Fixes inconsistent sizing on VS Resolves some lockups in gameplay Fixes a furniture piece that could not be unlocked Cleared up some low-res sprites for Samar's outfits
Hi Spirit Swappers, It’s been an eventful year for our team, launching Spirit Swap, and we’re so happy to share that it’s getting even more exciting! We’ve been working since launch to add a bevy of updates for you to enjoy ~ Our VVIP Update is here! What does that mean? This is
It’s been an eventful year for our team, launching Spirit Swap, and we’re so happy to share that it’s getting even more exciting! We’ve been working since launch to add a bevy of updates for you to enjoy ~
This is a free update for everyone who has the game! Story Mode is getting new (voiced!) content so you can spend a special evening with your fave Demashq residents. Once you’ve completed your 5-heart event with each character, get ready to celebrate a night on the town and FINALLY see 5HAGVISION live ~ fingers crossed no spirits interrupt the show! In addition to that, we’ve got fashion and fresh characters added to Endless Mode and more.
Overall, here’s what you’ll find:
Head backstage with VVIP tickets! Finally take your bestie (or a hot date) to the show of the season -- that’s right, you’ll get to attend a 5HAG VISION concert! Let’s just hope the spirits stay on their plane of existence…
Enjoy Endless Mode in Style. Swap out Samar’s outfits and even other characters to play as your faves. It's purely cosmetic, so swap as whoever you like!
Be unchill with more Versus skin options. Challenge your friends as the original crew, with Samar's new outfits, or even as the new band members!
Unleash your inner decorator. With more furniture to unlock once you complete the finale, there’s even more ways to make Samar’s room truly representative of their taste.
Savor new CGs. Pretty pictures of your favorite Demashq residents. What’s NOT to love?
*Please note that the Mac build is on it's way: it should be ready in 1-2 days! Thank you for your patience!
🥳 We also wanted to share a special thank you to every one who’s continued to play, post content, share thoughts, and leave reviews -- every bit of feedback has been instrumental to us as we’ve worked on getting this update out. Thank you!
For everyone wanting the specific notes, here they are:
Added a new, fully voiced finale after you reach max affection (5 hearts) with any character! You can attend the finale multiple times, and invite anyone whose affection is maxed out. Every character has a new CG you can unlock, and we hope you enjoy the ending!
Optimized our Swapping engine! Gameplay should be much smoother and have a better frame rate.
Fixed the game opening in incorrect resolutions (e.g. 1024 x 768 or 800x600).
Fixed some settings not saving (e.g. button prompt style) across play sessions.
New skins and outfits in Versus Mode. When selecting some of the characters in the Versus character select screen, you'll see an additional button prompt over their avatar to switch between skins/characters.
Endless now allows you to play as anyone! It's purely a cosmetic change, so swap as whomever you'd like, including the five members of the band and five outfit changes for Samar.
New furniture pieces added. Once you complete the finale, those new options will unlock.
Updated our end credits. They're now after the finale (and we've added additional folks who've supported us with this update!)
To make the update even MORE exciting, we're also taking part in the Wholesome Games’ Celebration!
For anyone who hasn't picked up the game quite yet, now’s the perfect time to do so as we’ll be on sale (20% off!) starting today (August 7th) until August 14th!
And, of course, be sure to check out all the other wholesome and cozy games out there on sale and premiering this week ~ there are so many incredible teams and titles to support.
Happy swapping! 🥰
💕 The Spirit Swap Team
Hi Swappers! We wanted to send an update as we've got some fun tidbits post-launch that we wanted to make sure to share ~ 💗Updated Builds on Steam 💗 We've been able to update both the PC and Mac version of the game with the latest fixes, so we hope you continue enjoy swapping t
We wanted to send an update as we've got some fun tidbits post-launch that we wanted to make sure to share ~
We've been able to update both the PC and Mac version of the game with the latest fixes, so we hope you continue enjoy swapping the day away!
We wanted to update the demo one last time to reflect the game's current quality and state (our last demo was OLD, y'all).
We're happy to say it's up, so if you have a friend you think should give it a try, please send it their way! Please note that, for now, the demo is available on PC only.
We're just over 50% for the campaign, and thanks to the kind folks at Makeship, we've got an extended timeline! You have until March 3, 2025 to pre-order the Froggo plush.
Remember, our goal is 200 minimum orders for the campaign to go through! Help us achieve this goal!
And, if that adorable face isn't enough to entice you, remember THIS:
We hit our first, second, and third milestone goals of 10, 50, and 100 Steam reviews! We're well on the way to 500 (which is the ultimate goal 🤩) so if you haven't yet left a Steam review, that'd be much appreciated.
🌛🌸🟢🔷 And, remember: we've still got a major update in the cards, so keep those ears and eyes peeled! We'll let you know as soon as we have official dates to announce, but know that progress has begun ^_^ Wahoooo!
💗 The Spirit Swap team
Hi Swappers! It’s been officially one week since you’ve all started swapping ~ we hope you’re having an incredible time! We’ve all been chatting and lurking in streams, watching videos, and taking notes on all of your feedback and reactions to the game, and wanted to share what w
It’s been officially one week since you’ve all started swapping ~ we hope you’re having an incredible time!
