Really REALLY good. My mum brought me a pancake while I was playing this (it's pancake day) and I slightly burned my finger grabbing the plate too hastily out of fear because this game spooked me so much. I love it. The graphic style, atmosphere, and tank controls are really cool. I've also been really into Chernobyl-related content lately so it was a nice surprise seeing that feed into The Black Iris a lil' bit :-)
The tank controls took me a second to get used to, along with the camera getting weird, but it's a really solid game and story. I did run into the cabin issue (in the most recent version), but it was worth reloading the game.
Hi thanks so much for playing, this is really unfortunate timing because I've just now uploaded a new version with a patch for this bug. Thanks so much for reloading though... I understand bugs like this are annoying, especially when you are recording, so I really appreciate you sticking with it
I wanted to get into this (really interesting use of retro visual design, good story and atmosphere!) but I just can't handle the keyboard controls. Wishing for game pad support -- this and an option to dial down/turn off certain effects would go a long way towards accessibility. Thanks for reading.
Hey, thanks for your comment! I am intending to add controller support as soon as I can. Covid has made it hard to get my hands on controllers for testing so I decided to just go ahead with keyboard only for now to just get the game out there and not have half finished controller support. When I get around to adding controller support I'll be sure to update the page and add a devlog. Thanks again!
First, I love the color palette for this game haha. It's a very interesting story and I'd definitely like to hear more. As someone mentioned below, the motion video was sooooo good. I was kinda hoping for more. I haven't experienced any bugs or problems during my walkthrough, so it was all smooth and nice. Thanks for the game!
Looks like I'm the second person today to have the same issue with the latest version of this game. Stuck at main menu. No mouse cursor. No keyboard controls. Windows 10 64bit.
I looked into this further and noticed some more weird issues with the UI in the start menu. I've patched this further, so hopefully there shouldn't be any issues now. Just so you know, the latest version is no v1.4 (you can see the version on the .zip download). Thanks again for letting me know
* Update *
I have uploaded a new build in case this was an asset loading problem that can sometimes happen. If it happens again with this build could you try loading the game without any other apps open? I know Unity games occaisionally don't get on with being run at the same time as other apps. Let me know if you still have problems and I can look into it further.
thanks for letting me know, i'm looking into this now, i'll reply when there's a fix
Once I got the hang of this I really enjoyed it, I like pixilated horror games a lot and I thought it was just a job well done on the atmosphere and environment and overall gameplay.
Just downloaded this and I'm stuck at the main menu. No mouse cursor, keyboard doesn't work, and controller doesn't work either. I see others in the comments have it working, so I'm not sure what the issue is. I've tried mouse-left/right clicking, arrow keys, wasd, enter, spacebar, "E", and tab to progress past the first menu. No luck.
(Unsure if you need any specs for this issue, but I'm on Windows 10 64bit)
I patched some more weird issues with the UI in the main menu. I've patched these up now, so hopefully you shouldn't have any problems now with the current version.
* Update *
I have uploaded a new build in case it is an asset loading problem. If you do end up trying the new build it would be really helpful to know if the main menu is animating (there should be galaxy swirling around, as well as some music) or if it just get stuck totally. Anyway, I hope this build works for you!
hey thanks so much for letting me know... I'll reply when I have a fix
I enjoyed it, the creativity oozes in the game. Many issues I find with many indie horrors is the amount of Pretentiousness or 'this feels forced' feelings. I hadn't felt any of this while playing it and just enjoyed the 'art' of it all.
Hello. Really enjoying the ambiance, but my experience was hindered by some crippling bugs in control. For example up and down was inverted when I left the multi-screen "hallucination" until I changed section (the Church), and then I couldn't go left or right. Or was it intentional?
Pretty good game. Not sure if the pixel shimmering is intentional, but I didn't like it. Also, there is a rock that you can walk behind and fall through the map, near the central area. Overall nice job, but It could use some polish.
I really enjoyed The Black Iris; the trippy graphics, the "cosmic horror" story, the creepy atmosphere, and the sound effects. Unfortunately, my recording device stopped working 3/4 of the way through but, that didn't stop me from uploading. This was fantasic for a short horror game; keep it up!
This was a beautiful trippy experience. The live video really added a layer of authenticity I wasn't expecting and the music - all bangers. It's a genre which works well with the retro graphics because there's a lot of room for interpretation in what you see because of the fidelity, really enjoyed it.
I really love the style of this and the story you've woven into it!! I think I might have either misunderstood what I was meant to do or bugged the game as I couldn't do anything after trigger the sequence in the oil fields (maybe I did things in the wrong order). I loved what I saw though!!
Without a doubt, this game shows cosmic horror in every sense of the term. The retro look inspired by the PSX games, the clear Lovecraftian influence here, the exploration and the sense of surrounding tension. This is a game that every fan of cosmic horror should play. Congratulations!
