Dying Flame

[b]Playing status:[/b] finished the game, fourth (bad) ending [h1]Intro[/h1] [b]Dying Flame[/b] is a horror RPG Maker game about a man that woke up in an abandoned house. Travel around the house with your lighter and solve the puzzles to understand more of the story. [b]Pros:[/b] - Shocking jumpscares - Freedom to explore the house in any order that you want - 4 endings [b]Cons:[/b] - Saving is limited - Difficult puzzles - Sometimes you will have to traverse areas in pitch black [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]If you want to play a horror game with some jumpscares in it, buy this game. Some puzzles are difficult though, so be prepared for that.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] You only have a limited view due to the nature of your light source. Everything looks dark and the subtle sound in the background does a good job to increase the overall atmosphere in the game. The rooms are made simple, but distinct enough to give you clues as to where you are located in case you need to walk in the dark. My praise goes to the jumpscare - they are well executed to surprise you with their appearance. [h3]Story[/h3] The story will reveal as you play the game. Journals are scattered in the building to let you make sense of what's happening to the main character's past. This also means that you will only understand the whole story if you fully explore the house and collected all journals. Moreover, the same also works for the ending. There are 4 endings in total, and you'll get a better ending based on the items that you have collected. To be honest, I only experienced one of the bad endings in my playthrough, and I didn't get much from it. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] The game does a good job of incorporating the game's title into the visuals. You play in a dark area with only a lighter in hand as your light source. The lighter will die out from time to time, forcing you to flick it again to get you some light. The thing is, you need to flick it several times to have a chance of lighting the screen, giving you more suspense in case something goes through. Interacting with all objects is required to find what you need. All objects in [b]Dying Flame[/b], including walls, are interactable. Hints will be provided in some areas, letting you know what can be done with an object that is needed for a puzzle. It's then your job to explore the house again to figure out what should be done, whether it's to find another object or do a certain action. It's easy to get lost. The building that you are trapped in is huge with a lot of rooms in it. You need to remember where most things are located and the game will require you to go back and forth between them. Some rooms are locked, requiring you to get back to it when you obtained the key in another room, while some will transform into something else when you revisit the area. The darkness and vision limitation also makes it harder to navigate the area and although there is a general direction in the foyer, some rooms are not included in it. [b]Puzzles[/b] Puzzles can be difficult even with hints. You have to solve a set of puzzles to get key items that can affect the ending. However, some puzzles can be problematic to solve. Some of them require you to use your brain to find the solution, while some simply are lacking direction on what to do. I even had to spend an hour trying to solve one puzzle because of the lack of lighting. One puzzle also requires you to listen to a tune, and as a tone-deaf person, I found it hard to solve. Luckily, you don't need to solve everything to finish the game, although you won't be able to get the best ending with this. That being said, some puzzles are cleverly done. It might take some time to figure how to solve some of them, but it was fun once you get the hang of it. This doesn't apply to all puzzles though, since there are some that I couldn't figure out even though I already know what to do. The puzzles' difficulty might vary for some people, but I found them to be on the harder side. [b]Jumpscares[/b] Jumpscares will happen from time to time in the form of a monster. The appearance of the monster is random, and when it does, you are forced to turn off your light and follow your guts to exit the area without it noticing. However, there were times when I was stuck between two areas since going back and forth between them are not going to drive it away, forcing me to travel through more than one area to get away from it. The suspense of the monster appearing might get to you at the start, but it will turn into annoyances as time goes. Imagine you going through some areas, only to go back to where you came because you met a monster on your way. Moreover, sometimes they also blocked the exit, forcing you to either run somewhere else, hoping that it will move from that spot, or get killed. The fact that you must load from your last save if you do the latter one also doesn't help to make it easier. You'll have to walk in pitch black most of the time. Despite it letting you see some part of your feet whenever the light is out on some occasion, the light seems to go out most of the time, forcing you to walk in pitch black. It wasn't fun to play in the dark, and the fact that you can die from falling through cracked holes doesn't help either. The game helps you to let you know of your position if you try to interact with any object you bumped into, but doing this for more than one screen can test my patience. [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game at 4.4h with the worst ending. I didn't realize that going through a certain area will lead me to the ending and I finished the game without clearing some puzzles that I was stuck on. I tried to load my latest save to finish the remaining puzzles, but some of them confuse me since I didn't know where to start. Note that I did understand the gist of what I needed to do in some puzzles, but strangely, I kept on missing the important details. I ended up looking up a guide to get the ones that I missed, but apparently, it seems that I missed something else since I still got the same ending. Since I was already tired from being on the run with the monster every time I was traveling through the house, I ended up leaving it as it is. [b]Problems[/b] Your save is limited to the number of an item that you have. I know that it has a certain significance to the story, but the fact that you are forced to finish the game without saving too much isn't fun. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] As someone who is scared of horror games but still wants to play them, [b]Dying Flame[/b] does its job well. It gives a nice jumpscare from time to time while still proving to be a challenge with its puzzles. The lack of light and the tense atmosphere from the monster's appearance keeps the suspense going, and you'll be constantly on a high alert, panicking whenever the lights go out. However, this can be annoying if you have finished seeing everything that the game has to offer since the monster can hinder your progress, eating away your playtime. All in all, it's still a nice game if you are looking for some jumpscares, and I would recommend it if you are a fan of similar games. [quote]This game was reviewed with a key provided by the developer for free through [url=https://discord.gg/xc22zZP]Reviewers' Paradise[/url], a group that connects both developers and reviewers in one place[/quote] [quote]Visit SaveOrQuit.com for detailed game reviews, posted daily![/quote]

