Hello everyone!
I’ve been silent for quite some time, and I apologize for that. In the upcoming months, I plan to share monthly updates so everyone interested in the game can stay in the loop.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS:
So, what has been happening in the past few months? The Vanished Soul participated in the Steam Next Fest that took place in June this year. I’m happy with the reception, even though the game had a few hard-lock bugs. Luckily, I managed to fix them quickly, but they still affected the initial experience for new players. It shows how challenging game development can be, even when you try your best to avoid these situations, they can still occur from time to time.
The first part of June was mostly reserved for the Steam Next Fest, where I was actively fixing and updating the game. Afterwards, I assessed the situation and made plans for the future, some of which I will share below.
Throughout July and August, I didn’t work as much as I wanted on the game, as life sometimes intervenes, and as a solo developer, you have to sort out other priorities. September and October were more productive months, where I slowly got back on track, defining future game progression. mainly from a level-design point of view, but also regarding puzzles and story elements.
November has been going pretty well so far. The layouts created in the previous months are now being added to the game and actively worked on, including puzzles and placeholders for story elements. There isn’t much left to finish before all planned environment pieces are in the game. It will likely take until the end of December to have everything implemented in a state I’m happy with.
Here is one quick image so you’re not just reading through a bunch of text:
WHAT'S NEXT?
So, what are the plans after December? I will begin the polishing phase: going through the game, checking which areas can be improved, and determining what can be additionally added. There is still a need to include more story and backstory elements, which will involve various written and visual scenarios, voice-overs, and more.
I have also decided to reduce the number of jump scares, because in the current demo they occur too often and lose their impact too early. There will still be dynamic jump scares, but fewer in their visual form. As you progress through the game, they may become slightly more prominent or more visually noticeable.
What about the release date? It is still early to judge, but my current plan is to release the game around June 2026. This is not set in stone, and I can’t predict what the coming months will bring, but it’s important to have a target in mind. I will do my best to create and publish the best game I can by then.
Many thanks to everyone following the game, and make sure to wishlist it if you haven’t already.
For more updates, feel free to join our Discord server.