Hitting the playtesting phase is always a big moment in development. It's where all the internal decisions finally meet real players. We recently reached that milestone with our game and the feedback we received exceeded our expectations. Not only did players enjoy the experience, but many took the time to share detailed insights that helped us refine both design and mechanics. In this devlog, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at some of the key changes we made based on their input.
What truly stood out to us was how invested players were in shaping the experience. Thanks to their thoughtful suggestions, we were able to make several meaningful improvements.
Here are a couple of the key adjustments we made:
🌀 The Twin Gates Dilemma
One level included two slow-moving gates, requiring each character to interact with an identical mechanic. While the concept made sense to us, players found it unclear or unnecessarily repetitive. To improve pacing and clarity, we removed one of the gates. This streamlined the experience but also made the level too easy. So, we rebalanced the challenge by adjusting obstacles and timing to maintain a satisfying level of difficulty.
🐞 Dragonfly Logic Rework
Originally, the dragonfly companion behaved differently depending on where the player dismounted. It would reset when dismounted anywhere except when left on a pressure plate an intentional but confusing quirk. Many players assumed it was a bug or oversight. To make things consistent and more intuitive, we updated the dragonfly behavior: now, no matter where the player dismounts, it disappears and resets to its original position.
Before:
After:
These updates were a direct result of the playtesters’ feedback, and we’re genuinely grateful for the time and insight they shared. It's been incredibly rewarding to shape the game alongside such a thoughtful community.
Till next time.
Regards,
Playdew Team