Witchkin on Kickstarter
Witchkin on Steam Greenlight
Witchkin Gameplay Trailer
Witchkin Teaser Trailer
Witchkin Commentated Demo Gameplay (by myself)
I recently went through a few Kickstarter horror games and backed a few and made a small little video of those I backed, the creator got into contact with me and through a demo to try out, I actually liked it a lot and I want the game to succeed as it's looking like without a push it may not make its Kickstarter goal of $12,000 (it's only a little more than 1/6th of the way there at the time of writing with 19 days to go).
To copy the Kickstarter a bit:
Evil toys are stalking you in an old black-and-white film...
Coven Games' Witchkin is a first-person, single-player, PC horror game where you play as a child trapped in a house filled with terrifying toys in the 1920s. You must progress up the floors of the house from the basement to the attic; on each floor, you are stalked by a different toy. Each toy has unique abilities and mechanics requiring you to change your strategy for each level. The level maps are procedural so every time you play the layout is different.
FEATURES:
*Hide and Sneak - Witchkin is all about hiding and avoidance. You must be aware of your surroundings, of light and darkness, and even the volume of your breathing to survive!
*Different Toys, Different Terror - Each toy has unique abilities which require the player to change strategies for every level.
*Sepia Tone Horror - Witchkin feels like you are playing in an old, grainy black-and-white horror film.
*Procedural levels - Hiding spots and dangers are never the same.
*Single Player, PC compatible
*Keyboard or controller gameplay
*Currently in Greenlight process for Steam distribution
*Oculus Rift Support - Experience Witchkin in the full immersion of VR through Oculus Rift!
Now one thing that did sell me on the game initially was the different entities the game has, the demo currently only features Marcy the Doll, but there are a few different entities planned for the final game:
Marcy the Doll
Story: Suzie Daniels was a very bright seven-year-old living in a strict home. She struggled with making friends and spent most of her time playing with her dolls alone. She disappeared in the spring of '18.
Mechanics: Marcy has the ability to search for players. She has keen hearing and will pick up on the player's presence from far away.
Trappy Bear
Story: Orson Barnes was a slow-witted, mute child of ten. He disappeared in the summer of 18.
Mechanics: Playing with Trappy is like being hunted by a shark. He prowls along the ground pulling himself along with his claws and chomps at anyone unfortunate enough to be in his path. The only way to avoid Trappy is to climb onto things, but Trappy has been known to chomp and destroy furniture to get at his victims. Sometimes, when he cant get to the player, he will go off and hide nearby waiting for the player to come down off the furniture. Trappy can lunge forward and knock a player down, temporarily injuring them. The player must get back on their feet quickly to escape his jaws.
Hooks the Clown
Story: Pete Malone was known as the prankster of his school. At twelve he didnt have a lot of friends and lashed out at the other children at times. He was last seen at home in the spring of 19.
Mechanics: Hooks will whip his arms out at the player, attempting to ensnare them and then reel them in. His arms have a long range, and the player must duck when he lashes at them. If slightly off in the dodge, the player will be knocked down and injured. If way off, they will be ensnared and must wriggle free.
The Candy Lady
Story: Clara Crane lost her beloved five-year-old child, Marcella, in the fall of 1895 in a horrific accident. Believing her husband's reckless behavior was responsible for her daughter's death, she murdered him with poisoned candy and was sent to the North Texas Asylum. Due to the hospitals overcrowding, she was released, then she disappeared.
Mechanics: ???
---
There's a lot more expressed on the Kickstarter page, and while I know hide'n'seek first-person horror isn't always appreciated on GAF, I think this might be one of the more clever uses of it, both in the gameplay has some intelligent design decisions when based around hide'n'seek horror, Marcy herself is a fun antagonist doll with some good visual/audio ques who works well both in chase sequences & hiding, her dynamic jack-laying system is good and the way she responds to different tools you have (like the music box, locking doors, etc.). Then there being other entities to follow who behave completely differently helps make the experience varied, and the whole thing having a story reason of children's toys brought alive by the legend of the Candy Lady and her toys playing childrens games I think works well, and the lack of gore and sepia tones I think fit the atmosphere they're going for.
I'll cap off this post with a few screenshots, though as I did play the demo I can share my opinion and experience a bit and am hoping this gets through.
