The aesthetics are really cool, I like the look of this game, the premise is intriguing even if there aren't a lot there at yet. Wish it was possible to use the inventory without having to reach for the mouse, as most everything else is fine with just the keyboard. I've found a couple of bugs:
- Can't scroll dialogue opions with S, only W works - arrow keys work fine - Clicking on save progress while the participant list is mid-animation freezes the animation - After getting to the end of the current content, I started a new game and was unable to open the inventory with I before pressing ESC (for which nothing happens), after that I was able to open the inventory fine - After completing the prologue on a second playthrough, it won't let me proceed and instead has the same text as the end of the game and puts me back in the main menu
Menu music is good. SFX on the text is neat. Artstyle is peak, and presentation wise this is a big glow up from the last purely visual novel scene. Disagree with Max on diagonal movement, but people kept pestering me for that too so it is probably a good inclusion... I like the old school hard turns myself. Every day I am tempted to remove diagonal movement. Animated talking boxes are very good, the environment is simple but effective. Hide a secret in one of the mattresses.
Menu seems sleek and effective. Mix of black, white and red is neat. Sent friendo up, spotted mysterious character, figured out the rock throwing. Probably could have gotten up together then.
Spellcheck, should be "Welcome in, Raptor. Do you know why he has a knife? Church scene was the last submission, or is it different? Yes, it is.
Anyway, good job, there is definitely a market for these kinds of games, streaming and youtubers suck this shit up. Max Stern is always negging people, don't pay him too much mind. Think he is still sad his old game, which was very neat, did not get any traction.
But I agree with his whole critic and you can check my full response for more details. Obviously there is 5 minutes of gameplay so he doesn't have the full vision but whatever is the reason he is in bad faith, you have to remember that the average steam gamer buying the game will be in bad faith too. I even added the diagonal movement with sliding lol https://streamable.com/6c1se2 , I don't know about your game but my level design more appropriated for diagonals
Feels like there an option for 1920x1080. Walking around should have diagonal movement. Collision doesn't have the correctional sliding that's common to games in this perspective (does Gamemaker not come with this physics feature?). I don't like the sound effects for examining things. I get it's trying to be quirky, but there should really be more context when you start the game (e.g., who are you?). Having so many identical/pointless environmental descriptions is a waste of the player's time. If you examine something, it should be worthwhile. There should be a run button. I don't like using asterisks to describe actions. Saying words should use quotation marks, while descriptions of actions should be plain text. The rock puzzle was not good, as there were no hints nor reason to think examining the rocks later would be different than earlier.
The overall idea behind this isn't bad, but the execution is unimpressive. The artstyle generally works, but these types of character-focused games benefit from detailed/expressive character art. See: Omori. None of your characters have facial expressions. The writing relies too much on the player being familiar with this genre, making characters behave more like aliens than people. Compare the writing to something like Your Turn to Die. Despite the premise sounding interesting on the surface, it has no hook in practice. Being lost in the mountains was done interestingly in Remember11. From the little that is present here, you don't seem to be a very good writer. My favorite part was actually the character portraits, despite them being unexpressive.
>Feels like there an option for 1920x1080 Yes >Walking around should have diagonal movement. Collision doesn't have the correctional sliding that's common to games in this perspective (does Gamemaker not come with this physics feature?). https://streamable.com/fugkxy fixed, I was going for OG RPG Maker movement but my level design was not adapted. >I don't like the sound effects for examining things. https://streamable.com/0s80vb this "click" or the dialog beep beep boop? either way I don't know how to do sound effects and I need to learn them one day, but I'm happy with the current state of the dialog noises. >I get it's trying to be quirky, but there should really be more context when you start the game (e.g., who are you?). Boring in my opinion. >Having so many identical/pointless environmental descriptions is a waste of the player's time. If you examine something, it should be worthwhile. I 100% agree with you on that and some changes are needed. >There should be a run button. Yes, though not my priority >I don't like using asterisks to describe actions. Saying words should use quotation marks, while descriptions of actions should be plain text. Fair. >The rock puzzle was not good, as there were no hints nor reason to think examining the rocks later would be different than earlier. I agree. Do you think a shine on the rock once you need to inspect it is enough? >The overall idea behind this isn't bad, but the execution is unimpressive. The artstyle generally works, but these types of character-focused games benefit from detailed/expressive character art. See: Omori. None of your characters have facial expressions. I'll thrive to deliver on that part because this point is way more important than anything you mention earlier. I started by getting all the character drawn before doing the expression lol, I won't let you down. >The writing relies too much on the player being familiar with this genre, making characters behave more like aliens than people. Compare the writing to something like Your Turn to Die. Despite the premise sounding interesting on the surface, it has no hook in practice I'm planning on implementing some real detective game tech and systems apart from the dialog options to provide burden of proof of some kind. I tried to write dialogs in a more down to earth exposition way "How did we ended up here? Are we recorded? I don't know we need to explore. Maybe it's a Mr Beast video or something." but it was quite boring, so I want the sane characters talking like real people a bit later in the game and not right at the start. I can try to add a little intro sequence like the your turn to die intro talking about majority vote to introduce the thematic of my game but I'll do that later >Being lost in the mountains was done interestingly in Remember11 I don't know this game, I'll look into it. >From the little that is present here, you don't seem to be a very good writer. I'm learning while I'm making the game, it's fun :^) >My favorite part was actually the character portraits, despite them being unexpressive. Sheers!
Comments
Artstyle nails it dead on. Probably the main selling point right now. The premise is interesting, but currently it's very short. Still, I am hooked.
