I played the game several times, and I have to say, it's genuinely quite interesting! Here are a few things I'd like to highlight.
- It's immediately clear that a large portion of the development time went into the artwork and presentation. It really pays off, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- I also got the impression that Needy Girl Overdose might have been an inspiration, or at least that the two games share a similar atmosphere.
- Given the development priorities, I'd say the balance could use some work. Money doesn't seem to play a particularly meaningful role in the game. For example, Ichi-Express offers relatively little value when similar alternatives provide almost the same benefits without costing a full $15. Hobbies also feels like an upgraded version of the Sunset card, and whenever I had to choose between the two, I never picked Sunset.
- The resource balance could also use some attention. Managing resources felt quite challenging, and for a long time, I found myself stuck at roughly the same resource levels. This might be due to my own skill level, or it might be a balancing issue with the game. I'd need to play more to be sure.
- The game deserves special praise for its polish. Little touches like the music fading out when your resources get low, or special cards appearing when the protagonist starts losing their mind, are details you notice and appreciate right away. I also liked how resource levels affect the minigames, which makes you value those resources more. And the game's page design deserves recognition in its own right!
- One area I'd particularly like to see improved is the onboarding. At first, I felt a bit lost and wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, what my objective was, or which resources mattered most. It was only after clicking through various cards and experimenting for a while that I started making more informed decisions. I think the game would benefit from a clearer introduction that explains the available stats, what they affect, what the main goal is, and how the different mechanics fit together.
- I noticed that some development effort went into this screen, but as the game progresses, the gameplay starts to revolve mostly around clicking cards and checking the resource panel. As a result, the other elements gradually fade into the background. I'd suggest either adjusting the gameplay to make this screen more engaging and give it a more meaningful role, or reworking it into something else.
- Personally, I felt that the autumn theme was only present in a few places, and the Stay Warm constraint wasn't immediately obvious. If you renamed the "Inner Warm" bar to "Sanity" or something similar, the game would still make just as much sense. It wouldn't lose its core meaning or become a worse game. This is more of a subjective observation on my part, but I would have liked to see the theme woven more deeply into the overall experience.
Despite the issues with resource management and the limited value of certain elements, the game looks fantastic and plays quite well overall. And that's especially impressive when you consider that the entire game was made in such a short amount of time by one person - and I really do mean ONE person.
It's great to see that you managed to meet the deadline and bring the game to such a polished state. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your progress and hoping to see more great things from you. And who knows, maybe we'll get the chance to work together someday!
Either way, this is genuinely great work. Well done! ❤️