We flew to San Francisco to attend GDC ✈️.
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to present our project at the ETC booth. This also meant we needed to prepare a playable demo before Thursday so we could make the most of this great opportunity.
To prepare for the showcase, we designed a mini demo that walks players through our game’s core experience. The demo introduces the story background, showcases the main gameplay flow, and features three different interaction types with varying levels of difficulty.
Once the demo plan was established, the team worked together to bring it to life. We implemented new gameplay features and created new art assets to support the experience.
On Thursday, many visitors stopped by our booth to learn about our project. During our 1 hour and 30 minute presentation session, six people playtested our game and provided very helpful feedback.
Progress Overview
- Implemented GDC playtest demo
I. Art Progress
Based on the art assets we have, we decided to let the playtester collected spirit drawings instead of the actual 3D model of those spirits. We also made our first version of the witch’s letter.
II. Tech Progress
We finshed implementing most of the gameplay functionalities. Below is the chess puzzle, where the player put the cheese on the plate, the mouse spirit will then appear. (The actual playtest contains physical props)
III. Playtest Feedback
Positive feedback
- The cheese puzzle is consistently the most liked interaction.
- Players found the plant puzzle intuitive and easy to understand.
- The physical props increased immersion, especially for MR.
- No dizziness reported by VR players.
Clarity & guidance issues
- Some players did not know what to do with the cheese at first.
- The witch’s letter is too long, hard to read, and unnatural.
- Players often focus on instructions rather than story.
- Some players expected more hints or clearer clues.
Visual / UX issues
- Low headset resolution makes physical objects (like the folder) hard to recognize.
- Some players were distracted by marker patterns and thought they were part of the puzzle.
- Interaction with the witch’s letter feels laggy.
Design suggestions
- Add clearer clues for the cheese puzzle (visual hints near the plate or hole).
- Color-code cans and magic circle to guide players.
- Provide feedback or hints when players make incorrect attempts.
Bugs
- Mouse sprite duplicates after being collected.
- Mouse delay after placing cheese can confuse players.
What’s Next
- The tech is going to implement the mouse and paper crane interactions.
- The art is going to finish art assets of the plant interaction and the witch’s letter.