[b]As 2023 is coming to an end[/b], I thought it would be fun to review everything that happened at [b]The Ranch of Rivershine[/b] this year, and look ahead to [b]what will be coming in the new year![/b] 🐴✨ [h2]A Look Back[/h2] [h3]Demo[/h3] [b]On January 20th[/b], I released the demo that gave you all a first impression of The Ranch of Rivershine. After working on it for two years, I was really excited to finally put the game in your hands, and over [b]20,000 people played it![/b] The demo only contained the ranch, the town, a handful of villagers, and was limited to the first season. Still, some of you played the demo on repeat, and racked up dozens of hours of playtime! It motivated me to get the Early Access ready, and with a lot of notes and feedback, I got back to work… [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/a9f81f365735a0e35edb798c759ccb93bae2d44b.png[/img] [h3]Early Access[/h3] [b]On May 12th[/b], the Early Access release went live on Steam! This version included the much awaited foals, in addition to new trails, new villagers, more quests and four seasons. Since then, we’ve had [url=https://discord.gg/xkvfprt]a very active community on Discord[/url] talking about their time in Rivershine and sharing cute pictures of their horses! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/8d0d5a77ff0df35583e47b497089ee07d31121ef.png[/img] [h3]Content Updates[/h3] [b]After a summer of bug patches[/b] following the Early Access release, I started working on the content updates and released the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1559600/view/3740858774960047744]Wild Horse update[/url] in September, followed by the recent [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1559600/view/3881603876772778643]Saddlery update[/url] in December. If you haven’t played the game since the initial release, you have [b]a lot of new content to discover[/b] including the wild horses, new training arenas, new ranch upgrades, a new villager and the saddlery opening in town! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/fe4160e2730801730ad494596faafe108d284068.png[/img] [h2]The Road to Full Release[/h2] [b]Back in November[/b], I released a roadmap of the upcoming content updates that will lead up to the full release of The Ranch of Rivershine. As you can see, we still have quite a lot to go! While I initially planned on finishing the game in 2024, I now expect [b]the full release to be in 2025[/b]. While this is a delay for the finished game, it just means that [b]I’ll spend more time working on it and adding more features to it[/b]. If you haven’t seen the roadmap yet, have a look at it here! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/693be0ebde271bfd2e8edb12130650d9a8147403.png[/img] [h2]Next Update[/h2] Before I start creating the next content update, which will be [b]Rocky Mountain[/b], I’ll be working on a [b]smaller update in January[/b] that will include bug fixes, balance changes, and smaller additions I’ve wanted to make for some time. For example, this will include the ability to sprint, to pet your horses, and to jump in the saddle from the back! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41079595/df48a63a1c7477ffb0fc7c7c73872507ecc37236.gif[/img] [b]Happy New Year everyone, and I hope to see you at The Ranch of Rivershine in 2024![/b] [i]Éloïse[/i]