Wooooow, what an amazing game!!! And the fact that it kept me hooked until the end shows how well-written it is. I loved the choices, the structure of influencing other kingdoms, everything was very well done, I don't even have anything to complain about, maybe more images? But those are details, what's here already deserves five stars! 

😉👍

Helloooooooooooooo!!!!

PlayerXT here! After playing a bit of your game, I'm finally ready to give my opinion and suggestions, and I'll try to be as honest and direct as possible. So don't worry too much about what I'm going to say. After all, I'm only saying these things because I truly believe in this game's potential! And did I mention that this is my opinion?

Okay! No fuss! Let's get to the review! Starting with...

◇Music and Sound Effects◇

I have no complaints here. For me, they're great. I loved the sound effects. The jumping noise is extremely relaxing (lol), and they never distract or anything like that. In other words, they're spot on! The music matches the game. To be honest, it won't stick in my head, but it's far from bad! I think it's doing its job, and together with the sound effects, they do a great job.

◇Art◇

The art is the same; it doesn't steal the show, but it also manages to do a solid job of presenting the environment. Special mention goes to the background motion effects and the colors; I think they're very well done!

◇Gameplay◇

And here's where I have most to say, starting with the central concept. I think a platformer where the objective is to launch yourself in several different directions is an idea full of potential!!! Imagine the level design possibilities! And you've balanced the limits of this mechanic very well, with the jump limit, the character's momentum, the time they have before falling, etc., and in my opinion, the game is very well refined in this aspect, but even so...

I haven't finished the game...

and I'll explain why.

The short answer would be, "I DIED OVER 50 TIMES, I'M GOING TO THROW MY PC OUT THE WINDOW!" But I want to go deeper into this...

The main mechanics of your game are quite complex, and it's not because the levels are complex, but because the movements are! More specifically, the jump recharge. Each side has its own rechargeable jump: upwards has its own, sideways has its own, and so on, and that's okay! It's a design choice, but every choice has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, have you heard of Sonic Riders?

It's a great racing game! I always stop to play it! But it wasn't a big hit when it was released, and all for one specific reason: it's very complex! It has air management (which is the fuel for vehicles), a ramp maneuver system, a route system for specific character categories, a trail system that one player can create for another to slide along, and guess what? You can perform more tricks on those trails. In other words, it's absolutely insane! And I love that about it, but that's because I've already mastered its mechanics. I remember when I started it, I thought it was horrible, I lost all the time, I didn't know what to do, etc. I only started loving it because I persisted, but not everyone has that patience.

The same thing happens with your game. It's great, but only for those who have the patience to master it. And I have a ton of things to do, so I don't have that much time... so I gave up. It's not out of malice, it's simply my reality. A game has to convince the player to want to play more if it wants them to play more.

Your game mechanics aren't bad, they're just complicated. What matters is your target audience. If you're looking for a difficult game, even in the Celeste style, you're on the right track. You'll reduce the number of players who will play your game, but you'll create a gameplay style that those who master it will love! But if you want to reach a wider audience, I recommend two options:

1) Tutorial...

One of the possible reasons for my abandonment could be the difficulty curve. I remember starting out very well with your game, but it quickly got more and more difficult, and I couldn't keep up with the difficulty curve! I think a tutorial explaining the game mechanics more calmly would make it much easier to keep the player engaged and continue playing.

2) Overhaul the game's core mechanics...

This would be the most difficult path for you, but it would also be the most rewarding. (Remember, depending on your target audience)

One idea I would suggest is this: instead of each side having a specific number of jumps, you could have a specific number of jumps in any direction. For example:

"I have 3 jumps, and next to me is a large cliff with a large platform on the other side that's slightly higher than me. I can use these 3 jumps in any direction I want. If I want to launch myself backward, I can do as I please, but only a specific set of jumps will take me to the other side. So I decide to do one jump to the side, two jumps up and sideways at the same time, and that's it."

This will increase player freedom and expressiveness and reduce the complexity of the game, as the player will focus less on managing resources and more on moving around the environment. Then you can focus on increasing the difficulty of the level design itself.

Of course, in the end, this is just my opinion. You have a much greater understanding of the game's structure and know what's best for it. I'm just giving you... something to think about.

And... I think that's it!!! I really liked your game. I've been wanting to play it ever since I saw it on Twitter (I won't call it X!), and after I saw it on itch.io, I knew this was the opportunity! I truly wish you good luck in developing this game, and don't give up, my friend, because this could turn into gold!

I'll keep an eye on your project, and if you need any help, you know who to count on!

And with that said...

PlayerXT has left the server...

Thanks! 😉

Oh, thanks!!!!

