Hi! It's been almost a year since the presentation of Naiad playable demo at Steam Next Fest last June 2022. It was a great experience for me as solo-dev and creator of this very personal game about flowing down a river and taking care of nature.
Many wonderful things have happened during this time! Thanks to some nice opportunities, thanks to all your wonderful appreciation and your great support with lovely feedback and comments, the game will be able to include many new improvements and content.
While the development continues, I would like to share with you some of the new features that will expand and enhance the game experience in Naiad.
Flow with flying birds
New animals have been added to discover and interact with. There were already many adorable friends in the water (fish, frogs, ducklings, ...) and on the ground near the river (bunnies, deer, sheep, ...).
In addition to some butterflies, bees, dragonflies, ..., there are now also birds flying by the air, such beautiful hummingbirds, hawk, flamingos, and more!
It's a really nice flowing moment when you get close to them, swimming as they fly.
Higher up in the trees
I have been iteratively extending this top-down layered river world. From the far deep waters to the sky closer to the player's eyes, there is a lot of new stuff.
Explore taller branches to find even more secrets, such as this curious and tiny mouse. Play here to solve little puzzles.
Finding adorable friends
Now in the "map" view, there is a new side panel with little images of the fauna that has been discovered in each area.
I'm trying to keep the game from being a list of things to complete or a race to the end, avoiding typical rewards or collective elements as much as possible, that could stop the player from flowing at their own pace. I hope you will find these kinds of stuff friendly.
New colorful biomes
Throughout the 16 episodes that shape Naiad journey, the sections across the river have been further extended with more content and areas to discover.
Some levels or parts have been completely redesigned, with visual improvements, small challenges, new fauna and flora, colorful biomes to enrich the view.
Strange artifacts
Along the river more human-related elements were created. Gradually, Naiad will have to face more obstacles, and the presence of those who, in their self-interest, have forgotten the importance of caring for nature.
A forgotten language
I have been working on an alternative storyline and ending, which have already been integrated into the game.
The legend tells of an extinct language, which hides the secrets of nature itself.
Inspired by the river, these strange and indecipherable glyphs hold a meaning known only by the clouds. On your journey, explore even more distant and secret areas, and with luck you will uncover a hidden story.
More Naiad news are coming soon!
I am doing my best creating this game using only my own resources. It is a lot of work for one person, but I think this is one of the things I appreciate the most about indie games.
I hope to be able to self-publish Naiad on PC and consoles towards the end of 2023.
Thank you again for all your great support and patience!
Kind regards,
Elwin
