Read the full feedback with timestamps at https://akton.one/pt/cult-of-blood-demo-by-dusty-box/ (optimized!) or below!
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, combat feel, and tone consistency.
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💭 Playtest afterthoughts
Id personally enjoy a darker color tone and more realistic blood spashes.
I think the colors could hold some players back.
Evading (especially in boss fight) looks amazing.
Work out weapon switching for john wick action? (could also use some throwables)
🎬 Trailer & Presentation
Strong, emotionally expressive title image and atmosphere creates intrigue (01:00)
Game concept (police + horror) not clearly communicated from Steam page or branding (06:52)
Trailer does not communicate tank controls or cinematic camera clearly enough (08:23)
Menu UI feels too playful and clashes with horror tone (03:22)
Visual identity (logo colors, UI elements) feels tonally inconsistent with dark theme (41:30)
⏱ First 5 Minutes Impression
Initial intrigue is high due to unique concept and atmosphere (02:36)
Confusion about setting and genre expectations early on (00:31)
Opening cutscene presentation feels stiff and reduces immersion (07:13)
Would continue playing due to combat curiosity and concept (21:28)
🧭 Onboarding, Goals & Feedback
Tutorial prompts disappear too quickly, causing missed information (20:03)
Core mechanics like evasion and attack switching not clearly learned (20:47)
Unclear input explanations (e.g. “E” function not understood) (21:40)
Weapon switching introduced but not reinforced clearly (26:53)
Menu interaction (closing, navigation) lacks clarity and expected inputs (53:26)
🔥 Fun Factors & Peak Moments
Combat system (axe + gun combination) feels satisfying and engaging (21:20)
Dodging + attacking flow creates cinematic combat moments (01:05:01)
Enemy encounters show strong potential for multi-target combat depth (01:12:09)
Environmental visuals and level design stand out strongly (10:48)
💡Ideas
There are lyp syncing addons for game dev studios, maybe id be worth it?
Increase environmental storytelling (notes, lore about characters like horned NPC) (01:06:21)
Add more ambient world activity (birds, movement) to reduce emptiness (01:03:22)
Consider darker visual tone or lighting adjustments to reinforce horror (01:02:03)
Allow faster or more fluid weapon switching for combat expression (01:09:32)
Consider limiting to primary/secondary weapon system for clarity (01:10:16)
Break long exposition into interactive segments (36:52)
Add police identity elements earlier (visuals, outfit, branding) (01:02:40)
🐞 Bugs / Crashes
Execution mechanic does not trigger reliably (47:59)
Weapon disappearing during mid-combat switching (01:09:03)
Animation stuttering observed (22:32)
Game does not pause when using items (i guess thats a feature) (58:46)
🎯 Game Loop & Motivation
Combat and weapon system create strong motivation to continue playing (21:29)
Exploration feels less engaging due to empty traversal sections (01:03:13)
Narrative hook is interesting but pacing reduces engagement (36:52)
Loot/use interaction (manual item use) feels satisfying (23:08)
😴 Boredom Threshold
Long dialogue/exposition segments risk disengagement (36:52)
Extended traversal with low interaction reduces pacing (01:03:13)
👍What works well
Strong and unique combat system (axe + ranged synergy) (21:20)
Beautiful environments and high-quality level design (10:48)
Interesting blend of genres and concepts (01:01:40)
Manual inventory usage adds immersion (23:08)
Voice acting fits retro style well (07:36)
⚠️Biggest friction points
Tone inconsistency between UI, visuals, and horror theme (03:22)
Weak onboarding and unclear tutorial delivery (20:03)
Camera angles occasionally hinder gameplay (of course thats a part of it, but i wonder if they can be even more optimized for combat) (44:52)
Combat readability issues due to missing/unclear inputs (21:40)
Pacing issues (long exposition + empty traversal) (36:52)
Trailer/marketing mismatch with actual gameplay experience (08:23)
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