I wanted to gather feedback on the updated background graphics. It was essential for me to get the visuals correct in order to fulfil my design aims of creating a relaxing experience. To do this, I asked people in my class to play both versions, alternating between GitHub branches to access each version, and asked them what they thought. Below are the comments they made:
| OLD VERSION | NEW VERSION |
|---|---|
| Colours too simple | Water colour adds texture but its still subtle and calming |
| Shapes too simple | Muted and darker hues make it more mature than the old version |
| Too much going on when all assets are combined e.g. toys, path, mat - this makes it very noisy and not relaxing | Monochrome palette keeps it visually pleasing and easy to look at for longer periods of time |
| Lacks dimension | More nature elements like trees and grass is great for the calming feel |
Overall, the feedback I got was positive and people communicated that it represented a calm, relaxing environment much better than the initial version. I will use this style as the foundations for the new character designs.
More on the background process can be found here.
I also asked them about what they think about the rest of my game structure. The proposed gameplay loop included the idea of having the pets reach level 3 and then get sent off for adoption, where the player will then shortly receive a postcard that lets them know their pet is doing well. I got a lot of mixed reactions to this idea as many people thought the postcard element would be nice, but others thought it would feel lonely and like they are just giving the pet away. Since the pets represent negative emotions, it seems like the children would just be shunning their bad moods instead of just nurturing them. Because of this, I feel it would be best to remove this feature from the game and keep the pets there forever so the play can always nurture and care for them.
I also mentioned that there would be a shop in the game to allow players to buy toys and food for their pet. I needed to know which items my audience would like to see in the game, so I sent out a Google forms link asking for votes on what to include. The final answers were:
https://forms.gle/qsJ4ghSYt8CVNMby5
My next steps will be implementing new character designs and getting started on the shop scene. I need to draw the assets for the toys and food chosen, as well as create an environment.
Updates on the characters can be found here & updates on the shop can be found here.