We’ve all been chatting and lurking in streams, watching videos, and taking notes on all of your feedback and reactions to the game, and wanted to share what we’ve been working on in regards to bug fixes and polish since launch.
As a general reminder, you should have your Steam keys by now! If you haven’t seen your key yet, please make sure to:
WAHOO! Our first milestone goal was around 50 by the first week, and we’re already almost to 100?! Y’all are the best!
If you've been playing and haven't yet left a review, please consider doing so!
As a reminder, leaving Steam Reviews for indie games is one of the best ways to help out post-launch if you enjoyed what you played! It can help us get more visibility (algorithmically but also for future Steam-related opportunities) and reviews help us when talking with other potential partners (like publishers, funds, or even merch folks!) 🥳
These issues shouldn’t bug you anymore! Here’s the list of all the fixes and polish we’ve just pushed to the game. We're not done yet, though, so please continue to share any bugs and feedback via our bug report form and Discord!
Without further ado, today's fixes include:
Again, find a bug? Let us know!
The best place to let us know? This bug report form!
The Makeship campaign is LIVE and only has 14 days left!
Check out the page here and you can pre-order a Froggo of your very own (cheeks and all!)
The campaign will only fund and ship if we make it to the goal of 200 Froggos pre-ordered, and we're already just over 20% funded, so be sure to get that in ahead of the deadline to help ensure it becomes a reality!
Again, we've been SO over the moon with how the reception has been. From cosplay, fanart, snippets of fanfic, and even the first ever Spirit Swap tournament (!!!), you've made this a truly special experience.
Can't wait to share more about the upcoming update 🤩 But that'll be for next time! Thanks, and stay tuned ~ until then, keep swapping!
💗💗💗 The Spirit Swap team
Hi Swappers! Is it….is it really time? YES! ✨✨✨SPIRIT SWAP: LOFI BEATS TO MATCH-3 TO IS OUT NOW!✨✨✨ The game is officially available to play and we couldn’t be more happy/ exhausted / nervous / excited / asdl;fjkaqweropiu 💗 Words are hard right now, mostly because we’re feeling
Hi Swappers!
Is it….is it really time? YES!
✨✨✨SPIRIT SWAP: LOFI BEATS TO MATCH-3 TO IS OUT NOW!✨✨✨
The game is officially available to play and we couldn’t be more happy/ exhausted / nervous / excited / asdl;fjkaqweropiu 💗
Launching a game - especially right now - is scary pretty much any way you slice it, but we hope when you see the title screen, listen to the music, bop with Froggo, and flex your pecs with Ishk (you know you’ll do it), that our game that began way back in 2019 (!!!) brings you joy.
OKAY!
Wipe those (happy) tears: we have some housekeeping!
⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇
Beyond picking up a copy of the game (and maybe one for a friend 😙) the absolute BEST way you can support us is by leaving a Steam review! It doesn’t have to be long or poetic - although if that’s your style, please go for it.
Basically, not only are Steam reviews a way for us to have something (hopefully) nice to read and feel happy about, but they are an important part of helping provide evidence to future funders, platforms, and partners that Spirit Swap is something they should pay attention to. Our ultimate goal is to get to 500 Steam reviews 👀 Sooooo…leave a review. We dare you.
The best place to let us know? This bug report form!
We’ll explore getting an updated demo later, but the one we currently have is VERY outdated! So, we’re removing it, just so folks don’t get the wrong idea about the state of the game. We may have a refreshed demo in the future, and will keep you posted if/when we’re able to take time to make that happen, but right now? We’re just focusing on the launch!
As we mentioned in our last update, our plan is to get Fashion in a post-launch update out in 2025, and once we have a more solid date, you bet we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops.
The Makeship campaign is LIVE! Check out the page here and you can pre-order a Froggo of your very own. The campaign will only fund and ship if we make it to the goal, but the best part? We already have the prototype Froggo developed, and Makeship handles everything!
Yalla, habibis! 🌛🌸🟢🔷Let’s get swapping!
💗💗💗 The Spirit Swap team
Hi Swappers! Happy New Year! The holiday decor is stored, snacks eaten, and we are under 30 days (!!!) until we launch Spirit Swap. Ahead of the launch, we wanted to share our plans for the game: what you can expect upon release and beyond! It’s -- hopefully -- also our chance to
Happy New Year! The holiday decor is stored, snacks eaten, and we are under 30 days (!!!) until we launch Spirit Swap.
Ahead of the launch, we wanted to share our plans for the game: what you can expect upon release and beyond! It’s -- hopefully -- also our chance to share a little bit more behind-the-scenes and what we’ve learned as we’ve done this first game together as a team for those interested in a little of what it takes to make a game in 2025.
With this update, you’ll be able to dress up Samar in a selection of outfits to swap in style!
