- Fixed the bug that caused overworld collected scrap metal to count as 2 pieces instead of 1. - Fixed the bug that did not properly calculate the games completion percentage.
- Fixed the bug that caused overworld collected scrap metal to count as 2 pieces instead of 1.
- Fixed the bug that did not properly calculate the games completion percentage.
- Removed extra scrap metal from Metrovil to balance out collectable number. - Fixed the visual bug that caused Allen to be invisible during incubation day. - Fixed the problem that caused players to get soft lock in Uncharted Ravine if they run out of money. - Fixed the issue th
- Removed extra scrap metal from Metrovil to balance out collectable number.
- Fixed the visual bug that caused Allen to be invisible during incubation day.
- Fixed the problem that caused players to get soft lock in Uncharted Ravine if they run out of money.
- Fixed the issue that caused the player to continually ascend in certain parts of the map.
- Fixed other possible soft locks in Eden.
- Fixed the issue that caused noodle shop and mini game scrap metal to not be collectable.
- Fixed the issue with excessive collectable times.
Quick fixes include: - Fixed typos in Penny's house and Metrovil (English script only) - Fixed bug that would cause penny to fall out of bounds in the entrance to the surface. - Fixed the bug that cause players to fall out of bounds in Metrovil on lower end hardware. - Fixed bug
Quick fixes include:
- Fixed typos in Penny's house and Metrovil (English script only)
- Fixed bug that would cause penny to fall out of bounds in the entrance to the surface.
- Fixed the bug that cause players to fall out of bounds in Metrovil on lower end hardware.
- Fixed bug that caused characters to not be displayed when playing the game in Chinese on the stats menu.
- Removed extra room from the sewer map.
- Fixed one way wall bug in Tinn.
- Fixed stray student in Boulder Dojo
- Added a way to stop the player from being able to re-enter HIVE HQ after something happens.
- Added outline to penny in stat screen.
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for playing Mole Maiden! Our first post-launch patch has just rolled out and features fixes for the following discovered issues. Fixed the bug that locked players map screens and prevented players from being able to pick up new map pieces after f
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for playing Mole Maiden!
Our first post-launch patch has just rolled out and features fixes for the following discovered issues.
Those are all the bugs we have found so far! Thank you all for playing Mole Maiden. Please tell your friends and make sure to leave us a positive review on steam! (We really need that).
Hello everyone, and thank you so much for tuning into another dev update for Mole Maiden. Wow, I can’t believe it’s the end of August already. It’s been a whole month, and what a month it has been for Mole Maiden. There is lots of very exciting news to share, so let's not waste a
Hello everyone, and thank you so much for tuning into another dev update for Mole Maiden. Wow, I can’t believe it’s the end of August already. It’s been a whole month, and what a month it has been for Mole Maiden. There is lots of very exciting news to share, so let's not waste any time and jump right into it.
This month marked the completion of all boss fights in Mole Maiden! With this huge goal finally checked off I can safely share that Mole Maiden will feature thirteen unique boss battles, which I consider to be a very big accomplishment.
Long time readers will know that before Mole Maiden, I had never made a game with such a heavy focus on combat, so to go from making what many would consider cozy co-op games like JTTS and Tour of Aki Island to a bombastic boss-rush action platformer like Mole Maiden has been a very big learning experience for me.
Everything I have learned about programming Boss AI has come from careful analysis of the games that I play and experimentation. For example, one of Mole Maiden’s biggest influences, Punch-Out, taught me how bosses with personality and distinct characteristics can make them very memorably in the eyes of a player, and Games like Elden Ring showed me that the flow of a good boss fight relies not on the boss being aggressive all the time but rather picking the windows on when to make the boss aggressive and when to make the boss step away to give the player some breathing room.
Over the course of development, designing boss battles has got to the point where I could create and iterate on ideas very quickly. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone’s reaction to all of Mole Maiden’s bosses when the game comes out next year!
As some of you might already know, Mole Maiden was accepted to be part of the new Level Up Accelerator Program at Shawnee State University!!!
✨ Wow, amazing!!! ✨ But what does that mean?
Well, it means a couple of things. It means I will be spending the next two months getting a proper entrepreneurial education. How do I make a business plan for launching Mole Maiden? What's coming after Mole Maiden, and how do I get ready for that? Business stuff.
Next, I can get some awesome mentors. I didn't have many entrepreneurial mentors who have also worked in the game space at college. This program will fix that.
Finally, and best of all, a plethora of different campus and game dev-related resources will be available to me. Discounts to different game dev and legal services, entry to four major Midwest trade shows over the course of the rest of the year. But best of all, I can finally pitch to a board of directors and get a small amount of $$$ to put toward marketing my game in the last 5 months and giving it the best chance for success I can.
So yeah, this is a pretty huge win, and I feel really, really blessed to have been accepted! Thank you all so much for your love and support with this project.
