Chase – Reviewing Levelhead levels

“To Vanish Quietly” by Notutorial

klmpmnf | “To Vanish Quietly” by Notutorial @zw705q | Chase, Intense, Precarious

I like the general theme of the level, where you have to use Ripcord to get from platform to platform. I found it to be a challenging and engaging set up, trying to stay on screen was quite the task. I also enjoyed the variety in enemies and traps. One of the really good parts is that the level ramps up in difficulty as you go. I like the use of backrop and the fact that the level was asymmetrical instead of being a bunch of straight lines.

I would recommend a few small changes to make the level more approachable and enjoyable for less skilled players like myself. First, I would get rid of the time requirement to make it to the end it quickly. It took me 35 second to make it to the end, and the door to the finish was shut, which felt frustrating. I tried to look for an alternate way to the end, but fell to my death.

I would also add three checkpoints to the level for slower players like myself. I enjoy grinding hard levels, but without checkpoints I kept repeating the first 3 platforms over and over. Checkpoints can be a nice way to allow players to retain progress. Overall, an interesting level!

Big Vacrat Theft, Episode 1 by TalkGibberish

h5lw5fm | “Big Vacrat Theft, Episode 1” by TalkGibberish | Beginner-Friendly, Chase, Explore

This is a fantastic, well-built level. It makes good use of the new tilesets and creates the feel of a lived little town. Why exactly we have invaded it and are killing all the local vacrats is a little unclear. It has checkpoints throughout and make re-use of the space multiple times.

My favorite part is the fact that it tells a narrative. I enjoyed the little sound effects when you find a hidden gem or the large vacrat steals his.

This level unabashedly earns the Popdonk Recommends badge!

Spike Trap Frolic by ExtremelyTired

vn5z5zt | “Spike Trap Frolic” by ExtremelyTired | Chase, Complex, Intense

Really brilliant idea for implementing a chase level without paths or an autoscroller by requiring the player to sprint to make certain jumps. I really appreciated the jems to help with the jump timing, those were a huge help. I like the variety of the terrain and challenges and the mild puzzling. The hidden prize blocks were funny without being too trolly, which is a hard line to follow. The timing with the burny whirlers makes the player feel accomplished, which is great as well.

Three small changes would have earned this level the Popdonk Recommends badge. First, some use of backdrop to signal how much thought you clearly put into this level and to improve the aesthetic a smidge. Second, checkpoints, checkpoints, checkpoints. A few strategic checkpoints would have opened up this level to a wider variety of skill levels.

Lastly, I love the little jem area you have at the start. More opportunities for more jems or bigger jems would allow for players to get a top score without beating the speedrun time. This would also open up the level to a wider variety of players.

That all being said, for a first level, this is amazingly well done. I look forward to whatever you make next.

Wumble, The Hideous Champion by GooGroker

2pjqs7m | “Wumble, The Hideous Champion” by GooGroker | Chase, Panic Moments, Intense

This level is utterly amazing and you should go play it now. Googroker has made a chase level with some sort of hideous monster built out of hazards are on paths. The monster, the sound effects, everything, it is great. It truly creates the feeling of being chased. This level wholeheartedly earns the Popdonk Recommends badge.

Over The Blopfush… by Shaunri

hft9k1v | “Over The Blopfush…” by Shaunri | Beginner-Friendly, Chase, Explore

This is a fun level with different sections and a good use of checkpoints. The creator made use of backdrop to make it look appealing, and some jems to guide the player. The jems near the goal was a nice hint. I found the moving platform section to be a fun challenge.

Overall, I think it’s a good use of the limited elements provided in the daily build. I love how each section unlocks part of the final exit. My one recommended change is the blopfish challenge to the right. At first, the chase portion is really really difficult until you realize you can just jump on the blopfish’s head. There was also a lost opportunity to maybe have a hidden area or some jems for people willing to go out of their way for a high score.

Overall a good level and really interesting daily build.

Hike Up The Hill by Sjosz

0pl6sd3 | “Hike Up The Hill” by Sjosz @rswljz | Chase, Well-Paced, Simple

It is a delight to see a auto-scroller designed for casual players. Too often they are SUPER HARD, and it’s nice to see something that takes you gently by. The uses of checkpoints and pauses in the scrolling was brilliant. Really great way to make it more approachable.

Good use of layout and decoration overall to make it attractive. Some of the spikes uses as decoration in the very beginning could scare off some casual players, but it isn’t a big deal. I found this pretty easy to beat but not a total cakewalk. I didn’t die a single time when I tried it.

Overall, I love this take on making a scroller for casual players.

Popjaw, Help! by Cammymoop

z4n2f75 | “Popjaw, Help!” by Cammymoop @cgm03g | Zipper, Chase, Simple

This is a really inventive level. I always love it when a creator takes one of the bad guys in the game and forces your to corral them. It usually presents an interesting challenge. It takes even more effort to integrate the Zipper powerup, since it’s so easy to cheese a level with that. The level is definitely challenging and forces you to think. I’m stuck right now right before the first checkpoint, but I absolutely can recommend this level.