[singing beautifully] Your levels reviewed real good!
0n286p1 | “Balloog Toward Victory” by Spekio | Precarious, Simple, Quick
Balloog toward victory is a fun little level that takes and idea and runs with it. I found it challenging, but not frustratingly so. The checkpoints are well spaced and the platforms give you just enough space to get a bit of a run. Jems are spread throughout to add some challenge. I thought the last section where the spikes are moving in the opposite direction was really neat. Overall a good level.
7zhb6dm | “That Slick Plunge” by Psyche | Beginner-Friendly, Quick, Traps
This is a great first level. It uses a nice variety of terrain, and neatly is broken into 3 sections based on checkpoints. In each section the vibe of the level changes, which I like. I also enjoy the fact that the difficulty gently escalates with each section.
I enjoyed the visible spikes early on signaling danger. I enjoyed trying to follow the yellow arrow, getting stuck by brittle rock and then coming back later with the package.
I have two small recommendations for improvement. First, a number of the areas are easy to skip for speedrunning. This is perfectly fine, but I would consider having some hidden areas, especially with larger jems, so that people exploring or going after the highest score can still beat people who get points from speedrunning.
The other recommendation would be to use some backdrop to help tie the level together. The layout is great and some backdrop would help reduce the feeling of so many free-floating objects.
Overall a fantastic first level!
lq2959l | “Throw Block & Sproing Puzzle” by Mrichston | Puzzling, Clever, Quick
This single screen puzzle level looks deceptively simple, but it will have you scratching your head for quite some time. I don’t know if I would have been able to solve it without a hint from the creator. Let’s just say you are going to have bust out of your preconceptions to beat this one. Great level and earns the Popdonk Recommends badge for cleverness.
55185wdw | “The Short Package Level.” by redstonepro23 | Simple, Quick, Casual
This is a nice short level. It’s got a good variety of terrain and obstacles. I particularly enjoyed the timing challenge with the blopfush and the burny whirler because it was hard to guess the exact time to jump. The music change for the second half is perfect, I really love it. Overall a well designed level with 3 recommended changes.
First, I would probably change the player cam to a package cam, to prevent people going to wrong way and then locking themselves out. It might have been by design, but when you lock yourself out a level so easily, it can leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. Ideally if you do lock out a player, they should know what they are doing and feel like it was their fault. A perfect example of this is The Steel Forest Factory by BmiClock.
Second, I would probably add a checkpoint right before the giant flapjack just to make things easier for newer players.
Lastly, there are a number of cloud blocks, but there are just a few jems at the top in a difficult to reach spot. If you are going to add a space like that, reward the player with Jems for exploring and make them feel smart in the process.
For a second level, this is really great, and I think with a tiny bit of refining, the creator could be making some amazing levels.
phfq0n3 | “Jem Bam 2” by GKar | Beginner-Friendly, Puzzling, Quick
This level is an interesting take on the pacman theme. I like the idea quit a bit and getting the lectroshields are a lot of fun. It definitely nails the whole vibe of playing pacman inside of levelhead.
I do have to wonder if it would have been better with 2×2 pathways instead of the 1×1, just because it’s so difficult to kill the bad guys when you can’t maneuver. Or at the very least maybe a checkpoint or two, so I would be more inclined to push through it. Overall, it’s nice to see people pushing the envelope like this in Levelhead.
ngxk444 | ” 2 Tower Gauntlet” by One Of Three Names | Beginner-Friendly, Quick, Well-Paced
I love the variety of obstacles and terrain types. I love the theme of weaving your way back and forth between two towers. I think this is a great, beautiful design. The only thing lacking is more checkpoints. It’s quite easy to die in this level and if there were more checkpoints, I’d be more motivated to push through it. This is especially important since you were aiming at beginner friendly. Great first level, I can’t wait to see what else you make.
znqcjjv | “Easy Tiptow Level” by catawampusAZ | Casual, Quick, Simple
I always appreciate when people make easy, casual level that have some of the more novel components like Tiptow. This gives novice players a way to explore some of the mechanics while they are still getting better at the game. One thing that was pointed out to me is that casual levels are great for kids to enjoy. This level is generous regarding checkpoints, which is important for casual levels.
I think a few small changes could take this from being a good level to a great level. First, some use of backdrop and asymmetry could add some pop to the design and signal how much time you put into it. Secondly, you have a ton of jems, but many of them are on the main path. When players have to go out of their way to get jems it feels like more of an accomplishment. Same thing for your hidden area. I accidentally fell into it, so I didn’t feel clever for finding it. A secondary benefit of all this would enhance the fact that players can go for a speed run or high score separately.
Lastly a little bit more variety, and maybe even a ramp up in difficulty would be great. As an intermediate player, having the same rooms over and over started to get a bit repetitive. even though this level was designed for casual players, it’s quite possible to cater to both audiences.
As a whole, I love that you’ve built something casual players can enjoy.
7n01t80 | “Triple Trap Trouble” by Sjosz | Traps, Quick, Choice
Sjosz has a brilliantly designed level here. He takes the raceway idea and says “But what if it was trying to kill you?”. I love that the user gets a chance to learn the terrain, and that every lap gets increasingly more dangerous. Good use of hidden areas, checkpoints and armor to make the level appealing to a wide variety of levels.
The jem gates were a nice touch. Great use of paths and backdrop for decoration. Overall a simple but challenging and fun level. This one earns the Popdonk Recommends badge!
v059090 | “Ditch Right Easily Steel” by Betfsgon125 | Beginner-Friendly, Quick
This is a nice beginner-friendly level. I appreciate that even with such a simple level, the creator used some backdrop to make it visually appealing. I felt that the flapjacks by the burny whirlers was smart, since I was able to jump on the flapjacks and avoid the whirlers. The level is generous in terms of checkpoints, which is critical for a beginner level.
I have two small recommendations for the future. First, in the future you could put some jems up top in the empty area you have. That would encourage players to explore and make them feel smart for using the giant flapjack to get there. Second, if you are going to make it so players can sneak past a bunch of bosses, consider putting the goal in visual range, so they know they don’t have far to go. Overall a great first level!
v4sd57b | “Tiny Flingo Race Way” by RetrophileTV | Raceway, Simple, Quick
Retro has taken the raceway design and asked “What if we make it….smaller?”. I love seeing inventive takes on a new genre. These sorts of things show that is has some staying power. I think the use of terrain types helps to emphasize the race track. I will admit I was largely button mashing when I played it, but apparently there is a 33% difference between button mashing and the best score. Cool level!
