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A jam submission

Bokube Mid Beta PlaytestView game page

Playtest the mid beta of Bokube, its the entire game!
Submitted by BokuDev (@BokuDev) — 22 hours, 38 minutes before the deadline
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Bokube Mid Beta Playtest's itch.io page

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

Hey. I played your game as part of a Demo Day stream. If you didn't catch the stream live, here's a link to the video:

You can see my other demo day 46 streams as well on my channel.

Submitted(+1)

I was only playing for a short while so I only got through level 1-1. Maybe it makes sense to have traps for teleporters in levels later down the line, but for now I just found it annoying. Furthermore you don't seem to have a button for restarting levels for gamepad, which led to a good amount of frustration. Other than that the game seems pretty well polished, and it looks like you're close to having it finished.

Developer

Are you using a PS5 controller or xbox? Its back on xbox and share button on PS5. Thank you for playing! 

Submitted

I was using a PS4 controller. I didn't see anything specifically saying what the restart control was.

Developer

Try the share button and let me know if it works; I dont have any playstation controllers so I'm trying to discover this myself. 

Submitted

It didn't work. I made sure to test every button. R1 and R2 both just went back to the level select though.

Submitted(+1)

World 2-1 Is much much much much much better then World 1 in total.

It gradually introduces mechanics, makes use of jumping to avoid Enemies, shows the difference between Purple and Red enemies, the actual option to down red ones with normal blue Cubes, makes use of camera shifting to find the Solution, has a nice Timing to it, is comfy and easy to pass through. I died a few Times, so its not like its too easy, but this is how the Rest of the Game should be aswell. I don't know why this isn't lengthened into a handful of levels and used as the first world, but some hectic City where everything is mashed together and coming at you at the same Time.

The Cannon lets you make out the new Island just at the Top, so you actually know where you shooting. The dead Bunny gives you a warning to look around with the camera for the right Button, instead o the wrong one, which I still ended up pressing. The Checkpoints are rather nice and evenly placed across, the whole level isn't super long or short, its a pleasent experience. I may be too happy about it since I expected something like World-1 again, but still, its nice.

Its a Shame that I only start with 1 heart after the checkpoint tho, makes the Heartmeter kind of useless after you've died once. I also still think the teleport block isn't needed, you could just make stairs or a ladder to make me go up somewhere. And that the Enemy before the final Airsaw dash walks over the teleporter which you can dash into if not super careful makes it so that you can basically dash into an offscreen Enemy and die, thats no fun. 

World 2-2 ramps up the difficulty nicely a bit, until the first checkpoint which seems to be unbeatable.  The gold block blocks my path up, and I can't get any other block down there to push through the Warp into the Purple Guy. You're not suggesting I need to get the heat thing and then speed through half the level to get there in Time, do you? You already have a nicely looping level blocked off on the beginning, just have a switch or something there, that opens the required pathway, instead of putting speedrun stuff in again. Some of the enemy placement also seemed a bit odd, the big purple Bird flies way of screen on both sides, so I forgot it was there until I dashed into it again for example. You start next to a nice windmill, rotate the inital view 90° so you immediately show that. If the rest of the level blocks it out initially too much, make a bit more space between. I started off next to a puzzle cube and some deathblades, I'd much rather start of next to a puzzlecube and a giant Windmill with some deathblades. 

World 2-3 Is great. Why aren't all your initial levels like this? You introduce a single new mechanic - the Enemy Vision cones. Then you gradually expand on how they are used, show of they hate Bunnies, and that you can use Bunny decoys to have them run into traps. That you can use saw placements to get them dead and so on. Again, its not difficult, but it doesn't need to be, it serves as a great tutorial level for that specific mechanic.

There are some deadfalls where the dash takes you slighty too far obviously, with no need to be there, like right at the end, when you lure the 2 Enemies into the Water, theres a small gap of water on the return platform where I fell in. Taking a full circle again seems like its just there to pad out Gametime. You don't need that. Its also very easy to accidentally run on the saw trigger in the second runtrough, forcing you to do  third loop to trigger it into the right position again. And respawning on checkpoints also respawns enemies, resets Saws etc. That means if you respawn on the final checkpoint, next to the Bunny to rescue, you softlock yourself, since the enemy blocks your entrance.

