Hey Everyone! First of all a huge thank you to everyone who has played Those Who Dwell so far and taken the time to share feedback and report issues. As a solo developer, your feedback, bug reports, and suggestions directly shape every update. This game genuinely wouldn’t be improving at the speed it is without you.
This week’s update is heavily focused on bug fixing, performance improvements, and polishing multiple late-game areas and endings. Here’s everything included so far:
Performance & Lighting Improvements
General lighting updates across multiple levels
Performance optimisations, especially on Levels 9 & 10
Fixed volumetric light orbs appearing incorrectly in some areas
Reduced the glow intensity of spirit memories
Fixed floating rocks in several locations
Progression & Soft-Lock Fixes
Fixed a progression blocker after Level 8
Fixed a progression blocker after Level 9
Fixed an issue where wood and nails were not required to progress after Level 3
Fixed the puzzle door bug in Level 10
Fixed a bug that prevented rekindling the final light in Level 10 when out of light
Disabled “Continue” on the Main Menu after returning there from an Ending
Fixed the Ending epilogues being swapped
Puzzle, Shrine & Totem Updates
Removed the secondary interaction from shrine totems
Fixed a bug where you could place a totem but still be holding one
Disabled interaction with the lockbox in Level 5 after it’s opened
Polished the candle stairway puzzle in Level 5
Added a door rumble, screen shake & sound when completing puzzles in Levels 7, 8 & 9
Reduced the amount of light taken when offering to shrines by 50%
Improved the chalk interaction in Level 10 to be clearer and more forgiving
Controls, UI & Input Fixes
Fixed a major bug where pressing A/Interact after pausing could return you to the Main Menu
Changed running input from gamepad stick hold → trigger hold
Fixed interaction prompts sticking on the screen
Fixed the secondary prompt option missing correct gamepad input
Disabled decals appearing on held items
Visual Polish & Level Fixes
Made the cave painting more visible in Level 3
Fixed a visual level gap in Level 2
Fixed the hard-hat scaling in Level 2
Polished paper notes to be easier to spot in certain levels
Removed hint text from wooden boards after Level 1, since the crowbar is already obtained
Added another oil interactable at the end of Level 4
Fixed being unable to collect oil after the “I can’t hold anymore” message
Polished various late-game visual moments and all endings
Coming Very Soon
Before the next weeks update, I’ll also be adding:
A Level Select option on the Main Menu for players who have already completed the game and want to revisit specific chapters
More in-game context and storytelling for the cave paintings
Thank You & Keep the Feedback Coming
Bug fixing, optimisation, and polishing is still ongoing and constant, and it’s all been driven directly by player feedback. A massive thank you to everyone who has played so far and shared their thoughts!
If you haven’t already:
Feel free to leave feedback in the Steam Discussions
Let me know what you love and what you hate
And if you enjoy the game, please consider leaving a Steam review as it makes a huge difference for small indie developers like myself.
More updates soon.
— Luke