I love these kinds of games, so looking forward to your progress!
my artist is carrying hard I need to make good game to respect her hussle
The aesthetics are really cool, I like the look of this game, the premise is intriguing even if there aren't a lot there at yet. Wish it was possible to use the inventory without having to reach for the mouse, as most everything else is fine with just the keyboard. I've found a couple of bugs:
- Can't scroll dialogue opions with S, only W works - arrow keys work fine
- Clicking on save progress while the participant list is mid-animation freezes the animation
- After getting to the end of the current content, I started a new game and was unable to open the inventory with I before pressing ESC (for which nothing happens), after that I was able to open the inventory fine
- After completing the prologue on a second playthrough, it won't let me proceed and instead has the same text as the end of the game and puts me back in the main menu
thx for the playtesting my broski
Menu music is good. SFX on the text is neat. Artstyle is peak, and presentation wise this is a big glow up from the last purely visual novel scene. Disagree with Max on diagonal movement, but people kept pestering me for that too so it is probably a good inclusion... I like the old school hard turns myself. Every day I am tempted to remove diagonal movement. Animated talking boxes are very good, the environment is simple but effective. Hide a secret in one of the mattresses.
Menu seems sleek and effective. Mix of black, white and red is neat. Sent friendo up, spotted mysterious character, figured out the rock throwing. Probably could have gotten up together then.
Spellcheck, should be "Welcome in, Raptor. Do you know why he has a knife? Church scene was the last submission, or is it different? Yes, it is.
Anyway, good job, there is definitely a market for these kinds of games, streaming and youtubers suck this shit up. Max Stern is always negging people, don't pay him too much mind. Think he is still sad his old game, which was very neat, did not get any traction.
But I agree with his whole critic and you can check my full response for more details. Obviously there is 5 minutes of gameplay so he doesn't have the full vision but whatever is the reason he is in bad faith, you have to remember that the average steam gamer buying the game will be in bad faith too. I even added the diagonal movement with sliding lol https://streamable.com/6c1se2 , I don't know about your game but my level design more appropriated for diagonals
Taken by the crabs... and at such a young age ;_;
Feels like there an option for 1920x1080. Walking around should have diagonal movement. Collision doesn't have the correctional sliding that's common to games in this perspective (does Gamemaker not come with this physics feature?). I don't like the sound effects for examining things. I get it's trying to be quirky, but there should really be more context when you start the game (e.g., who are you?). Having so many identical/pointless environmental descriptions is a waste of the player's time. If you examine something, it should be worthwhile. There should be a run button. I don't like using asterisks to describe actions. Saying words should use quotation marks, while descriptions of actions should be plain text. The rock puzzle was not good, as there were no hints nor reason to think examining the rocks later would be different than earlier.
The overall idea behind this isn't bad, but the execution is unimpressive. The artstyle generally works, but these types of character-focused games benefit from detailed/expressive character art. See: Omori. None of your characters have facial expressions. The writing relies too much on the player being familiar with this genre, making characters behave more like aliens than people. Compare the writing to something like Your Turn to Die. Despite the premise sounding interesting on the surface, it has no hook in practice. Being lost in the mountains was done interestingly in Remember11. From the little that is present here, you don't seem to be a very good writer. My favorite part was actually the character portraits, despite them being unexpressive.
One day you will find happiness Max, and then your input will be friendlier.
>Feels like there an option for 1920x1080
Yes
>Walking around should have diagonal movement. Collision doesn't have the correctional sliding that's common to games in this perspective (does Gamemaker not come with this physics feature?).
https://streamable.com/fugkxy fixed, I was going for OG RPG Maker movement but my level design was not adapted.
>I don't like the sound effects for examining things.
https://streamable.com/0s80vb this "click" or the dialog beep beep boop? either way I don't know how to do sound effects and I need to learn them one day, but I'm happy with the current state of the dialog noises.
>I get it's trying to be quirky, but there should really be more context when you start the game (e.g., who are you?).
Boring in my opinion.
>Having so many identical/pointless environmental descriptions is a waste of the player's time. If you examine something, it should be worthwhile.
I 100% agree with you on that and some changes are needed.
>There should be a run button.
Yes, though not my priority
>I don't like using asterisks to describe actions. Saying words should use quotation marks, while descriptions of actions should be plain text.
Fair.
>The rock puzzle was not good, as there were no hints nor reason to think examining the rocks later would be different than earlier.
I agree. Do you think a shine on the rock once you need to inspect it is enough?
>The overall idea behind this isn't bad, but the execution is unimpressive. The artstyle generally works, but these types of character-focused games benefit from detailed/expressive character art. See: Omori. None of your characters have facial expressions.
I'll thrive to deliver on that part because this point is way more important than anything you mention earlier. I started by getting all the character drawn before doing the expression lol, I won't let you down.
>The writing relies too much on the player being familiar with this genre, making characters behave more like aliens than people. Compare the writing to something like Your Turn to Die. Despite the premise sounding interesting on the surface, it has no hook in practice
I'm planning on implementing some real detective game tech and systems apart from the dialog options to provide burden of proof of some kind. I tried to write dialogs in a more down to earth exposition way "How did we ended up here? Are we recorded? I don't know we need to explore. Maybe it's a Mr Beast video or something." but it was quite boring, so I want the sane characters talking like real people a bit later in the game and not right at the start. I can try to add a little intro sequence like the your turn to die intro talking about majority vote to introduce the thematic of my game but I'll do that later
>Being lost in the mountains was done interestingly in Remember11
I don't know this game, I'll look into it.
>From the little that is present here, you don't seem to be a very good writer.
I'm learning while I'm making the game, it's fun :^)
>My favorite part was actually the character portraits, despite them being unexpressive.
Sheers!
thank you so much for the review broski