🎃 Trick or treat: Halloween possesses Manning Manor! 🎃
Spooky greetings, fearless ones! It's that time of the year again - it's trick or treat time! Jack O'Lantern is grinning everywhere, scary and beautiful costumes lurking around every corner and there is the annually Steam Halloween Sale of course! And that's why Silver Chains is
Spooky greetings, fearless ones!
It's that time of the year again - it's trick or treat time! Jack O'Lantern is grinning everywhere, scary and beautiful costumes lurking around every corner and there is the annually Steam Halloween Sale of course!
And that's why Silver Chains is currently not only available with an 80% discount, there is also spooky Halloween content in the game! Manning Manor got possessed by the ghosts of "All Hallows' Eve". Maybe Jack O'Lantern himself hides inside the not so abandoned mansion as well...
So enter Manning Manor, if you dare! If you haven't spent Mommy a visit yet, you should definitely do it with 80% off! Or Mommy would be really mad at you...
Good luck and have a spooky Halloween! 🎃
The Silver Chains-Team
https://store.steampowered.com/app/975470/Silver_Chains/
Hey friends,
we have some awesome news, which we can finally share with you today: We - that's Thunderful Games - welcome all of you to the premiere of our very first digital games showcase ‘Thunderful World’! ːsteamhappyː
Find out more in the following press release:
Gothenburg, Sweden - October 28th, 2021 - International developer and publisher Thunderful Games, creator of the multi-award winning and multi-million selling SteamWorld franchise, is welcoming everyone to a new digital games showcase, ‘Thunderful World’. The event will be taking place on November 10th at 11am PT / 2pm ET / 7pm GMT / 8pm CET, hosted by Hollywood and pop culture icon Mark Hamill. Tune in to the livestream on Twitch, YouTube and the 
Tune in to see Mark delight us with a ton of exciting new game reveals and announcements from Thunderful. The event will deliver updates on exciting upcoming titles including the surprise indie hit of Summer Game Fest, 
Hey friends!
Taking a look out of the window and at the calendar: It's getting summer! So it's time again for the ultimate hotness: The annual STEAM SUMMER SALE! From June 24 to July 8, our entire 
Spooky scary greetings, friends!
Do you know what time it is? It's that time of the year again when the leaves are falling, it's getting uncomfortable and cold outside and hollowed pumpkins are glowing and grinning behind the windows. Yeah, it's trick or treat time! It's Halloween again!
And that's why also Manning Manor got possessed by the ghosts of "All Hallows' Eve". Maybe a certain Jack O'Lantern hides inside the not so abandoned mansion as well... So start Silver Chains and enter Manning Manor, if you dare!
It's coming along with this year’s Steam Halloween Sale starting right now. So, if you haven't spent Mommy a visit yet, you should definitely do it with 55% OFF! Or Mommy will spend YOU a visit...
You can't get enough of Halloween? That's good news! So you should definitely dodge some bullets while typing exorcisms in 
Hello everyone, we are very happy to announce that we have added Steam Trading Cards to the game! You can now collect trading cards, profile backgrounds, badges and emoticons while playing Silver Chains.
We have also made some small improvements to the game:
gamescom is over and now PAX West is around the corner! There are just a few days to go! If you want to take a deeper look and get your hands on Silver Chains, let's meet in Seattle at PAX West, Floor 6, Booth #7216!
Come by, meet the nice guys of Headup, let's have a chat and get your hands on our other games as well: 
gamescom is around the corner, there is less than one week to go! If you want to take a deeper look and get your hands on Silver Chains, let's meet in Cologne! You can find us in hall 10.2 at the Indie Arena Booth!
Come by, meet the nice guys of Headup, let's have a chat and get your hands on four more gems of the Headup line-up: 
Since Silver Chains' release a lot of Streamers and Let's Players are stumbling through the dark corridors and abandoned rooms of Manning Manor. After a mysterious accident, Peter wakes up not knowing how or why he ended up inside an old mansion. But very soon he begins to realize he is not alone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlOmfetBWY4&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXzthnreZN8&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGZ-yZRDYxU&feature=youtu.be
https://store.steampowered.com/app/975470
To our amazing community! First of all, we’d like to say thank you for the great feedback and all the input you provided us with throughout the past 24 hours. That said, we are taking the community’s feedback very seriously and work very hard to improve your experiences!
Here is a short overview on the improvements that come with our first update:
It's about time to take a look into the endless darkness of Manning Manor. Rumors say that the old mansion is not as abandoned as it seems...
Colesy is on his way right NOW to explore the decayed building and give you a short peek into what is waiting for you inside this old manor, where the shadows seem darker than anywhere else...
Join him on his way through the darkness. And remember to behave - because Mommy is looking for you!
