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From Next Door is a short mystery-horror game developed for the 2016 Pixel Horror Jam, featuring 100% original graphics, story-driven gameplay, exploration and decision making. It draws inspiration from the works of Junji Ito and games like Silent Hill, with the story focused on the eerie and the bizarre.

Story

Namie has just moved into a new house, one that was rented for a too-good-to-be-true price. It seemed like a good idea at first - nice house, low price, fully furnished, quiet neighborhood… but when she comes across a locked room on the second floor, she starts to realize there’s more to the house than what she was told. Why is that room locked? Why did the previous tenant leave the house so suddenly, leaving his things behind? And what’s the deal with the windowless house next door?

Gameplay

The game is largely centered around the story itself, with the player exploring the environment to discover clues and to progress forward. Exploration is the key to uncovering the game’s mysteries - and although the game follows a linear story line, the choices you make will affect how you discover information and, perhaps, even affect the outcome of things.

Length: ~50 min
Warning: Mild jumpscares
Headphones recommended!

Latest Blog

From Next Door in the spotlight?!

Apparently From Next Door has been spotlighted! I'm not sure who to thank, but I'm so honored, thank you so much!

Also, the game has reached over 1k from the page alone (and 4k all around - holy crap!), so I'd like to thank everyone who played it, who Let's Play'd it, who watched someone play it, who left nice comments, who gave feedback, and who just supported the game in general. I hope I can make future games even better!

To celebrate, here's a sketch of Namie (thanks to my new drawing tablet, haha)



Thank you so much, everyone!
  • Completed
  • SpaceZeta
  • StarSkipp
  • RPG Maker VX Ace
  • Adventure
  • 09/14/2016 06:41 PM
  • 02/07/2023 03:04 PM
  • 10/28/2016
  • 151086
  • 82
  • 4839

Posts

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Looks great so far. Good luck in Pixel Jam \o/
Vaccaria
You'd think MZ would use a dictionary for switches/variables by now?
4936
HERE WE GO AGAIN. *subskrubed*
Original art is my favorite thing and so is Junji Ito's works and so is Silent Hill so I'm definitely subscribing!
The atmosphere in this game looks so neat, subscribed <3
Okay, I guess that it is me and numbers that buggers this backwards but I can not find out the "safe" combination. Any aid is greatly appreciated because I really want to continue this really good game : 3
author=TheCrimsonValley
Okay, I guess that it is me and numbers that buggers this backwards but I can not find out the "safe" combination. Any aid is greatly appreciated because I really want to continue this really good game : 3

Alright, here's a hint

It has nothing to do with mathematics, it's to do with the words


and if you need some more straight forward instructions

count the words


also, thank you! ^^
author=SpaceZeta
author=TheCrimsonValley
Okay, I guess that it is me and numbers that buggers this backwards but I can not find out the "safe" combination. Any aid is greatly appreciated because I really want to continue this really good game : 3
Alright, here's a hint

It has nothing to do with mathematics, it's to do with the words


and if you need some more straight forward instructions

count the words


also, thank you! ^^


I'm so sorry to bug you again with this but I am doing what you've suggested and nothing.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm dyslectic so solving this puzzle is rather hard for me.

If you pardon, could I have the answer? I know it is kind of a cheap shoot to have the answer to a puzzle but I really tried what you said and the solution does not match up.
author=TheCrimsonValley
I'm so sorry to bug you again with this but I am doing what you've suggested and nothing.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm dyslectic so solving this puzzle is rather hard for me.

If you pardon, could I have the answer? I know it is kind of a cheap shoot to have the answer to a puzzle but I really tried what you said and the solution does not match up.


It's alright c: The answer is

2944


I'm actually wondering if this puzzle is a bit too hard though, you're not the only person with problems with this :/
author=SpaceZeta
author=TheCrimsonValley
I'm so sorry to bug you again with this but I am doing what you've suggested and nothing.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm dyslectic so solving this puzzle is rather hard for me.

