During this week, we made some major updates to our game. After we playtested at St. Joseph School last week, we learned that we had to fix multiple bugs in the game to prevent them from affecting the gameplay. So we made a list of improvements as well as bug fixes and started working on it. Some of the high level tasks from this list include:
- Adding subtraction in the game
- Adding voice overs for robots
- Balancing the sound throughout the game
- Fixing all the bugs from previous playtesting session
- Updated layout of profile
- Updated map using parallax
As subtraction is a major component in the game, which wasn’t implemented yet, we finalized a mechanic for it and started implementing it. We also finished all the voice over lines and recordings and implemented them in the game. The voice overs include voices for 13 different robots in the game, and all of them are based on the personality of each robot. The sound wasn’t balanced in the game and due to that, the player’s weren’t able to hear the robot voice overs along with some other special effects.
We updated the profile UI to make it look more user friendly. In the updated profile, the user will be able to add up to 15 users, unlike the 3 users in the previous version. Following is a screenshot of the different pages in profile.
The map was updated to fit the art style as well. The new map will be implemented with parallax to prevent it from looking flat.
We also changed the icons that appear on the map based on which state that level is in. Following are the icons for some of the robots. They range from locked, unlocked and not visited, unlocked and unfinished, unlocked and finished.
We also playtested at Elroy Elementary school on April 11th with a class of second graders. What we learned from this playtesting session was interesting, as all the students loved the game!
We asked the second graders to write one thing they liked about the game and one thing they wish to see in the game, and following are some of the responses we received:
- Liked in the game:
- I think it was hard to tap the robot
- I like that it was easy. I want it to go on forever
- I like all of it
- I like when the robots activate
- I like that there is a knight looking robot
- I like the background
- I like that you do math in it
- I like all the robots. It was fun
- I like fixing the robots
- Wish to see in the game:
- I wanted it to be harder
- It needs music
- Get points by finishing exercises
- I dislike when you scan the robot and have to wait
- I dislike scanner bug that makes you wait
- I think it needs more robots
- Add subtraction
We decided to continue making the updates we had discussed after playtesting at St. Joseph, and analyze how those updates will help with the gameplay. We are positive that the new updates will make the gameplay better!