PLAYTEST FEEDBACK

Playtesters only received access to a very early version of our game- when it was shown, it was still in its infancy. However, the main mechanic of the flashlight was in place, and we were able to effectively guide players through the draft of our initial level.

COMMON QUESTIONS & RESPONSES: Will there be variance in the types of obstacles present?

At the start, the only obstacle that we had was the flashlight. However, you were able to spam the flashlight and essentially speedrun the level by stacking the flashlight to your desired space. This point is a good one to consider- without obstacles, there is no difficulty. There’s no need for you to think too much about it. We had conceived our game as one with no enemies- so, thusly, the question came, was how could we make the level itself an enemy to the player?

Some jumps I’m unwilling to take, because it’s difficult to see whether or not I’ll land successfully.

This feedback emphasizes just how important it is to get fresh eyes on your work. Often, I’ll have to play a level dozens of times in order to make sure all of the aspects are working, and at that point, I’m basically an expert of my own game- I know where every single platform will be. However, the player does not. Even though this may be something that seems insignificant, it’s an important thing to recognize. You have to learn to separate what you, as the creator, can see of your game, versus what your players can perceive.

What atmosphere will you be going for?

At this point, our game was simply white blocks on a blue background. We had no real mood going on- which is an absolute no-no. A lack of atmosphere feels unencouraging, and especially in a platformer, can kill it dead. Without that sense of wonder, the desire to explore can be easily left unsatisfied.