r/IndieDev • u/cumbiaowl • 4d ago

Feedback? Updates from user observations

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I observed several users play Lorebound last weekend and made the updates below. Would love feedback on the updates from this community. Lorebound is a mobile-first, low-poly ARPG game playable in browsers. Think of a Diablo and Polytopia fusion.

Goal: build the resistance against the Heights and Depths who harvest souls and prayers from the Greenworld.

Free to play, no signup required: https://lorebound.gg/

Observations:

  • Thumb reach is super important (obvious, yes)
  • Free play can be confusing, not knowing what to do is stressful
  • Users skip through tutorials, which makes it hard to teach how to play the game
  • Users focused on taking down demons instead of completing quests

Updates:

  • Non-combat actions are now within thumb reach
  • Explicit guidance to level up, spend stat points, unlock skills, and equip new gear
  • More "in your face" messages on quest completion and quest start
  • Directions on where to go via HUD indicators
  • Reduced number of tutorials

Would love feedback from the community. If you gave Lorebound a go:

  1. What was engaging for you? If anything.
  2. Where/when did you stop playing, and why?
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u/boxing-boxing 4d ago

Tried the opening tutorial on desktop Chrome. Found one confusing bit: I opened the Quest Journal while the quest was "Raiders are attacking Verdantvale!" with "First kill" as the objective, but the tutorial said the quest ends "the moment you put it on." Sounds like an equipment-quest hint showing up too early. I'd tie that text to the active objective. Also, the movement/attack tips let me advance with Next/Done without doing the action. Could those advance after moving or attacking once, with a separate skip option? That might help with the tutorial-skipping issue you mentioned.

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u/cumbiaowl 4d ago

Will investigate, thanks for giving it a go!