Hello everyone!
While working on Chapter 2, I’ve made some significant changes and improvements to the demo. Since Chapter 2 will feature underwater missions, I’ve already implemented new mechanics like swimming to the current build. Additionally, as the game has now entered the full narrative phase, I’ve refined the storytelling elements to better reflect the final experience. I wanted to share these evolutions with you early, so I’ve added all these updates directly to the demo for you to experience right now!
Complete Environment Overhaul: All locations have been meticulously reworked and updated with significantly more detail to enhance the atmospheric depth.
Enhanced Water Shaders: Water shaders have been improved and made more realistic to provide a more immersive and unsettling poolroom experience.
New Rooms & Models: Added new environments and unique 3D assets to expand the variety of the game world.
Narrative-Focused Environments: Specially designed rooms have been added to enhance the process of collecting memories and unfolding the game's story.
Physics and Interactivity Update
Optimized Physics System: I’ve resolved the CPU bottleneck issues that forced me to remove physics-based objects in earlier versions.
Return of the Toys: Toys are back, along with many brand-new ones! You can now move and interact with almost every model in the game.
Water Buoyancy: I’ve implemented a buoyancy system; pools and water now have realistic buoyancy, allowing objects to float.
Deeper Immersion: I added these details to ensure you feel truly present and immersed within the game.
Dynamic Door Mechanics
Interactive Door System: A brand-new door mechanic has been added to the game. You can now open doors to explore new rooms, slam them shut to escape a chase, or even trap enemies by locking them inside another area.
Intuitive Controls: To interact with a door, simply hold down the Left Mouse Button (LMB) and drag your mouse to the right to open, or to the left to close.
Procedural Generation: To keep every run unpredictable, door placements and properties are randomly generated every time you start a new session.
Audio & Visual Immersion
Wet Footsteps & Footprints: When exiting the water, your character will now leave wet footprints behind and produce unique wet footstep sound effects.
Enhanced Water Interactivity
Dynamic Splash Effects: New splash visual effects have been added for when you exit the pool or throw objects into the water, significantly improving the environmental feedback.
Underwater Movement
Underwater Swimming: You can now fully submerge and swim beneath the water's surface.
Controls: Use Ctrl to descend (dive) and Space to ascend back to the surface.
Water Slide & Physics Content
Enhanced Water Slides: The water slide mechanics have been improved for a smoother and more thrilling experience.
New Floats & Tubes: Added various new swimming rings and floatables to interact with in the pools.
Dynamic Slide Music: Special upbeat music tracks now trigger while sliding down, adding a new layer of energy and immersion to the ride.
New Jumpscares Added
The Unseen Horrors: I have added brand-new jumpscares to keep the tension high and catch you off guard.
Keeping the Secret: I won’t be showing them here in this update—I want them to remain a total surprise for you.
Face the Fear: You will have to experience these moments for yourself while exploring the depths of the pools.
A Fun Discovery: The "Flying Carpet" System!
The Vision: I know what you're thinking when you see this picture! Since Poolside Vigil is told through the eyes of a young child, I wanted to keep the sense of wonder alive.
From Bug to Feature: Originally, stepping on physics objects would glitch out and toss the player around. Instead of removing it, I fixed the errors and turned it into a "flying carpet" system because it's genuinely fun.
How to Fly: If you stand on certain objects—the model in the photo and small items like pencils work best—and pick them up with the Right Mouse Button, you will start flying through the air.
Your Feedback: I think this adds a unique charm to the game, but if I receive too many complaints about it breaking the immersion, I can always remove it in a future update.
Interactive Surprises in Every Chapter!
Little Secrets: From now on, I’ll be adding small interactive surprises like this to every chapter of the game.
Take Your Shot: When you come across this basketball hoop, make sure to try and score a basket!
Hidden Details & Polish
Dynamic Audio: I’ve added random atmospheric music that triggers based on your situation, plus intense action tracks for enemy encounters.
Provoked Enemies: Be careful—if you throw too many toys at an enemy, they will get angry and chase you more aggressively.
Stamina & Breathing: The character now gets out of breath and pants audibly while running or when exhausted.
And More: Many other small details and polish have been added to improve the overall experience!
IMPORTANT: Save File Notice
Reset Your Progress: When you launch the game, please remember to select "Delete Memories" from the main menu.
Why? This clears previous save files to ensure a completely fresh experience. Skipping this step may cause technical issues or bugs with your save data.
Share Your Thoughts: I hope you all enjoy this update! Please don't hesitate to leave your feedback, whether it’s positive or negative—your comments are very valuable to me.
Thank you for being part of this journey. It’s great to have you all here!
Respectfully,