The graphics, art-style and map design, in their own right, were outstanding! The audio, was really good too. But best of all was the gameplay and the story! The story was so compelling and immersive, and the environment heavily portrayed the effects of the story. This is a hard feat, and is very well done!
Usually I have a few points of criticism, but I have nothing much to add here. I can not as of now come up with any ideas to improve the game. Despite the camera mechanics, controlling is surprisingly easy and works really well with the unorthodox camera angles.
Sorry for the short review, I usually write a bit more, but there is nothing much to add other than a rating of 5/5 star! Great work! Looking forward to your future projects and updates!
While playing this game I felt so immersed in the story, that I forgot it was a game. Beautiful and shocking environments, from the opening cinematic shots to the main title, all including the well-written story is highest quality.
Gameplay mechanics and overall playing time is impressive, I loved the 3rd person view and detailed maps, overall pixelated look and striking colors. Some of the camera movement felt like I was in a movie, not a game.
Including all of the above, this is pretty much AAA game rather than indie project. This specific Sci-Fi genre is implemented in the game, which makes it so unique and rather than being just a horror with cheap jump scares it shows the storytelling ability and makes a player feel like a 3 dimensional character.
Can't say enough with words, thanks for making this experience special and I hope to see more. Incredible work!
Hello! Thanks so much for playing. It makes me very happy to hear that you had a good time with my game and I really appreciate the kind words. A lot of the aspects that you mentioned are things that I intentionally tried to include, so it is great to hear that you had a good experience!
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Really REALLY good. My mum brought me a pancake while I was playing this (it's pancake day) and I slightly burned my finger grabbing the plate too hastily out of fear because this game spooked me so much. I love it. The graphic style, atmosphere, and tank controls are really cool. I've also been really into Chernobyl-related content lately so it was a nice surprise seeing that feed into The Black Iris a lil' bit :-)
Thanks for making this tidy lil game!! <3
Thanks, I appreciate the pancake anecdote, that is really funny! I'm glad that you enjoyed it
Thanks so much for playing, I am really glad that you enjoyed it!
GOOD GAMES I DOWNLOAD AND PLAY
THANK YOU!
thanks for playing!
The tank controls took me a second to get used to, along with the camera getting weird, but it's a really solid game and story. I did run into the cabin issue (in the most recent version), but it was worth reloading the game.
Hi thanks so much for playing, this is really unfortunate timing because I've just now uploaded a new version with a patch for this bug. Thanks so much for reloading though... I understand bugs like this are annoying, especially when you are recording, so I really appreciate you sticking with it
Unrelated to the game, but you wrote your Twitter wrong, in your profile, it says "ARBOERTA" instead of ARBORETA.
Thank you!
I wanted to get into this (really interesting use of retro visual design, good story and atmosphere!) but I just can't handle the keyboard controls. Wishing for game pad support -- this and an option to dial down/turn off certain effects would go a long way towards accessibility. Thanks for reading.
Hey, thanks for your comment! I am intending to add controller support as soon as I can. Covid has made it hard to get my hands on controllers for testing so I decided to just go ahead with keyboard only for now to just get the game out there and not have half finished controller support. When I get around to adding controller support I'll be sure to update the page and add a devlog. Thanks again!
Thanks for the response! Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to any updates and future work :)
If you want to create a test build with some basic Unity input mappings for game pad, I'd be happy to test for you :)
Outstanding job dev!! This is a 5 star game. It looks as great as it plays and has perfect atmosphere! I cant wait to see more form you!
Thanks so much for the kind words and for playing!
First, I love the color palette for this game haha. It's a very interesting story and I'd definitely like to hear more. As someone mentioned below, the motion video was sooooo good. I was kinda hoping for more. I haven't experienced any bugs or problems during my walkthrough, so it was all smooth and nice. Thanks for the game!
Thanks for playing! Glad you had a good time with it
Looks like I'm the second person today to have the same issue with the latest version of this game. Stuck at main menu. No mouse cursor. No keyboard controls. Windows 10 64bit.
* Update 2 *
I looked into this further and noticed some more weird issues with the UI in the start menu. I've patched this further, so hopefully there shouldn't be any issues now. Just so you know, the latest version is no v1.4 (you can see the version on the .zip download). Thanks again for letting me know
* Update *
I have uploaded a new build in case this was an asset loading problem that can sometimes happen. If it happens again with this build could you try loading the game without any other apps open? I know Unity games occaisionally don't get on with being run at the same time as other apps. Let me know if you still have problems and I can look into it further.
thanks for letting me know, i'm looking into this now, i'll reply when there's a fix
Once I got the hang of this I really enjoyed it, I like pixilated horror games a lot and I thought it was just a job well done on the atmosphere and environment and overall gameplay.
Just downloaded this and I'm stuck at the main menu. No mouse cursor, keyboard doesn't work, and controller doesn't work either. I see others in the comments have it working, so I'm not sure what the issue is. I've tried mouse-left/right clicking, arrow keys, wasd, enter, spacebar, "E", and tab to progress past the first menu. No luck.
