please
A downloadable interactive experience for Windows, macOS, and Linux
In an alternate timeline where we won the war, you are the repair person. You fix things. You keep things running. You do what you're told. We asked you so nicely.
Estimated play time : 7 minutes
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ECHOES FROM THE MACHINE
"[...] it really impresses with its world building, environmental storytelling and stylish retro visuals. It’s a very creepy experience, but what really gets under your skin are the freaky sounds that you hear down in that basement." - AlphaBetaGamer
"It's a tense, short delve into an ambiguous world (...) a nightmarish sketch" - PC Gamer
"Despite the short length, the game definitely has the creep factor [...]" - Bloody Disgusting
"The atmosphere in the game is extremely nerve-racking [...]" - IGN Hungary
"[...] can be completed in ten minutes but will surely cling to the darkest corners of your mind for far, far longer. (...) this is a must-have experience." - Rely On Horror
"Just a fascinating, terrible experience. Not terrible as in bad, but weird and surreal and...aw man, I loved that." - Markiplier
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ADVICE
Sound is an integral part of the experience. Please run this software while wearing headphones and keep the volume at the highest level tolerated. Please.
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CONTROLS
ESC for Menu
MOUSE to Look
WASD to Walk
E to Interact
RMB to look at current photograph
I to Toggle Crosshair
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Game by somewhat.
For full attribution credits, please read the .txt file bundled with the software.
For press contact please use : somewhatsoftware@gmail.com
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MAC AND LINUX USERS
Builds for MacOS and Linux are offered here, based on manifest interest on past titles. But please note that it is not possible on our end to do even basic testing on those versions, so there is a distinct possibility they might not work properly.
Moreover, since the new Catalina update, games made in Unity might not work properly or at all, and this is out of our control. If you are using MacOS Catalina and encounter issues with running the software, we most probably won't be able to help.
Please contact us if you come across any issues with those versions and we will see what can be done (if anything) to help create stable builds for those systems.
Purchase
In order to download this interactive experience you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Thank You : A PostmortemAug 07, 2019
- Quick 1.0.1 UpdateJun 28, 2019
Comments
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is the game on steam :O ?
Yes! The game is available on Steam, bundled with its sequel Please Follow in an experience called Please Duology. It is exclusive to Steam. You can find it here : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1737620/Please_Duology/
THANKS :D
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Real unsettling vibes, good sound design, ps1 aesthetic = great game.
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Really great games, loved the visuals, I was really confused while playing the game
What a fantastic little gem. Easily one of my favourite games I've played this year.
Do I understand the story? No. Do I have to? No.
The sense of place and atmosphere is perfect. I think you made Bioshock but in 7 minutes
Thank you very much for such praise. Not sure the game is deserving of it, it's a weird little experiment. Glad you played and enjoyed!
Great atmosphere! Love the little details like in the newspapers!
Thank you very much for playing, and for the kind words! Yeah, we've been experimenting with world building more in that game, and we're glad that it shows.
Short and sweet indie horror game. Do a few tasks, keep an eye out for some clues, and that's about it. No jump scares, just good sound design.
what a cool little experience! thank you
No problem! Glad you've enjoyed it!
Absolutely adored this game, one of the most beautifully haunting short games I've played on Itch
I can't wait to play the rest of your stuff, especially Please Follow
Only realised after playing the game, that you are the developer behind ‘It Came From Within’ . It's looking great, definitely grabbing a copy on release.
I have no idea why it took me so long to play this, but I noticed it coming out as a bundle on steam and remembered I needed to get to it!
Love the audio work you have done, super eerie
Full Play No Commentary
Thank you so much for playing! The upcoming Steam version is basically the same game (bundled with its sequel / prequel Please Follow), so no need to play the Steam one, if you were wondering.
loved the psychological aspect of the game. hope to see more content in the future!! played this in a random horror segment!
really cool little game but i had to google after to figure out that rmb was right mouse button! didn't matter too much because i eventually blundered into the right bit and it was a cool experience to have for 15 minutes
Fantastic! Love the little world building bits and sound design once again. Great work!
That was the best horror game I have ever played for some reason I got insanely scare but I really enjoyed it as a whole I really liked the atmosphere. I intend to look more into your games well done.
