I got both endings, thanks in part to the tips given below (though it is interesting that Gail absolutely refuses to wear anything joyful herself, such as the semi-hidden sailor suit).
This is quite well-written and atmospheric. The slow bitcrushed music and the faded, almost sepia-toned colour scheme create this sense of times long past, especially in conjunction with the oldschool (1900s) outfits. Gail having shorts and cropped hair is the biggest push away from this older feeling, and it's a sign of her own rebellion.
The writing is seriously good, too. Nothing is explicitly shown, but what's happening is still pretty evident during the finale scenes. I also *really* like that the characters chat about the clothing options as you're picking them; I'd love to see that in more narrative dress-up games, as it really gives the clothes more history and gravitas.
I got "Great job, they love it!", so I think I won? :D There are definitely parts I'm lost on, but hey, I think it worked out in the end.
I will say that I actually took notes in a separate word document, since the symbols used in the in-game notepad were quite confusing to me.
Either way, this was quite the cute little game. I liked the puzzle aspect, both in having to figure out which guests would share a layer, and in putting the layers together. The brides and their guests are cute (especially the little puppy!). Oh, and it was really funny putting together that you meant a *literal* swamp cake. XD
I really like the blue highlights in the black pieces, so I ended up with a light punk look here. :3 I do wish there was a black fingerless glove to put on the left hand, though. ;3
The biggest flaw is that you only have three categories: "tops", "bottoms", and "shoes". Overwear (corsets, jackets, etc.) being in the "tops" category is at least logical enough for a small game like this, but one-piece outfits (dresses) being here means that they require "bottoms" for a complete look, which is quite bizarre. It basically disincentivizes the purchase of dresses, regardless of how on-theme they might be.
I do like this general style of game, though. It's not really transparent as to how everything works (especially in regards to theme, though I got full marks on everything >:3), but it's a fun loop. It's similar to the *Love Nikki* comp gameplay, but without the same keyword setup.
I won with a score of 6080, full stars on every round and only a few negative points from reusing shoes. I got this while only going for thrifted clothes, since I really love my local thrift shops in real life (they have the coolest stuff!!!!).
Thanks for this! Definitely an interesting foray into the more-gamified dressup game zone. :)
- The ability to pull back up the basic text blurb for each assignment would be very helpful.
- Attributes should be more verbally visible on clothes; like, would it be possible for there to be an under-bar mentioning the clothes' colour and style? Hover-over text could also be a possibility.
I like the general idea and loop, nyan. A fashion game focused more on finding the right items for customers is interesting; reminds me a bit of Recettear.
The music is quite pleasant, nyan. A gentle drone track makes sense as short-term background noise, so that was really well-thoughtout. The loop is a bit wonky, though: as the latter half of the song is more aliased, the loop back to the start is a bit off-putting.
The writing is super light and breezy, and when combined with the general goofiness of the puzzles, it just makes for an amusing experience. I really wasn't expecting the sudden "that one :D", either. XD There's a lot of charm here, basically.
OH GODS IT KEEPS GOING Well, I wasn't expecting where it went, nyan. XD The second half is harder to understand mechanically: it's not really clear what the green/red bar represents nor what you're supposed to do with it (keep it balanced? overpower the red?). I got through it, but I'm not sure *why*. Still, it was all fast enough to still be a nice experience.
Thank you making it. Even if something is small and wonky...you still made something - this is a lesson I have to take to heart, too. Be proud of it, and keep moving forward.
Honestly, it's fun little puzzle mechanic, with the whole directional element actually feeling quite logical. I could see this growing into something much larger + working quite well on mobile.
- Concept is interesting and unique: healing bullets + two character control
- Because the concept is quite different, the game requires more explanation: it's not initially obvious that you're supposed to shoot your character to heal them
- It's not clear why you're taking damage (seems to be that you take damage over time + you lose health when you drop onto another floor?)
- Relatedly, it took me a bit to realize that I was taking damage at all; I'm infamously oblivious, though, so that's probably on my end. (I did notice that Mario & Ana proper does have screen indication as to when you get hit, so that's good.)
- Music is pretty decent! You've got a strong melody line, ensuring that it sticks in your brain afterwards. The break section could probably use more underlying instrumentation, though - while the chorus/main section sounds fine as is, the break feels muddled and a bit empty. Maybe a bass line of some sort would help...?
- Rest of the sound design is pretty quiet; might be worthwhile to add bullet sounds (different for healing and hurting) and maybe something for taking serious damage.
- Generally, in English, we either write it is as "you died", "you have died", or "you are dead".
- Controls are a bit slippery, but I don't really mind that.
- Gameplay, once I figured out the controls, is pretty fun. It brings to mind a certain style of addictive browser game, the sort of thing you would play in class.
Keep up the good work! I hope you don't mind me commenting on this early version of the game. :3