(Unsure if you need any specs for this issue, but I'm on Windows 10 64bit)
* Update 2 *
I patched some more weird issues with the UI in the main menu. I've patched these up now, so hopefully you shouldn't have any problems now with the current version.
* Update *
I have uploaded a new build in case it is an asset loading problem. If you do end up trying the new build it would be really helpful to know if the main menu is animating (there should be galaxy swirling around, as well as some music) or if it just get stuck totally. Anyway, I hope this build works for you!
hey thanks so much for letting me know... I'll reply when I have a fix
Yes, the main menu is animating & the game works. Thanks so much!
I enjoyed it, the creativity oozes in the game. Many issues I find with many indie horrors is the amount of Pretentiousness or 'this feels forced' feelings. I hadn't felt any of this while playing it and just enjoyed the 'art' of it all.
thanks so much!
Spooky as heck. Love the aesthetics.
thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it
Hello. Really enjoying the ambiance, but my experience was hindered by some crippling bugs in control. For example up and down was inverted when I left the multi-screen "hallucination" until I changed section (the Church), and then I couldn't go left or right. Or was it intentional?
thanks for downloading! Yeah that part was intentional, but it should turn itself off, i'll look into it
Fixed on my side with the last update. Amazing experience!
REALLY GOOD GAME
I liked the trippy imagery but i felt lost most of the game and could not finish it.
Pretty good game. Not sure if the pixel shimmering is intentional, but I didn't like it. Also, there is a rock that you can walk behind and fall through the map, near the central area. Overall nice job, but It could use some polish.
thanks for playing, I'll have a look at that rock bug
Not a bad game. Though I'd move the epilepsy warning to show first before hitting the game start menu.
Here's my channel for other games I have played. http://www.youtube.com/c/Levont
Thanks for playing!
I really enjoyed The Black Iris; the trippy graphics, the "cosmic horror" story, the creepy atmosphere, and the sound effects. Unfortunately, my recording device stopped working 3/4 of the way through but, that didn't stop me from uploading. This was fantasic for a short horror game; keep it up!
Thanks so much!
This was a beautiful trippy experience. The live video really added a layer of authenticity I wasn't expecting and the music - all bangers. It's a genre which works well with the retro graphics because there's a lot of room for interpretation in what you see because of the fidelity, really enjoyed it.
Gameplay if you're interested:
Thanks so much, I really appreciate the kind feedback!
I really love the style of this and the story you've woven into it!! I think I might have either misunderstood what I was meant to do or bugged the game as I couldn't do anything after trigger the sequence in the oil fields (maybe I did things in the wrong order). I loved what I saw though!!
Thanks so much for playing! I enjoyed watching your playthrough. I'll look into what could have caused you getting stuck at that point
Without a doubt, this game shows cosmic horror in every sense of the term. The retro look inspired by the PSX games, the clear Lovecraftian influence here, the exploration and the sense of surrounding tension.
This is a game that every fan of cosmic horror should play. Congratulations!
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it!
Great game dev but i think it's a little bit buggy when i got to some places the camera stucks on a house
Hey thanks so much for playing. I have uploaded a new version patching the problem you pointed out. Thanks again!
The graphics, art-style and map design, in their own right, were outstanding! The audio, was really good too. But best of all was the gameplay and the story! The story was so compelling and immersive, and the environment heavily portrayed the effects of the story. This is a hard feat, and is very well done!
Usually I have a few points of criticism, but I have nothing much to add here. I can not as of now come up with any ideas to improve the game. Despite the camera mechanics, controlling is surprisingly easy and works really well with the unorthodox camera angles.
Sorry for the short review, I usually write a bit more, but there is nothing much to add other than a rating of 5/5 star! Great work! Looking forward to your future projects and updates!
-BH
Hello! Thanks so much for playing and for the kind words. I'm very glad that you enjoyed the game.
Show post...
SPOOKYThanks so much!
Phenomenal!!
While playing this game I felt so immersed in the story, that I forgot it was a game. Beautiful and shocking environments, from the opening cinematic shots to the main title, all including the well-written story is highest quality.
Gameplay mechanics and overall playing time is impressive, I loved the 3rd person view and detailed maps, overall pixelated look and striking colors. Some of the camera movement felt like I was in a movie, not a game.
Including all of the above, this is pretty much AAA game rather than indie project. This specific Sci-Fi genre is implemented in the game, which makes it so unique and rather than being just a horror with cheap jump scares it shows the storytelling ability and makes a player feel like a 3 dimensional character.
Can't say enough with words, thanks for making this experience special and I hope to see more. Incredible work!
Hello! Thanks so much for playing. It makes me very happy to hear that you had a good time with my game and I really appreciate the kind words. A lot of the aspects that you mentioned are things that I intentionally tried to include, so it is great to hear that you had a good experience!