I make a number of comparisons to the similarly sidescrolling 2D horror game "Mr. Hopp's Playhouse" here on Itch.io, and I assure you that is a compliment. The Hag is terrifying, the music is great, the cartoony artstyle is brilliant and the sheer level of detail on the main character's expression to help you through the game is amazing. In fact, disregard some of my comments in the video itself about it needing improvement - that was mainly a product of me taking longer than I should have to notice just how helpful it ACTUALLY is.
But seriously, this is one of my favorite games I have played from here for quite a while. Great work!
thank you! rebinding is definitely something i'm going to have in all future games i make since it's pretty inconvenient to be stuck with whatever control scheme i make up. i want to spend my time making new games though, so unfortunately Gnarled Hag is going to stay in it's current state, warts and all.
One of the best indie horror games I've ever found. Truly a masterpiece. The game is intense and horrific and nail biting. The character design in the game is fantastic, love the detail of the little girl sweating when the Hag was near her, love the fact that when the Hag is above or under her she looks up or down to indicate us that she was there. I would like more lore about this game sir, I need to see more, I am so invested in the girl and the Hag's backtory that I am screaming for more! (I know games that a long time to develop and everyone would love a great finished game rather than a quick one, just excited is all.)
Without a doubt this needs to be bigger. The main character is just adorable and the experience almost gave me an anxiety attack. 10/10 would definitely buy it on steam.
thank you! the game i think is definitely too short and buggy to ask money for, but if i do end up making a sequel (BIG IF) i could look into putting it on steam.
Thanks for putting such and awesome game out. I would like to see more of this story and more of this universe too. I hope to see more soon and keep creating. If you want to see my reaction and thoughts of the game you can see the video here
This was a really wonderful game! Loved the style to death, the way the little girl's expression changes whenever the witch is nearby or in a chase was a very lovely feature, added a sense of realness and dread that basic expressionless sprites can't do. The way her eyes also looked around to her positions was nice too. Sounds design was good as well, footsteps were well done.
Only real complaints was that it can feel quite trial n error when the witch sometimes gets into positions where she just tests your patience and you die trying to progress, then restart from the very beginning. Game is short enough that it really wasn't a very big feeling. The ending was quite tense and fun, but a tiny bit vague in where you were suppose to go. Luckily I didn't mess it up first time around, but I can see how someone can be confused if there suppose to run to the big doors on the second floor or the main door.
But overall, game is wonderful any real faults are nit-picky, and you did an amazing job with it!
Am curious if you ever plan on perhaps making a full game or something similar to this.
Thank you! Yes all of those criticisms are very valid, and if I ever were to make a sequel I would take all of those things into a account (especially the trial and error with a lot patience-testing and harsh punishment for failure)
I did a bunch of stuff in the game and i have bugs to report!
1. if you go on the stairs in the main hall the hag wont chase you if she's too far. she just goes off in a different direction for some reason. Even when she's in mega mad mode 2. If you activate the music box while the hag is chasing you she won't leave the attic and you'll be stuck there to die
3. If you grab the axe without going to the end of the basement, you'll be teleported to wherever the witch is and the cutscene will play there.
4.when you drop the livingroom book in the attic, it disappears, but when you use it, it doesnt. this is how i got the axe early. you can also use the rat to kind of... proxy grab it from the floor?
5. you cant save child.
6. you should be able to axe the witch when she's going under doors... I wanna do that... i didn't test whether she can catch you when she's going under doors though
7. Also if you drop the lighter while crouching the light stays around you until you stop crouching or let go of C.
8. Thank you for reading... thats not a bug.... Thank you though
I appreciate you catching so many bugs! For now the game is going to stay in it's current buggy state, but if I ever decide to revisit it and fix everything up I'll refer back to this list
I also learned that you CAN go under doors when the hag is passing through them. so you can in theory, beat the whole game with an angry hag... she doesnt go under doors when she's big mode though..
nice game, i usually just watch walkthroughs of games but there are some games that i just have to try by myself even when i just saw the whole walkthrough and this is one of them thanks for this masterpiece
Played it and I really like it! A little bit stuck on some places... but this is a very good game with a very good graphics and sounds (sound is very important in this game).
