itch.io

Hahaha I hope our feedback helped even just a little bit!

It's awesome that you handle feedback so well! I think it's a great trait to have when making games as it's really going to help you make even better games as you go on!

Whether you continue this project or not, I'm certain you've learned  a lot from this and really look forward to what you come up with next!

Don't sweat it too much on the time constraints, friend! This was a super fun experience! Whenever I leave a comment/review, I add whatever I can think of to improve the overall player experience in case developers plan on making post jam versions of their games or just want ideas to consider for their next games! Hahaha

Also... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING OUR VIDEO ON YOUR PAGE!!! I sent a screenshot to our editor and both of us are incredibly grateful for your kindness!!!

I loved the art work! Very good work from both Matsu and Jo!!! I imagine the spinning as we played was our character giving herself more momentum, but I was definitely picturing it as the robot bugging just briefly as she had been recovering from being discarded! Hahaha

There are a few things worth including that I imagine would really help to enhance the player experience!

Something I read already was the tokens dropping to the beat of the song! It would be a cool way to not only make it easier to keep track of the tokens dropping, but to encourage the player to enjoy the fantastic music that had been playing throughout your game! Great work on that by the way, Irony!

There were a few times my combo would drop despite me pressing the key around the same time I normally would, but I'm willing to chalk that up to a skill issue rather than a bug as it was pretty hard to keep track during combat at times! That being said, it might be worth having a toggleable option for the icon to be set somewhere other than above the player's head. It was difficult to see when those tokens were dropping at times when I would ascend into the sky! Hahaha

I really enjoyed the boss fights! I thought they were very well choreographed and, even after losing once, it was still a lot of fun fighting my way back to where I left off! The ballerina fight did feel just a bit long as I wasn't entirely sure how to strike her while she was spinning, so I pretty much just avoided her the entire time she would spin which ended up dragging out the fight whenever she chose to spin a few times in a row. If there's something to that fight that I just didn't figure out, my apologies! Otherwise, it might be worth considering lowering her health a bit.

It wasn't often, but there were a few times my character would get stuck in place. I wasn't sure if this was a feature where maybe my ballerina character had to regain her balance or something after I messed up too many times with the attack chaining, but I wanted to let you know that was happening in case it was a bug!

The health mechanic was really cool! I liked all the random chance there was in this as it wasn't unreasonably punishing and made each run feel just a bit different from the last!

I don't play a whole lot of games like this, so it often felt like there was a lot going on! I really enjoyed that!!! If I may offer another suggestion though, it would be nice to have some noise that lets the player know they've taken damage. With so much going on, I often didn't register I had taken damage so I would randomly perish and have to start a fight over. I'm willing to consider this a skill issue too, but thought it was also worth mentioning!

There was a lot to be impressed by in this game! It was a lot of fun discovering the tells for each boss, the random chance spins were a great choice to add in and make the game a little more unique for each playthrough, the music was very well written with a matching intensity for each fight, and the boss designs were all really cool!!!

Thank you very much for recommending that we play this, Akt0o! We had a blast!  You and your team did a really great job on making this as I imagine making a game like this can't be easy! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with next! Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you very much for making this game!

It was so fun seeing a variety of different card types and having the ability to attach more words to cards! The sound design and artwork were both incredible! This game felt like it took some of the best qualities from both Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon then mixed them with a bunch of mushrooms! Hahaha

Your world felt incredibly well made. Everything we came across in your game fit with the world design so effectively! It was very easy to accept every event as part of this world while keeping the player eager to see what lies in wait the further they get into the dungeon and what might lie beyond the gloom!

I'm so excited to see where this game goes and eagerly await the full release! Great work from your team! Thank you for making this game!

We made a video covering The Motel after Merulino Music suggested this to us and wow! There was a lot to appreciate about this game!

When I opened the game, I was immediately surprised by just how many options I could change! It's always great to see when a developer puts in the time to help the player experience their game the best way they can! I also really enjoyed the small details like the sound of the rain on Sami's umbrella! Who would have accounted for players thinking to run out and greet her? That's so awesome!

The atmosphere was incredibly well set. The moment I opened this game, I was fully immersed. As one who doesn't handle horror well, I had to really convince myself to be as jovial as possible just to keep moving forward! Hahaha

I thought it was really neat having multiple endings! If you have any plans to improve the player's experience, I might recommend the ability to save maybe at the front desk? Sir Icarus (the super adorable cat) might make for a great save point! Petting that cat really helped to get rid of some of the tension sort of like saving a video game might make the player feel the consequences of losing less severe!

I enjoyed the ability to skip the beginning cutscenes, but it still felt like a bit of a slog to get back to any points where I felt I might be able to discover a new ending. I feel a save point in the game might help with that or even just the ability to skip some mid game cutscenes.

