This a solid prototype! It's a fun iteration of multi-character single player control. The difference between each character is well defined, and is fun to move given the physics. Clearly this is a mere slice of a potentially large game. I hope you both consider crafting more levels and integrating the type of animation that will add responsiveness to the platforming. Overall, a solid first introduction to Unity :)
Abe_Tena
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A class lecture in the form of a twine interactive narrative (in progress)
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Powerful imagery throughout! I think your work is a good argument for interactive narratives, as they compel readers to explicitly create meaning through choices. "Is this about depression, or the after life?" and "what is the relationship between both concepts?" is what kept going through my mind. Of course, this openness of interpretation could be enhanced if the player choices produce richer outcomes. As it is now, it leads to the same (powerful) ending, so it is worth considering an expansion, IMO. If you decide to do that, let me know!
Great presentation, and enticing level design. I am impressed with your ability to create a cohesive, interesting 2d world using minimal art and design. I don't know if you are interested in continuing the work, but I think this could easily be expanded with more levels and visuals. It was not required for the assignment, but I think the crow would be fun to animate. At the very least, go to the "Move with Arrows" component and select the "orient to direction" option, so that it flips around when you go left. In any case. I am glad you took the time to put this together. Good work!
This is fascinating, for sure! It is obviously a developed story world, with rules and lore. And still, I think you do a pretty good job at keeping things character-centric, rather than over-indulging on the genre trappings. Overall, I think it fulfills the requirements and then some, although I definitely would have liked to truly affect the outcome of the story, engage on the implicit moral arguments more thoroughly, ur just plainly have more of a chance to role play and become the mc. As it is now, the interaction helps with pacing, and some degree of exploration and discovery... But it could be more! Kudos for styling and illustrating as well. We are done with the class, but I hope you consider returning to something like this in the future. If you do, please let me know!
I did it! 25 coins and a "You Win" screen. This prototype covers the requirements and more, with enemies and collectables, moving platforms, spikes and a well illustrated world. You even got some animation! I think your style works PERFECTLY for a game like this, and it would be fun to see more animation and varied background art implemented. Perhaps a summer goal? In any case, this is a great prototype for class. Good job!
This fulfills the requirements of the assignment and then some! I'm glad you both stay with the plan of the ghost and the different colliders. This prototype show you can build complex game scenarios with this mechanic alone. I am glad you were able to match mechanics with theme, and that both the artwork and the music follow up as well. Of course, this needs more work to truly fulfill the promises made here, but I really think you have all you need technically and conceptually. Now is a matter of time and diligence. You can do it!
So I've seen the game before exporting, and I can see that is full of wonderful ideas. There are technical issues that make the interactive experience hard to penetrate (it seems the size we chose during the export didn't make it to the itch.io upload screen size). But even if everything is working well, I think this would be hard for most people to "get". Is that important? Not so much for a sketch, and there is certainly a value in presenting audiences with alienating experiences that makes them engage intellectually with the work. But I would argue there is a value in game design that I think is worth carrying over to other medium: The meaning of a work is constructed together, between authors and audiences. I don't know where these experiments are going to lead you, and I certainly hope you keep pushing the boundaries. But I also hope you bring people into your world earlier in the process, and seek to integrate what they have to tell you about your work. After all, a game can't be played without players!
I'm impressed! This game is well put together, and covers the assignment requirements and beyond. I really like the vibes overall, and although there are things to improve, I can see this evolving easily into a larger game. From the visuals, I would really like to see some extra background elements. From the mechanics side, I think the level design needs to be adapted to the screen size a bit more so that there are less blind jumps. But what I would love to see more than anything is more levels! Rather than packing all these great ideas about level design in one large one, what not make multiple? You can also populate each level with a different friend, to make the theme at the core even more powerful. Having said all of that, these are stretch goals. The assignment itself was fulfilled beautifully. Good work!
This covers the requirements of the prototype assignment, but more importantly, I saw you working hard trying to add really ambitious mechanics. Figuring out the top-down movement was a great success, and I feel like you were really close to do the RPG battle also. Definitely worth exploring further! If you go back to this, let me know how I can help. Keep it up!
I DID IT!!!!! That was hard! but very enjoyable. I feel like you took great advantage of the floaty movement of Playground. I particularly enjoyed the "drop" levels, and the one with the small wall jumps. The ones with the chase are so intense! I think all this needs is animation and more visual variety. It would be also good to vary the enemy type, from the chaser to something else. Good job!
