Looking for feedback on my game, Metrognome

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Raemon777

I've been working on this for the past few months. Next week I'm going to the Indie Game Festival, and hopefully I'll meet some cool people there and show it off to them. I'm looking for feedback, both for general improvements as well as specific things you think I should focus on in the next few days.


The game is a "Rhythm Platformer." You play a gnome, in the city of Metrognome, which is a giant ticking clock that counts down to some mysterious, unknown, cataclysmic event. The people of Metrognome are a musical folk. You are encouraged to keep all your actions (such as jumping, attacking and activating machines) in time with the music. You can try levels multiple times, and if you get good enough at them the sound effects of your actions will produce a song.

Right now the game has two levels, neither of which is finished per se, but which give you a pretty good sense of how it would play. I'm trying to figure out the best use of my time over the next few days. Should I be ironing out some bugs that cause problems 15% of the time? Should I work on artwork and presentation? Should I finish the second level (which is basically going to be more of the same mechanics) or start a third level that can show case a new mechanic?


You can download the latest Mac version here:

www.psycosmworlds.com/Demo_004_Intel.zip

There's a Windows version too, but right now I'm not sure how well it works (I'd appreciate it if people could try it just to let me know if the sound-syncing problems are universal)

www.psycosmworlds.com/Metrognome_Windows_002.zip
 
Espy

Espy

Whoa! I expected to not be able to run this since I'm on a mac... but now I'm all excited!
I'll be home in a while and will install it on both my Macs and see how it runs. You thinking of submitting to the App Store?
 
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Raemon777

There's a windows version up, but I'm pretty sure it's not working correctly. (The windows machine I tried it on had major sound-syncing issues, which is pretty game-wrecking). If anyone wanted to try it out and verify whether it works on their machine, I'd appreciate it, even if it's not a very exciting job.

psycosmworlds.com/Metrognome_Windows_002.zip

The Mac version has also been updated with nicer graphics:

psycosmworlds.com/Demo_002_Intel.zip
 
Espy

Espy

Alright, here we go:

1) Love the look. Needs some more polish but clearly you have a really nice style going on. It's very appealing to the eye and it makes me want to play the game.
2) The music is great. It's adds an extra level of atmosphere the game.
3) The jumping in time with the music is... hard. It's hard to focus on keeping your jumps in time when I'm used to not having to do that in most games (ie Braid). I'd rather see the "keeping in time" concept used in other creative ways rather than in a way that seems like it might slow the gameplay down. Like have more extra actions that require the keeping in time in the game (like the spinning gears and things like that) and maybe some weird level powers. Just my random thoughts though, could be it just needs more polish.
4) Can't wait to see the gnome animated.

Those are my immediate thoughts, but I really like where it's going. I'll try out any new levels you put out.
 
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Raemon777

There's a fundamental hurdle players have to get over to really play the game. You have to accept that you're not just playing a game, you're making music. Once you internalize the "keeping in beat" thing, it stops being this annoying thing that interrupts your "platforming experience", and starts being the experience that you actually come to the game for. You'll also realize that playing in rhythm makes the game go FASTER, because the levels are designed to incorporate it. (If you ever stop to time a jump, you're probably doing it wrong. If you find yourself out of sync with the rhythm, you can get yourself back into sync at the nearest gear and then jump right back into it).

I accept that this game is going to have a narrow target audience, but it's the game I want to make. Over the past year I've realized, not just because of this game, that people don't really want innovation as much as they think they do - we've built up a certain standard of "how games work," and that standard has become as normal to gamers as walking and breathing is. Games that completely ignore that standard (or worse, like this game, look like something familiar when in fact they're not) are very frustrating.

I recently played Amnesia, which has this awkward text in the beginning that says "look, if you try to play this game to win, like a gamer, you're going to be frustrated. Forget you're playing a game, and just immerse yourself in the atmosphere. If you see monsters, don't try to fight. Run. Hide." I didn't like how forced it sounded, but I can see how it was necessary. People used to "survival horror" are going to come in with certain expectations and be disappointed.

I'm working on an introduction that says something similar, but attempts to do so "in character." Start with a black screen with the ticking sound, and a voiceover that says something like:

Listen kid! You hear that sound?
The Centerclock, it runs this town.
This game ain't like the ones you know.
You gotta feel the rhythm flow.
So feel the beat, down to your bones.
Or you won't last, in Metrognome.
 
Espy

Espy

Ah! That makes more sense. I think when the countdown clock is added in it will make the timing thing click better (no pun intended). All in all it's a great idea, just make sure the implementation of it is fun (the way you describe it does sound fun FYI).
Personally I'm all for uniqueness in games like this and the challenge of having to step away from "learned" gaming skills is great, as long as the implantation adds to the gameplay and the story. If doesn't add to it it just ends up being an annoyance in an otherwise good game. Does that make sense?

It sounds like you have that figured out though, where the timing thing will be more of a part of the game and the story rather than an arbitrary gameplay mechanism so keep pumping it out and I'll keep playing :)
 
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