I don't know anything about game dev, but just a bit of support on the feedback:
> feedback was tough: No clear goal, felt aimless. -
There are plenty of successful games that fit this description. There are plenty of unsuccessful ones as well. I would encourage you to lean in to the type of game you want to make. If the game is suppose to be an escape, does it bring that feeling? If the game is suppose to be fun, is it actually fun to play?
Most things just take time to learn. You probably won't get any worse at game design as time progresses, so you are doing the right things and the suggestions in this thread should help you on the path you are already on.
> feedback was tough: No clear goal, felt aimless. -
There are plenty of successful games that fit this description. There are plenty of unsuccessful ones as well. I would encourage you to lean in to the type of game you want to make. If the game is suppose to be an escape, does it bring that feeling? If the game is suppose to be fun, is it actually fun to play?
Most things just take time to learn. You probably won't get any worse at game design as time progresses, so you are doing the right things and the suggestions in this thread should help you on the path you are already on.