I was thinking a bit, there is a HUGE number of flash games here on Armor Games. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are downright horrible.
So, it's relatively easy to say what makes a good game: sparky graphics, being both challenging enough to engage the player, but easy enough to beat without pissing the player off too many times, etc. (yeah, easier said than done)
However, I think that there are many things which can completely ruin a game which would otherwise be excellent, and that such mistakes can easily be prevented if the games creator is aware that they are going to make the game worse for the players.
For example, imagine a hypothetical shooting game, let's name it "Rise of the Sho(t)gun", about some time traveler with a shotgun who ends up in Warring States Japan.
Now, the creator might decide to force the player to go to extreme lengths to conserve ammo, to make it more realistic, which can severely hamper gameplay in a game which already has a ridiculous premise. (Yay, I get too shoot Nobunaga! Wait, what, NO AMMO!)
Or, they might decide to make "Rise of the Sho(t)gun" a sidescrolling shooter/strategy hybrid game where the player commands his feudal underlings while making holes in people with the shotgun, but has too many commands, no key customization and poor camera control.
Or, the game uses extremely contrasted graphics (all red and black, for example) which makes it an eyesore to play for a longer while...
And so on... You get the picture.
What do you say, folks? What are the things that just make you close the game window and play something else?
PS Try not to state only your personal preferences, but things that you think could ruin a game for most people
PPS No, I am not making that game. It's just an example.
Lak of pause button ruins game pretty easily, expesially if game is long, and same thing with save avability(some games are good withouting save-posibility, but usually they are short).
One thing that I hate is when a game is completely unbalanced. Like, an RPG, where you can one-shot everything you come across, and then suddenly you go on a mission where the enemies can kill you in half a second. Guess that's sort of what you wrote about it not being too hard and too easy, but at least if it's one or the other you know what to expect.
One of my big pet peeves (amongst many) is when flash game developers try and use internet humour and/or 4chan jokes in their games, it just feels forced and makes me want to hit the back button.
Also I really hate when a new game comes out with an original idea, it does relatively well, then for the next 6 months we have to endure countless clones of the original by un-imaginative developers attempting to 'cash in' on somebody else's success.
really bad humor (at least that that is the purpose of the game) full of bugs and glitches (at least that you do a game named the glitch game) asking lots of cash
being both challenging enough to engage the player, but easy enough to beat without pissing the player off too many times
look at gemcraft, it takes lots of time but it iss one of the best games
One thing that I hate is when a game is completely unbalanced. Like, an RPG, where you can one-shot everything you come across, and then suddenly you go on a mission where the enemies can kill you in half a second. Guess that's sort of what you wrote about it not being too hard and too easy, but at least if it's one or the other you know what to expect.
Yah, I agree with that, unbalace runis game.If your enemies are overpowered, game is like "F*ck died 30 times at first enemy!", and if you are overpowered, its kinda boring just slaughtering enemeis.
