The first playtest surveys are in, and a few answers changed my priorities. Thank you to everyone who filled one in.
What worked
The art, music and overall feel scored highest of anything on the survey. It ran smoothly for every tester, with no bugs reported. And the core loop landed — one player described the best part as getting a level right, then replaying it to build a cleaner, faster layout. That's exactly the game I'm making.
What didn't
The game doesn't explain enough about what it's doing. One player spent a level trying combinations at random rather than planning, because nothing tells you what the machines actually do. That's not a difficulty problem — it's a design problem, and it's mine to fix.
Already in progress
- The requested recipe stays visible on screen and in the recipe book
- Recipe hints stay up while you hover, instead of disappearing
- Machines can be moved after placement, so you can rework a layout instead of tearing it down
- A replay button on the level-end screen
- Clearer, better-staged tutorial text
Being looked at
Explaining what each machine does in-game, camera controls, and UI that covers the play area.
The playtest is open and free — request access from the store page and I'll approve you. If you play, the feedback survey is the single most useful thing you can send me.
— Fbs Games