Very effective use of Twine visual effects and the HAL library. I think the game is viable, with choices that affect the outcome (within the scope of the theme). The minimal visuals are just right, although I wonder is is worth exploring further rendering (particularly of those clothes that are maybe a girl staring at you...) I know the game is called Paranoia, a term used to describe certain pathologies, but what I like about this is that it shows how easy is to fall pray to our imagination. To me, this argues that the line between "normal" and not is very contextual and personal. Could it be expored further? Sure! You can certainly stay in this place longer, really exploring the first person experience of paranoia. But you know? I wonder if this could be a series of small games, exploring different ways in which our experiences are catalogued, and showing us the blurry line between "normal" and normal. Good job!
I really enjoyed the imagery, from the visual and verbal description of the room, to the school, video game and Queen stuff. I think it has enough sense of exploration to provide with choices, although a more finished version of this would perhaps expand them further. By far the most promising to me about the story is the possibility of fleshing out the Queen and her world: From the lore of the world, to the core motivations and needs of the Queen, the more these elements are described, the more you will see avenues for expansion for your game. Here is a small writing for games tip: Make a list of all the characters, and briefly describe for each what each wants, and what each needs (even if they don't know it). This seems like a world word expanding for sure!
I love the writing! It is both funny and thrilling. I think the way you weave the timer mechanic into the writing is very skillful, and a great demonstration of the value of tools like Twine for interactive fiction writting. I think the story could be longer, but I can see why you ended it here. What's really necessary to fulfill the requirements right now is at least one piece of original art. Other than that, solid stuff! It was great to play this :)
This is so cool! You do a very good job maintaining a balance between romance and adventure throughout, and are very clear about the mechanics. I enjoy the bits of characterization and world building, and I am glad you capture the sense of rebellion and social solidarity that existed in many pirate ships (I was a bi pirate fan long ago :) What's needed here is imagery and further development, of course, but this is a good slice of the game already. Put some illustration in here and the prototype is done
I think this is a solid start, particularly because it uses the core tools of Twine well. I think there is definitely more that can be added, so you will have to prioritize. These are some exciting things to try moving forward:
- Mechanics: It would be good to truly have the option to explore outside the house, even if the results are not ideal. Who knows? Maybe there is something useful out there. It is worth exploring the idea of a timer in those crucial moment
- Story: It will take a bit more development to avoid cliches and stereotypes common in zombie stories (specially now with The Last of Us and what not). What is your unique take on the genre, or the characters that live in these storywolds? Even a bit of backstory, or some novel and surprising take on zombies could help. Maybe start the story with some background text, to develop this further?
- Art: Well, right now there is not much to look at, but this could be sick. I find the imagery of the husband with the note in the entrance terrifying and mesmerizing. Maybe time to illustrate that? What about the zombified wife? This is all very evocative, so give us some cool illustration too!
This is fascinating. I particularly appreciate the switch of point of view as we explore the different characters (maybe something learned by reading DU Bois' The Comet? :) The story wraps up well, and although there is surely more to say and do in this world, the looping structure gives it depth. Now, what this needs is more visual design: Lets take a break during class to help you solve the image issue, the error with the alignment macro, and remove the "back" arrow. Also, if you return to this, definitely consider more art and better styling. My two cents
Lots of choices for sure! I really think this needs more writing tho. It would be useful to add more story background throughout the passages: Bits of prose that explain who the main character is, where are they, who is this monster, etc. As it is now, it feels more like a pure exercise in learning Twine, and not quite a story. It is a first attempt for a prototype, but definitely needs more creative development to become a game. My two cents.
I really enjoyed the prose, the surrealism, and the overall structure. I admire the subtlety of your use of variables and multiple-choice, giving us some control over the outcomes without steering too much form the may points here. The prose feels lived-in, with details that feel earned through observation. What to improve on? I honestly just want more (specially more exploration of the contrast between astronaut and "real" world). I could also see an argument for adding a bit more imagery. I don't think is necessary to repeat yourself with text and image (in other words, illustrate the words verbatim), but add pictures that reveal more aspects of the world. You may also benefit from exploring Twine transitions, in order to create a more dynamic delivery of text without actually changing the writing style. My two cents
This makes think of the principles of Bertolt Brecht's theory of "Epic Theater", applied to interactive media, particularly in terms of the switch of person-hood in narration, and the "episodic" structure of events. I don't know if this was your intention, but you may enjoy studying a bit of Brecht's narrative techniques and see how they work in interactive media, and perhaps more importantly, what impact they have on an audience that is accustomed to dramatic immersion (video game fans). I know it is a work in progress, but you already managed to make me engage with the story intellectually, more than emotionally. Really curious to see how this evolves!