If you pardon, could I have the answer? I know it is kind of a cheap shoot to have the answer to a puzzle but I really tried what you said and the solution does not match up.
It's alright c: The answer is

2944


I'm actually wondering if this puzzle is a bit too hard though, you're not the only person with problems with this :/


I have some thoughts on it:

The clue given in the game is just "point, spiral, helix, axis", and then you get the puzzle page/s:



The problem with the puzzle is that the page is about mathematics and includes numbers in the text itself in both numeric and in written form, plus the theta symbol which could be also counted as a number. The numbers in the text are definitely misleading, which is good puzzle design at first, but the hint gives no indication that you're supposed to count how many times the words show up. If the page wasn't about mathematics and didn't include all these false leads, or if the hint did better at suggesting you need to count the times the words show up, the puzzle wouldn't be so hard.

I also included an image of my thought process last night when I was trying to figure out the puzzle, just to show how the presented information might lead someone to the wrong answers over and over:



In red:

I first noticed the "important numbers" mentioned in the text, those numbers quoted exactly as "1., 2., three, two, 3-d, theta"

My first guess (1, 2, 2, 2) was me thinking the text just before the important words was the code. So "1." meant "point", "2." meant "helix", "two" meant "spiral", and "2." might also mean "axis".

When that didn't work, I kept thinking "point" was still supposed to be "1.", so then I guessed spiral might also be "two" "3-d" "theta=0", helix might also be "2." "three" "theta=0", and axis might also be "2." "three"

In yellow:

After giving up on the numbers, I then decided it might just be the order in which the words first appear, so point = 1, axis = 2, helix = 3, and spiral = 4

In green:

My last, desperate, worst guess was maybe the amount of letters in each word, so point = 5, spiral = 6, helix = 5, and axis = 4.

The idea that I just had to count the times each word appeared never crossed my mind. Especially because the text goes on to talk about spirals, giving the word spiral too many mentions, so I thought it was just filler text. I guess that was supposed to be indication that the amount of times each word appeared was the real answer, but I was so tied up in the actual numbers given, and the hint I kept checking just said "point spiral helix axis", and the first page mentions all of those words and the second doesn't, that I just never thought of that possibility. Then I just gave up and asked for the answer last night lol.
author=bleet
author=SpaceZeta
author=TheCrimsonValley
I'm so sorry to bug you again with this but I am doing what you've suggested and nothing.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm dyslectic so solving this puzzle is rather hard for me.

If you pardon, could I have the answer? I know it is kind of a cheap shoot to have the answer to a puzzle but I really tried what you said and the solution does not match up.
It's alright c: The answer is

2944


I'm actually wondering if this puzzle is a bit too hard though, you're not the only person with problems with this :/
I have some thoughts on it:

The clue given in the game is just "point, spiral, helix, axis", and then you get the puzzle page/s:



The problem with the puzzle is that the page is about mathematics and includes numbers in the text itself in both numeric and in written form, plus the theta symbol which could be also counted as a number. The numbers in the text are definitely misleading, which is good puzzle design at first, but the hint gives no indication that you're supposed to count how many times the words show up. If the page wasn't about mathematics and didn't include all these false leads, or if the hint did better at suggesting you need to count the times the words show up, the puzzle wouldn't be so hard.

I also included an image of my thought process last night when I was trying to figure out the puzzle, just to show how the presented information might lead someone to the wrong answers over and over:



In red:

I first noticed the "important numbers" mentioned in the text, those numbers quoted exactly as "1., 2., three, two, 3-d, theta"

My first guess (1, 2, 2, 2) was me thinking the text just before the important words was the code. So "1." meant "point", "2." meant "helix", "two" meant "spiral", and "2." might also mean "axis".

When that didn't work, I kept thinking "point" was still supposed to be "1.", so then I guessed spiral might also be "two" "3-d" "theta=0", helix might also be "2." "three" "theta=0", and axis might also be "2." "three"

In yellow:

After giving up on the numbers, I then decided it might just be the order in which the words first appear, so point = 1, axis = 2, helix = 3, and spiral = 4

In green:

My last, desperate, worst guess was maybe the amount of letters in each word, so point = 5, spiral = 6, helix = 5, and axis = 4.