World 2-4 Target doesn't have a number of Targets I have to hit displayed. It made me realize I could've dashed into the Purple enemy in 2-2 to beat the first checkpoint, but apparently I'm too stupid and forgot. Its more speedy then the previous ones, but its not limiting you to rush through, you can most of the Time just take a step back, plan your route and then execute it. After the part where you have to hit 2 targets on a moving platform by jumping, one on each endpoint, while avoiding the Spikes in the middle, you come across that bird under a handful of spikeblocks with a moving platform thing. Thats dumb, its too much going on, I need to use the Platform, jump at the right time to avoid the bird, move out qickly, jump up to the target, and move back onto the platform to jump over to the other Side before the platform moves away or the bird returns. Don't do that, made me quit the level, since I got flashbacks to world1.

Skipping the Lava and Sokoban, it won't be fun, I'm pretty sure of it. The speed mechanic just doesn't work with this I think, and I'd rather have more puzzles like the normal World2 levels then some tacked on extra Stuff.

Not finishing the Boss 2 either. But it works a lot better then boss 1. You have an actual Puzzle to solve, with the big bird getting in your Way, instead of it chasing you mindless through a straight line. You can take your Time to access the Situation, but still need to act quickly on the actual execution. The middle platforms are too small tho, so you constantly dash over them when you're not moving in the right line on the sideways. It should be possible to dash onto them from every point of the sidelines safely. Its the second Boss, not some super difficult final one where you have to know the Dash distance by heart. You should also never have to know the dash distance by heart in this. 

Overall World 2 is way better then World 1. With slowly introducing new mechanics, giving proper Time to try out stuff and look through the levels, it feels a lot more like a puzzle game, then whatever madness world 1 is. Did you make this World first and later decided to make World 1 the actual world 1? Or is this world the last one you made and you learned from the previous ones? 

And remove the Timer on the corner. Speedrunners time themselves outside anyway. If you want to show a Timer, make a nice 'Good Job, you finished the level' screen to mask the transition to the next one, unless you're doing a proper world select, which in my opinion would work well, and display the Time and tries it took to bet the level on that end screen and the world selection. Makes you think more on the 'I want to beat my personal best' then 'I need to go as fast as possible'. And don't taunt me for dying and failing. Its a cute-sy puzzle platformer thing, put a Gameover there, not a Get Gud. 

Developer(+1)

Skipping levels at all is not good! Every level is beatable there shouldn't be soft locks since iv tested all levels; I prefer feedback on every level after you complete each one but then again thanks for the feedback anyway its better than nothing this is good feedback in its own kinda way. 

I'm uploading a new build right now that way less frustrating btw. Has ESC to quit, F2 to go back to level select, and fixes a frustrating copy ghost boss you'd probably hate later. I suggest waiting to continue playing till tomorrow it will be uploaded by then. 

Submitted(+1)

I'll play through the skipped levels and maybe another world tomorrow then.

Developer(+1)

Also I came to the realization because of this feedback that the right move to make is swapping zone 1/color factory to zone 3 instead of the first zone in the game is a good move right now. I will make the zone 2/easter zone be the first zone and forest which was zone 3 before will be zone 2. I'm going to scrap the speed boost pad mechanic things because they don't feel good with the grid based movement. I'm changing the "git gud" message to gameover, (mostly because I'm tired of 9000) people telling me its too offensive even though I personally think you guys are too emotional but the customer sometimes has to be put before me for successes sake. 

This wont make it into the alpha (I think) because there is not enough time but the bokube beta will touch up a lot of the gameplay of the color zone to be less speed runnery but lava levels are a staple of the game that can't be changed; (or in the final game skipped like you did mind you) il probably balance lava levels more with more playtesters play sessions to be easier. 

