[2020] In-depth feedback

Game Design Feedback

Races: Races are generally very basic, but fast paced and mostly fun. They get solved fast though and should probably get a lot more random elements than they currently have. - Dizzy Heights: This is a great map in my opinion. It's not that hard, but you can optimize a lot once you get better and has random elements. - Hit Parade: This one has the 'solved' issue for me. Everyone runs the same way, everyone dodges obstacles by going to the sides. It gets boring fast. Dodging at the sides could be solved by re-arranging the obstacles. - See Saw: I like the concept, but the spread of finish times is just too high. It should be combined with survival elements like Slime Climb to narrow that range. Or just say 'Reach the finish line before the timer runs out!' - Door Dash: I personally don't like it much as it's one of the games where you can just die to traffic, but I think it's good for the game. However, remove the tells for which doors are real or fake. Embrace the randomness. - Gate Crash: Also a solved map. Give random frequencies to the doors or so, that makes things a lot more interesting. - Tip Toe: You can get pushed off and stuff, but I think this is a good game. It has strategic elements to it and some luck, which is a good mix. Maybe you should narrow the range of players for it though. 20 is probably too many, 15 could be more appropriate. - The Whirlygig: This is one of my favorite races because short cuts are hard and you need timing. It's also fast paced, so while you learn it, it's also over fast. - Slime Climb: This map started out great, but people learned to play it safe. Build it from random elements every time so we get some diversity. - Fruit Chute: I like the idea, but it has the 'dodge to the side' issue and feels very slow.

Survival: These modes generally have the problem that they start way too slow. For the first 30s, nothing happens at all. They are also generally really easy when you play them safe. - Jump Club: Let it start faster. Nothing happens for 30s and even afterwards it's pretty easy. - Roll Out: Playing it safe makes this game boring. Let the rolls move faster at the start, build in some traps where you can't change platforms last second. Remove the long starting stretches that people just walk on for ages. - Block Party: This is a pure traffic game and for that, too few people are in it. Playing it with 20 or less people just doesn't make any sense. Also add even more diversity to the obstacles, people learn the patterns very fast. Don't choose this game with less than 20 players. - Perfect Match: This is far and away the worst game of them all. Nothing happens and nobody gets eliminated. Even if you don't remember anything, you can mostly follow the masses and be right. It's mostly a waste of time. I'd recommend removing it completely and not look back. - Tail Tag: I think the idea is neat and it probably worked perfectly at 0ms ping with playtesters in the office. While I think this is the best among the Tail Tag games, I'd just distance myself from these game modes with the desync we're dealing with (and that you can't do much about from what I think you're doing current).

Team: I think team games are generally more fun with less players. I love 4v4 Fall Ball, I hate 10v10 Fall Ball. Less players means more impact and players generally like impact. Also games that create 2v1 situations are mostly feel bads, you're not trying to do your best, you're trying to hurt someone else. - Egg Scramble: It's a cool idea, but has the 2v1 issue. Make it a 2-team game and we can try again. Also desync and grabbing eggs is sometimes very awkward. - Rock'N'Roll: I like this one, although I'd remove edges the balls can be pushed into. It's too hard to get the ball out of them. Keep the ball moving at all times. - Fall Ball: I like this game at 6v6 downwards. You get some space and way more impact. It's pretty random at higher player numbers. Also kickoff goals probably shouldn't exist, at least not with this consistency. People suggested more random spawning positions along the middle line and I like that idea. - Team Tail Tag: Low player impact, desync issue, long, uneventful, overall rather unappealing. The only upside is that it's so dynamic that focussing a single team is near impossible, so it doesn't have a 3v1 issue. - Jinxed: I hate this game as it's basically always a coin flip. It might be fun with significantly less players, e.g. 5v5. I'd still be fine to keep it as it is because it at least eliminates a lot of people (in contrast to games like Perfect Match). - Hoopsey Daisy: This is a 3-team game done right. You're not stealing from others, you're just doing your best and sometimes that's not enough. - Hoarders: 2v1 issue. Again, this might be fine as a 2-team game.

Finals: There are too few finals. - Fall Mountain: This map is mostly solved and thus a good starting position is incredibly important these days. Also the map is generally more fun with less people, I'd set the limit to 10 instead of 15 and add some (a lot) more ball trajectories. - Hex-A-Gone: This is far and away the best final because it also plays out differently every time. I think players impacting the map itself is huge unexplored design space for this kind of game. - Royal Fumble: Desync is a huge issue. The concept is cool, but it generally ends in a grabbing party at the end because you can't escape. Maybe push people away when you get the tail? I don't know. As it is, I like it with 4 players, but not with more. - Jump Showdown: The game is cool, but it starts way too slow. Skip the first 30s and it's good.

General Feedback: - Downtime: Time in between games is too long. First you watch other players finishing the last game, then you see who got eliminated last round, then you get a slide show of possible maps, then you get a single map slide, then you get the bird cam view of the map and then finally the countdown starts. You should reduce downtime significantly. - Costumes: - Costume issues have been known forever and they don't get fixed. The pineapple isn't properly colored in team games and both ape and banana have similar issues. - Some skins show gaps that should easily be fixed (e.g. wearing the ninja top alone). - To keep the game running, why not introduce cash only skins? - I also highly prefer costumes that show some skin as you can customize pattern and color. There are too many full body suits for my taste. - Maps: You need a higher map diversity. Either by randomly generating maps, a level creator or constant content updates. This might get better once there are more maps, but currently gameplay is rather repetitive and the new season is very far away. - Big Obvious: There's obviously still another huge issue on PC, but if you write that out, your post gets removed. - Competitiveness: When designing, keep in mind that people will get competitive in Battle Royal no matter how fun it looks. Things like 2v1 team games are just not fun once they get somewhat competitive.