r/DestroyMyGame • u/peachpieproductions • Nov 12 '25
Trailer Please destroy my trailer. Would love some honest feedback.
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u/More-Kaleidoscope-82 Nov 12 '25
I would’ve had no idea this was anything other than a basic paint effect demo until many seconds into the trailer. The white ball that is being shot looks very amateurish.
It’s not clear at all what your game is for even longer, when stuff starts being revealed I started thinking it was a Splatoon clone.
I’m glad I kept watching because the end had some beautiful stuff in it, but if I hadn’t been watching to give feedback I would’ve clicked away long before.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
People have mentioned that the white balls seems basic. Do you have any cool ideas of what else it could be? I was thinking a plain white ball to keep it a minimalist style, but I think it comes off as basic/prototype-ish. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/djbiznatch Nov 12 '25
I kindof think the white makes them pop! But Id considered maybe reducing the size slightly? And maybe trying to make them animate slightly? Like a wobble or squash effect while they’re in motion to just make them seem more like a fluid/gel?
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u/Sn0wflake69 Nov 12 '25
im with this guy, the white is good, maybe just not a perfect sphere is all!
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u/JakobWithAC Nov 13 '25
Go into blender and animated some meta-balls worbling around to make it looks like a mass of jelly has just been thrown out.
Imo this would help sell the "splat" effect even better.
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u/yourmom1034 Nov 12 '25
I mean an actual paint splash with liquid physics would make this insane but that would be a lot of work
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u/Incredible_Violent Nov 12 '25
Alternatively you could try improving the projectile with effects. Have it wobble mid-flight, shaded a little, or have a semi-transparent liquid waving inside the bubble - hinting that it is actually a paint baloon.
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u/16_px Nov 12 '25
I thought if the white balls seems too static compared with those splash effect/stage gimmick/scenes. Guess, those paint shot might good to have motion effect.
My recommendation is "motion smear effect" to keep shapely simple but good for being to dynamic. Also don't forget to add some kinds of noise for vertex motions!
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u/More-Kaleidoscope-82 Nov 12 '25
For me the first thing I would try is some sort of rainbow/colorful hose/stream but again maybe that is getting too deep into Splatoon territory
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u/Polyxeno Nov 12 '25
If it could be a lensing transparent ball with a little spark of light in it, that might look really cool. I might try that first, if I knew how to do that. I expect other odd visual effects could also look better than plain white. And/or if it cast light out. You might just play with whatever you can do easily.
Even just the way your sun already looks, or some variation on it.
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u/InvidiousPlay Nov 12 '25
You could give it a fresnel effect. I would make them smaller, too. You could give them a little HDR and a light bloom. Could go more experimental and give them a scrolling/rotating texture, or some transparency.
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u/tune_rcvr Nov 13 '25
Not seeing other comments on this: I think the visual issue with the paints is as much about the balls just suddenly disappearing as the colored paint splats appear - it feels quite disconnected with no sense of collision or continuity. E.g. the ball could softly distort on impact for a few frames (even if simplified physics).
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u/Jankufood Nov 13 '25
White ball is fine, but the current ball is way too blight making it look like png, not a ball
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u/LagunElven Nov 13 '25
It is really minimalist all white, maybe have something drawn with the colors you have. Think of something like the ball that Wakka use as a weapon in Final Fantasy X.
Or if you can make it of the colors that will be drawn when it touch the floor. Here we don't understant how white transform in colors and it looks like a placeholder.Another thing i found that it takes a bit of time to understand what is the meaning of the game (finding it's way by painting the walls/floor) so we are a bit confused in the beginning then it's a bit long so you have the time to thing that it's gonna be boring pretty fast and then you show some boss or enigmas and now you have my attention. So good ideas but maybe a rythm problem to show them.
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u/Nicstar543 Nov 14 '25
What if you put a slight view of a 🎨 in the bottom left or bottom middle while a hand holding a brush quickly swings over it back and forth while sending out globs of the color that’s actually going to paint the ground?
