I want to start by saying that your game truly stands out and deserves thoughtful feedback. I’ve focused this feedback on my experience as a player, as I don’t have enough context to comment on aspects like monetization. My goal is to share constructive thoughts in a positive and supportive way to help enhance the game’s potential.
#Chapeaunyra
ashen coyote
ashen coyote
Context
As a French developer, my experience was influenced by playing on NA servers, which may have affected latency and overall gameplay feel. Please keep this in mind when reviewing my feedback, as it could impact how certain elements performed for me.
Positive Aspects
I really appreciated the pixel art style—it's simple yet effective and adds a charming vibe to the game. The animations are also well done and contribute positively to the overall experience.
On the gameplay side, gathering mechanics are engaging, especially with the minigame element. The skill progression for gathering felt balanced in terms of EXP gain relative to character levels. Early leveling (from 1-10) was enjoyable and paced well, and partying up for EXP before the recent update provided a fun, collaborative feel.
Suggestions for Improvement
To make the game even more accessible and enjoyable, here are some thoughts based on my playthrough. These are just my personal observations, and I hope they spark some ideas for refinement:
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Jumps and Navigation: The platforming can feel a bit too precise at times, leading to frustrating misses even when focused. It might be helpful to consider adding movement or jump stats to items (outside of the echoes system, to allow for self-optimization without conflicting mechanics). This could smooth out the experience without altering the core challenge.
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Invisibility Skill Access: Requiring level 5 in gathering to unlock invisibility felt a little restrictive, especially for players not focused on gathering or crafting—it's such a useful ability! A potential solution could be introducing a quick, beginner-friendly quest at level 0 that grants invisibility along with level 1 in the skill, making it more inclusive from the start.
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Grapple Mechanics: I found the limited grapple uses a bit limiting, and the controls weren't as fluid as I expected (I enjoy swinging freely at the end of a rope). Perhaps exploring an infinite ON/OFF toggle could enhance mobility and fun—it's worth considering if it aligns with your design vision.
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Gathering Tempo: The delay between succeeding in the minigame and actually collecting resources felt a tad long, which interrupted the flow. Shortening this could keep the activity more rhythmic and satisfying.
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EXP Balancing: From level 10 onward, solo grinding started to feel repetitive with not enough personal EXP rewards, though skill EXP progression remained solid. I preferred the pre-update party leveling, as it encouraged teamwork without extended sessions of holding keys without movement (some players even resorted to weighting keys, which shifts away from active gameplay). Maybe adjusting the grind curve or adding more varied activities could make progression feel more rewarding for different playstyles.
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Combat Readability: During intense attacks, it can be hard to spot monsters clearly. Adding some visual cues for better readability would be a nice touch to build on the already strong animations.
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HUD Customization: The HUD takes up quite a bit of screen space, which might overwhelm some players. Offering an option to scale or minimize it could improve comfort and personalization.
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Auto Pick-Up Feature: I'd love the option to purchase auto pick-up directly with gems as a one-time buy, rather than it being tied exclusively to Patreon. This could make it more accessible to a wider audience without recurring commitments.
Overall, I had a positive time with the playtest and see a lot of potential in the game. These suggestions come from a place of enthusiasm, and I'd be excited to see how the team iterates on them—keep up the great work!
jovial obsidian