Played the steam demo and I got thoughts about it! It's a very stylish, polished game and the gameplay is cool and fun... except that the controls kindaa put me off of having the most fun with it.
Having only the left and right arrow keys to turn is very annoying, especially when your character is facing in literally any other direction but up. It's very likely that, when under pressure, you're going to press the wrong key and end up dying because of your misinput.
My reccomendation for fixing would be either:
1. Allowing the player to turn with the rest of the arrow keys. Aswell as having the keys dynamically change how they rotate you depending on your current rotation (so when facing downwards, pressing left would actually make you turn right).
2. Just making it so pressing the arrow keys (all arrow keys, not just left and right) will make the character turn to the key's direction.
If that one issue is fixed, I'd probably only have positives to say about this game! The aesthetic and music is fuckin AWWWESOME, we really need more Y2K-inspired games out there. Also definetley will be seeking out the soundtrack soon (plz be on bandcamp lol). Like, the only other critism I could make is that I don't like how you go out in one hit, but maybe that problem would be less of an issue when the control issue is sorted.
So yeah, this has got potential to be fuckin' AWESOME! Excited for the full release :]
I would argue that the tank controls are integral to the gameplay since all levels and obstacles were designed with them in mind. Removing them would remove a level of challenge and can become a problem considering the line behind you at all times. Fine tuning your angle and speed as you move while avoiding obstacles is the core of the gameplay.
okay played it a bit more, yeah I’d say I’m getting use to the controls and see your point. Though I still think the controls should dynamically change depending on rotation.
Though now I have ✨a bonus criticism✨. If you stand a little close to an edge the game will just *push* you off into the void. I can tell this is likely an intentional thing, assuming it was added to prevent any air floating, but literally this only causes frustration. For a game that has pretty long levels (well less of literally but more in their feeling, since you have to be very focused) and isn’t too forgiving with checkpoints, you want to cut corners as much as possible to optimise the amount of time you spend in a run - but then this mechanic just exists to punish you. Also other weird stuff relating to this mechanic exists also, I was on one of the wire platforms in a level and I wasn’t even that close to the edge and I still got pushed, and I got pushed like CARTOONISHLY far here. It was kinda funny tbh. Basically, I’d say just remove this. I really don’t see why it should be here. Or at least like make it more forgiving, so you can cut around corners.
Had fun playing it. But I do believe it could use some changes. For instance, the title screen and menu don't have music. It gets a little too quiet and stagnant here. And the button mappings? I would also like the controls to be customizable. Why? My left hand is doing all the work while my right hand is just there.
Hey! glad you enjoyed it. This is a demo! a fairly old one at that. Music is of course not finished or implemented yet for this one. I would also like to provide more gameplay input options definitely. Thanks for checking it out!
Played like 2 levels and was like "wait i love this so much i gotta wait til theres more"
love the lil dino guys and how expressive they are, the visuals are so good and everything comes together to make a perfect vibe to the whole game. keep up the great work
I played the demo a couple times in the last few days. Got every dragon and data pad in every level. I think it's a very promising game and I look forward to the full release.
I love the aesthetic and premise. You've managed to take a very simple mechanic and make it fun in a very immediate way. The music fits the look well, and the whole thing just screams Y2K in a good way.
Honestly, the difficulty seemed fine - good, even. I died a few times getting used to the controls, but once I'd played for a few levels it became natural to move around and I didn't mind redoing levels. People coddled by modern games might get their hackles up a bit, but the design reminds me very strongly of old games that just had a simple gameplay loop and expected players not to be discouraged by a single death.
The only things I think need redesigning are some of the way gameplay elements are introduced. The centipedes have a few different parameters (short, long, back-and-forth, loop) and having them all shoved together in big spaces just feels kind of messy. Same with the collapsing floor panels: I didn't realize that I had to run across the orange ones because the starting area where I first saw them had several circuitous paths, so by the time I wanted to go across the orange panels I was already running just to save time. Then later I tried walking across them, died, and though "huh?"
Having multiple mechanics introduced together isn't BAD GAME DESIGN™ (I've played Flash games and Source mods for literal decades, and it's fun to have different things thrown at you) but there were definitely a few times in the centipede level where I wasn't properly able to judge how the electric panels worked and died because of it. I think I went through my first run of that level without realizing that some panels were always on.
