Hello, congratulations on the game! I'm having a lot of fun playing it. There are a few things I think could be improved. First, the checkpoint system. The fact that you can only create one checkpoint per run doesn't help much, and on top of that, it can only be loaded once. If you die again, you still have to restart from the same place as before, so it ends up being of very little use. I think a standard save system would work much better. It could still only be available in the shop, but it would function like a normal save, allowing you to save and load as many times as needed. The game already has an option to disable this system, so players who don't want to use it could simply turn it off in the settings, while those who do want to use it could do so freely. In its current state, it really isn't very helpful, and it's quite frustrating to lose all your progress every time you die. There's also the issue of walking out of the shop and immediately running into several enemies that are already waiting outside. You don't have any time to react—you simply leave the shop and instantly start getting hit by multiple enemies at once. Most of the times I've died have been because of this. One suggestion I have is to add achievements that contribute to overall progression. These achievements would be permanent, independent of individual runs, and could be viewed from the main menu. For example, there could be achievements for killing a certain number of enemies, reaching a specific level, beating the game on a certain difficulty, and even one for completing the game without using the save system.
Viewing post in Island of Blood and Ash comments
Thanks a lot for playing the game and for taking the time to write such detailed feedback. I really appreciate it!
The achievement idea is actually something I've been thinking about. I'd like to add achievements in the future, and maybe even a global scoreboard or something similar to give players more long-term goals.
As for the checkpoint system, you're definitely not the only person who's brought this up. Because of that, I'm planning to change it. I don't think I'll go with unlimited saves, since I still want the game to reward players who complete runs with fewer checkpoints. The game already has a scoring and ranking system, so my current idea is to allow multiple checkpoints but have each one affect your final score or rank. That way, players who want the extra safety can use it, while those looking for the highest ranks can challenge themselves without relying on checkpoints.
Regarding enemies gathering outside the shop, that's actually something you can plan around. Try getting a bit creative with the tools the game gives you. For example, you can place three C4 charges a couple of tiles apart before entering the shop. If enemies gather while you're inside, you can detonate them as soon as you come out and clear the area. Or, if you're feeling brave, you can run into the middle of the group and drop a bomb. You'll lose about 50 health, but it can wipe out a large number of enemies. There are quite a few different strategies you can use depending on the situation.
Anyway, right now my main focus is adding a self-update system so players can update the game easily without having to keep coming back to the itch.io page every time a new version is released. After that's done, I'll continue improving the game based on everyone's feedback.
Thanks again for your suggestions, and I hope you keep enjoying the game!
I just wanted to say good for you for sticking to your design principals. There's no need to dumb your game down into just another generic example of what we already have. Nothing wrong with working with players a bit, but I'm glad you're pushing back a little here instead of caving to the player's initial wishes. It's okay to have a game that isn't for everyone, especially if you make your choices with logic.
Hello. I think a save system that reduces or removes the player's score would be fair for a game like this. That way, it works well for both casual players like me, who just want to experience the game, and competitive players.
Another idea I had would be that, instead of having a traditional save system, when you die you lose all of your items, but your level and stats are preserved. This would keep the game challenging while avoiding the need for a conventional save system. The player would still face a meaningful penalty for dying, but they'd continue making progress with each death since their stats would carry over.