#6 Updates/planned updates based upon Testing Session

 Testing Session Summary

During the Week 12 testing session, I gathered feedback on gameplay, visuals, UI, and difficulty. Key insights and suggested improvements are outlined below:

Bugs Identified

• Growth Confusion: The second-to-last growth stage appeared large enough to defeat the shark, but the shark still won.

• Shark Collision Bug: Dashing into the shark sometimes allowed the player to pass through it without triggering defeat.

• Fish Clumping: Fish could collide and get stuck on each other.

Before Fix – Shark Collision Fails

After Fix – Shark Collision Improved

(See next gif under 1. Growth Logic Polished)

Bug Fixes + Improvements

1. Growth Logic Polished

To avoid confusion, I slightly adjusted the growth multiplier and added a “Shark is now vulnerable!” message to indicate the exact moment the shark becomes defeatable.

2. Cleaner Menus & UI

• Standardized fonts and sizes across all menus.

• Aligned buttons more clearly.

• Added shadows and removed default button backgrounds for a cleaner look.

• Added button click sound/menu and level music.

Audio Note:
Most UI buttons include a click sound for polish and feedback. A few edge cases (such as scene transitions or untagged cameras) may prevent the sound from triggering in specific menus. This was a known issue late in development and may be resolved in a future patch using a shared audio source.

3. Yellow Fish Removed

Feedback highlighted visual confusion between the yellow prey fish and the player. The yellow fish was removed from the spawner list to improve clarity.

4. Checkpoints (Attempted)

I explored adding a checkpoint/lives system to break up difficulty but ultimately reverted to a simpler level-complete screen due to bugs. The prototype may be reintroduced in future development.

Testing Reflections

Testing provided clear insight into how players interpreted the visual cues and mechanics. Some surprises included:

• Players assumed they could beat the shark a stage earlier based on visuals alone.

• UI clarity and button layout significantly improved player experience.

• A lives system wasn’t as necessary as a brief pause between levels.

In future testing, I would add clearer task-based objectives for testers and record feedback in real time to avoid losing detail.

Overall, the testing session helped refine both gameplay clarity and player experience. The adjustments to growth logic, UI layout, sound feedback, and visual clarity (such as removing the yellow fish) all responded directly to tester feedback and improved game readability. While a few minor issues (like button sounds or shark edge-case collisions) remain, the core experience is stable and ready for submission. If future development continues, features like checkpoints, expanded predator types, and polish to UI/audio consistency are top priorities.