Launching StringTyrantSDLFMOD.exe on my system just displays a title screen for a completely different game, House of Pandemonium Remastered, and does not respond to any input. Pretty sure this isn’t the intended behavior under any circumstances. The command-line window that opens along with it shows this at the end:
Lua Error during Execution A: Games/DollManor/000 Launcher Script.lua:30: attempt to call global 'Steam_Activate' (a nil value)
The non-FMOD versions run without issue and without showing the wrong game’s art (aside from the 3D-rendered “Loading” animation, which seems inexplicable but not obviously wrong).
Sorry for double-posting, but figured it might be helpful to have the separate issue in a separate thread.
The game has no audio when launched through the itch.io client. I notice that manually launching the same executable (StringTyrantSDL.exe) first opens a command-line window which does not appear when using the itch launcher; not sure if that’s related, or how those differing behaviors are even possible.
The Itch.io launcher is run by Itch and I just send the files to it. I don't know what the problem is in that case, but if the audio works from the manual execution then there's not much I can do about it. Hopefully it's just a driver problem and won't affect other games.
What file do you tell the launcher to launch? Maybe that’s the issue? If it’s the same file I mentioned with no extra parameters or anything, I have no idea.
Maybe it’s related to the command-line window that pops up on manually launching it (first line: [Begin Manager Boot])? Seems to initialize the SDL bits. Is it possible to intentionally run it without any of that CLI stuff, as the itch launcher seems to do, and would the same thing happen?
The command line window is part of the executable's configuration and I believe itch.io suppresses it. Those things are still running you just can't see them. There is a no-audio batch file in there and, at one point, someone else reported that the launcher was just autorunning whatever batch files it found so perhaps that is the issue.
I'm trying to figure out what tfs and endings there are, I know of the rubber Mary tf but don't know to get it. Also seems like the v2 artpack is not showing in the itch downloads. The gold dolls are hard to deal with even on easy.
Doll, Claygirl, Resin Titan (that's the yellow doll), Ice, Glass, Rubber, Statue. There are several variants of each TF that give different endings. There are multiple doll/claygirl endings, for example.
So uh, I downloaded the update, and the Art Pack is the exact same as before. All the Doll Types, Stranger, Pygmalie, the Doll TFs, some endings, the sketches, and the main characters.
All the other sprites are still missing. I even deleted the artpack and had Steam install a 100% new one and it still didn't change.
The Itch App will preferentially run from the ZBlockaudio.bat. I'm not sure what that batch file is for, but for me, it means that it will load without sound. Renaming it to remove or change the extension or deleting it outright will make it ask for an exe to run and fix things. I could possibly also just remove the -blockaudio option from the batch file contents.
The batch file is for players with audio problems (sometimes the Bass audio library crashes for no reason at all, but disabling audio entirely at least makes the game playable). Thanks for posting a fix. Has anyone else had this problem from the Itch app?
My reaction, just wow! I really loved the concept and the style of the game. After finishing the game I just wanted to play again and to explore more. Dolls, claygirls, card-combat, and much more. | Happy to see a part 2. Awesome work!
Pros and cons are down below) Check out the first minutes of the game here if you want to (but don't forget to like and sub ;))
Advantages:
1. Game mechanics are very interesting. At first it was a bit confusing but after the tutorial, I started enjoying them a lot. I think it's original and creative. I loved both exploration mechanics and fighting. Great job!
2. The art syle is unique and lovable. Creates a very cool ambiance!
3. The game has a weird appeal to it. And by weird I mean that I can't even figure out what exactly draws me, but I just want to play more. It's just so much fun. I mean, as I'm writing this, I'm thinking when I'll be able to play more. It's very cool!
4. Also, liked the story and the amount of endings (haven't reached any of them yet, though). I like that there are missable notes that can reveal more about the story or characters.
Disadvantages:
1. It would be a nice touch if the items the player equips would affect the appearance of Marie. I think that would be neat, though I can imagine how much time it would take adding these details.
2. For me personally, hiding mechanics were the hardest to understand. I spend a lot of time in the tutorial trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Turned out that I have to be mindful of slashes and type "close door n\". That made me thinking that the game would benefit a lot if the tutorial would have examples of the stuff you can write (like not in the brackets like they are now but in a text so even dumb-dumbs like me would figure it out). Something like that: "you can also hide in the game. In order to do that close the door behind you. For example, the command "close the door s\" would close a particular door on your south but the rest would stay open, be mindful of that." I know that this suggestion might seem funny but I really had a hard time and more examples would be very helpful. You can even add them in a different part of the tutorial just for people like me.