Submitted(+1)

pre title doesn't need a bokube popup if I'm playing bokube. That doesn't make Sense.

the first bokube title falling down lags and jitters. The Bunnies look like they're humping the Fence, I'm assuming its supossed to be dancing. Main menu doesn't recognize my Controller. The prestart unity quality select screen makes it look low quality.

I'm hoping the Level Select is just an alpha testing thing, and will not make it into the final Game like that, its hideous.


Why can I climb the Air in the Tutorial level? Why is dashing a press twice if I can't select the Distance. Even if I can, why not a hold to dash? I'm expecting a puzzle platformer, with grid based movement and cute graphics, why is there a giant Timer in the corner? Is this intended to be a speedgame?

And why is it moking me if I die? Is this trying to be a Pogo3D like ragegame?

Controls for Controller work semiwell. It tells me to press Space but not the controller button to jump straight up. It also doesn't jump me straight up, but keeps me aligned to the Gridpiece I'm on while jumping. Restart via back also doesn't work on controller, as do menu controlls. So I have to use Controller and Keyboard both. Warp blocks make little Sense as of now. I'm sure you could just design your levels properly and won't need them. The Spiky enemies spikes reach to the next tile over, making it seem like I can't go there.

Oinky Poinky's charge into me super fast which is fine, but then take forever to take me down, which is odd. Also shows a weird red block around me, is it supposed to be some kind of indicator or a debug cube?

Why do I have to dash to let go of a puzzle cube? Why does the button press just not let go but also trigger the Dash? The Cannon works alright, but obscures view of the Player. When I collect the bunny, it lags while loading the next level? Mask it with a loading screen or a good Job message or something? Your controls are riggid, and jumping on moving platforms i.e. is very imprecise since you can just fall off if you're halfway between a block. Does not lend itself to speedrunning. The whole game concept doesn't, so again, why is there a Timer pressuring me?

And why are there no Checkpoints inbetween? At least in the Tutorial?

I'm just going to assume its a puzzle game from this Point on, since it plays better as such. But why are a lot of the Puzzles timed by having to quickly dash, then change direction to push a cube before a spike wall reach you or something? Why do you try at every Point to make this a Speed Game, when it just doesn't work very well as one?

Why are enemy corpses physics based and don't just dissappear in poofs? Why don't you teach the Concepts of the Tutorial over a couple of easy first levels in the First world, but do it once in the tutorial, then push all of them at you at once in every level?

Apparently theres no way for me to get through the second level without taking damage, since I'm forced to dash through a circular Saw. Why?

Cannons have no indication where I land, so its a guesswork of direction mostly.

Fell down onto the small platform after pushing the second puzzle cube in the second level, and could not get off. No way to drop down from there or anything, so the saw killed me. Luckily puzzle cubes outside of the Tutorial seem to be checkpoints. But why not regular checkpoints there? And why is there a deathfall right after that, where I don't see the floor and have to guess where to jump. Which again, lands me onto a bunny and causes visible lag while the next level is loaded without a transition.

I can't dash through the vision Lines of Pigs, since they immediately fly after me with hyper speed? Thats dumb.  As is the fact that they can see but not reach me on a ladder, so they spasm out and fall off or something, causing them to die.

Since you can't move while jumping, at all, its a really useless mechanic most of the Time. Just to jump up to activate some buttons, or to jump over moving platforms, which requires guesswork and prejumping thanks to how fast they move, and how short they are. You could just have the button on the floor, and achieve the same result, without a frustrating jump.

Why is there a Warp Restart right at the end of the level? Why would I want to restart the level if I only have 2 tiles to move?

Apparently the next level is a smash all Targets one? Where I can smash the targets even if I'm on an adjacent tile instead of inside them? Its also missing a deathplane, so I'm just falling endlessly. And if you dash initially, without a direction selected, you just hit an invisible wall.

Is there a point in the Targets if they're all right in the default path, and the bunny is already freed? And why are the puzzles artifically timed again?

I can dash through adjacent crates causing me to fall through the Floor.

