This definitely has potential but, and maybe this is just me, I have absolutely no idea what to do. I opened one code lock, found a key, opened a drawer with a note about watering plants in it (as one puts in a locked drawer) and now I have no idea what to do. I don't seem to be able to interact with the water cooler or pick anything up. There's a million notes and books scattered around but no clear way to know what to do with them. I've tried about 15 different numbers that I've found in the room but none of them seem to do anything.
Also, full screen mode seems very necessary if you're going to insist on using the scroll wheel to turn pages. I had to keep pressing ESC and click outside of the game window to view the book pages, as the scroll wheel... scrolls.
I picked up the first available object in the game (a cup) and I wasn't able to make it the "active" item from the inventory screen. I thought maybe it was something about that object -- there are a few other disposable cups in the game, and maybe all you intended for me to do with them is drop them. However, when I finally found a cabinet key (presumably important), the game wouldn't let me use that item either. Maybe that is your intention, but if this is intended to be an escape-the-room game and not some kind of artful experiment, you might want to make sure that players can use a key on a lock.
Also, this is not a deal-breaker for me, but you are expecting players of an essentially casual game genre to learn a LOT of function-specific key bindings here. Classic escape games are point-and-click, and that ease-of-use is part of the appeal. Obviously, you are putting a 3D, FPS (first-person solver?) gloss on it, which is great! Absolutely, do that! But I would like this game a lot more if my mouse buttons assumed the functionality you currently have variously assigned to the keys E, V, F, and Q. Everyone knows WASD, and based on the design, I can see how you would want a function key to open and close the inventory. But asking players to also remember that viewing something requires a different button than picking something up, which requires a different button than using an item--it all seems needlessly complicated, and it kind of sucks to play when it could be so much simpler. I quit the game after exploring a bit, solving one puzzle, and finding one unusable key, but even in those few minutes I found myself pulling up the "help" screen multiple times just to remember which button you want me to use for what. I mean, when I look at the key in my inventory, there is a tooltip that tells me which button will drop the item, but not which button will let me use the item, which seems like an oversight.
Anyway, I hope I don't sound like too much of a jerk... I really do appreciate what you're trying to do here, and I will still be excited to play this game when it becomes functional for me.
PS: I'll attach a screenshot of this, but on the left side of the room, in the filing cabinets between the two bookshelves, it's possible to read the document in the top-right drawer (the "CODE = ABCDD" note) even though the drawer is still locked. Seems like a glitch.
Sorry to add on to an already too-long comment, but if I may humbly suggest:
The most recently acquired inventory item should be "active" automatically.
The primary mouse button should either view, pick up or activate whatever interactable element is under the reticle. Right mouse button could maybe cycle through inventory items, or deactivate an item if that function is needed (although it shouldn't be).
If an item is active, primary mouse button should also serve to use that item (like a key) on whatever interactable element is under the reticle (lock).
On combination lock puzzles, you might want to give some basic player instructions, like "type in the answer and hit enter," because currently it is not very clear how you want players to input codes. (Also, I can only seem to input digits from the number row, and not the numpad. Can't imagine why that is.)
I am grateful for your comments and your "review" ;) Thank you for going in that much detail! It really helps me improving the game in the future.
I am aware of those problems you point out about usability (too much buttons, etc..) I know there are some things that can be improved.
Answering your doubts in the game:
- The cups mean nothing to the game, they don't have a pratical use (was just the first pickup "test" object that I let there for no reason at all)
- If you found a key, it means you can use it in one of the lockers just by trying to open one (click on the locker). I can see why you are confused, because in the game there are two ways of interaction (use the equiped item or click on the interactive object) I had only one friend that played the game before I published it here and she could manage to exit the room (but she also pointed out that the controls are a bit confusing :) )
- That interaction with a document inside the cabinet is really a glitch. Thank you for noticing!
Most of the time spent developing this game was not focused on the gameplay itself, it was more focused on the development of the engine/framework behind. This is a proof of concept to bring a more immersive escame game style for the browser instead of those simple point and click 2D games.
I will take in account your suggestions that seem pretty right! In the future the gameplay will be improved and I'm also planning in adding more rooms.
Very cool. Thanks again. As I said, I look forward to further updates! I think it's a shame that this kind of game went out of fashion, even before Flash got the axe. Sometimes I just want to feel like a smartypants and solve inventory puzzles without having to click through a bunch of exhausting "story" or run away from zombies or whatever! And now that I understand the controls a little better, I will definitely take another run at this when I have time.
Let me know if you're ever looking for a volunteer to help playtest!
Hello SkyCharger! Check if your computer has a recent graphics card (dedicated or embedded) and be sure to run this game in a recent version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Also ensure the most recent version of WebGL is supported and is active).