This is a really artistic and creative game Pompasaur. People like you encourage us indie developers not to give up on our projects. I really hope you consider making a sequel for this game. Looking forward to it
I have been giving it thought, don't wanna dedicate a yes or no answer until I have something concrete though. Yes! Keep working on your game projects!!
Thank you very much! The software I used to make it is Game Maker Studio 2, it's very friendly to people like me who have ZERO experience in programming.
I made all the art in Aseprite, which is probably the best software for making pixel art out there right now (imo)
I won't lie, I honestly think the end part is just poorly put designed, after having the player get so far I should've more clearly conveyed what they were supposed to do.
I gave the player about 2 seconds of time to react, and in a game where the whole time you've been taught to run, almost every player of course will naturally try and run and get confused when they can't move, then die to no fault of their own. It's a lesson I will take in the future to not be so VAGUE, or at the very least more forgiving with checkpoints or something.
This one was tough! I love the thoughtful little details like the way their eyes help you track the hag but I got a little too flustered to be able to finish it. Maybe one checkpoint midway through? But definitely a well put together game and I would love to check out stuff from you in the future!
The extreme punishment of just restarting the whole game when you die was to add tension for failing, but the rest of the game would need to be a LOT more tightly designed to back such a ridiculous punishment up, and I don't really think it is, there are plenty of instances where the player fails and it's not really their fault.
The end chase sequence I think is the worst in this regard, because the player loses an insane amount of progress if they die, and there's really no guidance on what you're supposed to do, so 9/10 it's gonna be trial and error. Just a fumble on my part that I'll need to learn from going forward.
Great gameplay video! Thanks a bunch for playing and the feedback!
Hi! just recently made this account just to comment here. Saw your work being retweeted online and thought of trying it. It was amazing! I love how it ended as well. The game mechanics are simple yet oh boy do I love it! I hope you'd get more support and love for this gem, and continue on making games like these or making a this way better!
While I do plan to revisit horror someday soon, for now my next project is going to be pretty different from this one. Hopefully people find that one enjoyable too!
Your game is amazing, my only complain is that it doesn't have an alternative good ending, for example by figuring out something about the witch past like the family portrait with one face missing, or by saving the crying kids in the basement or by completing a hidden puzzle of some sort, or even by killing the witch for real with something else besides the axe, because the current ending looks like a bad ending, thanks and keep making good horror games like this one :3
The artstyle used here is really unique (as in, no horror game i know so far used an "american cartoon"-esque artstyle). You really need to make a full version of this if this can get more attention ! (The fact that it plays like Granny and have children artstyle to boot would probably garner audience from those games !)
Really great game! Kept me busy for a good while trying to beat it and the jumpscares are really good! Love the ambience, especially when playing w/ headphones. Eventually I got frustrated having to continually start over from the beginning, and every time I got the axe my controls stopped working, so I ended up watching a playthrough. Great ending! This would be a great full-length game :)
The end chase bit requires to press the "use item" button after picking up the axe, though I have heard from others that for some reason they can't do anything at all after picking it up, I'm not sure the exact reason.
The punishment for getting caught being so harsh was to add tension the further you get in, though I can definitely understand it becoming more frustrating than engaging, especially considering how it's not super clear what you're supposed to do after picking up the axe. I'll definitely take that into consideration going forward, if I ever decide to do a sequel or remake.
Sooo about the plot... Is the witch posessed or something? Because it definetly looks like something is inside her and doing all this things while she is just dead or unconscious. Or that could be just my imagination :/
* sorry about mistakes, I just recently started learning english
That's a really interesting theory! It definitely does look like something is wearing her skin. I do have a definitive backstory written for the witch and her family, but I'm going to keep it secret for now in case I end up making a sequel.
Just saw Manlybadasshero play this, and I can say that I instantly and always adore pixelated horror games like this. Makes me wish that there was more, because thiswas super top notch! I hope to see more horror projects of yours in the future! Also, stay safe! :)
This game is very similar to Mr. Hopps Playhouse. You have to solve puzzles and avoid detection and get out alive! God I hate that witch whenever she got me. Definitely worth the play and looking for more like these kinds of games!
I recently saw a stream of the game (I'm too coward) and looks really good, I love the artstyle and the little things in the game, you make a nice job u_u
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This game was brilliant!
