ANN: NAROBIYU - action-puzzle title

Ok, what are we suppose to do?

Please add a tutorial, I had absolutely no idea how I was suppose to play this game. I have even watch the video but I am still clueless.

It is a shame because the presentation is very well done.

My 2p: spent some time, writting a tutorial (in game tutorial). Dish the donationware, it doesn't work. You might even get on portals like BigFishGames if you make it more accessible.

Ask someone who never play your game to have a go and watch them (trying to) play. You will understand what I am talking about.

JC

 

Ok, I play it again.
It is a really hard game. Even with reading the rules, I couldn't undertand everything. I finaly figured out how it work and now it feels like a very good game. But you badly need a tutorial. You have to explain step by step what the player is suppose to do. You must create a different mode in your mecanism just for the tutorial. The game doesn't run normaly, the player can only select the chain you want him to select. So, you can explain how to create a chain of 2, then a chain of 3 and a chain of 4. Then, you can explain that you don't have to go in a straight line (this is really good but very unatural because, you must show it to the player explicitely). For this in game tutorial, you need to display more information like the first block to select and the last one (+ the trajectory for long and curved chain). Also, it is very frustrating that the lines don't dissapear immediately. I lost while waitting for lines to blow. This is probably for allowing 5 chains but I never been able to reach this. So, this is probably good for someone as you (an expert of your game) but for a beginner it is too much. You should leave it for later levels or put it in a different mode.

Also, the bonuses appears to early, you should leave them for later levels. When reach level 2, you change colors and the is only 2 blues. This is too hard as the screen is still full of other colors. The difficulty is too steep. Make it easier for beginers.

Your music are greats, I like them really much. If you don't have money (or very little) google for "royalty free music", you should find some good tracks for 30$ approximatively. If you have some budget, you should have a look in the thread "Music & Sound Portfolios"

> you could write a simpler explanation
Nice try. ;-)

Ok, to resume I feel like this game as some potential. You are definetely a good programmer, you need to make your game more accessible. For this you need a good in game tutorial and make the difficulty more progressive. Don't test on yourself, you are already an expert. Test on people who never play the game and watch them struggling without helping them. Then ask yourself: how can the game "help" them to understand what they didn't get... You will be able to adjust the difficulty accordingly.

JC

 

sorry, double posting...

 

I played a little bit. The Music is great and also the graphics fit well into the game concept. Impressive work for a lonely developer!

Another quick Idea to simplify the gameplay: Add a display beside the gamefield that shows how long a chain has to be for the next move, like:

Yellow: 4
Blue: 2
Red: 5

My opinion is you should polish everything, put together a tutorial and a better ingame intruction and give it a go to the portals/ sell it on your site as shareware.

 

Very nice game indeed and I would say the same about the gameplay, I was completely lost even reading the instructions

Anyway, after tweaking bit and pieces, you should sell it, forget the donation!
Hard to believe you are new to game dev!

 

Addictive game! After watching the video I understood the gameplay idea, but some aspects like the grey blocks when making groups out of order confused me - especially how to get em away. Also the 'silver blocks with icons' were confusing 'till I clicked one accidentaly and found out, that it was a bonus.
With some polishing it will sell!

 

Looks like a nicely-done take on Blocksum, well done.

 

I was going to say the same thing. When you drag over a block, the cursor should count up as to how many pieces are in the "chain". Sometimes I would get confused between 5, 6 block groups and some player feedback like the notation on the cursor or the blocks would help.

I wouldn't clutter the screen with anything else HUD-wise, but if a yellow group of, lets say 4 blocks were just sitting there it should also be denoted with a "4" on it somewhere so while I'm making other groups I can keep track of what else I've already made.

OR

Even better then counting down like you are thinking, how about counting up? Say you have a group of two reds completed. Your next goal would be to create a group of three reds, right? Well clicking and holding on another red could then have a "1/3" pop up above the cursor. Dragging it even further would change the number to "2/3" then finally when the chain is completed you would get a "3" which could stay on the shape. Since the mechanic involves counting up, reinforce this idea with your feedback counting up.

Again, too many powerups to begin with, I agree. I really could use those in later levels.

And, I can easily spot patterns to get groups of 4 or 5 chains now, but sometimes the moves aren't possible and I too have died waiting for blocks to disappear. Keep the amount of time to wait for more groups to join, but perhaps add an ability to terminate the groups manually, lets say by clicking on any of the valid groups.

* EDIT * Ok, that one is already there...didn't know that!

I really dig the game. Some player feedback like the denotation of numbers on blocks as they are being formed and after they are completed would go a long way. And since you are essentially asking players to "count" upwards...you got to tell them that and then enforce it in a way accessible to everybody. You don't have to dumb it down or write a lengthy tutorial...a short one will suffice I believe with the right reinforcements of gameplay mechanic and feedback.

And I dig your audio tons.

 

Yes, this could work. Give it a try.