YANCY

Zelda 1 is one of my favorite games ever, yet I've struggled to enjoy almost every other Zelda game after it. This game feels like Zelda 1, which is the highest praise I can give.

Beyond that, I love the sword crafting, the exploration, and the combat. Two pieces of feedback I'd give are that it reaaally feels like you should be able to block projectiles by attacking them (maybe a specific sword does it), and that the save-spot circles feel like they should heal you if you step on them again after activating them but they don't.

Here is my feedback: 

- It would be nice if you could defend against projectiles like the bones by hitting them in the air. The "energy balls" on the other hand should not be able to be hit in the air. Adds variety and rewards skillful play. 

-There is some kind of bug with the dialog, glitches weirdly at the edge of the box some times as words are spawning. I think it happens when the last word of a line cant fit and is moved down, it looks weird. 

- Quite like the humor and appreciated the small animations like the shopkeeper shaking his head. Great job.

- There is a small animation when a coin is dropped, you get the coin and the graphic disappears. It would be more fun to pick it up. You could even keep the time of removal so you have to hurry to get it. 

- Music is great, but this demo needs an overworld theme. 

- Mantrees create a interesting gameloop where you try to bait them out. 

- I kind of want the pushback on the rockeaters to be further, so you can "juggle" them. Actually kind of want pushback to be further overall.  

- Rocks and other obstacles should block "energy balls" so you can hide behind them.

- Would like a dashbutton. 

-Can you get yourself out of the petrified condition? I get fucked so quickly I am not really sure. Otherwise if its not already there, buttonmash to be freed. 

I am going to continue working on my own shit now, but I will play this further and get back with more thoughts later on! 

Its good shit.

"OMG WTF IS THIS MONKEY?!?!" - me, terrified upon stumbling into a seemingly innocent cave as @GamesWorthJack cackles in discord...

Seriously fun, can't wait to see more content and play the full game :)

I just played the most recent demo of Yancy, and it was >2 hours of fun with sprinkles of rage (I am bad at games). Its combat was almost aggravating initially and became fun and rewarding after some practice. Additionally, the game has many swords to craft that change your stats and approach to combat. To top it off, the art is very cute and leaves you desperate for more. Yancy is engaging and doesn't ask for more time than it is worth, I would recommend playing the demo.

[Disclamer]
I have been friends with the developer for over a decade, although this was my first taste of the game he has poured his soul into for years.

Yancy does not hold back any punches, it is a challenging game, but failure leads to a minor setback and a quest for redemption. At first, I struggled to beat the simplest of enemies, but over time, I learned the controls and how to exploit enemy attack patterns, which allowed me to progress much faster. In many RPG's your character mainly gets stronger through levels and gear, but in Yancy, you as the player must "get good." Yancy also has progression mechanics, such as max health increases and sword crafting, but after all, the sword is only as strong as the person who wields it. Overall, Yancy is a tough yet rewarding game with tight mechanics begging to be mastered.

So what is this about sword crafting, you might ask? Well, Yancy has numerous swords, each with their own mechanics that you can craft or sometimes find. If you want to shoot projectiles, there is a sword for that. If you want to do a ton of damage but swing slowly, there is a sword for that. If you want a long-reaching attack that looks like a fleshy pool noodle, you guessed it ... there is a sword for that. There are so many swords with different strengths and weaknesses that it makes you want to try them all. The sword crafting mechanic is simple and adds tons of gameplay options to the game.

Yancy's characters and visuals are very cute, and the demo leaves me wanting more narrative. Yancy doesn't have a lot of music, but what it does have is quality. Notably, I couldn't help but jam and sing the melody during the Rock Lord boss fight. The narrative and music are great, I hope we can see more in the final product.

The Yancy demo proves its mechanics and narrative direction, and I can't wait to see more. The combat is tight and rewarding, the sword-crafting system is fun and adds variety, and the narrative and music are well-designed. I can't wait to see more content, and Yancy will definitely remain on my watchlist. I don't believe it is fair to rate a video game demo quantitatively, so I will leave it with my qualitative experience. Yancy has many enemies to fight, swords to collect, and bosses to conquer; if you have the time, I recommend picking this demo up.