While we wish we could have included Fashion in the game's 1.0 launch, the reality is that making a game is expensive—even more so because one of our tenants as a co-op is to pay all of our contractors living wages, thus expanding our costs a bit more. Adding this feature in post-launch content allows us to get that final bit of funds to help pay our contractors and get the feature to you in a quality state.
We already have some of the outfit concepts from our Backers done -- while we won’t show you what we ARE using, here’s an example of two that didn’t quite make the cut…and one that did!
Our plan is to get this post-launch update out in 2025, and once we have a more solid date, you bet we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops!
One of the realities of game development is scope. It’s one of the tried and true tenets that if you’re making a game, you should scope down…and then scope down again. While we initially thought our scope could account for a BHYG Mode (an 8-player versus frenzy), once we got into development and discussion over it these last few months, it ended up not panning out in terms of what we could finish -- and polish -- to the quality that we hoped to achieve.
Now, will BHYG Mode someday make its way back into the world of Spirit Swap? We won’t lie: we’d love to try our hand at it again in the future, perhaps if the funding, time, and stars align. But, at the moment, we’re saying goodBHY to this game mode, and plan on focusing more on making the features we DO have in the game as solid as possible!
Some of the things we have been spending our time finessing include ensuring we have a variety of features to help folks play how they want to. So, we thought we’d spend a little time checking out the Settings tab!
One of the first settings we have to help folks out is the ability to manipulate saturation -- to help ease eye strain.
We’ve also included text animation! The game’s text waves, shakes, and even changes color to help ensure that visually -- not just auditorily -- you can sense how the tone of the conversation is going.
The story log is also implemented if you need to take a look back at what was said in the latest scene:
We’ve even included a different style of spirit (harkening back to the OG Panel de Pon days) for folks who prefer that visual style.
Finally, we’ve also added the “Skip this Round” button to the pause screen. We know sometimes you just wanna get to the story, or perhaps you’re just not feeling it that round. You can always skip and move on to the next round (or just skip them all and not do the match entirely).
These are just a few of the additions we’ve included, and we’re continuing to polish polish polish! Our main priority right now is going through and playing the game as much as possible, trying to catch everything we can ahead of Feb 3rd.
We do have some exciting news on the Froggo front! Over the past few months, we’ve been working with the Makeship crew to design a Froggo plush so you can have a FamiliarZ of your very own to chill with. Check out the page here (and be sure to visit it on Feb 3rd if you’d like to pick a Froggo for yourself)!
For those unfamiliar with Makeship, it’s a crowdfunding campaign-based plushie company. During a campaign, if we reach our goal of pre-orders for the plushie, then it becomes a reality! They will take care of all the manufacturing, shipping, and fulfillment. We’ve already got an adorable design, and can’t wait to share the unredacted image with you all soon.
That’s it for this month’s update! We’re working hard and can’t believe the day is almost here! Feb 3, here we gooooo~
<3 The Spirit Swap team
Hi Spirit Swappers, WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay. breathe. Yes. Calm. Serene. ✨✨ Cast spells, be queer, and crash the biggest concert of the year Feb 3, 2025 on Steam and Xbox!! ✨✨ We just announced the news on the latest Wholesome Snack: a showcase we hold
Hi Spirit Swappers,
Okay. breathe. Yes. Calm. Serene.
We just announced the news on the latest Wholesome Snack: a showcase we hold near and dear to our hearts, as it’s been a part of our journey since the Kickstarter campaign! It was only fitting we share this exciting news during the showcase.
Want to see the release date announcement trailer? Look no further!
(and turn up your headphones)
We’ll keep you posted in January with more details about the game’s progress, launch, and all those fun details. But for now? Thanks for sticking with us over the years, letting us be vulnerable with you as we go through the absolute rollercoaster that is game development, and for all the feedback on the Beta.
We hope you all stay as safe as you can this holiday season, you take care of yourselves and each other, and stay tuned for more!
Love,
The Spirit Swap team
Hi Spirit Swappers, Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye, and it’s time for our first update since the Backer Beta has gone live! Today will be a quicker update, showing off a succession of screenshots (ooo!) and gifs (aah!) of the polish and fixes we’ve done based on the
Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye, and it’s time for our first update since the Backer Beta has gone live! Today will be a quicker update, showing off a succession of screenshots (ooo!) and gifs (aah!) of the polish and fixes we’ve done based on the feedback we’ve received.
In the first version of the Beta, we only included the initial round of main narrative events -- what we’ve been calling internally the “C Supports”. These events with each character helped you meet them and get to know them. A little sampling. A taste test, if you will. Now? You can deepen those relationships further because we’ve added each character's second tier of main events. Their B Supports! Here are screenshots of a few B support moments now implemented into the game ~
The B Supports are especially significant because at the end of each character’s B Support event, you get to pick whether or not you’d like to move forward platonically or romantically with each character (with one exception).
Next up for implementation? The A Supports, the final main tier for each character arc! Wahooo!
It’s not implemented yet, but we’re working on a “Who’s Who” modal to help you keep track of your besties, as well as a “Log” so if you need to refresh yourself on the details of a convo, you’ve got it at your fingertips!
