The game's art is lovely. The movement itself feels really good, but I really dislike the overall control schemes. AD + J and the arrow keys + space both feel really uncomfortable since they require movement to be controlled over two hands, AD + Space feels really uncomfortable since i feel like at least my spacebar is way less precise than any other key, and AD + J feels especially bad since it requires not only using two hands to properly control, but they're also uncomfortably close. The fact that W/Up is not an option for jumping feels really weird since that key is not used for anything else? My other big problem with the game is the spikes. Their hitboxes feel way too large, and not standing still, they blend in way too much in the background, especially since the decorative mushrooms are around the same size and with the same colour scheme. Restarting the game after losing all my lives instead of just restarting at the start of same level also felt really frustrating and I ended up giving up on completely finishing the game after having to restart probably over 20 times. The game feel itself is really great. I love the use of particles in the map.
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Thank you for playing! I am glad you appreciate the art, why I always think is my worst ability. The particles are a mix of hand drawn, and CPUParticle nodes.
I agree with a lot of what I read from you, and you have made some observations I have noticed myself, and have planned to adjust in the future. I like to know what I did wrong, it helps me brainstorm improvements. Constructive criticism, is extremely helpful and welcome to me. I use it to determine my shortcomings in scripting in Godot, and game design. It also helps me gauge how far I have come, and how far I still need to go. I consider it vital to progress. Again, thank you it is helpful to me.
I think the spikes was a bad call, or could have been bigger. You are correct, the hitbox could be smaller. I had meant to do this, but it skipped my mind. I think if I adjust it, I will also make the sprites larger.
I picked the primary commands, based loosely off of the home row keys when typing. I had hoped to add a key bind mapping system (If you look in the options menu you will see the start of that), but remaining time did not allow for that. That is why you have multiple keys that do the same thing. I would like to note it has controller support as well.
I wanted you to think of the health as your lives. Once, you run out of health, you become the Devil and restart the game. In the future, I would like to use this system to implement a upgrade/skill purchase system (think rogue legacy, but much smaller).
Hopefully, I explained my reasoning behind some of the choices. I have plans to make the game a little larger and better. I programed it in such a way to reduce that load because of that. If it ends up in a state to where I am happy with it, I will update what I have done.
Again, thank you for playing I find your insight making me not only question some of my decisions, but is helping me come up with ways to avoid similar pitfalls. For example, I will most likely come up with a easier to do key bind system, with remappable keys that I can program fairly quickly in game jams.