Witherspring Wilds Playtest now available!
There’s so much to do in Witherspring Wilds - Building, Farming, Mining, Crafting, Creature Taming, Fighting, Exploration and Magic… how will you shape the Wilds? It was the massive demo of Aground that brought it to life! Now, we just released a free demo of Witherspring Wilds o
There’s so much to do in Witherspring Wilds - Building, Farming, Mining, Crafting, Creature Taming, Fighting, Exploration and Magic… how will you shape the Wilds?
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/4410020/Witherspring_Wilds/"][/dynamiclink]
It was the massive demo of Aground that brought it to life! Now, we just released a free demo of Witherspring Wilds on Steam and Armor Games. Give it a try and let us know what you think of the game so far!
You can also view our Roadmap to see what is coming next!
FAQ: Will Witherspring Wilds have any connection to Aground?
I'm actually undecided at this point. There's already similarities and easter eggs to Aground, and I'm definitely planning more (for example, Wyrms that can be raised into Dragons will definitely be added to WW). I might just leave it at that, but I do have some ideas of how to merge the two game universes if I want something stronger later.
Imagine you wake up underground having missed the Apocalypse. At first, it takes all your energy just to survive, but after setting up a semi-automated base and waking up other survivors to help you operate machinery, you can focus your attention on returning to the surface and learning more about what happened to Earth while you were sleeping. The story has several revelations and takes place during the events of the original Aground game, but you do not need to have played Aground to enjoy Aground Zero.
[previewyoutube=2gHgCtvtSLs;full][/previewyoutube]
As you unlock and upgrade new technologies and improve your base, you’ll be able to take on projects like returning to space, finding survivors across the galaxy and even confronting the threat that destroyed Earth in the first place. And if that wasn’t cool enough, you can even learn the secrets of magic and ride your own dragon!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZBzHsZscfo
We entered Early Access a little over a year ago, after finishing the core gameplay concept (base building and reaching the surface). During that year, we added a ton of content and features, including:
The demo has about an hour of content and includes a lot of the underground base building elements - including waking up and managing survivors.
The translator also said it was tough to distinguish the lower case u from v in the default font (and I've had complaints about the font before), so I edited it to be crisper and have a larger difference between the two - and this will affect all languages that use the default font!
Aground is also 66% for the Steam Autumn Sale - so if you haven't gotten Aground yet, or hesitated because it wasn't available in Spanish, now's your chance!
This update also includes the big blocks version of the executable, which removes the 1GB memory restriction. Some players have already been using it, and it is less likely to crash due to running out of memory.
We're also going to include Aground in Whitethorn's 8-year anniversary sale! Whitethorn is the console publisher of Aground, and we've been with them for many of those 8 years, so we're happy to celebrate! The sale starts today at 10am PDT, so if you haven't gotten Aground yet, today's a great time to pick it up!
If you played the original Aground, you’ll see plenty of references, easter eggs, and even a few familiar faces! If not, don’t worry - knowledge of the original is not necessary to play Aground Zero.
After talking to the backers, some of these items were released publicly, but many (especially the appearance-only items) were kept private. However, after the recent update, I was asked to release these last items as DLC, and so these last exclusive items are now available with this DLC!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2382320/Aground__Backer_Items/
Pricing this DLC was strange, as the kickstarter backers needed to back at $40 to get all the items, but half of these items were already released publicly, and people must own the base game to buy the DLC. We decided $10 was a good compromise.
This DLC includes:
If you want EVERY item ever created for the game, I also added the web specials to the Steam Workshop (previously available on mod.io):
After finishing , the Visual Novel we made right before starting Aground, we had many ideas for better story-based games. But, at the time, we decided to hold off on them because of how challenging the visual novel market is. However, we both really like the magical school setting and kept trying to think of ways to make our witchy game idea better. We had loads of ideas before, during and after Aground’s development - from a tower-defense based game, to a multiplayer-only game. But, eventually we settled on a management/simulation style game where you can recruit, train, and battle with your witches - sort of like Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
This game is Stardander School for Witches, a narrative-heavy RPG rich in lore and worldbuilding, focusing on Dare (the fae cat you play as) and the witches she recruits. You can view the trailer for Stardander School for Witches below:
[previewyoutube=HadLlt2nqkg;full][/previewyoutube]
Stardander School for Witches will release Fall 2022, and you can wishlist it right now on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1733050/Stardander_School_for_Witches
We also wanted to do something directly related to Aground, but I always want to try something new, and making DLC for the base game just didn’t excite me. I wanted to change the art style, as a lot of people didn’t like the pixel art. The idea for Aground Zero came to me when I was reminiscing about one of our first commercial projects, I Can’t Escape: Darkness (ICED), which was a 3D game. I really liked a lot of the things I did for ICED, especially the lighting system (and I even had plans for a sequel), and I thought - why not make a 3D Aground spinoff? This idea was shortly before April, and prompted the April Fool’s joke of Aground: Minecraft Edition - a farcical but also partially true joke.
Aground Zero takes place during the events of the main game - but deep underground on Earth where you are one of the few survivors of the bombardment. You have to build up a bunker and rescue other survivors and eventually make your way to the surface. While it’ll have the mining and crafting of Aground, it’ll focus more on the base building aspects - taking the ideas from my scrapped colony update for Aground. You can view a short teaser for Aground Zero below:
[previewyoutube=6dYxpTJZCjI;full][/previewyoutube]
You can wishlist Aground Zero on Steam now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1795570/Aground_Zero/
As if making two games at the same time wasn’t enough, when the Spooktober visual novel jam came around, we couldn’t resist making a halloween-themed spinoff of Stardander. The core mechanics are the same as Stardander School for Witches, but the story, characters and enemies were all made in the month of September for the jam.