There are a bunch of details that we’ve been fixing up and working on based on our own internal testing as well as bug reports and feedback from the beta backers. A few of the highlights?
Fixed the “Got Item” screen to include dynamic text input (here’s a stinky test example for you):
Added Stereo/Mono speaker configuration to Audio Settings
Added Visual Saturation settings to decrease the saturation of all visuals (to help with eye strain):
We’ll share another update in a few weeks -- between A Supports coming soon, as well as finishing out the Room Hub, we've got a lot going into the build through the rest of October. Talk soooon!
Love,
The Spirit Swap team
Hi Spirit Swappers, We wanted to make sure that everyone got a hefty update about what we’re up to, as it’s been a minute. Two or three minutes, really! We mentioned this in our recent Kickstarter Backer’s update, but want to reiterate it here more widely: The year has been full
We wanted to make sure that everyone got a hefty update about what we’re up to, as it’s been a minute. Two or three minutes, really! We mentioned this in our recent Kickstarter Backer’s update, but want to reiterate it here more widely:
The year has been full of hard work as well as personal heartache and challenges for the team. We’re truly appreciative that you’ve all been patient and kind as we navigate this wonderful thing called ‘game development’ while maintaining our day jobs, and, well, everything.
One of the rewards for Kickstarter Backers who supported at the Witch’s Groove tier and beyond was exclusive access to a Spirit Swap Backer Beta, and we’re proud to say that we’ve reached that milestone! The Backer Beta is live today (we’re pushing it out and sending keys RIGHT NOW), and we’re officially coming out of heads-down mode to share what we’ve been working on over the last year, both in terms of development and regarding our launch plans. But first? Some enticing gifs for youuuu ~
Please note: if you are a Kickstarter Backer at the Witch's Groove tier (and above) and you haven't received your beta key by around 10 am PST today, check your spam folder (just in case) and then feel free to reach out to us at contact (at) softnotweak (dot) com.
The VO is finally totally implemented, and it’s incredible to see (hear?) each of our characters come to life. We had eight talented voice actors contribute their skills to this endeavor, and wanted to take the time to introduce each of them to you with one of their Versus lines in the game. To hear a victory bark, click on the character's name (linked below each image).
Want to see more about each voice actor? We've linked more info for each: just click on their name!
Kanon, Pookie - Jalen K. Cassell
Leon, Citrine, Iolite - Fiona Rene
Dio, Variquoise - Mara Junot
Cleo, Larvikite - Kendall Byrd
Theo, Lulu, Beryl - Anjali Kunapaneni
What’s that, you say? Some of these names don’t have links? And you don't know who those unlinked characters are?!
👀 We’re still keeping some snippets under wraps and saved for later ~
Continued polish is the big focus now. During the backer beta (which is from September 17 - November 12), we’ll be taking feedback to continue to shine up every aspect of the game that we can, adding details to really make it feel great to play. Here are some of the bits of polish we’ve added (and are working to add):
A snazzy “Got Item” pop up so you can really celebrate the gifts your friends give you!
More expressions, like this panicked Lulu!
….and this INTENSE Lulu!
Exploring more ways to add more information to the world map so you can keep track of how you’re spending your time in Demashq.
And more!
They’re still coming along! These two elements are still planned, but their complexity means they’ll likely be included in an update not too long after the main launch of the game.
What’s that? A fresh trailer? YUP! We are in the process of getting ready to announce the release date, which means storyboarding and starting to prep the launch trailer. For funsies, here’s a sneak peek at a favorite early WIP storyboard frame…
Blurry, chaotic, and cute. Very relatable.
…and the turnaround of Samar that Sam has been working on:
When deciding when to release the game, we’re not only take into account when the game is done -- we’re also tracking other game releases and event opportunities that can help us reach the most folks with the news.
Because of a few opportunities we’re aiming for (and for a bit of a full circle moment for ourselves), we’ve decided to release in early 2025. We’re tossing around a couple of specific dates, and depending on what additional support we can garner, that may impact which one we go with. (hee hee hee ho ho ho, marketing witchcraft and secrets)
As soon as we can share an official date, we will let you know! But for now, we sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed this update. We’ll be aiming to post monthly again now that we’re in the midst of the Backer Beta.
Have fun in Demashq!
💜 The Spirit Swap team
PS: SPEEEEENING
Hi Spirit Swappers, We have emerged! Crisp leaves, rainy days, and cool weather (finally) is also bringing in a wave of updates and news. Ready? Ready! Spirit Swap is coming in 2024 ✨ 2023 has been a year of incredible progress for our team. We’ve made substantial headway on the
We have emerged! Crisp leaves, rainy days, and cool weather (finally) is also bringing in a wave of updates and news. Ready? Ready!
2023 has been a year of incredible progress for our team. We’ve made substantial headway on the game, and are incredibly proud of how far it’s come along. I mean, just look at this early work compared to now:
Attending our first-ever physical event EVER this year (more on PAX West below) meant it was the first time we got to experience the joy of watching people play Spirit Swap in-person. It was immensely inspiring to our whole team, and a huge validation of the work we’ve put in thus far.