During this intern spotlight I would like to highlight some of the excellent sound work done by Mr. Noah Girdler. Noah is Mole Maiden’s sound design intern and a recent graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Take a look at some of the awesome sound work done by him for the area Eden.
By the end of next month, Mole Maiden’s story will be done. And then when October will be over, the game will be done, but not finished. This is called Beta, and it's the last step before the game finally gets released.
My interns and I are working very hard to make sure we meet this deadline, so wish us luck. Also keep your eyes on our the socials to find out what different trade shows we will be going to during the remainder of this year. Thank you all for your support, see you in the next update.
To the Mole Maiden Community, This is A.J., the developer of Mole Maiden. As the title suggests, today the Mole Maiden Demo has been taken off of steam and is no longer available for download. Rest assured, this doesn't mean you wont be able to play any Mole Maiden until release.
To the Mole Maiden Community,
This is A.J., the developer of Mole Maiden. As the title suggests, today the Mole Maiden Demo has been taken off of steam and is no longer available for download.
Rest assured, this doesn't mean you wont be able to play any Mole Maiden until release. A new demo is currently in the works and will be published on steam on October 24th, 2024.
With Mole Maiden reaching the end of production and entering beta, I feel like the recent demo has served its purpose and now it is time to show more of what my team and I have made.
I hope you will look forward to playing this new demo with never before seen content!
Thank you all for playing Mole Maiden all these years and for your support in the development of the game.
See you all in October!
- A.J. Fulco
Penny takes a deep breath, and looks up at the gigantic door in front of her. Everything she had ever worked for has been building up to the fight she will face behind this door. Behind this door, is her big sister Coppra, the Burrow League Champion! Hello everyone! It's time to
Penny takes a deep breath, and looks up at the gigantic door in front of her. Everything she had ever worked for has been building up to the fight she will face behind this door. Behind this door, is her big sister Coppra, the Burrow League Champion!
Hello everyone! It's time to get a sneak peak behind the curtain and look at Mole Maiden’s final boss, Coppra. Coppra was an enormous programing undertaking, so big in fact that I decided to give myself a month to develop all her attacks. So let's get cracking and see just what I’ve cooked up.
From the very beginning, Coppra was meant to be a cool, flashy, bombastic spectacle that could also really scare the player. Coppra is strong, really strong, and also very creative in the way she attacks the player.
I’ve been drafting this boss in my head for over two years now. The different types of attacks, the tempo at which they play, even which attacks play during the different phases have all been carefully measured to make a fight that I think is tough but fair.
I know that it has definitely taken me a lot of attempts to beat her, but eventually you will learn the patterns to be able to win.
From the very start, Coppra’s fight was created with the following design goals:
After a month of programming, I think that I have achieved all three of these goals. One play tester came back from fighting Coppra saying “it feels like a balanced fight!” Very comforting words for sure.
Coppra has three different phases that ramp up in difficulty. Coppra’s fight is a condensed story that showcases a trait about her character that is not know to most players on a first playthrough. Despite Coppra’s friendly and encouraging persona, she does have some anger management issues.
Make her angry enough and she will go full primal hunter on you, earning her the nickname “the Gorilla Combatant.” This increased aggression from Coppra can be seen in the way she attacks the player. While ten different possible attack patterns or actions might seem like a lot at first glance, the complexity stems even deeper as each attack has its own reactionary behavior. What I mean by that is one attack action might behave slightly differently depending on the circumstances the boss is in when they execute the attack. Let's look at Coppra’s jump attack as an example.
This is the sub-FSM for Coppra’s jump attack. Yellow nodes are for actual attack logic, purple is for when the game needs to do any kind of calculations or condition checking, and cyan is for when the game needs to make a decision on something. If you read the path of logic, you will see that when Coppra lands on the ground, the game will check to see which phase she is in before picking which type of burst effect to spawn.
Since phase one is supposed to be very easy, the game will only create one upward burst at the point where Coppra lands, but after phase two starts, this single burst turns into a shockwave that spreads across the entire arena.
Behavioral changes like this are abundant in Coppra’s fight and help emphasize the chaotic nature of the fight. Coppra is after all, losing her composure with every punch that you land, and the sporadic and frantic nature of her attacks help the player feel that emotional shift as the fight goes on. (Plus the changing music for the different phases).
But attacks are not the only thing that changes as the fight goes on, Coppra’s body language and moves also change.
For example, Coppra will not ever make the first move during her fight. Instead she taunts the player, egging them on and forcing them to make the first move. This is actually a reference to the Don Flamenco fight from the NES Punch-Out game, which was a big inspiration for Mole Maiden.
You can also visibly see Coppra get more aggravated as the fight goes on by looking at her four different idle animations in between attacks.
All of these come together to make a boss that I can be really proud of. My goal as a designer is to one day make a boss that achieves that “notoriously difficult” status amongst the internet. Something that can be up there with bosses like 8-Bit Mike Tyson, Sans Undertale, and Melania. While I don’t think Coppra achieves that goal (I think bosses like those should be reserved as optional super bosses) I hope that Coppra’s difficulty at the very least, a challenging and memorable conclusion to your journey in Mole Maiden, and one that makes you look back on the adventure you had to reach this destination.
