[ RELEASED] Dreams in the Witch House

[rongel]

Whether the dreams brought on the fever or the fever brought on the dreams Walter Gilman did not know. - H.P. Lovecraft, The Dreams in the Witch House

WISHLIST NOW!

STEAM: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902850/Dreams_in_the_Witch_House/
GOG: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dreams_in_the_witch_house

Story :

Walter Gilman has just moved to Arkham and is starting his studies at the Miskatonic University. The Dombrowski's boarding house where he resides has a bad reputation, but Walter doesn't mind the old rumours.
Until the dreams start. Can Walter hang on for two months and suffer through the dreaded May-Eve when witches roam the earth and the slaves of Satan gather for nameless rites and deeds?

Description:

The Witch House is an urban survival adventure game, where the player has to survive for two months, and face the May-Eve night. The game combines RPG elements to classic adventure game genre.
The player can choose to explore the old rumours, read the forbidden books at Miskatonic University, or concentrate on studies and keeping Walter in a good physical and mental state.

Based on the short story "Dreams in the Witch House" by H.P. Lovecraft.

Features:

- Open world sandbox meets traditional point and click adventure game
- Set in the late 1920's Arkham city
- Advancing time and day/evening/night - cycles
- RPG elements: Money, health, sanity, hunger and several other character states 
- Random events, city activities and encounters
- Several endings depending on player's actions
- 320 x 180 pixel graphics
- Two click-interface
- Music by Troy Sterling Nies (Call of Cthulhu, The Whisperer in the Darkness)

Release date: February 16th 2023

Developer: Atom Brain Games

Publisher: Bonus Stage Publishing

Teaser Trailer:

https://youtu.be/Z889XCE-Zq0

Screenshots:

[Mandle]

OH HELL YES!!!

A Lovecraft inspired adventure/resource-survival game with those beautiful graphics?!

Colour me riveted!

[Crimson Wizard]

Really a good looking project .

[AnasAbdin]

I'm stopping my life until this is done.
Waiting...

[selmiak]

this is an awesome idea for a game. The mechanics sound really fun and the graphics look great already, yeah, best of luck with the project and post lots of updates please
That witch house looks great in that painting style but also almost too friendly. or maybe this is intentional to deceive the player

[rongel]

Thanks for the comments! I'll update the page now and then, there is quite a lot of things already done, but don't want to spoil the exciting stuff too much.

Selmiak, that's a interesting comment about the house looking too friendly. You are right that I don't want it to look too much like a "haunted house". Things will get grim, but at start it's just another old house. I think that Arkham is presented many times too ghastly, like it's almost a cemetary. But ofcourse the right balance is important, it can't be a fairytale house either.

[Mandle]

I think that Arkham is presented many times too ghastly, like it's almost a cemetary. But ofcourse the right balance is important, it can't be a fairytale house either.

I think your balance of normality vs. disturbing is fine in relating to the Lovecraft genre.

His locations were rarely over-the-top gothic-horror edifaces in the way that Poe would have written them and he usually had his most terrifying characters living behind plain, if slightly affluent, doors.

I love this take on horror, which has carried over into Stephen King and Clive Barker, amongst others, in our modern time:

The feeling that the worst horror imaginable could be just behind the door of that house you pass by every day...

Much scarier than a huge gothic castle perched on a mountaintop...

[Nixxon]

Duuuude!

[Click'd]

Looks really good. I don't know about this passing of time and survival stuff, though.

[SilverSpook]

Looks fantastic! Interesting concept as well. Added to the wishlist!

[rongel]

This page needs some animation:

 

Walter Gilman, Landlord Mrs. Dombrowski, and a generic Arkham Citizen marching away.

[NicolaGs]

This page needs some animation

Totally agree with that !

[xBRANEx]

I'm in love with this project! I wish you luck!

[SarahLiz]

Oh hell yeah...this looks awesome!! 

[rongel]

Oh hell yeah...this looks awesome!! 

I'm in love with this project! I wish you luck!

Thanks, nice to hear that!

Another screenie:



Walter is attending a lecture at Miskatonic University. At this moment there are four lectures and exams that you can attend (but you don't have to!). If you have studied enough, you'll get better grades. There is also a little query in exams that checks if you remember what you have read, so that affects the grades too.

Currently working with the university library, and building a system how to borrow borrow specific books for the right course. The occult books are kept under lock and key, and you need a special permission from the Chief Librarian Dr. Armitage to use those.

[Surdy]

I love Lovecraft & this gorgeous pixel-art is simply amazing. Good luck with this project

[rongel]

The lobby of the Dombrowski's lodging house:



Walter is complaining about the scurrying of the rats.

[eri0o]

Hey rongel! I like this game premise a lot! Re read the Cthulu mythos in a pretty book recently last week and I really like your screenshots. Your art reminds me of  Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. You seem to be advancing fast, which is awesome! I really want to play your game!

[Riaise]

I agree, the artwork and graphics are really amazing!

[Mandle]

I so need to play this game.

Lovecraft, gorgeous graphics, and what sound like deep gameplay mechanics.

Win, win, win!!!