winky's vacation

Made over the span of two weeks as an academic project in electroacoustics presented at the University of Alberta and a submission for the RPG Maker 2025 Game Jam, this game goes Beyond Expectations by challenging conventional approaches to sound design in the indie game space. 

The game features innovative and unprecedented approaches to sound design in RPG Maker, including a custom-designed musical sequencer made entirely using the engine's built-in scripting system that responds dynamically to in-game events. Almost all of the audio in-game was produced via modular synthesis, including realistic soundscapes and comedic sound effects, with a sprinkle of silly samples and pop-culture references.

Inspired by avant-garde works such as Petscop and LISA, experience a bite-sized, surreal adventure with a hidden narrative and secrets to discover. The game's hand-drawn visuals are inspired by such bizarre and quirky works as Jack Stauber's "rain" and Daver the Dave's 7 Days.

If you want to see more of Winky and my other projects, please consider supporting me on Kofi to enable me to focus on game development full-time this summer, follow me on Instagram @hotdawggames and Bluesky, subscribe to my YouTube channel and join the Hotdawg Games Discord server for updates on my game development projects. 

Reviews:

"This is awesome."

"You made this with RPG Maker?"

"I like the foot jokes."

"What happens if I walk backwards?"

"Milk?"

CONTROLS: WASD, arrow keys or left joystick to move; Enter key or X/A on gamepad to interact.

NOTE: Due to the techniques used in the game, it can be tough on the CPU. You're recommended to close all other programs before loading (especially Chrome). Enjoy!