I can see that way with blending taking most/all of your spirit. I think I might have the fall issue fixed... or better than it was. I'll need more testing.

So far, this definitely works fitting from a to z (and the opposite dir) "x"s are the floor sprites.

xxxxxxxxx

....x..A.

....x.xxx

.Z....xxx

xxxxxxxxx

This may still require dropping into walk/blend mode if you get in an awkward offset

....A..

xx.xxxx

..Z....

xxxxxxx

I like the different type of enemy idea. I might dumb it down so you just can't sneak behind them and they'll always run at you. I'm afraid of how much more complexity I can add before QB starts choking. lol

I also like the Grinch idea. Maybe I'll make him look like a generic robber instead as I don't think I can draw the Grinch. lol. Also present sprite would then be randomly generated somewhere on the level that's not a used sprite location.. If I add gravity to it, it would fall to the floor... hmm... it could also fall off the level if spawns on top of a pit though. haha

I got it. I'll just iterate through the level floor tiles that don't have a sprite on the space above it of it. Then pick one of those locations at random. It maybe I'll have it still decrease from the amount needed to deliver so if you deliver it, you get an extra present delivered but it's not needed as it could still spawn somewhere inaccessible.

Like, this would still be possible ('x's are floor sprites, 'p' is spawned present)

.....................

.....................

x..xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx..x

....x........x.......

....x...P....x.......

....xxxxxxxxxx.......

.....................

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

edit 1/14: I added the new enemies to the game today (no demo). The"runner" enemy seems to work pretty well as a harder snooper. I couldn't draw a good robber so that enemy became a penguin thief lol. I also decided that the safest route to go with stolen present placement was to use invisible placeholder item for the placement possibilities that are set in the level editor. When the thief takes your present, it picks one of these at random and puts it there. That way I can be sure it's not getting placed in a weird spot or where an enemy will mess with it.