Playtest and demo builds are more than 90% identical, so reopening the playtest for the public isn't a huge deal. There are around 25 more nodes/cores/aspects in the playtest all with placeholder art. But it’s an important milestone because it marks a shift from demo-polishing and bugfixing back to actual design work.
The game is in decent shape right now. We’ve had more people playing lately (thanks to the Tiny Teams festival and a video by Indie Game Clinic). The play stats have noticeably improved, and I’ve finally reached a point where I'm comfortable stopping worrying about the demo.
That, of course, means I can start worrying about other things - like game balance and structure.
On the balance side, the game has become a bit too easy. Don’t get me wrong - it’s still very hard for new players because they lack game knowledge and can’t see the good lines well enough. But I had won the deep run with some absolute random BS-builds. I’ve even seen new players reach the final boss on their very first attempt without restarting too much. That doesn't seem right.
On the "structure" side, the game hasn’t really changed over the past 9 or so months. We still only have the deep run as the main game, with a single final boss. That’s enough for the demo, but it won’t be enough for people who are going to pay for the game. More importantly, the game doesn't give you a reason to play once you've completed the deep run a couple times. So far, I've been mostly focused on making the game wider. Now it's time to start making it deeper (okay, the time to make it deeper hasn't just come, it's always been there, but you get the idea).
The playtest reopening also coincides with me and my son moving to another city for his school. That should result in more "free" time than I’ve had in two years. I also might run out of savings by the end of the year - which is also motivating, although not in a pleasant way.
Anyway, to cut this short, here’s what you can expect from the playtest build in September:
- At least 15 new Cores (I have a shortlist of 20, but some are tricky to implement);
- A 2nd Deep Run (basic);
- Hard Mode;
- Scripts (non-consumable items that require Data to activate);
- More nodes and relics for good measure.
Anyway, that's the plan for now.
If you are somehow still here then you're most likely someone who might help us a lot by joining the playtest. You'd be surprised to learn how often the smallest comments lead to actual changes in the game.
PS: To join the playtest press "Join the Playtest" button on the store page.
