PROXY - Game finished.

LowKeyDev14 days ago

Not sure if it's possible for PyGame, but a Mac, Linux, or HTML option would allow your game to appeal to a wider audience, as well as increase visibility through the search engine.

Found an option using WebAssembly, hopefully GitHub Copilot can help me figure it out. That would be a huge step in my development abilities. Thanks a ton for the suggestion!

I got the browser version working! The viewport is kinda small but the initial game had that viewport size... I'll work on making it bigger.

LowKeyDev14 days ago

Awesome!! I just played the web version. Couldn't find the third villager, so that was about it. I'll go back later and do a more efficient search for him.

I'd suggest a walking animation for the player and idle animations for the NPCs. Also, could the map bounds be blocked off? You can go outside, get stuck on the corner and soft lock.

Yes, those are definitely possible. I'll work on it when I have time. Thanks for playing it!

LowKeyDev14 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Happy to help!

CR38OR-ELIJAHK27 days ago

I don't know if you'd be interested but I've updated the game quite a bit with bug fixes, animations, and SFX, along with changes to one of the endings. Still no side content but if you want to check out the changes, feel free.

LowKeyDev7 days ago (1 edit)

Awesome! Animation's looking good! Loving the sound effects and map bounds!

I noticed something small; your player slows down when your framerate does. Running this at 2,000,000 FPS will allow you to go hyperspeed, but at 2 FPS you won't be able to move. You just have to re-work the movement speed as a number times the delay between frames (also called Delta or ∆).

Also noticed I was getting lost a lot. Fix this (or not) how you will.

The queen said "get some sleep," and I don't know what that means. I didn't see anything resembling a bed, so I'm guessing this doesn't go anywhere?

CR38OR-ELIJAHK27 days ago

Nice! I thought I had solved the movement relying on frames issue, but I guess not. I'll look into it. Part of the mystery of the game is getting lost . And... there is a bed, conveniently placed somewhere. You'll find it.

LowKeyDev4 days ago (1 edit)

I accidentally hit "Load Game" in the menu and instantly got ending 2/2 for some reason. Tryed again with "New Game" and found the bed. Maybe make it visible from the start so that players can remember where it is?

I get the point of this game now. Probably should've been cued in by the thumbnail. I have a few suggestions if you're gonna keep working on this - make it so that you have to talk to the queen last. I completed ending 2/2 that way and I legit got chills. Coming full-circle and all that. Perhaps a "rEaLiZaTiOn" that you should talk to those villagers again, and then the queen about all the changes she made overnight. The more the worlds and progression through them mirror each other, the more it drives the point home. Maybe even a callback to "Do you consent" in the menu.

Now that I've seen both endings, I gotta say there should be a third. Something that lets you see, but not accept the change and slowly go insane in an artifically perfect world. Maybe a callback to "Do you consent" at the end of the game?

Small quality-of-life request: A replay button. Since there are multiple endings most people will want to see all of them.

Dang that is a lot of awesome feedback. Talking to the queen last is an interesting idea that I will definitely consider and probably implement. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Bed being visible from the start isn't a bad idea, but the bed color changes depending on your choices in part 1, so if you see the red bed without any prior info it hits different, but I'll think about it. Part of the eeriness is seeing the bed just appear, and you know it wasn't there before, which makes you feel weird, especially if its a red bed not a blue one. Thanks again!

Update out! Added the restart button, chatting order update like you suggested, and fixed the Load Game glitch. 3rd ending maybe coming?

Quick question: Which thumbnail do you like better?

View more in thread

Yeah I've though about that. Haven't really put effort in yet, but that does give me some ideas. Thanks!

2tgvr3thwryh3t214 days ago

https://streamable.com/t7ox0s

Playthrough!

CR38OR-ELIJAHK214 days ago(+1)

Man you have no idea how much this means to me. Sorry for the late response I was in a Fortnite Ballistic game with my family LOL. I've noted everything you told me and I might update it in the future. At the very least I will keep them in mind for my next project. Again, thank you so very much.

Arcatsu10 days ago

🎮 QA Report – PROXY

Playtest & Feedback by ArcaTsu – Freelance Game QA Tester

🧑‍💼 About Me

Hi! I’m ArcaTsu, a freelance QA Tester currently working in the video game industry. I specialize in manual testing, UX/controls review, and bug reporting with a focus on clarity and polish. I tested PROXY (browser version) and compiled the following feedback to help you spot issues and improve the player experience.

You’ve done an impressive job as a new developer using Pygame — the atmosphere is charming, and your effort shows. Below is my detailed report to help you learn and push the project further if you choose to revisit it.