Stardander Revenant is short (1-2 hours) and story-focused, but I definitely like the interactions between the two main characters (fun fact: they are based on our cats). You’ll also have some interesting battles (especially on hard mode) that require you to utilize the spells that your two older witches have learned (and you get to teach them some more spells along the way). You can view the trailer for Stardander Revenant below:
[previewyoutube=eQbScUf-oL4;full][/previewyoutube]
And you can play Stardander Revenant now, for free:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1779840/Stardander_Revenant/
I hope you’re looking forward to the release! The console versions are being published by Whitethorn Digital and have all of the offline features of the game. Online features (like mods and multiplayer) are a little more challenging on consoles, but may come in a future update depending on how the console launch goes!
This is our first game to come to consoles - a major milestone for Fancy Fish Games and everyone on the development team! Achievement unlocked! We’ll be in 
"Aground features an amalgamation of styles and a hybrid signature sound that is undeniably unique and inimitable," comments composer Chase Bethea. "It feels like every track had some new sound or idea that kept up the interest over a Very. Long. Running. Time. I am proud that the community, who I called the 'Agroundians,' recognize what I was trying to bring to the music for the game."
The Aground Soundtrack is Available on Steam here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1163780/Aground_Soundtrack_Deluxe_Edition/
And the Deluxe Edition tracks were automatically added to everyone who already bought the soundtrack.
Venemoto by Lybell is an extremely well put together mod that got high marks in all categories except music (which it had none). Even if you’re not a fan of platformers, you have to acknowledge the hard work put into it, made even more impressive by the fact that this was made entirely by one person. While there are a few rough areas and room for improvement, that doesn’t change the fact that this is an exceptional mod and I’m looking forward to seeing where Lybell goes with it. Congratulations Lybell!
[table][tr][th]
___Venemoto
Mekaphelin by Team NekoTron (TNT) is a mod that definitely focuses more on the creative side (art, music, story), and a lot of effort was put into the characters, NPCs, and especially the cutscenes - having higher-resolution cutscenes really helps bring the NPCs to life - like when CH355 smiles or all Luxori’s UwUs. The judges were split over whether Mekaphelin or Venemoto should win art, but in the end the charm, cats and cutscenes swayed the final vote. They have a long way to go to add everything they’re planning, but I think they can make it! Congratulations NekoTron! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
You do almost anything you wish inside of your Realm, from releasing enemies you caught outside to painting around with tiles.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243325940
To go to hell you must first craft a demonic forge at a crafting table and then a demonic key using the demonic forge, after that go at the starting area at the far left, next to the sand and start digging down, after around 20 tiles you should find a portal. Use the key to open the portal and you will be able to use it to go to hell.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2246084480
Welcome to the Realm of Curatrixia, the home of the True Elemental Gods.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2244606263
To progress on the Hybrid Path, you’ll want to talk to the Professor, the Mirrows, and the Alchemist. The questline definitely plays better in a new or early save, but you can do an abbreviated version after the end of the game (on any path) to get all of the new items, vehicles and areas.
The following changes affect the full version:
This is our last planned major update for Aground, at least for now. Let us know what you think!
To celebrate this milestone update, Aground is on sale this week for 34% off - our largest discount yet.
Enjoy, and as always, don’t be shy if you have any questions or feedback - we are always happy to hear from our players. And don’t forget to join the social channels below if you haven’t already:
A lot of players assume Aground must be a platformer because of the side-scrolling view, and on this toxic planet, it really is! Jump dangerous pit traps, explore a large metroidvania-style level, upgrade your jumpsuit to progress further and discover more of what the planet has to offer!
Discover the wreckage of a colony ship in a strange new system. What caused the ship to crash? Why are the robots and drones going berserk and trying to kill you? And most importantly, are there any survivors? This ambitious mod will add an entire star system, with the colony ship mystery being just one part of the whole!
Did you know there was a colony of sentient cats? Wouldn’t it be great if you could talk to them? Luckily there’s a cyborg cat who knows just the nanites you need! Help CH355 make peace with the ferals and learn the secrets of this mysterious world.
Ever wonder what it’d be like to be a wyrm? Travelling around, mining, fighting rival wyrms, and most importantly - serving your queen. You may even be able to evolve into new forms and gain power.
Have you ever wanted to create your own spirit world? A domain to do with as you please? Well, now you can - just talk to the spirit guide after defeating the final boss, and he’ll help you out… for a price…
Hidden underground is a secret cave. And in that secret cave is a strange and valuable resource that can create some of the most powerful equipment known in Aground… but it is guarded by dangerous enemies… and worse...
Do you like exploring? How about searching for buried treasure? Join the Archaeologist in his mission to discover hidden treasure, lost temples, and ancient caves!
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In celebration of this competition, gASK - one of the judges, created a new mod that you can play right away: https://aground.mod.io/ksp-meets-aground ! Help the KSP with their first mission to the mun - with your powerful spaceships, even Kerbals can’t mess it up!
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Good luck to all the teams, I’m looking forward to all the new worlds and ideas! We’ll be holding an informal feedback session on September 1st where you can play and give feedback on in-progress versions of the mods, and you’ll be able to play and vote on the final mods September 30th! Join the discussion in the Aground Modding Server: https://discord.gg/ySkErpx