[b]Hi ranchers!![/b] 🐴✨ I hope you’re all having a great start to 2023 ❤️ I have some really exciting news to share for [b]The Ranch of Rivershine[/b]! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/af683eaf7c69d0ea700877ac9a32b7d505499fe2.png[/img] [h2]Upcoming Demo[/h2] It’s finally time for The Ranch of Rivershine demo to go public… Well, almost! [b]The demo will be available on January 20th[/b], and will stay until the game is released. The demo contains the first season of the game and over a dozen quests to complete. If you’d like to [b]read in more detail what the demo will include[/b], I’ve posted a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1559600/discussions/0/3764479392870244314/]roadmap of The Ranch of Rivershine here[/url]! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/14a7ab1ba21100dc7e7cbf7a40297eb7e890a425.png[/img] [h2]Horse Statue[/h2] You’ll now find [b]a mysterious horse statue[/b] in the middle of the town square…While I won’t say much about it for now, make sure to keep a close eye on this as it will [b]help you uncover the story of Rivershine![/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/58a249478c075cf5ab0397da92356ef0eab86334.png[/img] [h2]Town Travelers[/h2] In addition to the villagers who reside permanently in Rivershine, you’ll now [b]encounter travelers as they pass through town![/b] These travelers are vital to the town as they come to visit stores, participate in the auction house and watch competitions. As you improve the town’s fame, more and more travelers will come to visit! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/343fb14c57f13be3efca397da60f0a638aa2f145.gif[/img] [h2]Chicken Flock[/h2] You’ll now find a flock of chickens in town! While not exactly friendly, as they’ll run away if you chase them, you’ll be able to see them clucking and wandering around town! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/d340cd63368543bdec532d688a9916bc6d3f502d.png[/img] [h2]House Furniture[/h2] I spent quite a bit of time this month modeling furniture and decorating the villager’s houses! I plan on adding [b]more variety to the furniture[/b] and unique elements to each villager’s house as I continue polishing the game. But you’ll already be able to[b] visit their cozy houses and shops![/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/11a30381cc71a9a28dc03ec06cce363f775bb650.png[/img] [h2]Villager Advice[/h2] As you’ll have a lot to learn in Rivershine, I’ve updated the villager dialogues to [b]include different advice to help you as you settle on your ranch[/b]. Each villager, depending on their role in town, will give you personalized advice. For example, [b]the trainer will give you pointers to train your horse[/b] while [b]the auctioneer will better explain the auction house[/b] to you. Make sure to chat with them whenever you're in town to learn everything! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/e37bc4ec76d991253f8bd6ed96ac3e73ecfd9cd9.png[/img] [h2]Competition Spectators[/h2] To make the competitions feel more special, I’ve [b]added decorations and small crowds of spectators[/b] along the cross country obstacles. They’ll even[b] cheer you on as you pass by![/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/a359efcd5e5728b4f9b50fb8adacc7a9c82f7403.png[/img] [h2][b]General Improvement[/b][/h2] In preparation for the public demo and with the help of beta testers, I’ve also [b]started improving the game based on player feedback[/b]. For example, I’ve improved the controls to be more intuitive and updated the map so it’s easier to find your way around. I’ll be [b]continuing to improve the demo[/b] until it goes public to make sure it’s as polished as possible for everyone! [b]Thank you[/b] so much for reading this devlog and I can’t wait to share the demo with everyone later this month! ❤️