Gotta love homemade sound effects.
An all-around pleasant experience. There is something about the game that just makes it a joy to play.
The premise of Super Responsible Parent is that a bunch of kids are stuck in a bounce house that is mysteriously inflating, and some guy (likely a parent judging by the title) decides to go in and help them.
Certainly an odd premise, but this is only compounded by everything else in the game.
The gameplay is nothing terribly original. The player bounces on top of the environment in order to progress, collecting items (or in this case, kids), and has a limited time to do so. What makes it unique however, is how that timer is set up. It is not some counter, it is the level itself gradually shrinking, and the player can, at set points, release the pressure and cause the level to go back to it's original state. A unique spin on old mechanics.
The dash is mildly annoying, though. It does not go quite far enough, leaving little room for error. This is usually not a problem considering the instant respawn, but the dash also does not FEEL like it goes far enough, leaving the player feeling slightly dissatisfied after using it. The jumps using it are fine as they are of course, but if the dash had been ever so slightly extended, and even the dangers with it, the dash would feel much more fluid.
The level design is not perfect, but it is pretty well done, feeling fluid yet not like it is holding the player's hand. There were a couple annoying dashes, but for the most part the levels worked well.
The sound design is something else. Every sound effect in the game is homemade, given by someone making noises with their mouth. If this was not enough, there is a fast-paced yet bouncy and even goofy soundtrack accompanying the player, similar to something heard at a carnival.
There is also unprofessional voice-acting. Not the kind that makes a person's ears bleed, but the kind that is at the perfect spot between subpar and good, humorous in it's quality.
All this gives the game a goofy, low-budget feel, to the point of being almost funny.
The graphics are simple and crude, as if drawn by someone with minimal experience, or someone with lots of experience doing a rushed job. However, this does not detract from the game. On the contrary, the crude art style adds greatly to the game, enhancing the feeling of low-budget quality and goofiness. On top of this, the art is pleasant to look at and easy on the eyes. Balancing low quality with pleasant graphics is a difficult balance to achieve, but this game did so with flying colors.
Super Responsible Parent is a game that does not take itself seriously. Everything about the game, from the soundtrack to even the premise itself is silly. The game knows this and exploits it well, staying consistent and creating a short yet humorous and enjoyable romp through a bounce house of kids and inflating corridors.
It does not hurt that the game looks like it was made by professionals intentionally creating a subpar game, which is always a treat.
This feels like a classic in the making, or at least a cult classic. Great job on this.