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This is my rubric:
[ + - - - - ] 1 - Missing
[ + + - - - ] 2 - Somewhat Present
[ + + + - - ] 3 - Present
[ + + + + - ] 4 - Well Done
[ + + + + + ] 5 - Outstanding
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Theme (4/5)
[ + + + + - ]
I loved that the oxygen mechanic acted as both HP and Stamina! I would have rated 5 stars if I had identified some sort of artistic/symbolic meaning behind the use of "Take a deep breath"
Gameplay (3/5)
[ + + + - - ]
I genuinely enjoyed the game! More than once you had me smiling and laughing. The reason I'm only rating 3 stars is because the difficulty felt too punishing to give me any hope that I could progress. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if the save mechanic didn't just apply if I hadn't died.
Implementation (3/5)
[ + + + - - ]
There were a few times I didn't know where to go. The paths weren't clear to me because the tiles were too faded. I lost a lot of oxygen trying to find my way. That, and I never figured out what the crystals were for. Were they supposed to be currency at the shop? Never seemed to have the option to buy anything from there.
Presentation (4/5)
[ + + + + - ]
it was a little strange to me that the items were hidden by changing the layer rather than the visibility. I could see them underneath the edges of the poison-air. That said, everything else was very satisfying!
Creativity (4/5)
[ + + + - - ]
The humor was lovely! I loved how much personality you gave to the game, and that's why I give it 4 stars. If there were more creativity demonstrated in the narrative or mechanics I might have given 5.
Altogether well done! I loved my experience with your game. I think if you polish it up with our feedback I'd like to give it another try :)