3. Also a list of verbs that a player can use would be really helpful at the start. Maybe like in the different window on the right when one can see equipment. Or maybe it was there then it would be nice to point it out in the tutorial that a player has it because in that case I missed it. It would be helpful a lot because at some point I forgot about going "up" and "down" the stairs ans tried to "ascend" and "descend".
Overall:
The game is a bit confusing so the tutorial is obligatory. But after that, it's just so much fun to play! I definitely recommend it and I'll definitely play more. I rate it 5/5. It's interesting and original and weirdly addictive. Great job, devs!
Just played through this and really enjoyed it. It's too bad I hadn't heard of it before the bundle, because it's definitely my jam. I might end up buying it on Steam just to give you folks a little extra support.
Maybe it'd be too much trouble, but a gallery of the different sprites and artworks you've seen would be really nice.
The premise of String Tyrant is to save your best friend and your brother from the manor or you can transform everyone into an inanimate dolls/claygirls/statues. I was gifted this game through itch.io and I thought to give it an objective review.
Firstly, the plot of String Tyrant is well constructed, with books scattered around detailing the origins of the lifeforms cohabiting in the manor, as well as some testaments cautioning the dangers of the manor. Most of the stories are tragic as everyone is trapped inside the manor and transformed against their will, but some actually accept their transformation into a statue, doll, claygirl (I believe there are more forms which I left out, but it's mainly these 3 which leave a deep impression). The plot is succinct and direct, following a typical storyline, while getting constantly chased by the inhabitants of the manor, which gets me to the mechanics of the game.
The style of String Tyrant is a familiar mix between House of Pandemonium Adventure Mode and Pandemonium Classic Mode. Briefly, it comprises of the rpg adventure platformer with a clearly defined end goal, with elements of Classic Mode(the enemies spawn indefinitely, sandbox mode) incorporated into it. Combat mechanics are refreshing with the use of randomly generated cards to craft a sequence of elements-based attacks. I am not very sure what the circles around the enemies are for, but maybe you could base the colours to the elemental weaknesses they have. Equipment are diverse though I do appreciate if they can implement some range weapons and even a stun bomb which temporarily stuns the movement of the enemies if you are trapped.
The gist of the transformations is inanimate, forced(against will) possession which I do not prefer. I do like some anthro and mythical creatures, maybe considering exploring a sequel with these in place to cater to a greater community. However, what I do acknowledge is that the transformation sequences are well-illustrated and coloured, and there is no denial that the artists have spent a huge time deliberately designing inanimate characters, so kudos to them. In particular, I like that the ending scenes and the transformation scenes are placed on a black blackground, thus shifting most of the focus to the transformations themselves, and not on the background. The title screen is ominous too, which foreshadows what the protaganist and her friends predicament if they are not careful.
There isn't any iconic soundtrack that house of pandemonium adventure has, but the absence of any fast paced, upbeat soundtrack fits the mood of String Tyrant. The characters are memorable and endearing, particularly Lauren who can stand up for himself despite appearing fearful throughout most of the game. There isn't any end bosses to the game, but I find that the health of the end game enemies is a tad too much. There isn't any bugs nor typos I have found in the game, except the occasional inseperation of the words for the dialogue between Sarah and the protagonist at the basement. The minigames(disguised as traps)are a great respite from the run-or-fight playstyle for String Tyrant. The minigames are creative and logical. I wouldn't spoil the endings for you, hence I do encourage you to check out the demo, or you can hop on to Discord or Salty's blog to find out more.
Overall, great work by the developers of the game who obviously design the game for a particular audience who like inanimate tfs. Yet, there is some charm in discovering the origins of String Tyrant and discovering your inner fetish. Expect the playtime to be around 2.5-3 hours. Thank you to the developers and supporters of the game. Final Score 8/10 (objectively, can't denial that my preference for HoP adventure mode and mythical/anthros tfs pull the score down a little, but 8 is a respectable score nonetheless)
From FloraAsu. I posted the exact same review on tfgamesite.
Oh, this is some wonderful stuff. Interesting combat system (though I was a little unclear on just what Water/Stone were actually doing and how they were helping me, although I was on the Turn Mode rather than Active Mode; maybe that would make a difference), and some lovely artwork for the whole thing.
