Project of the Sea
Made as a submission for the RPG Maker Horror Game Jam #4
Explore the world and assemble the song of the sea, but be careful with the many dangers that lurk around.
A short adventure-horror game made in rpg maker 2003. The horror elements are very light, but this is mostly related with my lack of experience with the genre.
Recommendations:
If possible, play the downloadable version.
I added a browser version through easyRPG, the game is fully playable but assets take some time to load, which either desynchronizes events where sounds, pictures or animations are used with specific timings or makes some events take some extra time to load
Credits:
- Cannon fire sound effect by Thimras - https://opengameart.org/content/cannon-fire
- MeowSynth by Knobster
- easyRPG webplayer guide - https://easyrpg.org/player/guide/webplayer/
Download
Install instructions
- Download and unextract the zip file
- Head to the directory where the zip file has been extracted and double click the Setup.exe file.
- Follow the steps in the installer.
- After the installation is over, head to the folder where the game has been installed
- Open the folder Project2 and double click on RPG_RT.exe file
- You can play the game now :)
Development log
- RPG Maker 2k3 web build with easyRPGJul 10, 2024
Comments
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The interned failed me to help so i'm here. Can you help me with translating guide in EasyRpg site, i have missing textures
I need help from somebody who already did it, please add me on discord: trikholit
ok i'm gonna be honest, this game has NO right being so good considering how simple it is. like it's legit impressive.
first of all, i loved the vibe of everything! the pixelated visuals really make you feel like you're going on an epic quest in an old rpg. i liked the slightly joke-y tone when you get the bracelet, it added a lot of personality haha. and the original drawings were REALLY cool!! it's a super unique and creepy style that works wonderfully for the feeling of being in danger! :D all of that mixed with sequences that make really good use of timing and events, it makes a presentation that would otherwise be pretty simple really pop with creativity!!
(SPOILERS)
in terms of the actual gameplay, i REALLY liked getting each part of the song! and the fact that each quest had a different "minigame" was so cool. the eyes part was really creepy and anxiety-inducing, especially with the ending; the cave part was a great tribute to old dungeon crawlers that also serves as a perfect showcase of the quality of the original art; and the tower one was a pulse-pounding puzzles treat with some GREAT animations! each sequence is memorable and makes you excited to see what the next one will be!! :> (i did have a couple of issues with them tho; in the eyes part the pillar that's next to the statue didn't protect me, idk if it was intentional. and the first fight in the cave was a bit too difficult for my taste. but that's really about it in terms of problems)
the story was very intriguing! i got both endings and... tbh i have no idea what either meant haha, but it made me want to know more about the lore! maybe having a few more explanations would've been preferable tho? but that's personal taste, you decide what you think works in terms of leaving the story open to interpretation. and i'm sure there's people who LOVE that everything is so confusing lol.
overall, this was a really big surprise of the jam!! i hope people don't assume this was low effort just due to the simple visuals, because there definitely was a lot of thought and care put into everything here :>
I appreciate the comment, after playing some of the other entries I felt that maybe the approach I took was leaning too much into the playable parts instead of the story parts, but if at least one person thinks it's fun then I'm glad. About the pixel graphics, thats 100% rpg maker 2003 stock graphics hahah, I was thinking on creating an original playable character similar to the one in the drawings but I ran out of time
I'll address some of the spoilers, this is some interesting/useful feedback
The eyes part is intentional, I tried to have the player notice which areas are safe by how the skulls are placed throughout the zone, and that one specific pillar you mention was supposed to be too short to hide the player. That little mechanic definitely needed a better introduction than just the hint
About the cave part, this a very useful comment. While working on this part I was wondering if the balance was ok as the idea was for the fight to be a close call, but there probably is some re-balance/re-design to be done here in a number of ways
About the story, because I focused too much on coming up with the playable bits and implementing them (and also learning the engine), I didn't have too much time to work on it, I don't want to ruin your expectations on the lore so let's just say it's probably more simple than you think hahahah. Maybe next time I join one of these jams I'll try something more story-focused, it will most likely be terrible but it's a nice avenue to practice the skill.
Thanks again for the feedback :)
ohh i'm not familiar with rpg maker 2003 so i just really enjoyed how cool of an aesthetic it was haha. either way there's nothing wrong with using default assets, and i still think they made for a super cool presentation! :D
making the game more focused on gameplay i think made it stand out in the jam, but it'd also be really cool if you tried making something more story-based! it's always good to try to hone new skills, ya know?