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The_World_Beneath

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A member registered 17 days ago · View creator page →

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Thanks for writing all of this out. This is exactly the kind of feedback we need right now.

You are right: several systems are doing things internally that the game is not explaining well enough. Companion speed, stamina, resting, task priority, achievement tracking, bundle order, and token use all need to be much clearer. If the player has to guess why helpers are choosing jobs or why the queue does not run in the order expected, that is our UI failing, not the player failing.

A few of these are intended systems, but they are not visible enough yet. Companions have different stats, stamina affects how they work, and some jobs can take priority over others. But the game needs to show that clearly: why a companion chose a job, when they need rest, what priority the queue is using, and what tokens are currently for.

I also agree strongly on the planting flow. Choosing a seed first and then applying it to multiple planters would fit the game much better than selecting every planter one by one. The same goes for care actions: if this is meant to be an idle/automation game, players should be able to queue a fuller care plan instead of constantly babysitting each plot.

So the short version is: this feedback is fair, useful, and we are treating it as a new-player-experience problem to fix. The next pass needs to focus on clearer companion behavior, visible queue priorities, better bulk planting controls, clearer rest/stamina rules, more flexible bundling, and a plain explanation of token purpose.

Thank you again for taking the time to write it out. This was blunt, but it was helpful.

- Brian

Developer Update

We’ve updated The Garden to make the intro process smoother and reduce friction for new players.

The tutorial flow has been revised so players can get into the Garden more naturally, with clearer context up front and a better-paced introduction. We also adjusted the account-linking explanation so it appears later in the flow, after players have had a chance to understand what The Garden is and why linking matters.

This update also adds new voiced tutorial lines for the revised intro and ending beats, helping the opening experience feel more complete and less abrupt.

The goal is simple: make it easier to start playing, understand what The Garden is, and only ask for account linking once it makes sense.

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Thank you, this is genuinely useful feedback.

You are right about the sign-in wall. I am changing the flow so players can start The Garden in offline mode first, learn the game, and only see the login/account prompt at the end of the tutorial. That prompt will also explain why logging in matters: persistence, account linking, and future World Key connections. If someone stays offline, that save will remain local and will not carry into the online/shared World Key layer later.

I am also expanding the tutorial opening so it explains what The World Beneath is, what The Garden is, and why this first release exists: it is the first playable World Key and a proof that I can close a playable loop while continuing development on the larger shared world.

The tutorial pacing and XP pacing are being reviewed too.  I will say the pacing being slower is intentional.  As these are intended to feed into an economy of a larger game. I do believe however this needs to be made more clear up front as to why.  The first build clearly put too much friction up front and not enough context before asking for trust.

I appreciate the rating and the direct notes. I will check out Dualspace as well and rate it honestly after playing. I do not want to turn reviews into a trade, but I am happy to support other indie developers properly.

The Garden is live.

This is the first free playable World Key for The World Beneath: a focused browser preview where you name your own garden and begin tending one small living corner of the world below.

The full World Beneath RPG is still in development. The Garden is not the full main game; it is the first public playable doorway into the larger project while more systems, World Keys, and shared-world pieces continue to grow.

What you can do now:

- Open The Garden in browser.

- Name your garden.

- Explore the first garden-facing loop.

- Send feedback on clarity, UI, audio, pacing, and rough edges.

What not to expect yet:

- Final account-backed economy.

- Main-game carryover promises.

- Finished shared reward exports.

- The full RPG release.

The point of this release is simple: put a real playable piece in front of people, learn from the first sessions, and keep building from evidence instead of mist.

Play The Garden:

https://the-world-beneath.itch.io/httpsthe-world-beneathcomworld-keysthe-garden

Website mirror:

https://the-world-beneath.com/world-keys/the-garden/