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Silent Game House

About SGH

Welcome to Silent Game House, an independent game developer that aims to create dark and atmospheric adventure games.

If you want know more about the games we create please follow this blog!

Our first game Seclusion: Islesbury is in development and you can learn more about it here.

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Recent Posts

  • Horror Experience In Games
  • On Indie Game Development and Adventure Games
  • Seclusion: Islesbury is Greenlit!

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Horror Experience In Games

Posted on September 2, 2017 in Development, News

When it comes to horror there are many elements that affect a game’s quality. Naturally, visuals are a big part of the experience. Without an effective representation of the world you created, it’s not easy to make players feel there is anything to be afraid of or a reason to be unsettled.

When players feel the world they are inhabiting makes sense, it’s easier to create the experience you want. Creepy mansions, bloody monsters, ghosts, dark corners, these all can establish the horror atmosphere you want to deliver, but there is something as important as what you see and that’s what you hear!

Sound effects and music are integral parts of a horror experience be it movies, games or even the stories you tell around a campfire at night. You might not have proper music for a campfire scary story, but the sounds coming from the woods can be scarier than any special effect.

It’s very easy to overlook the importance of sounds in a horror game because when they are created perfectly the players can’t separate them from the complete experience they are having. When visuals, sounds, and the gameplay mix well everything becomes one perfect journey for the players.

Music of Seclusion


This brings us to the music of Seclusion: Islesbury. From day one, I had no doubt music would be one of the most important elements of Seclusion.

There are many ways to approach horror music, but the goal was always going for the minimalist tones. Music of Seclusion had to be dark, tranquil, and easy to listen, sometimes unnerving, sometimes moody, but always in synch with the environment and the story.

And how do you create such music? With a talented musician, of course! As I mentioned in the previous blog post, Nico Negron joined the team this year to help us create the perfect atmosphere for Seclusion.

Being a talented artist is one thing, but creating horror game music with a specific goal is another. Thankfully, Nico and I share a very similar taste and vision when it comes to horror games. That makes our collaboration a very joyful and productive one.

The atmosphere we are creating for Seclusion is a very specific one. It’s lonely, it’s dark, it’s cold, sometimes it’s stressful and sometimes melancholic. I can easily say that Nico managed to give Islesbury its voice. It might not talk, but it hums its dark story through this amazing soundtrack.

So give a listen to the samples we shared here and look forward to hearing them in Seclusion: Islesbury when it comes out this fall. Yes, it’s that close! You can follow our Steam Store page to stay up to date on our release schedule, too.

In the meantime, you can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and IndieDB. If you want to hear more of Nico Negron’s music you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud.

 

Posted in Development, News Tagged adventure, horror game, indie, music, point and click, Silent Game House, soundtrack 8 Comments

On Indie Game Development and Adventure Games

Posted on August 11, 2017 in Development, News

Greetings, friends. Here we are with another Seclusion: Islesbury update, or rather, a general game development update.

A few months ago we were in the Greenlight fever and thanks to your help were able to get greenlit before the journey into the Steam Direct unknown started. Turns out it’s quite a bit easier to get into the Steam Store as of now if you have a 100$ to spare. But, that doesn’t mean Greenlight was a waste of time for us. On the contrary, I’m happy we were able to get approved by the community. We wouldn’t be able to reach many of the people we have if Greenlight wasn’t a thing. It was a good experience and now Greenlight is history.

Many believe future of small indie developers on Steam Store is bleak. Without a doubt, increased number of games and amount of “low effort” titles on the store makes it difficult for games with small to no promotion budgets. Visibility and reach for most games decrease as the time passes. These are certainly big problems, but I believe that’s the natural order of things. Game development tools are getting better every single day and not only they are easier to use compared to the past, they are also cheaper and more accessible. It wouldn’t be fair to put all the blame on Steam when the bar to become a “game developer” lowers each passing day.

Getting your game’s name heard is certainly a big challenge without some good money to spend, but that’s not all there to a game’s success. While I admit it’s a big part of the equation, the kind of game you are making and contacting the right communities are equally important.

 

It was a messy day…

Point and click adventure game genre is one of the oldest and probably the most controversial of the genres. Some people love it and some people can’t understand how these games can be enjoyed at all. It’s a regular occurrence to read the news of how adventure games are “dead” on gaming websites. Yet fans of the genre, including myself, just love it endlessly.

