RUNTY'S PROFILE

author=JapoZero
Cute game for halloween. Simple, lighthearted but fun to play, and you can definitely feel the inspiration/tribute from old VX/Ace horror games. Doesn't take too long to complete, although there is a lot of room for improvement!

The story follows a character trapped in an unknown, kinda haunted place, something that is typical for a lot of RPG Maker games, but in this case, there's enough elements to make it feel fresh: backstory, clues about the previous inhabitants of the house, and a right amount of mystery, which is appreciated. Of course there is a whole sequence before that, introducing the players to the characters and some of the events that are occuring in town, which is neat. Now, considering the multiple endings...

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...I feel like the game doesn't fully explain everything that was going on with the sick child (revealed to be Kori at the end?) and the strange mother mentioned in the letters, plus, the books in the dinning room gave me the idea that the monster that follows you at certain points of the game was a Skinwalker, but other than that, what was their origin? Maybe they were an alternate form of Kori? Or the remnants of her mother? It is something left unexplained, considering the open nature of the ending. Something that could be explored in a sequel or prequel if it ever happens.

For the gameplay, I think the puzzles were good as they required some focus (getting the right timing for the cooking one was a challenge), though the chase sequences where very short up to the point that they were forgettable compared to the rest of the game.

The graphics, everything Halloween-related was nice, and Ayene's tilesets really match that kind of vibe. I wasn't convinced by the mixture of high-detail trees along with the default trees, it looks bad. But I kinda like the mixture of RMMV sprites along with Ace's sprites. Makes it feel like actual people wearing insane, giant costumes for Halloween.
Now, for maps, I'd suggest practicing a bit more, especially for the exteriors that feel either empty or saturated with assets. By example, the trails after the park, which could look better with the usage of bushes, autotiles and a more consistent set of trees. For the interiors, Eri's house looks really good, but the spooky house kinda looks empty. Considering most of the game takes place there, it could look better with more furniture, cabinets, or maybe cobwebs or dust if you wanted to give it an "abandoned" feel.

The music in the game is good, though some tracks (like the PerituneMaterial one) are a bit loud compared to the rest of the game. Other than that, not much to say. Nice selection.

Other small suggestions...well, for horror games there's a lot of simple menu edits that remove every category not used (such as equipment, skills, status, etc), which is way better than having half of the menu empty but still usable. This site has some easily customisable examples, like this:
https://rpgmaker.net/scripts/603/ (updated: https://pastebin.com/raw/wvbrcAS9 )

Everything I got:

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True End (The party...)
False End (No hay home)

Dying due to bad cooking
Dying in the cabin after choosing the wrong pumpkin
Dying while being chased after picking the knife

Little bugs:

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Mostly tiles with wrong passability:
-The roofs inside Eri's house.
-Some big tree trunks.
-The dinner table in the spooky house.

Softlock:
-While walking at the trail after the park scene.
This sequence moves the player to the south, but at certain spots it can get them blocked due to some small trees in the way (like this).

Wish you the best for future RPG Maker projects!

First of all, I want to give you a biiig thank you for playing my game! Regarding your theory on the true meaning at the end, I will mention that the cat is a big clue; but you seem to have a good grasp of the truth of it in your comment. I'm super happy you found that it had some good elements and also gave me so much insight for what i could improve as well as helped me do some bug testing. It means a lot to me! Its the first rpg maker game I ever completed, I wanted to make a short game for my friend and spent about a month on it. I will definitely
keep what you said in mind for future games. Currently I am working on a sort of different style rpg horror game with original assets. I am an artist first and foremost and coding is not my thing, but that's what I love about RPG maker. It allows me to create something simple but fulfill that need I have to make a playable product. I will certainly take note of what I can improve on. Thank you again!

author=Tailusei
Hello! I miss this kind of games too, so I played it right away with a friend. It was really cute! I especially liked the "cooking" part and the pumpkin puzzle. The alternative ending caught me off guard, cough.
I'm a little confused by the actual ending.

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Like, it wasn't just a prank... Right?

This was a short, nice Halloween game with a nostalgic feeling and a couple of pretty good OSTs. Thank you for making it~
To the next time!

Spoilers Below


Thank you so much for playing, hearing you enjoyed it with a friend really made my week! I'm glad it brought you some entertainment and nostalgia :D

author=Frogge
I forget how much I weirdly I missed Vx Ace horror games until something like this comes through the queue. Will definitely give this a go once the download is up!

Thank you so much for your interest! If you enjoy it, I will be happy. Originally I made it for my friend as a tribute to that type of game, we were also huge fans of them growing up.