Info about I Wanna Maker:

Official game description:
I Wanna Maker is a precision platformer with a robust level editor and online level sharing, based on I Wanna Be The Guy fangames.  
Create complex levels using a wide variety of objects, a powerful events system, and customizable visuals. Browse levels online, traverse a hand-crafted campaign, take on challenge modes, and more!  
Level Editor Features
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*   Intuitive but powerful level editor with 70+ objects  
*   A flexible events system which enables endless possibilities  
*   Dozens of visuals for blocks, spikes, and backgrounds, each color-customizable  
*   150+ songs to choose from  
*   Props, lights, and particles to visually enhance your levels  
*   Add optional objectives to your levels with collectible gems
Gameplay Features
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*   Play 240,000+ user-created levels made for a variety of skill levels  
*   Speedrun leaderboards for each level with watchable replays  
*   Campaign mode with dozens of high-quality levels  
*   Incredibly precise and responsive controls  
*   Take on challenge modes consisting of randomly chosen levels  
*   Save levels to custom playlists and share them online  
*   Follow your favorite makers so you don't miss their new levels  
*   Customize your character's appearance
No monetization
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I Wanna Maker is free to play, with no monetization of any kind. We hope you enjoy making levels and participating in the community!

Release date: Nov 9, 2023

Categories: Precision Platformer, Level Editor, User-Generated Content, Speedrunning, Challenge Modes, Customization, Community Sharing, Campaign Mode


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 30.0h
  - Story completion: 16.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct and indirect references to playtime. The first quote explicitly states that it took around 16 hours to complete the story mode, which directly supports the story completion metric. The second quote mentions 15 hours of playtime, which, while not explicitly about completion, suggests a significant investment of time. The third quote indicates that the player has spent a considerable amount of time in the game, supporting the idea of extended playtime. The fourth quote mentions over 30 hours of playtime, which further supports the idea of long-term engagement with the game. These quotes collectively provide a reasonable basis for estimating playtime metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun when players start creating their own maps using the level editor, despite an initially boring campaign.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Creating maps
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: boring campaign; community reaction to harder levels
  - Unlock drivers: level editor; generous learning curve of the new campaign
  - Conditions: using the level editor; playing solo
- Player Archetypes:
  - Campaign Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Learning and enjoying the game mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Starts with the campaign mode, appreciates a gentle learning curve and checkpoints.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: new player; noob
    - Reference games: I Wanna Be the Guy; Mario Maker
  - Challenge-Seeking Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying the challenge and precision of platform jumping.
    - Playstyle: Seeks out difficult levels, appreciates precise controls and level design.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: IWBTG fan; platformer enthusiast
    - Reference games: I Wanna Be the Guy; Delicious Fruit
  - Value-Conscious Advocate (buy)
    - Motivation: Appreciating the value and quality of the game.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys the game for its quality and recommends it to others.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: free game advocate; platformer fan
    - Reference games: Mario Maker


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- High-quality and powerful level editor (weight 0.7): The game features a highly praised level editor that is described as powerful, in-depth, and easy to use. Players appreciate its extensive capabilities and intuitive design, making it a standout feature.
- Abundance of user-generated content (weight 0.6): The game offers a vast array of user-generated levels, providing endless content and diverse gameplay experiences. Players enjoy the creativity and variety brought by the community.
- Positive overall game experience (weight 0.5): Players generally describe the game as very fun, great, and one of the best games. It is well-received for its overall quality and enjoyment.
- Enjoyable and well-designed campaign (weight 0.49): The campaign mode is highlighted for its great level design, enjoyable gameplay, and masterful difficulty curve. Players find it well worth the purchase and a significant part of the game's appeal.
- Easy and intuitive controls (weight 0.26): The game features easy and intuitive controls, making it accessible and easy to operate for a wide range of players.
- Free to play with creative freedom (weight 0.17): The game is noted for being free to play, offering more freedom and a totally free experience, which is highly appreciated by the community.
- Enhances gameplay experience (weight 0.13): The game greatly enhances the gameplay experience by offering new and innovative ways to play, as noted by some players.
- Appeals to fans of fangames (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for fans of fangames and the 'I Wanna Be The Guy' community, suggesting it has elements that particularly appeal to this niche audience.
- Variety of themes and music (weight 0.12): The game offers a huge variety of themes, visual styles, and music, enhancing the overall gaming experience with its diverse selection.
- Variety of challenges and tools (weight 0.12): The game provides a wide variety of challenges and tools, catering to different player preferences and skill levels.
- Balanced and challenging difficulty (weight 0.12): The game features a balanced difficulty curve with various challenges, appealing to players looking for a test of their skills.
- Improves player skills (weight 0.11): Playing the game is noted to improve dexterity, reaction ability, and mental endurance, providing benefits beyond just entertainment.