That said, I will say that a couple of things disappointed me. First: While I love all of the looks that were there, I was a little disappointed that only the Goth and Dancer ones were available as ways for one to end as a doll. I totally get why Dancer is where it is; there would be a lot of extra artwork needed otherwise. However, I was more than a little surprised that only Goth ever happened with the earlier situations. Given that the ending screens for the doll endings don't make it clear just which doll is Mary, I might have expected it to be more random. Or maybe I just really wanted to run around as Princess Mary for a bit.
Second, and this is perhaps more of a nitpick, but: If you lose in a battle against one of the Resin Dolls, while the transformation you undergo into a doll is different, along with the character artwork being an alternate hue, everything after you regain control of Mary is simply a replay of the normal Doll ending path. It seemed surprising to me that Resin Mary would remember having undergone the same plastification process that the normal dolls do, along with subjecting her sisters to the syringe rather than the same process she underwent. Similarly, I might have expected different ending text (and perhaps a palette swap on the ending screen) given that the Resin Dolls are explicitly described as being a sort of warrior caste within the Manor, as opposed to the lesser dolls running around alongside them.
Also, though maybe this is just me not quite understanding what's going on, is there somewhere to view all the endings, or do I need to have a big pile of save files for that?
One last thing: I wouldn't mind it if there was an Endless Mode of sorts that unlocked upon reaching endings 5, 6, or 10. Could be fun to have something akin to the way that House of Pandemonium plays in Corruption Mode, where you can train up your own plastic army. Maybe get to know Eileen a little better at the same time... :)
Hm? Dancer and Goth have some special endings, but the other four are also available. The form you get is determined at game start, so a new game will get you a different doll. You can also use the debug command [pref x] where x is princess/goth/dancer/geisha/bride/punk.
The resin titan thing is just a minor thing. It might get changed, might not, it's not exactly a dealbreaker. Dev time is limited and all that.
As of v1.01, you can re-view the ending sequences for all endings you've unlocked. It's on the options screen, there is an "Endings" button in the bottom left.
This is quite an amazing game. I love the fact that you continue playing as the enemy once you get defeated as well.
(Wow I made this comment way to big; I just had a lot to say about the game because I care and love it; it is honestly a really good game)
The story is fairly interesting but leaves some room to be improved. I'll elaborate a bit:
The statue form of yourself is very much a favorite it seems. This version of yourself has a lot of text that was really fun. Of course it can be the same droning text over and over but I do wish some of the other forms Mary had additional text when carrying the supporting cast members.
Maybe also differing speech and thought text depending on what type of doll you get transformed into (i.e. the punk doll probably shouldn't speak or think like the rest of the dolls since they're apparently rebellious but loyal to the creator, whereas the princess doll should be fairly royal in their speech patterns) but those are really just minor nitpicks.
I did encounter a typo in the game when I was playing; if you get defeated by Jessie as a statue it says "As swing your stone..." instead of "As you swing your stone...." That itself is a minor typo though. So far I haven't encountered any other typos.
The only mechanical problem seems to be that most of the time when I move my mouse and the game is open, it freezes for a second or two. Fullscreen also seems to make my mouse disappear on the title screen. This may just be a problem on the Starlight Engine for me, but its the only game I have that does it constantly.
As for combat, I have a lot to say:
There doesn't really seem to be an incentive to use water or earth cards. They do impede some slowness on enemies, but I found myself building a pure fire and wind deck (with the life and death cards) since the Torch is one of the best weapons in the game as of right now because of its +2 to fire damage. Combined with the appropriate gloves and the best armor in the game, this can give you a total +5 to your fire, which can just incinerate (literally) enemies in the game. I put wind cards in the deck because their biggest bonus is drawing additional cards every time. Sure some enemies have a weakness to water or earth, but fire is the most common weakness in the manor, and the +1 weakness damage just doesn't cut it. For a turn-based run-through of this game, wind is definitely an element you need in the deck to play. While a certain awesome sounding item is in the late game, I just didn't use it because there was no incentive to. I had the torch; the torch is an item you need in one part of the game, and I just never bothered to unequip it because there might of been an area needing it later.
I believe I have gotten 13 out of the 15 endings on my first play-through of the game, since I do not know how to get the Betrayal or the Submit endings. I don't particularly mind as much. Perhaps in my next play-through of the game (Most likely on Normal or Hard difficulty; Easy just seems really easy except for the Stranger one or two times. That later just was a pushover fight like the rest of the enemies, however.), I will try to figure it out, but other than harder difficulties and getting the endings, the game itself doesn't really have a replay value in a sense.
