Heya ^^
Very good potential in this game, but it is hindered by some game design decisions imo, I'll explain.
First the positive. The art is very good, mixing cuteness with pseudo horror really good. The music is spot on, slow, repeating, kinda gloomy but very relaxing, which is nice. The absolutely consensual, light hearted narrative is a huge boon. Gives the game a fresh outlook. Last point, the programming is flawless, didn't encounter a case where the path was completely blocked despite the random placement of hazards, so kudos ^^
Now for the constructive criticism. Imo, there are way too many "quit moments" early in the game, and you would need some "hand holding" options. We begin lost in an unknown manor, with rooms that look alike, items hidden in containers that do not stick from the background, hazards that can be hard to navigate (I didn't understand how the trapped box work >_<) and the hypnosis factor on top of it. And the rewards are very small, so it requires a lot of grinding. Here are a few ideas I have to make the game more accessible :
- Assist options independent of the task complexity. It could be an arrow or some character (a pet, maybe ?) that indicate where to go, what to interact with etc... It would of course cut quite harshly into the rewards, but it would serve as training wheels.
- Better distinction of containers from the background, especially in the pantry and library. It's way less aggravating in the library since there's no hazards there, but it's hell in the pantry. Nothing worse than needing rice, not knowing which of the twenty box has rice, and getting caught by a trapped box while searching.
- Some way to know the room names. Maybe not in all difficulty, but since all rooms kinda look the same, it can be very confusing to navigate properly. The kitchen for instance, has no sink or fridge, so it took me a few times to understand that it was the kitchen ^^' And I still don't know which room is the game room XD
- Adjustments of the rewards. The game feels grindy right now and doesn't reward commitment as it should.
Here it is. Despite my criticism, I think there's a load of potential here, so keep up the good work ^^