🧪 General Observations

- The game runs and loads properly in browser, though save/load is not functional, as expected (and correctly communicated in the game description)
- Story and atmosphere are simple but effective, especially for a learning project
- The mission system (X) works, and the dialogue interaction (Z) is functional in most cases
- Multiple endings based on choices

🧭 Controls & Input Feedback

- Interaction key is W, which is inconsistent with the description and unintuitive for most players (expected Z)
- Dialogue choices correctly use Z, and W has no effect here
- Holding multiple movement keys simultaneously increases the animation speed, which feels unintentional and unrealistic

Suggestion: stick to W/X/Arrow keys consistently for all actions, and unify input handling.

📋 UI & Menu Behavior

- Load Game always starts a new game, even if no previous session was launched.
- Load Game is placed below New Game, which is non-conventional and a bit confusing for players.
- "EXIT" immediately closes the game – this is functional but maybe abrupt without a confirmation screen.

🧱 Progression & Game-Breaking Bugs

- Critical bug: During interaction with the queen:
- If the player chooses "Don’t help" → "Don’t change mind" → then "Change mind",
- The dialogue breaks, and the player can no longer interact with the queen, causing a softlock (progression blocked)
- Revisiting this interaction logic and testing branching options would help prevent logic dead-ends

🧱 Map & Collision Issues

- In the bottom of the map, the rightmost wall lacks collision
- If the player keeps walking right from the previous tile, they can walk and go to the tile on the right and get into the wall and get stuck with no way to escape
Suggestion: review and reinforce collision layers in edge tiles

🔇 Audio Feedback

- Music is present and sets a basic tone
- No SFX are implemented (e.g., footsteps, interactions, UI sounds)
Suggestion: even minimal sound cues can significantly improve player feedback and immersion

✅ Summary of Issues & Suggestions

- Controls: W used for interaction instead of Z (confusing)
- Menu Behavior: Load Game always starts a new session
- Progression; Queen interaction can softlock the player
- Animation: Movement animation speeds up when pressing multiple directions
- Collision: Tile bug on bottom-right of the map causes player to get stuck
- Audio: No sound effects – only music present

Feel free to reach out if you want further feedback or support!

– ArcaTsu Freelance QA – Available on Fiverr https://www.fiverr.com/arcatsu?public_mode=true

CR38OR-ELIJAHK210 days ago(+1)

Thank you so much for your feedback. It means a lot. I will take all of your suggestions into consideration (I’m on a work trip so it’ll be a bit before I get to it.) As for W as interact, that’s a bug. I’ll fix that soon.

Again, thank you very much for giving some time to my game.

Arcatsu9 days ago

Hey, thank you so much for your kind words !

It was a pleasure testing PROXY — you've done a great job, especially considering it's a learning project. Glad to hear you'll be able to fix the interaction key bug quickly ! Take your time with the rest — game dev is a marathon, not a sprint ;)

CR38OR-ELIJAHK29 days ago

No problem!

CR38OR-ELIJAHK29 days ago

After some further testing, I've found out Z does work for interaction and W does not. I don't know what caused it in your situation, but I will be sure to fix it if I find out what the root of the issue is.

CR38OR-ELIJAHK29 days ago

I apologize for the notification spam, but I'm testing each of your suggestions procedurally and I wanted to ask if you could elaborate on what you mean by the bottom-right rightmost wall. I went to the very bottom of the map at the right and the collision seems to work fine. Also, as far as the issue with progression softlocking if you choose certain things in the early Queen dialogue, it technically doesn't softlock you it just doesn't give you the next mission, which I've begun working on.

Arcatsu8 days ago

Hey no worries at all for the notifications - it's actually great to see someone so actively working on improvements!

Regarding the collision bug on the bottom-right wall: I just retested it recently and it seems like the issue is no longer present. So it might’ve been a sneaky fix along the way - in any case, it’s working fine now on my side!

Also, I did a quick full playthrough while checking the issue, and I was genuinely surprised by the updates - lots of positive changes since my last test. Really nice progress, keep it up !

CR38OR-ELIJAHK28 days ago(+1)

That's awesome!! I did actually fix the collision issue without telling you, my apologies. Glad to hear you like the improvements!

2tgvr3thwryh3t25 days ago

got a bug? https://ibb.co/9mLXBMny when clicking on this page again? It allowed me to play when refreshing though

CR38OR-ELIJAHK25 days ago(+1)

Interesting... I've never seen that before. Might just have been temporary.

GonzaTester4 days ago

Hi! I just played PROXY and I wanted to thank you for sharing your project.

I’m a game tester in training, and I really appreciate these kinds of games where developers are experimenting and learning.

I’d love to give you some constructive feedback based on my experience — both what I liked and a few suggestions for improvement. Would you prefer that I send you a short report or post it directly here?

Great job with your work in Pygame — I can tell you learned a lot. Looking forward to your next project!

