itch.io

This game while small is really well done. My favorite details: There wasn't many 'choices' but they were impactful. The music change signaled a new game phase. And it was very easy to understand what you needed to do at any stage.

Yeah I tried to play it but can't as you mentioned in a comment. Perhaps consider hiding the download and preventing it from being downloaded for now. Or alternatively allow players to test an older build for feedback.

I tested your game to try it out and have some feedback.

Firstly, there is no way to exit the game or return to the main menu once you have started the game. This is unacceptable.

Second the tutorial needs work, it doesn't explain the game very well as I still couldn't grasp the game after reading it. The scrolling up to read lines of text is odd and different but not in a good way. Even lines of text and pictures would probably be better. The advice offered in the tutorial isn't true either, with the B to build button not functioning. I found myself still confused upon returning to play after reading the tutorial. Why not allow the tutorial to be read while playing from the pause menu?  It also doesn't explain how everything works, such as fighting, equipping weapons.

The choice to make raiders squares is odd seeing most of the screen is squares. I understand you are going for a minimalist game, but I have to say the game isn't minimalist. Reading through the tutorial shows the game is or is planned to be relatively complex. Paradoxically it also difficult to learn and play. A minimalist game should be easy to play and require no explanation to most players.

I suggest if you are going to continue working on this project that you:

• Add UI elements for buildings and a shop button. Key binds can be visible on these UI elements if you wish to keep them.
• Change the camera movement as at the moment it moves rather strangely. It should be snappy and responsive. Also consider zooming out the camera.
• Change the art style. everything blends in, simply adding borders to your shapes would help a lot.
• Keep your colonists the same color so you can identify them easily.
• Adding options for volume or sound in the pause menu and menu.
• Test the game on the platforms people will play it on (you mentioned you only played on linux).
• Consider the setting and goal a bit further. At the moment you are trying to make money on an iceberg? Somehow people are attacking you?

That is all I have for now.

Interesting and fresh idea, although will easily overwhelm a new player who might not want to continue. I suggest you slow the start of the game a bit more. Tasks pile up so quick the thought of clicking the ? button for advice when there is 5 other tasks is a bit much.

Doesn't launch so I cannot test it

No worries, I am currently having a look through the genre for some ideas. I am glad you didn't take it personally, I would like to see this game in a few months :) keep it up!

I played for a bit and found it surprisingly fun for what it is. I played it for quite a while and wanted to experience more, but I couldn't due to some issues.

So I have some feedback to offer. The experience had some moments of frustration. For starters the crew members don't really seem to have any sense of self preservation, they will gladly go to sleep in a puddle of water and kill themselves, or while suffocating, refusing to turn on oxygen in favor of sleeping, jumping into a hole and drowning (refusing to dig their way out, again opting to sleep in the water again).

It is also unclear when oxygen is required or not unless you baby sit the overlay, I found a dead crew member and didn't even realise they died. It didn't really seem to matter either and there was no interaction possible with the body. like making a grave/coffin or otherwise disposing of it.

As for the setting itself, leaving the ship and going outside is vacuum apparently, but they seem to be able to run outside for several moments with no protection. While this may or may not be realistic, I think most people would expect some negative effects to occur rapidly.

I think when you consider these things together it makes sense to give the crew oxygen masks or tanks, especially as they seem to operate in areas with only CO2 in the air. I'd also like better ways to communicate low or high oxygen levels as it seems like there would be no reason not to generate as much oxygen as possible currently?

As for plants, well it seems strange to use solar panels to power lights to grow plants, could there be some sort of glass block?

Additional things I noted were, it was difficult to keep track of resources you have dug. Lack of drinking and food seems strange. It would be nice to be able to move certain furniture items such as the bed. Water seems to have weird physics and doesn't fill hole as you would expect. Manual saving crashed my game, but it did save properly and I was able to load it. No option to lock doors open.

Lastly the game triggers a firewall check on opening as it connects to the internet, itch sometimes has malware, so those more cautious may be put off. It makes sense for a steam game though.

All in all I'd like to see this project continue, it's got a long way to go, but the concept is fun.

A very easy and important feature to implement is the ability to restart, if you fail its over you must refresh the page. At least for weburl