[code]Curator page here-->[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37670120/] DaRevieweD #89 [/url]<-- [i]New review every Weekend[/i][/code] [b]RoundTable Games Studio[/b] motto “make games to keep you awake at night" is exactly what the Malaysian developers did with their debut [b]Dying Flame (DFM)[/b] a horror RPG Maker with a huge emphasis on storytelling, puzzles and antsy atmosphere. I remember telling myself playing the demo, which mysteriously emerged out of the darkness- wow it's just like [i]Silent Hill 2![/i] And it just stuck with me, how SH2's mark continues to present itself in differing styles, which I last saw in [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/DeadeGuard98/recommended/736570/] The Crooked Man[/url]. It also gathered influences from another source, [url= https://steamcommunity.com/id/DeadeGuard98/recommended/391720/] Layers of Fear[/url] with regards to the husband-wife chemistry. It's all swell but wouldn't it be another rehash of its spiritual predecessor or would DFM find new ways to rekindle things~ [h1]"The Spark and The Tension..."[/h1] https://youtu.be/Z3t3jOBkNFs [u]The Gist:[/u] I got a letter... The name on the envelope said M- …I'll start over! Play the part of James, a heavy smoker looking for his wife, Mary in a dark and dilapidated mansion. Unrecognizable and yet he's taken aback by feelings of deja vu as he makes his rounds. Soon, he's preyed by a seething lump of red mass and light becomes a liability. Can he go without it? [spoiler]! A bad habit…! [/spoiler] [h1][+] PROS;[/h1] [b](a) In A Dark Place... [/b] Navigation proves trying when you can't even see what's around you let alone an easily snuffed out light source! To aid you in your search, you'll find keys, cigarettes and collect pink notes strewn around to uncover the truth of what went down. Cigarettes require the lighter to be lit in order to be a very faint illumination and also to save progress. Which sounds weird to point out but is how the antagonist operates. The mere presence of a flame will alert it to your location, increasing your stress bar and you have to shake it off all while feeling around in total darkness, hopefully not fall through covered gaps or bump into a wall. These encounters occur randomly and are sometimes scripted, the easiest way to tell is if your lighter suddenly puts out before the 2 min+ duration. It took me 6-7 hours to complete my first playthrough and that's because I was stumped by the wonderfully variable puzzles; ranging from morse code, musical statues, to even a game of Hangman. Those are the simplest ones too!! With instances where you MUST sacrifice your light source to carry something with both hands. Rest assured, there are 4 endings… or more lol. I keep getting the same wrong/bad end- will explain why later in the cons! TIPS: 1) Save frequently; one-time falling platforms can be recovered. 2) But not TOO MUCH! Thank me later~ 3) Keep a notebook by your side! 4) Search objects carefully for your stash ;) [b](b) Met Your Match!?[/b] The way you're forced to refrain from using your lighter is panic-inducing and your shuffling, fumbling in the darkness makes the place totally foreign. Objects you've seen and passed by countless times can be totally transformed with vividly gross description. The idea of mistakenly bumping into the you-know-what, caressing its nether regions soft to the touch and then mauled to death… Ugh! I craved how the darkness and silence often go hand-in-hand. With no fully decked out score, the noises then are either generated by your actions alone; opening heavy a** doors, footsteps and striking your lighter. Or from the environment around you be it the roaring monster, rickety about-to-give floor and rare thunder lighting the entire room. There was the music box tune and the ballroom waltz piece but they're more stressful than relaxing because of the way they're worked in~ [b](c) Burnt. All. Out.