It took a little bit of extra time, but we're so pleased with how well A Little To The Left (A Little More. Keep Going. No, Too Far, Back a Bit!) has come together. Our experience with GMTKJam2020 was amazing, and it got us started on this little project, but what has been more exciting is that Annie and I are 100% jazzed about making games together, and hope to take this project, and many others, even further!

Version 1.0 Release Updates

Firstly, we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who played the GMTKJam2020 prototype, and provided their thoughtful feedback. It was so helpful for us, and our game is so much better because of you. We think you'll be happy with what we have done:

1) Player Feedback

The biggest issue with our jam version of the game was that it was trial and error to figure out where to place the items. Usually once you had one item in place, the rest were more apparent, but initially it was frustrating. We ended up revamping this so that items will "snap" into place when you're within the right spot. This way, it's not about trial and error, but instead it's about understanding the logic of the puzzle without having to guess at it. This takes some of the challenge out of the game, but we never wanted A Little To The Left to be difficult... we wanted it to be satisfying.

2) Sound

Much of our time since the jam has been spent on adding sound effects and music to the game. Firstly, we wanted items to feel tactile, so that picking up/dragging/dropping felt fun and natural. We also wanted for successful placements to feel good. For this, we have success sounds that increase with each placement and transitions that sound like an epiphany.

We also added music. It was amazing how much the music informed the mood of the game, and we love the mysteriousness of the tune we have chosen. It really pushes the sense of being unsettled and stuck at home, which is the core theme of the game. The music is dynamic and will increase in complexity as the levels progress. But since this is a puzzle game, you can take your time and the music will keep you company.

3) The Ending

Okay, so this ending was a real priority for us... Since V1.0 of the game is short, we think the ending is the perfect punctuation for the experience. It's a bit of a punchline and adds some to the general motivation of the actions you're taking, but it's unexpected and lighthearted. The game only takes about 5-10 minutes to play, so give it a try if you're curious ;)

4) The Future

As mentioned earlier, Annie and I are going to continue working together, and we have a ton of level ideas of A Little To The Left. We'd like to hear what you think of our game, because if there's interest, we'll definitely keep adding to it! But also, we have some other game ideas that we'd like to bring to reality, so expect more from us in the future!

I also have a game soon to release, Peanut Butter Toast, which has a very similar sentiment and style to A Little To The Left, to which Annie has contributed her sensibilities as well. If you like A Little To The Left, please be sure to follow us here on Itch so that you know when Peanut Butter Toast and our other projects are available to play!

Have fun and happy organizing!