Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
Tags
(1 edit) (+1)

I get the idea and vibe of the game. It's reminiscent of certain game flavors during the prime of SNES & PS1 era. As the devs have already acknowledged on their game page description, the game has some breaking bugs that have yet to be ironed out, given time constraints of the jam. I do wish there was a better way to go back to the title screen without refreshing the entire web page, though.

The art style and overall presentational vibe go a step in the direction of games like Hoshi de Hakken!! Tamagotchi on the PS1, and the music does have a sort of upbeat cuteness that one may recall from some older Japanese titles. I'm not sure if younger audiences will get it, but it's sort of a mood. So in this regard, I feel like it stands out and did really well.

However, another part of the presentation doesn't do as well: UX/UI. As the available controls are placed without backdrop or HUD borders at the top, overlapping the play area, it is initially confusing to tell them apart from the available pick-ups in the game area. Even after understanding this, the positioning and size of the HUD arrows often obscure the play area visually, despite existing for no other reason than to inform the player which directional buttons currently work. These should probably be isolated into a HUD area that is visually distinct and non-blocking, while the game-area pick-ups could probably use a shadow and hover motion (or some equally effective visual cue to indicate that they are pick-ups).

Additionally, there is no way to know what the rest of the map layout is like until the player gets there due to camera angle and proximity. This might have been fine for an action/adventure game, but it is a rather critical design flaw for a puzzle game. If the camera could zoom out for a broader view, either whole-stage or half-stage + save points, the player can avoid being punished for not knowing unknowable info (and having to re-execute the exact steps of an earlier section of the stage).

I'm assuming that spike behavior & kill-conditions have a critical bug in them, so I'll leave that alone and assume you'll fix it when there's time. Unfortunately, because they are game-breaking and progress-inhibiting (and combined with the gripes on the UX/UI), I was unable to enjoy the game properly. Without those issues, it would be up to level/puzzle design chops, but I expect that I would have given the fun factor 3-4 stars instead.

The base concept and direction are very promising, so I do hope the team continues development on it. Gameplay-wise, it remind me a bit of creative indie titles like Nova-111. I think it is a good mix and great start for what is perhaps a larger project.

Ultimately a solid entry that I would probably have scored an overall 4 stars if the bugs and UX/UI matters had not held it back. Please fix, and nice work!

(1 edit) (+1)

Thank you so much for the feedback! Theres a pause menu that allows you to go back to the main menu or to restart the level that will pop up if you press esc though we should have included that in the description. We are well aware about the core problems and bugs with this game and would fix them if we had enough time. For the UI layout we would definitely improve on it a little bit more post jam and add a minimap to show the layout of the map and thank you for bringing certain issues to light for us like the UI/UX layout! 

-RTHiro