Great game! Congrats! It's harder than it seems at first, and learning the strategy quite fun. I've gotten close to beating the game several times, but haven't won yet. One odd thing is that the game often says I lose when I still have cards in hand and the deck, and money. In the attached screenshot, population=12, gold=7, hand size=6, deck size=~5.
The "lose condition" should never be "buggy". If you're having problems making a game that works reliably, maybe you shouldn't post it to itch yet, where players actually want to enjoy it first and beta test your stuff second. In fact, maybe for a demo, you should consider forgoing any "lose condition" and let people play, if your "lose condition" is "quiet [sic] buggy". But you're on itch because you want the beta testing first and to make the game enjoyable second, if that. What a pretty buggy gamed "game" you've posted.
These bugs have already been fixed in the latest patches.
Developing games isn’t easy, and some bugs can be particularly difficult to catch. Just look at recent AAA releases and how buggy they can be, even for multi-million-dollar studios. It’s not easy for them, let alone indie developers.
We’re working diligently to find and fix all bugs before release, but we can’t guarantee the game will be completely bug-free.
We’re sorry that you encountered bugs that disrupted your experience.
You're comparing this game to a AAA game? Seriously? While they really don't have excuses, for a different reason, because they're multi-million dollar studios that didn't conduct business properly or keep their priorities straight, you haven't taken on a comparable burden. This game isn't a Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man's Sky. But, if these studios made this game, it really would be due to lack of resources or making it a priority. This game isn't like Solitaire, where you're taking reasonable chances due to how a deck of cards works when the challenge and fun is revealing them all and getting them in order to win. You don't have to make this game easy, either. But every single time, given the chances are controlled by YOU, you could make each game winnable. You seem to have suggested that games being impossible to win is a "bug" that "can be particularly difficult to catch". Or did you just generalize because specific criticism is just too much for you to respond directly to? By the way, if you're aspiring only to the level of comparing yourself to AAA studios that deliberately screw their players with crappy early releases, further charges for stable releases, all while introducing new bugs to save money, CONGRATULATIONS! The reason games should be challenging or difficult is because, while winnable, there's something to learn to improve on, whether it's strategy or reflexes. You've shown by your reply that you have more in common with the mediocrity of mobile game devs and their refusal to even try to do the job right. Anyway, I'm no longer interested in played your half-baked, over-pixelated, sorry excuse for a timewasting, drawn-out, lootbox "game".
Ah, I understand now. You commented in the thread about the specific bug that caused the game over screen to appear unexpectedly, which is what I meant by “bugs.” However, your concern seems to be more about unwinnable situations caused by random chance in the game. We’re aware of this issue and are already working on changes to reduce the game’s reliance on RNG.
I've never made a game, but it seems inexcusable that such a potentially lengthy game would depend so very much on an RNG to be winnable. At worst, the randomness should be limited the way a deck of cards limits a game of Solitaire. Why play any game if it's rigged? By RNG, algorithm, or anything else? If you're going to mix dice with strategy, you might plan the game so it works out in someone's favour, like Monopoly, so at least there is in fact a winner. To me, it's like you made a game somewhat like SimCity Classic but used an RNG to twist it so strategy won't help! Is this a strategy game? Then don't use an RNG unless we're given some power to work against it, like with using dice to get starting stats for characters in a tabletop RPG. At least it's possible to grind until the stats improve and enjoy the adventure! Your RNG creates unwinnable games, and it's not like you've offered us anything more that the ability to choose what and where to place what we get randomly. If you're not going to keep your game winnable, don't be surprised if players call it a game for losers!