Hello there! It’s time for a quick game update! So, what’s new this month? [h1]I – Polish[/h1] I have mainly focused on polishing various systems, including maps, dialogs, and some sounds: [list] [*] Maps: I have made significant improvements to the maps by handcrafting them. Previously, they were top-down renders, which looked cool but were not very understandable. Many meshes were overlapping, making it difficult for players to identify the platforms. Therefore, I took the time to design the maps manually for each level of the demo. I hope this has made them much more readable. Additionally, I have also reworked the icons, avatars, and map borders. Check it out: [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/5bd9171a52624afc6f1b556e463189ba6e30af4c.jpg[/img][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/807d534c95f7945e668628dcf0fcb43096b9bbb6.jpg[/img]Maps showing 2 floors of the same level. [list] [*] Dialogs: to make the texts and dialogs more engaging, I integrated a third-party library called “Text Animator for Unity” (https://www.febucci.com/text-animator-unity/). I initially had a custom-made system to display letters one by one, and I started exploring how to dynamically add shaking, growing, or shrinking effects. However, as I delved deeper into it, I realized that coding it correctly would take quite some time. Therefore, I opted for an existing library that already offers these functionalities. This has improved the dialog box and I have also reworked the speech bubbles that appear when characters speak. Additionally, I added interjections, especially when the player jumps. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/cc69f03517eeef2a5c29c180f6c2f3047ed1566b.jpg[/img]Little interjections to give a bit more life to the character. [list] [*] Sound Design: I have continued working on sound design, focusing this time on animal sounds such as ducks, cats, dogs, fennec foxes, and sheep. I have also worked on item sounds for doors, chests, arrow blocks, and cannons. [/list] [h1]II – Next Demo[/h1] OK, with all these improvements plus working on the content of the 1st chapter, I can finally see the finish line for the demo release. In fact… [h2][b]I plan to release the demo in July.[/b][/h2] I have just completed a “release candidate” build and will start sharing keys for people to test. So stay tuned for the upcoming announcements! It’s a significant achievement for me after all these years to finally be able to consider a part of the game “DONE.” Of course, there will be bugs and things to fix, but in terms of content, intention, and quality, I believe it’s all there… (for the demo, of course, not for the final game). [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/29e403a23cf606a9df50b6236f65290ba29b05d9.jpg[/img]Some new content: a species of flower. Very soon, you will be able to tell all your friends, “Go check out this crazy indie dev” if you want to spread the word, of course 🙂 As for the rest of the game, another tester has completed it (making a total of 4 people, including myself). There is still a lot to correct and fix, but I am gradually bringing it up to the quality level of the demo. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/539ee212b910a5d92212d330ebec88133ecccda8.jpg[/img]The first playable version of the home island from 2014. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38727857/03c7208846f2152235c8e4f37a25f0f1316b43dd.jpg[/img]Final version of the home island. And yes, now you can see all the other islands in the world. Quite some progress! [h1]III – Communication[/h1] Regarding the marketing, here are two main updates: [list] [*] First, I tried running Reddit ads, and the results are quite interesting. It has gradually increased the number of wishlists, so I think I’ll continue with this strategy and work on optimizing the process. [*] Secondly, I have created a Discord server as some people have requested. Here’s the link if you want to join: [url=https://discord.gg/bPnUzNrjyd]https://discord.gg/bPnUzNrjyd[/url]. However, there isn’t much to do or see on it at the moment. I’ll use it to share important news and updates, of course. [/list] And, as always, I’ve been focusing on bug fixes and code cleaning. I won’t bore you with the details. I hope you found this update interesting. As always, thank you so much for your support and patience, and I’ll see you next month! Take care and peace!