The beginning of July also brings with it the beginning of the Mole Maiden Internship program! During the month of July, I will be going back into each of the four Burrow League Captain fights and doing some tuning and code clean-up that uses all the new tools and things I learned from the last couple of months. The interns will be also be getting acquainted with the project's files and will start cracking down on all the polish work to do.
In addition to this, I have some exciting news! Mole Maiden will be at GDEX 2024 at booth A307! We will be showing a brand new demo, a new trailer, and a Launch Date! In addition to this, I am very excited to share that I will be a guest speaker at this year’s event! I will be giving a retrospective on everything I learned from developing Mole Maiden and running an indie studio. So if you are going, I hope to see you there!
Thank you so much for tuning into this update on Mole Maiden’s development! Looking forward to seeing you all in the next one! Till then!
Hey there reader, happy June! I've got a very long and juicy dev log this month so let's not waste any time and jump right into it! Running a Playtesting Program: Last month, I announced the Mole Maiden Playtest Program. A free-to-sign-up, volunteer playtest program to help me ca
Hey there reader, happy June! I've got a very long and juicy dev log this month so let's not waste any time and jump right into it!
Last month, I announced the Mole Maiden Playtest Program. A free-to-sign-up, volunteer playtest program to help me catch bugs in Mole Maiden. I have never done something like this before so let's see how I faired during the first month of running my first playtest program.
I think I should start by saying that I have never done something like this before. But I knew that playtesting couldn't just consist of people sending me their playthroughs and going, “Oh I found a goofy bug in the room next to the what-cha-ma-call-it and it did a bad. You should fix that.”
So I added tools to the Playtest version of Mole Maiden to help players give me more accurate information and where the game is broken. This included a dev console that shows any critical errors I might find in the game’s console and a text bar under the UI map that says the name of the scene the player is currently in.
But I couldn’t stop there, because I needed to make sure I told players how to properly report information to me. I watched a few GDC talks about indie game playtesting to try and figure out how to properly log user data. This lecture by Adriaan de Jongh was a tremendous help in figuring out how to avoid “evil data".
I decided to create an instructional document for playtesters to follow, and leave a link to that on the main menu of the playtest version of the game.
But WAIT, I couldn't stop there either because I needed a place for everyone to go submit their data to. I had a few ideas for this. At first, I thought it might be easy to have everyone email their bugs to me, but I didn’t because I couldn't see every bug that has been reported at a glance. Not to mention all the other playtesters couldn’t share info on the bugs with each other that way. So I decided to make all playtest reporting to be done via the Mole Maiden discord server.
But the true crux of bug reporting through the discord server is the allowance of me to use a discord bot to take all reported bugs and automatically make them into Jira cards saving me tons of time making tickets myself.
All in all, using automation to create assignments tickets and investing in a new WICKED fast computer meant I had more time to engage with my community and make changes and interactions very quickly. I think the first month has been a success and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the year goes.
Over the years there has been one element of Mole Maiden that has been admittedly lacking, and that is the Combat. The direction for MM’s combat has always been relatively straightforward. I wanted to create a combat system where the player would need to read their enemy's tells, react, and then go in to land a blow. The combat system was inspired by the combat flow in the Punch-Out games.
However, there was always a sore spot in what is a very straightforward combat system, and that is the “Coil Launch” ability. This move is an air dash that can be done in any direction and is also the tool you use to begin burrowing in the ground. Early feedback from players wanted this move to be used as an attack, but I was hesitant to make it an attack due to its broken nature. You see, the CL also makes you invincible until the dash has finished and resets its cool down when you land on the ground. Combine this with how rapidly a player can execute a chain of CL’s and you can quickly see my original concerns for how broken this move is. And the playtesters agreed. The CL made combat a mindless action of mashing the drill button until the boss felt as opposed to the engaging dance of death I originally envisioned for the game.
So this month, I made the decision to nerf the Coil Launch. Now it is ONLY a traversal method that can be used to stun your enemy at opportune times. And the differences in play styles are incredible. Take a look at this video of the same playtester fighting the same boss but one version of the game uses CL damage and the other does not.
The differences are night and day. But most importantly, the player is engaging with the boss the way that I think they should be to create the most entertaining encounter. This has been a great example of a key responsibility for a game designer, and that is you need to protect your players from themselves.
It’s easy for a developer to fall into the trap of making key decisions based on what the majority says is right. After all, this is your install base, why not give them what they think they want? But (more often than not) people are wrong when it comes to this stuff. As the creative lead, always remember that you know what's best for your game, and don't be scared to make the decisions necessary to create a better experience. No one knows your game better than you.
This month I sat down with Reggie, better known online by his artist name “TNH Nebula” to talk about his music creation process and some of the work he has done for Mole Maiden.