I honestly don't care, just hit me with it LOL

Not that i don't care what you have to say, I mean I don't care where you put it. Sorry if it came across like that.

GonzaTester4 days ago (1 edit)

Quality Assurance Feedback Report – PROXY

Tester: Fabián González (GonzaTester)

Tested on: PC – Browser version

Role: Beginner QA Tester in training

👋 Introduction

Hi! I recently played PROXY on browser and wanted to thank you for sharing your project. As someone currently learning to be a game tester, I really enjoy trying experimental games like this — especially those made as learning projects. For a first project using Pygame, you’ve done a great job creating a unique atmosphere and functional gameplay. Below is a detailed report with observations, feedback, and suggestions to help you improve and grow as a developer.

🎮 Controls & User Experience

- Controls are generally smooth and responsive. - I'm used to interacting with the “E” key, but Z and X were perfectly functional and didn’t feel uncomfortable once I adapted. - The navigation between scenes and menus works well. - There were no major control bugs or delays. ✅ Suggestion: You could consider offering an alternate control scheme (e.g., E or Enter for interaction), or allow players to remap keys.

🗺️ Gameplay, Story & Direction

- While the game features dialogues with various NPCs, I couldn’t clearly understand the objective or purpose during the playthrough. -However, since you mentioned in your post that the story doesn’t really make sense (by design), this is understandable. ✅ Suggestion: Even if the story is abstract, adding a bit more context to the dialogues or world-building clues would help players connect with the game and understand their actions.

⚠️ Bugs / Technical Issues

- When I first opened the game, the screen remained completely white for around 1–2 minutes before loading. This might confuse players who think the game isn’t working. - After loading, I experienced no bugs, crashes, or freezes during gameplay.

👤 NPCs & Visual Design

- The overall art direction is minimalist and charming, which fits well with the concept of a learning project. - However, the character at the bottom of the map (possibly a knight?) looks more like an object than a living character, which made me unsure whether I could interact with him. ✅ Suggestion: Consider updating the character sprite slightly to make it more recognizable as an NPC.

🧩 Endings & Replayability

- I managed to reach two different endings, which was a really nice surprise! - The red visual effect before the ending was a great touch and added tension. - That said, I wasn’t able to clearly identify what triggered each ending or what their meaning was. ✅ Suggestion: You might consider giving players a subtle hint — maybe a final line of dialogue or visual cue — to differentiate the two endings (e.g., good vs bad, success vs failure).

🔊 Audio & Atmosphere

- The music was simple but set the mood nicely. - There were no sound effects (e.g., footsteps, text clicks, interactions), which made the game world feel a bit empty at times. ✅ Suggestion: Adding even very minimal sound effects would improve player immersion and make actions feel more responsive.

🧠 Final Thoughts

For a beginner-level project, PROXY has a lot of heart and creativity. The minimalist world, atmospheric design, and functional systems show that you learned a lot working with Pygame. There’s clearly a strong foundation here. With a few adjustments — like adding clearer objectives, fixing visual ambiguity with NPCs, and including small UX improvements — this could become a great prototype for a larger game or simply a strong entry in your dev portfolio. Thanks again for sharing your work. I’d be happy to test anything else you make in the future!

— Fabián González (GonzaTester)

CR38OR-ELIJAHK24 days ago(+1)

Thank you so much for your response! I really love hearing it all. Let me address your feedback -

Controls: Yes, a settings menu with alternate controls could be nice. I might add that in a future update. I'm used to using Z/X for this type of game, so that's what I went with.

Gameplay: I entirely agree that a bit more direction could be nice, I also like the openness and letting the player just straight up figure out and interpret for themselves what is going on. I believe that is part of the charm of the game.

Bugs: I've never had that happen. I'm assuming it's because the game starts automatically and takes a bit to load, but I'll keep an eye on that one.

NPCs/Visuals: Yeah that guy is a knight. There isn't all that much other than NPCs to interact with, so it's not a MAJOR issue, although I can definitely see your confusion. He is definitely the worst-designed out of all of them. I might modify him a bit.

Endings/Replayability: This is where it gets interesting. The two different endings are different, slightly. Ending one results in a flashing white effect and a boom sound, followed by red text. Ending 2 (Heralded by the "RUN." realization) lacks the boom and flash, and shows blue text. Interpret that how you will. More detail will either be helpful or detrimental. I think it depends on the player. Some enjoy a bit more direction, and some enjoy the obscurity of it. I think that's where we hit the line of the types of players, instead of needed improvements for the game.

Audio: I added SFX. When did you play this? It might have been before I did. I don't know. If they still aren't working, please let me know.

Final Thoughts: Again, thank you, thanks so much for all the kind words. I put a lot of work into this and I love it when I get players that enjoyed it. Your feedback and support means the world to me.

Have a great day,

Elijah