Devlog #7 - Post Alpha

Greeting/Summary

Hi everyone! Welcome to our seventh devlog for Gimme a Hand.

This past week, we’ve focused on smoothing out the player experience — from more readable visuals to a reworked movement system and a better-tuned difficulty curve. Whether you're flinging tentacles at the climbing bars or figuring out how to move as a team, these changes aim to make the experience more intuitive, dynamic, and enjoyable.

🧗‍♂️ Level Design & Progression Updates

Traversal Made Smoother
We’ve also adjusted the monkey bars and climbing bars to be easier to traverse. These changes were based directly on playtest feedback, with the goal of reducing frustration and helping players focus more on coordination and teamwork than struggling with the controls.

🎮 Movement & Camera Enhancements

New Tentacle Movement System
We’ve revised the tentacle movement system to fix bugs and improve the feel of movement overall. The result is a more physically believable (and more chaotic) octopus motion — one that stays true to the spirit of the game, but now behaves more reliably and intuitively.

Dynamic Rotational Camera
To help with visibility during gameplay, we’ve introduced a new dynamic camera system. The camera now hovers at a slightly higher angle and rotates subtly around the octopus. This helps reduce instances where tentacles are hidden behind the head and keeps all players better oriented in fast-moving scenes.

Cinematic Camera for Climbing Sequences
Key moments in the game — like the monkey bars and climbing bars — now feature cinematic camera transitions. Instead of focusing directly on Tickles, the camera follows the climbing structure itself, tracking progress as the octopus ascends. This provides a clearer view of the challenge ahead and helps players coordinate more effectively.

👀 Visual Feedback Improvements

Updated Grab UI Ring
We’ve improved the visual ring that appears when a tentacle approaches a grabbable surface. It now starts out white to indicate proximity, then switches to the player’s tentacle color (e.g., red, blue) once grabbed — with a subtle pulsing effect to reinforce the connection. It’s a small addition, but one that makes a big difference in how players read the environment and understand their interactions.

Next steps/Goodbye

With these changes live, we’re continuing to test and refine them. We’ll be watching how players respond to the new camera and climbing sequences, and making further adjustments as needed. As always, our goal is to strike the perfect balance between chaos and control — and make every moment feel fun, responsive, and a little bit ridiculous.

Thanks again for following our development journey. More to come soon!