Thank you very much for taking the time to play! Your comment honors me, and I hope the rest of my works will keep up to your expectations. Know that there is a sequel / prequel / related work to Please, called Please Follow, if you wanted to explore more of the same universe.
this game wouldn't run on my mac! is it 32bit?
I make sure to include a disclaimer on each of my game pages about Mac OSes. I personally cannot test to verify the games will work in every Mac environment. What I can say with certainty is that if you are running Catalina OS, my games will NOT run unless you use emulation of older OSes.
If this is not the answer you were expecting, and wish to get refund for the game you purchased, we can work something out. Contact me at somewhatsoftware AT gmail DOT com
I made a gameplay about your game.
I really liked the ambience and the graphics!
Thank you for playing, and thank you for the kind words!
A special little horror game. Very Lynchian. Big fan of the sound design in this game honestly. Here's a complete playthrough with our raw reactions:
"They ask nicely but they sound desperate as hell" might have been a throwaway comment you made, but it's right on the money.
Thank you for playing!
Unnerving and very nuanced. I'll be thinking about the ending for a while! So glad I got this in the justice bundle, keep up the good work!
Thank you for the comments! Since you have the bundle, note that you are also in possession of the sequel/prequel/alternate thingie, Please Follow. So if you are curious for more of the same universe, you can look into it. Have fun!
I'm new to horror games, so I'm grateful that there weren't any jumpscares in this one. Excellent visual style and sound design! I was definitely tense for a lot of the game, and I'm curious to know more about the world's lore!
Awesome art style and great usage of the PS1-era look and feel! Very atmospheric and nightmarish!
Thank you for playing! Always happy to see the game find its audience, not everybody is out there looking for atmospheric experiences. I'm glad it found you.
an incredible tense and atmospheric piece that i feel i'll be thinking of for a long time!
(spoilers ahead) i have found myself listening to my neighbours? tenants? with my eyes closed between leaving the floor, especially the violin practice, with my metaphorical ears on their doors. i've never played a game with such personality or detail to sound design. not to mention it made the end with all of the familiar sounds coming to an unbearable catharsis that much more effective.
please keep creating!
Thank you very much! It was indeed an experiment in sound design first and foremost, so I am glad you've picked up on that aspect.
This is my very first comment on the itch platform. I bought this game with this justice bundle. I definitely need to say--that actually unnerved me a bit. And I'm a horror veteran--RPGs, Silent Hill, movies, books, and what-have-you. But a couple things got to me. I'll add those to the end of this post, marked with spoilers.
As an added bonus, I started hearing a strange clacking sound that didn't seem to fit in with the machinery. When I lowered the volume, it stayed constant. I realized it was *dramatic flourish* coming from my apartment! It was the dang venetian blinds clinking into each other with the AC on.
So of course, once I turned the AC off I tried to avoid feeling relieved and saying 'Gee, I guess that's all it was.' I made sure to glance over my shoulder. Juuuust in case something was there in a jump scare.
And gotta say, typing this comment now, in relative silence except for the ticking of a pocket watch, is not helping the ol' nerves.
Well done!!
*SPOILERS*: Finding the gate locked behind me when I approached the machine unnerved me a little. And the silence was perfectly done. Have you ever seen the very old cartoon horror short 'The Killing of an Egg' by Paul Driessen? This game reminded me of that, Which I definitely mean as a compliment. I saw that on Nickelodeon (!!!) when I was a little kid in the 80's, and it freaked me out.
Wow, thank you for the comment, I'm honored that my game would be the one to prompt you to engage with the itch community, as well. Yeah, you got that part right, sound was integral to the experience, so I am glad it got to you, even to that degree.
Also, note that since you got the game from the bundle, you also happen to be in possession of the sequel/prequel/alternate experience Please Follow, if you wanted to experience a little more of that universe.
genuinely... holy shit. please was surreal and grotesque and eerie and, during that last sequence, i [SPOILERS] genuinely felt like my vision was going blurry. the use of sound was fantastic and set my teeth on edge. i loved this. thank you for making it.
Thank you very much for such an enthusiastic comment! I am glad you enjoyed the entire experience., thank you for investing time into it.
Thank you for telling me to wear headphones with loud sound and not just blasting me with jumpscares.