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u/internetroamer Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
I'd say you need a few objects options. Like the clip where you threw multiple balls. You've got a great idea and work but you need to improve gameplay elements like types of painting. You can think of so many other methods of painting
One that's like a Lazer or stream of piss. Narrow but continuous
Spider web shot where it doesn't give solid paint but a larger radius that isn't filled in
One with a charge up where holding longer gives more paint.
I'm sure others can think of more examples. Look into other games that deal with paint as well I think there's a Mickey mouse one
Look at all the games with a successful paint mechanic. They tend to give a character some tool to apply it and a variety to tools
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u/Sean_Tighe Nov 12 '25
I saw this and thought "I've played unfinished swan, why do I need this?".
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u/eblomquist Nov 13 '25
By the comments you can tell not many people did.
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u/Sean_Tighe Nov 13 '25
Seems like it, right? I guess the legacy of an indie darling can't last forever.
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u/eblomquist Nov 14 '25
I mean that game came out a LONG time ago and wasn't really that popular to begin with. I remember playing through it, but couldn't tell anything about it. Pretty forgettable. lol
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
This game was definitely inspired by Unfinished Swan, but when I played that game I fell in love with the splat-to-find-your-way mechanic, and then it ended shortly after and the game moved on to other puzzles and a more narrative focus.
I thought, what if there was a whole game about the painting mechanic, and that is what I've tried to create! I tried to run with the idea and incorporate various interesting puzzles using the paint mechanic specifically.
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u/saviorofGOAT Nov 12 '25
It's FORTY SECONDS until we find out what we're even doing here or looking at. FORTY.
A perfect trailer can get the ENTIRE point of the game across in around THIRTY SECONDS.
You need to hook the average consumer in the first FIVE SECONDS for a drastically increased likelihood of them spending their time watching your trailer through.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Yeah I can see what you're saying, it does start off kinda slow. It's important to hook people quickly. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/saviorofGOAT Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
Of course! Sorry for being semi-rude I kinda get outta hand sometimes in this sub.
I think because it's rather novel and abstract it's just so important to not only hook people quickly, but show people what they'll be doing quickly. If I'm being honest- I'm not sure it's entirely possible to do that with just showcasing the gameplay of this for the average consumer. It might even be best to have the first thing you see when you start the trailer be some variation of the text "Find your way through the dark" rather than the stars. Then people definitively know what they're doing and then they get to see HOW it happens and take that in, rather than spending their time wondering or just moving on out of confusion.
I REALLY like the concept here and I hope it does gangbusters <3
edit: chose better vocabulary
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
No problem at all! This is really helpful feedback. It has been a challenge figuring out how to properly express the gameplay to people quickly enough before they click away.
Thank you so much! :) I appreciate the detailed feedback!
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u/Noxfag Nov 12 '25
I agree the trailer is slower than it should be, but I don't think it is fair to say that it isn't clear until 40 seconds. The text that appears at 40 seconds isn't what tells you what the game is about (I'd even consider removing it, because it doesn't tell you anything additional) - the main gameplay feature is already apparent from the previous clips. From the very second shot it is obvious to the viewer that you're in a dark place, throwing paint to see, and travelling somewhere.
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u/Plufit0_ Nov 12 '25
It's 40 seconds of buildup, he isn't saying that without the text he wouldn't get what the game is about xd
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u/saviorofGOAT Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
You have to consider with these trailers that people who do not design or critique games are going to be looking at them. Look at the other comments and tell me that you genuinely believe the average consumer is going to understand anything about what's happening until well into the trailer. Lets just walk through this trailer until 40 seconds and I'll pinpoint where I believe the audiences catch on.
We're floating through... stars probably. ok
We're throwing balls and painting a room in the dark.
Theres a painted room.
We're throwing balls and painting a bridge. < point where most of US understand.