I'm glad you liked it, and I know about the sound effects issue, but since time was running out, and the effects I had made were getting in the way of the experience, I decided to leave only the music, and later, in a future update, add the effects properly. And I'm glad you liked the multiplayer, while I was developing it, I went crazy and added multiplayer to the game for... some reason lol, so if it turned out well, that's already a victory.

Thaaanks!!! 😁

Blz 😉👍

Eita, "tu eh" e "msm"? Já sei que encontrei um br aqui kkk, então , eu gostei bastante da ideia do jogo, uma  tipo de mistura de jogo de tabuleiro com RPG bem interessante,  eu demorei um pouco para entender os controles mas, depois eu peguei o jeito, só ficou meio que curto, tipo não deu para desenvolver essa mecânica do machado mais a fundo, mas, eu entendo que é por causa do tempo, em geral eu gostei bastante do jogo, e talvez se ele tiver uma atualização futura, eu de uma olhada.

Hello, playerxt here!!! 

I really liked the style of the game, the art, the music, the idea of it, it's just a shame that I had been transfigured into a lifeless marble and couldn't learn how to play the game (lol), but it's all good, I know how it is, bugs like this only appear after you've submitted the game, but after the vote passes I'll take a look in case you come and release a fix or something like that.

Well, I'm glad you liked it! And in the future I'm going to make a type of campaign focused on singleplayer, for the people who are playing alone, so they don't feel so left out (myself included in that group lol), this mode that currently exists will be a type of arcade mode.

Hey, PlayerXT here! I just came by to take a quick look at your project, and I have to say that the parallax effect and the shaky camera have really brought the game to life.

Oh, and just an idea I thought of while I was testing it. I don't know what you're planning with the player movement, but you know how the character can infinitely jump on the wall, and what if the character stuck to the wall every time they used the pickaxe, as if they were using the pickaxe to climb walls? I think it would be an interesting mechanic, but it was just an idea that crossed my mind.

😉👍

Wow, I loved your game! The controls are interesting, the art is extremely well done, and not to mention the mechanics and level design reflect the journey you're on. Simply incredible!

Hello! PlayerXT here, and I just tested your prototype!

Since this is a pre-pre-pre Alpha build, I won't even talk much about the game's technical bugs and weird things, lol. But I must say that I really liked the game's art style and the way you used colors, and I can already see the game's potential! If well thought out, it could become an extremely fun game!

So, if you're going to continue this project, you can be sure I'll keep an eye on it, and whenever I have some free time, I'd be happy to play it and share some ideas!

Oh, and just one tip: I'd recommend adjusting the background colors a bit or creating a parallax effect on the black background to avoid confusing the player about where they can step.

Helloooooo! 

I'm here again, and now that I've tested this first demo and seen the game in more depth, I decided to do a more in-depth mini review sharing my perspective... 

so... 

...

let's gooooo!

✩Music and sound effects✩

First music, I thought it was good and fit well with the style of the game, I just think there could be more of it, like the fact that there's only one song that plays in each area makes them repetitive over time, maybe if there was a remix in the stage selection or in challenges like the frenzy one, that would give more variety and avoid this problem, but, other than that, I thought they were well done. As for the sound effects, I really have nothing to say, they're great and fit perfectly into the game!

✩Story✩

While this aspect of the game is clearly not the focus, I really liked the dialogues at the beginning and end of each stage, with a nice dose of banjo-kazooie style in the dialogues, they are very interesting and do not interfere with the main gameplay. In addition, I really liked the idea of Kora helping each dinosaur along the way, it is as if each area was an episode of her journey, and a creative way of giving context to each area of the game.

✩Art and Design✩

As for the art aspect, I have "a lot" to say...

- Positives

Starting with the good aspects, I loved the hand-drawn style and the general design of the scenario, the plants, the vines, the rocks, everything has a unique style, with very well done textures and varied structures! In addition, the animations are wonderful, the movement of the plants, the kora itself, everything is extremely well done! I also loved the style of the menu, the level selection map, the HUD, everything has a very coherent style, is well done and full of personality!

- Negatives

However, not everything is perfect, starting with the biggest problem that bothered me the most... visibility, something crucial is missing in the art direction of the levels, the so-called "color hierarchy", that is, the visual separation between main mechanics > decoration > background, during the game, I constantly got confused or lost in the scene, as if the background was competing with the platforms to see who could get the most attention from the player, which is pretty bad for a game that requires quick thinking like this.

Using this image from this game I'm developing as an example, notice how easy it is to tell what the background, the decoration and the playable character are, because the color and saturation of each group are different, they are not competing, but rather cooperating, supporting each other to create a cohesive scenario.

One tip I would give is to increase the saturation of the platforms a little more, or decrease the contrast of the background.

Also, and now this is more of an opinion than a criticism, I think it would be cool to rethink the design of Kora and the other dinosaurs, like, they are very well done, I have nothing to say about that, but they could be more "memorable" so to speak, so as not only to attract more attention from people but also to stand out better among the other games, but, as I said, this is more of my opinion.