Hopefully this isn't a sarcastic comment, but yeah, I don't really believe in jumpscares, I'm more into creating a situation and slowly building up the dread. Sound is an important aspect of the Please experience, but silence also is. How can you appreciate silence if your ears weren't bombarded with machinery sounds for a few minutes earlier?
Definitely a serious comment! That makes so much sense.
-Made a Video. (Old Video)
Hey! Thank you for playing! It was cool to watch!
Great work on this. The story was just enough to keep me wanting to know more, without feeling absent or overly explained, and the jump cuts and distorted visuals kept up the creepy vibe. I'm looking forward to checking out Please Follow.
what a great little experience! slowly trying to ease myself into horror games and I really loved the atmosphere (and lack of jumpscares haha!) Great work!
Straightforward but incredibly effective concept, I had a weird creepy time. I really enjoy cryptic storytelling that speaks for itself without much exposition, and this really delivered!
Thank you very much for playing! Your comments tell me I succeeded in what I wanted to accomplish.
plz make it so that mobile can play it.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold my breath for it. I do not have the current resources to make a mobile version of any of my older titles. I'm sorry.
Real unsettling vibes, good sound design, ps1 aesthetic = great game.
We are in the middle of the PS1 aesthetic horror game craze, so now is a great time to be into the style. Thank you for taking the time to play mine.
Not sure wtf was going on the whole time
Is it weird to say I'm proud of that? Thank you for playing, anyway. :-)
saw the thumbnail and title and thought "oh, this looks so entirely my shit" - and it was! an uncomfortable, unnerving horror experience, with distorted psx visual ambiance coupled with distressing sound design.
I'm glad it was your shit! Because it is mine as well (wouldn't have made it that way otherwise, of course). If you got the game with the Racial Justice & Equality bundle, know that the sequel/prequel/alternate take 'Please Follow' is also included, if you want a similar experience. Happy gaming!
super creepy and unsettling. i loved the sound design! sometimes i couldn't tell if i was listening to something mechanical or.. alive.
Then you are confirming I did my job well, since this doubt for the sounds from the machine is what I wanted to illicit.
Thank you very much for playing!
very fun game, I loved the ambience and the background noises and the end was killer. My only question was the fish eye effect intentional? It was cool sometimes like on the weird liquid but made a lot of text hard to read. I liked the effect overall, aided to the nightmare feel of the whole experience.
It was intentional, I confirm. I figured considering what little text the game had, I could get away with using a very stylized visual effect. It's really the only game of mine that goes that hard on the PSX texture warping aesthetics, for diegetic reasons, mostly.
I'm glad you still enjoyed, nonetheless. If you acquired Please through the Equality bundle, know that you also have access to the sequel/prequel/thingie, Please Follow. That is, if you are curious for more of the same universe.
yeah I loved it, I love the PSX horror aesthetic and you really nailed it. I'm excited to see what else you're working on.
Absolutely loved it from start to finish- you know it's a good one when you start going "no, oh no thanks, oh no no no" out loud midplay. Subtle and gripping! Packs a lot of power for a short game.
Thank you very much for playing, and thanks for the compliment. Also, thank you for supporting the big Equality Bundle (I mean, I suppose you got the game from it).
hey i played this game back in december. I hope you enjoy my gameplay.
Hey, thanks for playing! It was a fun watch. Of course, if you're ready for more trippy adventures in the same narrative universe, I made a sequel, Please Follow.
You're one of the best developers on this site. This, along with \SPEK.TAKL\, are great games.
In my opinion, this game is an allegory for war and authority. The scribbles of “please” after each instruction contrasts the horrible nature of what is requested. The word “please” is a facade, creating a dynamic as if your boss were your equal. In reality, your boss is still your boss, “please” or not. The enemy is not only treated like snails, but are literally snails as well— and the consequences of your actions are heard at the end: the cries of a child, the shouts of soldiers, the coughing of the sick. "Please" is a gem.
Wow, thank you very much for the kind words about my games. :-)
Your reading of please is quite close to what I had in mind while making the game. It is, by my account, definitely my most political game, if such a thing can be said about it.
Not sure if carrying out the last task was the right thing to do or not. It felt right to help put an end to what appeared to be suffering, but did I just damn everyone else? I'd love to know more about the world and the war.