If you want the character to feel alive, add those little effects that actually you usually wouldn't notice, like a tiny particle vfx that happens when the character bounces off of the paddle, or based going a little Boing ! sound effect. These are little things when added you don't notice but when they're not there, you do notice and the game feels less alive and just static. So remember, little things, that's what makes everything feel alive. Hope this helps, and good luck your game !
Btw, if you ever wanna play my game, check it out, would help a lot (Do not take things from as it does not feel alive, I submitted it now cuz I won't have time to work on it anymore and the point is kind of to be a skit of a certain genre you'll recognize anyways) : https://itch.io/jam/brackeys-13/rate/3341239
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hey, thank you for replying, thats a great advise :) absolutely, feedback is key for the user experience and understanding of the mechanics.
i played your game, but i think it glitched :/ the main menu screen doesn't fit correctly into the screen, and i cannot see where to drag the -thing- lol
i hope you can continue it's development forward