I make a number of comparisons to the similarly sidescrolling 2D horror game "Mr. Hopp's Playhouse" here on Itch.io, and I assure you that is a compliment. The Hag is terrifying, the music is great, the cartoony artstyle is brilliant and the sheer level of detail on the main character's expression to help you through the game is amazing. In fact, disregard some of my comments in the video itself about it needing improvement - that was mainly a product of me taking longer than I should have to notice just how helpful it ACTUALLY is.
But seriously, this is one of my favorite games I have played from here for quite a while. Great work!
thanks for playing! commentary is always appreciated
Awesome game!
I am very impressed with the visual part, and the girl is very cute.
One thing to note: could you add a keyboard setting customization? It would be more convenient for me to configure WASD for myself
thank you! rebinding is definitely something i'm going to have in all future games i make since it's pretty inconvenient to be stuck with whatever control scheme i make up. i want to spend my time making new games though, so unfortunately Gnarled Hag is going to stay in it's current state, warts and all.
what beautiful horror there.
but what happening to next?
Best indie game I've played in a VERY long time. Legit keep it up dude. Also https://www.twitch.tv/videos/712814882 going for sub 2
Hello in the Russian, ставлю игре 10 из 10 1. атмосферность 2.Ты всегда в напряге 3. Конец классный 4. жду сиквел и новые варианты концовок
Спасибо!
the protagonist is adorable,i like how the house is made and the witch is scary is a lot intense too.
thank you very much!
One of the best indie horror games I've ever found. Truly a masterpiece. The game is intense and horrific and nail biting. The character design in the game is fantastic, love the detail of the little girl sweating when the Hag was near her, love the fact that when the Hag is above or under her she looks up or down to indicate us that she was there. I would like more lore about this game sir, I need to see more, I am so invested in the girl and the Hag's backtory that I am screaming for more! (I know games that a long time to develop and everyone would love a great finished game rather than a quick one, just excited is all.)
Thank you for creating this masterpiece
wow, thank you so much! i'm very flattered! i don't want to make any promises in case things fall through, but i would like to make a sequel someday!
Without a doubt this needs to be bigger. The main character is just adorable and the experience almost gave me an anxiety attack. 10/10 would definitely buy it on steam.
thank you! the game i think is definitely too short and buggy to ask money for, but if i do end up making a sequel (BIG IF) i could look into putting it on steam.
Thanks for putting such and awesome game out. I would like to see more of this story and more of this universe too. I hope to see more soon and keep creating. If you want to see my reaction and thoughts of the game you can see the video here
thank you very much for playing! good insights, it's always good to hear how people react to stuff going in cold.
It was a fun game and I hope to see more of what ya can do.
Fun, needs a sequel
Thanks for playing!
Amazing!! :D
thank you!!
Is made on some engine or language?
it was made with Game Maker Studio 2, a very robust and user-friendly game development software!
This was a really wonderful game! Loved the style to death, the way the little girl's expression changes whenever the witch is nearby or in a chase was a very lovely feature, added a sense of realness and dread that basic expressionless sprites can't do. The way her eyes also looked around to her positions was nice too. Sounds design was good as well, footsteps were well done.
Only real complaints was that it can feel quite trial n error when the witch sometimes gets into positions where she just tests your patience and you die trying to progress, then restart from the very beginning. Game is short enough that it really wasn't a very big feeling. The ending was quite tense and fun, but a tiny bit vague in where you were suppose to go. Luckily I didn't mess it up first time around, but I can see how someone can be confused if there suppose to run to the big doors on the second floor or the main door.
But overall, game is wonderful any real faults are nit-picky, and you did an amazing job with it!
Am curious if you ever plan on perhaps making a full game or something similar to this.
Thank you! Yes all of those criticisms are very valid, and if I ever were to make a sequel I would take all of those things into a account (especially the trial and error with a lot patience-testing and harsh punishment for failure)
I did a bunch of stuff in the game and i have bugs to report!
1. if you go on the stairs in the main hall the hag wont chase you if she's too far. she just goes off in a different direction for some reason. Even when she's in mega mad mode
2. If you activate the music box while the hag is chasing you she won't leave the attic and you'll be stuck there to die
3. If you grab the axe without going to the end of the basement, you'll be teleported to wherever the witch is and the cutscene will play there.
4.when you drop the livingroom book in the attic, it disappears, but when you use it, it doesnt. this is how i got the axe early. you can also use the rat to kind of... proxy grab it from the floor?
5. you cant save child.
