Type: I am neither a platformer or puzzle game player.
Completion time: 20~ minutes.
N.B.: anything I don't mention just worked, the entire rest of the tutorial made sense, the levels not listed in the level feedback section just made sense and worked I think as you intended. From your brain to mine. I did have to stop and think a couple of times to work out the order of operations.
+ Look & Feel
I like the magnet transition.
Initial wipe effect remains on left side of screen.
There are a number of assets that are at an incorrect depth compared to the action sprites, i.e. magnets go behind things it should be in front of.
The game has a unified look and feel with the exception of the Mario pipes, I think they are a solid shorthand for "stuff goes in here", but should probably be replaced eventually with something that suits the theme and the world. It does seem to a portal-esque testing space with industrial touches?
+ Levels
Tutorial
I could not immediately identify how to exit the tutorial level, I first went to the grated doorway and pressed Up to enter but nothing happened, then I tried jumping into the magnet mist while holding the magnet and swapped the polarity to see if that helped. Because it looks like a Mario tube, I assumed I had to get myself into it.
Zone Selector
I feel you should start in the zone selection area with the magnet already in hand.
The magnet cannot reach the blue magnet wave for the 06 pipe from the main floor of the zone selection stage, you have to go onto the step.
Level 3
I hopped over the drill bit because it looks dangerous.
Level 5
This puzzle was very enjoyable until the final step, when I felt frustrated I had been tricked by the final polarizing of the magnet, and had to repeat the level
Level 6
When the large blue magnet box was in the up position, I expected to be able to fit below it.
I did not expect the L door to stop the block as it seems to swing very freely and without weight, I expected it to be pushed out of the way so that solution did not occur to me for some time.
I thought the solution was to use the magnet to block the blue magnet box when it falls, as the magnet is taller than the height of the button in the pit.
When I grew frustrated I just started flipping the switch and mashing F and arrived at the solution by accident.
I accidentally pressed CTRL many times during level 6, I kept thinking it was the aim button.
I spent 30-40% of my playtime on level 06.
+ Controls/Characters
Magnet
I felt there was a bug in the game where the firing direction of the magnet remains in a previously fired direction despite the character changing facing and moving around, this was not the case.
Quick experimentation showed that pressing E to release the magnet without aiming releases it in the direction of the mouse pointer, not in the direction the character is travelling, this may be confusing to some users.
I had my mouse pointer outside the game area most of play.
If the cursor was represented with an in-game asset or indicated by an effect of some kind (like a very small pulse from the magnet towards the cursor) it might keep in the player's mind that the magnet is attracted to the cursor and not "thrown" by the moving character. The default windows cursor felt like it was "outside" the game.
There does appear to be momentum added to the magnet if it is released while moving (longer moving E throw than standing E throw), and the aiming animation has the character holding it over their back, so it does feel like the character is throwing it.
I would just like to fling the magnet, there never seemed to be a need for fine Scorched Earth aiming arc except to throw it up into the level selector tubes.
The magnet is effectively cheery, it is cute and I like it.
Are we not sure the magnet is the hero of the story? The magnet looks more marketable and seems more unique than the PC, plus the large eyes and emoji expression would do well on all sizes of merch whereas the black on green tends to shrink the PC's face.
It might be fun if the magnet has a different expression for positive and negative polarities, smiling, and grumpy? Means you can sell 2 plushes in a pack instead of one, make stickers for each magnet and then another with the two of them, etc.
I like the idea that the magnet is going on a journey and has asked the Wheelie TV for help.
I didn't realize the magnet had a joyful expression until testing at the end, does it only go off when thrown above a 45 degree angle? Or when aimed and thrown over 45?
Why is the magnet otherwise upset/unhappy when it is thrown? PC always remains smiling but the magnet does not seem to enjoy it.
Player Character (PC)
I am not sure there is a need for both a half-jump and the full jump, I had a few situations where I was jumping without pressing the space bar for long enough, resulting in the character jumping at a section of wall a couple of times instead of on top of it.
PC has a good boing to his full hop. The animation is nice.
The character stops and starts as expected, I am sure it could feel snappier but it is absolutely fine as is.
Hope this helps, Mr. Brown!