The things a p&c adventure game can offer are very specific: Stories, countless types of puzzles, and constant exploration. You might think “Hey! Almost all games do those, don’t they?” and you’d be right. But in my mind what makes adventure games different is these are the goals of the game, not means to an end. You want to see stories unfold, puzzles get solved, and every nook and cranny of the game’s environments explored. You don’t need to hurry (unless it’s a timed puzzle, the bane of our existence), you can just take your time and live in this world. Are you trying to solve a murder? On a spaceship trying to find your way into a new galaxy? Or about to find a way to distract the guard who’s guarding the door to the garage in which there is a motorcycle that you need to jump on a roof using a ramp to get antenna that will help you fix the radio which will give the code to the locked door that’s hiding the donut you must give to your friend to take the phone number of the girl you like? It’s all there, waiting for you to explore and experience. You can’t blame someone for enjoying these, can you?

Thus, for me, it’s all about knowing your audience and working on reaching them. For a small indie developer, there isn’t much else to do. Success might not be guaranteed, but it’s certainly a good path to follow.

I’ve heard the question “why make a p&c adventure game?” so many times. From a business perspective maybe it’s a justified question, but it’s not easy to deny one’s calling. I enjoy adventure games endlessly and I know many others feel the same way. That’s why I’m making an adventure game. To share this love with as many people as possible, as long as possible.

This was my little rant about the situation of the indie game development world. What do you think? Are we good or is the future dark for indie developers?

What About Seclusion: Islesbury?


It’s all well and good, but “What about Seclusion?” you might be thinking (at least I hope you do). Seclusion’s development is going very well and we can almost see the finish line now. From now on updates will come your way more regularly. Maybe not weekly updates, but there will be something to share every other week until the release date. So, make it a habit to follow this blog or our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and IndieDB!

There is still light in here. You just need to find it.

The real news I want to share this time around is our new member Nico Negron! He joined me a few months ago as the composer for the game and he was working very hard on creating an incredible soundtrack for Seclusion since then! On our next blog post, you will learn a lot more about the music of Seclusion and will get to hear some amazing samples. You can find Nico’s other work on his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter.

Until next time, don’t let the darkness consume you!

 

Posted in Development, News Tagged adventure, indie, indie game development team, point & click, point and click, Seclusion Islesbury, Silent Game House Leave a comment

Seclusion: Islesbury is Greenlit!

Posted on May 5, 2017 in News

After exciting few weeks, Seclusion: Islesbury is finally Greenlit and earned its place on the Steam store! Thanks to you we reached thousands of people and got really great feedback on the game.

Yet, this is just a beginning. In case you are wondering, naturally Seclusion: Islesbury will also be available on other storefronts and you will certainly have some DRM-free options, too. Nonetheless, being on Steam is a very important step for digital games, especially for indies, as it is the biggest and most used game delivery service available.

The release is not too far now and there is exciting news to share in the coming weeks. Stay tuned and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Posted in News Tagged adventure, dagon, horror game, indie, indie game development team, mystery, p&c, point & click, Seclusion Islesbury, Silent Game House Leave a comment

Seclusion Islesbury is on Steam Greenlight!

Posted on April 13, 2017 in News

Hello, everyone! It’s time for some exciting news. Seclusion: Islesbury is now available for voting on Steam Greenlight and waiting for your votes and support.

Steam definitely is not the only platform Seclusion is going to be released on (in case you don’t like to use it), but it is a very important part of the gaming ecosystem. It wouldn’t be wise to pass the opportunity of using Greenlight while it’s still available considering it won’t be so in the near future. Who knows, maybe the new system will better for Steam, maybe worse, but we can’t be sure. So here we are, making our way into the Steam Greenlight process!

That’s not all of course. To celebrate the occasion, I have prepared not one but two trailers for you to enjoy. I hope they are to your satisfaction and don’t forget to vote, share, like, do all the other good stuff!

 

Click to Vote!

Posted in News Tagged adventure, dagon, horror game, indie, indie game development team, mystery, p&c, point & click, point and click, Seclusion Islesbury, Silent Game House Leave a comment

Quick Development Update

Posted on February 22, 2017 in Development, News

Days are passing by and development of Seclusion is still going at full speed. I might not be actively sharing details of the development, but that doesn’t mean it’s going bad! On the contrary, Seclusion has come a long way in the past year. Instead of going for an early 2016 release, I have decided to improve the game more and provide something I can be proud of. I’d like to think that I’ve reached that goal.

