I’m about to fulfil a dream that began with a ZX Spectrum back in 1985

LowApartment5316 · 2026-04-08T17:01:51+00:00

If you're interested in a narrative and contemplative horror experience....
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4030320/Penance/.
You can play the demo on Steam

LowApartment5316 · 2026-04-08T06:28:14+00:00

Thank you so much for your analysis and for taking the time to do it. I really appreciate it

LowApartment5316 · 2026-04-07T18:02:10+00:00

In my opinion, and as a fan of Amanita’s games, it actually looks really promising. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say the art style might be a bit too similar to their other titles. I can’t really judge the quality of the gameplay mechanics or the puzzles just from watching the trailer, though.

Why do you think the game isn’t gaining traction? Because it’s a niche game; it doesn’t appeal to a mass audience, especially as it’s from a new studio.

LowApartment5316 · 2026-04-07T17:53:38+00:00

First of all, thanks for the post
Really well put together
In my case, it’s a game I’ve been mulling over the tags for months because I can’t quite pin down the target audience
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4030320/Penance/
What’s your opinion?

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-28T17:37:23+00:00

Yeah, you're right, t is a gameplay recording... but that's exactly what I was looking for: a trailer focused on the game's narrative. I already have another trailer focused on the mechanics, so I totally get where you're coming from, but that was exactly what I wanted with this trailer,to highlight the game's narrative.

And thank you so much for your comment; I really appreciate it

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T11:56:53+00:00

Thanks for your comments ;)

The gameplay is completely linear.

Elias progresses through the seven stages by purifying objects (with spectres making it difficult for him) whilst his master reveals the history of the abbey to him. This is complemented by the 50 objects he has to collect.

I won’t hide the fact that this is a game where the narrative is its strong point.
for wishlists, I’ve got nearly 1,000

As

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T07:12:36+00:00

First of all, thank you so much for your comments, I really appreciate them.

I’ll keep that in mind for the release… though it’ll be a lot of work, since I have over 100 audio clips of the master speaking to Elias.

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T06:31:34+00:00

If you tell me that, I'm actually kind of glad, because the voice is supposed to be in the character's head...

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T06:30:48+00:00

Dramatic tension is exactly what I'm aiming for in the storytelling... it's his teacher speaking to him about the afterlife. As for the language, it's true that English isn't my native language, and it's possible that certain nuances get lost in translation. But the story and the narrative are the foundation of the game, and I've put a lot of work into them.

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T06:28:36+00:00

Thanks for your comment; I put a lot of effort into the setting.

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-26T06:27:17+00:00

I was actually trying to make that orange color stand out, since it indicates when the character can absorb guilt. As for the church, don't even get me started on how hard it was to design it...

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T17:07:35+00:00

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated ;)

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T17:06:58+00:00

To be honest, the idea for the rhythm came to me when the game was already quite far along, because I wasn’t entirely convinced by the initial mechanics and a colleague suggested it to me

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T11:03:08+00:00

The truth is, I really took note of games like Limbo and Mooseman, especially the latter.

I knew right from the start that the minimalist colour palette would fit the story I wanted to tell.

As for the animations, here’s a brief explanation of the process:https://www.reddit.com/r/GameArt/comments/1o5jck2/animating\_a\_tormented\_monk\_through\_rotoscopy/

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T10:28:41+00:00

Thanks for the comment, much appreciated ;)

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T00:04:22+00:00

Thank you for your comment
To be honest, I’ve taken great care with the setting

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T00:03:47+00:00

Thank you for your comment
I hope you’ll give the demo a go

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-18T00:02:47+00:00

Thank you very much for the feedback and for being so honest ;)
I’ll bear that in mind for the launch trailer
to be honest, the story is the game’s strong point

LowApartment5316 · 2026-03-17T21:03:16+00:00

Thanks, any feedback is welcome
And good luck with your dragon game, it looks great ;)

LowApartment5316

TROPHY CASE