It is a pretty hypnotizing experience. Once you get into the rhythm of digging-upgrading-revealing map and enemy fighting it is quite engaging. I like these weird structures that you can uncover. At the beginning I was sure it's all about digging up minerals, so when I found out you can have different shrines and other, destroyed domes with permanent upgrades suddenly revealing a map was much more objective driven.
I went with maximum offense - bombs + fire, with magnets mounted on the dome. I was stubborn to not upgrade carry weight and speed until before last wave, because I was hauling my loot to the nearest spot that had magnet reach. Bombs and fire take a long time to deploy, with my breaking strength quadrupled it was barely handy, but it was also my fault to not upgrade them for a long time. I didn't even have a a chance to see bombs with higher radius and splinter bomb as I uncovered that one BIG orb very soon afterwards and then I had a launch sequence.
I'm not sure 1 bit graphics gonna sell it. I understand it's supposed to be a small scale, lo-fi, easy in-easy out experience but still, something feels off. I'd try to make sprites bigger, or rather increase the resolution and size of sprites so they convey more details. Right now mixels are really visible, and I think that is bothering me subconsciously. Add special items that are colored differently? I think the presentation right now is the weakest element.
I wonder what are you cooking with missions? With proper background and lore the game can be even more engaging. I'd also focus on adding unique structures that can be spawned randomly that add boosts, maybe even permanent between missions. A secret objective-puzzle like in Spelunky would be also a great addition.
Very generous with crystals this time around and I finished the whole thing without a single combat upgrade thanks to the turret power. I felt that combat upgrades are like a tax that you have to pay, it's annoying to waste your hard earned mineral on something that's a token "get this so you don't die" upgrade. Even with the new enemies combat feels like a token phase that interrupts your mining. Personally, since you've already implemented mouse control, I'd make it so the lil dude can walk around and shoot guns. You could even make it so there's random guns to find around so exploration would reward combat without sacrificing progression. Whatever way you choose to tackle it I think combat is the weakest part right now.
The final sequence was cool and looking for objective around the map was nice.
This thing stole my minerals and doesn't seem like it did anything.
The extra vision was a nice buff to get but the camera being zoomed out caused a jittering effect which was annoying. Having these little side things is a fun shakeup from the monotone mineral mining, good addition.
Thanks the feedback. The thing that stole your minerals was drawn over the oil (circles) it is meant to spawn. I will get that addressed in the next build.
I’m not very familiar with similar games, but I had fun. The easy difficulty was appropriately easy, by the end I found myself wishing it were harder so I’d be forced to engage with the mechanics in a more deliberate and strategic way, which is probably a good thing. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the monochromatic art style, but I’d say it’s well executed. The music and sound effects were also good and everything seemed really polished.
Nice game. reminds me of dome keeper. Everything works but I wasn't sure what the overall objective was.
perhaps a even smaller ~5 min tutorial difficulty could help people to understand the overall concepts. like an exit with 2 orbs which are 1 screen away.
Comments
It is a pretty hypnotizing experience. Once you get into the rhythm of digging-upgrading-revealing map and enemy fighting it is quite engaging. I like these weird structures that you can uncover. At the beginning I was sure it's all about digging up minerals, so when I found out you can have different shrines and other, destroyed domes with permanent upgrades suddenly revealing a map was much more objective driven.
I went with maximum offense - bombs + fire, with magnets mounted on the dome. I was stubborn to not upgrade carry weight and speed until before last wave, because I was hauling my loot to the nearest spot that had magnet reach. Bombs and fire take a long time to deploy, with my breaking strength quadrupled it was barely handy, but it was also my fault to not upgrade them for a long time. I didn't even have a a chance to see bombs with higher radius and splinter bomb as I uncovered that one BIG orb very soon afterwards and then I had a launch sequence.
I'm not sure 1 bit graphics gonna sell it. I understand it's supposed to be a small scale, lo-fi, easy in-easy out experience but still, something feels off. I'd try to make sprites bigger, or rather increase the resolution and size of sprites so they convey more details. Right now mixels are really visible, and I think that is bothering me subconsciously. Add special items that are colored differently? I think the presentation right now is the weakest element.
I wonder what are you cooking with missions? With proper background and lore the game can be even more engaging. I'd also focus on adding unique structures that can be spawned randomly that add boosts, maybe even permanent between missions. A secret objective-puzzle like in Spelunky would be also a great addition.
Looking forward to your updates!
Very generous with crystals this time around and I finished the whole thing without a single combat upgrade thanks to the turret power. I felt that combat upgrades are like a tax that you have to pay, it's annoying to waste your hard earned mineral on something that's a token "get this so you don't die" upgrade. Even with the new enemies combat feels like a token phase that interrupts your mining. Personally, since you've already implemented mouse control, I'd make it so the lil dude can walk around and shoot guns. You could even make it so there's random guns to find around so exploration would reward combat without sacrificing progression. Whatever way you choose to tackle it I think combat is the weakest part right now.
The final sequence was cool and looking for objective around the map was nice.
This thing stole my minerals and doesn't seem like it did anything.
The extra vision was a nice buff to get but the camera being zoomed out caused a jittering effect which was annoying.
Having these little side things is a fun shakeup from the monotone mineral mining, good addition.
Thanks the feedback. The thing that stole your minerals was drawn over the oil (circles) it is meant to spawn. I will get that addressed in the next build.
I’m not very familiar with similar games, but I had fun. The easy difficulty was appropriately easy, by the end I found myself wishing it were harder so I’d be forced to engage with the mechanics in a more deliberate and strategic way, which is probably a good thing. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the monochromatic art style, but I’d say it’s well executed. The music and sound effects were also good and everything seemed really polished.
thanks for the video and feedback.
Nice game. reminds me of dome keeper. Everything works but I wasn't sure what the overall objective was.
perhaps a even smaller ~5 min tutorial difficulty could help people to understand the overall concepts. like an exit with 2 orbs which are 1 screen away.
Appreciate the feedback. I'll have a couple things done to try and make the objective more obvious in the next build.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2660040461
Thanks for playing. I've got a lot of notes from watching your gameplay.
I don't get what I should do. Crushed a pokeball and let something escape.
I think it need ambient noise like wind and crackling tree to be a little more atmospheric
Thanks for the feedback. I'll see what I can to do make the objective more obvious.