Hey, I need feedback for my 2D Precision Platformer

Hey!

I'm making a 2D precision platformer. Please try it and let me know what you think!

https://www.construct.net/en/free-online-games/homerun-demo-72809/play

Hey,

I would greatly appreciate your feedback on gameplay mechanics, level design, difficulty balance, visual/audio elements, and overall experience.

Overall the game feels pretty good. The physics are nice, graphics are cute and music fits.

Gameplay mechanics are nothing extraordinary, pretty standard stuff, but I like the bark mechanic. I think it should be used for more stuff other than the swapping platforms. Maybe you can bark at enemies to scare them etc. I'd also add a visual "shockwave" to indicate the distance the bark covers, imo it reads better than highlighting a platform when in range.

Speaking of the bark, if you bark while inside the swap platform the audio bugs for a second probably due to an overlap check. It only happens if the player manages to get stuck rather than get pushed out.

Level design seems fine, there's not too many levels yet so it's not that easy to judge. Do you plan on adding more verticality too, like a level where you climb a tower? The last level I assume is one of the harder levels because it's a decent jump in difficulty. Nothing too crazy though.

The one thing that really tripped me up is the controls. It seems you are team "space is for jump" but I am team "W/up is for jump". I think you should implement both (unless you have a good reason not to)

Thank you so much for playing the game and taking the time to leave such detailed feedback! I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed it overall.

The game is still in development, and I’m adding things whenever I get the chance. Right now, my main focus is making sure the mechanics feel good and that the overall game feel is moving in the right direction.

The bark mechanic is going to be the main focus of the game, and I’m planning to build the gameplay around its different possibilities. For now, it only works with the platforms, but as you mentioned, I definitely want to expand it. Things like barking at enemies, deflecting projectiles, and other interactions are ideas I already have in mind.

I completely agree about the readability of the bark. I actually have a shockwave-style effect in mind, but I haven’t managed to create it properly yet. The yellow outline was added as a temporary solution just to give some kind of visual feedback when a platform is in range.

Thanks for pointing out the audio bug when getting stuck inside the swap platform. I’ll look into it and fix it as soon as I get the chance.

For the levels, I’ve mostly been designing them based on what I need to test at the moment. Once everything feels more complete, I’m planning to release a demo with around 15 levels, and there will definitely be more vertical sections as well. I’m also considering adding things like double jump, but I’m not fully sure yet.

My goal isn’t really to make an extremely innovative platformer, but rather to make a fun and polished platformer that has its own identity through the bark mechanic. Since this is my first game, I’m trying not to overcomplicate things and overwhelm myself during development.

About the jump button — I just changed it to Space in the new update. It was "J" but people didn't like it. I'll give it a shot for "W" too. If I can manage it, I’d also like to make the controls fully customizable through the options menu.

Thanks again for all the feedback! It really helps a lot.

Edit: Stuck audio bug fixed!