"Hi Reggie, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me! Why don't you tell the readers a bit about yourself? How did you get started making music?\
No problem! Let’s see. I think I started like a lot of game composers tend to start. I was young and probably still in middle school when I saw these really cool renditions of popular songs being made in a fan-made version of the Mario Paint Composer minigame. I said, “Woah, I want to do something like that myself too.” So, I found it, loaded it on my old Windows XP, and went to town. Over time, I got into making real MIDI using software on my phone and wanted to challenge myself with complex MIDIs of other popular songs. That was when I started making friends with people in my circle who were also just getting into music. I believe from there, my love for music took form, and I dove deep into the rabbit hole of music theory, VSTs, software, etc. It was an escape for me that I felt I could turn into something meaningful for everyone.
That's so inspiring Reggie! I actually have a similar story. My forte into game development started when I hacked old Pokemon games. I would make a bunch of changes to the art, or the level design and then would load them onto an emulator on my phone and play what I had made in between class.
(laughs)
Back to you though, it sounds like music is really important to you as a creative outlet. Do you have any composers who you take inspiration from?
Well, to name a few, I used to listen to a lot of tracks from Hideki Naganuma when I was younger. Oftentimes, I still find myself wanting to achieve that kind of groove and creativity, and I used to call myself Naganuma 2 (laughs). But I do take some inspiration from artists like Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Earth, Wind & Fire…
For arcade-like music, I’ve listened to various songs from video game composers that I believe shaped my core, such as Jake Kaufman, Yousuke Yasui, James Landino; I mean, the list goes on! And I’m not sure if other composers do this, but I have a ton of organized YouTube playlists that cater to a certain vibe, genre, or setting that help me visualize the kinds of songs to make. You can always find inspiration through continued meditation on not just the songs you like, but also by dissecting why you like them so much!
That's really cool actually! I love Naganuma’s work on Jet Set Radio.
It's also really funny that you mention organized playlists for different musical vibes. When Mole Maiden started development way back I actually made a “Moodboard playlist” full of all the different inspiration tracks I had for the game.
Would you say exercises like this are helpful when communicating ideas to the music people?
Of course! It’s a fantastic exercise. If you’re someone who wants to achieve a certain style of song, take some time to listen to a track and just have it on repeat, the one song or playlist you have while you do anything—chores, work, jogging. The more you listen to it, the more you have time to marinate and dissect each different part of the song you are paying attention to. You begin to understand patterns and techniques. You can also ask around for instruments that hit the vibe well if you need them. I can’t tell you how massive of a library I’ve collected over the years from experimenting with new styles all the time. It’s pretty thrilling to exit that comfort zone of what you know!
And the best part is, right? When composing for Mole Maiden, the practice I put into learning some new techniques during my time comes right back, such as reversing your kicks or other cool effects pertaining to chopping audio or volume adjustment to the beat. As small as they were, it helped enhance the whole experience, so yeah, it pays off too. Big time.
Wow, that’s incredible! (laughs) One thing that has always impressed me about your music is how well your songs are mixed. Some fan game tracks online suffer from what I call ‘hollow ear.’ By that, I mean the song plays correctly, but it lacks the fullness and background depth of a professionally produced track.
When I compose music, I often use reverb to let sounds ring out into the silences, which helps create that ‘full’ sound. What’s your secret to making a track sound so full?
That’s a very good question, A.J., and I’ve got to say, layers. Layers, layers, layers. I love them. Heck, I’d even have as many as 64 channels worth of layered instruments (laughs)! Backing melodies are the key, and I don’t just mean supporting chords to enhance the harmony. One thing I like to do, and I do this a lot, is to incorporate some complex piano rolls, but in a way where they fall in the exact same sort of beat that comes from the bassline and the percussion. And even then, I’ll copy and layer the work I’ve put into that into a second, different instrument that is either a synth, pluck, arp, or just a light string with the proper mixing and volume balance right behind it. It helps when they all have that unison, and it all just… works together perfectly.
But other than that, give your backing instruments an identity of their own. Some tracks have a bassline that’s very iconic, others have a sound effect that helps it stand out, and others may have weird-sounding arpeggios.
You know me, though. I like a little orchestra with my rock; I love a little disco in my techno. Give your songs an identity in every layer you can, and do not be afraid to experiment and just see what sounds good. Music theory is like teaching you how to cook or showing you how to ride a bike. The best chefs try out unique spice combinations, and the best cyclists try out tricks and flips. That’s how I’d like to see it.
That cooking analogy is spot on. I'll need to use that in the future. Your music is definitely very creative in how it seamlessly blends music and sound effects. It's been really exciting listening to how you use them in the Mole Maiden tracks we've composed together. One of the tracks we haven't shown people yet has a distinct buzzing sound. I remember showing an early WIP track to a friend, and they said, 'The buzzing sounds so threatening.' Hearing that reaction made me very excited for you.
