Echoes of the Asylum Postmortem

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to play our game and provide feedback. Your insights have been invaluable in helping us align with our goals, and motivating us to deliver a terrifying and immersive experience. Following our submission to the game jam, we’ve identified several areas of the game that stood out—both in terms of successes and opportunities for improvement.

What Didn’t Go as Planned:

1. Player Progression and Game Flow: One of the most requested features was an objectives list to guide navigation and aid in progression. This absence created confusion and detracted from the overall flow of the game

2. Audio in the Final Boss Encounter: The audio during the final boss scene required refinement. Additionally, it persisted when the player returned to the main menu, negatively impacting the game's continuity.

3. Bugs in Specific Areas: In certain locations, such as the surgery room, we encountered issues where zombie behaviour was glitching, preventing players from interacting with or eliminating them, which disrupted gameplay.

4. Player Experience and Navigation: Several inaccessible areas within the game were not marked, leading to player confusion. This uncertainty hindered the overall experience as players were unsure which areas were explorable.

5. User Interface and Experience: Surprisingly, we overlooked adding the game’s title to the main screen UI—an oversight due to the last-minute rush of development.

What Worked Well:

1. Sound Design: Players particularly praised the sound design. Spatial audio significantly enhanced immersion, contributing to the eerie atmosphere we aimed to create.

2. Gun Mechanics: Adding the gun mechanic, inspired by the Deppart Prototype, was a last-minute decision, but it ended up being a strong addition. It set our game apart from traditional horror experiences and resonated well with players.

3. Atmosphere: While minimalistic, the atmosphere had a significant impact. The unsettling music, flickering torch, lighting effects, bloodstains, and jump scares all contributed to the sense of dread and uncertainty, which players appreciated.

We deeply value the feedback we've received and look forward to improving and evolving the game. This journey isn’t over yet, and we are excited for what’s to come.

Thank you for playing and supporting our project!