Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• This was such a charming game and fun to play! I love that the setting is a world where both Van Gogh and elemental sprites exist. Setting up the rooms was interesting although I wish some of the guests weren’t so picky. That opera lady in particular, I was never able to get her what she wanted. The exterior map of the hotel was nice but the interiors were a little drab, but maybe that’s the point given that the inn needs work. I would have liked to seen more - more rooms, more storyline, maybe something else happens after she gets the $20k. I hope you’ll keep working on it!

  Score: 60/80

• Theme

  You inherited a manor that has been passed down from generations. You need at least 20,000 worth of gold for upkeep and at the same time, figure out if your auntie does have a hidden treasure. And manage an inn at the same time. It fits very well.

  Gameplay

  Gameplay is very simple with guessing what rooms would fit the guests of that day. Some guests return on specific days making the guess work a lot less. If you need to hire new workers, they must first find your inn likeable. They’re also very important as they’re part of “amneties.” I think it could’ve used more but it works for what it has.

  Presentation 

  Mapping could use some work on the manor, but otherwise very well done.

  Engagement

  I enjoyed it a lot. Just wish there was more to do for the main character. The butler is very respectable for staying for this long. Especially when his residence is almost collapsing on him.

  Total – 68/80

• PRESENTATION
  

  The graphics were a mix of RTP and other resource packs. They fit together quite well and didn't clash. The mapping was quite good and changed over the course of the game, becoming more detailed and interesting as time passed.

  Sound was well used though there could have been more atmospheric additions, but nothing was jarring or out of place. Music was the same, fitting the scenarios it was played in and none of the tunes felt off. They suited the tone of the game well.

  The writing was very well done. There were no issues with spelling, grammar or punctuation that I could see and the text flowed well. Dialogue was interesting and helped each character come more alive and distinct from each other. The story itself was well told and the mystery was well presented and flowed logically from one point to the next.

  Windows looked good and worked well. I also have to applaud the graphical use of assets in the room creation.

  GAMEPLAY
  The gameplay revolved around simulation of owning an inn, and consisted of interacting with NPCs and objects as well as changing aspects of the inn to suit what you needed.

  There was a list of things you needed to accomplish over 10 days of play, as well as a goal of reaching 20,000 gold before the end of the game. It was quite simple to follow through with as long as you used logic.

  Each day you were allowed to change rooms to fit a specific type (two beds, one bed, double beds, writing desk, vanity, sitting area, etc) and then choose which amenities you wanted for that day (chef, gardener, boat man, maid, etc) at a cost. You then had to assign rooms to different customers based on their preference and after that you could look around the area, interact with customers and staff or search for clues to the mystery of the inn.

  I'm not sure why you bothered using a load feature, especially for a black screen with text. It felt tacked on and odd.

  ENGAGEMENT
  I really enjoyed this game and could have played a lot more of it. It  was short, sweet and the mystery was interesting. I'm a bit disappointed we couldn't go into the attic, but otherwise I had a lot of fun. The characters were interesting, there was a nice challenge to figuring out who to put in what room and which rooms might be needed to be changed to cater to future visits.

  THEME
  The theme was uncovering treasure and trying to reach a goal. Mechanics and story both combined to embrace these themes, and they were presented in an easy-to-understand way. The list to follow helped you focus on the goal whilst the various little quests to find more of the mystery of the house helped to expand on the idea of finding the treasure.

  70/80

• 56/80

  Fun game, in order to get a perfect ending, it feels like you basically need to know what will happen ahead of time as there doesn't seem to be much room for error. There doesn't seem to be any advantage of choosing fewer amenities unless you messed up and can't put anyone in a room. A few guests seem to be better off ignored due to their appearing only when you have to choose between them and another set of four guests. It was surprising that you don't offer your own room in those situations. It feels like the game would have been more fun, but a lot less challenging, with more expansion potential and the ability to choose the room layouts a bit more easily (such as having a menu where you could change them).