Speaking about harder difficulties:
Maybe on Hard mode the game should disable save glyphs or just make them much more rare in the game. I never had to use one since a fountain was always nearby. Or even then you could add a new mode that removes the aspect of "playing fair" and if you get found by a doll there's no combat, you just lose hit points and the doll gets disabled for a while (depending on the weapon and possibly its weakness it could be stunned for a longer amount of time). Getting attacked by the stranger could either instantly kill you or you could get hit for half your health. As the game progresses, the dolls deal more damage and the stranger could instantly kill you. Maybe having all three members of the party will make too much noise and you'd have to hide them in a safe place (such as a fountain area) after you scout out enemies in the game. This could bring the stealth aspect of the game more into fruition without over-impeding that core of the game. I did see the marble item in the game's coding, but never encountered it in the game; that would be a great thing to add into the game for this hypothetical mode if it isn't there and I didn't skip over it.
I do feel as though Jessie and Lauren should be harder to beat the farther you go into the game, or better yet maybe they should be really difficult (like the stranger) to beat on harder difficulties; maybe they run away after you beat them and you have to defeat them a total of three times to finally cripple them. Most of the endings to the doll-part of the game are too easy it seems. I honestly wish the think command did not give me the exact location of Lauren and Jessie, maybe just a part of where they are in the manor.
It would probably help that doll!Mary got the full map added to them to help with this harder Jessie and Lauren.
I really, really love this game and I want there to be more added to it, including maybe a "true ending" that shows how far you went like in other survival horror games. While it may seem like I am thrashing on the game's mechanics and its combat, I really enjoyed the first time I went through this game; especially since I went through the game blind as a bat. Lauren is someone I want to protect and make sure nothing happens to; Jessie is pretty funny at some times, and Mary is the main character.
I do want more of the game and the doll manor to play through; more replay value and harder difficulties would be great. While I don't think anything will be added, it is a brilliant game that I wish to see more of.
Starlight Studios, you made quite a brilliant gem and I hope to see more of your projects in the future.
Thank you for (possibly?) reading this really long comment. If you've stayed here for this long it means you actually wanted to read my comment. So cheers!
Wow, thanks for the (long) feedback! We'll get on the bugs soon, we're doing periodic bugfix releases.
Many of these are good suggestions, and if the game does well, we're considering a sequel or expansion. One of String Tyrant's strengths is that it is small and to the point, with no padding, but a sequel can expand upon the gameplay and still not be padded. So, expect future entries to be larger and have more replayability.
We have some... improvements in mind already for a possible sequel. Stay tuned!
Here is good, we'll release some small patches periodically. Sequels/Expansions are based on how well the game does. We're currently working on a Steam release and seeing about promoting it. Stay tuned!
If we already bought the game and you release it on steam, is there any way to get it through the steam system without paying again since it's always easier to have all of one's games in one spot.
Yes. Steam allows us to generate keys and they can be sent to players. There is a special button on the page that can request a key. The Steam release is expected to be in early May.
I finished the entire game I guess, great experience. Although I found it rather hard to get betrayal and submit endings since there was no option to do it via the menu, you had to type in command yourself. It ended up in me searching in Lua files for a few hours. :I Still, great game.
[SPOILERS FOR PEOPLE] When in the last phase of the game, use the [transform jessie] command. You have all the same abilities even if you know who you are, right?
← Return to game
Comments
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Launching
StringTyrantSDLFMOD.exeon my system just displays a title screen for a completely different game, House of Pandemonium Remastered, and does not respond to any input. Pretty sure this isn’t the intended behavior under any circumstances. The command-line window that opens along with it shows this at the end:Lua Error during Execution A: Games/DollManor/000 Launcher Script.lua:30: attempt to call global 'Steam_Activate' (a nil value)The non-
FMODversions run without issue and without showing the wrong game’s art (aside from the 3D-rendered “Loading” animation, which seems inexplicable but not obviously wrong).Sorry for double-posting, but figured it might be helpful to have the separate issue in a separate thread.
The game has no audio when launched through the itch.io client. I notice that manually launching the same executable (
StringTyrantSDL.exe) first opens a command-line window which does not appear when using the itch launcher; not sure if that’s related, or how those differing behaviors are even possible.The Itch.io launcher is run by Itch and I just send the files to it. I don't know what the problem is in that case, but if the audio works from the manual execution then there's not much I can do about it. Hopefully it's just a driver problem and won't affect other games.