[/b] Plot is exceptionally done especially with the relationship between James and Maria to be so touching and believable. Besides, the SH2-ness of it all; wife's deteriorating condition, desperation in seeking her out made me afraid of the final outcome- but it keeps you guessing! I also found it strangely alike to [b]The Others (2001)[/b] in terms of how unhinged and disconnected James can get, not to mention the rejection of the light. [b](d) New Fires, Old Flame~[/b] SCARY: 1st) I overlooked how clever the game was and its eventual plot twist. Given the mechanics of DFM and the tongue-in-cheek title, I really should've seen it coming. In my defense, it was too dark!! Needless to say, it had me good and I was wracked with guilt because of that [spoiler]addictive[/spoiler] revelation. 2nd) The significance of the title is an analogy of the couple's rocky marriage and that the once joyous times are slowly but surely fading. Also, it's a grim reminder of the excruciating, grievous fate [spoiler]your significant other or flame[/spoiler] is succumbing to. 3rd) Much like James Sunderland, the protagonist harbored some repressed memories. His inability to accept the truth has got him locked away…wherever that may be! Honestly, it all fits once you read the notes and that everything was as foretold. It's even more plausible that James [spoiler]did it to himself.[/spoiler] As evident from his skills as a handyman to a creative. https://youtu.be/MMywcBUvQ_k [h1][-] CONS;[/h1] [b](i) Getting WICKER and Wic-[/b] I actually thought I was holding up pretty well, I solved “all” the puzzles and made it to the end only to get what I’m beginning to assume was the worst, standard ending. That's exactly the problem, the amount of effort you put in doesn’t translate to the desired outcome. Furthermore, some puzzles were near impossible to figure out because the dev is stingy with clues and with there being so many variations, you need to exhaust them. Worse of all, failing to solve an "optional" puzzle will lock you out of the other endings, I think... because I presume no one has gotten the other endings yet. So, say you remember the date of your wedding or keep a picture of Mary close to your heart and bam! NOTHING HAPPENS, the same bad end will trigger. [b](ii) SOOT Yourself![/b] Wasn't a fan of the inconsistent way James callously decided which item could be picked up. For instance, he remarks there's some [b]wax[/b] in bold and there's no use for it yet, but he carries it with him no questions asked. However, he simply ignores other objects bolded similarly which makes backtracking a real pain later on! [h1]BUGS:[/h1] X None for me! [h1]NITPICKS:[/h1] ~ Better explanation of "stress" bar. ~ Ability to take screenshots! ~ The "tools" tab is practically useless... [h1]"There's Always A Blaze for Us Here~"[/h1] https://youtu.be/5U0ikSsysHc Don’t mistake DFM for a SH2 clone- it burns bridges with a more relatable struggle. Stands out among the slew of 1st person horrors. Maybe uncontrollably so; its raging puzzle difficulty & endings~ The finest display and implementation of darkness in a videogame! Not being able to see your surroundings and threats evoke a petrifying fear almost as if you were there!! Silence truly deafening and plot so strong, eventful and tinged with just enough SH2 nostalgia you take it for granted~ While I can appreciate a good challenge, the curve is far too steep impacting the final outcome and most of said puzzles were not given much hints. Same goes for the unreliable sense of self-preservation James has with some objects. Frankly, these don't bother me anymore as I blew through all that pent-up anger I didn’t know I had! But could see why people would skip out on this. For fans of horror or brain teasers alike looking for something groundbreaking yet familiar enough, DFM is hot for you~ [h1]9.6/10[/h1] [code][i]Stay lit [b]Reviewers Paradise![/b] Thanks for da key[/i][/code]

