Reviews for Grayscale

[M8studios]

Good game

Good game, good idea, nice graphics, however:
I hate that after completing each level, it gives you a screen telling you to add the game to your site, after which it gives you yet another screen letting you choose the level you want to play. Obviously I want to play the NEXT LEVEL! Why ask? This game has to be played with the keyboard, so reaching for the damn mouse to dismiss this screen is very annoying each time. I expect the game to automatically go to the next level after I complete a level. If I want to replay a level again, then I could go to the menu and do it from there...

[drizzy15]

not a bad idea!

really unquie concept! graphics were simple and nice but the music got kind of repeative after a while..
gameplay on the other hand was fun, difficultly was good, somewhat addicting to a point.
overall: 7/10 great job!

[Sarlak]

Too Easy

Good game and I enjoyed the music and graphics were fine but when I finished the game it kinda just seemed a waste of time.

The main problem was that the game didn't challenge my mental capabilities.

With more complex puzzles and maybe things other than gears would make this game much more entertaining.

[wizzums]

Good idea that would benefit from small changes

Manipulating gears to force a path is a good idea. A few things about this game bothered me though. No instructions on which keys to use had me passing the first level by just clicking the mouse, and thinking that's all I had to do. Second level didn't work like that. With nothing to tell me to use specific keys, I just went for the arrows. Ok, they work, but why make the player guess? Just stick it on the menu.

But then at the end of every level, I have to use the mouse again to click continue, AND then to select the next level. This seems to interrupt the flow of game play and seems redundant. Keys or mouse please.

Some levels weren't really puzzles. Level 5 is like this. Just keep going around the square and it eventually solves itself. I get that beginning levels should be easy, but there is nothing else to do but go around in "circles".

The key controls were a bit awkward as well. If I wanted to go right, then up, I'd often zoom past the corner, then have to wait for the marker to creep back and slip around the corner. It might be useful to just have the marker stop at any junction and let the player choose which direction to go.

That said, the monotone color was fine. Matched the implied thoughtfulness of the game, but even with the one color, it might have been neat to see darker or lighter levels as well. The graphics were sometimes a bit pixelated. The music was well composed, but additional soothing soundtracks or a song with a longer track so you hear the repeat less, would be a good touch.

The last point I'd add is merely a professional look. On the level screen, you've used four different fonts. A bit of restraint and more organization of your information/options could add a more polished look.

Overall, the idea is nice. It just needs some refining :)

[Tage7]

Nice Concept, Only Decent Delivery

I liked the game for its concept. The atmosphere was well thought out. I felt it missed the mark on a several aspects however. I'll list them out for you in hopes that it'll give you good ideas for the future.

1) Challenge: Level 15 was the only one that made me think toward a solution. All the other ones were pretty easy to just trial and error the level. (Pick a path, if you get stuck, restart, pick the next path, etc.) I would have enjoyed more challenge. I understand this is quite possibly the hardest thing to fix since puzzles are hard to create from scratch. I suggest using beta testers in the future to help test how challenging the game is (like your family or friends).
2) Reward: There was no satisfaction given by you to the player for completing the game. After level 20, it takes you back to the level select. Is that it? Is the game bugged? It's questions like these that you're invoking in the players.
3) Motivation: Even though you allow players to replay levels, you give them absolutely no reason to do so. A simple addition to the game would have been a clock added to each stage that saved the player's best time. You could have added a lot more value to the game giving the users set times to beat at the cost of a couple hours of implementation. You also could have added a Counter counting how many gears the player turned.
4) Interface Instructions: After spending so much time on the Interface controls, you completely wasted it by not letting players know all of the available controls to the game. For instance, I've read some reviews talk about how they were only able to use the keyboard. I didn't even KNOW you could use the keyboard. You, in fact, can use the mouse if you click the Stage first. I would have enjoyed the game more had I known about the keyboard controls because the mouse controls got frustrating. You also failed to mention that if you press "P" on the keyboard, it pauses the game. That would have been good information.
5) Gameplay Length: There were not enough levels compared to how difficult each one was. In a puzzle game, I really expected more levels. That was actually the first thing that caught my attention before I started level 1. I thought, "20? Is that it?"

All-in-all, I think the concept is good enough for a sequel. If you fix these issues, I think it would be really successful. Keep the creative thoughts flowing. Good luck in the future.