I just got notified by itch that I should clarify whether AI was used on this project, so I'm clarifying it here:

No AI was used on the game and not on the song either. 

For the song, I used Robo Maestro and Synthesizer V Studio, both are free. Robo Maestro uses procedural generation, and is NOT AI. Synthesizer V Studio has AI functionality but it was NOT used for the song (you can pick between Eleanor Forte's regular voicebank and an AI voicebank, I used the former).

thank you so much! 🤩

Yes I would like that! 🤩

The art style is enchanting, she looks like a disney princess in the cover but with a leech instead of a songbird 😍 The story really surprised me!

I also really liked the use of colour and the backdrops.

I was really on her and the leech's side until that ending, that was my favourite character damnit 😭😆It's a really well-rounded story about idealization and it really gave me a lot to think about. My favorite panel is the one where the leech is a dark shadow with green eyes! 👁️👁️

Thank you for sharing! :)

You're welcome! Ohh wow a stamp pad? Is that also how you did the "classified" stamp? Nice!

The title page looks intriguing! Can't wait to see the comic 👀

I loove your art style! With the black and white and subtle hatching it reminds me a bit of some of my favourite media like Junji Ito and Omori! The characters are instantly likeable and you made their designs very stylish and distinct. The lettering is really pretty and the zoom-ins and silhouettes made me feel invested. It has a lot of polish and finally it's a story about werewolves which is always a plus - werewolves are my favourite 🐺🥮

Whoaaa it was a whole website! It felt like I discovered an Augmented Reality Game. I loved the shaking effect when hovering over some of the images and the cursor! I also love that you want to add an accessibility feature with the "detail" box, as well. I made my drawings in traditional as well and I already know it might be hard to read for some people so it's a really good idea!

I think my favorite was all the panels containing red. Was that a watercolor pen? The shade of red is so beautiful and the way you used it to create shading, gradients and light was very well done. In the final panel with the dark background it is especially striking! Cool project can't wait to read what happens next 👀

The writing is like poetry, and it feels so deeply personal and real. The way you arrange shapes on the page, the way you use repetition, that's what really got me. I have read a lot of horror, but I've never read anything like this before.

I love how when I scroll through it, it becomes a completely different experience to flipping through it with the arrow keys - the former is using the repetitiveness to make a deeper point, and the latter almost feels like an animation / game where the gradual changes create liveliness. Sorry if that doesn't make any sense I'm struggling to explain what I mean. 

For example, "Important things must be said three times" reads as being written three times back to back when I scroll through it with my mouse wheel, but when I navigate using the arrow keys, where it flips directly to the next page, it reads as being written down a total of two times, with the second time being added to the first one. It left a lasting impression on me. I'm sure reading it as a physically printed book would provide yet another different experience.

I've read through it a few times now and I think some of it is extremely personal, too deep to know the exact context of, but still relatable. The theme of connecting ghosts / spirits to attachment in relationships, it's beautiful.

This is the kind of artistic uniqueness I aspire to have with my work one day. Really well done!

Really good comic with an important message! I love the way you used the double-page spread. the white and green colour scheme, and the background / screen tone. The clean confident lines mixed with the thick panel outline give this very unique aesthetic that is well-suited to horror!

It fills me with the kind of horror that leaves a sadness in my heart which is something I always admire in media.

oh my god that video is awesome 😆 loved the scene with godzilla and king kong

I see the resemblance with the horrifying moment of the teacher coming in! Thanks for reading :)

Thank you so much! 🤗

Glad you liked it!

I absolutely adore the way you make line-art! I also really love the facial expression on the girl and the cover art with the title in the rubber ducky's eye. I really like things that are kinda cute / goofy and yet scary at the same time! This was a very fun read :)

Thank you for playing! Yes I'm definitely planning on making a sequel 😌 stay tuned hehe

Congrats on winning! Really cool submission 🥳

it's a really creative way of turning a character creator into a game! 

I did a video playthrough! I worked hard on this game so if anyone is interested in giving me any feedback I would really appreciate it 😊

That was cool! An Unreal Engine game in just 3 hours? Wow!

I love the interpretation of "chosen one" as "chosen test subject". I could easily see this as a portal-inspired physics puzzle game but without the motion sickness I get from games like portal. I liked the idea!

I think the one thing to keep in mind for next time is that the navigation was done with ZQSD instead of WASD, I understand that you're probably working with a different keyboard layout in a different language though, so it's not your fault. An easy quick solution for next time would be to just make W and Z as well as Q and A do the same thing, or add the arrow keys. Other than that I really enjoyed this atmospheric little game! :)

only 1 hour? that's pretty good especially the sound design. I can see that you're usually doing horror games and I could easily see this becoming one. I got all 4 endings unless there's more and I missed something 🤔

Is it a betrayal that someone named coke gamingstudios made a game about dr. pepper? 😱

thanks for letting me know! 🫡

I'll see if I can get a video playthrough uploaded later today for those who are interested anyway

oh, sorry... it's made with RPG Developer Bakin, which doesn't have a web build version. It's not a virus and you can run it in a sandbox if you want to make sure. But if you don't want to I understand

I understand! Well the art being actual physical watercolor makes this game extra special. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go out and get some kebab 'cause I'm really craving it for some reason haha😋

This game has such a strong premise and identity! I kinda want to know what happens once you get hired, with the talking building and everything. I'd buy this on steam if it was a full release!

