Project Girl Dark

gave it a shot, not too bad. interesting to say the least.  i'm gonna try to channel my inner wannabe josh-dry-face here, but i am not trained in theatre or showbusiness so kinda gotta take it with a grain of salt

would recommend touching up the character models' feet, got the treeman scene and her blocky feet put me out of it. the scene was good, mind you.

show, don't tell. there's many cases where you use text to explain what's clearly visible in the cutscenes, or simply don't animated something and leave a loop running while you explain something.
feels awkward as an audience, i guess? maybe replacing the animation loops with a still splash art could alleviate some of the awkward.

daytime cycle should definitely be adjustable, and as a baseline,  much longer than it currently is.
might want to consider pausing day/night cycle during early stage tutorials, which i hear the best practice is to make the tutorial last, long after you've made the rest of the game.

case in point, it allows you to make decisions like disabling or pausing certain aspects of the game loop in a sandboxed zone that won't effect the rest of the game. that can allow you to teach a player at the players' own pace.

i get the vibe this is gonna be an RPG, so gear progression, skill trees, talents, character builds to plan, etc. that alone will probably resolve my issues with tree-cutting and crop tending taking too long and feeling too micro-managey.

games like stardew and sun haven fix this by offering better tools that can either work faster, or charge up to affect more crops, but i like "my time at sandrock's" method where you can switch into build mode, or planting mode, and toggle grid sizes for gardening abilities.

judging this game as itself, not tying it to the optics, it seems promising. love the lo-fi art style, reminiscent of valheim's design ethos. the top-down camera style similar to favorites like diablo, path of exile, baldur's gate, or V Rising, feels very interesting as a design choice. all in all, feels like a good foundation, wouldn't mind to see this one grow. best of luck to you

Thank you for your comment. I will definitely consider how to address and correct the way the previous game project ended. Your suggestions are much appreciated.

Regarding your insights on the game's development, I will keep your feedback in mind moving forward. Thanks.

Thank you for reaching out, Esther.

Currently, Tessa's Fate is on an indefinite hiatus. Hiding the page from Itchio does not diminish the dedication and love I put into my work. Having been away for an extended period, I am still formulating the best approach to re-engage with you. Still pretty fresh in gaming industry, so I'll learn on the way how to do things better for you. Rebuilding confidence in my work is a journey I am committed to. I will be adjusting decisions as I progress with my work.

In the meantime, the latest build of Tessa's Fate is available on my Patreon. I invite you to visit there and explore the latest content I published for my previous project.

Your comments and interest mean a great deal to me. Thanks.

I am profoundly sorry for any disappointment caused. The pandemic affected me in unexpected ways, and I struggled to keep up with my work. I'm working on a new project now and I think you'll like it. It's something different and it embodies a fresh vision I am eager to share with you. Please feel no obligation to offer immediate support if you are not inclined to do so. Yet, it would be an honor to have you follow the project's progress, participate in its development, and share your insights. Your comments are immensely valuable to me. Thank you.