Cold Swarm is a stealth-thriller game I’ve been working on the last few months. You must escape from the clutches of a serial killer horde that has infested the remote forest neighborhood you live in. The game should be pretty short, roughly 1.5 to 3 hours, and I’m currently conceptualizing it to have permadeath, so you have to make it to the end in one shot (that being said, I don’t want to make it particularly difficult. Just enough challenge to keep the tension in the experience is what I believe is most important).
I hesitate to use the term “horror” to describe the emotion I want it to evoke, because “horror” is often tied with being very violent and generally pessimistic. The emotion I think is powerful and enjoyable is the sense of overcoming your fears. So, I’m saying “thriller”, but I definitely want the tone to keep you feeling scared throughout.
The plot will involve a population that becomes radicalized into killing random groups of civilians when they’re forced into a place of desperation. Billions of private messages are leaked from major chat software companies. Groups of journalists, microbloggers, and activists spend years publishing these messages and exposing their creators, tarnishing the lives and reputations of countless people. From the ashes of this social upheaval grows a group of anonymous serial killers, who believe their lives can only be repaired by a major shift in the composition of society. You play as someone who is a target for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As I develop the game, I’d love to continuously get constructive criticism so I can make it the best it can possibly be! It’s still pretty nascent in development stages but I figured I’d start as early as I could, and I knew I could now. Any feedback, positive or negative, regarding the tone, story, gameplay, or anything else would be appreciated so I can start digesting it all into the final product!
Really cool concept and ideas! I’d write more feedback but right now I’m trapped somewhere with little internet (hope the locals here won’t turn like in your game haha). I’ll pm you in a couple of days with more detailed feedback (especially concerning sound, as I am into sound design and music, not as a pro but with enough experience). But keep up the good work!
Hi again! It’s Eddie. Here’s a little feedback concerning your video and (of course) your game:
Too much music in my opinion (back to it later on). I don’t think that first music is necessary, or at least it should be less present/invasive. It sounds like suspense music, when there is (for the moment) not much suspense or tense moment. Something quieter, less orchestrated would achieve more in my opinion, which would give a sense of awareness of a potential danger
The walkie talkie sound. It’s volume is unrealistic, it’s loud as if right in our face, but it is found outside. There should be some volume radius/falloff distance. It can’t be that loud when your character is inside the house in the upper floor. And should get louder little by little the more we get closer to it.
The sound when the character takes it / picks it up is weird, like switching a big button on a bigger device
The overall picture seems very dark to me, although it’s partly lit outside, maybe a better rendering of lights and shadows? It’s hard to distinguish the ennemies.
The ennemy we see walking at 0:44 seems to glide on the floor instead of really walking.
Furthermore, we don’t hear him, nothing to help the player know there’s an enemy around
When your character starts running ( at ~ 1:00) there’s a problem with sound, starting at around 1:07, we hear footsteps on the right, as if there was someone else than your character, when in fact, it’s the footsteps of your character. It’s confusing, but this should give you an idea to help the player know there’s someone around, by hearing the footsteps of the ennemies for example.
At 1:24, the sound to tell the player he’s been spotter is way too loud. I had something like that in mind, but here, instead of just scaring and warning the player, you may turn them deaf haha
The music used in the chase by the ennemy is not really scary, not much sense of danger, it sounds like a music of suspense when nothing has happened yet, when in fact, it should be some more…“active” music.
The breathing used in the music is weird, in the sense that, I thought it was the breathing of the character.
But the idea of the character running and expressing “panting sounds” could be an idea to drive the sense of danger and helplessness of being chased by crazy people.
We don’t hear the bad guy running (and I guess, he should be screaming too)
The gunshots are too loud, my ears, they’re bleeding! just joking. Plus, like the walkie talkie, the sound doesn’t lower with the distance, it’s as if the ennemy was right beside us, and firing close to our ears.
By the way, the sound of the gunshot seems a bit thin, lacking some low end or something (you know, some kind of bigger than life sound like in the movies or some certain games which over abuse this technique, so we feel the weapon shooting is powerful)
Otherwise, it’s all good to me, for something done only by yourself.
It’s just the choice and properties of your sounds, music, some bits lacking here and there, plus the graphics too dark.
Of course it’s not finished, but to me you’re on the right way to make a cool game!
Oh, and the premise of your story is really cool and interesting, you should develop it more, making something it rather believable/possible to happen (something foreboding, as in the “black mirror” series). To be honest, reading your synopsis and watching your video made my brain go bonkers for ideas and maybe help a little bit if you ever need some
Thanks very much for all the feedback! I appreciate it, I’ve made a series of tickets to address all of your constructive critiques. Sounds like you really know your sounds/music well, I appreciate all the tips and I’m glad you like the story!
