Playtest Type: Blind (First-time player with zero prior knowledge). This mimics the real launch experience to see if players get confused and abandon the game early.
Focus areas: Onboarding clarity, UI/UX, game loop, pacing, and economy.
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🎬 Trailer & Presentation
jumping in without expectations but surprised by immediate “weird but fun” feel (00:00:16)
⏱ First 5 Minutes Impression
finding the main window welcoming but questioning if UI will evolve visually over time (00:00:30)
understanding core loop (catch → inventory → sell) quickly without guidance (00:00:51)
noticing early UI friction with window sizing (00:01:10)
🧭 Onboarding, Goals & Feedback
not immediately understanding hatchery purpose, transfer, and states, but got quite quickly though (00:17:04)
not expecting fish growth mechanic → unclear communication of system (00:23:07)
feeling that if no tutorial exists, systems must be more self-explanatory (00:23:25)
missing clarity on what actions like sorting/locking actually do at first glance (00:17:35)
unclear upgrade pricing visibility early on (00:39:07)
🔥 Fun Factors & Peak Moments
early unexpected enjoyment despite simple/idle concept (00:00:16)
unlocking features and progression systems feeling like the main driver of fun (00:21:49)
discovering fish growth system created a small “aha” moment (00:23:07)
💡Ideas
Fun idea: how about allowing changing the desktop background to an image of the fish cought..
Was also thinking about some desktop wallpapers in general to apply + lakeside ambiente music playing? (purchasable? or to each area one)
adding fish images + educational descriptions to enhance discovery (00:05:33)
introducing bait system (buyable / using fish as bait / cross-location usage) (00:07:10)
showing selection count in UI to reduce ambiguity (00:10:09)
adding fishing zone descriptions / visuals + fish catalog collection system (00:11:18)
color coding important states (orders, priorities) for faster scanning (00:12:56)
allowing partial selling instead of “sell all” to support order management (00:14:43)
aligning gear UI with market-style comparison layout (00:15:38)
making fish location probabilities visible to support decision-making (00:16:28)
adding specialized hatcheries (e.g. oxygen-rich) for depth (00:19:09)
replacing “unlock” with “permit” for stronger thematic immersion (00:19:47)
adding travel cost for certain locations for light economy depth (00:20:42)
adding icons across UI for faster navigation recognition (00:41:13)
adding fish catalog completion (unknown entries, collection goal) (00:34:47)
allowing purchase/ownership of hatcheries for stronger progression feeling (00:36:04)
adding fish feeding / growth acceleration mechanics (00:41:52)
improving window management (snapping / tab system) (00:31:34)
🐞 Bugs / Crashes
inventory not updating immediately after catching fish (00:12:36)
tank capacity inconsistency (having more fish than limit suggests) (00:33:20)
🎯 Game Loop & Motivation
loop understood early: catch → manage → sell → upgrade (00:00:51)
strongest motivation coming from unlocking new features rather than moment-to-moment play (00:21:49)
lacking ownership feeling due to systems feeling “infinite” rather than earned (00:36:04)
desire to optimize (target fish, manage resources) emerging but not fully supported by UI (00:16:28)
😴 Boredom Threshold
Engagement comes from sometimes stopping by, selling fish doing some orders, checking hatchery. Maybe buying stuff. Hard to tell in playtest how long it takes to unlock all! Id add a collection in general (all fish / treasures)
👍What works well
simple loop is immediately understandable without tutorial (00:00:51)
UI feels approachable and not overwhelming at start (00:00:30)
progression through unlocking systems feels rewarding (00:21:49)
underlying systems (growth, hatchery, gear) hint at deeper potential (00:23:07)
⚠️Biggest friction points
unclear systems (hatchery, growth, transfer) causing early confusion (00:17:04)
lack of visual feedback (colors, icons, indicators) slowing decision-making (00:12:56)
UI inconsistencies (window sizing, layout differences, missing snapping) (00:01:10)
lack of control in selling/management (no partial decisions) (00:14:43)
weak sense of ownership in the hatcheries! (00:36:04)
#indiedev #gamedev #playtest #uxdesign #indiegames #feedback #gamedevelopment #uiux #gamefeedback #idlegame