Ralix's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Endless]

Well, it takes 13 seconds before anything happens and after you dodge the initial two pillars, there's another waiting time etc. I almost thought it's going to be like that forever, but around 80th-second mark, the waiting times are gone and the pillars appear constantly which makes the game more intense, but also it's the same alternating pattern over and over again. I went along to 150 to see if anything changes, but it didn't.

I think I could keep going for a long time (because the game doesn't speed up), so it's more about losing out of boredom than because you weren't quick enough.

Also, is there a reason why everything is so blurry (all text and especially the main character)?
You can use 9-slicing if a small sprite stretches incorrectly:
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/9SliceSprites.html
And Text Mesh Pro to avoid blurry text:
https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.textmeshpro@2.1/

The gameplay is too simple. I'd at least make the order in which the pillars appear random.

hoanglong12 responds:

I compress image size in order to minimize the game size !!
Thanks for links !!

[trippy coloring book for tweens]

It's a nice idea, but I feel it would look much better if you could draw actual, smooth brush strokes instead of a series of overlapping squares which aren't even connected (unless you draw very slowly) and look very ‘pixelated’.
There's also the problem that you can draw over controls, which shouldn't be possible because then you can read the instruction, or see the colour you're currently using.
The wave filter of various strengths and directions is also really the only kind of animated filter in the game. You could add screw, rotating… whatever. And if you decided to expand it further, an Undo feature would probably be nice (otherwise you have to redo the entire thing after one mistake).

[LADDER LAD]

At first, I thought the lack of jumping and fast falling speed is going to be a massive problem, but there are so many ways to get around (bubbles, ladders of different speed, through the sides of the screen…) and mainly there are two safe ladders, plus a death only restarts your current level, so dying – although it happens often – isn't frustrating and you can retry right away.

The time luckily isn't an issue, at least in the beginning. You have enough time to make strategic choices without needing to be suicidal. Not that the game is easy, and being lucky is certainly helpful, but you never have to retry a level simply because you made a mistake and let an apple disappear.

I'm not sure if there's an ending, I stopped just before completing two rows of apples. If there is, I'd hope the final level changes the formula slightly (like having to climb a tall tower while the bottom of the screen moves up), otherwise, I already felt it was getting repetitive (+1 apple, -time without new gameplay elements).

Despite that, even though it's a simple game, it's definitely quite entertaining.

[Coronavirus: A Text Adventure]

It's pretty interesting. Some plotlines and outcomes I expected, some definitely not (like attacking a guard with a sword in hopes of cleansing the humankind with the virus).

I don't think the intro is necessary. There's no denying that it's cool, and judging by my own experience, all those camera angles must have been a pain to animate… but it doesn't affect the story or gameplay in any way.
Of course, unless there's some ultimate ending or secret which takes place in the hospital and happens to *you* after you earn all the endings (e.g. you uncover tidbits of information about your situation and the hospital through the life simulator, and then there's a final cutscene). I only reached a couple of the endings, so I wouldn't know; but it'd be cool.

I also wish you could skip the typewriter animation (e.g. by pressing any key), because you go over the same initial passages over and over again and don't want to wait for them to load. I feel like I'd have to draw a decision tree to earn all endings, but it's probably fine, since things like checkpoints and going back would ruin the concept that you're controlling a new person, a new life after every ending.

So in summary, it's a text adventure in a really nice package, but it's intriguing and there's a lot of variety.

jamesanimations responds:

Thanks so much for the review! You guys have incredible ideas, i'll make sure to implement all of these. A secret ending where something happens in the actual hospital would be sick. Hopefully I can get this done by the end of the day before the game goes public!

[Eggs]

It's quite good. I like the variety with instant death eggs and bonus point eggs.
But the egg spawning needs a little more work because sometimes it's literally impossible to grab all falling eggs (two or three eggs at the same height, eggs at the opposite sides of the screen). When you lose, it's usually not because you messed up, but because you were unlucky with the egg placement.
You could either fix the spawning algorithm (maximal distance between neighbouring eggs), or you could alter the environment (smaller area, looping screen border…) or use mouse for movement (instant bowl placement anywhere on the screen, but it also makes the game a lot easier), or add a way to restore health every once in a while.