What file do you tell the launcher to launch? Maybe that’s the issue? If it’s the same file I mentioned with no extra parameters or anything, I have no idea.
Maybe it’s related to the command-line window that pops up on manually launching it (first line:
[Begin Manager Boot])? Seems to initialize the SDL bits. Is it possible to intentionally run it without any of that CLI stuff, as the itch launcher seems to do, and would the same thing happen?The command line window is part of the executable's configuration and I believe itch.io suppresses it. Those things are still running you just can't see them. There is a no-audio batch file in there and, at one point, someone else reported that the launcher was just autorunning whatever batch files it found so perhaps that is the issue.
That seems kinda stupid but plausible. Is there no way to specify the executable? Anyway, thanks for the responses!
I'll look into it next time I go to update the game, maybe there is, but it'll be a while since I don't have anything else to patch.
It's a bit disappointing that getting transformed into a gold resin doll just gets you the standard doll ending.
I have to say, I do like this game a lot. I just wish we could choose between a male and a female protagonist at the start, that would be lovely.
I'm trying to figure out what tfs and endings there are, I know of the rubber Mary tf but don't know to get it. Also seems like the v2 artpack is not showing in the itch downloads. The gold dolls are hard to deal with even on easy.
List of TFs (Warning: Spoilers)
Doll, Claygirl, Resin Titan (that's the yellow doll), Ice, Glass, Rubber, Statue. There are several variants of each TF that give different endings. There are multiple doll/claygirl endings, for example.
So I bought the game on steam just today, and well I noticed something:
The Art Pack is missing at least a couple pieces of art.
Admittedly, I'll need to play more of the game to know for sure how much, but at the very least the Claygirl art is missing
Thanks! I just updated the art package to contain the missing files. I think I got everything now.
So uh, I downloaded the update, and the Art Pack is the exact same as before. All the Doll Types, Stranger, Pygmalie, the Doll TFs, some endings, the sketches, and the main characters.
All the other sprites are still missing. I even deleted the artpack and had Steam install a 100% new one and it still didn't change.
Simple path error. The new Art Pack v2 should appear any minute now.
Thanks!
The Itch App will preferentially run from the ZBlockaudio.bat. I'm not sure what that batch file is for, but for me, it means that it will load without sound. Renaming it to remove or change the extension or deleting it outright will make it ask for an exe to run and fix things. I could possibly also just remove the -blockaudio option from the batch file contents.
The batch file is for players with audio problems (sometimes the Bass audio library crashes for no reason at all, but disabling audio entirely at least makes the game playable). Thanks for posting a fix. Has anyone else had this problem from the Itch app?
My reaction, just wow! I really loved the concept and the style of the game. After finishing the game I just wanted to play again and to explore more. Dolls, claygirls, card-combat, and much more. |
Happy to see a part 2. Awesome work!
Glad to hear it!
Pros and cons are down below) Check out the first minutes of the game here if you want to (but don't forget to like and sub ;))
Advantages:1. Game mechanics are very interesting. At first it was a bit confusing but after the tutorial, I started enjoying them a lot. I think it's original and creative. I loved both exploration mechanics and fighting. Great job!
2. The art syle is unique and lovable. Creates a very cool ambiance!
3. The game has a weird appeal to it. And by weird I mean that I can't even figure out what exactly draws me, but I just want to play more. It's just so much fun. I mean, as I'm writing this, I'm thinking when I'll be able to play more. It's very cool!
4. Also, liked the story and the amount of endings (haven't reached any of them yet, though). I like that there are missable notes that can reveal more about the story or characters.
Disadvantages:
1. It would be a nice touch if the items the player equips would affect the appearance of Marie. I think that would be neat, though I can imagine how much time it would take adding these details.
2. For me personally, hiding mechanics were the hardest to understand. I spend a lot of time in the tutorial trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Turned out that I have to be mindful of slashes and type "close door n\". That made me thinking that the game would benefit a lot if the tutorial would have examples of the stuff you can write (like not in the brackets like they are now but in a text so even dumb-dumbs like me would figure it out). Something like that: "you can also hide in the game. In order to do that close the door behind you. For example, the command "close the door s\" would close a particular door on your south but the rest would stay open, be mindful of that." I know that this suggestion might seem funny but I really had a hard time and more examples would be very helpful. You can even add them in a different part of the tutorial just for people like me.
3. Also a list of verbs that a player can use would be really helpful at the start. Maybe like in the different window on the right when one can see equipment. Or maybe it was there then it would be nice to point it out in the tutorial that a player has it because in that case I missed it. It would be helpful a lot because at some point I forgot about going "up" and "down" the stairs ans tried to "ascend" and "descend".
