Hello everyone! It’s time to announce a new(ish) game of mine… it’s Alex and Isabel’s adventures in the bikiniverse!
Notes:
- Options button isn’t connected to anything
- Bonus points if you find the hidden cat and screenshot it
- FEEDBACK PLEASE!
10 Likes
I’ve been playing around with defold now for around 5 or 6 years I believe, and although I’ve finished one strange game and one other project, I’ve never finished a traditional video game. (Not defold related, but I also learned enough python do this )
However, I’ve always had a little thorn in my side about Bikiniverse, the fantastic idea I had around 10 years ago. It’s a puzzle game which involves moving two characters at the same time towards an objective. I made an initial demo, which I wasn’t too happy with, before giving up and moving on.
2 Likes
The demo above is a product of two weeks coding, and around 10 years learning. I’m pleased with how quick and easy it is for me to string together something functional and I think it is the right time to bring the project to a conclusion.
Road map:
- create 10 worlds (15 levels per world)
- new mechanics (specifically, keys and locks, switches, lasers, crumbling tiles, half-stars, timer mode)
- add a narrative element (the red ball is stuck in the bikiniverse and needs stars to get home!)
- more flair and fireworks
- more hidden elements like the cat in the demo.
- correct the issues with colour inc text readability.
My idea is to use the experience and knowledge I have amassed over the last ten years to create something:
- quickly
- which is also good enough to sell
2 Likes
And my other objective is
- to have someone else do some of the publishing/more technical side of things to get in onto app stores, platforms, etc.
@Alex_8BitSkull mentioned the possibility of working with refold. Has anybody here worked with them and can give me a little insight into how it goes? @benjames171?
Or is there anybody else who would be interested in working together to get something on to mobile, steam, and switch?
I love this game! I’m a fan of the Sokuban genre, so this is right up my street. Infuriating, in a good way. The playful art style is great. I want more of this!
The name “Bikiniverse” doesn’t quite match the game, and I think that’s a good thing. I’d like to see this on mobile, and possibly under a different name? 
Maybe Poki could be an option to quickly get an audience?
1 Like
It’s a terrible name, right?! I’m open to suggestions for renaming it. Naming things is always hard…
I learnt a new word today! I also love this type of game (chip’s challenge was a big one for me). However, aside from a new mechanic, I also wanted to make some changes to the difficulty level by including a very, very easy tutorial at the beginning.
The tutorial actually confused me a bit! I initially assumed you needed to get both characters to touch the star. Maybe the first level/levels could be even simpler; no obstacles, just the board, characters and the star?
It’s a simple game, but for there is quite a bit to learn:
- Both characters move at the same time
- The characters move one tile at a time
- The characters can fall off the board (this is bad)
- If either of the characters reaches the star the level is completed
- The tree obstacles help the characters not fall off the board, and allow them to complete the level
It may be an idea to have a few levels to let the players get to grips with the controls and rules. Then slowly throw them into the deep end.
Oh dear. You are not the first person to say this. I worked so hard to make the tutorial clear! All you have to do is follow the arrows! Just out of interest: did you read what the red guy tells you?
Personally I rushed through the tutorial, ignoring the advice and figuring stuff on my own. I’m pretty sure I’ve played a game with this mechanic before, so it was easy to grasp.
The game is definitely very different from what I thought it would be based on the name. I kinda like the contrast, though it might affect marketability.
I didn’t want to include any elements you have to press a button to “skip” as I wanted something suitable for experienced players and those who need to learn. That’s also why resetting the level after you die is so quick. I know people will die a lot.
There are many other places on the internet where you can buy bikinis 
I completed the game.
I don’t play a lot of puzzle games, so I struggled a lot, but I really liked the simple and sophisticated mechanics. The characters are also very cute and I like them.
I too was a little confused by the tutorial. I fell once, then read guy’s text in the lower left corner and finally understood the rules. I had my wife play it and she ignored guy’s text first too. In other words, maybe not many people take the time to read the tutorial text from the beginning
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Thank you so much! That’s great, especially for someone who doesn’t play puzzle games. B
Normally tutorials should be safe spaces that allow you to explore without the fear of death. In my case, however, restarting the level after death is so quick (and there are no negative consequences for death) that perhaps it’s okay if you need to fall off in order to learn to stay on.
Key question: without reading the text, was she able to understand the game’s mechanics anyway?
No. She had no idea what she was supposed to do at first(I should add, she is a casual gamer).
She had a little trouble understanding the mechanics regarding the tree objects, but her time to clear was faster than mine.
I found the tutorial easy to understand and was underway playing the game quickly - and I’m not much of a gamer these days.
There’s always going to be a compromise when it comes to accessibility and difficulty curves. One person will say it’s too hard but the next says they’ve finished the game in half an hour. If you’re aiming at a casual audience, it can never be too easy at first. In short - you can’t please everybody.
As far as working with a publisher goes, it can be helpful with certain things. Refold did localisation, porting to console, everthing needed to get the game approved, store listings and likely more. Definitely a big help in my case - just bare in mind you’re giving up a chunk of your profits in return for the help.
3 Likes
I’m really grateful you both played. And I am especially happy that she was able to quickly overcome her initial confusion. That’s the key thing.
This sounds perfect to me… might get in touch unless there’s anybody else with recommendations.
Honestly, I’m afraid not! I have to admit that during the first few seconds of any game I just want to play, so if there is something like a tutorial or anything else in the way I try to skip to the actual game and try to figure it out. I know some people like hand holding, but I’m just way too impatient and just want to get stuck in!
I 100% agree with you. Features I included to support the impatient:
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Arrows are available for those who don’t want to read the text.
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Play is not blocked whilst the tutorial takes place. You are free to ignore the text.
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Dying & resetting is very fast and you are not penalised.
This, however, is the situation I want to avoid. Many, many players believe that characters have to reach the star together, which is not the case (even if that’s what happens in the first two levels). This causes confusion on the third level.
I will change the second level so that only one character reaches the star, so that people are able to intuit the rules easily.
1 Like
It’s been nearly a week since I released that first demo of the new version and here’s the feedback that i got:
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People generally understand the game despite the tutorial, rather than because of it. I am going to change the first and second part of the tutorial to make it more intuitive and even simpler than the super-mega-easy version I have right now.
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The difficulty level of the puzzles themselves seems to be about right, with (non-genius) people completing the game in about 30 minutes. Many people complained about level 12, but those who did completed the whole thing, rather than giving up.
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Unexpected feedback from one person: the gentle rocking motion of the puzzles made one person nauseous. I will make this possible to turn off in options. I quite like the gentle rocking motion. The visuals are very, very simple, so having a little motion is a good thing.
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I am thinking about what I really want from this game, if I think it is a money-making opportunity, if I just want to make something beautiful, etc.