Overall, I had a really great time with your game and greatly enjoyed the nice png in the zip file! It made this horror game just the slightest bit more welcoming to dive into! Congratulations on making your first big project! I'll be eagerly looking forward to more games from Aura Studios!

Thank you for making this game!

I'm a sucker for customization and there were much more options than I had been expecting going into this! If I were to suggest any added customizations, maybe the ability to paint certain parts of the consoles you make rather than all at once? That being said, it was incredibly satisfying watching the paint envelop the console each time I picked a color!

I really enjoyed being able to customize the room too! I'm so excited for when this game eventually comes to Steam! I greatly enjoyed all of the customization options and can only imagine what other items you might choose to include! If you're looking on helping the player have an even more unique set up, it would be cool to consider implementing the ability to change the color of room objects as well!

As far as bugs go, I was unable to find any even while actively looking every now and again! Great work!!!

I had a blast playing your game. Both myself and our channel's editor are going to be trying this out again once it's fully released. I'm eager to see what more we'll get to fix in our little repair shops! Hahaha

Thank you for making this game!

Oh no! I'm sorry your comment got flagged and I'm incredibly grateful thought to leave a comment at all! So thank you for that!

Our goal is to bring as much positivity as we can to anyone that views our videos, so I'm so happy to read that our energy is so contagious! Hahaha

That was such a quick fix! It took me forever just to figure out how to get a block moving when I practiced coding, so it's really impressive you were able to add an auto save feature after each drink so quickly!!!

It's clear this team loves their projects, so I'll be eagerly looking forward to what all of you come up with next!!!

THESE DRINKS ARE TO DIE FOR - Midnight Spirits

Your game was so incredibly fun and really intriguing!!!

The character designs were really well done! I especially liked Jack and Jerry! Hahaha

I had so much fun purifying drinks and attempting to meet the expectations of each customer that came in!!!

I was pleasantly surprised to find so many quality of life functions like multiple saves, a difficulty setting, and the ability to change the levels of different sound effects!

If I had to think of any way to improve my experience with your game, I'd recommend adding an auto save feature that the player can choose if they want to have on or off.

Your game recommended saving often at the start which is greatly appreciated, but I was so immersed in the story that I completely forgot I was playing a punishing game and just kept looking forward to each customer interaction! Hahaha

Other than that, I've got nothing! Your game is incredibly well made and very immersive! I loved diving into this world and can't wait to see what else you come up with! Thank you for making this game and thank you to Merulon for suggesting that we play it!

As a side note, we were having difficulty sharing this video here, so I hope sharing the link this way works! I'd love for you to see how much fun we had with your game!

Thank you so much for your feedback as well! I hope you saw at the very end (after all the "goodbyes" and when I got scared again) I mentioned loving your art! Which admittedly would've been a great time for me to say "Great work Merulon!" but I'll keep this in mind as I get more practice making videos!

I'm looking forward to seeing more projects you've worked on and thank you again for engaging with our video! It really means a lot to us!

The music that played during the mini games was really good at making me forget I was playing a horror game until the cat decided to come in for some surprise attention! Hahaha

I really liked the design of the game too! Pressing the buttons on the little Gotchimon was such a fun detail!

The dialogue in this game was especially good at guiding the character towards two of the three endings!

Overall, this was a short game and a really good one! I was fully engaged through the duration of my playthrough and didn't feel like it was a struggle to get the full experience! I'm eagerly looking forward to your next project!!!

Thank you for making this game! 

If all else fails, I've learned from the brief bit of game development I've had experience with that taking what you've learned from your projects into the next one is a great way to go about things!

If adding that combination effect proves difficult to code in or tampers too much with the balance of the game you're going for, I imagine making a game in the future with that concept in mind could be really fun too!

Either way, I really enjoyed what you have here with Tic Tactic and will be there the day it's fully released on Steam so I can play it right away!

Thank you for your time reading these messages and for checking out our video! It really means a lot to our team!

This game made a very dark concept really fun! We had a blast making a video over it!

The atmosphere of Buckshot Roulette and first person design made it very easy to immerse myself in it's world! I loved taking whatever risks I could to try and best the dealer!

I saw this only has multiplayer for the steam version and purchased it there as well. In the most legal and positive way I can possibly put this, I cannot wait to play buckshot roulette with my friends! Hahaha

Thank you for making such an interesting and fun game!

Your game was a so much fun!!! When I saw the screenshots, I had to try it out and make a video over it!

I loved the silly voice lines, the 2D pixel designs in a 3D environment, the variety of different weapons we could fuse despite, and the few secrets I could find in both of my playthroughs!

