Ashworth

Low visual contrast on configuration sliders deters initial adjustments to volume and mouse sensitivity 1.

"super hard to see the bar." 1

In the opening minutes, the player opened the Settings menu to calibrate preferences before beginning gameplay. The Volume and Sensitivity slider tracks were rendered as very faint horizontal lines against the dark background. The player hovered the cursor over the controls but refrained from clicking or dragging them, recalling that a previous adjustment had made the screen go completely dark 1. Consequently, the player left mouse sensitivity and audio unadjusted throughout the entire session. In the post-session questionnaire, the player indicated difficulties with controls and noted unresponsiveness in the menu interface.

Suggested change: Increase slider track contrast with a distinct filled bar and numeric percentage indicator, and provide an explicit brightness calibration screen.

Validation: Verify whether first-time players adjust volume, sensitivity, and brightness comfortably without hesitation or fear of corrupting display output.

Restricted torch illumination and uniform corridor geometry cause persistent disorientation and simulator sickness 2 3.

"And also it's too dark like way too dark to see like anything." 3

The hand-held torch illuminates only a small radius immediately ahead of the character, leaving surrounding corridor walls in deep darkness. Because dungeon corridors share identical stone masonry textures without distinctive architectural signposts, the player repeatedly lost spatial orientation 2. Early in exploration, frequent circular turning in narrow passageways induced physical dizziness, prompting the player to pause character movement to recover 2.

Later in the session, the player spent extended periods retracing steps through identical unlit hallways, colliding with walls and struggling to determine if a central fire pit had already been encountered 3. In the post-session questionnaire, the player strongly disagreed that the game was fun or that navigation was comfortable, explicitly citing dizziness and pervasive darkness as primary barriers.

Suggested change: Expand torch illumination radius slightly and place recognizable environmental landmarks, such as wall sconces, distinct moss patches, or varied stonework at key corridor junctions.

Validation: Measure whether players traverse between dungeon chambers without repeatedly retracing loops or reporting motion sickness.

Numbered puzzle clues cause players to mistake activation sequence for required rotation counts 4 5.

"was able to rotate once and blue three, I think." 4

Dungeon scrolls introduce clues formatted as color and number pairs, such as 'GREEN 1', 'YELLOW 2', and 'BLUE 3'. When the player interacted with the yellow valve post, the mechanism rotated once and became inactive 4. Because the clue read 'YELLOW 2', the player expected the valve to rotate twice and repeatedly clicked the stationary post, questioning whether the puzzle had bugged or stuck 4.

A similar misunderstanding occurred at the blue valve post, where a single turn likewise locked the handle 5. While the player eventually unlocked the adjacent chamber by turning all three valves, they remained doubtful about whether their solution had fulfilled the intended mechanic.

Suggested change: Format scroll clues as ordinal sequence steps (such as '1st: Green, 2nd: Yellow, 3rd: Blue') and add a distinctive latch sound and locked handle state when each valve engages.

Validation: Verify whether players turn valve posts in designated sequence without attempting repeated clicks on locked wheels.

Uncommunicative interaction failure prompts at the central pedestal stall progression and induce aimless searching 6.

"Can't interact this lantern with right now." 6

Upon entering the statue chamber after solving the valve puzzle, the player approached the central pedestal basin to advance. Pressing the interact key triggered the prompt: 'You can't interact this lantern with right now' 6. The notification verified that the pedestal was interactive but omitted what item or condition was required, such as bringing an ember from the fire pit.

Receiving no actionable feedback, the player clicked repeatedly, crouched to search statue plinths for hidden buttons, and eventually left the chamber to wander back into dark corridors 6. In the post-session questionnaire, the player strongly disagreed that game objectives were ever clear, reflecting the complete lack of directional guidance at this milestone.

Suggested change: Replace the generic error prompt with a clear prerequisite message (such as 'Requires fire from the central pit to light') and correct the phrasing syntax.

Validation: Observe whether players upon interacting with the pedestal immediately seek the missing fire source rather than inspecting unrelated room props.

The absence of in-game checkpoint indicators leads players to believe progress is unsaved and causes anxiety about quitting 7.

"I don't think there is like a save feature in the in the game yet." 7

Throughout the play session, the HUD displays no icons or notifications when checkpoints are registered. Toward the end of the run, the player concluded that no saving functionality existed, voicing concern that quitting would erase puzzle completion and exploration 7.

Only upon selecting Main Menu from the pause screen did an exit modal notify the player that progress resumes from the last checkpoint 7. Checking the Load Game menu confirmed that Chapter 1 had been recorded, demonstrating that while save architecture functioned correctly, the lack of real-time confirmation undermined player confidence.

Suggested change: Display a brief 'Checkpoint Saved' text notification or icon in a screen corner whenever a milestone or chapter boundary is recorded.

Validation: Assess whether players acknowledge progress saves during gameplay without expressing concern about lost progress.

Addressing corridor visibility and interaction feedback constitutes the most critical path for improving early playability 3 6. While underlying puzzle logic and chapter progression function reliably, players experience significant friction due to uncommunicative states and disorientation. Evidence is currently limited to a single 30-minute playtest session, but the reported nausea and navigation blocks warrant targeted prototyping.