The release of Silver Chains in the next week is very close! Be honest, you want to take a closer look into Manning Manor, right? This is your chance! Follow our Live-Stream at 9pm (CET) / 12am (PST) here on the Steam product page!
We will take a closer look at what the first 30 Minutes will look like while giving you some background information of the game and the genesis of Silver Chains from the first idea to the complete game.
Very close to release a few Streamers and Let's Players already took a first look into the dark corridors and abandoned rooms of Silver Chains. After a mysterious accident, Peter wakes up not knowing how or why he ended up inside Manning Manor. But very soon he begins to realize he is not alone...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5jP0q-edOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEUZ6VATP7Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVhHqDfQexA
https://store.steampowered.com/app/975470
Nonetheless, the fireplaces in the house are still burning, there is a piano you can play, and the exploration of the mansion’s many rooms is frightening and exciting in equal measure. All of this gives the player the ability to perceive the mansion as a full-fledged character in its own right.
The game’s frightening atmosphere is also stressed by the score, whose slow chords will haunt the player to the very end. Certain scenes feature additional music which matches the nature of that particular portion of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y18Sy1koqw
In addition, Silver Chains features other characters who will not leave anyone indifferent. Throughout the course of the game, they will scare you, observe you, and make you empathize with them. As we mentioned before, the player, like the protagonist, does not know anything at the start. As they follow the story, the details of the plot will fit together like pieces of a puzzle, revealing the nature of the characters completely.
Creating a suitable antagonist was a major point for us. A terrifying, unkillable monster that curdles your blood. We found our antagonist in the shape of a woman - a terrible monster that pursues the player throughout the game with a murderous intent. She became an excellent way to create the atmosphere where a monster suddenly appears, running at you, and you can do nothing but flee. Of course, we gave the antagonist plenty of background, and the player’s attitude towards her will strongly depend on how much they feel for this woman’s story.
The content of the game is not limited to screamers and a villain, we found plenty of space for puzzles, too. They are organically connected to the plot and the mansion, preventing the player from disconnecting with the narrative. The puzzles are not complex, all they require from the player is to be attentive and memorize minor details.
Key to understanding the plot of the game are pages from a diary which the player needs to collect in order to understand the story in its entirety. These pages are scattered throughout the house, the player will find them one by one, thus filling in the gaps of what exactly happened there. They will be recovered out of order, and so we have put the date of writing on each of the pages. This will allow the players to pause and read all the pages in the diary, like a book, finding answers to all of their questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH0cfTVoPP4
We devoted plenty of attention to the main character, too. His name is Peter, he is a young man, and he ended up in the mansion for a reason. We deliberately went with a first-person perspective and never show the character’s face, all in the name of making it easier for the player to identify with the protagonist and to experience the terror he is feeling.
We are not concerned that some players might unravel the secrets of our story before the final twist. On the contrary, that would feel like a personal discovery, and we are all for it. In any case, the player will reach some ambiguous conclusions. This openness to interpretation would reflect the player’s own view on the narrative, making the story more exciting.
When it comes to the key visual of Silver Chains we didn’t want it to look like “just another key visual of another horror game”. That’s why we choose to work with the German musician and artist BastiBasti, voice of the Metalcore band Callejon. He created the Silver Chains visual with his own unique and great art style, combinig the elements of the game. Doing this in a way that is unusual for horror in general: in bright colors. Why? Just keep reading.
Your preference for dark designs, your style and Silver Chains hit the nail on the head. What inspired you for this visual?
"Thanks, I think so too! Basically, I was mostly inspired by the games characters. "Mother" did the most to me - she is the most *beep* and therefore the most *beep* character of the plot and therefore perfectly decorates the cover with her likeness. Maybe she would have liked it. ;)"
Usually horror is rather dark. In contrast, the visuals of Silver Chains are bright. Why?
"It depends on the perspective of course - in Asian culture white often stands in a more uncomfortable context, e.g. grief. That fits totally with the role of the mother. In addition, I felt the need to do something different, imagining what the game would look like on the shelf next to the usual suspects. It should stand out, but still clearly convey that this is a horror game. After designing the first visuals I decided to convince Headup with a predominantly bright artwork - fortunately I succeeded, et voila - horror in white works as well!
I had a lot of fun working on the artwork and hope this is not my last trip into the gaming world. Maybe one day I will have the chance to create a complete game with my own look."
Are you a player as well besides your art, German metal and vegan lifestyle?
"I am actually a gamer, but nowadays I rarely get to play anymore. By the way: My absolute favorite game is pretty much the whole game series - Fallout. Since Part 1 I am obsessed with Fallout’s wastelands.
In general, I'm not pinned down to one genre, because I really like a lot of games: Civilization and Sim City building scenarios, LucasArts games and point & click adventures, groundbreaking survival horror titles like Resident Evil on the PS1 or all the infinite current open world scenarios.
