itch.io

Numbers are not words, they are symbols. Not having numbers constraints the possible games that could be made too much imo. Most games in the reference section of the briefing post have some sort of numeric representation, and I believe there is a reason for that.

I do understand that constraints are a way to canalize creativity in a specific direction, but if the constraints are too rigid, or too many, you end up with only a few possible games that could be made. 

Examples of games that can't be made without using numbers are: (most) Incremental games, or games focused on Resource Management. Because you can represent 5 pieces of wood using icons, but you can't represent 100 pieces of wood using only icons. I mean... you can, but them the player experience would become worse, not better, and this kinda goes against the whole idea of this game jam.

I didn't understand what I was supposed to do  but the music was so good I kept playing it haha

Dialogs are very well written but they are too long, so when I finally got to the gameplay I was already tired. The gameplay and art are also very good, and fits perfectly the theme.

very cute game!

Once I figured out I needed to match the ingredients in the boss I finished the game in 30 seconds haha Great game! I think it's my favorite of the jam so far.

Most of the fun in the game comes from testing each possible ingredient and trying to find the right ones. This, combined with the pixel art, music, and sound effects that play when you select an ingredient, creates a very satisfying atmosphere that made me feel like a true alchemist.

One thing I didn't like was that you only get points when you reach the exact stat value required by the client. This limits the possible correct answers to just one and creates moments where you come very close in all categories but still receive a negative score.

I think you should focus on the trial-and-error aspect of the gameplay: randomize the ingredients each round and make the score depend on how close the player gets to the client's request.

Overall, this is a very polished game with a great variety of content for a game jam. The difficulty progression is excellent. I especially liked how you portrayed the customers in a hurry; it creates a sense of urgency that really pulls the player's attention back.

We planned to add other animals like fishes and a seals, but we had to cut it for scope reasons.

I loved the typing mechanic