Raise your tankards, Innkeepers of Tidehaven!
Throw wide the gates and welcome all... Our Final Playtest begins!
This time, we’re bringing you one of the biggest updates yet: the most advanced UI improvements and the largest batch of new content so far, right before Steam Next Fest in October. Let’s see what awaits you in this final test phase. And also we're invited to Cozy Job Simulators Event starts at 13th September, visit other indies and raise your ale with them! 🍻
What’s Fixed?
Economy rebalancing: customer visits and consumption speed have been adjusted. With new rooms and upcoming outdoor buildings, upgrade costs and progression have also been fine-tuned.
If your inn gets filthy, expect far fewer customers to show up. Better keep things tidy, no one wants to sit around in a stinking hall, right?
Several sound effects and texts have been refreshed. Don’t mind any strange noises… they can’t hurt you.
Certain animation loops have been reworked.
Fixed some UI layering errors.
Issues in certain mini-games and in-game windows have been resolved.
What’s Updated?
The interface has been redesigned to help you quickly find what you’re looking for. You can now filter items by room at the top of the menu, and easily spot newly unlocked items with indicators.
Added bubble text for hover tooltips and quests.
The decoration menu has been improved so you can clearly see what’s unlocked and what’s already purchased.
Three new games are here to gamble your fortune (or ruin it): Dice Roll, Coin Flip, and a card game called Lower Deck.
Even more items have arrived! Alongside new drinks, around 20 new decoration units are now available. (Note: not all of these will appear in the current playtest progression; some are reserved for the full version.)
Dogs! Yes, dogs are now part of the inn life. Each player will adopt a completely random pup, meaning your companion might be different from someone else’s.
What’s Next?
More outdoor buildings to visit are on the way.
The outside won’t stay empty for long — starting with the next major update, the town will feel more alive with new activities and interactions.
A brand-new quest mechanic is being tested, introducing darker, riskier, but also more thrilling scenarios.
The tutorial system will launch with the demo.
You’ll soon be able to name the animals you bring into your inn.
Save system is coming! Multiple saves will allow you to experiment with different play styles starting from the demo.
New music and ambient sounds are being added to help your inn hum along in the background while you focus on other things.
And of course, countless improvements and UI updates are on the horizon. Thank you for being part of our first game. Your feedback, bugs, and insights mean the world to us. Please don't hesitate to join us on our Discord server and ask your questions to our dev team. And remember to add TIDEHAVEN: Ale & Trade to your wishlist! See you in the next post!