Our number one priority has been about creating the best game we can - inspired by the people and communities we love - while always considering the well-being of our team. While we’ve made strides in the progress of the game and towards a full launch, these spirits need a little more time before they can be swapped by the general public, and we don’t believe in crunching to do so.
As a result, we’d like to share that we've decided to push Spirit Swap’s launch to 2024.
We truly appreciate the patience and kindness you’ve all shown throughout this whole process thus far, and we can’t wait for y’all to be able to fully dive into the game once it’s ready.
Because PAX West takes place in Seattle, we knew we wanted to be sure and attend! This year, we had the pleasure of being a part of the PAX Rising booth, a celebration of indie games (particularly those who don’t have a publisher/are self-publishing).
In addition to a rare instance where the entire team was in one place (YAY!) we also got to watch and learn as visitors played two different available demos for Spirit Swap. The narrative demo…and local Versus!
In addition to the many kind words from folks who came by, we came away from the event with some memorable press coverage. From notable outlets like IGN - who classified us as one of the top games to see at PAX West - and Gayming Magazine, to getting highlighted by local journalists, like in GeekWire. The word on the street is that Spirit Swap is full of style and heart, and we’re SO happy to hear it (and hope to keep delivering!)
Another picture of a word doc? You got it! The major element we have left is narrative and filling the game with delicious, delectable ~content~. The “Golden Path” (the narrative backbone) of the game is done, so all of the work right now is making sure we have the events and chat logs to really make these characters come to life.
Actually, wait. Instead of a word doc…. How about the first glimpse at one of the CGs you could potentially unlock as you play? 👀 PRETTYYYYYY
One of the major recurring pieces of feedback we’ve gotten through our various demo forms is the request to have more character expressions to fully convey the emotions Samar and their friends are going through. We totally agreed! Here are a few of the expressions Sam’s been working on. Our favorite detail? The flowers that tie in with her emotional state! AHHHH!
See you next month,
The home stretch is always the longest, at least, it can feel that way, but we’re happy to be sharing this journey with you all. Thanks again!
Until next time, find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats To Match-3 To has been on our radar for a while now, and with its appearance at this year's Wholesome Direct during Summer Game Fest , I knew I had to go and check out the new demo. It's different to the endless demo that Alice wrote about in February, whi
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats To Match-3 To has been on our radar for a while now, and with its appearance at this year's Wholesome Direct during Summer Game Fest, I knew I had to go and check out the new demo.
It's different to the endless demo that Alice wrote about in February, which isn't available here. Instead, you get a taster of the game's story and versus modes. And with that, an introduction to some of the characters you'll meet (and maybe even date).
Hey Spirit Swappers! BIG NEWS AND BRAND NEW KEY ART! Not only are we part of this year’s Wholesome Direct, but we have a brand-new demo out NOW for you to enjoy along with a page refresh! In this demo, you’ll get to know some of Samar’s friends a bit more in the Story Mode and ev
Not only are we part of this year’s Wholesome Direct, but we have a brand-new demo out NOW for you to enjoy along with a page refresh!
In this demo, you’ll get to know some of Samar’s friends a bit more in the Story Mode and even try your hand in Versus Mode. 👀
As with all demos, it’s a work in progress, but what we’re most excited about is getting more feedback from you to continue to improve your time in Demashq.
At the end of the Story Mode, you can access our Feedback Survey, or just click here if you want to share your thoughts after playing. This limited-time demo will stay live until June 30th, so enjoy it while it’s out! Thank you so much, and we hope you enjoy playing!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
Hi Spirit Swappers! We have emerged! It’s now spring, and like the beautiful butterfly, we Wait. While yes, we are emerging like beautiful butterflies with lots of cool things to share, we also wanted to say that it’s been a while because we’ve been heads down developing Spirit S
We have emerged! It’s now spring, and like the beautiful butterfly, we
Wait.
While yes, we are emerging like beautiful butterflies with lots of cool things to share, we also wanted to say that it’s been a while because we’ve been heads down developing Spirit Swap in addition to balancing our day jobs and Life(™).
We’re sorry for the quiet period, but happy to say that we’ve gotten to a point in the game’s progress where we’re able to hop back into sharing mode. We’ve got a lot, so let’s get started!
Updated environments? IN!
World map? DONE.
Amazing emotes? CHECK.
Gradients for days? YES.
In addition to working on core features, a good chunk of time has been on polishing and making sure the game looks colorful, joyful, and full of that *special sauce*.
We could just sit here and describe it all to you, but I remember learning in 5th grade about ‘showing, not telling’ so why not show you a few gifs to illustrate what we mean?
Just as a reminder, check out our world map before:
And here it is NOW:
We LOVE how it’s turned out, and would love to know: where would you want to head to first?
All the environments and locations have also been updated and fully implemented, like Leon’s Tattoo Parlor:
And here’s the updated take on Ishk’s Beach!
Now that the world is all there, what we’ll be focusing on is getting all of the narrative in, and testing, testing, testing.
