itch.io

I like your game trailer and the ability to move between rooms to play new games.

It could be helpful to add a little game story at the beginning so that players know what they're supposed to do. It was hard to understand whether I was supposed to win the games or not, and what my ultimate goal in the game was. Perhaps also having a response that shows a player has successfully proceeded in the game, even some kind of "Next Game!" or confetti pop up. 

Also, this might be because I'm not used to gaming so much, but having a title screen or instruction at the beginning of each game instructing players how they should interact with the game items. 

Great design and sound design. Playing it is emotionally impactful. I understand there is sometimes no map in real-life escape settings during war, but I do think this would be helpful to add to your game. I found myself getting really lost and having to navigate a huge playing field to try to find my way out and interact with NPCs to have an answer.

I said this during a previous round of playtests, but it could also help to clarify the boundaries of the game so that the player knows where they can walk or where they will be blocked. Maybe in addition to/instead of the map, you could have text call-outs that explain to the player where they should go next. For instance in the scene where you blow the horn (also can't remember if there was a horn sound effect?), it could say something "The soldiers stationed above are coming your way! Make your way to the port before they make their way to you."

Finally, the game could close on the arrival of the person at a refugee camp/border patrol rather than just ending on the boat. This will drive your point that the person is traumatized and will face further hardships home.

I adored playing this, especially the glitch sequence and watching the video on that bridge. I think your sound design is strong. 

I think the game could benefit from a stronger narrative arc, i.e. beyond the fact that there are cool interactive features, what is the story? In our game design class, someone designed a class around the 5 stages of grief, and I know there are many games/VR experiences around psychological themes. It would be cool if each "room" or experience that players embark on in your project has a thematic link. So in other words, that the hand tracking has a purpose beyond moving or catching blocks. Alternatively, you clarify that the game is a playground and each scene is a different "technology interactive game."

I think adding sound effects to your player for when they bump into walls and experiences would also be great.

Thank you!! Super agree re instructions and general game navigation; hoping to add exit menu and clearer structure once this semester has wrapped :) 

Thank you John!! Appreciate your kind words and this very helpful feedback :) 

I like that the different players have different purposes (i.e. 1 "enemy" and 2 "heroes"). I especially like the design of the floating head. 

Some edits =

• Add menu screen explaining goal of the game
• Add "killed/lose" screen - when I played, I used the floating head to shoot the other players to death, but then nothing happened. No way to restart the game & try again or move to the next level
• Could be cool to add audio feedback to different actions, e.g. sound effects for shooting and for collecting gherkins

This is such a cute game. I love all the different avatars and their different abilities. The game becomes tougher as you advance in the levels, which is really engaging but can be frustrating at times when you or another player gets blocked somewhere for a while. 

You mentioned this in your notes, but a death screen would be a valuable addition.  

The levels feel cohesive and the sound design is good; I would just iron out the more challenging last steps so they feel more fluid.

The design of this game is beautiful and coherent. It feels like a very unique style, and it is gorgeous to watch the style flesh out and build to greater complexity with each level. 

The lighting is also well executed. 

In terms of gameplay, it would be cool to have a different goal in each scene. Could be trying to find clues about where the cat is in the first and second scenes (e.g. scene 1 you pick up clues as you walk around (or materials needed to find your cat/leave your house, e.g. torch, cat collar, keys, phone), scene 2 you speak to NPC who hints that the cat went to the forest and likes fish), and in scene 3 you have to get to the river and fish for food to get your cat back. Only after you've successfully collected clues and spoken to the NPC does the forest become available, and only after you've fished a given number of fish can you find your cat. This would give the game a more developed and engrossing storyline that matched the complexity of your graphics. 

The visuals of this game are very impressive and engrossing. The way the itch page is designed to match also adds to the immersion. The sound design is great, as is the NPC interaction. The translucent wall you need to unlock to get to the floating house is an extra nice touch. 

Some suggested revisions = the rules/goal in the first scene in the woods are unclear, and the camera movement is very jarring. It quickly feels nauseating to play. 

Because there is such a suspenseful build throughout the game, the end feels disappointing. There should be something more to the narrative than just collecting memories. It could end in a scary manner with some kind of jump scare, or something to escape to...