On a technical level, there are a few things that need to be fixed either for your next demo or the final release:
- Every type of platform/object/block needs to have a way to become transparent, and the transparency effect should be less distracting. One level had some metal loops that were technically not obstructing my view, but the "bubble" effect to see through them made me lose track of my character for a fraction of a second. Some objects just don't turn transparent, like the lightning towers in either the fourth or fifth level which obstructed my view while I was walking below them.
- In the level with the collapsing platforms, the second half has a section where everything is on metal grating with two tiers. The way the camera is angled, a ramp in the "background" looks like it lines up perfectly with the foreground, so I walked to my death the first time I came to that section.
(This is actually a really fiendish optical illusion that I think you should use in more advanced levels! Forced perspective is such an underused mechanic!)
- The collision to pick up a dragon needs to be larger. There were a couple times when I walked almost on top of one but didn't pick him up, which could easily waste several minutes of progress.
- Dying before the first checkpoint in a level shouldn't count as an additional attempt, since you roll back to the exact same point as a fresh start.
Overall, I can tell this will be a solid little game once it's been polished. Keep at it!
Saw this game on Discord, the aesthetic of the whole game is immaculate. Love the animations and art and all of it. Also if I didn't have roommates I would be blasting that music, it's great.
The only problem is that if you slip up, and have to start a level over, you have *so much walking to do* to get back to where you were. At first it's fun and relaxing, but when you have to replay a level it's gets boring. I'm not quite sure how I would fix it, but I'll say those first couple levels feel pretty empty. The only challenge to them is finding every dragon which requires a lot of patience.
Thanks for trying out the demo! I have decided to start reworking many aspects of the game such as level length and difficulty. People have also suggested the ability to speed up or slow down manually along with checkpoints if necessary. I hope to arrive at a better experience with these changes and others. It will just take some time.
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Played the steam demo and I got thoughts about it! It's a very stylish, polished game and the gameplay is cool and fun... except that the controls kindaa put me off of having the most fun with it.
Having only the left and right arrow keys to turn is very annoying, especially when your character is facing in literally any other direction but up. It's very likely that, when under pressure, you're going to press the wrong key and end up dying because of your misinput.
My reccomendation for fixing would be either:
1. Allowing the player to turn with the rest of the arrow keys. Aswell as having the keys dynamically change how they rotate you depending on your current rotation (so when facing downwards, pressing left would actually make you turn right).
2. Just making it so pressing the arrow keys (all arrow keys, not just left and right) will make the character turn to the key's direction.
If that one issue is fixed, I'd probably only have positives to say about this game! The aesthetic and music is fuckin AWWWESOME, we really need more Y2K-inspired games out there. Also definetley will be seeking out the soundtrack soon (plz be on bandcamp lol). Like, the only other critism I could make is that I don't like how you go out in one hit, but maybe that problem would be less of an issue when the control issue is sorted.
So yeah, this has got potential to be fuckin' AWESOME! Excited for the full release :]
I would argue that the tank controls are integral to the gameplay since all levels and obstacles were designed with them in mind. Removing them would remove a level of challenge and can become a problem considering the line behind you at all times. Fine tuning your angle and speed as you move while avoiding obstacles is the core of the gameplay.
I'm glad you enjoyed the rest though!
okay played it a bit more, yeah I’d say I’m getting use to the controls and see your point. Though I still think the controls should dynamically change depending on rotation.
Though now I have ✨a bonus criticism✨. If you stand a little close to an edge the game will just *push* you off into the void. I can tell this is likely an intentional thing, assuming it was added to prevent any air floating, but literally this only causes frustration. For a game that has pretty long levels (well less of literally but more in their feeling, since you have to be very focused) and isn’t too forgiving with checkpoints, you want to cut corners as much as possible to optimise the amount of time you spend in a run - but then this mechanic just exists to punish you. Also other weird stuff relating to this mechanic exists also, I was on one of the wire platforms in a level and I wasn’t even that close to the edge and I still got pushed, and I got pushed like CARTOONISHLY far here. It was kinda funny tbh. Basically, I’d say just remove this. I really don’t see why it should be here. Or at least like make it more forgiving, so you can cut around corners.
I got that game after you put that to Steam.