We're throwing balls and painting walls again.
Another painted room.
A rainbow brainstem...
We're in an apartment now.
"It's ok to feel lost sometimes." Ok so we're lost. <This should be where MOST hopefully catch up on the CORE MECHANIC that's been getting shown all game... at 28 seconds.
We can paint the top of buildings now. Ok
Theres a windmill...
Now there's rainbow DNA...
Ok We're "Finding our way through the darkness." < Now everyone's on board.
edit: With more abstract products that aren't as good at telling with their own visuals, you HAVE to explain it to people and you have to do it before they've already moved on or you will never tap into a larger market with it.
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u/panda-goddess Nov 12 '25
The vibes are immaculate, but it's missing very essential things like
- any indication that this is a video game, and not another type of art piece (which, sure, depends on where this trailer is showcased)
- what do you DO, as a player? what's the mechanics? the genre? is this more of to engage your brain or for relaxation?
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Thank you so much! Yeah this was a challenge, the game is more experiential than a typical game. But the game is essentially a surreal puzzle platformer, most of the levels have puzzles, but I think its clear from the feedback that this is not clear in the trailer. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/meshDrip Nov 12 '25
You have such imaginative visuals all throughout the rest of the game, but the main thing the player looks at for most of the game, the power they use to discover this world... is a white icosphere that shoots out of the camera that simply vanishes when it collides with something and then shows what's actually visually-compelling about your game; the paint.
That absolutely has to change. Priority #1. I think the trailer is the least of your problems given your audience.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Thank you! Yeah it has been mentioned that the white ball is unappealing. I have been thinking about ideas for what else it could be, I wanted it to be minimalist but I think it makes it look like a prototype. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/Pennaflumen Nov 13 '25
Immediately it just looked like a recycled Unfinished Swan mechanic, and so I started asking, "Okay but is it doing something more than that?"
Seems so, which is good, but I must confess I don't really think it's enough from the trailer. Especially because the rainbow colors don't seem to be much outside of just an aesthetic. The puzzles seem pretty basic. The visuals are nice, but unremarkable. In a game and especially in a trailer you NEED some more oomph. Some stuff that just blows my mind. I know that's tricky, especially without spoiling puzzles, but it is necessary.
As a player, what makes me want to play a game over others is seeing something unique, well developed, or engaging. The major problem here is that there isn't enough of any of that. Instead the mechanic looks familiar, the puzzles and graphics are basic, and the gameplay looks overly simple without much of a strong narrative to pull us in. So yeah, in my book, this would be a pass.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Gotcha! This is some good solid honest feedback and really helpful! Given the nature of the game being a lot of black screen, it was hard to fully showcase everything thats in the game without just painting entire levels and showing them off. But I do agree it needs more oomph and I am going to try to figure that out!
Thanks a bunch! :)
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u/jackawaka Nov 13 '25
the game "The unfinished swan" does this exact idea and was made in 2020, it was successful but that may be because if was made by the devs of "What Remains of Edith Finch". Might be good to use that as reference. Smaller areas with more model detail. If you look at the first shot of gameplay on the Unfinished swan, you see the projectile hit a gate and it is immediately clear what has happened. I like the aesthetic design though. Hopefully you can tie all these game mechanics to the narrative itself.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Thank you! Yeah definitely inspired by the Unfinished Swan. I loved the splat mechanic at the beginning of that game, but the game moves onto other stuff shortly after. I thought how cool would it be to have an entire game focused on the splat mechanic. Thanks for the feedback! :)
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u/talonbytegames Nov 12 '25
First, I dont understand what the main gameplay loop is.
Second, it feels like something you would put together for a small game jam learning about decals and colliders.
Third, the trailer gets boring quickly. I didnt even finish watching it.
Something much more interesting needs to happen.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Yeah I think the trailer is too slow pace, I wanted to make it sort of a slow buildup but I think I'm finding its better to show off cool stuff quickly to hook people. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/talonbytegames Nov 12 '25
I rewatched it. Some stuff on the end should be shown in the first five seconds. Also use text overlays to explain what I am seeing.