6. you should be able to axe the witch when she's going under doors... I wanna do that... i didn't test whether she can catch you when she's going under doors though
7. Also if you drop the lighter while crouching the light stays around you until you stop crouching or let go of C.
8. Thank you for reading... thats not a bug.... Thank you though
I appreciate you catching so many bugs! For now the game is going to stay in it's current buggy state, but if I ever decide to revisit it and fix everything up I'll refer back to this list
thank you :D
I also learned that you CAN go under doors when the hag is passing through them. so you can in theory, beat the whole game with an angry hag... she doesnt go under doors when she's big mode though..
This game was adorable and a lot of fun! The movement felt really good and the sounds were on point! I made besties with the rat carcass :)
Thanks for playing! Really good video, love the editing!
nice game, i usually just watch walkthroughs of games but there are some games that i just have to try by myself even when i just saw the whole walkthrough and this is one of them thanks for this masterpiece
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Played it and I really like it! A little bit stuck on some places... but this is a very good game with a very good graphics and sounds (sound is very important in this game).
The level design is far from perfect, so it makes sense to get stuck on stuff, almost everyone who plays does.
Thanks!
Intense game :D
Thanks for playing!
This is a really artistic and creative game Pompasaur. People like you encourage us indie developers not to give up on our projects. I really hope you consider making a sequel for this game. Looking forward to it
I have been giving it thought, don't wanna dedicate a yes or no answer until I have something concrete though.
Yes! Keep working on your game projects!!
Thanx a lot. Great game. I'm curious though, which game engine did you use?
made it with Game Maker Studio 2!
Check out the comment section, man!
Lots of praise, especially for the tenseness and the little girl's expressions.You thinking about a sequel? :D
Too many nice comments haha!
Before even posting this I've had ideas for a sequel juggling around in my head, I might make one if I have a solid plan
I'll take a "might." :D Regardless, here's to your future endeavors!
Such a wonderfully well made game! I absolutely love the visuals for the hag, especially her transformation.
I was wondering what software you made this with? you've managed some really impressive results!
Thank you very much!
The software I used to make it is Game Maker Studio 2, it's very friendly to people like me who have ZERO experience in programming.
I made all the art in Aseprite, which is probably the best software for making pixel art out there right now (imo)
Awesome game!
I love the little details that you can discover while playing. Like how the eyes of the little girl help you to know where the witch is.
The game is truly scary. I freezed in some parts because I didn't know where was the witch and I was too scared to get out of my hiding place.
The game is fairly difficult and, I'm gonna admit it. I needed to watch a playtrough because I didn't know what to do at the last part of the game.
The artstyle is great. I love the little girl's expressions and the witch is one of the creepiest characters I've ever seen
Great job and greetings from Mexico!
I won't lie, I honestly think the end part is just poorly put designed, after having the player get so far I should've more clearly conveyed what they were supposed to do.
I gave the player about 2 seconds of time to react, and in a game where the whole time you've been taught to run, almost every player of course will naturally try and run and get confused when they can't move, then die to no fault of their own. It's a lesson I will take in the future to not be so VAGUE, or at the very least more forgiving with checkpoints or something.
Thank you very much for the feedback!
This reminds me way too much of gorefield, and that's scary by itself
:0
This game was directly inspired by the Garfield Gameboy'd video by Lumpytouch.
I love the atmosphere of that video and the art is awesome, but I don't really like "SCARY GARFIELD" memes so I wanted to make this it's own thing.
Game is very hard but its good
It'd nice if the player could get an indication that a furniture object is interactable
Good Work though
I tried color-coding it but I understand it can still sometimes be a little unclear.
Thanks!
This one was tough! I love the thoughtful little details like the way their eyes help you track the hag but I got a little too flustered to be able to finish it. Maybe one checkpoint midway through? But definitely a well put together game and I would love to check out stuff from you in the future!
The extreme punishment of just restarting the whole game when you die was to add tension for failing, but the rest of the game would need to be a LOT more tightly designed to back such a ridiculous punishment up, and I don't really think it is, there are plenty of instances where the player fails and it's not really their fault.
The end chase sequence I think is the worst in this regard, because the player loses an insane amount of progress if they die, and there's really no guidance on what you're supposed to do, so 9/10 it's gonna be trial and error. Just a fumble on my part that I'll need to learn from going forward.
