It's been a long time since I last got into playing custom stories - and a lot of them are very underwhelming. It's difficult to create a genuinely tense and unsettling atmosphere.
But your custom story is fantastic! I think you did a great job generating a sincerely scary stage. I understand that you have received some criticism regarding the story, but what I did like is the detail that you put into your notes which help the player progress. You provide the player with a generous amount of oil and tinderboxes, but not overly so, and the puzzles are hard enough to be solved without being frustrating.
The game made me jump several times, the monster is well-implemented because you made it feel as though there was a real threat without overusing the monster. I needed a cigarette just to help me progress through some parts of the game! However, I would have liked to have seen some more variety of monsters and maybe some more creepy monster teasers (like you see it walking through the house several times before you physically encounter it, for example.)
The rooms are well-designed, I could tell you put genuine care into how they looked and you reward players for searching through these rooms.
Another thing I'd like to see, is perhaps more rooms to explore (a slightly larger map overall often helps with immersion, as players are encouraged to delve into side-rooms which contain additional pieces of story info and collectibles). In addition, I'd have liked a longer custom story overall and I like to complete a custom story alive, with a 'good' ending (but that's just personal preference).
Overall though, I liked it a lot and I think you've made a real effort and put a lot of time into it.
Keep up the great work and please keep at it. We need more talented custom story creators like you! I'll be looking forward to whatever you make next!
hexxoasis
Ollie joined
Amnesia: The Dark Descent superfan.