Description

A puzzle platformer where the player is a cartographer explores the wilderness. They are in charge of recording the rooms in their journal, so they can win a crown. The player unlocks new skills and abilities they can use to access rooms that were previously blocked to find new areas , solve puzzles,  and make friends along the way. Use WASD to move, space to jump, and click and drag to throw! You can even jump off the walls. Find the crown to win. Press q to open your map/inventory and use the mouse to select the rooms and doorways. Skip to the bottom to download the executable file.

Playtests

Internal Developer Playtest (Week 4)

Setup

Playtest:

• Playtest Goal (i.e.: what are you looking to find out?) 
  • I would like to find out if my map system is fun to use with my objective or if the map is more of a hassle than its worth.
• Pre-playtest Instructions (intro to game, any prior information needed, details to ignore)  
  • This is a basic 2D platformer where you explore the world and record what you see in your journal.
  • Controls:
    • WASD movement with Space for jump.
    • Q opens you map.
    • Type 1 means a white room, 
    • Type 2 means a red room
    • Erase makes said room a dot and erases the paths between those rooms.
    • Paths: click the two rooms you'd like to connect after you have clicked the paths button. To get rid of a path simply click the two rooms again.
  • The rooms are basic and are simply copies of one another and will be changed to be unique later on.
  • The player is just a rectangle and will be replaced by a sprite in future developments.
  • There is no sound or animations yet.
  • Winning just involves completing the only objective, and it will not quit the application.
  • There is no start screen yet.

Learnings

• What was the answer to your goal/question?
  • The map was effective in use and interesting to use. I had a moment I really liked where the point of the map was revealed and the player had to rethink the rooms and why it was important.
• What did your tester enjoy? What did your tester not enjoy?
  • The player enjoyed the exploration and the reveal of the red rooms.
  • The player wanted more visual clues because they were frustrated when they could not find the objective.
    • The red rooms should have some indication that they are hot.
    • The player should have some way to look at current objectives.
  • The player enjoyed testing limits of the movement.
  • The player did not like the lack of interesting things to do in the rooms.
  • He disliked that he could not indicate that a room was completely explored.
• Did anything surprise you?
  • I was surprised when he stopped indicating the colors got rid of the ones that he did. I was worried that he would be frustrated after the point of the snowballs was revealed but i think it resulted in a strong aha moment.

External Developer Playtest (Week 7)

Setup

Playtest Setup:

• Playtest Goal (i.e.: what are you looking to find out?) 
  • Does the puzzle format work with the exploration? Is it fun and engaging? Or is it too frustrating?
• Pre-playtest Instructions (intro to game, any prior information needed, details to ignore)  
  • My game is a 2D platformer puzzler where the player explores the map to solve puzzles and win a crown.
  • Controls:
    • WASD movement with Space for jump.
      • You have a single wall jump.
    • Q opens you map.
    • Erase makes said room a dot and erases the paths between those rooms.
    • Paths: click the two rooms you'd like to connect after you have clicked the paths button. To get rid of a path simply click the two rooms again.
    • Use the mouse to throw objects you pick up by clicking and dragging away from the player.
  • Please Ignore the repetitive room layout, which will be improved upon in further the development.
  • The player does not have a sprite and the rooms do not have any backgrounds or decorative items, so please ignore the lack of detail.
  • There is no start or end screen, but the map will pause the game if you need to stop for any reason.
  • There are no sound or animations yet, but they will be added. There will also be some type of particle effect when the thrown items hit something,.

The purpose of this playtest is to get as much feedback as possible, so please express your thoughts about the game as well as your feelings as you play. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so please ask questions if you are confused! I will most likely not immediately give you the answer, but that's just because I would love to hear more of your thoughts! Thank you for your time and cooperation! 

Learnings

What was the answer to your goal/question?

The answer was not really because two of my puzzles failed as puzzles where he could not solve them. He liked exploring and the first puzzle worked well, but it needs more development.

What did your tester enjoy? What did your tester not enjoy?

My tester enjoyed using and building up his map when he was exploring and he liked the molotov introduction. He solved the plant/molotov puzzle easily. He also liked the platforming physics. He did not like the fact that the jumps would sometimes get caught. The platforming was too linear to be interesting, and he was unable to find out a lot of the depth of all the items.

Did anything surprise you?

It surprised me how confused he was about using the snowball on the torch. I had assumed that since its the only item in that room and the only new item. That meant he couldn't solve the puzzles I set up becuase he didn't know the torch was connected to the coins. I had realized all my assumptions  and had to explain how to solve them. 

Target Player Playtest (Week 10)

Setup

Playtest Goal (i.e.: what are you looking to find out?)

I am hoping to find out if the tutorials are compressible, so the player can solve the puzzles without my help.

Pre-playtest Instructions (intro to game, any prior information needed, details to ignore)  

• My game is a 2D platformer puzzler where the player explores and records the map to solve puzzles and win a crown.

