezing to death and thats also the reason she was with the dead girl at the end.

    All in all, a good short game! Thank you!
    And I am really sorry for your loss.

    I'd say it's definitly worth to play it if you have no problem with an opressive, hopeless atmosphere!
    It's a very short game but it conveys the atmosphere and you can definitly think about what you just watched after finishing the game.
  9. BroodyGaming
    #9 Source
    Alecto said:
    Hey Broody, I played your game today :)

    My feedback
    I really liked the atmosphere which was opressive and the hopelessless (even though she tried to keep hope) was very real. This game has a great atmosphere.
    I did not really get the beginning at first though. I thought she intended to jump into a...frozen vulcano? I watched the intro again and then finally realized that she fell into a river on accident while falling from the broken bridge.
    • The music while the "spider" monster appears almost kicked me out of the mood I described so I felt like some other kind of music could have been better for these parts.
    • The poem is really beautiful.
    • The parts where you just have to walk into one direction felt a little to long for me. I understand that it's meant to give a certain feeling and show the struggle, but it did not really do that for me - it was more kind of bring to just walk into one direction while nothing happens for that time.
    • This game is more like a visual novel game and I think it does what was intended: The atmosphere, the poem, the enviroment - that all works pretty well together in my opinion. For me, the only thing that did not really fit, was that monster. Maybe it was just because of the music as I mentioned.
    • I think the game should not have been any longer if that style continiued because the length was enough to convey the atmosphere and the feelings. So it's a great length for this game.
    I was not really sure if she really survived - I think she did not. She probably felt the "heat" some people experience while freezing to death and thats also the reason she was with the dead girl at the end.

    All in all, a good short game! Thank you!
    And I am really sorry for your loss.

    I'd say it's definitly worth to play it if you have no problem with an opressive, hopeless atmosphere!
    It's a very short game but it conveys the atmosphere and you can definitly think about what you just watched after finishing the game.
    Ahh, thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful feedback!! I really appreciate you giving it a go. I really love working on, creating and thinking about atmosphere so to hear that I achieve good atmosphere really means a lot!! And your feedback about the chase sequences is helpful. It's always an aspect of designing games I waffle back and forth on how to balance haha.

    And I LOVE your headcanon about the ending!!! It fits really well, especially with the flash of warmth victims of hypothermia feel. Oh, that's so tragic, jeez haha. Thanks again!