I can see that the game has a lot of potential. I really liked the introduction and the small backstory it has. However, I’m curious to understand more deeply how everything fits into the theme in a coherent way, because I feel like I missed some details, or at least not enough to make the theme stand out more strongly.
The visuals are simple, effective, cute, and very beautiful. I really liked the art direction; it gave me a sense of nostalgia for some reason. However, one thing I noticed is that the text box stands out a lot compared to the other elements in the game, which gives it excessive visibility, overshadowing the other elements in the scenes. I think this happens for two main reasons:
01. It seems like the text box is completely black, or at least on my monitor it appeared that way. Pure black or pure white colors tend to be quite harsh on the eyes when used in large areas. Ideally, it would be better to add some hue to the black to blend it with another color, keeping it dark but not pure black. Personally, I really like to pull black towards a blue or purple to create a sense of mystery, but this depends on the taste and intention of the creator.
02. I noticed that, out of all the elements in the game, the text box is the only one with borders. This makes it draw more attention than it should, because if it were softened like the other elements, without the border to highlight it from the other objects, it would blend in more visually with the rest of the environment.
The sound effects are effective and fit well with the overall atmosphere you’ve decided to create. It really feels tense, and it’s tough to get through all the challenges haha. I believe the player’s collision mask is too large, which made even the smallest hit fatal, as the large collision area combined with the relatively low movement speed of the character created a difficult experience.
With these adjustments, it’s almost certain the game will feel much more polished and accessible. Even if you don’t plan to continue with this project, I hope these tips will be helpful for your future games. I wish you success as a developer and good luck in the jam!