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jaogwal13 days ago(+1)

Abstract, polished, and fun in ways that can't really be objectively explained. 

My only observation is that it's really easy to spam the searches using the gamepad. Just twiddling sticks around for a second is enough to clear all the discoveries on any body. No idea how to "fix" that or whether that's at all a problem that needs fixing. I guess that having a cat roll over the keyboard would have the same effect. My dog proved uncooperative to playtest that.

Not sure what the deal is with the basement. Further exploration is needed.

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shiftBacktick13 days ago(+1)

Thanks for the big laugh!

That’s a fair point about being able to optimize the fun out of it. When playing it nonstop for three straight weeks, I found myself decreasing the timer for hold interactions, and eventually keeping them off in the settings, so I could quickly test all of the procedural aspects. I wondered if it might backfire, but I ultimately kept things quick to respect your time.

I’ve been thinking about the unfinished basement all week. Two things I’d change: double the number of tiles you can reveal in one run, and introduce a skill component to the “combat” so death is more avoidable. I’d also like to expand it with some set pieces and story elements to give it purpose. Maybe the ground level should get a few more rooms with extra minigames and loop around in a non-Euclidean way too.

We’ll see if I have the desire to turn this into a full project. Frankly, I’m overwhelmed by it right now. It must have hit the front page or something, because it got over 500 views today.

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shiftBacktick13 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Examples for minigames: a greenhouse which lets you plant and harvest things, a workshop for crafting new instruments, or an arena with a deckbuilding aspect from instruments you collect or craft.

They would need to be carefully constructed and synergized with the existing areas, so you’re spending an equal amount of time exploring the universe as your internal world. One way to do that is for there to be secondary resources, which are unique to the reach and the cellar, but both necessary for some crafting system that has multiple tiers of refinement and uses. But there might also be a third one specifically for transforming one into another, as a way to respect your time and interests.

Is this the perfect premise for those things? Not within the original vision released here, but possibly as a grander rework.

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jaogwal13 days ago(+1)

I know this is a me thing but one thing I like about your game is that it is a universe discovery game that isn't framed in exploitation and conquest. Extracting resources would change that. As it is in all games I play and love, not a deal breaker even for me, much less for the rest of humanity.
One idea for a mechanic that would encourage long term play would be to complete collections. I don't know how long your lists of name elements are and how likely it is to get repeats but it would be fun to create a room of all yogurt related instruments. Or maybe it would make more sense to use the additional properties for it. All stolen instruments or some such. I think something along these lines would be much in keeping with the museum theme.

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shiftBacktick13 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Thanks for thinking about that. I might have been going overboard and started thinking in terms of one of those dream every-games? I’ve seen plenty that try to accomplish that and fall flat due to lack of vision or cohesion. And you’re right that I want the opposite of that!

Without diving into the source code, there are tens of thousands of unique instrument names. But I could see some connections that could be made to group them already as you say. Something I wanted to explore but didn’t have time for is trying to tie certain instrument quirks to the specific types of planets and moons that you find them on. For example: terran worlds could produce certain types of instruments, often of legendary status, so you might collect 10 of them to unlock a special room or unique instrument as an achievement.

Cheers!

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jaogwal13 days ago(+1)

Check the referrers in your analytics. You're on the top row of itch's New and Popular page. That may be it.

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