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Novus Contagion's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Fun | #13 | 2.667 | 2.667 |
| Overall | #14 | 2.333 | 2.333 |
| Visuals(Graphics) | #14 | 2.667 | 2.667 |
| Sound/Audio | #17 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
| User Interface (UI/UX) | #19 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
Ranked from 3 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
DevLog Link
https://raptorspank.itch.io/novus-contagion/devlog/709768/novus-contagion-11
Developer Feedback Questions
The overall gameplay and controls is what I am looking for the most feedback on. The game should be fully playable with either a controller or keyboard and mouse. The artwork and sound still need a lot more work so whether the game is actually fun or plays well is more important currently.
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Comments
I enjoyed the story and I think the gameplay concepts are pretty cool. Unfortunately it just didnt engage me enough to finish the game.
I think the gameplay needs a lot more polish to make it enjoyable. Currently there are just a few issues that are making combat not as fun as it could be.
- Shooting in tight corridors or around corners is frustrating, since your bullet is so large and it despawns if it touches the wall.
- Controls for using abilities feels confusing. I dont think the problem isnt necessarily with which buttons you chose, but more with the fact that there are so many different ones for each ability that I just cant remember them quickly. I think just adding which key needs to be pressed for each ability in the UI would help a lot, just to have a quick reference while playing. I found myself scrolling down to read the controls quite a few times just to figure out how to use an ability.
- Movement feels a bit slidey, I think this could use some focus in the future. Some movement based abilities could also be fun, currently trying to dodge enemy bullets just feels futile in a lot of cases.
Thanks for the detailed feedback! I'll look into the shooting side because I agree it feels off. I probably should work out a system to have it collide with walls differently so that it doesn't destroy immediately on impact. Probably shrinking the bullet size would help a bit too.
I suppose for the controls I could include an icon in the top corner of each one to remind people how to activate them. I can definitely see how showing both control schemes can make it a lot more confusing. Adding more friction to the movement might help with the slidey-feel too so I'll have to take a look at that.
I like your game. It has dynamics, and the graphics are nice. The music will add even more to the atmosphere.
The first time, I died in the middle of the level, and the second time, I made it to the end, almost consumed by the virus. I saw a victory overlay soon after I thought that having some save points here and there could be handy.
A minimap would also help with exploring around.
I didn’t use all the abilities that match except for the ray. The ray helped a lot with big packs of enemies.
The shield (was it a shield?) time was too short for me. My skills in real-time gaming are not strong enough to use it effectively.
It was easier to kill robots with a gun, even in relatively large packs, because they were slow. The guards posed more danger. One problem was that it was impossible to tell when they were going to shoot at you. Maybe some anticipation animation would help here.
The slide I didn’t use also. Again, not with my real-time skills.
Best luck with your game!
Thanks for playing and all the feedback! The second ability is actually an area-of-effect damage spell. I'll take a look at making it last a little bit longer and also make the size of it a bit larger too. You're absolutely right that it requires a little too much skill to line up right now. The dash ability goes fast but it is simply meant as a movement ability so I'm not quite as concerned with that one, although maybe if it sent you in the direction you are moving then it would be a bit better so I'll try that too.
I like the idea of an anticipation animation. That's a good, subtle way to make the enemies feel a bit more balanced. A minimap is a good idea too. I was initially avoiding it because I thought it would take away from the exploration aspect but there is definitely a way to do it that does not hurt the exploration aspect.
Camera follows the player too slowly, when you move quickly you cant see where you are going.
Thanks for the feedback! It's a very simple follow camera I threw together and definitely could use some work. I was worried it would be too nauseating if I made it faster but I think if I had a dead zone in the center and then a faster speed towards the edges that should go a long way to reducing nausea and also being able to see farther in the direction you're going. I'll take a look at improving that.