It's been just over a week since the game released, and things are still going strong! New players are braving the ruins of Artahk every day, and more and more of those that came before them have reached the sight of a sky full of stars once again. Special thanks to those of you who have left reviews--it's been a pleasure reading every one, and it's amazing to see the game have an official positive rating!
I have a quick announcement, and a little preview of plans for the game going forward!
Official Discord Server!
The game now has an official Discord server! Open to everyone as a place to discuss the game, lore, or get help with puzzles! It'll also be a great way to get in contact with me and be the first to know about updates in the works and potential future projects.
Click here to join!
Future Plans
First off, there should be another hotfix coming soon for a few issues that were recently reported, look for that this weekend! Further out, I've got a few plans in the works for updates to improve the game's presentation and accessibility:
The feedback about the lack of a map has definitely been heard! I don't think a full minimap is in the cards for this game, but I am looking into implementing a larger map of the city you can view that fills out as you explore new zones/subzones to have an easier reference of how everything connects and where you've been
Reducing possible confusion with a late game mechanic: Where possible, I plan to make it so that secret markers (specifically those marking items or that take the form of arrow trails) will be removed when the relevant puzzle is completed so that there's no chance for confusion when you come back later.
A native Linux build of the game is in the works! Potentially a MacOS version as well, if I'm able to get my hands on the needed hardware (But no promises there)
I also plan to implement full compatibility and support for the Steam Deck! That will more than likely be accompanied by official controller support in general
Planned Accessibility Features:
An option to tone down or even disable the darkness overlay (Already working on this and hoping to have it ready very soon!)
An option to enable subtitles for any currently playing sound effects that provide relevant information to the player (most notably, I know a few people have struggled with or been physically unable to complete the one early game music puzzle due to it exclusively relying on audio)
I believe that I was pretty thorough in avoiding any puzzles or mechanics that rely solely on visually identifying/distinguishing colors when designing the game, but I'm open to adding colorblind settings if there turns out to be a need for it! If you've had any trouble in that regard while playing, please let me know here or in the official Discord linked above!
I'll be sure to keep you updated as progress is made, so watch this space, and remember to join the Discord server for more frequent updates! I hope you all continue to enjoy your time with the game.
May starlight guide your path,
Bismuth Tales