o.o
I laughed so hard like 3 time no joke. It is weird and funny... and a little repetitive visually, and somewhat meandering for my taste, but I am all in. The music didn't work, and that could have helped make it feel a bit less repetitive. Definitely needs more art and art variety! But in all, loved it <3
This is an interesting premise and a clever mechanic for a Twine game for sure! I don't know if is all finished, and I am pretty sure there are some errors, but this has tons of potential. It makes me realize how scheduled and reticulated life is nowadays. Definitely needs some artwork and styling, but this is solid
I think this is a brilliant premise! I don't think I've ever seen games about that little space between player and character agency. I think you describe very well how strange it must be for the character to be controlled, which has interesting metaphorical implications, but also works as a "game about games". I definitely would like to see this expanded, fully featured visually and otherwise. Keep it up!
This worked! I know you want to do more with this, but I hope you keep that 4th wall and self-aware tone to it all, even if you end up adding enemies and stuff. It is funny and a tiny bit sad at the same time, if that makes sense. We will publish this to WebGL next class, so the usability issues will improve. Good job!
I think this works well! It is viable from the gaming standpoint. We definitely need to cover how to close the application for usability purposes, but the movement is nice. Presentation is excellent with both graphics and music! It ran very well in my machine, so things are optimized. Thematically I get old school education game vibes. Maybe the next step is to add a timer? It could add some fun challenge. I have a script for that I can share with you. Good job!
A nice start! These are things I like/find promising:
- There is a clear distinction between two points of views (seniors and snobs), and a variety of ways to react to them
- The scenarios feel well observed and relatable
- There is potential for good emotional e=intelligence skill challenges
This what I think could be explored further IMO:
- I would expand the inner dialogue, the interior life of the MC. Why are they making each choice? What previous thoughts and suppositions are they making? This would allow me to role-play more
- It could be very interesting to draw further distinction between both groups through dialogue, and then between specific members of each group
- This may be too game-y, but it would be interesting to create a sort of time pressure, where you really have to get home (because you have a lot of homework or your parents will worry), so every choice you make that extends the time you spend with people could further get you in trouble. Then, in a surprise twist, certain dialogue branches actually HELP you with your homework or parents!
*Note: please do not forget to upload the version with animation I shared with you on discord
Viability: The game is viable at a fundamental level, but I think some of the core elements are underutilized. For example: the enemy behavior is very interesting, but it is only used in a few spaces, and is paired up with only a few platforming scenarios. I also think it would be worth breaking this down into a couple of levels, so that the punishment is not so severe when falling down. Having said that, just the space itself is inviting to run and jump with freedom, which is inherently fun.
Presentation: What is shown here is promising, but it feels unfinished. The backdrop design is really cool, and the cat is adorable, but more variety of buildings and a design for the platforms is needed here. The enemy npcs definitely need some design to better characterize and understand the logic behind their motion. Lastly, while the animation of the cat taking a bath is hilarious, it would have been better for the game to start simple, with a clear idle and jump. It is the difference between doing the art that's fun in isolation, versus the art that works to help the player, IMO.
Theme: I love the idea of being a cat jumping through the roofs exploring the city. The breath of the space and the platform challenges work well with the premise, provided more can be done to create a sense of the environment through art.
Engagement: it is plain, simple fun to be a cat jumping through the world. I think this deserves more level design and more artwork.
Viability: the game is playable from start to end, with mechanics that go well beyond class demos. While the jumping challenges are a bit on the difficult side, I found the gameplay expressive overall. I would have liked to see something a bit less linear, with paths that have one more than one solution. Overall, solid stuff.
Presentation: expressive art and charming music. More variety in enemy design and world building could help create a stronger theme, but I can see the effort and care in crafting the assets. The final NPCs are a nice touch, although I would have liked to see some unique background elements also.
Theme: is a straightforward platformer with a simple story, but I do find it curious that the enemies and the MC are ghosts, and that the world seems distorted. Is a bit of an 8-bit nightmare look, which is definitely worth exploring further. There are only a few examples of lo-fi spooky games, so yours is definitely feels fresh.
Engagement: Hard, but not enough to want make me want to quit. More levels would be good, and as I said, more visual variety and reward. Keep in mind that hhen your player wants more, that's a good thing! Keep it up