It was a very early alpha from last year but a proper demo is coming very very soon though!
I played this for the first time right now! :D
Had fun playing it. But I do believe it could use some changes. For instance, the title screen and menu don't have music. It gets a little too quiet and stagnant here. And the button mappings? I would also like the controls to be customizable. Why? My left hand is doing all the work while my right hand is just there.
Hey! glad you enjoyed it. This is a demo! a fairly old one at that. Music is of course not finished or implemented yet for this one. I would also like to provide more gameplay input options definitely. Thanks for checking it out!
Played like 2 levels and was like "wait i love this so much i gotta wait til theres more"
love the lil dino guys and how expressive they are, the visuals are so good and everything comes together to make a perfect vibe to the whole game. keep up the great work
Very glad you liked it!
I'll do my best
I played the demo a couple times in the last few days. Got every dragon and data pad in every level. I think it's a very promising game and I look forward to the full release.
I love the aesthetic and premise. You've managed to take a very simple mechanic and make it fun in a very immediate way. The music fits the look well, and the whole thing just screams Y2K in a good way.
Honestly, the difficulty seemed fine - good, even. I died a few times getting used to the controls, but once I'd played for a few levels it became natural to move around and I didn't mind redoing levels. People coddled by modern games might get their hackles up a bit, but the design reminds me very strongly of old games that just had a simple gameplay loop and expected players not to be discouraged by a single death.
The only things I think need redesigning are some of the way gameplay elements are introduced. The centipedes have a few different parameters (short, long, back-and-forth, loop) and having them all shoved together in big spaces just feels kind of messy. Same with the collapsing floor panels: I didn't realize that I had to run across the orange ones because the starting area where I first saw them had several circuitous paths, so by the time I wanted to go across the orange panels I was already running just to save time. Then later I tried walking across them, died, and though "huh?"
Having multiple mechanics introduced together isn't BAD GAME DESIGN™ (I've played Flash games and Source mods for literal decades, and it's fun to have different things thrown at you) but there were definitely a few times in the centipede level where I wasn't properly able to judge how the electric panels worked and died because of it. I think I went through my first run of that level without realizing that some panels were always on.
On a technical level, there are a few things that need to be fixed either for your next demo or the final release:
- Every type of platform/object/block needs to have a way to become transparent, and the transparency effect should be less distracting. One level had some metal loops that were technically not obstructing my view, but the "bubble" effect to see through them made me lose track of my character for a fraction of a second. Some objects just don't turn transparent, like the lightning towers in either the fourth or fifth level which obstructed my view while I was walking below them.
- In the level with the collapsing platforms, the second half has a section where everything is on metal grating with two tiers. The way the camera is angled, a ramp in the "background" looks like it lines up perfectly with the foreground, so I walked to my death the first time I came to that section.
(This is actually a really fiendish optical illusion that I think you should use in more advanced levels! Forced perspective is such an underused mechanic!)
- The collision to pick up a dragon needs to be larger. There were a couple times when I walked almost on top of one but didn't pick him up, which could easily waste several minutes of progress.
- Dying before the first checkpoint in a level shouldn't count as an additional attempt, since you roll back to the exact same point as a fresh start.
Overall, I can tell this will be a solid little game once it's been polished. Keep at it!
How do you unlock the 2nd world?
This is a demo! The game is still a work in progress.
The second world is almost done though
Came over here from party project by char64 and I didn't realize this was a demo! You did a good job!
Hope you enjoyed! The game has kind of changed significantly since this demo was posted here though.
Party Project is awesome!
Saw this game on Discord, the aesthetic of the whole game is immaculate. Love the animations and art and all of it. Also if I didn't have roommates I would be blasting that music, it's great.
The only problem is that if you slip up, and have to start a level over, you have *so much walking to do* to get back to where you were. At first it's fun and relaxing, but when you have to replay a level it's gets boring. I'm not quite sure how I would fix it, but I'll say those first couple levels feel pretty empty. The only challenge to them is finding every dragon which requires a lot of patience.
Thanks for trying out the demo! I have decided to start reworking many aspects of the game such as level length and difficulty. People have also suggested the ability to speed up or slow down manually along with checkpoints if necessary. I hope to arrive at a better experience with these changes and others. It will just take some time.
Thanks again for the feedback and for playing!