Don't let the adorable retro graphics fool you; this game gets really dark, really fast (pun intended). I can't believe I got jump scared in a pixel graphics game!! Seriously, well-done to the sound engineers for playing such a hand in creating the ambiance and eerie tone in this one.

¡Me ha encantado el juego! Siempre he sido fan de este tipo de juegos de 16 bits con puzzles y este supera con creces mis expectativas. Genera tensión con su ambientación, el mechero que no deja de apagarse y el monstruo que aparece cuando menos te lo esperas. Sus puzzles requieren un poco de tiempo y, en general, son accesibles. Aunque hay un par de puzzles... que bueno, quizá se les fue la mano con la dificultad. He conseguido el final más malo del juego, pero pienso rejugarlo para conseguir el resto de finales porque el juego lo vale

I have never feel so scared playing a retro-graphic game. I was expecting a fast game stream at first but me being scared to progress sometimes and having hard time with some of the puzzles (I really couldn't solve it without getting help and advice from my viewers, but I have to say most of the puzzles were rather creative and I truly appreciate that), it took me a few nights to complete up this game. The beast monster is so scary btw, the music scores were amazing. Apparently there's 4 endings and the best ending are really crazy hard to achieve, from what I remember you have to [spoiler] finish the game without dying and smoking (saving) and you needed all the wedding memorial items too [/spoiler] Good luck playing this game guys!

For a small game, it is pretty impressive how deep and heavy the theme of this game is. The unique mechanics works perfectly with the game story and the star of the show would be the audio design. If you like multi-ending narrative game with heavy focus on main character development, this game would provide plenty of interesting experience to explore. Good start, looking forward for more from the dev in the future!

Highly recommend this game to those who are fans of RPG, horror and puzzles. The game story is from a very interesting perspective where it talks about about marriage and addiction to smoking. Puzzle wise is interesting as well where they are actually challenging but still fun! I personally enjoyed the game even though the sound effects are really creepy. Going to try to get the other endings as well! One small feedback but it is probably just me; holes are the death(s) of me more than the terrifying creature.

An RPG maker horror based on darkness, a very interesting take on the rpg maker horror, so far what I have played isn't bad, a bit dry for my taste, but it might be warming up to something better. if you like rpg maker horrors, I would say give this one a try

I've been playing this game since the early access play tests. The story pulls you in as you try and figure out what is going on. The unique aspect of playing a game mostly in the dark with a trusty lighter as your light source is brilliant! And of course, there are fantastic jump scares throughout the game that keep you on the edge of your seat. The puzzles are not too hard but also not too easy so it's a great blend as you work your way through this story. All in all, it's a great game! If you're looking for a great story line with a creepy, suspenseful, and haunting feel, this is the game for you! Also, if you enjoy figuring out puzzles it's a total win!

