Birbla

Discussion summary

Neil the Seal Game is a web-based game praised for its cuteness and fun gameplay, but some users noted UX issues like screen rotation. The developer mentioned market saturation and competition as challenges.

What the discussion says

  • Players enjoy the game's charm and mechanics.
  • UX feedback suggests adding a lock for screen rotation.
  • Market saturation makes visibility difficult for web games.
“i love this. i don’t understand why web games like this aren’t more prevalent”
— infinitebit
“Combines my 2 favourite things, cutely annoying animals, and destroying Tasmania.”
— protocolture

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  • Hacker News
  • On my desktop, On Firefox, I just got a uniform blue screen. On Chrome, I could turn left or right, but that was all. The W, S, and C keys didn't work.
    by rickydroll
  • In the game's beginning, the water doesnt render very well for me. Perhaps it's because I have a lower-end device.
    by SCPlayz7000
  • I can't blow up the servo, even though I've totally wrecked it.
    by davewasthere
  • fixed it to be a much better experience.
    by dalemhurley
  • nvm. One little pole did the trick
    by davewasthere
  • yeah, quite a few people have made the same comment. I should normalise the damage across the different elements so a single element does stop it from being destroyed.
    by dalemhurley
  • Sound isn't working in Firefox on Linux, but otherwise very fun. The only thing it's missing are Neil's favorite traffic cones ;)

    Also glad that Neil is getting the protection he needs (and the public as well) despite the media attention.

    by chao-
  • Yes I need to add the cones.
    by dalemhurley
  • Cones have been added. Sound improvements implemented.
    by dalemhurley
  • You inspired me to make one for kids to create in Scratch

    https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/neil-the-seal/0

    by MarcScott
  • Loving the Cleveland Brown reference (if that's the intention) of people falling out of knocked down houses in their bath tubs.
    by retentionissue
  • I didn't know the reference, I wanted to add funny elements to destroying the houses.
    by dalemhurley
  • I wanted to like it but found it immediately frustrating on mobile:

    * The joystick is too sensitive, so it’s hard to keep a straight line, wobbling everywhere instead. The camera makes it worse. I felt that if I kept going I might get motion sickness.

    * Despite moving both cars out of the way and getting through, it always marked just one. Took me three resets and had to move Neil back to properly push them and get that done.

    * I have played other browser 3D games on mobile but this was the fastest my phone has ever heat up. I didn’t even know it could become this hot this fast, to the point it’s uncomfortable to hold.

    by latexr
  • Joystick has been improved, I just dampened it down a little. I will look at the cars, I deliberately added the back and front sensitivity in an early version, it is okay on desktop horrible on mobile. Battery improvements implemented dropping the load by 90% with a minor change :)
    by dalemhurley
  • My preschooler loves the Untitled Goose Game, please vibe-port this to the Switch (:
    by jumploops
  • Yes - my kids love that game too, and I should.
    by dalemhurley
  • i regret to inform you that we drive on the left in australia
    by byhemechi
  • I regret to inform you but this inst Australia it’s Tasmania. /s
    by pelagic_sky
  • Fixed.

    Even worse is I am Australian, I spent a lot of time and concentrating on the left, discussed it with my wife and kids, yet somehow I still got it wrong.

    by dalemhurley
  • Cool game! Reminds me of the untitled Goose Game, bullying citizens, is that a genre? It should definitely be a genre.
    by robbiejs
  • Goat simulator as well
    by efilife
  • Untitled Goose Game is an inspiration, UGG is such a beautiful game with such amazing attention to detail.
    by dalemhurley
  • For those who don't know Neil....

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_the_Seal

    by ninju
  • Cute! But the car challenges in Tier 8 feel undoable -- they're a bear to "steer" and can't seem to go more than a short distance before bursting into flames.
    by Jordan-117
  • fixed
    by dalemhurley
  • I am thinking of changing that cars only explode on slams, so it is easier to nudge on mobile. Desktop is much easier.
    by dalemhurley
  • I nudged a car exactly into the pool and got no credit for it. It had exploded already though, so perhaps that was the problem?
    by rladd