Filippo550 responds:

I added mouse control and the option to choose between keyboard and mouse controls. If you want you can check it out

[SUPER XP CHALLENGE 2!]

First of all, I like the player character and his animations. And the movement is flawless.

As for the rest… the thing is, the gameplay is extremely repetitive. There's no level design to be spoken of – it's technically just a long corridor, and the layout doesn't change between levels.

The combat, which is the only thing you do in the game, is very unremarkable. Just one kind of an enemy, one repetitive pattern. The best approach I've found is to come close, bait them with your first hit (which always damages you because the ghosts are a lot faster than you), then stand as close to them as you can without being hit constantly and time your hits right. And drink a healing potion once in a while. Repeat ad nauseam.
And when you level up, the ghosts level up too, so the game probably doesn't get any easier as you progress.

I think, all in all, it's more of a test of your patience than your combat skills.

[TicTacToe Noughts & Crosses HTML Edition v1]

Well, I understand if you're just testing OpenFL, but there's little need to publish it at this stage (when there's Preview available), let alone each version separately.

It doesn't really qualify as a game; it's just alternating "O / X" in 3×3 grid which you for some reason felt it needs to be in 1920×1080 resolution.
All user interface is blurry because of the size, the game doesn't tell you whose turn it currently is, it also doesn't tell you if there's a winner, you can continue even after winning/losing, and you have to restart the game manually. Also, there's no computer AI and not many people want to play TicTacToe as a two-player hot-seat game…

Good if you needed a test, very insufficient as a game.

[First Game]

For a first game, it's really good, although there are definitely some ways in which it could be improved. I'll just rattle them off quickly – but it's your game and your decision if the feedback has any merit and can make your game better.

Gameplay:
– It's pretty repetitive. I don't think it's very interesting to have to level up every archer again from scratch and by using a shared experience pool.
Then you're forced to make a decision between many average-levelled archers, or a single overpowered one and – as you said – the balancing isn't the strongest aspect of the game.
– Players probably shouldn't be in charge of advancing the waves by themselves. Leave some breathing space between the waves, but advance the waves automatically. Don't put the player in the position of "nothing dangerous happens, unless you voluntarily choose to" because a known phenomenon is that many players tend to choose the safe, anti-fun ways to stroll through a game without risk – which isn't very enjoyable in the end.
– The Restart button right in front of the castle is pure evil. If you need to shoot the enemies close to your gates, you could accidentally misclick and restart the game. Why don't you hide the restart button until the castle gets destroyed?
– Why are the enemies always spawned in a single giant cluster? Wouldn't it be better if they came in small groups in some order (for example start with 1, then send a group of 3, etc.)
– Are there different types of enemies later on? Not just with larger health, but with different abilities (for example enemy archers, or giants).

Also, if you don't know the game already, I heartily recommend you to take a look and perhaps inspiration from Defend Your Castle: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/102209

Bugs:
– Enemies only harm the castle on the initial impact, then they just stand awkwardly until you shoot them. They should probably attack like every three seconds or so.
– You shoot arrows even when you click on buttons (which shouldn't happen).
– The arrow does crazy things as it passes through the ground.

Graphics & UI:
– It's a bit simplistic, but that's okay.
– The UI is somewhat chaotic and unaligned. The plus buttons don't have the same distance between them, there are different font sizes (and some are too small)
– Consider using icons for damage, speed and accuracy instead of text. Just a thought.
– If you can, avoid using the defaults because they are too recognisable and placeholder-ish. Default Unity buttons, default dropdown, default 2D scene blue background…
– Why doesn't the ground go all the way to the bottom of the screen? The castle and the thin ledge now look like it's floating.

Still, a good game, especially if it's your first one. Good luck if you decide to continue working on this one, or with your next one. And welcome to Newgrounds!

CBernal responds:

Thanks for reviewing my game!
I will be working in some new updates and fixes for this week. (hopefully i can finish this for the weekend)