I've been working non-stop on Dawnfolk. New levels, new modes, new buildings, new everything! So, it’s time for a public playtest to see if I'm heading in the right direction. And you can participate too, but more about this in a bit.
This test will include one level from each of the new game modes + all the bug fixing and tons a little improvements.
The Story mode guides you through the game’s narrative, introducing new mechanics and challenges as you go. You'll play the first level, Last Hope, which serves as both a tutorial and story introduction where you’ll build your first city and defend it from the darkness.
Puzzle mode focuses on logic and optimization. The first puzzle called Industrialist, will challenge you to produce as many materials as possible on a tiny map but with unlimited resources and time. You’ll earn a medal based on your production. Let me know if you get Gold, because you really need to think outside the box for this one!
I love the Puzzle mode because it pushes you to experiment with game mechanics in ways that aren't possible in Story mode. Even though I'm the developer, I’ve discovered new strategies for using terrain and buildings while trying to solve my own puzzles.
The Challenge mode is similar to a regular Dawnfolk game but with two key differences: it has a unique gameplay twist and it’s procedurally generated, offering a new map every time. In the first challenge level called Bad Fever, the main character, Lueur, is sick. So whenever you try to illuminate a tile, another one lights up at random, making exploration trickier.
The Endless mode, features a huge procedurally generated map where your goal is to survive as long as possible.
The Progression in Dawnfolk has changed a lot. Instead of unlocking levels linearly, you now earn Blue Light by beating levels or optional objectives. You can spend that Blue light to unlock any level in any order. Plus, you can also buy modifiers, visual options, cheats, and other extras. I think it's pretty fun that you even have to illuminate the main menu of the game.
Btw you can also earn Blue Light by playing the daily puzzle, which changes every day. Here's a small tip: I will make all the other levels unavailable, but you can actually still play some of them if you're willing to collect enough blue light for it.
So do you want to give this new version a try? It would help me a lot and I'm sure you're gonna have fun. You can join the playtest by going to the steam page and clicking on this request access button here. I'll put the link to the page in the description. When you start the game, it will open a google form with all the explanations you need and a survey to fill in after you played the game. You have until the 1st of october 2024 to participate.
I'm looking forward to your feedback. Thanks, and take care!
Darenn