If you're looking for any quality of life changes, it would be nice to be able to swap weapons after picking up a new one. I was left with the quick striking spatula for my first playthrough and admittedly didn't enjoy using that nearly as much as the destructive mop! Hahaha

It would also be nice to be able to turn down the volume of the game's music without turning down the overall volume of my computer as I really enjoyed hearing all of the funny voice lines!

Overall, this was a very fun game to play! There was so much put into this that I really wished there were more levels/rooms to playthrough! I'll be keeping my eye out in case you have any plans to extend this game or take what you've learned from this into your next project!

Thank you for making this game!

As a side note, my favorite block was the Turret block. Every time it placed a block and turned it gave my brain a lot of dopamine! Hahaha

I loved all of the different character designs and the many different types of blocks there were in your game! It made for a very fun and engaging playthrough! I thought it was interesting making the enemy unable to act for a turn when they're struck while allowing the player to act right after they're struck. The power of duck vengeance does not falter under chicken strikes!!! Hahaha

If you're looking for any quality of life improvements it might be nice to include a mini explanation of some effects! Such as infect and burning. Infect was more relevant in the video, but I had no idea what it meant to "infect" blocks until I saw it in action and was punished for my ignorance. I saw you made a tile index that I skimmed through and wondered if it might be possible to implement that into the game with the option to view it at anytime if you'd rather not add a mini explanation for burning and infecting.

I also found out that the board will clear even if the end of the turn would have triggered some blocks clearing. I had an axe block that would have moved up and formed a row of x's. However, the opponent used up the last space which caused the board to clear before my axe block could use it's effect. My apologies if that doesn't make sense, but it happens in the video at the 9:15 point if you'd like to see for yourself. To fix that, maybe there can be some sort of check that the player is able to make a move at the start of their turn? If the player is unable to make a move due to a full board, then the board would clear. Maybe that way the blocks could have all of their effects go through?

I found it interesting that blocks would trigger after the opponent went which made my block effects feel much more delayed. For example, I might place a drip block, but my opponent would place a block under it to completely stop my drip block from working. Whereas the opponent can use their drip blocks without worry that I might stop their effect from taking place. I imagine the game was made this way to balance out our ability to strike the opponent and act right afterwards whereas our opponent doesn't have that luxury, but felt I should mention it just in case this wasn't the intention.

If you're looking for any ideas with blocks, it might be cool to add in a shop that allows you to combine certain blocks? Combining an electric chain block with a bomb block as an example could be really cool! A block that gives off chain lightning then explodes whenever it's time comes to an end! It would be fun coming across some sort of npc in a lab coat that loves experimenting with blocks!

Overall, I really loved this game and would play it for hours even if no changes were made to how it's currently set up. There's a lot of charm and love that was clearly put into this! I'm so excited for the full release after experiencing the pre-alpha stages and absolutely put this game onto my Steam wish list! I'm looking forward to your next projects! 

Thank you for making this game!

Once I watched the trailer for this game, I knew I had to make a video over it! Grunn did an amazing job at hopping back and forth between relaxing gardening and ominous exploration!

I found myself really enjoying the gameplay, the beautiful area designs, and the immersive sound effects! Exactly as stated on the game page, I could never escape that feeling of being watched. Everywhere I went, I was nervous I'd turn around and someone would just be staring at me. On that same note, every time I went into a dark room or saw something change, I felt I was going to experience a very tragic end at any second!

The game doesn't hold your hand or tell you how to get to where you need to go, so it was important to be observant of my surroundings in order to solve the polaroid puzzles!

If you're seeking to get all 11 endings, keep in mind you're reset all the way to the beginning once you discover an ending whether it's new or old. It was important to note all that you've discovered each playthrough so that you could progress faster and maybe in new ways!

I strongly recommend giving the game a try if you enjoy spooky yet intriguing games that require you to think a little as you play! Sockpop did an excellent job at creating an eerie game that encourages exploration while keeping you on  your toes at what might be just around the corner!

I'm really glad you enjoyed the video! Your game made it very easy for me to be energetic and excited for whatever challenge came next! Hahaha

I did see there were two other levels that I was very tempted to play! However, I wanted to leave a bit of surprise for anyone else that wants to play your demo!

I also came to realize after the first level that I really want to make a let's play series for your game once it's fully released!!! So, assuming those levels are in the full release, I'll absolutely tackle whatever challenges they have in store then!

I played this on the normal difficulty and immediately found out in my first fight that there is a bit of a learning curve when you can do so much in this game! It was fun even not quite understanding everything I could do, so I imagine it's an absolute blast once you really get the controls down!