Common complaints:
- Poor control scheme (weight 0.43): The default controls are widely criticized as being awkward and difficult to use. This includes issues with wall jumping, movement, and the inability to remap controls before the tutorial.
- High difficulty for beginners (weight 0.42): The game is noted for its steep learning curve and high difficulty, which can be particularly challenging for new players. This includes difficult levels and a lack of sufficient tutorials to help beginners get accustomed to the game mechanics.
- Community and content issues (weight 0.32): The community and user-generated content are noted for being problematic. This includes the perception of low-quality maps, lack of interaction features, and difficulties in discovering well-received works.
- Editor and creation tools (weight 0.3): The level editor is criticized for being messy, difficult to use, and lacking in features. Players have noted issues with the complexity of the system and the lack of certain functionalities needed for stage creation.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.28): The game suffers from various performance issues, including lag, stuttering, and FPS drops. These problems can significantly affect gameplay, especially in more complex levels.
- Hidden gems and poor design (weight 0.25): A significant number of gems are hidden behind walls, which can feel unfair and frustrating. The design often relies on players noticing subtle, hidden details rather than skill-based challenges.
- Lack of tutorials and guidance (weight 0.25): The game lacks comprehensive tutorials, particularly for advanced mechanics like triggers and level editing. This makes it difficult for players to understand and utilize these features effectively.
- Frustrating level design (weight 0.25): Many levels are designed in a way that feels frustrating and unfair. This includes poorly designed maps and challenges that can feel insurmountable, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- Physics and movement issues (weight 0.24): The game's physics and movement mechanics are often criticized as feeling awkward and unrefined. This includes issues with wall jumping, climbing, and overall character control.
- Repetitive gameplay and music (weight 0.21): Players experience fatigue due to repetitive gameplay patterns and having to listen to the same music repeatedly. This can make the game feel tedious and less enjoyable over time.
- Gem collection system flawed (weight 0.19): The game's gem collection system is problematic because levels are only marked as fully completed if all gems are collected in a single run. This design choice discourages replayability and exploration, as players are penalized for collecting gems across multiple attempts.
- Limited enemy variety (weight 0.14): The game features very few enemy types, which limits the variety and challenge in gameplay. Players have expressed a desire for more diverse enemies to enhance the gaming experience.
- Lack of updates and staleness (weight 0.14): Players feel that the game has become stale due to a lack of new updates and content. This includes a lack of new features, level packs, and overall game improvements.
- Lack of music and soundtrack (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for having a limited or non-existent soundtrack. This lack of music can make the gameplay experience feel less immersive and enjoyable.
- Language and accessibility issues (weight 0.1): The game has issues with language settings and accessibility. This includes a lack of certain language options and difficulties in changing language settings, which can limit the game's accessibility to a global audience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Comprehensive level editor (weight 0.97): The game features a robust level editor that allows players to create complex and diverse levels using various block types and design tools. This editor supports the creation of multiple level types, including needle levels, boss fights, adventures, puzzles, and mini-games.
- User-generated content and sharing (weight 0.73): Players can create and share their own levels online, leading to a wide variety of user-generated content. This feature enhances the game's replayability and community engagement.
- Precision platforming gameplay (weight 0.46): The game is known for its precision platforming mechanics, offering tight and precise controls that cater to hardcore platformer enthusiasts. It includes Kaizo-style gameplay elements that elevate the difficulty and challenge players.
- Campaign and story mode (weight 0.3): The campaign or story mode introduces players to various gameplay mechanics and features a difficulty curve that increases as players progress. This mode serves as a tutorial and a showcase of the game's potential.
- Inspired by Mario Maker and I Wanna Be The Guy (weight 0.25): The game combines elements from Super Mario Maker and I Wanna Be The Guy, offering a unique blend of level creation and challenging gameplay. This inspiration is evident in the level editor and the overall game design.
- Customization and variety (weight 0.24): The game offers a variety of objects, effects, and customization options, allowing players to create unique levels and characters. This includes custom boss creation and a wide array of gimmicks and items.