✩Gameplay✩

In terms of gameplay, it is by far the most striking part of this game, the movements continue to be fluid and responsive, the mechanics are well done, everything is amazing!

At first, I confess that the game can be a bit boring (to be honest, lol) because it is very easy and there is no penalty for my mistakes (apart from having to look at the screen every time I am hit by an enemy, while I think about my life decisions) but, it starts to shine when the replay factor comes in, I loved replaying the stages later and racing against time, and the challenges like the golden egg, or the one to collect 40 eggs, only improve the experience! And the fact that I need to collect the golden stones to continue in the game was a great decision, because it encourages the player to get to know this part of the game.

I would recommend maybe just rethinking the game's difficulty or the "first time playing" experience a little, because many players just want to finish the game and not get to know the speedrunner part, but the game's current design philosophy is already great! This is something more optional, really, if you want to reach a larger audience.

✩Conclusion✩

I loved your demo, this is a game full of potential that you have in your hands, especially for those who like this style of racing against time, it has personality and an extremely solid foundation, in addition to a very well-thought-out and polished gameplay, of course it needs some tweaking, especially in terms of art, but it's still a sensational and very well-made game.

And sorry if I seem too critical in this review, but I believe that a more deep outside perspective is sometimes important for a game to go beyond where it is.

And that's it! I really enjoyed demo 1 and I hope the game grows even more in the future!!!!

You're welcome! And you can be sure that I'll keep an eye on future updates!

Oh, and I saw the shorts you made and I would recommend not putting the grass in front of the platforms, as it can end up confusing the player as to where he can or cannot pass.

Wow, what an interesting idea you guys have! I had only tested the version available here on the site, but from the little I played I could already see that the controls are precise and very responsive, which is essential in a platform game, and the fact that it is controlled by a button makes it very simple and easy to understand. I found the stages very interesting, I really liked the level design, however, I found them a bit repetitive and without any risk, but from what I saw in your devlog, this is something you have already solved. The music and sound effects are good, they complement the game well, and the idea of the game being centered on finishing the game in the shortest time possible is brilliant and gives the game the depth it needed. 

I don't need to say much about recommendations, you already seem to have a good vision of the project and what it should be, hmn... maybe add a little more artistic touch to the environment, like, the platforms are the dish to be served, it's a delicious dish, but it would be better with a little seasoning, like some rocks here, a wall there, the decoration, you know. This may seem like something "trivial" but it makes a difference in the final product, it gives a little life to the environment.

and...

that's it, like I said, you already have a good vision of the game, just keep creating new mechanics, levels and music, add a little artistic seasoning to the composition of the levels and you'll have a great game on your hands!

oh, and I don't know if you have this in your plans, but I think the style of the controls would fit perfectly on Androids and would reach a larger audience of players.

WOW... 

I was exploring itch.io to see if I could find any interesting projects to test, and I was surprised by this one, so much so that I stopped to test it and when I looked I had already finished the game! 

This game has incredible quality, spectacular art, very well polished level design and mechanics, and the music is amazing, I think the only complaint I would have is that it ended too quickly, I would have loved to have had a little more time to test the new abilities that the character gained as the game progressed, but what there was was enough to leave me speechless, so, simply my congratulations to everyone involved in the project.

Awesome job!!! 

I love the style and design of the game, simple but flashy and very alive, you balanced the colors very well and the animation + moves of the objects are very well made, the gameplay, even though it is simple, is interesting with a more arcade style.

So congratulations! You created a great example of how to make something simple but interesting.

Thank you!!! I'm glad you liked it.

Thanks! The movement and the feeling of play was my main focus when developing this game, I wanted to make something that was simple to understand but difficult to master, so if it worked...well, that's great!

😉👍

Firstly, you have no idea how much nostalgia I had when I played this prototype of yours, it was very similar to the style of my game at the beginning, good times...

But focusing here on this test, I found the mechanics to be very solid and I really liked the physics of the game, when I got to the end I thought "that's it" which you can be sure, it's a good sign.

Now the path to go through this is...varied, so, I recommend you take a piece of paper and play some random ideas and little by little putting them together in a coherent way, just be careful not to make the same mistake I made, I ended up creating a very large and ambitious project, but, in terms of design skills I had zero skills!

So, that's it! I wish you good luck in this recent project was born, and I will keep an eye on it to see what it becomes in the future ;)

Olá!!! aqui é o playerxt falando, estava dando uma passada pelos jogos do itch.io e acabei encontrando o seu jogo então decidi dar uma leve analise e também dar algumas ideias para o jogo, então vamos lá!!!