Speaking of narrative! Alex has been finessing the story of Spirit Swap, and while we can’t tell you TOO much about the specifics (this is a spoiler-free zone!) we CAN share this:
Okay, jokes aside, we’ve been really pleased with how each of our characters have come to life -- in addition to getting the story into the game to playtest it, finalizing VO is also up next, and we can’t wait for that!
In addition to working on story mode, Versus has been getting lots of UI/UX love so you can swap your hearts out (either with a friend or with a CPU!)
Check out this character select screen!
And as you pick your characters, you’ll be able to customize how chill (or not!) you’d like your board to be.
Rejon and Jenny attended GDC!
Rejon gave an INCREDIBLE (actually got people teary) talk about Spirit Swap titled “Inclusive Nostalgia” as part of a wider panel titled “Game Design for Inclusive Representation”.
Jenny - along with the rest of the Wholesome Games team - talked about why wholesome games matter:
The SpiSwa team also got to hang out with Adanna and Jenna (members of the Spirit Swap narrative team) for the first time ever in-person, enjoying some delicious ramen together! ;-; <3
WHEW! We’re excited to really ramp up sharing news with you all now that spring has sprung. Thanks for all your patience, and we’ll be back with more dev updates at the end of May!
Until then, find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
Happy Holidays, Swappers! We first want to share our appreciation for you all and hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and new year! After the excitement of Indieland 2022 (thanks again to The Completionist and everyone who was a part of the team!) we’ve been hunkeri
We first want to share our appreciation for you all and hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and new year!
After the excitement of Indieland 2022 (thanks again to The Completionist and everyone who was a part of the team!) we’ve been hunkering down on Versus Mode, polishing the Endless mode even more based on the showcase and your feedback, and prepping for the end of the year!
Each of Samar’s friends has a trinket that you’ll be able to acquire as you get to know them, and we wanted to share a few of them with you today!
In game, each trinket will allow you to equip a different spell – each with its own effect on the board – but narratively, they also illuminate aspects of each character’s personality. We won’t share all the details today, but perhaps you’ll be able to guess who’s represented here in the three trinkets below?
Any guesses? Let us know what you think!
We wanted to share a beauuuutiful before and after with you!
At the start of the year, we began with a general sketch of Demashq thanks to Alex (zoomed in to avoid some light spoilers ~ oh la la!) :
The wonderful Sam is bringing detail and dimension to the city with the final artwork for the overworld map, and (even without the color added) all we wanna say is… we’re ready to move. Our bags are packed. How do we get there?!
(Again, zoomed in!)
We hope you’ve enjoyed following along with development – we’re excited for 2023 to be the Year of Spirit Swap!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
Leaves are falling and the spirits need swapping… It’s been an eventful time for the Soft Not Weak team! We’ve been busy at work polishing up some LOVELY snippets to show off, and we boy oh boy are we excited to show them off! In addition to that, we have an UPDATED DEMO for you
It’s been an eventful time for the Soft Not Weak team! We’ve been busy at work polishing up some LOVELY snippets to show off, and we boy oh boy are we excited to show them off! In addition to that, we have an UPDATED DEMO for you all to try! Ready? Set? GOOOOOOOO:
First things first! We’re lucky and honored to be a part of Indieland 2022!
Not only is this event an amazing fundraiser for a good cause, but Jirard and the team behind Indieland always curate a fantastic showcase filled with indie games to keep an eye on.
To celebrate, we’ve decided to release an updated Endless mode demo, chock full of polish and juice we’ve been working on to help bring Samar’s forest to life! Below we’ll break down a lot of the details that you’ll see, but if you’re itching to get going, you can start playing the demo now on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592170/Spirit_Swap_Lofi_Beats_to_Match3_To/
A couple of additional notes about the demo:
Otherwise, read on to learn about what we’ve been working on, and tune in to Twitch on Saturday at 7 PM PDT to watch as Jenny (our producer) chats with the team at Indieland about Spirit Swap!
Okay, so first thing is we’ve been doing a lot of UI/UX polish (major shoutout to Réjon for all of the work designing this and to Morgan for hooking it all together). We really wanted to make sure that different elements of the game, different states of play, all of it will be communicated to you as clearly and quickly as possible.
This began with the game board! Because your eyes will be focusing on the spirits, you need to be able to, at a glance and with your peripheral vision, be able to determine your health and general status. Here, we have our latest iteration of the board:
You’ll be able to tell when it’s getting a little hot and you’ve gotta make some matches and quick, as well as see when everything’s a-okay and you have time to chill.
Elements like the SpellMeter have been updated to also more clearly indicate as segments fill when you make matches:
Even the spell bubble has some extra polish so you know when it’s time to cast!
We’ve also been working on dynamic button prompts, which was another big feedback point during our previous survey and demo (thanks, y’all!)
We now have the ability to make those buttons match whatever controller you’re using, and it’ll switch to match dynamically as well! Catch how this dialogue looks in action with a few snips from our revamped “How to Play” section of the Endless demo:
You’re familiar with the Endless Forest, as it’s where our demo takes place… but you haven’t seen it quite like this!
