Fun and Challenging game, the graphics scream scratch, but don't be deceived!
Ok, lets the nitty gritty out of the way first. So here's the real issue with this game. The big drop in level 2/blue. Here's why. You as the game designer set up the levels to teach us the rules. By your own rules, we learn that the floating arrows can be trusted and need to be followed. However, the down arrow at the blue drop drops you straight into a black ladder wall at near terminal velocity speed, killing us, and forcing a restart. This black ladder wall is clearly meant to be part of a puzzle where you want us to dodge the middle and edge floating black ladders in free fall, but it is really the only component that doesn't work. We're falling too fast too close to the bottom of the screen to get a good bearing on what we have to do at this portion of the map. I've beat the game twice, the first time, I just clear jumped over this part, the 2nd time, I hugged the outside edge of the left-most wall and was just barely able to land on the bottom-most platform again avoiding this part of the map. The real issue is that you establish arrows as rules, and so us dropping blindly into the pit of doom because you put an arrow there and then dying to a black ladder we can barely see causes trust issues with the game rules, and makes the whole thing feel broken. To be honest, you don't need black ladders in the first 2 levels at all. Making us blind jump to floating platforms at terminal velocity is enough of a challenge for this level.
Notes on the game:
1) Need to add "R" to Restart
2) Need to add Level select/unlock so we don't have to replay the whole game to back to level 3 when we need to take a break.
3) Need to make clearer intentional fall zones vs the infinite void, because there are times when I can simply toss myself into space to find a platform and then the camera actually locks to me. I think this has a lot to do with your choice of using a the static single size background so there's not overall feel of movement. So work on your map boundaries so we aren't left free-falling with no death at places there is no bottom.
4) the other issue of the blue level fall is the walls aren't sticky like every other wall in the game. These need to be graphically different and introduced to us on that first platform of level 1!
5) The game does start a little slow but given how quickly the challenges ramp up, it's forgivable, but I think it's driving a lot of players away before they get to see the true cleverness in this game.
6) Need Timers - "Current time in level" "Fastest Time for level" "Combined Overall Fastest Time" I think that if you add timers, it directs players to be paying more attention to the game in general and can help gloss over the slow start of the game that is letting us test the mechanics.
7) I don't really see a noticable difference between low and super high quality graphics, even though you say it works. You can probably remove this altogether :p. It's not like it's a matter of 8k HD graphics or anything :)
*Extras things - Just a thought*
Minor things to think about going forward in game design and adding details to help boost how your game is received.
a) left and right sprites are just a little more pronounced
b) maybe getting into a roll causes dizzy eyes on the character for a moment
c) Change in face when we're going up vs falling to help us get our bearings during those long empty launches.
d) easter eggs for players to find
e) a bit more of a "safe" playground at the very start of level 1 with arrows in case people stray off path.
I'm expecting a green level soon. Although to be honest with you, If you make a lot of changes, you may be better off just re-uploading an expanded version of game. I think if you can hook players more into level 1 by adding just a bit more stuff to it, the rest of the game holds itself up in it's difficulty and creativity.