Seafood Tycoon - Testing out automation and upgrade mechanics before moving to 3D. How does the progression feel?
Hi guys, I'm working on a seafood management incremental and wanted to share the 2D prototype I made to test out the game loop.
Right now, it's a cozy pixel art game where you scale up from your single starting fisherman who is beachcombing by grabbing crabs and other seafood on the beach to automating a whole seafood supply chain, hiring fishing boats, running a restaurant with chefs/waitresses, and buying upgrades.
I have put a lot of stats for each character and right now there are no max limits aside from employee max counts.
What i find is that getting coins is too fast and after you unlock restaurant if you don't hire the staff for it and do it manually yourself you can get a decrease in your reputation as you need to juggle between the online store where we sell seafood order and the restaurant.
The end goal is to build the main game in 3D, but I wanted to release this 2D concept first to make sure the core incremental mechanics and upgrade trees are actually fun and balanced before scaling up the scope.
If you have a few minutes to give it a spin, I'd love to know:
- How does the early-game to mid-game transition feel?
- Are the upgrades priced well, or does it feel like a grind at certain tiers?
- Is the automation satisfying once you get it running?
Here is the itch io link: https://elitehawk.itch.io/seafood-tycoon
Appreciate any feedback or suggestions!
AI Disclosure Generative AI was used in the making of this prototype. Specifically, I used it to generate some of the 2D pixel art sprites/characters to help build out the prototype faster while I focus on testing and balancing the core mechanics for the main 3D game.