Controls:

• WASD movement with Space for Jump
  • You have a single wall jump.
• Q opens you map.
• Click the rooms to cycle between the options of room types.
• Click the the paths between the room to indicate the doorway types.
  • You can use your map to keep tract of important items and doorways that you find throughout your journey.
• Use the mouse to throw objects you pick up by clicking and dragging away from the player.
• Please Ignore the repetitive room layout, which will be improved upon in further the development.
• The player does not have a sprite and the rooms do not have any backgrounds or decorative items, so please ignore the lack of detail.
• There is no start or end screen, but the map will pause the game if you need to stop for any reason.
• There are no sound or animations yet, but they will be added. There will also be some type of particle effect when the thrown items hit something,.

The purpose of this playtest is to get as much feedback as possible, so please express your thoughts about the game as well as your feelings as you play. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so please ask questions if you are confused! I will most likely not immediately give you the answer, but that's just because I would love to hear more of your thoughts! Thank you for your time and cooperation! 

Learnings

What was the answer to your goal/question?

The tutorials effectively taught the player how to use all the mechanics and she even used them together well.

What did your tester enjoy? What did your tester not enjoy?

She enjoyed solving the puzzles and jumping around. She did not enjoy clicking through all the options on the rooms. She enjoyed the mushrooms and kept track of them. She enjoyed finding the solutions and the buildup worked well. 

Did anything surprise you?

Two things surprised me: the way she used the map and the way she interacted with the mushrooms. She used the map to exclusively point out where there weren't paths and where the mushrooms were. I expected her to fill out the entire map completely, but she just used it for landmarks. She really struggled with the third puzzle because she did not see the connection between the bottom rooms and the middle rooms. She would also keep going back to the mushrooms in rooms that were only there as tutorials because she discovered how they would shrink and grow depending on the torch. She was distracted by the other mushrooms, so it was more difficult to solve the puzzles.

Process Journal

Week 2

What did I do this week? I completed a basic prototype of how I would like the map UI to function with the player being able to select the room size and the directions of the doors of the room.

How did that change my design?

The grid format of my map is a limitation on how many exits and in what directions the exits are. Four maximum and only one in each cardinal direction. That is a limitation I will have to work around. I also don’t know how I will go about adding stickers or other identifying features for the player to add to each room.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to create all the sprites for the rooms and pins. Also to try to create some ways to add pins and other information to the rooms.

Week 3

What did I do this week?

I completed my map system to allow for the player to connect rooms and change the color of the room or erase rooms. I also created my basic game manager and setup how the player character will transition between scenes.

How did that change my design?

I completely scraped my pin idea for the simpler color idea to make it easier for me to create. I am hoping that the color will allow the player to indicate the different types of room that the player will come across.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to create a player character with movement and the sprite sheet for the different types of room.

Week 4

What did I do this week?

I created the player movement, 12 rooms for the player to explore, and a system for the player to bring a snow ball to a snowman with hot spots that melt the snow ball.

How did that change my design?

My design changed with the inclusion of the snowball/snowman that presents a cute tone and is the first objective of the game outside of creating a map.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to respond to my playtest by editing my game, and to create more objectives for the player to complete.

Playtest:

• Playtest Goal (i.e.: what are you looking to find out?) 
  • I would like to find out if my map system is fun to use with my objective or if the map is more of a hassle than its worth.
• Pre-playtest Instructions (intro to game, any prior information needed, details to ignore)  
  • This is a basic 2D platformer where you explore the world and record what you see in your journal.
  • Controls:
    • WASD movement with Space for jump.
    • Q opens you map.
    • Type 1 means a white room, 
    • Type 2 means a red room
    • Erase makes said room a dot and erases the paths between those rooms.
    • Paths: click the two rooms you'd like to connect after you have clicked the paths button. To get rid of a path simply click the two rooms again.
  • The rooms are basic and are simply copies of one another and will be changed to be unique later on.
  • The player is just a rectangle and will be replaced by a sprite in future developments.
  • There is no sound or animations yet.
  • Winning just involves completing the only objective, and it will not quit the application.
  • There is no start screen yet.

Week 5

• What was the answer to your goal/question?
  • The map was effective in use and interesting to use. I had a moment I really liked where the point of the map was revealed and the player had to rethink the rooms and why it was important.
• What did your tester enjoy? What did your tester not enjoy?
  • The player enjoyed the exploration and the reveal of the red rooms.
  • The player wanted more visual clues because they were frustrated when they could not find the objective.
    • The red rooms should have some indication that they are hot.
    • The player should have some way to look at current objectives.
  • The player enjoyed testing limits of the movement.
  • The player did not like the lack of interesting things to do in the rooms.
  • He disliked that he could not indicate that a room was completely explored.
• Did anything surprise you?
  • I was surprised when he stopped indicating the colors got rid of the ones that he did. I was worried that he would be frustrated after the point of the snowballs was revealed but i think it resulted in a strong aha moment.

What did I do this week?

I spent time brainstorming new abilities and deciding where to go from the playtest. Ultimately, I will implement a throwing mechanic for two new abilities, Snowball that can put out torches tied to collectables and a Molotov cocktail that is lit in the fire (red) rooms. I am also considering adding a dash. I have implemented the throwing mechanic.