I was wheezing when I first used the wind magic correctly because I launched some guy into the ceiling and he just stayed on the ground motionless while I poked him with a stick hahahaha

I ignored a lot of the text for the tutorials because it looks like they were set up to appear whenever the player was in a certain spot? Since I was moving a lot, I missed some during combat and didn't feel any need to really go back and try to find where I was standing to read it. Maybe scrolls or stone tablets would be fitting for making sure your players catch all of the tutorial text when it's relevant?

Other than that, I really had a lot of fun with the silly combat! The sound effects were hilarious and the game is very well put together! I don't think I encountered any glitches while playing the demo, so it was overall very impressive work!

I'll be keeping an eye out for any future updates! You have a really great game in the making!

Oh! That's really good to know! Wow there's some interesting tricks to helping people speed run games!!! That's so cool!!! I really hope you add more to this game after the game jam cause you really got a fun concept going!!!

Cannot wait to give this game 5 stars when I'm able to rate it!

I'd love to see more of this after the game jam! You already have a fantastic base for the game! I loved seeing so many people comparing times in the itch.io page, so including an online leaderboard would probably make the community super happy!

The controls made the game really easy to play and each level was short enough to really encourage replaying each one for a better time! I'd love to see more game modes like time attacks and more levels with potential for multiple routes to make for some impressively fast clears!!!

Overall a fantastic game! I genuinely couldn't find anything I disliked about it. I just wanna play more! Hahaha

I've followed you on itch.io and will absolutely be keeping an eye out for any updates on Grog! I'd love to play the full release on YouTube when it's ready!!!

I made a video over your game and really loved it!

I had so much fun figuring out the movement and trying to beat my times!!!

The bouncing was a bit difficult for me to figure out, but I'm chalking that up to a skill issue rather than a fault of the game hahaha!

I'd love to see more of this game post Speed Jam! The gameplay was really fun, so more levels would absolutely be welcome!

If you wanted to expand further on your idea, you could try a time attack mode too! Maybe the player has a time they have to beat the level in with flies scattered about the player can eat to increase the timer as they race to the end!

I don't play a whole lot of games with a speed run mechanic as timers tend to stress me out, but your game had such a charming design, intuitive controls, and nostalgic music that I didn't feel any stress trying to beat my times! I really had a great time playing and replaying each level!

Thank you for making this game!

I ended up making a video over your game here! I thought it was a very interesting take on the Ludum Dare 56 theme!

I really loved the energy your game gave. The sound design was very well done and the music was AWESOME!!!

I appreciated the little tutorial in the beginning as well rather than opting to toss the player in with no idea what they're doing.

The buildings falling over was also a fun inclusion to have as the health of your city got lower!

It would be great to see more added to this game if not to just have an excuse to keep listening to the music you made! Great work! Thank you for making this game!

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to your future content as well!

Should you ever want me to play another project you have in store, please don't hesitate to let me know!

It's so awesome seeing what the Indie gaming community can come up with and I'd really love showing the world how fun these games are!

I really loved the idea of mixing and matching creatures to progress in the game! The sound design in the game was very well done! It felt genuinely gross to pour those creature packets into the blender which only further added to the atmosphere of the world!

If you were to really expand on this idea, I can see this as a game I'd irresponsibly play for multiple hours at a time.

Thank you for making this game! You executed this idea very well!

I really loved the design of your game!

While it felt a bit slow every now and again, I always felt a rush of dopamine whenever I upgraded something! A fast forward button would be really nice to have if you plan on adding anything more to this!

I especially enjoyed the music in your game! It always kept me bobbing my head up and down as I played! Hahaha

Whether you continue with this concept or not, I'll be keeping an eye out for any future projects! Thank you for making this game!

I loved the design and soundtrack! The control scheme was very interesting! I think some quality of life additions would be really nice such as a tooltip window that tells you what you need to build something or just what something you've built does. 

There's a good bit of waiting for actions to be done where I'm not sure if any of the little creatures are actually coming over or not. Something to counter this might be making a little icon that lets me know a creature is on it's way while I'm clicking and holding for creatures to come over! 

I'm also never sure if I actually have all of the supplies I need to build more, so maybe making the little silhouettes red if I don't have what I need would help to inform me whenever I'm trying to build something!

I really liked the little animations of the creatures running around and always had a little dopamine rush whenever I built something!

Overall a game I would play again! I think it's very impressive after 72 hours of work and look forward to the Steam release! Thank you for making this!

This is currently my most viewed video on YouTube! Thank you so much!

I really hope it encouraged even just a few people to give this game some love and support because it really was a lot of fun to play!!!

Fantastic work especially in just 48 hours! My only complaint is that there wasn't more to play! Hahaha