Overall:
The game is a bit confusing so the tutorial is obligatory. But after that, it's just so much fun to play! I definitely recommend it and I'll definitely play more. I rate it 5/5. It's interesting and original and weirdly addictive. Great job, devs!
Hope my feedback was useful!
Thanks! We'll keep it in mind for a sequel or possible expansion. If things work out, there may be a QoL patch down the road, as well.
Just played through this and really enjoyed it. It's too bad I hadn't heard of it before the bundle, because it's definitely my jam. I might end up buying it on Steam just to give you folks a little extra support.
Maybe it'd be too much trouble, but a gallery of the different sprites and artworks you've seen would be really nice.
Good idea! I'll probably add it as a downloadable .png thing for people who own the game. Glad you liked it.
could someone do a walkthrough of this ? the games great but i have the puzzle solving skills and patience of a two year old.
I'm working on one. Expect it within a week.
Yes thank you so much (=
Here it is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tBgEYRoMvCH-hibb6Wxf3eCh2gJdIEhs/view
Thank you
The premise of String Tyrant is to save your best friend and your brother from the manor or you can transform everyone into an inanimate dolls/claygirls/statues. I was gifted this game through itch.io and I thought to give it an objective review.
Firstly, the plot of String Tyrant is well constructed, with books scattered around detailing the origins of the lifeforms cohabiting in the manor, as well as some testaments cautioning the dangers of the manor. Most of the stories are tragic as everyone is trapped inside the manor and transformed against their will, but some actually accept their transformation into a statue, doll, claygirl (I believe there are more forms which I left out, but it's mainly these 3 which leave a deep impression). The plot is succinct and direct, following a typical storyline, while getting constantly chased by the inhabitants of the manor, which gets me to the mechanics of the game.
The style of String Tyrant is a familiar mix between House of Pandemonium Adventure Mode and Pandemonium Classic Mode. Briefly, it comprises of the rpg adventure platformer with a clearly defined end goal, with elements of Classic Mode(the enemies spawn indefinitely, sandbox mode) incorporated into it. Combat mechanics are refreshing with the use of randomly generated cards to craft a sequence of elements-based attacks. I am not very sure what the circles around the enemies are for, but maybe you could base the colours to the elemental weaknesses they have. Equipment are diverse though I do appreciate if they can implement some range weapons and even a stun bomb which temporarily stuns the movement of the enemies if you are trapped.
The gist of the transformations is inanimate, forced(against will) possession which I do not prefer. I do like some anthro and mythical creatures, maybe considering exploring a sequel with these in place to cater to a greater community. However, what I do acknowledge is that the transformation sequences are well-illustrated and coloured, and there is no denial that the artists have spent a huge time deliberately designing inanimate characters, so kudos to them. In particular, I like that the ending scenes and the transformation scenes are placed on a black blackground, thus shifting most of the focus to the transformations themselves, and not on the background. The title screen is ominous too, which foreshadows what the protaganist and her friends predicament if they are not careful.
There isn't any iconic soundtrack that house of pandemonium adventure has, but the absence of any fast paced, upbeat soundtrack fits the mood of String Tyrant. The characters are memorable and endearing, particularly Lauren who can stand up for himself despite appearing fearful throughout most of the game. There isn't any end bosses to the game, but I find that the health of the end game enemies is a tad too much. There isn't any bugs nor typos I have found in the game, except the occasional inseperation of the words for the dialogue between Sarah and the protagonist at the basement. The minigames(disguised as traps)are a great respite from the run-or-fight playstyle for String Tyrant. The minigames are creative and logical. I wouldn't spoil the endings for you, hence I do encourage you to check out the demo, or you can hop on to Discord or Salty's blog to find out more.
Overall, great work by the developers of the game who obviously design the game for a particular audience who like inanimate tfs. Yet, there is some charm in discovering the origins of String Tyrant and discovering your inner fetish. Expect the playtime to be around 2.5-3 hours. Thank you to the developers and supporters of the game. Final Score 8/10 (objectively, can't denial that my preference for HoP adventure mode and mythical/anthros tfs pull the score down a little, but 8 is a respectable score nonetheless)
From FloraAsu. I posted the exact same review on tfgamesite.
Oh, this is some wonderful stuff. Interesting combat system (though I was a little unclear on just what Water/Stone were actually doing and how they were helping me, although I was on the Turn Mode rather than Active Mode; maybe that would make a difference), and some lovely artwork for the whole thing.