Performance notes:
- Performance and lag issues (weight 0.3): The game experiences various performance issues, including lag, stutters, short freezes, and constant FPS drops. These problems are particularly noticeable on more complex levels.
- FPS-related problems (weight 0.19): There is a 50 FPS cap, and the game physics are tied to FPS, causing inconsistencies. Additionally, many players report FPS drops and low frame rates.
- Compatibility and optimization (weight 0.14): The game runs well under Linux via Proton and does not require a high-end PC. However, it is generally considered unoptimized.
- Editor and upload bugs (weight 0.11): Players encounter fatal errors in the editor and issues with uploading levels. The game falsely reports lag when trying to upload, preventing the upload process.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.27): Many players highly recommend the game, praising its overall quality and enjoyment factor.
- Recommended for level editor fans (weight 0.15): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy level editors and creating custom levels.
- Recommended for platformer lovers (weight 0.11): The game is highly recommended for fans of platform games, suggesting it fits well within the genre.
- Recommended for challenge seekers (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those who enjoy difficult games and are looking for a real gameplay challenge.
- Play campaign before online (weight 0.06): Players recommend starting with the campaign mode before jumping into the online mode for a better experience.
- Try community levels (weight 0.06): Players recommend trying out community-created levels, indicating a rich user-generated content experience.
- Skip the final boss (weight 0.06): Some players suggest skipping the final boss, indicating it might be particularly challenging or less enjoyable.
- Adjust controls for comfort (weight 0.06): It is suggested to change the controls until they feel comfortable, indicating customization is important for enjoyment.
- Excited for new players (weight 0.06): Players are excited to introduce new players to the genre, indicating a welcoming community.
- Wait for full release (weight 0.06): Some players recommend waiting until the game is out of early access before purchasing.
- Recommended as free game (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those looking for a free game to try out.
- Hopes for more recognition (weight 0.05): Players hope that more people will recognize the game through Steam, indicating a desire for greater visibility.
- Desire for level comments (weight 0.05): Players express a desire for a feature that allows leaving comments on levels.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Players experience frustration primarily due to technical issues such as fatal errors in the game's editor, control and movement mechanics, and performance problems. Additionally, the game's high difficulty, steep learning curve, and lack of tutorials contribute to this frustration, along with community issues and map quality.
- Excitement (weight 0.16): Players are excited about the game's potential updates and the variety of features it offers, such as the level editor, character design, and combat effects. The game's graphics, level design, and the freedom in level creation also contribute to this excitement.
- Happy (weight 0.12): Players are happy with the game due to its fun and classic gameplay, which improves over time. The game's high value, being free, and its comparison to Mario Maker also contribute to this happiness.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players feel satisfied with the game's interesting story mode, well-designed levels, and the ability to create their own levels. The game's free package with lots of content and its functionality as a level editor also add to this satisfaction.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the game's variety of levels, level creation tools, and the overall gameplay experience. The addictive and challenging nature of the game, along with the ability to build and play custom levels, contributes to this enjoyment.
- Excited (weight 0.06): Players are excited about the game's features, community engagement, and future developments. The game's diversity, potential, and the surprise of seeing it on Steam add to this excitement.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's connection to the classic 'I Wanna Be The Guy' series and its long-term companionship over the years.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy due to the game's release on Steam, its free availability, and the passion project behind it.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's fascinating creator, difficulty curve, level design, and the effort put in by the developers.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are anticipating the full release of the game and its future developments, including potential online multiplayer or versus modes.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's high-quality level editor and the overall experience from beginning to end.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Players are happy about the game's creativity, community, and campaign, as well as its ability to connect people internationally.
- Pride (weight 0.02): Players feel pride in enduring long hours of gameplay and achieving high ranks in levels.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about the game's variety and depth of gameplay features, including its music and level creation tools.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players feel gratitude towards the developers for their hard work and love for the community.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the game's visual quality.}