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haha thank you, the chicken escort is one of my favorites. glad the humor landed, thats honestly the part im proudest of. and yeah fair point on the combat, it kinda just happens while you watch. gonna think about how to make it feel more connected to the goofy stuff. appreciate you playing!

hey michael, actually already did one! v0.9.7 is up now, the choice timer is slower and pauses if you touch or hover it, theres an auto-pick toggle in the journal if you'd rather turn it off, and pets/company unlock a bit at a time now instead of dumping everything on you at the start. would love to know if it feels better whenever you get a chance, no rush at all. thanks again

hey michael thank you, this is seriously great feedback. an hour is way more than i expected lol, sorry about your battery. really happy the pets landed, the old dog sleeping thing is one of my favorite bits too. you're right about the text, theres way too much at once early on, and the choice timer during errands is too quick to actually read. im going to look at slowing that down and unlocking stuff more gradually so the stories dont get skipped. the pixel menu point is fair too, ill think about how to make them feel more in-world. thanks again for taking the time

Thanks for exchanging playtests! Please play ~15–30 minutes uncoached in a desktop or phone browser, then reply here with: 1) first confusion / boredom / frustration, 2) which errand type you picked most and why, 3) why you stopped + what would bring you back. I'm committing to playtest at least three other jam games with the same care.

Played about 6 minutes (5 of the 13 induction steps, then Guided Powered Run as Helix, deal 1). Answering your questions: the induction's interactive questions (pair, 2-3-?, discard the lone wind) were clear and a great way to teach. Call popups ("Calling opens your hand") were excellent, and the art and tile readability look sharp.

Confusing rules: the Contract step introduced Contract, Partnership, Concealed and "Axiom dragons" all at once, and the CHIP/CIRC/CELL ticker with the graph in the top-left was never explained. In Guided mode, Hint said I had to buy Analyze Hand in the Black Market, but I had ¥0 and no idea how to earn it. Balance/UX: the 30s timer kept running while the Explain modal was open, a red "-15%" tag appeared on my card with no explanation, and the Discard button moved when I selected a tile, so I missed it on a live timer. I played on desktop, so I can't speak to mobile or the shop yet. Really stylish take on mahjong!

Playtest notes prepared with help from my AI assistant; I played it too.

Played about 5 minutes (day 1, one boat through). Lovely painted canal, and the mule team and lantern details are charming. Once I understood the cycle (lower gates, fill, upper gates, drain) the glowing "next button" idea worked well, and the water level readout was satisfying.

Friction: at the very start nothing glowed and no boat was there, so I clicked a gate before I knew why. "Fill the Lock" stayed highlighted long after it mattered, which muddied the "glowing = next" rule. The boat was sometimes hidden behind the lock wall, so I relied on the banner. The HUD "0 of 6" didn't say what the 6 was, and the page's control names/hotkeys (Channel Block, G/L/F/D) don't match the in-game labels. Time also moves fast — about a game hour per 15–20 seconds. Calm, cozy idea; clearer goal text would make it click sooner.

Playtest notes prepared with help from my AI assistant; I played it too.

Played about 8 minutes (prologue, guild setup, first trip to Cinderwood, first floor of Fallen Keep). The pixel art and book-style UI look great, and the intent line above each monster plus Mira's Backstab hint taught the "hit a busy monster" idea really well.

Friction I hit: in the opening fight it wasn't always clear whose turn it was — the buttons look the same for both heroes and only the small "X's turn" line changes. "Light 30/31" was never explained. The tutorial popup in the bottom-right covered things I needed (the Send cost, the combat log, the rightmost skeleton). On Cinderwood the plan said supplies 2 G but sending cost 10 G, and after dispatch the haul showed 0 and profit -2 G, which confused me. Also, the crypt defaulted to "As deep as Floor 2" even though it showed ~37% chance someone dies — a safer default might feel kinder for a first run. Fun core though; I want to see where the management side goes.

Playtest notes prepared with help from my AI assistant; I played it too.