Batho[tel]

My first impression was very positive, I think the game instantly hits you with an infectious atmosphere and a compelling environment to explore that reminds me of PT and Cube, but in the end, I think the story failed to keep up with the psychological elements and to contextualize its characters, in addition to having some technical issues and glitches. It's very short, like 30-40 minutes, it took me longer because I could not read the numbers properly due to the font. I replayed the game 2 times to get different endings, and to be honest they kinda sucked, like no context or closure at all. To be fair, I think you can end the game on a vague note, and very often it's the way to go because it leaves you wondering about what happened, and I still got that feeling, but I think we needed to spend more time with the character and to know him better. It just kinda feels like that scene from the South Park where they bring you lobster dinner, but you can only eat it for 5 seconds - I like the game, I am invested in it, and then you don't take advantage of it, it feels like you pulled the rug under me. Do you ever play short games where you like them, but because they are so short they don't feel satisfying, but then you go back and realize there are some optional secrets, or maybe the game does something different if you replay it - I think this is what this game is lacking the most, going that extra mile to make the experience more memorable. I would say go back and just add a few secrets, maybe a different event on a second playthrough, or even just a few hidden rooms with more context for the character, maybe you can break the mirror with a rat and there is another hallway, things like that. When I started the game I was enjoying those little cerebral elements like that hallway distance bending, I assumed there would be a lot more of that, but you kind of reuse the same idea of "more than one direction" and never really expand on what is possible in a troubled mind. While I like the idea of the entire game essentially taking place in a hallway, I was hoping you would do more unique decorations for the rooms that would reflect the mind of the character, there is just not enough variety to stimulate my interest. Again, the game has an interesting concept, and you have so much opportunity to create some unique psychological effects, but ultimately you did the whole room cycling which is one of the most cliche thing you can do in the genre, I thought the game would expand on that with something original. And for a small bonus nitpick, I just thought the TV dude looked a bit too cartoony, kinda killed the vibe for me a little. [h1] Pros: [/h1] (+) I thought the game handled the atmosphere very well, you can pretty much feel it from start to finish. Decent narrative, I like that you are not just explaining everything, but I wish there was more meat on the bone, more exploration. [h1] Feedback: [/h1] [u] Content [/u] - I think you should add some optional secrets, in a game like this it goes a long way, maybe some hidden rooms, or some new changes if you replay it. I didn't like the lack of closure with both endings, and I am not saying you need to explain the story, I just wanted a little cutscene or something. I wish there was more variety in the room design, maybe something that would reflect the mind of the character. [u] Technical [/u] - as I already said in the hub, fix the number font (hard to tell the numbers apart), add V-sync if you can, patch the holes in the rooms and the settings reset. [b] Overall Thoughts: 5/10 [/b] It's not so much that I dislike the game, I think in general the story had a good direction, but I need a little more meat on the bone to feel happy about the experience, sandwich the game with some optional secrets, maybe more hidden rooms, more optional context, more cerebral interactions. What I am trying to say is that the game is actually interesting, just not enough of a game here, good ideas, but you need to go that extra mile to make it more memorable. [code]For more niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]

Overall an amazingly atmospheric game with excellent design elements and certainly leaving me spooked! I enjoyed the puzzles and working out the patterns of the enemy and always hoping that this time he wont see me. The game has a lot of story telling that was well condensed and lets you play either with or without context letting you add your own imagination and thought to the world if you miss or dont get a chance to listen to certain radio messages etc. the enemy was well designed and had good patrols and A.I forcing me to actually make breaks for it as you cant just wait for it to go away, the game play even up to its introduction had me on the edge of my seat as someone familiar with the genre wondering when it would come out and i would need to start running or being tactical. I had no issues or bugs and the option to scale up or down the grunge design element is well thought out and a very helpful accessibility feature. i would recommend this game to anyone and hope a lot more people play it deffo a 10/10!!

Great game by a two man team who have obviously put a lot into getting the game to where it is today. Features a story that doesn't overload you with information, but creates a mystery that you slowly piece together as the game progresses. The story, told alongside a charming, low res graphical aesthetic, allows it to become a great addition to the analogue horror genre and can even feel nostalgic for some. The sound design for this title has been heavily considered and is a core component in creating the eerie and mysterious feel of the game. (Shoutout to the padlock sound). If you're wanting to try one of the latest indie horror titles, then this is definitely the right place to look.

I'VE NEVER BLOWN OUT CANDLES SO FAST IN MY LIFE I enjoyed my experience of Batho[tel]. I found myself thrown straight into a corridor yet instantly lost wondering if I'm doing it right, I felt subtle elements of the game teasing me for exactly this. As the atmosphere built up, I did find myself crouched in the corner clutching a mouse I grabbed from the floor for emotional support. Game designers, Mylo and John, put together a charming little psychological piece here. With tones of an ominous quality and the unexpected, this strange place feels like it has life of it's own. The audio is polished and effective, stereo is important in these games and it landed. Plus the textile graphics choice make it timeless yet simple. The game is on the shorter side, but so is the price tag. I'd really like to explore more of this world, and see some bigger endings. Yet the core of the game with its build up, alluding of mystery, and the note is strikes is up to par. Looking forward to future projects.

I was given a copy of this game to play pre-release, and I can say with certainty that this game is not one psychological fans should miss. If you enjoy eerie horror games that include puzzles and a mysterious story with secrets to uncover, you should not miss the opportunity of playing this game. For the amount of gameplay and story you get with this game, for the price, I think this is a no-brainer. The sound design and game mechanics are also stellar, especially for an indie game of this size. Go play Bathotel.

First off, I was pleasantly surprised by this game, especially given it's cheap price ($4.99 USD but bought at $0.49 USD). The story was really good though it does require reading everything and listening to all the radios to fully understand it. The graphics were great and felt almost retro. I loved the static effect and thought it added to the spooky atmosphere nicely. The dev mentioned multiple endings and while there are technically 2 (that's all I found anyway), neither changed the game's actual ending ([spoiler]one just closed the game, the other showed the credits[/spoiler]). So, I don't think I'd go as far as to say that there are multiple endings. I loved the Backrooms type feeling I got playing the game (though it definitely wasn't as confusing as an actual Backrooms game). I did experience a couple bugs. One was a visual bug that caused the text's resolution to lower each time I got caught, though that really only made one document actually impossible to read without changing the resolution manually. That same document was actually still a bit hard to read with the proper resolution since the text is still a tad bit blurry and small. It would be nice to have an alternate text or something so that it's not so hard to read. There are some slight typos but the context could still be understood. It would be nice to have some instruction on hiding as I didn't realize that you could hide (though to be fair, it did seem obvious afterwards). Some of the patterns and text moved (or seemed as if they were moving?) and so it was a bit hard on the eyes and wasn't very pleasant to look at. Overall, despite some rough edges, this game turned out to be a gem (though I probably wouldn't buy it at full price due to its length, which is 1-2 hours tops). If you're a fan of strange and horror games, then you will definitely enjoy this game!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2822146165

Banger

This is a brilliant take on a psychological puzzle game with a great horror aspect mixed in. The sound design does an excellent job at creating an immersive and mysterious atmosphere. If you are into games that focus on great story telling and psychological thrillers with puzzles this is the game that you should put at the top of your next to play list without a doubt.

Very good creepy puzzle game, I would highly recommend.