Skip to main content

On Sale: GamesAssetsToolsTabletopComics
Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines

Sorry to say, but I just can't get into this game. Like.... it works, I think, I was able to make a couple miners and a signal tower or two, but the progression is so open-ended and the building functionalities are so cryptic that it isn't clear enough for me to play.

Which is a shame! It looks like you put a lot of effort into this. I love the generated world, and the enemy behavior is really interesting. I also really like the music, it's kinda Minecrafty. I think there could be a really interesting system here, but it's too obtuse at the moment to actually understand it and have fun.

I suspect you just ran out of time, but I'll elaborate a bit more on my point in the hopes that it helps you in the future. 

While I think a tutorial page or something would help, what I really think you need here is a slower and more clear progression at the start. Like... What's the first thing the player is supposed to do at the start of the game? Is that clear? Could they easily figure it out on their own? 

You don't want the player to have no agency, but if you plop them in a world with literally no explanation, almost no goal, and everything open from the start, they're going to feel directionless and have a difficult time. There's a reason that so many games with buildings like this have an unlock system as you progress (Civilization, Satisfactory, etc.). It starts the player off simple while slowly introducing more complexity while the player learns. Intentional limitation breeds creativity.

It's also important to ask what the player is likely to know going in? Would they know what the term "recieve request" means? What about what it means to "send signals to nearby buildings"? Jargon is a dangerous thing in most fields; videogames are no different.

All of this highlights the importance of play testing. Don't consider this a failure, you've made something really cool here. consider this the first play test of your game! Now you can take this feedback and either improve this game, or keep it in mind for games you make in the future!

I wish you luck!