(Laughs)
Well, let’s shift gears and talk about Mole Maiden for a bit. I’m curious to know how the collaboration process has been so far. I know you’ve worked on other games before, like Head 2 Head. How has this project been different from the others?
I have got to say, the experience has been a lot of fun in comparison. There’s a lot of heavy, hard-working rock, dubstep, and metal for the dark and badass aspect of a game like Head 2 Head. So when it came to Mole Maiden, I gotta say it feels really good making a soundtrack all about adventure, fun, and rising to a challenge. I’ve always wanted to make a really fun and melodic soundtrack for a game like this, and one day make soundtracks so catchy, so iconic, that others would find it worthwhile to cover and remix them too.
You showed some really good pointers through the process, and it was able to really help shape the goal swiftly. It’s a lot of fun to hear out the prompts that are fun in nature and just go to town with it all. Not to mention, the way you made MIDI’s for the songs that already exist or the previews you shared. You really worked hard, and I respect that to probably the highest degree. I’m sitting here like, “This guy really gets it. He does.”
Aww, thank you, Reggie! I guess I really am doing good at my job huh? (Laughs)
(laughs) You really did good, man. It’s been great so far!
I’m humbled! The aspect I’ve enjoyed the most about working with you so far is… well, actually a couple of things.
First, it’s been a lot of fun giving you a direction for a track, maybe some motifs and instrument suggestions, and then just letting you cook. Nine times out of ten, the only feedback I’ve had to give is maybe some notes on mixing or minor tweaks. You’ve never taken a song in such a radically different direction that I’ve had to ask you to start from scratch, which has saved us both a lot of stress. (laughs)
Secondly, I appreciate how receptive you are to client feedback. It’s very clear that you understand the importance of revisions during the creative process. You’ve always been willing to hear me out if I need something changed, which is great because I used to be really anxious about asking for corrections in previous collaborations. Is there a reason why you’re so relaxed about revisions?
Thank you! I have got to say, it’s all a mentality kind of thing. I always tell myself this the most: “Never marry your WIPs.” It’s easy to get engrossed in a track so much that you make a lot of work or spend so much time making it sound well and balanced that you fear the revision call-out. Most people can be very self-centered when it comes to how they uphold their tracks; others are very nervous about the process of revision and committing. But all it takes is a back and-forth to see where the project stems from and remember that your work is to help enhance and realize the vision of another’s passion. You gotta put yourself aside a little bit.
In any case, I like to be really chill and relaxed with the people I work with. Get to know them and their visions and build a connection based on what they feel works best. Building a versatile portfolio helps to pick out what kind of style to pull from and place into the track. Overall, I think it’s about approaching a client-to-artist connection as just one person to another person. They have their reasons for revisions, and you have the skills and knowledge to make it possible.
I think that’s really commendable and a testament to how much of a team player you are.
Alright, one last question before we wrap up. What has been your favorite track you have done for Mole Maiden so far and why?
So far, of all these tracks, I have got to say I enjoyed “Sand Highway City” the most. I feel like I really might have nailed that iconic sort of sense that plays throughout the song, especially because of the Mole Maiden motif. It’s one of those songs that gives me the effect I get when I look back and go, “Oh geez… how the hell did I pull this off? What was I doing?!” And I think if a song of mine can do that to me, then it’s definitely a song I feel I can be proud of in a timeless manner (laughs).
I wanted to go for a track that really latched onto your mind and stayed there for a while and could be covered and adapted to so many styles by other talented fans too. I think that alone would be pretty neat to see.
And if I could add to that, I think you absolutely nailed the essence of “city” with that song. When I went to San Francisco for GDC this year, I had to walk through the downtown area to get to a lunch meet-up. While I was walking, I was listening to that track.
That song was the perfect backdrop as I walked through the city, looking up at the skyscrapers and shuffling through the crowds. All I could think to myself was, “This is the city song!” (laughs)
(laughs) Yes! The best thing for me is designing songs for big bustling cities because the aesthetic of something like that just strongly resonates with me. I personally loved the chance to incorporate jazz elements on top of some funky synths and basslines. I thought that was a lot of fun.
Awesome, awesome stuff!
Reggie, thank you so much for sitting down for this interview! If people want to follow you or keep up to date with your music, where can they find you?
I’m very active on both Twitter and YouTube under TNH Nebula, but I can also be found on any music streaming app like Spotify or iTunes under the same name.
If anyone would like to contact me, my email is [email protected]. I also have a website with information on my craft that’s currently being worked on at nebulatnh.wixsite.com/tnh-nebula.
Feel free to stay up to date wherever you would like!"
Fantastic! Reggie, thank you so much for your time and for all your help with Mole Maiden’s OST!
You all can listen to our latest song here!
What's Next?
Announcing the Mole Maiden Internship program! A special internship just for students in Ohio! Have you ever wanted to help Mole Maiden, do you want to have a shipped game on your portfolio? Then sign up to be an intern for Mole Maiden and help get the game across the finish line! Applications for artists, programmers, sound designers, writers, and a producer internship go up today and can be found on the careers page at tastiegames.com. Interviews will start in two weeks.