That said, I will say that a couple of things disappointed me. First: While I love all of the looks that were there, I was a little disappointed that only the Goth and Dancer ones were available as ways for one to end as a doll. I totally get why Dancer is where it is; there would be a lot of extra artwork needed otherwise. However, I was more than a little surprised that only Goth ever happened with the earlier situations. Given that the ending screens for the doll endings don't make it clear just which doll is Mary, I might have expected it to be more random.
Or maybe I just really wanted to run around as Princess Mary for a bit.Second, and this is perhaps more of a nitpick, but: If you lose in a battle against one of the Resin Dolls, while the transformation you undergo into a doll is different, along with the character artwork being an alternate hue, everything after you regain control of Mary is simply a replay of the normal Doll ending path. It seemed surprising to me that Resin Mary would remember having undergone the same plastification process that the normal dolls do, along with subjecting her sisters to the syringe rather than the same process she underwent. Similarly, I might have expected different ending text (and perhaps a palette swap on the ending screen) given that the Resin Dolls are explicitly described as being a sort of warrior caste within the Manor, as opposed to the lesser dolls running around alongside them.
Also, though maybe this is just me not quite understanding what's going on, is there somewhere to view all the endings, or do I need to have a big pile of save files for that?
One last thing: I wouldn't mind it if there was an Endless Mode of sorts that unlocked upon reaching endings 5, 6, or 10. Could be fun to have something akin to the way that House of Pandemonium plays in Corruption Mode, where you can train up your own plastic army. Maybe get to know Eileen a little better at the same time... :)
Hm? Dancer and Goth have some special endings, but the other four are also available.
The form you get is determined at game start, so a new game will get you a different doll. You can also use the debug command [pref x] where x is princess/goth/dancer/geisha/bride/punk.
The resin titan thing is just a minor thing. It might get changed, might not, it's not exactly a dealbreaker. Dev time is limited and all that.
As of v1.01, you can re-view the ending sequences for all endings you've unlocked. It's on the options screen, there is an "Endings" button in the bottom left.
Aha! I didn't realize the doll type was set at New Game; I played through with a single save that I reloaded to on each game over.
Out of curiosity, which one is the special Goth ending? Was that the strings?
Correct. Get caught by the strings three times and a unique bad-end plays out.
This is quite an amazing game. I love the fact that you continue playing as the enemy once you get defeated as well.
(Wow I made this comment way to big; I just had a lot to say about the game because I care and love it; it is honestly a really good game)
The story is fairly interesting but leaves some room to be improved. I'll elaborate a bit:
The statue form of yourself is very much a favorite it seems. This version of yourself has a lot of text that was really fun. Of course it can be the same droning text over and over but I do wish some of the other forms Mary had additional text when carrying the supporting cast members.
Maybe also differing speech and thought text depending on what type of doll you get transformed into (i.e. the punk doll probably shouldn't speak or think like the rest of the dolls since they're apparently rebellious but loyal to the creator, whereas the princess doll should be fairly royal in their speech patterns) but those are really just minor nitpicks.
I did encounter a typo in the game when I was playing; if you get defeated by Jessie as a statue it says "As swing your stone..." instead of "As you swing your stone...." That itself is a minor typo though. So far I haven't encountered any other typos.
The only mechanical problem seems to be that most of the time when I move my mouse and the game is open, it freezes for a second or two. Fullscreen also seems to make my mouse disappear on the title screen. This may just be a problem on the Starlight Engine for me, but its the only game I have that does it constantly.
As for combat, I have a lot to say:
There doesn't really seem to be an incentive to use water or earth cards. They do impede some slowness on enemies, but I found myself building a pure fire and wind deck (with the life and death cards) since the Torch is one of the best weapons in the game as of right now because of its +2 to fire damage. Combined with the appropriate gloves and the best armor in the game, this can give you a total +5 to your fire, which can just incinerate (literally) enemies in the game. I put wind cards in the deck because their biggest bonus is drawing additional cards every time. Sure some enemies have a weakness to water or earth, but fire is the most common weakness in the manor, and the +1 weakness damage just doesn't cut it. For a turn-based run-through of this game, wind is definitely an element you need in the deck to play. While a certain awesome sounding item is in the late game, I just didn't use it because there was no incentive to. I had the torch; the torch is an item you need in one part of the game, and I just never bothered to unequip it because there might of been an area needing it later.
