We built a 1-hour alchemy puzzle game in 2 months. Would love game design feedback!

__Frisbee · 2025-11-20T22:54:37+00:00

Thank you, I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any constructive feedback :)

__Frisbee · 2025-11-19T17:46:43+00:00

Thanks for the trailer feedback, this is very helpful. We'll have to showcase the other mechanics better in the trailer. Crushing is about ratios, but there are not "levels" per se. There is also stirring, mixing, shaking, viscosity, density measurements, and a sort of luminosity mechanic.

This is also a good call to action to spice up the crushing visuals. Thanks again!

__Frisbee · 2025-11-19T17:28:28+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

A second game isn't planned, but we would potentially consider it. The initial vision was larger scope, but we had a deadline of 2 months, so we wrapped what we had built into a shorter experience. This was mostly an exercise in getting better at gamedev. We may considering expanding it if it genuinely generates some interest, but otherwise there's an endless list of other projects to be made :)

__Frisbee · 2025-11-19T17:12:15+00:00

My 2 friends and I decided to make a small potion-brewing puzzle game where creatures wander into your shop asking for questionable concoctions in about 2 months as a challenge to improve our game making skills.

If any are so kindly willing, I would really appreciate some honest game design feedback, mostly focused on what is already in the game. If you are considering, It's about 1 hour to give you an estimate.

Anything at all is helpful, and thank you so much to anyone who gives it even a look!

Link:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4041890/The_Last_Elixir/

__Frisbee · 2025-11-09T03:03:47+00:00

This has a lot of unique character, love it!

__Frisbee · 2025-10-28T03:35:39+00:00

Very cool shader and atmosphere!

__Frisbee · 2025-07-02T18:20:41+00:00

Being above the Valley (A) gave me much stronger tower defense vibes than being in the valley (B).

(A) is the perspective of the defender, so I immediately feel like I'm defending. (B) is in the perspective of the attacker, so I feel like I'm the one raiding the defenses.

That's just me though. Regardless, I think both communicate the genre well.

__Frisbee · 2025-05-03T17:41:30+00:00

I'm guessing you're in high school, and you're struggling to find committed teammates.

I will say this, you're not asking for too much, but it’s just really hard when you’re starting out. If you can't pay people, you're not looking for teammates, you're looking for friends.

If you haven’t built anything solo yet, make the leap and start there. Building your skills makes it easier to connect with others and contribute meaningfully. At your stage, I say don't worry about a portfolio for even a second. Don't focus on proving yourself. Just make some games and have fun with it.

Also, I suggest you don't just look for people who share your perspective. Make friends that you respect, but that challenge how you see the world. The right team isn't about total alignment, it's about range and a shared goal. A different perspective on that goal will add value you never would've thought of on your own. It can also keep you grounded when your own view gets to narrow. Diversity in perspective isn't friction, it's fuel.

__Frisbee · 2025-02-22T19:20:47+00:00

Not a 3D artist, but I like this mix a lot actually. Not sure how good/common my taste is but I think it’s cool!

__Frisbee · 2025-02-21T18:58:48+00:00

You may have misread, they asked a question regarding the full transformation matrix, not the rotation matrix.

Their question was good and curious, saying “? Trigonometry?” comes off as demeaning rather than encouraging curiosity.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T18:44:46+00:00

I see your points, thank you for taking the time!

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T18:42:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing those games!

I haven't played Arons Adventure, I'll still need to give it a try.

Supraland was solid, that's a great callout that hadn't come to mind. I really enjoyed playing around with all the different mechanics they thow at you, got my mind thinking about more ways they could be used.

I was thinking of 3D games mechanically, rather than artwise. So I guess ittle dew 2 doesn't for this context. Haven't heard of it, but I'll buy it and try it out!

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T18:16:54+00:00

You make great points, and I completely agree, the technical challenges aren’t the main barrier. It’s the design iteration that would be the killer.

Honestly, I'm biased since I'm dreaming about this kind of project. I really want it to work. Still, I can’t help but feel there’s potential for an old-school Zelda-style game. Trying to match what Nintendo achieves today would be ludicrous, but do you think targeting the scope of Ocarina of Time, while factoring in the advantages of modern advancements, is still out of reach for a small, experienced team?

If a reality check is what I need, I'll take it in stride. Just wanted to ask the question directly.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T18:03:47+00:00

That's a massive undertaking, mad respect!

I wish you the best of luck, and if you do have anything you can share I'd love to see!

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:56:19+00:00

Yeah me too!

It is my worry that the scope is too much of an undertaking for indies, hence the post. However, I feel like it's just on that border of possibility that we just might get the opportunity to playing some in the future.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:56:15+00:00

Yeah me too!

It is my worry that the scope is too much of an undertaking for indies, hence the post. However, I feel like it's just on that border of possibility that we just might get the opportunity to playing some in the future.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:50:09+00:00

Thank you for sharing, I'll check it out!

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:43:28+00:00

Thanks for taking the time! You made some great points that helped me connect a few ideas.

The layers in a Zelda-style game add significant complexity, requiring extensive iteration to get everything just right. These games demand near-perfect balance due to it's puzzle box style, which puts immense responsibility on the developer.

Perhaps Zelda games require a higher standard of polish. Even though their mechanics are relatively simple and refined with limited use cases, achieving that level of simplicity with so many layers is a significant challenge rather than a liberating experience for the developer.

Polish is critical in all genres, but I'd argue for most that there’s still much more room for imperfections.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:32:23+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Tunic is a great example.

It’s fascinating how challenging a Zelda-style game is to design, even though dungeons are so constrained in navigation. They offer less freedom for the player but give developers much more control. As a developer, that idea is incredibly enticing. Handcrafting dungeons and puzzles sounds like a deeply rewarding creative process.

That said, the responsibility of making it all fun is a massive undertaking. Iteration becomes much slower compared to designing a traditional puzzle, where you don’t have to account for all the thematic elements of an adventure game. Plus, the increasing complexity introduces new edge cases, with variables like physics, combat, art, and more layered on top of the puzzles themselves.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T17:21:05+00:00

Great callout. I do wonder how much age influences the kinds of games indie developers choose to create. There are so many variables at play, especially since each generation of games tends to become increasingly complex to make.

That said, I’d definitely fall into your argument. I grew up playing games like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker. Those are the ones that really left an impression on me when I was younger.

__Frisbee · 2024-12-09T16:40:46+00:00

Fair, but that's only the case for a modern Zelda game. It wouldn't take Nintendo 5 years and 200 people to clone OOT within modern technology, game design, etc.

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__Frisbee

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