Design Challenge 4 Reflection

For my last game challenge, I used Bitsy to create a simple digital game. The idea of the game is to get through the Christmas tree maze and to the angel at the top.

I had never used Bitsy before and while it was easy to use, it had some frustrating limitations. The biggest problem I had with it was the lack of color selection, as you could only use three colors, one for the background, one for the basic blocks, and one for any objects. I think the use of even one more color could have really helped me. I know it’s emulating retro-style games, but this was a bit too limiting.

Another frustrating thing about Bitsy was its lack of object type. For instance, the angel is made up of several object blocks so when you pick it up it goes in several pieces. Being able to make larger objects would be helpful.

The game itself is super simple and ideally, I would make more, and harder, levels. Everyone I tested it with was able to get through the maze, either through the intended route or through skirting around it. I got good feedback on the concept of an upward maze through a Christmas tree, which was good to hear. If I were to remake this game I would do it in a different engine so I could have more colors which would make it easier to distinguish objects. I think it would also be fun to add some 8-bit Christmas music as well.

Overall, I think Bitsy is a good tool, but it wasn’t well suited for the type of game I made. I think it excels at making text-based games with a lot of walking between areas instead of what I made. I think my idea is cute and would be suitable for a retro-style mobile game or something similar.