I like a lot of what this game offers, in terms of the unique battle system and the non-linear progression. As I got closer to the end though I got more and more stuck, and found myself doing a lot of backtracking through old areas, 'brb-ing' out of a bunch of encounters along the way. The red slime especially confused me, since you don't actually use the Mint Pudding on the red slime but on the player character, which I was hesitant to do because wasting it meant another long backtrack to refill the cup...I also assumed that choosing not to go back to the real world after dying was just a way to end/quit the game, so I didn't figure out the character-change thing at all. I do want to go back and see what I missed, I think I'll enjoy it now knowing more about it. I also somehow completely missed whoever Smith was
Viewing post in Death? Preposterous! - A Non-violent RPG comments
First off let me just say that I appreciate your comments. I'm pleased to know that folks are still enjoying this unusual little game even now.
There is some backtracking that is required at times, but the progression becomes easier as things go, and nearly every encounter while backtracking can be quickly skipped (except the Block Rocks of course.) Subsequent playthroughs of the game are much quicker once you know how things work, and they can be done in a fraction of the time compared to the first experience.
I tried to do things in a way that would surprise players, including breaking the game's "rules" at times, like with that particular encounter you mentioned. The unusual way of approaching the player character changes was another example where I tried to get creative and go against conventional expectations. My goal was to leave players with a feeling that they got to enjoy something a little unique or different from the norm.