Your Cube puzzles boil down to push all the blue cubes out of the way, then just walk the yellow one through. Not to find a solution. And the next level, presumeably in the first world still, since it says World 1_Color at the bottom right, starts with an entirely new Theme, as the levels before, and has immediately rising lava causing you to be forced to speedrun through your Puzzlegame now. Even on a first try? Really? It also took a really long time to load, making me think the game crashed

Did you playtest this? Did you really playtest this? As soon as I miss a single timing once in the lava level, because a Cube goes down too late, or I missed one rotation of the spike walls, the lava catches me and I'm dead, forced to restart from the beginning. So I just took every damage I could and charged through every wall possible, only to miss the next Jump by a single tile and die again.

And even with that, I'm barely above the Lava, am forced to take damage, and if I make a single dash or jump not exactly super precise on the right tile, to immediately catch the ladder, the guards catch me and I'm dead, forcing yet another restart.

Next level then has a giant thing chasing me, turning into yet another Speedrun level. And I find out I can charge through moving saws, but not through stationary ones. Why?

At least thats the End of the First World, and sadly, I can't say I've enjoyed it. I was expecting a casual but fun puzzle game with challenging but fair levels, but instead its apparently a Speedrun game with slow and clunky puzzle controls, easy puzzles and unfair mechanics like deadfalls and rising lava on a slow paced Game, that cause needless restarts.

I'll be playing through the other Worlds later, giving more Feedback on those. I need a break.

Sorry.

Submitted

Also to follow since I just noticed it. The Ingame menu doesn't work, only the title one.

Developer (1 edit)

 I can't address "I can dash through adjacent crates causing me to fall through the Floor". Or location specific issues because you need to record your gameplay where that issue happened not describe in text because there is a lot of similar crates or assets or spots. 

Also back button for restarting the scene works on my XBOX one gamepad and XBOX 360 controllers, what controller/gamepad are you using? The timer ticks UP so its not really ticking down on you; there isn't a reason to let it stress you out its clearly a function of the full game and not this alpha or beta builds. When the final game releases it will just show you your clear times for each level but thats for speedrunners not someone just wanting to play through the game normally. 

Yes I have playtested the game in the current build and beaten every level but I'm just really good at it and never have the same issues at all with the gameplay. I can beat every level insanely quickly and never die so I don't know whats hard and what isn't. 
Refer to my gameplay on youtube; its apart of the reason I have to playtest with a lot of people right now and make changes if I can. 

I'm gonna tackle this list now based off of your feedback and then update the build when complete though thanks for playing;


Submitted

I'm using a PS4 Controller.

Developer

Oh yup thats the issue then I dont have a PS4 controller so idk the inputs. I'm surprised unity just doesn't make it whatever select is on the PS4 controller thats odd.

Developer (1 edit) (+1)

Apparently "Joystick Button 6" in Unity is the share button on a PS4 controller. Try pressing that when you die. 


Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

It's a fun game, best for luck for the release.

A couple small things:

1. The menu where you choose between Low- Ultra quality graphics could use with some color highlight on what option is being selected.

2. The controls are a bit buggy if you have both a keyboard and a controller plugged in. I can't dash with L Shift with a controller plugged in, and I can't reset with a controller.

3. Could definitely do with some additional input when the player gets hit. Not sure what is best but a sound effect and a little bit of rumble on the controller would be great.

4. I rolled off the 1st smash all the targets stage and I didn't die. It was with a dash where I took an enemy out with me if that helps track down the bug. I could reset but there was no 'git gud' screen.

5. With Pic below i dashed into the following direction into that box and fell through the world.

Developer (3 edits)

Hit back on your controller to reset the level, and hit F to dash on keyboard. Also what gamepad are you using? My xbox gamepad works fine to restart the scene. Apparently "Joystick Button 6" in Unity is the share button on a PS4 controller. Try pressing that when you die. 

Submitted

Ah F is dash, the text still said L Shift so i got confused. I am using an Xbox One controller.