In the meantime, I will be working on the FINAL BATTLE against Coppra this month, and cannot wait to finally have this HUGE fight programmed!
See you all In July, and thank you for following Mole Maiden's development!
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Mole Maiden progress report. Last month, I mentioned how I planned to dedicate the month to addressing technical debt, and that’s exactly what I did. Let's dive into some of the cool things I accomplished this month that will help speed
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Mole Maiden progress report.
Last month, I mentioned how I planned to dedicate the month to addressing technical debt, and that’s exactly what I did. Let's dive into some of the cool things I accomplished this month that will help speed up development.
First, I created new builds of the game and played through as much of it as I could. This process revealed many bugs and incomplete features that prevented me from advancing deeper into the game. Many bugs and neglected features were finally addressed.
A major fix involved the game's broken UI scaling. Mole Maiden's UI was notoriously only scaled correctly for 1920x1080p displays. But now, it supports all 16:9 displays. Fixes like these were plentiful this month, and they boost my confidence in sharing my game with new people, knowing that important information won't be obscured.
Additionally, I discovered that Unity has a built-in playtest feature that allows you to program code to playtest the game automatically.
Let me use an example: a notorious bug in Mole Maiden was the "Brain Dead" bug (previously known as the "Christmas Tree"). This bug would lock the player's input to a single state and was triggered when more than one Penny object was present in a scene—a fairly common situation given the game's size. Previously, I had to remember to deactivate the Penny object each time I loaded a new scene, then wait 30 minutes to make a new build and PRAY that there wasn’t an active Penny object somewhere that would cause a soft lock.
Now, I've written code that scans each scene in my game in three minutes, identifies active Penny objects, and informs me which scenes need fixing. This saves a tremendous amount of time and keeps this sneaky glitch under control, especially in a game with 140 scenes.
As I wrapped up the month, I reviewed the remaining tasks and decided what I could eliminate to support my mental health. I've decided to cut "Bacon" from the requested burrow league boss fights to reach Coppra. Bacon was a humorous character and a unique twist on a fire boss, but ultimately, I never developed a compelling idea for his boss fight. When I finally did, it was too late to implement anything substantial in the game's current state. So, he's been cut, along with his area. If anyone is curious about what could have been, I encourage you to hack the game when it releases.
It’s time to finalize the production of boss fights, starting with the Diamond Trio (finally). These are the three major bosses you must face back to back before fighting Coppra. These will be completed by the end of this month.
I also have a very exciting announcement. I am calling upon the Mole Maiden community to help push Mole Maiden across the finish line by opening a brand new Playtest Program! Starting today, you can sign up to be a volunteer playtester for Mole Maiden and help me find bugs, balance the game, and maybe make some suggestions that will make it into the final release. To sign up to be a playtester, please head over to the Mole Maiden Steam page and select the button to sign up for the playtest. The first 20 people who do so will be brought into the program.
I am looking forward to interacting with all of you to make Mole Maiden a better game.
Until next time.
Welcome back to another development update on Mole Maiden! This month, I've made significant progress, which I'm eager to share with you. So, without further ado, let's dive into the updates. Set Dressing: Following my roadmap outlined in January, the first quarter of this year i
Welcome back to another development update on Mole Maiden! This month, I've made significant progress, which I'm eager to share with you. So, without further ado, let's dive into the updates.
Following my roadmap outlined in January, the first quarter of this year is all about crafting and decorating the remaining areas of the game. This month, I focused on two particularly intriguing spaces: Okimagma and HIVE HQ.
Okimagma marks the game's final frontier. A treacherous descent just beneath the earth's crust, it's a land of scorching heat, dominated by molten rock and bubbling magma. Despite its dangers, Okimagma promises an unforgettable adventure, assuming you can handle the journey.
HIVE HQ stands in stark contrast as the nerve center of our antagonists, the HIVE. This technologically advanced institution serves as a formidable challenge. Your mission to infiltrate it turns into an intense enemy gauntlet, simplifying the design process but ensuring an adrenaline-pumping experience.
Last month, I kicked off an exciting collaboration with TNH Nebula to enrich Mole Maiden's OST. While I won't unveil a new track today, I'm thrilled to report we've created another absolute banger! Stay tuned for more updates.
In line with the development timeline, I've made strategic cuts to the game's scope, particularly around planned boss battles. This decision aligns with my adherence to Fumito Ueda's philosophy of design by subtraction. It's crucial, especially at this stage, to focus on refining the game into a cohesive experience. Ideas that haven't materialized by now were likely too ambitious or not fully baked from the start.
From now on, I also plan on making sure to create full-scale builds and play through the entire game from start to finish once a month to allow me time to see how the game plays as an entire package.
Looking ahead, March promises to be an exciting month. The map's completion will mark the end of alpha phase 3, a significant milestone in our journey. Moreover, I'm thrilled to be attending GDC, where I'll connect with fellow developers and share insights from Mole Maiden's development.