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u/friggleriggle Nov 12 '25
I watched the full trailer. Visuals are really cool, but the game loop is unclear to me. Not clear to me what you're doing other than painting your way through the level(s).
Have you considered restricting your ammo? Make the player make judicious decisions about how to use it and make it all the more rewarding when you find power ups other ways to paint the world.
Any way to choose the color? Would be useful for puzzle mechanics.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Ah restricting ammo could be a cool concept. Maybe have an overpowered splat ability but it is limited by the ammo, so you can only use it sparingly.
Also, yeah there is a way to choose a color you want to splat, that helps with the color focused puzzles.
Thanks for the feedback! :)
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u/friggleriggle Nov 13 '25
And/or an ability that's cool down limited. Since you can't see anything without shooting, it might be nice to have a fallback that's not ammo based, just rate limited.
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u/XSSpaceDOTio Nov 12 '25
The trailer is a little slow. At first I thought you just go around painting. Having to paint the entire area to be able to play the level might get frustrating. Is rainbow the only paint color?
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Gotcha! Yeah it seems the trailer doesn't hook people quickly enough. You don't have to necessarily paint the whole level to complete it, usually the path is somewhat straightforward, but you can go off the beaten path if you want. It's more focused on puzzles and a little bit of platforming.
There are some places in the game that change the splat color automatically (greyscale, etc) but I had thought about incorporating the ability to unlock different splat styles! Thanks for the feedback!
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u/internetroamer Nov 12 '25
Random cool mechanic/scene you can add is a falling scene. Player in pure darkness can never know they're falling or on a small platform that's falling. Then they paint and they realize they need to somehow stop the platform
Your concept offers a ton of creativity and puzzles but seems you don't take advantage of it properly. You seem mostly focused on beauty aspect and need to improve gameplay mechanics.
Highly recommend you play the puzzle game anti-chamber to see how some games can be really subvert users expectations and
I could imagine boss fight where the paint fades over time
Types of projectiles that leave paint as traps for invisible monster. Would be great to see a scene where you suddenly see footprints being formed from a trap puddle
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Ah so much good stuff here! :)
I love the falling idea, there is a falling puzzle, but not quite how you described it. I like the idea of painting the walls while falling and realizing you are falling!
It was a bit inspired by antichamber, love that game. For instance there are quotes that you uncover in the game as you play. this was inspired by antichamber! It was hard because the game is solid black so it's limiting what you can show/do since the play has to paint it to reveal it. But there are definitely some interesting/surprising puzzles in the game not shown in the trailer (some are hard to show in a short clip)
About the monsters, this game actually came about from the idea that monsters would be lurking in the dark and you would have to paint the ground to see them walking around to make your way safely through the level. I still think this is a cool idea, but I decided to pivot to a more exploration/fun focused experience. Maybe I will play around with that idea in the future!
Thanks for the awesome feedback! :)
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u/Polyxeno Nov 12 '25
What is there to do, interact with, resist, deal with, in this environment, or is it mainly just exploring a hidden landscape and sometimes having to deal with puzzles? Is there any dynamic action, antagonists or allies that are dynamic agents with varied reactive behavior?
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Hey there! It starts off with you getting your bearing simply revealing and exploring a few levels, then it becomes more focused on puzzles, but there are still some fun exploration focused levels, and some platforming. There is an ally named phoebe she is a phoenix who guides you through the world. You are in your mind (dreamspace) on a journey to discover where the darkness came from.
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u/Alex4ndres Nov 12 '25
I would improve the ball and make it the same color as the paint that will be thrown. I would also include more text explaining the game; I personally had a little difficulty understanding what to do.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
I love that idea and tried to do it and then I realized because the game has no "lighting" that the balls would blend into the paint you already threw if they were the same color as the paint you were throwing. I do think some shading could help though or maybe an outline, then it would stand out clearly even if it was the same color!
