It probably also didn't help that an activated water wheel doesn't actually visually do anything unless both are active, so maybe some sort of visual indicator that both need to be active? And also some more continuity for the functions of each individual component.
Thank you for the honest feedback, this is exactly what I was looking for! Trying to find a good way to incorporate the main mechanic into the puzzles and gameplay was the part I was least satisfied with, as I never had someone else play test, and I couldn't tell if the most important mechanics were as intuitive as they needed to be. Part of it was that I dislike when games directly spell things out for the player, so I tried to create and environment where the player could naturally learn, like how there is a moment to explore the water wheel area before the monster comes out. I intended the ringing of two bells to open the main channel with the monster to help signify that the player needs to activate both sides of a channel to open it, but maybe that didn't translate very well to the water wheels? (Btw the goal is to open all three channels, raising the water level of the pit in the first room so you can get the orb). Overall, thank you for the input, and I think I know where to better dedicate my time the next time I try this!
Saw this in the discord after posting my game at 3 in the morning and got curious. Got touched by one bug and said "nope, this is a tomorrow thing." Glad I came back, I needed to keep the jam anxiety going.