Começando pela trilha sonora, eu gostei bastante da musica, combina no estilo pixel que o jogo segue lembrando dos jogos da época do primeiro Nintendo, mas ao mesmo tempo o jogo usa bem a instrumentação.

Na área da gameplay eu tenho mais observações,  primeiramente, os controles são responsivos oque eu gostei, e os carros tem diferentes velocidades oque cria uma necessidade maior de estratégia e reflexos oque eu realmente gostei, só tem dois detalhes que na minha opinião faria o jogo ficar melhor:

1) Melhorar as colisões entre o carro do jogador e os obstáculos: Eu sempre morria por coisas que as vezes eu nem percebia ou as vezes eu colidia em algo e nada acontecia, acho que uma colisão consistente deixaria o jogo bem melhor.

2) Uma maior distância da câmera: Isso é mais uma ideia mesmo, mas, acho que ficaria melhor se a câmera ficasse um pouco mais afastada para assim ser mais fácil de ver os obstáculos pela frente.

Bônus) Agora só deixando uma ideia mesmo, acho que daria uma sensação maior de movimento se o fundo tivesse topo uma linha ou algo tipo constantemente indo para baixo.

E é isso, desculpe se tiver falado aqui algo demais, mas gosto de destacar tanto as partes boas quanto ruins de um jogo, afinal, sabendo desses dos lados, fica mais fácil melhorar cada vez mais tanto o jogo quanto as próprias habilidades do criador do jogo.

desejo boa sorte ai na criação desse jogo ou em outros projetos que estiver desenvolvendo, e que continue aí tentando e melhorando que você vai longe!

agora fui...

Thanks! 😁

hello and thank you! I tried to do the best I could in the time I had, and the details of the controls, in the future I will make a tutorial or something that indicates the controls that should be used, in addition to an option to choose the types of controls that the player will use, and you can leave it alone and I will continue to produce the game, I have big plans for this one! Thanks again for playing. I'll check out your game later!! 😉

thanks!!! 

▪I used this connection between jumping and speed as a way to bring variety and complexity to the player's movements, when you're going to jump, it's not just a jump, several things you have to take into account.

 ▪The more vertical level design is already being added in the game phases, unlike what I could do in this version, it will work in layers, like you have the top path which is the most difficult and which will make everything for you to go down or falling from it, there is the middle one that most players will end up falling on where there is a balance between platform and exploration, and the bottom one where there are paths more with slower platforms and less linear. 

▪Yeah, I know, I had a lot of ideas that I ended up not implementing in the final game.

 ▪I'm already writing the story and you can be sure it will be relevant, if there's one thing I always strive for, it's bringing a good script to the games I make. 

▪And the enemy is a bug that I forgot to remove in the final version 😅...

thanks! It really is, this year I couldn't follow the way I wanted the theme of the jam, who knows next year, as for the physics I did it with that same objective, I wanted the player to have to master the controls and layout of the level to be able to move in the phase, so the more you master the controls in the more areas you access and the faster you pass, the art in general I am happy to hear that it was good, in the future I will release a version that has at least two phases to be able to have an idea how the game is going to be and the plot, etc, and to finish everything I used to make the game was the game maker + an application to create music from the playstore + my brain.

thanks, different from my other main game, this one i tried to make it more focused on the pixel art style without a lot of details to look more like retro games and also because it would be faster to make in two days, in terms of the looping mechanic , it really is a great idea, it just needs more development and exploring creative ways to put it in the levels.

yeah I know, and I tried to focus more on making the physics work right a lot of ideas I had like: him having a movement that he glided with his ears, or one that rotated for a certain amount of time, but I had to remove those abilities from this version, because, it was bugging the whole game, but who knows in the future.

I know, I didn't have time to do everything I was planning, so I try to focus more on making the base of the game so that... it could be playable, more certainly using its base to create a future release that really is an interesting game.

the link was blocked😅... that's it! just click on download above the images, at the top of the site and play.

😉👍

very cool your game man! the simple design helps not to get lost on the screen and the colors are very well placed with the colorful background in contrast to the dark scenery, and I really liked the screen flip that the game gives, however, I really missed a progressive speed

 example: the ball starts slowly and gradually accelerates 

and also another tip: 

you have to leave a type of reward for the player, like, for your game I indicate a record system there every time you start the game it will be written how far you went.

 Other than that I really liked it and it's quick and simple it just needs to add more things. unfortunately I have nothing to give, but I wish you good luck, keep improving and you can go far!😉

I really liked the art style and the visuals, the sound effects do the job of representing classic arcade games, and the music fits perfectly with a slightly fast paced to give the impression that at any time the player can die, giving a slight pressure on the player, In short, great game!

cool game, i loved the design and ambiance of it, so i got confused when it came to the controls but apart from that i really liked the project

thanks ; ^) I'm glad you liked.

Sure ;^)

thanks =^)