I loved the unique concept of Taster! The gameplay is engaging and the reference book mechanic is clever. However, my initial experience was frustrating because I kept dying without understanding why. It wasn't immediately obvious that both individual poisonous foods and dangerous combinations could kill you. A lot of people playing in a game jam won't read the full description, so the rules need to be clear within the game itself. I think the game could benefit from:
- A gentler learning curve: Perhaps the first level could focus only on identifying poisonous foods, and later levels could introduce the combination mechanic.
- Clearer communication of the rules: Maybe a short tutorial or a more prominent display of all active conditions that can cause poisoning. Since people won't read the description, this is really important.
You've still got a few hours left in the jam – these are changes that might be quick enough to implement before the deadline. With these changes, I think Taster has the potential to be a really addictive and successful game!