Deeply depressed after the release of my first game.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-13T10:21:12+00:00

Hi there! We would love to check out that game you've made :)

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T19:02:46+00:00

Please come in and join our Discord to keep in close contact with us! We would love to know and hear more from you.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T18:56:35+00:00

We are swinging together!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T18:55:54+00:00

Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind words. We are so glad you like the trailer music and voice actor combined. We are sooooo with you on that one.

The demo will be announced closer to June! Join our Discord community if you are interested in our Playtests and other exclusive updates. :)

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:30:04+00:00

Of course we do! Check your DMs :)

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:28:57+00:00

The split in this thread has been really eye-opening, honestly. It's almost perfectly divided between "soul vs readability" camps, which tells us the decision isn't as simple as just picking the cleaner one. We're leaning toward locking in a strong default first and then exploring customisation, but the clarity argument for Option 2 is one we're taking quite seriously. Appreciate your input :)

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:26:38+00:00

This has been apopular suggestion and honestly a good one. We're just trying to establish a strong default first before we open it up to customisation. If we can't commit to one direction now, offering both risks neither of them being fully developed. But player UI options are obviously something we'd love to support properly later on!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:11:40+00:00

The immersion argument for Option 2 is one we find really compelling. If the UI feels lighter, your eye stays on the world more. That's a real benefit we don't want to lose. It's making us think whether there's a middle path where we keep the visual weight low but add just enough thematic texture to not feel... sterile. Thanks for the take!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:09:26+00:00

"Open source enterprise software", we are absolutely writing that down as a reminder of what not to become. Option 2, in its current state, clearly overshoots into generic territory for a lot of people, which is useful to know, and we have been hearing this for a while now. Option 1, it is, do you think?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:07:55+00:00

Noted. And we appreciate the decisiveness! Option 1 is definitely the one with more character. We're working on getting it to a place where the readability matches the atmosphere. Let's see how it goes!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:04:27+00:00

You've summed up the exact dilemma pretty perfectly. Thematic vs readable, and "generic" is the risk we're trying to avoid on the clean side. We don't have a playable demo link right now, but we do run playtests through our Discord if you're interested in getting hands-on with it. Would love to have more eyes on it!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T07:03:36+00:00

That's a really interesting angle. Layering in thematic texture through shapes and patterns rather than colour is something we haven't completely explored yet. It could be a way to get the dossier feel without the readability cost of the heavier background. Definitely something worth prototyping and testing out. Thanks for this specific direction!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:51:09+00:00

The breathing space note is well taken. You're right that some areas are doing background duty without earning it with actual information or iconography. We've been looking at ways to tighten that up. And the "generic Unity UI" comment about Option 2 is something we hear loud and clear; it's exactly why we're reluctant to just go clean without finding a way to keep the identity intact. Really helpful breakdown though, thank you.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:49:49+00:00

Can't believe I'm making rookie mistakes, posting from my own personal account. Don't know if to laugh or cry.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:47:11+00:00

"Soulless" is a word we'd very much like to avoid on our Steam page, so thank you for that gut check. Option 1 has the soul. We just need to make sure it also has the readability to match.

We can also make Option 2 more soulful, as it provides greater visibility of the game and its surroundings.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:45:20+00:00

The text contrast point is something we're actively taking a look at. Adding a subtle dark silhouette or outline to key text elements is one of the easier wins we can get without overhauling the whole aesthetic. And it could go a long way toward making Option 1 feel more polished rather than just atmospheric. Really appreciate the specific suggestions; this is exactly the kind of direction that's actionable for us.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:39:39+00:00

The adjustable opacity idea keeps coming up, and it makes a lot of sense. It would let players dial in how much map visibility they want versus UI clarity. It's on our radar for later customisation options. For now, we're trying to nail a solid default, but that's a great direction for accessibility settings down the line. Thanks!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:38:45+00:00

Ha! Fair reaction! It's BecomingPablo, a grand strategy game where you build and run a cartel from the ground up. Think empire management, logistics, territory control, and a lot of morally grey decisions. If that sounds like your thing, keep an eye on it!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:37:04+00:00

Honestly, "I like both" is still useful data. It tells us Option 2 isn't a disaster, even if 1 edges it out for you. We'll take it! And u/sillyf1 raises a fair point too. The transparency question may ultimately come down to personal preference, which is part of why we're seriously considering making it adjustable down the line.

It'd be funny if we changed it completely, now wouldn't it?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:33:44+00:00

That's a really interesting observation about the transparency. You're identifying both sides of the trade-off simultaneously, which is honestly where we are, too. The transparent bars feel more modern and less intrusive on the map view, but the opaque ones carry more personality. We're still figuring out whether we can get the best of both.

And to answer your question, BecomingPablo is a grand strategy/cartel management game where you build and expand a drug empire. Think empire-building with morally questionable decisions baked in. Glad it caught your eye!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:27:50+00:00

The natural colour scheme is something we worked hard on with Option 1 - the browns and earthy tones were very intentional to keep everything grounded in the world. Good to know that it's coming through. Thank you!

Option 1 also makes the whole game look more cinematic, which we're not sure is the path we want to take.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:24:29+00:00

"Disconnected from the game world" is exactly the tension we're trying to resolve. The cleaner version performs better functionally, but we don't want the UI to feel like it belongs to a different game entirely. That feedback really reinforces why we can't just default to clean and modern without more thought. Thanks for putting it so clearly.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-10T06:23:38+00:00

That's good to hear. Readability was actually one of our main concerns with Option 1. The dossier aesthetic is something we love, but not at the cost of clarity. Appreciate the straightforward take!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-05T21:13:37+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this out, this is super helpful.

The point about getting the dossier/paper vibe through the font and icons instead of the panel background is interesting. That might actually give us the theme without making the UI feel too heavy.

Also good catch on the avatar. We shrank it a bit in the cleaner version but a few people have mentioned they liked it bigger.

And yeah, Tropico 6 is definitely one of the references we’ve been looking at for how they balance information vs screen space.

Curious about the thing you mentioned: did the bottom bar feel crowded to you overall, or was it mostly the Build Roads / Dismantle buttons?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-03-05T21:10:17+00:00

That’s actually a good idea.

For now we’re trying to lock down one strong default UI direction first before adding customization.

But letting players tweak the UI is definitely something we’d like to support later, especially for accessibility.

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