itch.io

Not a very fun game to be honest (as you've said that's there no strategy).

However, I'm quite entertained w/ the explanation along the way (those savvy statistics). It's just felt too long, especially with the anticlimactic exact probability ending (which, btw, I've done analyse it right after your first hint in section 2 that the king is always the last card). Maybe other game with no way to analyse the probability and must rely on statistic would suit the article better?

Thanks by the way. Great coding/writing!

I like the revelation that the swing doorway & the magnet operates whether the robot is holding the magnet or not.

On mechanic:

Is it just me or I feel that the robot run a little too slow (or maybe the map is too big)...

I often (intentionally) lost my magnet on the unreachable side of the stage (for the sake of figuring how the puzzle will play out). Like, deliberately throwing the magnet across the chasm onto a button, so I can see the actual effect when the button get pressed (and testing my accuracy if I can throw the magnet onto it or not). But now I can't get the magnet back and need to reset the whole stage. It is not a bad idea at all to force players to reset the stage. But maybe I think it would be better if I can also remotely destroy and respawn the magnet. Maybe it is done via walking over a button and the magnet spawn on the front of the stage. This way it feel more immersive: made mistakes, try amending first, if it not work, then reset.

On controlling:

I'm using XBOX controller and not testing on keyboard & mouse.

I think hold-X button to aim and throw magnet could be improved. Normally in games that use aim-then-fire mechanic (e.g. Zelda BOTW), they utilizing RT instead. This provide a lot more advantages:

1. Cancel with B is a lot easier -- index at RT and thumb at B using two separate fingers, so it is easy to press two buttons. Compare to using only one thumb at X and, while holding it, also need to reach B. That's somewhat a finger gymnastic in action!

2. Using index for RT makes the thumb free. So later on, for experienced player who want to do some crazy moves, they can also use the free thumb for A to jump during aiming.

3. We may ditch the stationary aiming (thus, faster platforming). By using R to aim instead of L. Imagine that while we are running (with left thumb on L), we can also aiming (with right index on RT and right thumb on R) without the need to stay still. How cool is that?

On visual:

It is quite unclear that the thin platform allows magnet to go through, but not the character.

On level:

Level 3, Up and Away. There are too many one way platforms that the robot need to repeatedly jump on to reach the top block. Maybe design this part with a ladder instead???

Level 6, Blocked by Block. I think I'm in a love-hate relationship with this level. Unable to solve it for like 10min, I think it's impossible (I came to the conclusion that precise platforming is required here). But once I saw the critical puzzle piece, I gain an a-ha moment. However, I still wonder why I don't see it in the first place. Turns out that when I look closely at the stage, the exceed amount of the swing door was so short that I don't aware it can help solving the puzzle at all. So I felt a little bit cheated. But then I can't think of better alternative designs for it... Maybe good job at designing this as a hard level. Fun or not is another story...