How did that change my design?

I changed the snow ball from the objective to an ability and changed the objective to collecting a certain amount of collectables - i am currently thinking coins. 

What are my goals for next week?

I would like to implement the torches and burnable objects (walls/barriers). I would also like to replan my map in regards to where the barriers will be and collectable locations.

Week 6

What did I do this week?

I built the walls for the Molotov to destroy, a torch that the snowball puts out, and started to play with using lighting with the torch/rooms.

How did that change my design?

I am interested in using lighting with the lit molotov and the torches, so the player has to navigate the rooms purposefully. Dark rooms can also establish the purpose of the map as wall to force the player to have to know how the room is set up.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to begin creating puzzles with the new mechanics and create the sprites for the dark rooms for the UI.

Week 7

What did I do this week?

I fixed my lighting problems, planned out my layout of the map, and created sprites for the destructible walls and the molotov.

How did that change my design?

I am planning to add a final room as a final puzzle and planning to add a final collectable to end the game.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to finish my map, add tags to the UI map, and playtest my game.

Playtest Setup:

• Playtest Goal (i.e.: what are you looking to find out?) 
  • Does the puzzle format work with the exploration? Is it fun and engaging? Or is it too frustrating?
• Pre-playtest Instructions (intro to game, any prior information needed, details to ignore)  
  • My game is a 2D platformer puzzler where the player explores the map to solve puzzles and win a crown.
  • Controls:
    • WASD movement with Space for jump.

      
      

      • You have a single wall jump.
    • Q opens you map.
    • Erase makes said room a dot and erases the paths between those rooms.
    • Paths: click the two rooms you'd like to connect after you have clicked the paths button. To get rid of a path simply click the two rooms again.
    • Use the mouse to throw objects you pick up by clicking and dragging away from the player.
  • Please Ignore the repetitive room layout, which will be improved upon in further the development.
  • The player does not have a sprite and the rooms do not have any backgrounds or decorative items, so please ignore the lack of detail.
  • There is no start or end screen, but the map will pause the game if you need to stop for any reason.
  • There are no sound or animations yet, but they will be added. There will also be some type of particle effect when the thrown items hit something,.

The purpose of this playtest is to get as much feedback as possible, so please express your thoughts about the game as well as your feelings as you play. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so please ask questions if you are confused! I will most likely not immediately give you the answer, but that's just because I would love to hear more of your thoughts! Thank you for your time and cooperation! 

Week 8

What did I do this week?

I changed the snowball to a water bucket. I added a mushroom that would hint to putting out the torch and is why the coin is given to the player. I also added a new item: the seed that spawns a block for the player to platform on where it lands.

How did that change my design?

I added new type of interaction and I added hints. That will hopefully help the player solve the puzzles, and will contribute to the world building of my game.

What are my goals for next week?

My goals are to fill out the rooms: add torches to all rooms and add mushrooms for all coin rooms. I would also like to start setting up puzzles with seeds.

Learnings

What was the answer to your goal/question?

The answer was not really because two of my puzzles failed as puzzles where he could not solve them. He liked exploring and the first puzzle worked well, but it needs more development.

What did your tester enjoy? What did your tester not enjoy?

My tester enjoyed using and building up his map when he was exploring and he liked the molotov introduction. He solved the plant/molotov puzzle easily. He also liked the platforming physics. He did not like the fact that the jumps would sometimes get caught. The platforming was too linear to be interesting, and he was unable to find out a lot of the depth of all the items.

Did anything surprise you?

It surprised me how confused he was about using the snowball on the torch. I had assumed that since its the only item in that room and the only new item. That meant he couldn't solve the puzzles I set up because he didn't know the torch was connected to the coins. I had realized all my assumptions  and had to explain how to solve them. 

Week 9

What did I do this week?

I completed the seed, so it grows when the player hits it with water and dies when it is hit with a molotov. I also added all the mushrooms to the coins and the off torches. Finally, I set up a tutorial room for the seed tool.

How did that change my design?

I barred off the seed tutorial from the player until the player has the molotov just in case they need to get rid of some of the plant blocks grown by the seed. That delay will also provide a lock in the very first room.

What are my goals for next week?

My goal is to improve my tutorials and playtest my game with my sister to see if the tutorials work well. I would like to build on my game based on the feedback I get from the playtest. 

Week 10

What did I do this week?

I did my playtest and completely changed my map system so instead of using buttons off to the side you click the rooms/paths multiple times. I added text to tell the player how the pickups work and I changed my final room to be more challenging with the current mechanics.

How did that change my design?

I completely changed my map UI and my playtesting was mixed. I think the change benefited the paths between the rooms but hurt the rooms themselves because that took more work.

What are my goals for next quarter?

Give a different design to the mushrooms that give tutorials vs coins. I want to redesign all the sprites. Update the UI for the throwing mechanic so the player can tell how hard they are throwing. Continue working on the map UI. I need a start screen, a basic tutorial, save states, and end state.