Gameplay Thoughts & Ideas

[Fuego Fish]

Really liking the game thus far, it's got a really solid set of base mechanics and a whimsical aesthetic. I cannot believe I spent a large chunk of today scrubbing bedpans and attaching handles to pots. But I have been taking some notes on what feels good, what feels lacking, and what I personally feel could be added or improved upon to make the game better. All totally subjective personal opinions, of course.

I like the trio of tools that are currently available, but the rhythm of chip-clean-fix can get a little repetitive. It would be nice to have a bit more variety to keep things fresh. One possibility I thought might be interesting is a paintbrush to restore faded or scuffed trinkets. Once you've got all the dirt off, of course. I picture it as working similarly to the sponge, in fact, only more additive than subtractive.
Another thought I had was that perhaps some newly-obtained trinkets could already be comprised of multiple pieces, so the player can break them apart into their constituent pieces in order to upfix other trinkets. It would be interesting, I think, to find something and immediately light up as you realise it has exactly what you need to finish a customer's request!

Speaking of combining trinkets, I like the system but I am less fond of the way that certain objects have a specific association. Like there's a particular "pot handle" and "pot lid" for pots. It makes mix-and-match feel more awkward, at least in my mind. I would personally have preferred something like "robust lid" or "plain handle", and opening up the possibility of creating more unique trinkets through esoteric combinations. Like putting magnifying glass lenses into the eyeholes of a mask, and things of that nature. I would feel more like a weird little goblin tinkerer if I had more incentive to try oddball combinations, perhaps uncovering "recipes" through trial and error.

All that said, I do recognise that it's still early days for the game, and I did see a lot of promising stuff on the roadmap that was recently posted, so I will be a patient little goblin and bide my time. But I do hope that these ideas could somehow make it into the game in one form or another.

[MilkyFuzzlet]

Wonderful ideas. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us your feedback and thoughts!