I believe I have gotten 13 out of the 15 endings on my first play-through of the game, since I do not know how to get the Betrayal or the Submit endings. I don't particularly mind as much. Perhaps in my next play-through of the game (Most likely on Normal or Hard difficulty; Easy just seems really easy except for the Stranger one or two times. That later just was a pushover fight like the rest of the enemies, however.), I will try to figure it out, but other than harder difficulties and getting the endings, the game itself doesn't really have a replay value in a sense.
Speaking about harder difficulties:
Maybe on Hard mode the game should disable save glyphs or just make them much more rare in the game. I never had to use one since a fountain was always nearby. Or even then you could add a new mode that removes the aspect of "playing fair" and if you get found by a doll there's no combat, you just lose hit points and the doll gets disabled for a while (depending on the weapon and possibly its weakness it could be stunned for a longer amount of time). Getting attacked by the stranger could either instantly kill you or you could get hit for half your health. As the game progresses, the dolls deal more damage and the stranger could instantly kill you. Maybe having all three members of the party will make too much noise and you'd have to hide them in a safe place (such as a fountain area) after you scout out enemies in the game. This could bring the stealth aspect of the game more into fruition without over-impeding that core of the game. I did see the marble item in the game's coding, but never encountered it in the game; that would be a great thing to add into the game for this hypothetical mode if it isn't there and I didn't skip over it.
I do feel as though Jessie and Lauren should be harder to beat the farther you go into the game, or better yet maybe they should be really difficult (like the stranger) to beat on harder difficulties; maybe they run away after you beat them and you have to defeat them a total of three times to finally cripple them. Most of the endings to the doll-part of the game are too easy it seems. I honestly wish the think command did not give me the exact location of Lauren and Jessie, maybe just a part of where they are in the manor.
It would probably help that doll!Mary got the full map added to them to help with this harder Jessie and Lauren.
I really, really love this game and I want there to be more added to it, including maybe a "true ending" that shows how far you went like in other survival horror games. While it may seem like I am thrashing on the game's mechanics and its combat, I really enjoyed the first time I went through this game; especially since I went through the game blind as a bat. Lauren is someone I want to protect and make sure nothing happens to; Jessie is pretty funny at some times, and Mary is the main character.
I do want more of the game and the doll manor to play through; more replay value and harder difficulties would be great. While I don't think anything will be added, it is a brilliant game that I wish to see more of.
Starlight Studios, you made quite a brilliant gem and I hope to see more of your projects in the future.
Thank you for (possibly?) reading this really long comment. If you've stayed here for this long it means you actually wanted to read my comment. So cheers!
Wow, thanks for the (long) feedback! We'll get on the bugs soon, we're doing periodic bugfix releases.
Many of these are good suggestions, and if the game does well, we're considering a sequel or expansion. One of String Tyrant's strengths is that it is small and to the point, with no padding, but a sequel can expand upon the gameplay and still not be padded. So, expect future entries to be larger and have more replayability.
We have some... improvements in mind already for a possible sequel. Stay tuned!
Here is good, we'll release some small patches periodically.
Sequels/Expansions are based on how well the game does. We're currently working on a Steam release and seeing about promoting it. Stay tuned!
All right, I will log these and get to them this week.
If you feel like monthly support, the team has a patreon. This is a NSFW thing, though. We have another game we make - Pandemonium. It's free. Give it a look. You can find more out on our blog.
Thanks for the positive review! It's a rare thing to see cute assimilation, so boy did you luck out.
If we already bought the game and you release it on steam, is there any way to get it through the steam system without paying again since it's always easier to have all of one's games in one spot.
Yes. Steam allows us to generate keys and they can be sent to players. There is a special button on the page that can request a key.
The Steam release is expected to be in early May.
I finished the entire game I guess, great experience. Although I found it rather hard to get betrayal and submit endings since there was no option to do it via the menu, you had to type in command yourself. It ended up in me searching in Lua files for a few hours. :I Still, great game.
Thanks, glad you liked it. They're meant to be sort of "secret" endings, but making a popup would be mischevious...
Is there actually a way to do it? I haven't managed to figure it out.
[SPOILERS FOR PEOPLE]
When in the last phase of the game, use the [transform jessie] command. You have all the same abilities even if you know who you are, right?
Ohhhh. Now I feel silly.
Started playing game, in an update would be cool if in options you added a list of all found endings and could click on one to view it again.
Great idea! I'll see if I can work it into the patch that is projected for Sunday or Monday.