Observer and the Observed
is a short tale about a mysterious house in the woods. According to the locals, the owner would offer visitors highly intriguing tapes, and that guests are guaranteed to leave with a great deal of insight into their own lives.
CONTENT WARNING [SPOILER]
You might find the theme disturbing.
Jam
Observer and the Observed was made in 5 days for the Wanderjahre Game Jam 3. The game follows two restrictions: No Text and Anagnorisis, which means the character has a moment of discovery that recontextualizes the narrative. Overall, this was a very challenging set of restrictions and I’m curious to know if you think I’m successful in delivering the anagnorisis.
Playing with the native build instead of the web version is highly recommended if you are experiencing performance issues.
Inspiration
The story for this jam entry is heavily inspired by the manga Soumatoh Kabushikigaishac by Sugawara Keita, also known by its English name, Revolving Lantern Corporation. The episodic manga tells the story of a company that offers customers DVDs containing a recording of their own life. These DVDs are in their perspective, often from birth to death. I ended up binging the 10 volumes of the manga over New Years and wanted to try my hand at making a short story with the same premise.
Credits
The art and programming was done by me, Thuleanx. However, the game wouldn’t be possible without the following free music:
Abstraction by Tallbear Studios [I know Ben is hosting an OST Game Jam on Jan 12th – Jan 30th. Check it out,  maybe :D]Ludum Dare 32 – Track 5Patreon Goal Rewards Loop – Track 01Patreon Goal Rewards Loop – Track 08Short, Loopable Background Music Files by jhaekaThe field of dreams by pauliuw [HouseTheme]Vampires Piano by TAD [Ending Song]
If you enjoy the music in this game, please check out more of their music.
More Games
I’ve made other games that are similarly horror/mystery themed (and even more on my itch page), if this one piqued your curiosity:
Poiura: an atmospheric top-down shooter about a baker unraveling the horrors beyond the edge of his small town.Radioactive Trove: short, atmospheric sidescroller set deep underwater, where you aim to retrieve dangerous cargoWithin the woods: a platformer about a racoon lost in the woods, inspired by Baba Yaga.
Also, please check out other games from Wanderjahre Game Jam 3!