Nightmare Rescue

What a great game! 

The first thing that caught my attention was the artstyle of this game. It is symplistic yet incredibly beautiful! The stars in the background, the willow trees (some with lights which was a nice touch as well) the foliage on the platforms. And the best part: the different themes in the dream and nightmare worlds. I thought it was so cool the first time I entered the nightmare world how everyting had such a different feel to it :D! The art was really well done in this one!

The gameplay was simple (as expected for a gamejam game) yet very satisfying. The goals were quite clear and I never felt lost at all. The difference between dream and nightmare worlds (where one is obstacles and one is collecting) made it so that the game felt fresh all the way through. Another great point for the gameplay was how new mechanics were added (in the nightmare worlds) as you explored more nightmare worlds. This ensured there were new challenges along the way which was a lot of fun.

Some points for improving:

1. No sound effects (yet)
2. Maybe make the stars in the background move slower than the foreground to add a depth effect (parallax effect)
3. The animations on the main character feel a bit static, although I think the addition of sound effects can already go a long way to making the main character feel less static.
4. Maybe some small particles that give the player feedback on movement (small dustclouds on running and jumping etc.). This is just a suggestion though and not entirely necessary since it might take away from the serene feel of the dream levels. (although having different ones for dream and nightmare levels might make them both feel more unique)

The highlights of this game:

1.  Artstyle, this game has a clear artstyle and theme that is very well executed.
2. Level progression, new things along the way that are introduces in surprising ways (like the snapping jaws in the nightmare levels).
3. Story, I think it is a nice story how you go across the nightmare and dream levels to rescue your friends. Most gamejam games don't have any kind of story. The "The end" screen was a great addition as well, seeing the main character standing there with the rescued friends is great!

All in all a great and really impressive first game! Keep up the great work :D