The idea that I just had to count the times each word appeared never crossed my mind. Especially because the text goes on to talk about spirals, giving the word spiral too many mentions, so I thought it was just filler text. I guess that was supposed to be indication that the amount of times each word appeared was the real answer, but I was so tied up in the actual numbers given, and the hint I kept checking just said "point spiral helix axis", and the first page mentions all of those words and the second doesn't, that I just never thought of that possibility. Then I just gave up and asked for the answer last night lol.

oh wow I never meant for it to be this deep :x

I have been thinking about how to hint better at the solution and update the game, and I wonder if I underline the words the first time they appear on the page would it be easier to figure out? I also thought about underlining all the right words but I figured that would make it too obvious oop

Or maybe I should have the message with the words just straight up say 'count them' or something. Hmm...


This was legit supposed to be a simple puzzle, but because this game wasn't supposed to be a puzzle game I guess I think I didn't spend enough time on it >.< Thank you for the feedback, though!
author=SpaceZeta
This was legit supposed to be a simple puzzle, but because this game wasn't supposed to be a puzzle game I guess I think I didn't spend enough time on it >.< Thank you for the feedback, though!


No problem! I just beat the game and I really enjoyed it, so good job! It was short but you did really well building up the tension with that creepy window. It felt like I was actually in an Ito manga. c:

For the puzzle:

I was thinking maybe ''highlighting'' (actually do a highlight marker, or underline, or bold, or circle) the first two "point" words might be a hint to count the others. Or, use the highlighting in the hint, partially give away the code, or change some wording?

Like:
"point" = 2, "spiral" = ?, "axis" = ?, "helix" = ?

Or something like that
@Bleet Can you pm me the ending you got? Just curious :>
author=bleet
No problem! I just beat the game and I really enjoyed it, so good job! It was short but you did really well building up the tension with that creepy window. It felt like I was actually in an Ito manga. c:

For the puzzle:

I was thinking maybe ''highlighting'' (actually do a highlight marker, or underline, or bold, or circle) the first two "point" words might be a hint to count the others. Or, use the highlighting in the hint, partially give away the code, or change some wording?

Like:
"point" = 2, "spiral" = ?, "axis" = ?, "helix" = ?

Or something like that


Ooh, you make a good point! (haha get it) I might do that (the highlighting point thing), thank you c:

Also thank you again! Ito's works are fantastic so that makes me happy :'D
Ok soooooooooooo

WHAT THE HELL DO I HAVE TO DO WHEN THAT CREATURE CHASES ME IN DAY 7????
I have looked everywhere in the house, but I can't find anything useful
and that creature keeps killing me. Please someone tell me what I have to do!!
What palette did you use for the graphics? It kind of reminds me of the Game Boy palette, but the GB palette I use has a lot more colors.
author=Luiishu535
What palette did you use for the graphics? It kind of reminds me of the Game Boy palette, but the GB palette I use has a lot more colors.


It is an old Game Boy palette! Or a variation at least. At first I wanted to do a game using a GB Color palette (because I was playing Pokemon Silver at the time for nostalgia's sake) but it didn't turn out good so I found this other one and I thought it fit the game so I decided to use it. Mine is this one:



Does your palette have actual more colors or more different shades? When searching for game boy palettes, the old ones usually have just 4 different colors like this so idk this is what I found and went with

author=MrKatrina
/spoiler spoiler


Part of me wants to help but part of me also wants to be an evil developer ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

(If you're really desperate you can PM me and I can give you a hint c: )
author=SpaceZeta
author=MrKatrina
/spoiler spoiler
Part of me wants to help but part of me also wants to be an evil developer ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

(If you're really desperate you can PM me and I can give you a hint c: )


Wait, so... (tiny spoilers in white) there is a lighter hidden somewhere after all? Imma burn that thing down and then whack it to bits with tha Nail puller Dx

On feedback note, spoiler inside. (Bodykit not included)
Really liked the tension build in it, always turned on the lights expecting something to be there. x3
Regarding the safe puzzle, the underline on the words made me understand what I should do right away. (although I were to hasty to properly count spirals to 9)
The only thing that I didn't liked is that, if there is a lighter/escape route for day 7, the death cutscene, which is cool at first, gets too long for repeated attempts later. Maybe I just don't know where to look though, I did searched the nail puller on the cupboards after all. :p

Anyhow, I really enjoyed the game. ^^ (and probably will copy the light system soon or later)


i completed the game n it was relatively interesting though i have some qualms about it! i loved the graphics. may i ask how many endings there are? so far ive gotten like two i think
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