I'm incredibly grateful for your support and enthusiasm. Your engagement fuels my passion and dedication to this project. Here's to the next update, and thank you for being a part of Mole Maiden's journey!
Hey all! This is A.J. from Tastie Games! Just jumping on here to let you know that the Mole Maiden Demo got a new update for Steam Next Fest! Here are the patch notes: - Improved tutorials. The game goes out of its way to show you key mechanics that originally did not get explain
Hey all! This is A.J. from Tastie Games! Just jumping on here to let you know that the Mole Maiden Demo got a new update for Steam Next Fest!
Here are the patch notes:
- Improved tutorials. The game goes out of its way to show you key mechanics that originally did not get explained.
- Difficulting balancing. Puzzles, boss fights, and room have been tweaked to offer a more balanced play experience. Gleo mini-boss has also been balanced.
- Bug Fixes: Rappid drill ricochets and the "Zombie Penny" bug have been fixed. If the problem persists, please make sure your computer is running at 60 Hz.
- Enemy health bars. Enemies now have health bars to show you how much damage you are dealing to them. Bosses also have a special health bar!|
- Improved Combos: Perform a three-hit combo and Penny will throw a heavy attack!
I hope you enjoy these great quality-of-life changes. I will be keeping a close eye on the MM community to see how you like these new changes.
Thank you for all the love and support, and have fun playing!
Hey all, A.J. here. I just wanted to post an update regarding the Mole Maiden demo that I currently have available on Steam. As some of you may know, I have been frequently updating the demo alongside the development of the main game. This was a bit of a necessity because I spent
Hey all, A.J. here.
I just wanted to post an update regarding the Mole Maiden demo that I currently have available on Steam. As some of you may know, I have been frequently updating the demo alongside the development of the main game. This was a bit of a necessity because I spent a lot of time at the beginning of the year polishing the game's art and systems to prepare it for a longer development timeline.
However, maintaining the development of the game and having to constantly worry about making a new version of the demo that mostly features smaller code changes and minor graphical updates does not seem like a reasonable thing to do, especially going into the last year of development.
So I just wanted to let you all know that as of today, version 2.48 is going to be the last version of the demo I plan to release.
Thank you all for your love and support through the development of Mole Maiden! Looking forward to sharing the full game with you very soon!
Hello, good readers of the internet! A new month has dawned upon us and with it comes yet another progress report for the development of Mole Maiden! September was one emotional month! Just what happened in September? Well, let's jump right in and find out! Regarding the Situatio
Hello, good readers of the internet! A new month has dawned upon us and with it comes yet another progress report for the development of Mole Maiden! September was one emotional month!
Just what happened in September? Well, let's jump right in and find out!
I wanted to wait a bit before making a personal statement on this. As many of you may already know, Unity attempted to implement a rather predatory Runtime fee system that was slated to take effect in January 2024. Under this new pricing model, developers who reached a certain level of generated revenue or installed units would face a 20-cent tax every time a software created in Unity was installed.
What made this situation even more challenging was the lack of clarity regarding what exactly qualified as an installation, how these installations would be accurately tracked, or what the policy was for handling game piracy. This new model appeared to penalize indie studios and developers for their success, without making any significant effort to safeguard developers against piracy attacks. To compound matters, Unity intended to enforce this new fee retroactively, affecting all developers and studios with games currently in development or already released. Leaving many developers scrambling to figure out how to stay afloat with this new business plan that they had no way of knowing would be enforced when they initially signed up to make their game with Unity. Naturally, this had a personal impact on numerous games and studios, including Mole Maiden.
Fortunately, thanks to the collective efforts of the Unity Community, Unity employees, and the wider development world, Unity was compelled to retract its original plan and devise a more acceptable alternative. What is particularly fortunate for me is that Mole Maiden will not be subject to this new runtime fee, thanks to the version of the engine I am currently using.
While I am appreciative that Unity listened to our concerns and made the necessary adjustments, I cannot overlook the fact that Unity's leadership appears to have some significant issues. Consequently, while Mole Maiden's development remains undisturbed by this recent turn of events, my trust in Unity as a company has been considerably shaken. As a result, I will be exploring alternative game engines for future projects.
I hope that Unity will come to understand, in light of these developments, that they have a responsibility to their userbase as a leader in the industry and will fulfill that role with the integrity we rightfully expect from them.
The biggest thing that happened to me this month was that I attended the Cleveland Gaming Classic on September 22nd as an exhibitor. This was my first real public showing of Mole Maiden, and it went terrific!
Not only was the public’s reception to Mole Maiden unanimously positive, but I also took home the award for the Most Fun game at the show! Mole Maiden was one of five games at the show to win an award out of fourteen titles! Needless to say, I feel very blessed to have won an award.
