Hey everyone! What a couple of weeks. I took World Tree Defender to the E-Sports Festival in Vienna.... THE game's biggest public outing yet.
Festival Recap
The game's first Twitch stream! WTD was featured live on the FM4 Twitch channel — watch the VOD here.
Tons of first-time players picked up the game, had fun, and hit that wishlist button. Some of them refused to stop — the demo is tuned for 7 waves, and people pushed all the way to wave 30.
Great feedback and ideas straight from players' mouths. Several of them I can't wait to try out.
I got to meet a bunch of fellow devs and media folks — the Austrian indie scene is alive and kicking.
The biggest takeaway: it's still early days, but people already genuinely enjoy playing. As a solo dev, that's the signal you hope for. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, streamed, and supported!
New Update, Live on Demo & Test Builds
Player feedback from the festival went straight back into the game. Here's what's new:
New Features
World Tree Reactions — The World Tree now reacts to what's happening around it. This is an early test — I plan to grow a full personality for the tree over time. What kind of personality should a baby World Tree have? Drop your suggestions in the comments or on Discord!
Wave Forge — Don't like the default waves? Modify the wave templates and forge your own. Build the gauntlet you want to face.
Map Editor: Test Button — Playtest your creations instantly without leaving the editor.
Improvements & Fixes
Fixed the bugs discovered during the festival (nothing finds bugs like a few hundred strangers)
Simplified the UI — most of the top bar now tucks away behind a hover
Wave Rewards moved next to Credits so they're easier to spot
Updated the Cinderheart map — the World Tree has more room to grow
Redesigned the tower info panel
Moved the Send Wave button to the bottom
What's Next
This is only the beginning. More biome polish, more tower depth, and a World Tree with real personality are all on my roadmap. If you played the demo — at the festival or at home — I'd love to hear your thoughts. See you around!
Get more regular updates on discord and shape the path of World Tree Defender with me!
https://discord.gg/Ewrd8bvRs
Lukas