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The submission period of this jam has not ended yet. Rating opens 2026-12-01 12:15:10.
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The submission period of this jam has not ended yet. Rating opens 2026-12-01 12:15:10.
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Comments
The first thing I noticed is how well the game gets you into a flow state. I ended up playing for quite a while, even though I hadn't planned to!
The visual style and sound design work really well together, and the overall pace of the gameplay feels great.
One thing I wasn't a big fan of was how dark some of the locations are. I feel like it takes away some of the visual enjoyment.
The cocktail mechanic wasn't immediately clear to me. At first, I thought the goal was to collect enough ingredients during a run to make all six cocktails (and I was so disappointed when water destroyed one of them!). But eventually, I figured out how it actually works.
I really liked the visual presentation of the bar counter, the bar itself, the tutorial, and the upgrade system. All of that feels well done.
On the downside, there's quite a lot of text on screen in many places, which makes the information a bit difficult to scan and process.
Another thing that confused me was how to get back to the main bar where you buy upgrades. I really wanted to spend my money on new stuff, but couldn't figure out how to return there. So, as an experiment, I deliberately got myself killed and discovered that apparently that's how you get back to the bar. :)
• What made you continue playing or stop.
For me personally, it's the permanent upgrade system between runs. Something like in Super Fantasy Kingdom — you enjoy the gameplay itself, but at the same time, there's that extra satisfaction of making long-term progress and gradually becoming stronger with each run.
Overall, I enjoyed the game quite a bit more than I expected and ended up spending much more time with it than I originally intended!
This is quite ornate. I played in safe mode a bit, mixing a drink, stumbling around picking things up and (though I haven't a clue why) attacking patrons (bad guys? zombies? I didn't ask questions). It seems like the engine is robust and the movement is smooth. The game didn't seem to teach me to use space bar to attack, or if it did I didn't notice it, but I figured that out quickly enough. It was quick enough to teach me how to interact with other things.
I suppose the main dev advice I have is to try to implement a facing parameter. The act of movement should turn the sprite in a direction, and attacks should be directional. Other than that, this game has humor, a rules engine worth attention, and a very easy onboarding path. I hope it does great!
Thank you for your attention and feedback. Just regarding the final part of your comment, I’d appreciate it if you could explain your meaning in more detail.
I can try. As I move to character through the game, it seemed the character was always facing to the right, instead of turning as a result of movement. And as I used spacebar to attack, it seemed the character always attacked to the right and slightly downward, instead of attacking in the direction it was moving.
It’s quite difficult; there are many enemies right from the start, and they’re fairly strong.
It’s not entirely clear where you’re supposed to go after dealing with the enemies in the first room.
Suddenly, new enemies appear-where did they come from?
Thank you for your attention and for the time you took.
U r welcome!
> Where you first felt confused.
At first, it was very easy to lose track of my character among the NPCs.
> What happened during your last death.
At the Golden Dragon, inside a small room, I ran out of ammo and tried to punch my way out through a crowd of enemies.
> What you expected your first cocktail to do.
I had no particular expectations, tbh. If I had to guess, I probably would have expected a health boost or weapon power-up.
> What made you continue playing or stop.
Honestly, I probably stopped because the game was a bit above my current skill level. I was getting better quickly, but after my last death, I wasn't quite ready to restart just yet.
> Platform and the version you played.
Demo v0.8 on Chrome Version 155.0.8059.85 (Official Build) (arm64), macOS Sequoia 15.4.1.
Some general feedback:
Night, rain, alcohol, and brutality—a perfect mix. I liked the pacing and overall feel. The guns, especially the shotgun, were very satisfying to use. Loved the chunky blood splatter. The game was plenty juicy for my taste, and the highly destructible environments were a big plus.
My main criticisms concern two readability issues. First is visual clutter—characters, health bars, blast effects, text, and more can get mixed together. At times, when everything overlapped, I found it difficult to understand what was happening. Second, the environment (floors, walls, scenery) sometimes blended together. I'm not an artist, so I don't know the right terminology, but I felt that objects needed greater contrast or depth to make them easier to distinguish.
Also, as someone who enjoys whiskey, I think players should be punished for mixing it with soda. Neat or on the rocks only! :P
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, and I really like where you're going with it. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for playing and for the detailed feedback! I’m really glad the atmosphere, shotgun, and destructible environments landed for you.
The readability feedback is especially useful. I want the combat to feel chaotic, but not at the cost of losing track of your character or being unable to read the environment.
One quick question, if you remember: was losing track of your character mainly a problem during crowded fights, or did they also blend into the scenery when things were quieter?
Your description of the Golden Dragon death is helpful too. I’ll keep it in mind when looking at readability and difficulty together.
And noted on the whiskey—apparently the cocktail system needs a taste police mechanic. :P
Thanks again for giving it a go!
>was losing track of your character mainly a problem during crowded fights, or did they also blend into the scenery when things were quieter?
IIRC, I only lost track of my character when things got chaotic in close-quarters combat. When I was farther from enemies or had a ranged weapon, I had no issue.
Looking for first-time playtests of RUSTY NAIL. Please try the browser build for 10–15 minutes. You do not need to finish the demo. I'm especially interested in:
• Where you first felt confused.
• What happened during your last death.
• What you expected your first cocktail to do.
• What made you continue playing or stop.
Please mention your platform and the version you played.
Feedback in the comments is welcome. Thank you!