Hi everyone!
What a year it's been.
The idea was simple: make a game that truly captures the spirit of our beloved sport and its evolution into the modern form we know today.
As usual, the project kept getting bigger and bigger, thanks to playtesting feedback, new ideas from the Discord server, and everything happening on social media.
I'm really thankful to all of you who are passionate enough to contribute in these ways or even just spread the word around.
I was hoping the demo would be out before the end of 2025, but with the addition of multiplayer, a bunch of QoL features as the foundation, and many cool design improvements, it'll land more January-ish 2026 (trust me, it'll be worth the wait!).
So this time, you could pick more than one option, and the results are actually super clear.
Building and customizing your own gym is #1 (31% / 100 votes) - so yeah, the main fantasy is still "let me create my very own climbing gym."
Watching NPC climbers try your routes is a strong #2 (23% / 74 votes) - after a hard day of work, nothing beats the look of a climber failing on your creation.
Climbing the routes yourself is the only feature that doesn't exist yet (19% / 62 votes) - not the top priority, but it's not "niche" either. It's a real chunk of you, and it's something that will be added to the game over time.
Making money and growing the business sits in the middle (17% / 55 votes) - so management should be fun and meaningful, but not turn the game into spreadsheet simulator.
Missions and challenges are the lowest (10% / 31 votes) - which tells me they should be more like optional guidance and goals, not the main reason to play. Hopefully, the core idea of business days with some extra lore sprinkled in suits that well.
So overall: gym building first, NPC climbers as the reward, and everything else supporting that.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you - higher grades, no injuries, and fewer rest days!
And if you haven't yet, follow Climbing Gym Simulator and add it to your wishlist so you don't miss the demo.