Post by Kinayla in Molten Echoes comments

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Congratulations on creating this game! I really enjoyed discovering its world and atmosphere. Even though the illustrations are AI-generated, they work really well together and give the game a strong visual identity.

I also really like the idea of Echoes as memories and skills inherited from previous Hosts. That's a clever interpretation of the ingredient. I also enjoyed the resource management and the idea that Stress represents the Host resisting the Rider's control rather than the Rider's emotions.

I did have a few questions while reading, though:

I wasn't quite sure why the Host regaining control of their body is considered a Molt. I may have missed the intended interpretation, but that connection wasn't immediately clear to me.
I struggled a bit with the PDF layout. There are many different fonts and text styles, and I often wasn't sure where to focus my eyes. A more consistent layout—or even a plain-text version for accessibility—would make it much easier to read.
Finally, I found it difficult to picture how a session actually flows. I understand the setting and the different resources, but I wasn't always sure what a typical scene looks like in play. A short example of play would probably help me a lot.

Masks Attraction (ASPERALOGIC Games)5 days ago

Thank you for your constructive feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed atmosphere and lore of the game, it’s ideas and phylosophy.

You’ve raised some points and I’d love to clarify them:

1. The Molt metaphor: The metaphor is biological: Rider is the one who sheds Host like an old skin when connection snaps. Rider doesn’t die, but it casts back to ether, leaving Host behind and getting some “Echoes of Molt” with it. I will think out how to rephrase this in th text to make it clearer for readers.

2. Layout and Fonts: I guess you had the most struggles with “Tether Skills” and “Field Notes” pages. I wanted to create modular dashboard where the reading order is mostly irrelevant, especially if you follow classic L-to-R, T-to-D flow. However, I see how this can be disorienting without visual guides, so I will add subtle arrows or numberring in the next update for those who prefer a structured path. I will also upload clean plain-text version for accesibility.

3. Game-loop. Thats the most relevant observation for me! I.. just.. forgot about it… I forgot this part of playbook is the most important if the game is not traditional. I will add this page in next update also! Honestly I havent prepared example or game-loop for demonstration rn, but I could describe it in comment section untel the update.

I will not be able update PDFs before the Jam ending (due to some family plans), but expect the “patch” around **Monday **or Tuesday. I have about 180 words left and 1100 limit will be kept.

This is an extremely unpleasant situation for me, as I was convinced everything was ready, yet I failed to take such simple things into account.

Kinayla5 days ago(+1)

Please don't be too hard on yourself. 😊

The goal isn't to create a perfect game in 1100 words. It's a very challenging word limit (and even more so in some languages!), so it's completely normal to have ideas that don't quite fit or things you only realize after people have played or read the game.

What I really encourage is exactly what you're planning to do: revisit the game after the jam. I see the 1100-word version as the core of the design—the strongest foundation. Once that foundation is solid, you can expand it with examples, clarifications, lore, player aids, or anything else that makes the experience even smoother.

About the layout, I don't actually think the reading order is the main issue. For me, it was more about visual comfort. There are a lot of strong contrasts, several different fonts, and many elements competing for my attention at the same time. My eyes weren't always sure where to focus next. I completely understand the temptation—I have exactly the same tendency! 😄 But I've learned to limit myself to one or two fonts because it makes reading much more comfortable.

If you get feedback from other designers, I'd be curious to know whether they had a similar experience. Even someone without dyslexia, ADHD, or any reading difficulties might find the layout a little visually demanding. I think a few small adjustments could make your game much easier to read without losing its personality.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the post-jam version. I think your game already has a lot of interesting ideas, and those additions will only make them shine even more. 😊

Masks Attraction (ASPERALOGIC Games)5 days ago (1 edit)

Being hard on myself makes me stronger and better.🌚

I understand everything you mean and those things have a point even for me (I am extremely stubborn), but I don’t wanna change visual style😁 Nevertheless, I’ll make it easier to read by limiting the design to two fonts per page as a compromise between the “I’m an artist, this is my vision” mindset and reader comfort. I’m not ready to give up on my vision just yet, haha.

As for the feedback from other designers: like you, they pointed out readability issues caused by the text layout and the number of fonts used (six in total across the document). However, I hadn’t paid much attention to that, since they tend to favor a clear, orderly structure and dislike chaos in any form - even the creative kind.

I hope, I will upload 0-patie… 0Duality ASAP and it will help to get the whole system phylosophy and message I sought to convey including through the layout and fonts🌚

Anyway, here are my last 90% of work on the game!

itch.io

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