The original background is beautiful, but with just a little bit of parallaxing, and some time and energy, we’ve got it looking more in-depth in time for your eyes to enjoy -- huge thanks to Abelle for adding that extra magic and style to the woods (and our other backgrounds).
Here’s a more comprehensive look at the settings in our Endless mode. When you’re getting ready to swap forever, you’ll be able to adjust the speed level, difficulty, and spell loadouts before you play, to ensure it’s exactly the experience you want.
There’s even more to enjoy, like a brand-new song from the ever-talented meltycanon, additional VN UI/UX updates to make our cast *pop* during narrative scenes, and (if you’d love to help us) a brand new survey you can fill out to let us know what you think of the polish after you play!
Hopefully you enjoyed seeing everything we’ve been working on! We love sharing with you and are so excited to hear what you think about the polish we’ve added to the Endless mode demo. If you’ve got any questions or just wanna say hi, find us on Twitter (@softnotweak), our Discord, or here in the comments!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
Busy busy busy -- Things have really started ramping up over the summer! In addition to going full steam ahead with implementation (we went in-depth with Versus and Endless modes this month but don’t quite have anything we’re ready to show… yet), the main thing we wanted to share
In addition to going full steam ahead with implementation (we went in-depth with Versus and Endless modes this month but don’t quite have anything we’re ready to show… yet), the main thing we wanted to share is that we’re participating in a couple of events coming up this weekend!
We’re participating in two events! The first is PAX West: Alex and Jenny are both taking part in the panel, “A Case for Cozy: Why we (really) need wholesome games!” This panel will be live-streamed on the Twitch channel for PAX, so be sure to tune in on Sunday if you’re interested in hearing more about why we should celebrate the gentler side of the game industry.
In addition to two of our team participating in PAX West, we’re also showcasing Spirit Swap at the Gayming Live Indie Festival! From Sept 2 - 16th, Spirit Swap (along with many other wonderfully queer games) will be highlighted: be sure to check it out!
We’re so excited for Fall to begin! We’ll have even more game updates next month as we’ve winded (wound?) down from event prep and showcases. Got any questions? Find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
It’s gettin’ hot in heeeere…. But really, we hope you're staying hydrated and cool! We've had mini heat-wave hit the Pacific Northwest, and we've been WARM to say the least. In the meantime, we've been dreaming what the weather would be like in the beautiful city of Demashq, and
But really, we hope you're staying hydrated and cool! We've had mini heat-wave hit the Pacific Northwest, and we've been WARM to say the least.
In the meantime, we've been dreaming what the weather would be like in the beautiful city of Demashq, and thought we'd share a few more peeks at the background visuals that we've worked on!
We’ve been polishing up the environments for each of the characters over the last few weeks, and WHEW, things are looking good! From the beautiful sunset of Ishk’s Muscle Beach to the neon lights (and probably cool temperature!) of Kedsi’s LAN cafe, the world is starting to come together beautifully thanks to the efforts of Sam and Abelle!
Here’s a peek at the line art (by the wonderful Sam) for Kedsi’s LAN Cafe (we’re saving the finals for the future!)
Kedsi’s LAN Cafe is inspired by the LAN cafes Alex used to go to as a teen in Lebanon!. While Kedsi doesn’t work there, they’re unofficially considered part of the team because of how much time they hang out.
The other background we wanted to share is Mo’s Luxury Apartment! You saw a peek of it in the Narrative Demo that we released earlier this summer, but it wasn’t quite finalized!
Here’s the before:
And here’s the after!
Thanks to Abelle for helping bring Mo’s beautiful abode to life!
We’ll be back with more next month. For now? Find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions.
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
Hi Spirit Swappers! WHAT A MONTH! June was the time for not-E3 festivities to get into full swing, oh, and a little something called Pride? You may have heard of it! ^_^ We were especially happy to be a part of the Wholesome Direct and Future of Play (which you can watch here and
WHAT A MONTH! June was the time for not-E3 festivities to get into full swing, oh, and a little something called Pride? You may have heard of it! ^_^
We were especially happy to be a part of the Wholesome Direct and Future of Play (which you can watch here and here, respectively).
And, the DEMO. We released a limited time, narrative-focused demo to show off some of what we’ve been working on, and we were blown away by the feedback y’all gave us. (That’s why this update is a liiiittle later than normal, since we’ve been crunching numbers and going through every single bit of feedback!)
Let’s dive into this month’s update, and I’ll tell you more:
Most of what we’ve been doing since the demo (after taking a little rest) has been going through all the feedback and adjusting our priorities based on that!
We really appreciate everyone who took the time to answer our questions and help us get a better idea of what your expectations are, what we’re doing well, and what still needs work!
So, without further ado, here’s a very high level summary of what you & the rest of the community had to say!
You really love: the vibes! When we asked you to rank the different elements of the game thus far, the visual style FAR outranked every other element, with music as a close second!
In that same ranking (and throughout the verbal feedback provided in the form), it was clear that we could improve upon tutorialization and allowing for more time for players to get into the game and its mechanics!
