🕹 Game Review: One Day
Submitted by: Yaso
🎯 First Impressions
Right off the bat, I loved the dev splash screen. That kind of professional touch goes a long way—it’s something you only have to build once, but it adds polish to every game you release and can be refined over time. A great habit to start early.
Jumping into the game, we’re presented with a puzzle platformer. I’m personally not a big fan of requiring players to hit a separate button to learn how to play, but to your credit, the instructions were clear and it didn’t take long to understand what I was doing wrong (user error with the fireball). Once I got it sorted, the gameplay flowed quickly. I especially loved the player character art and the smack animation used for puzzle adjustments—it added charm and personality to the experience.
Also, I only murdered myself once solving the first puzzle, which is a personal best!
🔥 Fun & Engagement
The opening puzzle was a little frustrating at first—mainly due to some minor friction with the platforming physics—but once I got used to it, the pacing and layout started to shine. The ricochet-based fireball mechanic was a standout. Having to build and angle the puzzle elements myself to solve challenges was satisfying and kept me thinking.
The bubble jump section was a fun test of platforming timing. Executing a “falling jump” into a bubble to gain enough height and clear a gap was a neat mechanic that added a good level of challenge.
I also appreciated how the narrative tied into the gameplay, even if it was brief. That connection elevated the experience.
🛠 Areas of Improvement (Gameplay & UX):
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Platforming friction and wall interaction could use refinement. The player sticking or sliding unexpectedly on wall edges added a layer of challenge that felt unintentional.
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Consider reworking the tutorial from a standalone instruction prompt to a more immersive “play to learn” sequence. This would improve pacing and player onboarding.
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Temporary puzzle elements (like the ricochet block) could benefit from a visual cue to signal they’re time-limited. This would prevent confusion and improve puzzle clarity.
🎨 Theme Use
The connection to the theme ("Just One More Day") was subtle. While we’re told the character wakes up with no memory and starts platforming, the thematic tie-in felt loose. Still, you could make a case for it metaphorically—how everything can change in just one more day, and how we’re navigating a single, strange day in the character’s life.
👁 Visual Presentation
Your art style was clean and consistent. Every element felt like it belonged in the same world, and nothing stood out as off-theme or out of place. The character sprite, background elements, and puzzle pieces all meshed well. Great work here.
🔊 Sound & Music
The smack sound effect was great—it helped sell the physicality of puzzle interaction. That said, the soundscape felt a bit empty overall. Adding ambient music or subtle background tones would bring a lot more mood and atmosphere to the experience. Even a sparse piano or ambient loop could elevate the emotional weight and immersion.
🛠 Technical Execution
No bugs, no soft locks—always a great sign for a jam game. Outside of the earlier mentioned friction issues with the player on wall edges, the game performed smoothly and responsively.
💡 Originality
While 2D platformers are a crowded space, your environment-based ricochet puzzles, bubble jumps, and the inclusion of narrative elements gave this entry a nice original touch. You’re clearly thinking about how to weave puzzle design into world interaction, which is a great direction to continue pursuing.
✨ Polish
Overall, the game felt well-structured and paced—just maybe a little too short! It ended abruptly just as the challenge and story were picking up. That’s totally understandable given the time constraints of a jam, but I’d love to see more levels and puzzles in an expanded version.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Platformers are tough to stand out in—but you’re already taking the right steps: a cohesive visual style, narrative integration, clever puzzles, and a sense of character. With just a bit more refinement (especially in player physics and tutorial onboarding), this has the foundation of a memorable little gem.
This is a great build to continue from. Keep at it, and keep challenging yourself to push your design ideas even further. You’re doing great work, Yaso—looking forward to your next entry!