User Experience Post Mortem From Anishka

One of the main things we focused on after playtesting was helping players understand what they could interact with. Early on, people were missing important objects—like drawers or clues—just because there weren’t clear indicators. We realized that even though we had the mechanics in place, players weren’t always sure what to do or where to look.

To improve this,  we slowed down the player’s movement to make exploration feel more deliberate and easier to control. These changes helped players engage more naturally with the environment without feeling rushed or confused.

Another unexpected issue was how hard it was for players to remember the suspects. Our original idea was to have the player rely on memory, like a real detective might. But it became clear that most players were forgetting the names shortly after they were introduced, which made the clues harder to connect. To fix this, we added a case file that the player could open at any time to review key info about the suspects and the crime scene. It struck a nice balance between providing support and keeping the mystery element intact.

Looking back, playtesting really helped us figure out what needed the most attention. A lot of our updates came directly from watching players struggle or ask questions. I learned that even small changes—like visual cues or access to information—can make a big difference in how the game feels.

- Anishka