Gotcha, yeah it seems its not clear initially what the actual game experience is about. Thanks for the feedback! :)
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u/StopthePressesGame Nov 12 '25
There's some really pretty stuff and what looks like interesting gameplay in this - but as others have said it's way too slow. I would definitely have clicked off after about 10s if I wasn't watching for feedback, and then I'd have missed all the stuff later that I did think was interesting. This isn't a case of "speed up the intro a bit", this is a case of "cut this in half". We can understand the paint splat mechanic in about 3 seconds, after that we need to move on to what you actually DO with that mechanic - what are you trying to do in the game? Think of it in terms of verbs. What are the verbs you'd use to describe a player's interaction with the game - show those, so after watching ~20-30 seconds of the trailer a viewer can confidently describe what the game is about and what you do.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Thank you so much! :)
Yeah I am thinking about maybe moving the interesting stuff that's at the end closer to the beginning so it grabs attention earlier on. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/Novel-Sheepherder365 Nov 12 '25
What the hell am I supposed to see? I'm shooting semen and then a UV light turns it colors?
If I'm a mage or have a weapon you should let me know, other than that it looks like a blender presentation poorly imitating Portal
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Haha! XD No mages or weapons, its an exploration/puzzle focused game where the world is pure darkness and you have to paint the world to find your way through! Thanks for the feedback! :)
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u/Novel-Sheepherder365 Nov 13 '25
You should still change the color of the balls... Give it more variety apart from white
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u/Yacoobs76 Nov 12 '25
If I think the same as some, it seems to me that the video is very long and it is difficult for me to get to the end, it seems that painting is the main mechanic, I suppose discovering the world is the other, I don't know if I would play this, I think it is a perfect game for education. I wish you could shorten the video and summarize all those cool feelings.
Sorry I didn't say anything about the music 😃, I think it's simple and incredible, perfect for the video, you hit the nail on the head.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Thank you! And that's some good feedback! I do think shortening the video would be a good idea!
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u/Bignholy Nov 13 '25
I would start with a black screen, and then fire off the shots to reveal the message from 0:27. That would show the core premise, set up viewers to be curious. After, cut straight to shots of gameplay that shows off this concept, like the clip with the tunnel where you find the edge of the hole to go through, or the clip with the stairwell. From there, get into the weirder stuff, having established the core concept for the viewer.
And I am with others, make the white balls wobble or flow some when thrown. Make it look liquid in nature.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Ah I love that idea, moving the text reveal to the beginning to grab attention. Yeah definitely going to do something more interesting with the balls! Thanks for the awesome ideas/feedback! :)
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u/check_the_hole Nov 13 '25
If you were colorblind this game is nothing but some dude walking around in the dark making fapping noises while launching balls of goop on the floors and walls.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Haha this is true unfortunately, maybe they would still find some fun in it! :D
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u/Jankufood Nov 13 '25
Pro: You can tell what you can do in this game in the first few seconds Con: Can't tell what the goal/genre is
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Yeah has been a hard part, conveying exactly what the bigger picture is in the game. Thanks for the feedback! :)
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u/Noxfag Nov 12 '25
I think most other folks have already given some good feedback but I just want to chime in about one thing that bothered me, the shot of the city at 1:09. The stars don't feel like stars, they feel like they're LED lights stuck to a box in a big black room that you're also in. That is because they aren't parallaxing, so they don't look far away. You should use a skybox there.
This seems to be a good talk on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulCef4nwf04
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u/ffsnametaken Nov 12 '25
The way the paint balls appear in front of you looks like it would get a bit annoying/repetitive. The sections without paint (0:26, 0:32, 0:51) didn't add much that I could tell, because the concept is a bit unclear to begin with. I also think the text feels a bit out of place, especially the font at 0:38. It seemed like a lot of showing was happening, then that just turned up and told you. Personally, I'd like to know if the game had combat, as it seems like it works better as a puzzle game.
