An amazing game! I just wish there was more; got hit by the cliffhanger because I didn't read that it wasn't completed yet. My fault not yours, I'm just so excited for more.
jaynighte
Creator of
Recent community posts
I'll post them here for fun.
BLINDFOLD
[Common]
"Sell this Perk to close all Eyes"
Useful to double-trigger Eye-based Perks, or if an &hint opened an Eye early.
TWO-FACED
[Rare/Legendary)
"Right Reactivators also act as Left Reactivators"
OCEAN*/SPIRE**
[Legendary*/Rare**]
"Activators in the bottom row*/rightmost column** trigger an additional time."
If OCEAN is too powerful, SPIRE is a weaker version that gains no benefits from Right Reactivators. If too weak, maybe trigger two more times instead of one.
PLACEBO
[Not sure what rarity]
"Pills give (increased? Double?) Mult. Set mult to x1 on taking damage"
For me, the game seemed both balanced around, and had the risk-reward feeling improved, by the time system. But we clearly have different ideas, and as you are the one making it, you clearly know your vision more than I. Either way, the game is sure to be fun, and I am probably in the minority on this.
Also, it is impressive and admirable how you take the time to read and respond to everyone's comments both here and elsewhere. You really make this feel like a community and show you care. Thank you.
Again - this is just my opinion and should not be taken as everyone's opinion or objective fact - most media is better with a "target audience." By starting out with a concept but then changing things to make them have "something for everybody" and simplify for a lower skill floor, you can dilute and weaken a game. Instead of being a great game for many, it could become a good - or even okay - game for all.
That is not to say accessibility features are a bad thing. I am one of the people that wouldn't mind an easier "story mode" for beginners to enjoy difficult games like soulsbornes and roguelikes. I just don't want it to be the default, be the baseline for balancing, or have the game take away key concepts of the game.
Imagine "losing your souls and having to retrieve them" was too complex or difficult for some players, so they changed it to "you lose some souls every time you die." While that concept can work - and has worked in other games - it changes the balance of the game and how players would approach it. It also changes the atmosphere.
To me, that is the "bomb in the new version of your game. The clock might be hard for some to understand, but can be figured out, and tying everything to card flips instead of rounds makes a big difference in how people would play the game. As long as you have rounds to spare, you have less tension than worrying and strategizing over card flip values vs how much time they eat. You may know you have tons of time NOW, but you also know those minutes add up.
Most people I have seen play this game - myself included - quickly picked up on the clock mechanic. Even if it is slightly confusing, I don't see that as a problem. This feels like the kind of game where slowly learning and understanding the mechanics over time is actually a plus, rather than something frustrating. Also, time management felt like a very core part of the game. This generic bomb system is not only more shallow and less unique, but in my opinion more boring and an antithesis to what the game was.
This is just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but I think the bomb is the wrong direction to go in.

