Absolutely hypnotic game; the atmosphere you managed to build with the glowing visuals, soft falling particles and calm reflective music was a feeling I could sit in for hours. And it's also worth noting that you achieved all that while implementing a very unique design and approach to the gameplay--making it not only a joy to experience but something that's really inventive as well.
That said I did have a few thoughts when playing:
- when the game starts and you on the line I instinctively wanted to move, ending up in my button mashing hitting Q and quitting the game. I'd perhaps first shift quit to escape and then also try to find a way to lower the player into knowing that this is on-rails instead of anticipating the need to move and interaction from the get-go.
- The puzzle mechanic was beautiful to look at and very unique, but after a while I felt it stopped bringing in new ideas. Perhaps reducing the overall number of puzzles but really working on how they progress the difficulty, or keeping the same amount with a little more variety would go to make the actual puzzles even more engaging.
- Very minor, but the restart occasionally sat above the narrative text on the bottom of the screen.
- For me there was also just a little too much text in the game. It felt like you made something so evocative but then went on to explain it a little too much. The images and world spoke volumes for itself, and I think with a more subtle approach to narrative or environmental storyteling those elements may have shone even brighter. As, at the end of the day, a lot of the experience with the characters was spent looking at the text, and not their design was a shame.
- Another nit-pick but I wasn't a fan of the *tears rolling down* and script-like dialogue moments like that; again I felt like you had crafted a lot of emotion into the sequences but these little bits just took me out of that. If anything, I'd say believe more in what you're putting there. You wrote something very powerful and original, so let it speak for itself.
And I absolutely loved your homage at the end--heres to a time when we can all travel the world again and meet the vibrant and wonderful people it holds.
Amazing game, it was a really beautiful and pure experience. I can't wait to see what you make next.
I'd be fascinated to hearwhat you think about my game, if you have the time :)