Questions for playtesters

[sharon-ku]

1. Do the boat controls (using side arrow keys, or A and D to move) feel natural?
2. Do the boat's speed and weight make sense?
3. Did the rock placement make sense? Were they easy to dodge?
4. How does the environment make you feel? Space-wise and aesthetic-wise?
5. What did you feel about the music?
6. Does anything feel unusual/uncomfortable in the environment?
7. What kind of objects/creatures would you like to see floating on or swimming underneath the river?
8. Right now, the sides of the river are bare. What kind of places would you like the boat to travel to?
9. Can you imagine this game being transformed into a narrative game? If yes, what kind of narratives?
10. Any general suggestions?

Thank you for playtesting ❤️ you da best

[CassandraRousseau]

1. Do the boat controls (using side arrow keys or A and D to move) feel natural? At first, I was wondering if the controls were working correctly. It took a while before the boat started moving.

2. Do the boat's speed and weight make sense? I think the boat could have been a bit faster. Sometimes the ship was navigating super slow, and I felt the game was kind of long sometimes.

3. Did the rock placement make sense? Were they easy to dodge? Yes, their positions make sense! Their positions were good enough to dodge them and have a specific challenge to avoid them.

4. How does the environment make you feel? Space-wise and aesthetic-wise? The environment felt super peaceful. It was gratifying to have smooth gameplay and enjoy the experience without stressful interactions (i.e.,except avoiding rocks).

5. What did you feel about the music? On my hand, I was not able to hear music.

6. Does anything feel unusual/uncomfortable in the environment? No, I felt comfortable in that environment. I do not think you need to change something in the environment.

7. What kind of objects/creatures would you like to see floating on or swimming underneath the river? I would like to see frogs, ducks, branches, logs, leaves, water lilies, boats.

8. Right now, the sides of the river are bare. What kind of places would you like the boat to travel to? I want a boat to travel to the countryside, a city, a garden, and a forest!

9. Can you imagine this game being transformed into a narrative game? If yes, what kind of narratives? I do not see a proper narrative incorporated into that game. If you want a narrative, I would suggest making your narrative visually (e.g., changing weather to let the user know about the changes of the day).

10. Any general suggestions? I think you should vary in the obstacles. Instead of putting only rocks, you could add branches, ducks, leaves, etc.

[danielcacatian]

1. Do the boat controls (using side arrow keys, or A and D to move) feel natural? The controls feel really smooth. I love how the speed of turning with A/D goes up the longer you hold down the key rather than at a fixed speed. The turning feels natural. It is what you would expect in real life when you turn a boat.

2. Do the boat's speed and weight make sense? The boat physics is on point. From the weight of the boat as it takes time to turn and even takes longer when you want to go the opposite direction (really emphasizes how heavy a boat naturally is) and the speed as it gradually gets faster the longer you play. It all feels smooth and realistic.

3. Did the rock placement make sense? Were they easy to dodge? The rock placements were fair. There wasn't a moment where I had to turn a specific direction towards each rock at face. I always had the choice to go either left or right. If I hit a rock, it would've been my fault because it's a matter of planning my course ahead of time.

4. How does the environment make you feel? Space-wise and aesthetic-wise? The environment made me feel relaxed as if I was taking a boat down a scenic route. The space felt comfortable enough that I could move freely left and right. I didn't feel like I was in danger going down the path, so I was vibing past the rocks.

5. What did you feel about the music? The music was fitting. Like I said earlier, it made me feel comfortable and relaxed. However, I did find it to be loud at first. I had to turn down the volume myself.

6. Does anything feel unusual/uncomfortable in the environment? I didn't feel anything uncomfortable while playing. However, I did feel something unusual. During my playtest, I ended up hitting a rock on the side of my boat after I passed it. I thought I saved my boat by turning, but it still capsized me. I tested it again, and once you touch a rock, your boat gets capsized no matter what, even if it's just a bit.

7. What kind of objects/creatures would you like to see floating on or swimming underneath the river? I think it really depends on what you are going for, but since I enjoy the whole relaxing vibe, I think some fish swimming and jumping in and out of the water. If you want to go for something more morbid, maybe some trash if you want to be political about it. X)

8. Right now, the sides of the river are bare. What kind of places would you like the boat to travel to? I'd like to see a village where you can stop by and take a break from your trip. Perhaps you can stop by a lush forest with animals where you can find a companion that follows you on your boat adventure. Maybe a concept of visiting different locations and having a companion join you on your boat after each visit (village, forest, island, etc.).

9. Can you imagine this game being transformed into a narrative game? If yes, what kind of narratives? Yes, I can imagine this being a full-fledged narrative game. When I first started playing, the game didn't feel like an endless runner game. It felt like it was something more. I felt like a story was about to be told as soon as I was on the boat, just like the opening of the game "Before Your Eyes," so I'm sure it's possible.

10. Any general suggestions? The only suggestion is just the rock collision issue, where once you touch it, it is over. Other than that, there's nothing else that needs to be added!