Hello, all. Since it seems like there's been a spike of interest in Knytt Stories again, with several new levels and old forumers returning, I've decided to try to start up a new review thread. I invite anyone to post a review and discuss the levels. In fact, you can write your own review even if a level already has one because then we can get different opinions. If you do want to leave a review you don't have to follow any specific format but make sure you explain how you're reviewing so we know. I'll link all reviews in this opening post.

1. I consider myself a fairly decent KS player. However, I will cheat when necessary to get past challenges or similar so I can experience an entire level. I don't see this being necessary except for some lunatic-type levels. If I can beat Cosmic Meltdown in beta I'm sure I can do fine with most levels.

2. Levels will be completed as best I can before resorting to the editor to make sure I didn't miss anything. In the case of bonus challenge content I will attempt it as explained in point 1. In terms of alternate endings and other such secret content I will endeavour to find it before checking the editor.

3. Obviously new levels that haven't been talked about much will probably get priority but I'll also be making reviews for older or maybe even well-known levels. I'm also taking requests. So if there's a level you want reviewed (like your own) let me know.

I won't be using any kind of numeric scale or scoring system. Instead I will go by overall feel and experience vs. expectations for aspects of the levels. Here are some areas I'll be talking about in reviews: Design (challenges, screen layouts, and level integrity such as no voids or wallswims); Content (custom vs. default vs. well-known, non-default assets including tilesets, music, ambiance, and gradients); Accurate level designations (this is subjective); Fun factor and overall experience including sense of satisfaction for completing the level/finding an ending(s); Overall quality and my assessment for playing or not playing the level; and finally Story.

This means reviews might be different from each other. I hope they'll overall be similar enough though. It should be obvious but the reviews are entirely my opinion and are thus subjective. Your experience will vary.

REVIEWS

My Friend Jerry by TigerNDV - Purple Ink

I'm not sure I've ever really seen this discussed. But how old is Juni? If we take Nifflas' levels as canon then she's at least old enough to have a child. But at what age can knytts have children?

Personally I feel like she's the equivalent of a young adult human. So like early 20s or so. What do you think?

Years ago Juni discovered the new land of Fallonar. She told her knytt friends about it and many of them settled in. However, trouble arose. A wizard is threatening to destroy the knytts so Juni must return to Fallonar and try to stop him.

I'm pleased to finally present Reditus!


This level requires egomassive's KS+ mod. Download KS+ here.

Download the level:
Through Google drive
Through Catbox

Thanks to VG for beta-testing!

The favourite level of the compo was LPChip Hooray Fun Time. However, as was mentioned, it is ineligible for the prize.

Here is the list of levels according to votes:

1. LPChip Hooray Fun Time
2. Petals II
3. Forgotten Realms

So this means Talps wins the prize with Petals II. Congrats, Talps.

This topic is very similar to "how do you design your levels" but a bit more specific. I was thinking about this whilst working on my current project. So, how do you design your screens?

For me, I rarely plan ahead for any one screen's layout. I just start making stuff. For instance, in Advena I knew I wanted a vertical area with Hypericum so I knew the screens would connect top to bottom. But I had no ideas for what the middle of the screens would be like. If it's an area that I don't have a concept for I just make screens and put them together until I like how it flows together. Once a screen is done I immediately test it. If I don't like how it looks or feels I'll rework it or delete it and start over.

With Advena I knew what I wanted screens to look like so I made the tilesets to match what I had in mind. With my current project I find myself adding as few as one tile to make a screen look exactly how I want. I've also expanded from having one tileset per area. Not sure why I thought constraining screens in an area to one tileset was a good idea. It's rare that I'll have a background planned for a screen. I tend to just randomly pick a background that matches the tileset and fits with the scene I have in mind. If I can't find one, I try making one.

In a similar vein, I have the scenery in mind so I know what kind of music I'd like to match those screens. I usually don't include music on transitional screens (screens between two areas) or other connective type places. I feel like the music should match every screen for a given area. I actually spend a lot of time searching for music to fit the screens. Ambiance is another thing. Some screens should have silence but that can be boring if overdone. So I try to include some kind of ambiance in every screen. That's part of the reason why I include water or waterfalls or both in a lot of screens. It just makes sense for there to be water in, say, a forest-y area.

Another thing I like to do with nearly every screen is include some kind of animal. That way the level feels alive. This could be bad, however, because there could be too much and it could be distraction from the experience instead of enhancing it. So I tend to limit how many creatures I include: typically two at max. And on the subject of creatures, I try to only use a certain kind in any one area of screens. When I first started Advena I didn't do this. But as I continued I started to favour only one kind of creature per area. To me it helps the screens feel unique beyond music and graphics. In my current project, different areas that use the same tilesets will have unique creatures to help distinguish them.

Enemies are another thing. I now try to design levels that anyone, or nearly anyone, can play and enjoy (hence why the challenges were optional in Advena). Depending on the kind of enemy I'll only put as many as two on one screen. Some enemies I won't use at all, like the green chomper. I hate those guys so why would I use them? Another enemy I refuse to use is 4:14 because I still don't understand how it works. I also try to give an easy way to avoid some enemies. Though, where would the fun be if every enemy was superfluous?

When I'm making a screen I always start with layer 3. Sometimes I have an idea in mind of how I want the shape to be or where I want the screen to go. Often times not. I try to make the ground and ceiling interesting without too much flatness or repetition (thanks Knytt Syndromes). Unless I'm restricting movements based on power-ups or similar I try to make everything readily accessible. That is, it's not a max jump height to grab a ledge and climb up or no corner jumps required unless it's for a secret or something. After layer 3 I fill in the background starting with 0 then 1 then 2. After that's done I put the extra stuff like creatures and other objects. If possible I always put these on layer 4 for consistency's sake. Except water, which always goes on layer 6.

I feel like I rambled a bit there because this was a bit longer than I was intending. Anyway, how do you approach making screens?

Here are the gradients used in Advena. Use, edit, and distribute freely for all Knytt Stories projects.

Note that viewing these gradients can spoil secret areas in Advena. It's suggested you play the level and find the areas first. If you don't mind spoiling things then go ahead and check everything out.

Gradients

A number of people seemed interested in the cave tileset I made for Advena. Now that the project is no longer in development I've decided to release this tileset for everyone.

Distribute, use, and edit this tileset freely for all KS projects.