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(+1)

I like the concept of this, and making randomly generated cases is a really neat way of getting round the replayability issue. It feels a bit like you overscoped - the idea is complicated and I don't think you had enough time to make it an easy experience, not just a complicated/clever one. I do understand that the engine you're using will mean some of the following points weren't doable in the available time/ability of the engine/your experience, but I don't have any experience with it myself so I don't know what's irrelevant.

  1. Your UI is a good start but not the best. You're missing some features that would be highly beneficial, notably (as mentioned by another commenter) the ability to track your current clues. Although some information is updated on the reports/suspects sections, some things I thought would be included either weren't updated when I thought they should be or just weren't available to track. For example it would have been great to see a summary of what suspects have said or at least see what was recovered from their houses. Having to go through all of the info was quite difficult, especially when things changed due to new topics.
  2. The interrogation of suspects feels quite roundabout; instead of directly asking them questions about something (e.g I found a blackmail letter in your house), you have to unlock it by talking to other people until eventually you (for some reason) start asking about motive. I like that you have to progress through other interrogations to unlock new information, but sometimes it felt counterintuitive.
  3. There was too much information that was delivered in a slightly weird way. Finding a way to simplify the speech or make a more distinct but standard way of delivering the information would be good. Part of this is that the suspects are a bit too shifty and it's not very clear when you manage to 'catch them in a lie' so to speak. It's clear that some clues/interrogations are supposed to change how you approach a suspect, but this isn't reflected very well with how you speak to them/they respond. 
  4. Your instructions were unclear. Ironically the game is semi intuitive (investigate, interrogate etc all make sense), but you over explained a lot in the instructions and the again when the characters were communicating. Striking a balance between simple and subtle will do you well here.

That being said, I think you did quite a good job in giving the suspects different personalities, and I like that there was so much thought going into why you could rule out/in a suspect (e.g different methods of murder ruled out different people). The simple black and white theme also suits this very well, I'd love if you added some basic environmental art too (e.g for the locations).

Overall I'd say you overstretched a bit, and you should have tried to get the core gameplay down and the UX polished before embarking on the algorithm journey. I get that was probably one of the more fun bits (I'm always adding proc gen where it's not needed lol) but for a game jam it was probably a step too far. Definitely get the game feeling intuitive with a planned out case before starting to generate random cases. Great submission though, you should be proud!

(+1)

Hello!

Yeah, I agree. I felt that I could have used more time. I've wanted to make a randomized murder mystery for a while and this jam sounded like the right excuse haha. (I also think that the black & white theme suits this type of games.) So I got absorbed in the technical part of the game. 

I could have focused more on the UX given that this jam was only 2 weeks. I've actually planned for more features than what I've submitted, e.g. more questions depending on a specific claim a character says or an evidence you found or more UI elements, but this made the randomized algorithm much more complex for the time limit. 

The instructions can definitely use some improvement. I can add a planned out case as tutorial just so players familiarize with the process. I'll definitely consider adding a summary and cut down/simplify some parts too. 

I really want this game to be as enjoyable to play as it is to make. I'm glad I joined this jam. Getting feedback here helps me see how to reach my players.

Thank you for that detailed feedback and all the suggestions! They're very helpful.

(+1)

You did great with the time you had! If you're planning on continuing I'd definitely start by putting the case generation to one side (don't remove it, just ignore it for the time being) and focus on making an easy to use game. That doesn't mean easy to play, just make it a bit more intuitive. Once you have the UI nailed and you're sure of the mechanics/how you want players to interact with your game, you can focus fully on the algorithm stuff. If you do end up releasing this, let me know, I'd love to play the finished version :)

If you're planning on doing more game jams, I'd definitely recommend stripping out extras next time (like the shop and money) and focus on your core features more. Then if you have time you can add all those bits in. Quality > quantity when it comes to jams.

(1 edit) (+1)

Haha, thanks! 

I'll definitely focus on the UX/UI first, make it more intuitive. 

I agree. I could add extra features like shops in later versions and focus on the core for game jams, especially when they're only 2 weeks.

I'm glad you'd like to try the finished version! Your feedback and suggestions have been incredibly helpful. They shed a light on what exactly was missing or needed to be improved. 

I'm just wondering if you have a Discord or Twitter. I'd love to receive more of your feedback in the future!

(+1)

I'm happy to help where I can! I think you're on the discord so I'll send you a message :)