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SHANGTI5 days ago(+1)

I’ve been thinking about this point you mentioned for such a long time that I just couldn’t hold back and had to reach out to ask you about it again! I believe what you said strikes at the very core: granting players agency is, in a way, like "truly crafting a living set of rules". Take Minecraft or the game of Go as examples—they let players make choices that directly reshape the world they inhabit. It sounds easy in theory, but I haven’t yet figured out how to translate this concept into concrete, playable reality.

What strikes me about this game is that even though the controls seem incredibly simple on the surface, you’ve integrated player autonomy into the experience so seamlessly. If you’re willing, could you share what your team was thinking during development, and specifically how you grounded and implemented this kind of "autonomous, creative agency" within this game? Thank you so muchQWQ!

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Jake Or Chris5 days ago(+1)

Of course! And you are hitting the nail right on the head that's exactly the thought process we had going into it. 


I wish I could that is secret technique but unfortunately the best way to do improve this is just making more games. It helps to make games in the same genre too as you can directly see the improvements.


The core of what you are curious about is mostly likely our system that lights up the world. I think a big factor on why it feels very addictive and rewarding is the amount of different ways to interact with objects that are at their core very similar. For example someone eats a cookie by a tree it lights up, but if enough people from one house eat cookies and return home that house lights up. On the surface they seem very similar they accomplish the same end goal of producing hearts and being lit up. But I think the subtle differences in how they operate make it feel very alive and addictive.


I hope that clears it up and answers your questions :) thank you for being so interested in our game!!

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SHANGTI5 days ago(+2)

Ah, that makes sense now! I’ll definitely experiment more with this in my future game projects. Thank you so much again, truly!!!!!

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owenbk2 days ago

I think an example from Cookie County on giving players agency was the ability to destroy snowmen. I added this feature on a whim and wasn't sure if it seemed cruel to be able to destroy your little snowmen, but then I realized while watching playtesters play that it influences how they play because it forces them to avoid hitting them. I wish I could've added more features like this because it makes players feel like they are really affecting the world, even more than just turning on lights. Having a game world that reacts to player actions really drives home the sense that your choices as the player are meaningful and contribute to a more engaging experience. Hope this helps :D

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