Hi, welcome to the Puppet Combo FAQ page. I have probably linked you here if you asked a common question. I wish I could personally respond to everyone but I get these questions very often and need to focus my time and energy on making games.
Search Puppet Combo on the Google Play and Apple App stores for mobile games
You can also search for Puppet Combo on Nintendo, Xbox and Playstation stores for console games
What should I play first?
There are a lot of games, so it can be overwhelming. Luckily, the games are not connected so you can play any of them in any order and not miss anything or be confused. These are the best games to start with:
How do I get Puppet Combo Games on Steam?
Some are available for purchase on Steam but not all. You can add every Puppet Combo game to Steam in about 10 minutes.
First download the artwork archive: Puppet Combo Steam Cover Art
Next, follow the instructions in this video for adding the games to your library.
You can find all Puppet Combo games on PATREON
What engine/3d modeling software do you use?
Unity 3d and Blender.
When is the game coming out? What game are you releasing next?
I can't confirm any release dates or platforms unless they've been previously announced publicly. These days I hold off on announcing anything until I'm 100% sure it's going to happen.
Currently scheduled games are:
Stay Out Of the House (Consoles) June 2023 - Out Now
Power Drill Massacre (PC) 2023 - Wishlist Here
Torture Star Published:
Rewind Or Die (PC) 2023 - Out Now
No One Lives Under The Lighthouse (Consoles) 2023 - Out Now
Night At the Gates of Hell (Consoles) 2023 - Wishlist and Preorder
Sniper Killer (PC) 2023 - Wishlist Here
Why aren't your games on a certain platform? (Steam, consoles, mobile, etc)
There are a lot of factors involved in which platforms I decide to release something on and I'm unable to explain it publically for a variety of reasons.
Is _____ coming to console? When is it coming to consoles, etc...
The games are developed on PC so releasing on PC is easy. A console release on the other hand requires the work of multiple people and can take up to a year to port and release. It's also significantly more costly. So we can only go so fast with releases.
When a port is revealed, it will be announced everywhere. As long as you're following Puppet Combo on social media, you shouldn't miss it. However I can't reveal anything until an official announcement.
Can I have a game for free?
Sometimes I post free game codes randomly on Twitter but I don't give away download codes through DMs.
Do you need any music or a composer?
No, I currently work with some great musicians so I'm not interested in working with anyone else.
Do you need voice actors?
Sometimes. If you are interested, you can send a voice acting sample or reel to [email protected]
Only one sample please because I don't have time to listen to multiple recordings. It can be anything you want.
When there's a game that needs voice acting, I'll go through them and pick out who is best for the roles.
Is Puppet Combo a solo developer or a team?
Neither. I work on the game development alone for the most part but hire freelancers and work with volunteers for some of the art, level design and music. There are no meetings and barely any coordination involved in most things so I wouldn't call it a team.
I do the vast majority of development solo. I also personally do all the customer service, shipping, marketing, social media. There are no other employees at Puppet Combo.
UPDATE: There is now a second employee who is handling customer service, ecommerce, and various non-game development related business matters so I'm free to devote more time to making games.
Do you ship merchandise to my country?
Probably. The merchandise can theoretically be shipped all over the world if USPS is able to deliver there. You can verify by placing something into your cart and putting in your address for a shipping cost estimate.
Can I have the status of my merchandise order?
I'm too swamped to personally give everyone their order status. If it hasn't arrived within two weeks (domestic) or one month (international) please reach out and I'll look into the issue.
My website sends out automated emails with tracking info but many email services (yahoo is the worst) completely block the emails without notifying you or placing it in your junk mail.
Do you do commissions?
Can I send you my game idea?
No, I only make video games out of my own original IPs and do not work on commissions, contract work, or collaborate. The only exception would be if you have the rights to an established horror franchise that I am a fan of.
Can I work for Puppet Combo?
It's possible. I usually announce any openings on social media, but if you want to send an email with all relevent information and portfolio, I can keep you on file if something pops up.
I'm especially interested in hearing from solo game developers, experienced programmers, 3d modelers, level designers, 2d artists. Email [email protected]
Favorite movies and games?
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Martin, Talk Radio, Prince of Darkness, Zombie Bloodbath 2
Resident Evil, Clock Tower, Doom, Friday the 13th, Deus Ex
Do you have beginner gamedev advice?
I think it's best to start by picking a game engine and downloading a template project. Then try modifying that into your own game - change the models, make new levels, adjust the gameplay, etc.
I don't want to play with a VHS filter
This is usually an optional feature. In almost every Puppet Combo game, you can disable all filters, and have a variety of other configuration options.
Do you think PS1 games came on VHS?
No, I actually grew up in the 90s, renting PS1 games and watching beat up old horror tapes. So I wanted to combine the two. My games aren't intended to be 1:1 authentic recreations of PS1 games.
Your games aren't like real PS1 games. Why don't you make something more like Resident Evil, etc?
I got into gamedev to make the games that I wish had existed when I was a kid. I was dying for a Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street game for Playstation.
Most of my games are attempts to adapt the slasher genre into video games, with varying success. While I've pulled many elements from PS1 survival horror games, the slasher genre has many differences.
Why are you lazy / your games lazy?
I assure you I'm not lazy. My entire life is basically my job, and I spent a decade trying to make this business work by sacrificing everything. Most games have thousands of hours put into them and even include extra features like multiple camera modes.
If you dislike a game, or a design decision in a game, it's not because I'm lazy. Maybe I made a mistake, a wrong decision, or you dislike how I told the story.
You're trying to be edgy
No that's never been the case. My inspirations are horror, true crime, and general life experiences, so there will be some controversial subject matter. I've never gone out of my way to make things shocking. I try to serve the story and themes of a game when creating the series of events and all other aspects.
Your games are too short
As a player, I get bored of games very quickly. Even a 6 hour survival horror game can be a struggle for me to get through. And I've left many games I've played unfinished because they go on for too long.
I also feel like the horror genre and especially slashers benefit from a shorter runtime.
I've made many games you can beat in a few sittings so you can get the entire experience without a huge time commitment. I know you're busy.
This also isn't a hard rule. Some games are short and some are long. It just depends on what I'm making.
Your games are nothing but loud jumpscares
This is a common misconception. Most of my games aren't jumpscare based. The few that have loud jumpscares are some of the most popular so it seems like a lot of people have seen or played one and assume that the rest are similar.
All your games are the same
Puppet Combo games cover a wide variety of gameplay genres such as survival horror, stealth, reverse horror, platforming, shooters, etc (see this CHART)
Most of them have similar story themes (Slasher horror), so many people see the artwork and trailers and assume that they're all the same but the gameplay is often very different.
Your games are made for youtubers
No they're made to be played. I'd encourage everyone to please try them yourselves before watching a video. Watching it be played is a totally different experience. The best anology I can think of is watching a movie for the first time with the commentary track on.
I would recommend playing Puppet Combo games alone in a dark room when you have a few hours of free time.
You don't make the games, you have someone else make them or outsource the coding.
No, I've designed and programmed them all including Murder House. Many were made solo and I've hired artists occasionally for some modeling and animation. I got very burnt out while making SOOTH, so Lum and David contributed a lot to that one. You can see who did what in the credits.
Music is mostly done by MXXN, Clement PanchoutProtector 101, and Nick Bassett
Another question? Contact info?
Email support [at] puppetcombo.com
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