Knock Knock asks, 'Can you survive until dawn?'
While living alone in the woods must come with its own set of problems, it must be doubly difficult when strangers are constantly looking for ways to sneak into your house. Such is the premise in Knock Knock, a new game from Russian development studio Ice-Pick Lodge Game Development.
Knock Knock follows a hermit-like protagonist called The Lodger, who lives in the middle of the woods and engages in deadly games of hide-and-seek with supernatural home invaders. These uninvited creatures, who emerge from the forest and descend upon the hermit's home every night, sneak in through open windows and cracks in the walls. While running around and fixing these breaches, The Lodger must evade these uninvited guests until the sanctuary of sunrise arrives.
There is randomized item generation in each play session of Knock Knock, and The Lodger only has five item slots with which to equip found goods. On top of that, these creatures are always aware of The Lodger's position, so finding some closet and hiding until dawn is not an option. The Lodger must always be on the move.
Ice-Pick plans to launch Knock Knock on the PC, though a launch window has yet to be determined.
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Backstory
In November of 2011, Ice-Pick Lodge recieved an anonymous email suggesting they produce a game based on files attached to the message. Everyone gets these "I HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A GAME" emails, but this one was a little different.
The attachment was an archive containing 19 files titled "lestplay" including snippets of text, scraps of an audio recording, and fragments of video footage, all with a very oddly-worded message written in a disturbing style. Ice-Pick Lodge was unsettled. Something sinister seemed to be lurking beneath the surface.
The stranger begged them to complete the project he'd started, but also let them know that while it may explain the calamity that befell whoever compiled the ominous archive, the same fate might befall them. Yet he offered creative freedom and clearly believed in what he was saying.
While the team was fed up with mysterious emails with great new ideas, they still decided to give it a whirl and see what would come of it because this, at least, wasn't the 10,000th great new MMO idea, and there was always the chance of tempting fate itself since they'd be the first people to play the game.
Game Concept
A wooden house stands in the forest. A single man lives there.
The house recieves visits from unusual guests that knock on the window inviting this strange hermit to join them in a game of hide-and-seek. To win, simply remain alive and maintain your sanity until sunrise. Approaching the Visitors head-on is a dangerous idea.
As soon as the first Visitor emerges from the forest, the countdown begins. Every passing hour brings them closer to the house, and the house's walls offer no sanctuary. Something is already inside. Something is opening the window and banging around in the kitchen. Something controls the cellar and attic. Floorboards creak softly deep in the bowels of the house.
The Visitors are well aware of your position, so you must make your rounds of the house and find the breaches that let the creatures inside while doing your best to mend them.
You may come across some useful items that might help your survival, but those items are always random and your inventory is limited to 5 slots, so your gear changes by night.
Survive until sunrise and the monsters disappear, but if they get you before the sun peeks over the horizon, well, just the idea is terrifying.
Details
Fill in the gaps. The house aids the Lodger, but must be repaired and maintained.
Seek. The Lodger lost something very important. The reason for what is happening is somewhere inside. Everything can be explained, you need only find the key and bring it to light.
Wait. In this game, you must watch and listen carefully. Inspect and scrutinize everything. You only need to last until sunrise.
Follow the rules of the game! Of course, as you play the game, the game also plays you.
Pertinent Details
Title: Knock-Knock
Developer: Ice-Pick Lodge
Publisher: Ice-Pick Lodge
Platform: PC
Genre: ???
Release date: TBA
