General thoughts
The mask system is a strong core idea. Giving each emotion a different movement ability and letting players combine them gives the platforming a clear identity, and I like that the masks also tie into the story and performance theme.
What I liked
- The puppet, mask, and theater concept gives the game a distinct personality.
- Combining masks to change how you move is an interesting foundation for both platforming and experimentation.
- The writing and presentation seem to be a strong part of what is pulling players in.
- Glad to see a browser version available alongside the downloadable build.
What I would change
- I would keep focusing on making the movement and controls feel as responsive and intuitive as possible, especially because the mask abilities are the heart of the game.
- UI feels sluggish and I was started to get impatient.
- Make sure the different masks all feel meaningfully useful and give the player good reasons to experiment with combinations.
- Keep improving clarity around where to go and what the game expects from the player, particularly during the earlier levels.
- The browser version has had some performance and input issues reported, so I would continue treating stability there as an important quality-of-life priority.
Overall, I think the strongest thing here is the mask mechanic combined with the theatrical theme. There is a lot of personality in the concept, and I would keep building around that while making the movement, level flow, and mask choices as clear and satisfying as possible.
Please consider giving my game a try, it’s browser based with a tight 2-3 minute game loop: https://barelyplayable.itch.io/blade-baes-brawl
Feedback form submissions preferred: https://forms.gle/fsJrAZDhJtP1CFXX8
Let me know if you’d like an invite to try the invite-only full alpha build :)