Hello SkyCharger! Thank you for the comment :) That is an intended warning of the Framework, it does not affect the game at all, because no FBX models are used in this game
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This definitely has potential but, and maybe this is just me, I have absolutely no idea what to do. I opened one code lock, found a key, opened a drawer with a note about watering plants in it (as one puts in a locked drawer) and now I have no idea what to do. I don't seem to be able to interact with the water cooler or pick anything up. There's a million notes and books scattered around but no clear way to know what to do with them. I've tried about 15 different numbers that I've found in the room but none of them seem to do anything.
Also, full screen mode seems very necessary if you're going to insist on using the scroll wheel to turn pages. I had to keep pressing ESC and click outside of the game window to view the book pages, as the scroll wheel... scrolls.
I'm looking forward to future updates to this game.
I picked up the first available object in the game (a cup) and I wasn't able to make it the "active" item from the inventory screen. I thought maybe it was something about that object -- there are a few other disposable cups in the game, and maybe all you intended for me to do with them is drop them. However, when I finally found a cabinet key (presumably important), the game wouldn't let me use that item either. Maybe that is your intention, but if this is intended to be an escape-the-room game and not some kind of artful experiment, you might want to make sure that players can use a key on a lock.
Also, this is not a deal-breaker for me, but you are expecting players of an essentially casual game genre to learn a LOT of function-specific key bindings here. Classic escape games are point-and-click, and that ease-of-use is part of the appeal. Obviously, you are putting a 3D, FPS (first-person solver?) gloss on it, which is great! Absolutely, do that! But I would like this game a lot more if my mouse buttons assumed the functionality you currently have variously assigned to the keys E, V, F, and Q. Everyone knows WASD, and based on the design, I can see how you would want a function key to open and close the inventory. But asking players to also remember that viewing something requires a different button than picking something up, which requires a different button than using an item--it all seems needlessly complicated, and it kind of sucks to play when it could be so much simpler. I quit the game after exploring a bit, solving one puzzle, and finding one unusable key, but even in those few minutes I found myself pulling up the "help" screen multiple times just to remember which button you want me to use for what. I mean, when I look at the key in my inventory, there is a tooltip that tells me which button will drop the item, but not which button will let me use the item, which seems like an oversight.
Anyway, I hope I don't sound like too much of a jerk... I really do appreciate what you're trying to do here, and I will still be excited to play this game when it becomes functional for me.
PS: I'll attach a screenshot of this, but on the left side of the room, in the filing cabinets between the two bookshelves, it's possible to read the document in the top-right drawer (the "CODE = ABCDD" note) even though the drawer is still locked. Seems like a glitch.
Sorry to add on to an already too-long comment, but if I may humbly suggest:
Hello murcheson!
I am grateful for your comments and your "review" ;) Thank you for going in that much detail! It really helps me improving the game in the future.
I am aware of those problems you point out about usability (too much buttons, etc..) I know there are some things that can be improved.
Answering your doubts in the game:
- The cups mean nothing to the game, they don't have a pratical use (was just the first pickup "test" object that I let there for no reason at all)
- If you found a key, it means you can use it in one of the lockers just by trying to open one (click on the locker). I can see why you are confused, because in the game there are two ways of interaction (use the equiped item or click on the interactive object) I had only one friend that played the game before I published it here and she could manage to exit the room (but she also pointed out that the controls are a bit confusing :) )
- That interaction with a document inside the cabinet is really a glitch. Thank you for noticing!
Most of the time spent developing this game was not focused on the gameplay itself, it was more focused on the development of the engine/framework behind. This is a proof of concept to bring a more immersive escame game style for the browser instead of those simple point and click 2D games.
I will take in account your suggestions that seem pretty right! In the future the gameplay will be improved and I'm also planning in adding more rooms.
Thank you very much!
Cheers :)
Very cool. Thanks again. As I said, I look forward to further updates! I think it's a shame that this kind of game went out of fashion, even before Flash got the axe. Sometimes I just want to feel like a smartypants and solve inventory puzzles without having to click through a bunch of exhausting "story" or run away from zombies or whatever! And now that I understand the controls a little better, I will definitely take another run at this when I have time.
Let me know if you're ever looking for a volunteer to help playtest!
Yes, sure! Thank you!
just tried on work pc: can only see shuttered windows, some ceiling-lights and a trophy of some kind.
Hello SkyCharger! Check if your computer has a recent graphics card (dedicated or embedded) and be sure to run this game in a recent version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Also ensure the most recent version of WebGL is supported and is active).
WebConsole report:
[WARNING] Cannot instantiate loader 'THREE.FBXLoader': The current three.js version doesn't support 'THREE.FBXLoader'
Hello SkyCharger! Thank you for the comment :) That is an intended warning of the Framework, it does not affect the game at all, because no FBX models are used in this game