The Luminous Trial

Hey BeardyDev looking good! I have a lot of thoughts on this, but want to spend a little more time organizing them and going through the game some more. I'll follow up more tomorrow. 

Hi BeardyDev , thanks for sharing your world. I’ve finished the adventure and it was truly engaging. I’m also building a world, and I hope you'll try it out as soon as I release a playable demo.

Some feedback:

• It would’ve been interesting to have some visual effects on the light beams.
• A small hint on how to move the mirrors would’ve helped (it took me a while to realize I just had to swipe).
• I also didn’t immediately notice that the floor was pressure-sensitive — though maybe that was intentional.

i would love to check it out! i am pretty stuck on a few things.

I was still unable to load the link to my phone (Meta issues probably) I  but did play on the web. 
Overall I felt like there was a little bit of a linear progression that could have been broken up with a little more storyline or surprises. I had trouble getting some lasers to line up cause they would turn off and swiping on the web isn't as great of an experience as on mobile. 

One of my overall criticisms of all Horizon worlds is that so many of them feel static. I think you could disrupt this some with some animated features in your world. I'd love to open a door and have a bunch of snakes or something surprise me. 
My blue gem was able to open a purple door, that was a little confusing for me. 
When interacting, the camera locked on a view that also confused me more than revealing answers. I almost wonder if a straight top down view would have been easier to understand. 
I liked the greeter at the start, it would be funny if you reset each time they would say something different. 
I like to laugh a lot.  Maybe adding more characters would be fun, just to have some interaction or feedback, they could say something like " Ah I didn't know you could open that purple door with a blue gem!" or something equally as funny when solving a puzzle. 

Overall, I would think about how the user would explore the world and what type of experience you want to give them. It's a little bit of a consumable world, meaning that once someone goes through it once, they probably won't go through again. I challenge you to explore adding some loop or mechanics that would encourage players to revisit. 
Keep building, have fun, laugh a lot! 
If you want to explore some of this feedback in more depth, feel free to reach out.

Drewls cheers for getting back, really appreciate it. Your feedback is super helpful. I hadn’t considered adding surprise moments or more movement to break up the progression, but it makes a lot of sense. Love the idea of something wild like snakes pouring out of a door, I'll see what I can do.

Good catch on the gem, that purple door issue was actually a colour mismatch. I'll get that sorted.

The camera lock was meant to help focus the interaction, but yeah if it’s confusing, maybe a top-down or free-rotate option would make it easier to follow. I’m glad you liked the greeter. I’ve got the NPC system wired up for variation, so having it say something different each reset is totally doable.

You're right about it being a one-and-done kind of experience at the moment. I’ve been tossing up ideas like a time trial to keep people coming back.

Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback!

Hey MattyAce!

I just finished playing the feedback clone this morning with my coffee. It plays remarkably well on both mobile and desktop so congratulations there! 

• I would say that it feels like an adventure game to me. Haven't had a puzzle experience like that since Breath of the Wild (I know, I know, I need to play the sequel).
• Personally, I like to figure things out solo. God of War ruined a few puzzles for me during my playthrough with Atreus blurting out aggressive hints after 30 or so seconds. That said, I am likely in the minority of players and we have to keep in mind all world demographics when building. If you were to expand this world (which I think you should post-competition) to include mechanics with multiple steps built on to existing mechanics required to complete them, then clues might be helpful. Nothing sucks more than getting stuck on a puzzle/world for hours and then rage quitting. 
• The only mechanic that wasn't as smooth on Mobile was the left side room laser-redirection-gate. I had to constantly go back and redirect the plate by a few pixels to get the beam just right. It wasn't frustrating nor did it hurt the fun, but it was literally the only note I had for the world other that, "Man... that was fun. I can't believe this was build in Horizon."
• The visuals are stunning! Great world layout with zero clutter. The castle also makes for great world building and the NPC was a pleasant surprise. The world perfectly directed me where I needed to go via the environmental storytelling and the use of doors (plus that AWESOME camera trick when they open) was a solid 10/10. My only callout would be for the purple diamond that opens the blue door.  Threw me off just a little bit, but I'm sure that is an easy fix. 
• Over all? Excellent work. Can't wait to see what else you cook up!

Unable to open on iPad Pro. I wish I could try it and give feedback.

Adventure/Storytelling:

• I'd love to see a deeper story element, like "Save the princess from the dragon" — something simple that pulls emotions and gives a stronger sense of adventure.

• Adding dynamic story moments, like dramatic lighting changes when completing puzzles, could make the experience even more cinematic (think crazy lights like you just won the lottery!).

• Some inspiration: The Wizard of Oz, Robin Hood, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and even laser ideas from Star Wars and Tron could tie into the vibe you're building.

Progression / Replayability:

• After finishing the game, maybe there could be a portal that brings you to a next level or map?

• Replayability idea: Randomize the location of a key each time the world resets.

• Adding a countdown timer and leaderboard would encourage speedrunning and replaying to improve times.

Social / Multiplayer Elements:

• It would be awesome to have cooperative mini-games — for example, needing 3-5 players to step on floor plates to open a bridge or power up a laser.

• Multiplayer villain idea: Let someone play as the dragon trying to mess up the lasers! Asymmetrical roles could make gameplay really dynamic.

• Other social ideas:

  • Add an inventory cart/shop to sell items.

  • Avatar rewards like light-themed wearables (flashlight, crystal keys, etc.).

  • Group scavenger hunts with randomized item placement.

Point System:

• A simple point system could be based on a countdown timer — the faster you solve puzzles, the higher your score.

• You could also collect "light energy" as a secondary objective.

Technical (Build Quality):

• 10/10 on technical execution — especially how focused the interactions are with the doors and lasers. (Seriously, I have no idea how you made those lasers, but they are insanely cool.)

Visuals / Sounds:

• Would love to see more realistic water visuals and maybe splash sounds when someone falls in.

• Laser beam colors could match the gem/door colors more closely to make objectives more intuitive.

• The castle design is gorgeous — the cracks and small details are stunning, and the view from the tower is beautiful.

• Music was really chill and fit the atmosphere nicely.

Experience Design:

• Overall very enjoyable and rewarding!

• Maybe a dotted guide line or a softer hint mechanic for the laser puzzles would help players understand the laser movement sooner.

• At first, I didn't realize I could move the mirrors with my mouse — a quick tutorial pop-up or "Welcome to Luminous Trial" sign near spawn explaining controls/objectives would be great.

Other Small Notes:

• I loved the "cage going down" animation (even if it disappeared later — it just looked cool).

• Maybe balance the left/right side bridge lengths a little more evenly.

• After winning, it would be fun to just hang out in the castle or unlock a chill zone as a reward.

Final Thoughts:
This is an extremely creative, satisfying, and well-built world. I would absolutely play different versions of this same concept with new maps and stories!
I really hope you win first place. 🌟

Edit: Sorry if this is too much. I just liked your game so much and I want you to win.