I would say that the design of the HR lady is very cute but she might call security on me 🫢 haha

This actually made me laugh out loud 😆 Well done!

This was great! I had to get used to the hitboxes at first but I slowly got the hang of it. I would have played for even longer but I couldn't find a replay button so I had to refresh the page and replay the intro each time.

The intro is really cute, though! The little details in the art and the faces on the hearts were adorable. I think my favorite is the picture of the big hero at the top with the glowing purple eyes, looking at his former allies. Your idea for putting a twist on the premise is surprisingly dark and the gameplay goal of not stopping the hero, instead trying to survive as long as possible, goes along well with this. I love media that mixes cute art styles with dark themes so this was right up my alley!

Another thing I really liked is how you put in the ability to choose between 3 different difficulties. As far as I could tell, it only influenced the amount of hearts, but that is still amazing for a 3 hour development time!

Daft Punk reference let's goooo

This was really cute and fun. I maxed out all my stats and still kept playing for a bit because it was so addictive lol

I really love this idea for the theme :)

The art is so beautiful, it looks like watercolor. Is it drawn digitally or was it drawn traditionally and scanned in? Either way it looks great! 

Is the music missing or did it just not work for me? I totally get why it wouldn't be included I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

That was cool! I can't imagine what kind of immense trickery you must have pulled to put VRoid models into MV3D like that. The self-aware humor like with the hover shoes was a nice touch but tbh I think it's amazing that this was done in such a short time, especially considering there's probably no easy way to preview what it looks like in the editor so you probably had to do a lot of testing. The image of the inside of that one classroom was dope and I can see from your profile you made it yourself as well!

I think I really like the potential of the game's concept the most. A Persona style anime game where a ghost girl helps you solve mysteries in the school sounds like I would enjoy it very much, I think you already established a core game loop with the first guy you're helping, and the concept of investing the spirit spheres to get stronger is very intriguing as well. To be honest I didn't quite understand exactly how I helped the first person, the ghost girl just told me I did it, but maybe I missed something or it's just not implemented yet.

It looks like you handmade not just the VRoid models and the levels but also some elements of the UI which is a lot of effort. The poses in the thumbnail are also really cool.  I think if I would give one recommendation is to look into how to avoid visual noise in environments and UI (something I struggle with myself as well).

This was soooo cute! My favorite part is when Til goes "IMMA BOP YOU!" and the guy flies off with a squeaky scream :D

The two main characters are adorable. When the little kid pets the bunny was also pretty cute.

I also like when you see the hero party and you give all of them their own personality! And it's not just the heroes that have personality, but the items as well. Making them apple slices and torches and shovels and cute accessories like that really conveyed a coherent theme for the world.

The depth of field / blur made it a little hard to play until I remember that I could turn it off in the settings. It's kinda silly how RPG Maker MZ exports the game with default settings so if you adjusted them during playtesting it doesn't apply to the export. The chase  in the maze was pretty entertaining it reminded me of those old Windows screensavers especially with the mossy brick wall tiles! I did get a bit motion sick after a while but I think that' might just be fromthe MZ3D engine in general, although you could try adjusting the turn degree setting.

I think the game in general has a lot of personality and charm and I wouldn't mind spending a day with the people from the village they seemed nice. I could relate to the people passed out and sleeping the most haha ;D

> At least blocking on itch.io prevents people from directly replying to your posts and comments. That’s very useful. It should do even more.

Yes, I agree - that's really what I was trying to call attention to. Do you think there will be any improvements made on this in the future?

Thank you so much! 🤗

Thank you to everyone who responded and gave support and feedback.

However, I still haven't received any acknowledgement / response from tech support, nor the itch.io admins themselves. 

I still think this is an issue that would ideally be adressed by changing how the current blocking and privacy settings work.

I went ahead and put together this video to attempt to explain why changing the blocking feature to protect users from harassment is essential!

Couldn't agree more!

Thanks for voicing your support!

Hello everyone!

I'm writing this because I've been facing an ongoing issue that I believe many other creators are likely also dealing with: the lack of a fully functional blocking system on itch.io.

The Situation

The current blocking feature on itch.io is severely limited. The 3 main concerns are:

1. Blocked users can still follow and interact with the person who blocked them [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
2.  Creators cannot remove individual followers or prevent specific users from following them [3] [4] [5].
3. Blocked accounts can continuously un-follow and follow, causing harassment through notification spam.

Additional Concerns: 

• Users have no granular control over which activities are visible to followers [5] [6] [7].
• Blocked accounts can still purchase and download games from the blocker.
• Blocked users still appear in search results, potentially exposing creators to unwanted content or interactions [8] [9] [10] [13].