The entire gaming world from its beginning till today including all its possibilities of virtual worlds and alternative selves has always fascinated me - I am really excited about what awaits us in the next few years!"
And who is BastiBasti?
I started my artistic carrier with a musical context. Together with my band Callejon I created coherent worlds, because in my opinion the auditive and the visual should be consistent.
On the basis of my newly created illustrative style in those days I worked closely with the whole Metalcore scene on concepts, designs and artworks. I also worked with big names like Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban.
Design-wise I emancipated myself from my illustration beginnings and by now, work with all media that suit me to realise a project; especially visual arts.
At this time also Rammstein became aware of me. I am working with them very closely on design matters up to this day. I also worked with other artists and labels like Lindemann, Accept, Die Toten Hosen, Kreator, Eko Fresh, Sony Music, Century Media, Nuclear Blast Records, Four Music, etc.
Late 2015 I founded my own fashion brand called „BastiBasti Apparel“ where we exclusively sell specially designed streetwear. All our clothing is vegan and made under fair conditions. In addition to alternative streetwear „BastiBasti Apparel“ also sells exclusive items of my limited art prints.
Hey guys, while the development of our first game Silver Chains is nearly done we want to tell you a bit about the origin of the game!
From an early age, our team members were interested in the output of the gaming industry and always dreamed of becoming a part of it. Having reached adulthood, we made our dream come true and started working in a mobile game development company. We worked with joy and dedication, yet the desire to make something on our own did not abandon us. Using the experience we gained and having joined together as a team, we struck out on our own and began developing our own project—one that eventually became Silver Chains.
Our game development company is named Cracked Heads, as we are not afraid of risks and are willing to smash our heads to achieve the result. We started in 2017. Our office is located in Yakutia, at the extreme North-East of Russia—the coldest place on Earth, where temperatures can reach far below zero. This harsh climate and the remoteness from the rest of the world do not prevent us from following our dreams.
We pondered the choice of our game’s genre for a long time. After many long discussions and discarded ideas, we ended up with a horror game. This genre does not lose its relevance; it was interesting for us to work on a game like that. During the course of development, we were inspired by such games as: Outlast, Resident Evil 7, Silent Hill, etc. But instead of making a clone of already established games, we set out to create something of our own, inspired by the classics yet maintaining an original style.
Having chosen the genre and drafted a rough script, we searched for a good publisher. After a while, we found the perfect option—in the form of Headup. We were very impressed with their past projects, and, after discussing the details, we began our cooperation.
Based on our gaming experience and all the horror films we have watched, we came to a conclusion that good horror is not that which scares you the most, but that which leaves a deep and lasting impression. The kind which leaves its mark on your feelings, and you cannot get it out of your head as you lie in bed. Using all the lessons that we learned from our game, we sought to rely more on the atmosphere, the visuals, and the plot.
The house is dead and abandoned, frozen in time, along with its inhabitants. You can feel the stillness of time with its atmosphere of possession, spiritualism and occultism. Sometimes, solitude and isolation are even worse than the presence of monsters. While creating the house, we wanted to make it so bizarre that it would make you feel dizzy. To make you memorize all the rooms in order to understand what your next step is going to be.
As we were creating the monster, we knew that it had to be a family member. Of course, you could have seen an image of a monstrous mother before. An insane creature, driven by the sole purpose of finding and murdering the protagonist. From time to time, the mother makes different sounds, growling and wheezing. She is very dangerous, so the moment you hear her approaching, you’d better hide or run away.
In addition to her pursuing the player, there are ghosts that sometimes appear in unexpected places, such as windows, corridors, or doorways. They only appear for a couple of seconds, filling the role of a scare. The ghost children were the most important part to create. They needed to look terrifying and repulsive yet invisible and mysterious. These children serve as messengers of the past, leading the protagonist toward truth. Thus, we have told the story of the past by means of the ghosts’ appearances.
Every gamer needs a little help sometimes, but our game is not going to handle everything for the player, just like the games of old. We want our players to feel excited after solving a puzzle on their own. And we hope you will enjoy this game. Therefore, when we designed our puzzles, we did not intend to make them too complicated, but they require a lot of attention from the player. Noticing, recalling and applying what you know is what you need to solve them.
Experiencing horrors from first-person has a benefit of its own—we can see through the character’s eyes and hear his thoughts. It also creates a kind of intrigue about the protagonist, since we never see his face. So, what kind of characters should be at the center of the story? They need to be uncommon yet also easy to empathize with. The horror genre demands an emotional reaction to its dangers. The player must be able to identify with the protagonist. But the protagonist should avoid that which is obvious, there is always a secret.
Developing the game took us several years, and we can now say with confidence that we are content with the job we did. But, we will only be truly happy when gamers all over the world can appreciate the fruit of our labor.
