First off, Black Street Market. Check out Brian’s review here.
Of course, everything I say here is my own opinion.
Some things I liked
- A funny concept that has a lot of promise.
- I liked the cute gifs that showed the characters you were talking to. Seeing them fidget added a dimension of immersion I wouldn’t have gotten without them.
- The choices were fun to think about; should I cross the bridge tonight, even though it’s overrun with cops? Is the creature who wants contraband from me actually a narc? I think what the author has here is a great start.
Some suggestions
More content to make each part of the game loop longer.
Rather than just deciding if this monster who has 1 random trait is suspicious or not, let me the player determine this based on speaking with them and finding clues. I believe this may help increase the tension of the selling scenes.
It might help to add a personal dimension.
Am I a beloved figure in the neighborhood for hooking other monsters up? Do my customers and I know each other? I think something like this can make the story feel more memorable than if I’m a faceless store owner doing the same thing every night.
Making unguarded and guarded paths more consistent.
I don’t understand why I should turn back from an unguarded path knowing that I’ll just be able to make it. Especially knowing that I can’t change paths if I come across the fuzz. This feels odd to me since I shouldn’t have to cease my activities for the night after spotting cops if I can just go to another route.
Wrap-up
I think this is a funny little game with a lot of charm. I hope you continue to finish it!