This system fails to protect creators from persistent harassment, allowing blocked individuals to continue their disruptive behavior unchecked.

Why This Needs More Attention

Multiple forum threads discuss the need for improved blocking and privacy features [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10].

Some of these are multiple years old, and yet there hasn't been any improvement yet, even though harassment is against itch.io's terms of service. [11]

It's possible other users already left itch.io because of this. I know I'm not the only one affected by this. Going public with this issue is scary and uncomfortable, it puts me in danger, and frankly, it shouldn’t have to be necessary.

I'm speaking out both for myself, as well as for the many other creators who might be silently suffering from similar issues: we're unable to fully block someone from following us or viewing our activity, but many might be too afraid or ashamed to speak up. We are being left vulnerable and unsure of how to use the platform without being reminded of unwanted attention.

Impact on Creators

The consequences of these inadequate features are significant:

• Creators face ongoing harassment without effective means to stop it.
•  Some users limit their activity on the platform, potentially harming their careers.
•  The fear of unwanted attention can stifle creativity and community engagement. 

Comparison With Competitors

  GameJolt, a competitor platform, offers a more effective blocking feature, highlighting itch.io's shortcomings in this area [12].

"Users you have blocked will be unable to follow you, and you cannot follow them."

The Need For Action

It's crucial for itch.io to please prioritize the safety and well-being of its creator community.

By implementing these changes, the platform can foster a safer environment for all users, encourage more creators to join and actively participate, and maintain its position as a leading platform for independent game developers.

What I’m asking for is a more robust blocking system that gives creators more control over their privacy and safety. Specifically, please consider implementing the following:

Feature Requests

1. The ability to completely block a specific user from following your account.
2.  The ability to remove individual followers.  
3. More nuanced privacy settings that allow creators to select which activity should be shared on the feed
4. Measures to prevent notification spam from repeated following/unfollowing.
5. At the very least, the ability to turn off notifications for new followers.

The time for action is now. Creators deserve a platform where they can share their work without fear of harassment or unwanted attention. Itch.io has the opportunity to lead by example and set a new standard for creator protection in the digital space.

Citations: 

[1] /t/3135579/question-and-concern-using-the-blocking-feature 

[2] /t/1103073/hello-i-have-a-couple-of-questionsconcerns-about-conte...

[3] /t/1579134/can-i-remove-a-follower

[4] /t/2131019/remove-the-follower-feature-is-need

[5] /t/2528716/how-to-get-rid-of-followers-on-itch

[6] /t/1859503/is-there-any-way-to-stop-certain-types-of-my-actions-f...

[7] https://github.com/itchio/itch.io/issues/1212

[8] https://github.com/itchio/itch.io/issues/753

[9] /t/2012130/blocking-needs-improved-functionality

[10] /t/2994767/creators-i-blocked-should-not-appear-in-search-results

[11] /docs/legal/terms

[12] https://gamejolt.com/help-docs/start/block

[13] /t/2186265/add-ignore-option-for-individual-games-or-devs

I'm hoping that by speaking out, I can get enough support to finally see some meaningful change. I understand this is a tricky issue, but it's a larger problem that impacts creators everywhere. We all deserve to feel safe when sharing our work, without the fear of harassment or unwanted attention.

If you’ve faced a similar issue on itch.io or any other platform, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.  Creators of all kinds should be able to feel safe and respected while they share their art with the world.

I sincerely hope that itch.io will take this issue seriously and consider updating its blocking features to help protect creators who contribute so much to this platform. 

Respectfully Yours,

IDOLL_Dev

Love the concept, and an endearing main character! Excited to see more! Anything that combines robots and magic has to be good! 🤩

Thank you so much!  That's great to hear :D

Yeah, from what I heard, encrypting the code has helped people evade antivirus, while open source programs get flagged? It's really counter-productive.

But the web version is a good idea in general, since so many people browsing itch.io are looking for browser games :D

It could be a really fun game to have open in another tab while auto-battling!

That was really fun! I love the artworks and the nicknames for the characters. I liked figuring out which pilots and mech suits to use! The setting is super interesting, it reminded me of the Wasteland series or the Brotherhood of Steel. 

Personally I think what would be cool for future versions would be more upgrades (and maybe a toggle for perma-death? 😈) I look forward to it!

It's really cool that you made this with pygame, mad respect. It's a shame so many antivirus programs seem to freak out with pygame games :/

Thank you so much! Yes I had fun making it, so I got a bit carried away there haha, I think this is also why the sync got messed up lol

I'll make a more beginner-friendly tutorial in the next version :D

Not what I expected when I typed in "big cat" lol, but I really like it it's like a bipedal werewolf but in cat form!

I think it could make for a funny enemy in an rpg, I'm imagining a scene where a kitten is upset with you and gets their "big brother", who turns out to be this OP Tank character. Good job on the model!

WOW!!!!!! Good job dude :D

I'm working on another jam submission rn but I'll make an update where you can save her later, thanks for the input!