i finally did it! very charming game. tho it slowly became progressively less charming the more frustrated i got, and the music and sound effects eventually became a bit annoying. i think it took me 8 hours or something. cant believe ive sat here for 8 whole hours playing this game.
i will admit, i slowly began to dislike this game the more i played it. however, now that ive beaten it i can think a bit clearer. and it's a charming game, really. i like the story, however simple it is. i like how the protagonist looks. the art style is nice, and the music... well um, it's got a unique style that's for sure. i mean, i like the music, but i think hearing it for 8 hours has done things to me.
in terms of the difficulty, honestly, to me personally it feels like you may have done the thing where the game feels reasonably challenging to you because you coded it and know how everything works, but to the average person it's different. but, i guess no other comments mention the difficulty, so maybe im an outlier here. maybe it was just the specific way i was playing. i mean, i never once even used the freezing mechanic. i kind of just forgot it existed most of the time. maybe that was it. now i wonder how much better id have played if i had used it.
even still, i feel like something's wrong with the difficulty, but im not sure what.it could just be the way the game is explained.
i really feel like some things should've been better explained. i found myself getting better as i went along, but i really feel like a lot of me getting better was just me figuring out how the game works. which i mean, is in fact how most games are played, but it feels like some sort of strategy or better explanation of mechanics was in need, more than what that question mark provided. like, some of the descriptions feel a little ambiguous. especially before understanding how stuff works. in the beginning i thought "summoned allies" meant all allies, since they were technically summoned by you, and was using the bard on regular old enemies thinking they were buffing them.
idk, maybe it was really just me. but ive never struggled this much with a game in a long time.
the game could also use some more mechanics. but im sure you're already working on that, this is only a small game after all, it'd be unreasonable to ask too much. but i still want to give some recommendations.
i like the synergies this game has. with how different allies and items play off of each other. i personally want to see more of that. my favourite is how giving the funny bone to a level 2 or 3 annoying skull will have it splitting like crazy. every time it and its summons die they summon a funny bone. and when paired with a high level bard it feels like it can get through almost anything. which i think might work differently for the other summons, but im not 100% sure on that.
i just like synergies, they feel good. and if enough things got added there might be some unintended synergies, too. i personally also like it when an otherwise weak item or something can become powerful under specific circumstances. and you get to feel real powerful from that. but that's just a personal taste.
also the mechanic of having to use up every coin before going to battle is a bit weird. it's not bad, it works. but it doesn't feel perfect. maybe i just feel like there should be more to it. im not sure how. maybe another item or building related to it. or some kind of savings.
idk, im just kind of throwing out random suggestions at this point. i guess i just wanted to give my personal opinion on things since i liked this game overall and im assuming you're still working on it since it says choosing deck and level will be coming soon.
as an overall review, it's a good game. and you're pretty talented for doing both the art and coding yourself. the gameplay is fun, but it does feel like you'd need to work on it quite a bit if this were to ever become a full game by any chance. i like the story, however simple. and the main character is relatable to say the least. you made a good game. i unfortunately spent most of my time with it frustrated, and it kept me up all night too. but that was on me. and it's nevertheless a good game. good job on this!