Notes from the Past
Notes from the Past is a pixel-art, 2D puzzle-adventure game set in an eerie, abandoned children's camp. As a former camp counselor, you return to the site of a tragic unsolved murder that occurred ten years ago. Haunted by your past, you must explore the desolate campgrounds, uncover hidden clues, and piece together the mystery that has plagued your memories. Prepare for a journey of psychological tension, immersive exploration, and a story that shapes itself around the memories you unlock.
Screenshots
Milestone 1
Color Palette
UI Mocks
Menu
Settings
Controls
Audio
UI
If esc is pressed
If clicked on map (or M is pressed on the keyboard)
List of new features:
- One testing level: A basic level designed to test core game mechanics, including movement, item interactions, and inventory management.
- Movement system first implementation: Added walking mechanic for player movement across the map.
- Interactables: Implemented interactable objects on the map, allowing the player to pick up items into an inventory. Items can then be used directly from the inventory to interact with specific objects in the game world, enabling puzzle-solving and progression.
Pictures
Milestone 2
List of new features:
- New gameplay elements: Developed five interactive game systems: item collection (keys, batteries, flashlights), note reading with contextual UI, door unlocking with keys, multi-scene transitions with persistent player position, and audio feedback for actions (e.g., footsteps, door sounds).
- Scalable content: Added three units of scalable content: multiple types of collectible items (keys, flashlights, batteries), customizable interaction sounds for different items, and modular scene transitions for new areas.
- First UI implementation: Created inventory and note display panels, integrated text prompts, and implemented contextual interaction hints. Also created menu, pause and settings UI.
- First sounds implementation: Added sounds for footsteps, item pickups, notes pickups, door interactions, and environmental cues based on player actions. Also added music created by ourselves in the main menu and settings.
- Main character partially animated: Implemented walking animations with direction-based sprite flipping and idle animations.
- First level: Developed an interactive forest scene with collectible items, explorable areas, and transition points to other levels.
Pictures
Milestone 3
List of new features
- New gameplay elements: Added mechanics for cutting nets, unlocking cupboards with interactive sounds, solving chest puzzles with code entry, etc. Integrated final note interaction system triggering the game's ending scene.
- Scalable content:Introduced new collectible items: machete, crowbar, keys, shovel, bolt cutter etc. Enhanced interaction systems with unique sounds for actions like unlocking, cutting, breaking objects, etc.
- UI enhancements: Improved contextual prompts for interactions and enhanced note display functionality.
- Sound design: Added new sounds for machete cutting, crowbars breaking objects, chain unlocking, chest opening, etc.
- Environment interactions:Developed new mechanics, for example for digging with a shovel, opening locked gates with keys, etc. Created dynamic item spawners and object activators based on player progress.
- Ending scene: Added the final interactive sequence involving the net, note collection, and transition to the closing cinematic.