I think this gameplay is interesting on its own. What I think is lacking cohesiveness (coherence in style and quality level among assets) and polish. I think it can become sellable to, but then also need to have longer narrative and more levels. Stronger introduction to the world and character would strengthen the game! The bird with backpack is very adorable, but I also don't feel like I understand this world, the player characters motives or personality (other than bus stop, probably schoolbus, dreamy/sleepy bird). If it was more comprehensive from the start of the game I think it could thematically hit strong too with the dreamfulness or split reality and invest me in the characters and universe.
The back and forth you get to do because of the level design is very interesting!
This is a fine student project as is. if you want to take it further I think it is a "renovation", in the sense that you gotta look over the whole thing and tweak many details right. Work a lot with music, to fit thematically in situation and be dynamic to the mood of the moment in the game and to make it feel less repetitive. (Music makes you feel what the game is about.) Matching up the animations with the movement more precisely. Have someone look over the physics and collision. I think I expect a slower fall from the top of the jump due to bird wings. Make sure fix the bugs, you can walk on platforms without randomly stopping. Make sure you come back to the bus stop you last visited when get hurt. (I think it would be cool if bird wakes up at rather than flies to last bus stop used.) Look over and quality assure the art and animations. Standing still the legs seem to be in the air? I think it is ok with different styles in the different worlds, what is important is that the style in each world feels like it follows the same stylistic rules/principle/logic. I think particularly right now the platforms feel like they have a style that is different from the backgrounds. It is also important to establish visual contrast between foreground and background, and here I do not mean contrast in style. Right now some assets are close is brightness and color to elements in background. Particularly I would adjust the moving wooden beam as well as the darkest building in the world with houses. For polish seek feedback on what art people feel looks particularly rough or like it doesn't fit. I think very zoomed in bird the intro as well as the passing school bus exterior could be worked on, as they feel kinda key to the whole narrative/experience.
After that it's probably a rather solid resume project!
To produce a "whole" or sellable game out of this I think you'd need to fit a longer whole game narrative and stronger sense of world. Preferably with meeting other characters and dialogue along the way? And then it is rather just about scaling up more levels, interesting variation with new puzzles and dialogue or other aspects to mix it up. Sequence of in world location. Set in key narrative peak moments.
Like I wish I saw at least some of the other animal characters towards the beginning of the game, even if it was a very nice reward to see them for finishing the game. And I think there is something here about this game that is cool. Unique world/style/setting (imo), interesting looking key mechanic/gimmick/hook that you understand immediately, mysterious world something going on, cute animal characters, simple accessible gameplay.