Story and atmosphere are very important components of Seclusion, so being secretive about what the game has to offer is intentional. With Seclusion Islesbury we are creating an absorbing dark tale that will try to make you feel the loneliness and despair of the protagonist Jason Endel. Hopefully, you will enjoy following him through his journey in the depths of Islesbury.

 

In the last few weeks, Seclusion Islesbury has reached its beta stage and is being tested for possible improvements and bugs. Many improvements have been made through the feedback we get and this is going to continue until the release.

It’s not far anymore. The light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. From now on there will be more updates on the status of the game (for real this time) so don’t forget to follow Seclusion Islesbury on Twitter and this blog. If you have any questions, suggestions and/or anything you want to share leave a comment or send a message. In the meantime enjoy some fresh screenshots here!

Seclusion Islesbury Screen

Posted in Development, News 2 Comments

Seclusion Islesbury September Update

Posted on September 14, 2015 in News

After months of silence, welcome to the Seclusion Islesbury September update!

It’s been a while and it’s already September, but the game is still in full speed development and everything is coming together nicely. Unfortunately, due to some technical problems, development of the Seclusion Islesbury slowed down for a few months and this caused us to miss the game’s expected summer 2015 release date. It’s never easy to predict an exact release date for a game, but it’s close! In coming weeks you can expect more frequent updates and an exact release date for the game.

With that out of the way, let’s talk more about the game itself. As you probably already know, Seclusion Islesbury is a point & click adventure game with highly detailed environments and utilizes panoramic scenes with free camera controls. This was a very early decision in the development of the game and it ensures that the players see everything they need to see very easily and the game to be highly explorable in all the scenes. Main goal I had in my mind in the design stages of the game was creating a really dark and intimidating world with as little unwanted distractions as possible. This decision was dominant through all stages of the development and I’m glad to say the game looks and feels like what I imagined. Islesbury is an unfriendly, cold, and dark place that will keep you unnerved and intrigued  at the same time.

Seclusion Islesbury Screenshot

What a horrible night to have an investigation.

In this story, we accompany the game’s protagonist Detective James Endel in a cold case investigation of murders that took place in Islesbury years ago. This isn’t our protagonist’s only goal, though. With some recent information, he is also looking for clues on his wife’s disappearance that happened nine years ago and her mysterious death in a car crash five years after her disappearance. He wants to know where she was all those years, why she couldn’t contact him, and if her death really was an accident. But things won’t go as straightforward as he expects. Islesbury wants to keep its secrets to itself.

Seclusion Islesbury Screen

“Maybe I should wait until the morning.”

Gameplay is based on exploring the areas you visit and finding practical solutions to problems you face. These solutions sometimes require you to use the items you find throughout your journey and sometimes just some wits and practical thinking. In this town all secrets are protected and every person has one.

Story is a very important part of Seclusion Islesbury. To solve the mystery of this town, the murders that took place in it, and Jason’s past, you will need to focus on every detail. Anything you find and read can help you get one step closer to understanding the past, the present, and the future of this story, as tricky as it may be. Fear not, though. To a keen eye and a relentless brain, no challenge is too big.

That’s all for now, folks. Follow us here for more information and possibly a video trailer in the next update. In the meantime it’d be great if you shared the love. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.


 

 

Posted in News Tagged adventure, indie, indie game development team, mystery, p&c, point & click, point and click, Seclusion Islesbury, Silent Game House 1 Comment

Announcing SGH’s First Game Seclusion Islesbury!

Posted on January 15, 2015 in News

               I am very pleased to announce Silent Game House’s new game Seclusion Islesbury, a panoramic mystery adventure game with an intriguing story, dark secrets to uncover, puzzles to solve, and high quality visuals. You can find more information about the game here.

               If you want to be informed about the future news and updates please follow this blog.

SeclusionScreen2

SeclusionScreen3

SeclusionScreen1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Posted in News Tagged adventure, development, indie, indie game development team, mystery, point and click, Seclusion Islesbury, Silent Game House Leave a comment

A Sound Comes Out From Silent Game House

Posted on January 2, 2015 in Development, News

 

   Hello world!

   Welcome to the development blog of Silent Game House, an indie game development team. From now on you will be able to follow development of our first game here on this blog.

SHG Adventure Game 2

   We are aiming to create games with deep atmosphere and captivating stories that will take you to dark and mysterious worlds of adventure. If you want to know more about how and when you’ll be able to experience these adventures keep following this blog.

   There will be some exciting announcements soon!

Posted in Development, News Tagged adventure, development, indie, indie game development team, mystery, p&c, point & click, point and click, Silent Game House Leave a comment

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