Great gameplay video! Thanks a bunch for playing and the feedback!
Hi! just recently made this account just to comment here. Saw your work being retweeted online and thought of trying it. It was amazing! I love how it ended as well. The game mechanics are simple yet oh boy do I love it! I hope you'd get more support and love for this gem, and continue on making games like these or making a this way better!
Thank you, really glad you enjoyed it!
While I do plan to revisit horror someday soon, for now my next project is going to be pretty different from this one. Hopefully people find that one enjoyable too!
this is great. genuinely one of the scarier games i've played in recent memory
Thank you!!
Your game is amazing, my only complain is that it doesn't have an alternative good ending, for example by figuring out something about the witch past like the family portrait with one face missing, or by saving the crying kids in the basement or by completing a hidden puzzle of some sort, or even by killing the witch for real with something else besides the axe, because the current ending looks like a bad ending, thanks and keep making good horror games like this one :3
Yes more alternative endings would've been really good, I agree.
For now the ending, although technically bad, is open-ended in case I ever decide to make a sequel. Thanks for playing!
The artstyle used here is really unique (as in, no horror game i know so far used an "american cartoon"-esque artstyle). You really need to make a full version of this if this can get more attention ! (The fact that it plays like Granny and have children artstyle to boot would probably garner audience from those games !)
Thanks! I might do a remake or a sequel someday!
And I'm here to encourage you
Really great game! Kept me busy for a good while trying to beat it and the jumpscares are really good! Love the ambience, especially when playing w/ headphones. Eventually I got frustrated having to continually start over from the beginning, and every time I got the axe my controls stopped working, so I ended up watching a playthrough. Great ending! This would be a great full-length game :)
The end chase bit requires to press the "use item" button after picking up the axe, though I have heard from others that for some reason they can't do anything at all after picking it up, I'm not sure the exact reason.
The punishment for getting caught being so harsh was to add tension the further you get in, though I can definitely understand it becoming more frustrating than engaging, especially considering how it's not super clear what you're supposed to do after picking up the axe. I'll definitely take that into consideration going forward, if I ever decide to do a sequel or remake.
Thanks for the feedback!
Sooo about the plot... Is the witch posessed or something? Because it definetly looks like something is inside her and doing all this things while she is just dead or unconscious. Or that could be just my imagination :/
* sorry about mistakes, I just recently started learning english
* greetings from Estonia ;)
You are right, she doesn't look like the other witches in the family portrait, she looks... possesed...
That's a really interesting theory! It definitely does look like something is wearing her skin. I do have a definitive backstory written for the witch and her family, but I'm going to keep it secret for now in case I end up making a sequel.
* Your english is great!
* Hello! :)
had to play this thanks to manly. GAH this game is really great! Reminds me a lot of the submachine series (mostly because of the artwork)
All in all, It was great. I cant wait to see what else you make man.
Thanks a lot for playing!
I can definitely see the similarities in art style to the submachine flash games.
Show post...
great jobs
Thank you!
Amazing little game! I absolutely loved it! XD
That witch is definitely gonna haunt my nightmares...
+1 Follow >:3
Thanks for playing and thank you for the follow!
Just saw Manlybadasshero play this, and I can say that I instantly and always adore pixelated horror games like this. Makes me wish that there was more, because thiswas super top notch! I hope to see more horror projects of yours in the future! Also, stay safe! :)
Thank you very much! I do plan to make more horror games in the future.
This game is very similar to Mr. Hopps Playhouse. You have to solve puzzles and avoid detection and get out alive! God I hate that witch whenever she got me. Definitely worth the play and looking for more like these kinds of games!
great playthrough!
thanks for playing the game, glad you enjoyed it overall!
Very good game, I played with my friends, we completed today.
And a question, there's a history behind the game? I do some theories.
Say hi to Brazil :)
Yes there is a history! Thank you for playing, glad you liked it!!
You need to add a NSFW tag cause this witch about to make me act up!
>:)
i streamed this game on twitch, took me like 1 and a half hour to complete it, very good, hoping for a sequel or something related to c:
thank you! glad you enjoyed it
I recently saw a stream of the game (I'm too coward) and looks really good, I love the artstyle and the little things in the game, you make a nice job u_u
playing horror games isn't for everybody, can be very stressful. thank you, glad you liked it!
Very cool!
Thank you!!!