Hiya,
It’s been 11 days since the last update, and we’re now very close to the deadline. At this point, I’d say we have a finished product—not in the sense that it’s done, but that what remains is polish, quality-of-life improvements, and making the experience intuitive.
That last part has been the biggest challenge.
It’s easy to understand how a game works when you’ve been developing it for days, but getting new players to understand it—especially when the core mechanic is unconventional—is a completely different problem.
I brought my laptop into the office this week and had a few people try the game. That’s when it really hit:
“This… isn’t very intuitive, is it?”
Playtesting & UX
This has become our main focus: making the observation mechanic feel clear, fair, and understandable without explanation.
Interestingly, the issue wasn’t really the observation itself. Players generally understood that being seen equals death. The confusion instead came from the very start of the game, before the camera mechanic had properly “clicked.”
The intended opening sequence is:
- Hide the camera
- Get out of the box
Once players perform those actions, the game starts to make sense. But until then, there’s a disconnect—players don’t yet understand what they should be doing or why.
To address this, we’ve:
- Added a “How to Play” screen on the title menu
- Adjusted the HUD to better guide the player during the opening moments
New Systems
Since the last update, we’ve implemented several major features.
Keycards, Progression & Spawnpoints
Keycards and card readers now tie into the door system, forming the primary progression of the level.
They also serve a second purpose: spawnpoints. When the player dies, they respawn close to the most recently activated card reader. This helps maintain flow and reduces frustration during repeated attempts.
Abilities (Quantum Mechanics Inspired)
We’ve introduced abilities based on quantum concepts:
Tunneling
Allows the player to phase through thin walls.
Entanglement
Links two bodies together. Both are controlled simultaneously, and if one dies, the other dies as well.
Superposition
Allows the player to exist in two states, switching between them. Each instance behaves independently—death in one does not affect the other.
Game Completion & Systems
- A full end state and accompanying victory screen have been implemented
- A HUD system is now in place—context-sensitive and adaptive depending on player actions and control method
- The map is complete and fully integrated into the game
Visuals & Audio
We’ve added a full set of assets, including:
- Scientists
- Guards
- Keycards
- Abilities
- Levers
I can’t claim to be a great artist, but they serve their purpose well.
We’ve also implemented audio:
- Title screen music
- Gameplay tracks
- Victory music
- Death sound
While I initially wanted to compose original music, time constraints meant we opted for royalty-free tracks instead.
Polish
Alongside all this, we’ve made a large number of smaller tweaks and bug fixes—too many to list individually, but all contributing to a smoother experience.
We’ve also added a small post-game feature, which I won’t spoil here.
Final Thoughts
The end is nigh, but we’re in a good place. If I had to submit the current build as-is, I wouldn’t be too disappointed in myself.
All the best,
Homeless Burgerman