Carcosa
Explore dim, lost Carcosa in my first attempt at using bitsy.
Move with Arrow keys or WASD
Original art and music by me.
EDIT : Woah! I had no idea how many people loved this project and its music!
Thank you all! As a thank you I have released the soundtrack free to download (or if you are feeling generous, a small donation) right here on Itch and on my Bandcamp :
https://sashacuha.bandcamp.com/
Once again, thank you all, we will meet again when the black stars shine.
Until then, take care of yourselves, be kind and keep curious.
-Starsblackanddim.
Comments
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Carcosa was reviewed by the arcane cache, a highly underground blog for very underground games:
This game holds an elegant, hypnotic beauty and goes down the path of minimalism in a bolt and consequent way that makes it rather unique – the playtime is probably around one minute. It is an adaption of a poem that doesn’t really attempt to refresh anything, and isn’t interested in re-contextualization; this is an approach that bears the risk of gliding into a uncritical relation to the source material, and of getting a bit dusty – the game plays very much like a game that was released when the poem came out could have looked like, like a forged relict from an era that predates the medium; and looking at the developer and their affiliation with goth this might have been exactly what they wanted to do.
Well done!
https://thunderperfectwitchcraft.org/arcane_cache/2023/12/18/carcosa/
Thank you for your beautiful and well thought out review. This highly underappreciated underground artist very much appreciated it.
It makes the heart leap to see so many words and thoughts dancing around one of my creations, particularly in so many positive ways. I would like it to be known, however that this is not a game, by definition a game has rules and an end goal, with the potential for failure. I don’t see that in what I have created. Perhaps an experiment, an experience, a dream or a digital poem? All of the above or none? Unless the player refuses to play, unless they player closes the window there is no potential for failure. Even then they can suffer my music if they so wish.
I acknowledge that you don't see your creation as a game; for me, the definitions of different forms of art is a highly fluent one; if you hadn't told me (and partly even though) I'd see it as a game, since the technical basis would practically allow you to allow me to interfere; but you decided against it. This is - for me - a element of gamedesign, although a rather radical one ;).
But this isn't what matters. What matters is that this is a wonderful game.
Greetings!
Thunder
lovely as the shores and as bright as the moon.
THank you very much. I hope that the shores are damp and the moon a gibbous uncanny yellow.
v. cool!
Cheers!
*chef's kiss*
a fitting tribute to our King in Yellow
The King in Yellow accepts your compliment.
beautiful, what else to say
Thank you.
Absolutely fantastic, it really does have the essence of carcosa. For a first time using bitsy, it was well made, the music was excellent and I played through it twice just to listen and look at the visuals for a second time.
Thank you very much! I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
is the music available elsewhere (streaming, bandcamp) ? it's so beautiful
Thank you. The music is now available on my bandcamp https://sashacuha.bandcamp.com/ and on here.
robert w chambers is an author i adore, and king in yellow is one of my favorite books. the pixel work is beautiful and captures the essence of carcosa. for your first attempt at bitsy, this was incredible. looking forward to any other bitsy projects if you so decide!!
Thank you very much. R. W. Chamber's is also one of my favourite authors, more for his finger and less for the moon.
He pointed the way to some fantastical ideas.
I may return to Bitsy, I may not. We shall see. :)
Very nice game, i really enjoyed it! Would be cool if there were more sound effect and maybe larger areas.
It was nice, first time i play a game based on a poem.
If you want to hear the game in spanish, i translate ir in my channel/ Si quieren escuchar el juego en español, lo traduje en mi canal.
¡Muchas gracias! Me sorprendió cuando vi que una obra de este pequeño proyecto fue producida en español. ¡Robert Chambers en la lengua de Cervantes es realmente un placer de contemplar!
the aesthetic is cool and I especially like the choice of colours but there's an obvious lack of objective. I can't help but feel like this would be a cool idea for a short puzzle game or something. I get that it's a visual novel so this is probably not what you're going for, but it felt kind of empty. But otherwise it had a nice ambient track and an intriguing sense of progression before the sudden ending.
Thank you for your feedback. Based on that, and the feeling that that poem initially sparked in me, I believe I have achieved my goal.
Very Cool!
Cheers!
Hi! I am contacting creators/developers on behalf of a graduate researcher studying how Lovecraft is represented in games. If you have time to complete a 10-minute survey about Carcosa, please send a message to: masonsmith [at] tamu [dot] edu.
Time moves like the tide,
I did not see this in time
to respond. Sorry.
I re-played this game because when I first played I didn't realize there was music. That definitely adds to the experience! I already wrote a review for the game, and wanted to further say that I found this game fascinating. The idea of using a poem to base the atmosphere and details around is very cool! I really was in awe by that! I hope you know your game is awesome, and I hope to see more of your creative endeavors. :)
Thank you very much. I am very glad that you were able to experience the game again with the music composed for it.
Your kind words give me impetus to make something new, perhaps in Bitsy, perhaps not. I hope you get to see more of my creative endeavours also, more than that, I hope they do not disappoint.
Breathtaking!
You're breath-taking
Great experience!
The artwork was absolutely gorgeous! The poem really takes life in your clever stage design and eerie visuals.
I was intrigued to find out that Carcosa was used by Robert W. Chambers, as I'm familiar with the Ambrose Bierce story - an Inhabitant of Carcosa.
thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
I've not read the Bierce story, but will track it down, thanks for informing me of it.
This is a really beautiful game, I found the patterns in the architecture especially striking.
Also the way the flames are animated really stood out to me, as well as the flags in the final room. Taking the time to make so many different versions while keeping the movements similar enough that they all look like they're being acted on by the same winds was fantastic attention to detail.
The music is a great fit too. Tense, crushing stillness is the atmosphere I always imagine when I picture Carcosa and I think the music really captures that.
thank you! It took a while, not gonna lie there.
I'm really glad you enjoyed the music as well.
An elegant trip. Nice.
Thank ye, thank ye!
The art and music was really good if you put the music up for download I would definitely download it
Thanks so much! I am thinking of putting more soundtracky things on here and will definitely include it as part of that. Glad you liked the game and music.