Dying Flame is a top-down horror walking simulator with strong exploration and puzzle-solving elements. Inspired by Japanese games like Ib, Mad Father, and The Witch’s House, Dying Flame was created with RPG Maker MV by RoundTable Games Studio, a five-person team based in Malaysia. Their goal is to make games that tell compelling stories, and their flagship game carries that torch with aplomb. GRAPHICS 8/10 Ever-present darkness conceals detailed pixel graphics. Pixel graphics have a wide range of shading and realism, but Dying Flame sits comfortably on the upper end of that spectrum. Moving around a black screen with only a lighter to guide you doesn’t afford many opportunities to show off the developers’ artwork, but it does evoke a powerful sense of vulnerability as you traverse the largely unseen expanse of the mansion. Intermittent flashes of lightning provide the only fully-lit glimpses of your otherwise pitch-black surroundings. When you encounter the mansion’s light-sensitive occupant, your game becomes something akin to a text adventure as you are forced to douse your light and feel your way through complete darkness. SOUND QUALITY 8.5/10 Listen closely—it could mean the difference between life and death. As M. Night Shyamalan will tell you, what lies hidden in darkness is often more terrifying than what is revealed. RoundTable Games Studio displays their understanding of this critical rule with Dying Flame’s effective sound design. The void around your character’s small circle of light is sporadically filled with whispers, banging shutters, and disembodied giggles. However, the audio in this game does more than just create atmosphere. Creaky floorboards and broken glass underfoot help the player navigate the darkness when lighting up is too risky. These noises are heart-stopping in their clarity, while actions like leafing through a book or opening a door generate stock sound effects of lower quality. Music is mostly absent except during important scenes or when it plays a role in solving puzzles. Only a disquieting ambiance provides the backdrop for your footsteps as you wander the crumbling manor, but when even that falls silent, beware: you’re not alone. GAMEPLAY 8/10 Keep to the shadows as you explore, gather items, and solve puzzles. Even though I love horror games like Viviette and Never Again, I’m barely brave enough to take that next step into the shadows where jump scares undoubtedly lie in wait. Indeed, Dying Flame has its fair share of blood-curdling moments. As James, your singular goal is to find your wife, Mary, and escape the hellish manor together. During your search, you uncover tools, cigarettes, and journal entries that help you unlock the mansion’s mysteries. This game tests your memory and nerves by making you maneuver around obstacles and dangerous pitfalls in total darkness while a horrific creature lurks nearby. These tense encounters balance out calmer moments when the player attempts to solve various puzzles around the manor, some of which require note-taking to crack. Smoking a cigarette provides both a checkpoint and a backup light source, but if you’re running low on smokes, the desire to save your progress begins to war against the feeling that you might need them later. This clever mechanic lets the player get a sense of what it must be like to resist the nagging need for nicotine. How long can you go without a fix? Your answer may just be the key to getting out alive. CHARACTERS 7.75/10 What will you sacrifice in the fire? The only characters in the game are the protagonist James, his missing wife, Mary, and a repulsive monster that stalks the dark corridors of the mansion. The characters’ movements are a little stiff, but their personalities come through clearly. We learn quite a bit about the married couple through James’s monologues and even more from the pages of Mary’s journal. Their personal history is also ingrained in mementos found throughout the mansion. Together they paint a picture of a relatable husband and wife in whom we find ourselves invested as the game progresses. But something else—something all-consuming—lurks just beneath the surface of their relationship. Our journey with James explores his battle with guilt and addiction as he searches for Mary in a waking nightmare. STORY 7.5/10 A haunting story about one man’s devotion...and his demons. Dying Flame’s story is told through the eyes of James, a lifelong smoker who wakes up in an abandoned house he doesn’t recognize. After finding his wife’s journal, James sets off on a desperate quest to find her. The scattered pages of Mary’s journal, which James gathers as he explores the mansion, slowly reveal a tale of sickness, addiction, and enduring devotion. Dying Flame is a metaphor for the guilt that takes hold when our choices have terrible consequences for the ones we love. Your actions have a direct impact on the final verdict in James’s trial by fire, meaning you will more than likely need to play through the game at least twice if you want to see a happy ending. If treading the same ground again and again is off-putting to you, this may not be your cup of tea. OVERALL 7.9/10 This frightening puzzler has a heavy subject matter that sticks with you. Dying Flame’s visual mechanics, realistic characters, and fantastic sound design create a creepy and memorable experience. Jump scares abound, and the puzzles are just the right amount of challenging. Being visually handicapped now and then was difficult, but my desire to discover the fate of James and Mary drove me past my occasional frustration to the end of their terrifying tale. With four possible endings, there is plenty of room (perhaps too much) for multiple play-throughs. If you’re not afraid of the dark and you’re looking for a challenge, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth from this scary head-scratcher.