Alas, time constraints come for us all.
Structurally, you have some neat things set up, and it's easy to imagine where more content would take you and what more would be available to do. Personality is probably the second most important thing in a platformer nowadays and I think you have that down; I'm actually reminded of Super Paper Mario in that sense.
This is the part where I reveal that “TIME CONSTRAINTS” is actually the literal name of the overarching villain of the game who has absolutely no relation to the concept of having limited time available to perform a task (jk lol. Unless…?)
Thank you so much for playing!! Your complaint is a common one, and a sentiment I share as well: the amount and depth of content on display here is pretty lacking. It’s more like a taste of something larger (perhaps much larger) rather than gameplay that stands very well on its own. As I’ve touched on elsewhere, this was a deliberate and unfortunate decision I was forced to make. I had a very clear vision of where I wanted the game to go and what I wanted it to look like, but not enough time to implement everything. It likely would have been more successful (and arguably smarter) to alter the vision for the purposes of the jam, but I felt so excited by the idea of the original that I decided to focus on atmosphere and personality.
On that note, thank you very much for the compliment on the personality! I’ve mentioned in the Bigmode Discord that SPM was one of my big inspirations, particularly in the writing department. It’s one of my favorite games of all time (my first ever “story game”, as a matter of fact), and I’ve always been a bit bummed that there’s not much in the same vein in terms of platformers with a strong emphasis on dialogue and narrative. I don’t think I have the skills to match it quite yet, but to even be compared to it is a big deal for me haha.
Thanks again for playing, and for the kind words!! I’m excited to try out your game btw, been eyeing it for a while lol
Don't worry about it too much, I get it. I did Bigmode 23 and it was way less complete than I'd like. But I prefer focusing on what was done well so we know our strengths and can play to them better in the future.
This is also the part where I say I'm a Thousand Year Door guy so I can sniff out the writing style.