Whether folks ranked themselves as total newcomers to the genre or as seasoned pros, the pace of the tutorial was another element that we got lots of comments on, and will address!
70% of players could correctly identify the square spell and its effect! For those who need a quick reminder: the square spell clears the top half of the board as well as converts garbage into spirits!
But, we also found only 56% of players would count themselves as very confident in using the spell in-game. So, we’ll be working on ways to help bring that confidence up with spells (and beyond!)
89% of players could correctly identify and explain the purpose of the Spellmeter!
(Psst -- the Spellmeter will charge as you make matches, and will allow you to cast spells as the bars of the meter fill!)
Quick shoutout to the person who appreciated the effort I took with Paint. :)
Despite tutorialization needing a little work, almost half of you rated the difficulty as a “3” on a scale of one to five, which is right smack dab in the middle! We were pretty pleased looking at the distribution of this curve, and happy to see that it skewed a little bit towards folks considering it “not as difficult” than “incredibly challenging”.
Regardless, we WILL be finessing AI difficulty for everyone, in addition to working on other fixes to polish the level of challenge in each match.
Your favorite character was Samar, and Mo was a VERY close second! Leon probably received the most verbal love in the comments, though, and we were surprised at how many of you requested more FamiliarZ content! :) It’s duly noted!
While we can’t type every comment that we received, you all had some kind words and specific elements that you enjoyed (and that really made our hearts happy)!
Things like appreciating the little reminders in the loading screens (hydrate, please!), the 90’s references, and the fact that our characters are HOT and GAY (SO many of you put this in the feedback!) We really loved seeing what resonated with you the most!
There’s SO much more that we’ve drawn from after reading all of your feedback. Much more than can be captured here. So we’ll leave you this month with a big THANK YOU for taking the time to provide both the heartwarming words and thoughtful critiques and hopes for the game.
The last thing we wanted to share is some feedback we hope happens in the future for ALL of us (you too!): more money and more naps. <3
That’s it for this month! We’ll be back with more usual dev updates in July ~ until then, find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team
The demo is live! We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the narrative demo that we’ve shared for Spirit Swap -- and if you’ve played it, please remember to fill out the feedback form (found here ). This demo is still a work-in-progress toward our final vision o
We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the narrative demo that we’ve shared for Spirit Swap -- and if you’ve played it, please remember to fill out the feedback form (found here).
This demo is still a work-in-progress toward our final vision of Spirit Swap, and we wanted to illuminate a few details for you: some larger bugs and polish we’re aware of and still working on…and even ~secrets~ you can try out if you’re looking for a challenge!
We’re working on making sure the control schemes are consistently displayed in the demo: right now, they switch between keyboard and gamepad (which is good for keeping you on your toes, but not for clarity!)
Here’s a quick overview of controls:
Keyboard Controls:
WASD or Arrow Keys -- Move cursor
J / Space -- Confirm (dialogue and swap)
SHIFT / K / ALT -- cast spell
ESC -- Pause
Gamepad Controls:
D-pad -- Move cursor
A/B -- Confirm (dialogue and swap)
X/Y -- cast spell
LB/RB - Raise Board
Start -- Pause
If you hit space during the loading screen, you may progress the visual novel dialogue, so spam space (or A) at your own risk!
While we think we may have squashed this bug, we’d love to give a heads up in case you happen to experience this! If you don’t hear any audio in the title screen (specifically the background music), try quitting out of the demo and re-opening. That should do the trick!
If you’ve played the demo, you’ve seen the Square spell...but did your eagle eyes notice two other spell shapes to the right and left of the trusty SQUARE spell during the tutorial?
If you’re looking for a special challenge, you can try out these two secret spells: Diamond and X!
They’re implemented in the demo, and technically playable, but we didn’t want to (officially) tutorialize and test them quite yet…but, who’re we to stop you if you wanted to give ‘em a try?
If you’re wanting to step up your swapping game, the shapes you need to make to cast DIAMOND and X are listed below (the red shapes indicate the same color spirits that must be placed):
DIAMOND
X
Like the SQUARE spell, both cost one bar on the Spellmeter to cast!
Enjoy, and let us know if you happen to cast one (or both!) successfully!
If you want to chat with us, you can always hop into our Discord, find us on Twitter, or send us an email at [email protected]!
Hi Swappers! A special update from the Spirit Swap team! We alluded to the fact that we’d have a shiny new demo available in the near future, and we’re excited to tell you: THE FUTURE IS NOW! That’s right! There’s a limited-time, narrative demo for Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Matc
We alluded to the fact that we’d have a shiny new demo available in the near future, and we’re excited to tell you: THE FUTURE IS NOW!
That’s right!
This demo is a small taste of our story mode gameplay. In it, we’ll introduce you to Leon and Mo, two of Samar’s best friends. What’re they up to? What’s on their minds? You gotta play to see!
A few things to keep in mind:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592170/Spirit_Swap_Lofi_Beats_to_Match3_To/
Thanks so much for all your support, and hope you enjoy the demo!
Love,
The Spirit Swap Team