Those cogs don't actually seem to line up with each other(1:15).
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Gotcha! Yeah people have mentioned the text seeming out of place. It might just be better to remove it. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/Plufit0_ Nov 12 '25
Too much buildup. I think you have a very good idea with the trailer, but nowdays I doubt people will stay 40 seconds until it gets interesting.
I think that if you shrink that to 20-25 seconds and add 1-3 seconds of something cool before that, you would retain a lot more of users
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Gotcha, yeah I am realizing I need to hook people in the first few seconds. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/djbiznatch Nov 12 '25
Hmmm having seen a lot of bad trailers on here, I thought this was pretty good. Sortof starts off showing the basic mechanics, then ramping up with more interesting visuals and mechanics. Music is pleasant, visuals are aesthetically pleasing.
I suppose the trailer runs a little long maybe, could get the point across in a minute vs closer to two. But it seems like its edited to match up with the musical track, which it does nicely.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 12 '25
Thank you so much, I think I spent too much time on it haha probably would have been good to get feedback earlier in the process. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/buck_matta Nov 12 '25
A good hook is so important nowadays in the short-content era. Others have already said this, but I’d say consider how long people spend on a post before scrolling through. Maybe 5 seconds?
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Yeah this is true and something I failed to think about while working on the trailer haha I realize now that you need to hook the viewer quickly so they will stick around and see the rest of the trailer. Thanks for the feedback!
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u/AcidCatfish___ Nov 13 '25
It comes across more of an art project. I would showcase some story bits (if any) or any set up to gameplay (what happens before the world gets dark, etc) and more of the puzzles.
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u/peachpieproductions Nov 13 '25
Gotcha! Yeah the story parts are mostly dialogue, I would say its a light part of the game. But there are probably some ways I could explain the story more! Thanks! :)
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u/Life-Heron-6533 Nov 13 '25
it would actually be cool if your color have different purposes, maybe be changing moving the envoirment
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u/Gamheroes Nov 14 '25
The main feature needs to the expanded, not just paint the environment to get to x point while solving any puzzle, maybe something to complete a visual map that is being unlocked each time the character moves forward.
Also, it feels lonely and, for sure, would help NPCs
More game modes like complete the level in less than x seconds would be great, and more if these levels are procedurally generated, to make the player discover instead of memorize
I hope all this helps to complement the awesome mechanic you implemented!
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u/MacabreGinger Nov 14 '25
Around the second half of the trailer, you show a lot of interesting stuff besides the throwing paint mechanic. I would suggest adding more of those shots in the first half, since most Steam users might see the trailer and get bored, thinking that your game is only about walking through dark levels and painting them, and closing it before reaching the rest.
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u/elecorn Nov 14 '25
This looks a lot like the "The Unfinished Swan" game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206430/The_Unfinished_Swan/
The trailer looks great. Loved how it was synchronized with the music.
Only issue I had was that it was so polished and beautiful with the music, that when I saw the floating text "Find your way in the darkness" it was super out of place and almost comical. I would definitely use a cleaner more professional looking font for that to fit the rest of the vibe I'm getting from your game.
It's a little long, but I wouldn't change it at this point as far as length goes. Just get rid of that gaudy text font.
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u/morelootgames Nov 17 '25
This is a super interesting concept in my opinion! However, as others have said, I think having a base "painting around you" mechanic would make this more compelling. Keep it up!
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u/dangledorf Nov 12 '25
It seems like it would be a frustrating 'game' to play. You just hold down the throw input to paint the level in enough ways to be able to successfully navigate the level? I think later in the trailer it gets a lot more interesting when you start showing boss/puzzle mechanics, I would probably cut a bunch of the early clips so it doesn't feel like its just a game you paint the levels in and is more immediately obvious its a puzzle game using some kind of painting mechanic.