First Playtest - Taking in Outside Notes

This week, we finally had players test our game. And, boy does it help to hear their thoughts.

If you want to see the current state of our game, check out the last post.

As of writing this, we're coming out of a very productive 2+ hour meeting session wherein the team hammered down on some decisive steps moving forwards.

Of course, the everyone is super proud of the work we accomplished with the playable prototype. We were able to implement base versions of a lot of the core mechanics.

First of all, feedback for the game was overwhelmingly positive, with over 80% of responses rating the game above average in enjoyment (a high watermark for a baseline prototype).

The possession meter also came across clearly, as most players could track its ability-unlocks.

Using feedback as our guide to shape our goals, there were some main areas to decide:

The negative effects of possession.

As of now, possession only ever adds abilities. Sure the screen gets dark, and the mood gets uncomfortable, but there really wasn't a reason not to stay possessed.

To solve this, we wish to try out a system wherein high possession messes with you further.

When possessed, the goal is to have the solution become muddled. Certain red herrings such as fake boxes or false passageways. These things would start to appear and mess with you, making high possession more of a hindrance.

A less-invasive inventory system.

In the current build, you can only hold one item that floats in front of you on the screen.

While we like the tension of a one-item inventory, it became annoying to constantly have that in your field of vision, and to constantly have to hold down left-click to keep it there.

Something we've been playing with to solve this is having both a pocket and a hand.

Essentially, since you're playing as a weakened villager, you would only be able to carry small things that fit in your pocket--one at a time (ex. keys, talismans, potions).

Then, the possession meter allows you to levitate or push larger objects (boxes, etc.).

The idea is the same--a one inventory system--just more streamlined.

Other than this, a few small things like adding a reticle, polishing lighting, and slowing your movement speed will serve to make the gameplay feel better and more complete.

The game continues to take shape, and we're excited to see the new discoveries we make along the way.

To you in the future playing the game, we hope it's fun! To those of us in the present, we push on, letting discovery and feedback be our guide.