This might not seem like an important change, but it's crucial for players to realize the game 'changes' after completing one ending. The average playtime for the early build shows that most stop playing after one ending, perhaps never realizing there are more endings out there. For the demo it wasn't that big of a deal, but I definitely needed to fix this for the final release.
Here's how it works:
1.) After completing one ending, the baby will be crying
2.) Luckily, a pacifier will appear in the top left of the screen
3.) Hovering over it will unlock the pacifier, thank god, the crying stops
This simple scene strongly *hints* at the appearance of the new clickable pacifier on the screen. Eventually, I want players to click that pacifier and discover what happens next by themselves, because it unlocks an important part of the game: the achievement / progression screen.
To make sure that happens:
4.) The pacifier is animated and has sound effects to stand out
5.) While the baby is crying, you temporarily can't continue the game
6.) While the baby is crying, you temporarily can't exit the game
7.) Once you unlock the pacifier, you can continue or exit again
If the player clicks the pacifier, that's perfect. If the player does not click the pacifier yet but continues playing, great, at least they are still playing! Now, if the player has not clicked the pacifier yet but is about to exit the game...
I've got one last trick:
8.) Hovering over the exit button will auto-trigger the "surprise"
For those who were planning to quit after one ending, hopefully, seeing that head *POP* open will entice them to stick around and see what else the game has to offer. If not, I've done all I could! :D
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