Vocabutory #2
A Bold Decision for the Project
After deciding to put Vocabutory on hold, I quickly began doubting myself—had I given up too easily? Reflecting on the entire project, I realized something important: my original idea was about creating words to score big points, but the crossword mechanic had nothing to do with that core concept. It was just an extra system I added to make the game stand out from other word games.
So, what if I removed the crossword mechanic entirely?
That thought reignited my motivation. I went back to the project and started working again.
Several Days Later…
Guess what? It might actually work! The video above shows the new prototype without the crossword mechanic. The concept is simple: you input words, and the game outputs letters. Strangely enough, watching the letter storage gradually increase feels surprisingly satisfying. I realized this is exactly the kind of feedback an incremental game should deliver. I might finally be on the right track.
With that in mind, I expanded the prototype by adding a simple perk system that allows players to equip perks and an order system where players submit specific letters to earn more perks. This design turned out to be surprisingly engaging—I actually found myself getting hooked on the gameplay.
I also implemented an upgrade system that lets players improve basic efficiency and fine-tune numbers. Combining upgrades with perks made the gameplay feel much more dynamic.
It’s Time For Testing
Of course, that was just my own impression. To validate the idea, I cleaned up the UI to make the mechanics easier to understand and sent the prototype out for testing. The feedback was very encouraging—the core system felt solid and satisfying. I also received a lot of great suggestions for making progression more exciting, which was extremely helpful. For the first time, I feel like this project has the potential to become my first commercial game.
That said, there are still major challenges ahead. Incremental games thrive on surprising players and constantly giving them new toys to play with. While the perk system is interesting, testers pointed out that it might not provide enough surprises over a two-hour play session. I’ll need to design additional systems to keep things fresh. That said, there are still major challenges ahead. Incremental games thrive on surprising players and constantly giving them new toys to play with. While the perk system is interesting, testers pointed out that it might not provide enough surprises over a two-hour play session. I’ll need to design additional systems to keep things fresh.
There’s still a long road ahead, but based on the latest testing results, I’m excited to keep going. I’ll continue experimenting with mechanics and working toward a unique, eye-catching art style that can make Vocabutory stand out.