Today, version 1.0.0 of FREM Sprite32! is complete and released as Windows and macOS builds. It has taken a lot of hard work over the past year to get to this point, and I'm really happy with how the game has turned out. Check out the manual, tutorials, challenges, and code samples scattered throughout the system and hack out some FREMScript to bring the Sprite32! to life. Don't forget to grab your favorite headphones and chill out to the synth soundtrack by Interface Type Seven while you hammer out those lines of code.
What's next on the Road map?
For now I'll focus on patching any bugs that surface, as well as collecting feedback from the players. If you have any comments, concerns, bugs, or cool FREMScript programs to share, please leave a comment on the Steam community page. I can't wait to see your cool programs!
I have a number of ideas for additional content for the Sprite32! going into the future. Some of these include prototype concepts that didn't make the early cuts in development, some are based on feedback from play testers and FREMScript contributors, and still more are from sticky notes on the development board that I have yet to start.
Why not Early Access?
I've been developing the game for the past 11 months, and it is feature complete. It may have a few rough edges, there could be some bugs lurking here and there, and there are certainly improvements and optimizations that can be made. That being said, the game has everything I set out to create, and far more than I'd originally spec'd in the early design phases (the last month has included a plethora of language improvements and new features). Lastly, the game has been in early access on other platforms, and has been in private beta for the past few months here on Steam.
This isn't to say that I won't be pushing updates from time-to-time, or even on a more regular cadence. Rather, this frees me up to address any major bugs/issues that could come up, and then to start deep-diving into larger sets of features without having to worry about stopping at predefined intervals. Moreover, I've been jamming pretty steadily for the past several months to wrap up the final stages of this game. As a development shop of 1, I'm a bit overdue for a break -- I've got a bunch of catching up to do on the ever-growing list of programming and puzzle games that have recently come out!
