Coming back from the fall break, we had a time to calibrate ourselves back on the track.
Improving Clarity with an Intro Animation
One critical insight emerged during the weekly playtest: players needed clarification regarding inputting the product name and competing within the supermarket setting. Responding to this, we crafted an introductory animation with a narrative clarifying the game’s background. This addition aims to familiarize users by providing context and purpose for the game.
Enhancing User Interaction (UI Implementation)
Observing playtesters, we discovered their enthusiasm in discussing the AI-generated images post-session. Participants, especially those who did not win, were curious about viewing both the target items and the items they had generated. This often led to engaging discussions where they described and compared their images. In response, our team incorporated input prompts and displayed generated items in the ending scene. This update satisfies players’ desire to visualize their creations and fosters post-game communication.
The Evolution of Features: Interaction Over Slap Mechanism
One consideration occurred from merging two prototypes: the retention of the ‘slap’ feature from the initial prototype. While our team loves this mechanic, we recognized the opportunity to invest the interactions between players and NPCs with greater meaning within the game’s context. Later this week, we restructured the action from ‘slap’ to ‘interact/talk.’ In this setting, players begin within a supermarket to engage with as many NPCs as possible to gather hints (generated by ChatGPT) to identify a target item within a limited timeframe.
