It's SO nice to see a game jam entry that holds emphasis on character, visual design, and storytelling. It's a beautiful breath of fresh air amidst the other entries, which emphasize mechanics. From what I've seen so far, I can safely say you've got the Graphics category squarely won.
However, (as I'm sure you're aware) the game suffers in the technical department. The biggest problem is the collision detection, which is something everybody struggles with first starting out. I'm sure you can find a good tutorial on how to make smooth collisions, and I implore you to do so. Additionally, I felt the camera was too close-up; I couldn't see where I was going or where the enemies were until they were too close.
Then again, maybe instead of focusing on platforming, you might want to explore other game genres that play to your creative strengths and interests (visuals, characters, storytelling). A Point-and-Click Adventure game seems something right up your alley, as they tend to be quirky, character-driven, narrative-focused games with little emphasis on technicalities. RPGs, Top-Down Adventures, and Visual Novels are also some genres you might want to look into.
Again, excellent work. Game jams need more people like you.
The concept here is excellent and simple; it's a perfect game idea for a game jam. However, the game itself is kind of unnecessarily frustrating because how the player controls: there's no smooth acceleration or deceleration; I always feel like I'm moving somewhere I don't want to be, which is not something you want from a level this precisely designed.
Otherwise, it is a more than solid idea. I just wish the controls were more refined.
Never has a game's mechanics so successfully communicated and conveyed self-hatred, claustrophobia, and futile despair. The mechanics are so brilliantly artful that I honestly felt like the text between levels was unnecessary; they didn't add anything thematically that the mechanics didn't already portray stronger.
Otherwise, this is a frustratingly beautiful work of art. It made me thoroughly hate myself. Thank you.