I spent a great deal of time in September preparing for the show. I ordered stickers, created an original comic book, released a new trailer, and had a Penny face cut-out standee printed for people to take pictures with. By the time the show was over, I was so exhausted! However, the things I learned from attending were inscrutable. So, in case there are any aspiring devs reading, I would like to put together a list of the biggest lessons I learned while at the show.
1. Play Test Aggressively Before the Show
This might sound like a no-brainer, but it is undeniably true: attending a show is just as much about presentation as it is about getting people to play the game. When you've spent a year and a half developing a piece of software, you become intimately familiar with it. You understand its intricacies, and how to play it without breaking it, ensuring a smooth play session. However, it's crucial to recognize that regular people will not play your game the way you expect them to. They NEVER do.
During the show, I observed many players die in the first room, something that almost never happened when I played the game myself. Which led to the discovery of many new game-effecting bugs on the show floor—a real nightmare situation.
My key takeaway from this experience is to complete your show demo as early as possible, ideally two weeks or more before the event. Afterward, hand your game to a sibling or friend who doesn't play games at all for playtesting. Their lack of gaming skill and fresh perspective will provide you with the most accurate insight into how the least experienced players will approach your game. This process will help you uncover bugs that might be more challenging to identify if an experienced player playtested your game.
2. Comfort is Key: Provide Chairs for Longer Demos
One of the first lessons I learned at the Cleveland Gaming Classic was the importance of comfort during game demos. If you're showcasing a game with a demo that lasts longer than 5 minutes, consider having chairs at your booth. This simple addition can make a world of difference for attendees, allowing them to fully enjoy your game without feeling fatigued. Remember, a comfortable gamer is a happy gamer, and happy gamers are more likely to remember your game positively.
3. Be Generous with Promotional Materials
Promotional materials are your currency at gaming conventions. While it's tempting to be conservative with your handouts, I found that being generous pays off. Even if your print run is limited, don't hesitate to distribute your materials freely. Think of it as a marketing investment; the more people walk away with your flyers, stickers, or swag, the more buzz you'll generate. Not everyone who attends will stop by your booth, so spreading the word through giveaways can have a significant impact.
4. Multiple Demos, Less Crowding
Having multiple game demos running simultaneously can be a game-changer for your booth's traffic flow. During the event, I had two demos running at the same time, and my booth was often overflowing with eager players. To manage the crowds better, aim for at least three demos if possible. Additionally, consider making your demos shorter, ensuring that more attendees can experience your game within a reasonable timeframe. This approach not only keeps the traffic moving but also maximizes exposure to your game.
5. Leave Them Wanting More
When crafting your demos, it's crucial to leave players wanting more. A well-designed demo should provide a taste of your game's core mechanics, story, or gameplay but leave room for curiosity. Give attendees a reason to look forward to the full release or follow-up updates. This creates anticipation and excitement, which can translate into a more engaged and loyal fan base.
6. Go to Shows Closer to Release
Going to gaming expos is a great way to generate hype for your upcoming release, but it might not be the most effective marketing strategy. Mole Maiden is still about a year and a half away from completion, and some of the most frequently asked questions I received at the show was, "Where can I buy it?" "How much will the game cost?" and "Is it coming to consoles?"
That last question seemed to be a common one for many other developers at the event as well.
As an independent developer, attending conventions can be quite expensive and can consume a significant amount of time that could otherwise be spent on making progress with your game. If you're considering attending a convention long before your game's release, I would recommend participating in at least one show per year. However, when you're approximately five months away from release, that would be the ideal time to start attending shows and building excitement within your potential audience.
I think going to the Cleveland Gaming Classic this month was a wonderful learning experience. I got to put into practice a lot of important skills like marketing, creating and posting promotional material, making a budget and sticking to it, and finally, how to talk about and explain my game to the general public. Coincidentally, all of these skills will be used in full effect for my development plans for next month.
With the trailer, promotional materials, an overwhelmingly positive reception at a public showing, and a shiny new award to my name, it's finally time to start pitching to publishers!
October is going to be a month of writing and planning. I'll be wrapping up my pitch deck and reaching out to potential publishers. Additionally, I plan to complete my press kit and begin reaching out to various gaming journalists and news outlets to spread the word about Mole Maiden even further!
I'll also be dedicating some time in the engine to work on a crucial aspect of Mole Maiden's story that I've neglected for quite some time now. What is it? Well, you'll have to stay tuned for the next blog post to find out.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me on my game development journey with Mole Maiden. Your love and encouragement have been instrumental in making this project a reality. I'm eagerly looking forward to reconnecting with all of you in November for the next development update!
Finally, just in case you missed it. Here is the new Mole Maiden trailer for your viewing pleasure!
Thank you for playing Mole Maiden. This super small update features a few bug fixes that were discovered with the previous version of the demo. These bugs include: The breakroom soft lock was fixed. Dying in the first room of the game does not make you invincible anymore. Coppra
Thank you for playing Mole Maiden.
This super small update features a few bug fixes that were discovered with the previous version of the demo. These bugs include:
Super small update. Thank you for playing Mole Maiden! :)