Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• Clean release ZIP Good diary-style documentation Complete game loop Functionality Brutally hard to the extent that I couldn't get to the top floor of the first level - but I'm old and my reactions clearly aren't up to it any more
• The project is a good demonstration of building a simple 2D platformer with the integration of a 2D physics library. Using such a sophisticated library for a small project can cost quite a bit of time and learning effort and this was overcome in this project. The project also shows that some thought was put into the engine structure and the ability to load multiple levels from a serializable representation was proven. I noticed some issues with double jumping if I keep inputting a direction and walking with the analog stick does not seem to be supported. The acceleration of the character gave it a feeling of sliding on ice, which does not fit the visuals. Either better-fitting visuals or more polish of the controls would be a noticeable improvement here. A brief tutorial message for the controls would also be a good addition. There also seems to be a health/life system but the remaining life is not displayed. While simple the project successfully demonstrates a good understanding of the basic frame that makes a game and some thought in how to scale the tech for a larger project.
• This game just sat on 'Press X to start'.
• Very playable and well thought out, well done!
• This looked like a fun little prototype that was quite intuitive to use. The levels were colorful and nicely designed, although a bit too difficult. Gameplay The objective is clear and so it the core gameplay loop. There is a basic progression structure but I think it would be nice to have more level variety e.g. multiple routes, moving platforms/obstacles/enemies that would help bring more life to the scene. UI/UX The control system is intuitive for the most part, but the wall jumping is not clear that it is supported. Because the ball movement is physics based, it fills that is lacking responsiveness sometimes (this can be a progression system to implement). There is a pause menu, and I like that you can use the main menu screen as a "safe zone" to play - you could add the tutorial in that scene and/or integrate the menu options there too. Unfortunately there isn't a way to exit or restart the game and your current remaining lives are not displayed. Features Unfortunately, the prototype does not perform that well in this category as there are a lot of features missing (as mentioned before). In addition to what was mentioned before, adding a timer could also help give a sense of a challenge. Combined with some basic audio and SFX, levels that have multiple paths and leaderboards it can definitely elevate the experience. Choosing an easy to generate/load the levels was an excellent choice - having the right tools to help you iterate quicker is a fundamental part of game dev! Creativity, Design & Originality Your supporting document outlined some features that you decided to approach and the challenges that you faced, there aren't any notes during development but your reflective summary is honest. Great integration of art though in your game as the environment looks really pleasant. Given that you didn't have much experience in C++, I'd say it was a very good effort! Jason Tzaidas (Rocksteady)