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(1 edit) (+1)

This was pretty great, so congrats to the team!
The aesthetics are really fantastic. I've always loved how liminal and lonely ps1 games are and I think this game captured that perfectly.

Sorry if this feedback is a bit lengthy, but I saw you were putting tons of time into reviews of other people's games so I figured I'd return the favor for you :)

I found the start a bit confusing. The manager says to detach the trailer to his left (which is funny because to his left is a wall, the trailer is actually to his right. Maybe consider changing that text to say the correct direction) but it wasn't really made clear that I had to drive it into the green square. Of course I figured it out, but I still think it could be explained a bit better.

I really think the issue with not being able to click on attaching/detaching should have been fixed during the bugfix grace period so I'm a little bummed to see that still being so finicky. I'd definitely love to see that get sorted out after the voting period.

Reversing is pretty tough to be honest, I don't love how the trailer turns so easily even when going straight back. But overall I think the driving feels pretty good. I eventually got pretty good at it, picking up trailers and dropping them off without having to readjust my parking. I will say I sort of wish the gameplay loop was a bit shorter, where you can deliver and then immediately pickup the next load at the same place, then drive to the next one. Oh and it honestly stressed me out a bit when leaving a depot trying to remember which way I entered so I wouldn't go back the way I came, but with how the map generates around you idk if it matters which direction I go.

The last thing I'll point out as room for improvement is bugs/getting stuck. There was a couple times I had to restart because I flipped the truck or got it stuck. Unfortunately, on the very last time picking up a trailer, I missed, got sandwiched between 2 trailers and got the truck completely stuck :( due to the length of the game I'm not sure if I'll replay to the end yet or not. I did experience a super funny bug when I flipped the truck. I got out of the flipped truck and the collision launched me into space haha oh and also I think it's hilarious that you can push the manager around.

On to the actual driving, wow you guys really captured a vibe and I love it. Maybe I'm the odd man out but I kinda love driving at night during winter, listening to music and watching the snow hit the windshield. It's almost meditative. On the other hand, I've always been a bit creeped out by it too though, like what if I see something on the side of the road or whatever. Seriously cannot compliment the core gameplay enough. Had a great time with the experience.

I must not be a horror protagonist because I never got out of my truck unless I had to haha totally the "I just work here" attitude. I'm sure I missed out on some creepy stuff in the towns and buildings you can explore on foot, but I'm just trying to make some money, ya know? haha but I did pick up on some stuff that did get the imagination going. Obviously saw the bloody body bags hanging and the bodies on the ground near the crosses. That paired with the blood transfusion delivery commercials got me wondering "what exactly am I transporting?". But that's about as far as the horror went for my playthrough.

If you're interested in increasing the horror elements in the future: due to how the player passes through the same environments multiple times, you could incorporate some things that change each time you drive by, almost like a PT experience with their looping hallway. Idk maybe something to consider that could be interesting?

TLDR: overall really cool experience, capturing winter driving so perfectly. Sad to see that it's so easy to get stuck. Nice to see little spooky things you drive by, but mostly chill. Great work!

(+1)

Wow! This is definitely an amazing review! We’re so grateful you took the time to analyze our game in such detail; we really appreciate it.

The text issues definitely need to be fixed. Our team decided that we’ll address the bugs after the jam ends. We feel it wouldn’t be fair to make improvements after the submission deadline. We’re not chasing a win, so we’re not too worried about fixing bugs immediately. But thank you for pointing it out; we’ll definitely correct it.

We’ll also work on the cargo detachment issue, as it’s been a problem from the start. We had a debate about whether the detachment should be realistic or simple. In the end, we left it as it was, without making a firm decision. :(

As for the truck flipping, we’re considering adding a winch or tow truck so the player can get an overturned vehicle back on the road.

Our initial goal was probably to capture the atmosphere of night driving and the elusive romance of the trucker’s life. You can hear a lot of creepy stories from drivers, so we thought it was a great concept. To keep the player from getting bored, we recorded a podcast-style radio with spooky stories they can listen to on the road. The game world actually has some lore, though it’s currently only presented through the radio. We may return to this project in the future, and if we do, we’ll work on the issues and expand the game. Thank you for your amazing review, it really touched me!

(+1)

You’re welcome! And totally fair to wait on bug fixing after the jam.

Hmm yeah maybe a phone or something in the truck that can be used to call a tow truck would work. Or maybe just allow reloading to the previous depot instead of restarting the whole thing?

Yeah I think you did a great job at capturing that. I admit I wanted to listen to the podcast but the music was a bop haha maybe I just wanted the music to keep the chill vibe and avoid getting creeped out by the podcast, idk but maybe I’ll replay it to just listen to that and learn the lore.