I really like the overall vision and concept behind the game. It's ambitious and has a lot of potential, but I also think the current scope is a bit too large for the amount of time available during the game jam. I appreciated that the team was honest about their progress and willing to adjust their production plan based on what they learned during Sprint 1. One suggestion I have would be to narrow the focus and create a smaller slice of the game, almost like a tutorial level. That would give the team more time to polish the environment, gameplay, and overall player experience instead of spreading their efforts across a much larger world. A short but polished experience is often more memorable than a larger game that isn't fully developed, and I think it would better showcase the team's strengths.

I think this is an ambitious premise, but I can see the appeal of the gameplay design from the video. I think focusing on a more complete, if shorter, experience may be the way to proceed while still keeping the scope largely controlled. 

apologies for the late post. i really love the aesthetics so far, and i appreciate the simplified and slimmed-down design and detailed plans for the production schedule. i look forward to seeing where you all take this!

I love the vision of the game and the entire concept, but as good as the concept is and as ambitious as it is, this seems like a great challenge in scope for this team within this time constraint. With that said, I appreciate the honesty in admitting the progress in sprint #1 and the action taken in making changes to the production plan. As a personal suggestion, as this is a very big game, it would take a lot of time in 3d modeling (which has not been shown in the video) for the environment artist; maybe the team could consider creating a "tutorial level" of the big game for this game jam. This will put the team's focus on the details of a single level, making time for designers and artists to make a polished level instead of a gray-boxed and empty game. If you can surprise and attract the player's attention, even a 5-minute gameplay is worthy of doing.

I really appreciate the honesty here, admitting Sprint 1 fell short and then actually cutting scope in response is exactly the kind of self-awareness that saves projects like this. The Echo Lens as a mechanic for revealing the past layered under the present is a lovely fit for the "cause and effect, not one heroic fix" message, and I'd encourage you to lean even harder into making that lens feel like the emotional core of the experience rather than just a puzzle tool.

I like the concept of this game a lot. I am not sure of the mechanics, really, and what the game is trying to achieve, in my opinion.  I cannot tell exactly if this concept is too large for the scope.

I really like the atmosphere of this concept. The Echo Lens mechanic is an interesting way to connect the past and present. One suggestion I have would be to ensure that the exploration remains rewarding throughout the game.

Very strong visual direction, I’m excited to see how the game will look. I wish the narrative was more fleshed out. Why exactly does the player need to discover those specific plants? What stories do they tell? This could lead into an impactful call to action, which I feel is the main thing missing from gameplay.

I really like the atmosphere and direction you’re going for, the idea of exploring a restored ecosystem while uncovering its past is unique and fits the Climate Jam theme really well. One thing I’d encourage is making the Echo Lens and puzzles a bigger part of the gameplay, so players are actively discovering the story instead of mostly reading it. I also think keeping the scope focused on one polished level will help the final experience feel much stronger. Overall, this has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see how it develops over the rest of the jam.

This is an ambitous project. Probably you should try to narrow down your scope. The relation to the theme seems a bit weak considering this is a climate jam where scientifically based game play matters.