Even though this kind of game isn't quite my style, I guess the foundations of the farming and the yuri parts were okay. It'll need lots of polishing.
Let's see, the notes I made about the gameplay:
- "make walking around less boring": I guess that's because we're in placeholder world, so looking at the map isn't terribly interesting. Also maybe the main places of interest are too far apart or Youmu's walk speed is kinda slow. Or it could be a combination of either of these 3.
- "no use for some ingredients": I guess that's to show that more recipes are planned?
- "day-fixed dialogues": so I uh. "checked" the bed and accidentally skipped a day. Then talked to Yuyuko and she said something about how good Youmu's yesterday cooking was. Even though all I did was send her to bed lol. I guess you're going to implement checks later?
- "feed and forget": now that's a funny one. I know it's for demo purposes but just feeding someone and possibly skipping all their dialogue just sounds like the funniest start to "that's how I met her" (though it does take away from the believability of Youmu's bonding)
I find it slightly odd that yuri(?) happens with just feeding and possibly skipping talking at all. Also, feels like 3 in-game days is kinda short for sailing a ship? Especially when the (fixed) dialogues don't seem to show the bonds forming that fast?
- "Menus slightly impractical": I dunno about you but for me, the less I move my fingers between keys and mouse the better.
Use Z to interact and arrows/WASD to move, but use the mouse for the menus. That means I have to move my WASD hand over ZX to interact, or lift my Arrows hand to the mouse to use the menus - it may not sound like much but ergonomics can make a huge difference in the game experience.
I think you can easily remedy that by allowing interactions with Mouse Click and/or allowing the use of menus with Arrows + ZX (preferably both?).
(Though I guess it's this way because it's a demo done in a limited time)
- "The 'friendship goal' is slightly obscure, but not unguessable": I figured that the condition would be to increase the "friendship number" to 100. But some change in the dialogue, or a sign, would be great (if you DO want to let the player know they've achieved something)
- "The curry recipe can not be done at all for some reason.": Even with the necessary ingredients harvested, these ingredients ARE NOT in my inventory. So I can't make the curry. Sounds kinda alarming. Despite of the demo-like state and the useless ingredients, it's easy to see the vision of the game through the gameplay, what it wants to achieve. That's great!
I do hope that in future version, raising friendship level will involve more than just literally "feeding the ships".
This game may be placeholder land. But the portraits and illustrations look amazing!
Also the song carries! It does carry the demo! Brings so much of the calm vibe.
Now I'm going back to admire these most geometric-looking crops I've ever seen.