The core tail-waggling movement is quite interesting. It was satisfying to spend a brief period of time getting comfortable with this novel propulsion, and there's just enough environment design here to give a proper context for learning the nuances of movement.

I like the inclusion of the predators (I would have gotten bored even faster given just a peaceful pond to vibe in). There's a part of myself that desires their threat to be more present, but I think the natural flow between danger and safety probably works better for what this game is going for. I especially like the mechanic where eating each piece of food broadcasts your location to the predators.

The primary joy is getting into the rhythm that allows you to zoom across the water. I suspect the game is intended to be about oscillating between swift and relaxed movement, but I almost exclusively lived in the former world. The small field of view and rock obstacles are suggestions that you shouldn't exist as a being of pure motion, although not in an overtly punishing way. I tried experimenting with hiding in the lili pads, but that never came close to rivaling the utility of a non-stop nomadic life style

I got bored after about 20 minutes, yet still found playing this worthwhile. Also shoutout to the using water color to depict water, i'm going to pretend this game exists just for that artistic pun.

Also read this cool devlog from the developer
https://ninjadodo.itch.io/guppy/devlog/47496/guppy-designing-unconventional-input-for-natural-movement