Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• Backhand Bandit uses the theme "explosions make it go" in a fun and unique way. The game was very fun to play. I was very satisfied with how the progression felt and how all the different pinball elements came together. Upon opening the game we are met with the ability to test sound effects and adjust volume before getting into the game. Only being able to adjust the SFX and not the other types of volumes was a bit of a miss. A short control tutorial at the start of the first level was a nice touch, but it was immediately obvious what was happening. Pausing the game until the displayed controls were pressed would have been appropriate and allowed the players some time to digest what was happening in the game. Pinball style games are uncommon and the twist with being able to explode the environment to progress was a great choice. The game is well polished in both audio and visual. The western aesthetic was a great choice and fits the theme and game well.
• A very well-rounded game - balances the well-known attributes of pinball with new features like exploding the bomb to destroy parts of the level, looks and sounds good, and is fun to play. Having controller support is a good accessibility feature, and I wish more games added a sound slider before the main menu! Not all sunshine and rainbows though - camera can bounce around between the 2 sections pretty quickly, and the voice lines can be difficult to understand (captioning would help, though they're just "decoration", rather than instructional).
• This one was Best In Show for me. The gameplay is easy to understand and very fun, even if you aren't good at pinball. The audio matches well (with some voice acting even? fancy!), and I very much appreciated the audio warning and test at the start of the game (bonus accessibility points there). The visuals and style are very polished and fit the game's theme perfectly (+1 for the muted, desert southwest color palette.) The animations for the game elements and the menu/UI were smooth professional. For the sake of accessibility, it would probably be a good idea to offer a high contrast or color blind option in settings. I did find myself wishing there was a way to see the "upper level" of the track at all times, but the animation and execution of the split view worked. Multiple levels to unlock gives a clear sense of progress for the player. The added mechanic of being able to shoot the pinball is a nice addition that adds a valuable extra level of interaction for the player vs usual pinball. Very impressive, especially for a game jam! Well done!
• Theme: While the hands actually make the bombs "go" in the literal sense, the explosions are what allow you to progress forward through the levels, and timing the explosion is key to making that progress. Fun to Play: Each map got more interesting and I found myself wanting to play more. Idk how else to know if something is fun than being disappointed that you can't keep doing it! Accessibility: Having an audio slider for the explosions as the first thing in the game was fantastic. I got to make sure the audio was comfortable for me before playing. There was background audio during this point as well that I didn't get to control, but it was very calm and scenic so it wasn't really a problem. Controls were unique and non-rebindable which was unfortunate, but was also playable on controller with an intuitive setup which makes it easier to pick your favorite. The game was played without mouse when using KB controls, and the UI was navigable using those same controls which was great! I'm not sure how well the visuals look at various levels of color blindness but I didn't see anything up front that would have caused any issues. Idk if that was a dodged bullet (pun) but it's successful none the less! One thing I would have liked to see from this game, as the only game with voice over dialogue, is subtitles to go along with it. If I am incapable of hearing, getting to read what is being said (and thus getting to know there is a sort of story being told here) keeps me from missing out on something everyone else gets to experience. Originality: Something incredibly refreshing about the pinball genre being updated with a ball that directly interacts with the environment and can be interacted with while it's moving around to gain access to further areas. Doesn't get more original than breathing life into an old concept. Audio and Visual: Music was not overwhelming during gameplay which let's you focus on the task at hand, and was really good to listen to. Voice lines were great and consistently balanced. artwork was gorgeous and consistent, everything felt like it belonged there. The world felt real and everything responded to everything else. Great animations.