itch.io

This game is very cute! I love the background and player art, it really creates a sense of whimsy. I would say that I think it would have been nice for the circular enemy to be another animal, whether it be something like a dog or a wild animal of some kind. The jumping mechanic is satisfying to play around with, though it's a little unclear what exactly the goal of the game is, maybe some dialogue may have helped this? Great job!

I really enjoy the aesthetics of this game, particularly the typography and asset designs. You immediately are given an idea of the character's mission through dialogue, and the shooting mechanic looks great and is fun to play with. I like the progression of the platform's difficulty, though I will say the twirling platforms near the end of the level can cause a player to get stuck in a way that doesn't seem intentional. Such as if you end up on the right side of them, it seemed like the only way to get past was to restart the level, but that was just my experience playing through. Great work!

I love the art and styling in this so much! It is very immersive and I love the little details in the animation, it contributes to the mysterious atmosphere. In terms of viability, it is playable. I feel as though the game may benefit from an in depth explanation of controls either in a starter screen or in the description, I was confused at first about how to jump and scale platforms. I really like the inclusion of the lantern and the fact you can toggle it. 

This game was enjoyable and as an escape room game, a very engaging premise. I feel that given the amount of times the player returns to a previous page, it may help to choose the color of a previously clicked link to be significantly different from the blue marker of an unclicked link. There was also one puzzle that I couldn't get to work (but was able to use the link to progress).  Overall a very fun experience and I appreciate the ambition in this premise.

I really enjoyed the story and the ending,  and agree with prior comments that the game could really benefit from some visuals. I also feel like, for the length of the game and the amount of choices the player can make, the actual direction of the story is quite linear. I think in a more linear game like this the player would benefit from more visuals to keep them engaged. Overall this was very fun and the characters are really interesting and fun to engage with.

This game is very enjoyable! From the visual styling, to the art itself, I found it to be a very exciting and mentally stimulating experience to try and discover the best method of escape. I liked the ending I got, and the emerging theme of whether or not extra effort is worth it, and the dissonance I felt from the thief which was fun as well.

This game has a really nice visual style and the art is gorgeous. I think the addition of sound works really well to create a grandiose, important feeling to the player's quest to return peace to the kingdom. The game is playable from beginning to end, but I did find moments towards the end of my play through where characters repeated dialogue, which is a bit of a nitpick, but it would be nice if they said different dialogue or simply disappeared after you're done speaking to them and before you address the king and arrive at the ending. Overall it is a very enjoyable experience and the charm of your design really shines through!

This game is playable from beginning to end, and I enjoy the addition of the artwork! I feel the characters are interesting and the story and how it begins are engaging. I would say it may need more choices for players, so they can really feel immersed in the character they choose. 

This game is playable from beginning to end, and the art as well as the timed trial, and themes make it very engaging. You really feel like a fish out of water in this classroom, and I thought it was a very impactful commentary on how schools can lack accommodation for those who aren't native speakers. It has a great mechanic to show this theme, where the player feels immediate stress and anxiety when faced with this language barrier.

I feel the one thing that may need improvement is the aligning of some of the text, on some screens, the black outlines of the characters overlap with the black text, making certain words hard to read. Also it is a little unclear at the beginning of the game how to progress, it may help to put the option that lets you progress underneath the opening sentence.

Viability: The game is playable from start to end, with multiple different branching routes that lead into each other nicely.

Presentation: Very engaging! I feel as though the font, the moving letters, and the black background add quite a lot to the experience and really help absorb the player into the terrifying world of the protagonist. The art is gorgeous, very clean but also unnerving as you get closer and closer to uncovering the monster.

Theme: There is an emerging them of fear, anxiety and how to handle it, through the actions you make as a scared child, it seems remaining avoidant is rewarded, while pushing against your fears is punished. Playing as this person is an interesting psychological experience.

Engagement: The story is very engaging and I am compelled to revisit the game and try to achieve alternate endings. The monster legitimately scared me and I feel the art and styling is the highlight of this game. The sanity mechanic is interesting, though it felt a bit unclear to me how exactly to keep sanity, as it seemed to deteriorate despite actively trying to choose against it, but that may have just been me and my play through. 

Excited for the idea of hidden stats, and so far it's a very interesting story and perspective! Would also be cool if certain responses you make or things you notice about the case could eventually lead to you solving the murder, or failing. Testing the player's smarts and abilities in solving the case would definitely up immersion.

I enjoy how thrilling the story is, it really helps to pull in the reader. I also enjoy the interesting dynamic being built between the characters. I agree with the other post on formatting/grammar, but also wanted to add to be careful about POV. At one point the story switches from using "You" to describe the player to "I", and that can become confusing. I would stay with "You" when it comes to this kind of game's formatting.