Hello everyone
In this post, I'd like to share a bit of what is being developed for upcoming updates to Stardust Sandbox.
First of all, I sincerely appreciate the support and feedback received since the game's release on Steam. Building a project like this requires a lot of dedication, and seeing the game grow, even slowly, is incredibly rewarding.
Although the gaps between updates can sometimes be longer than expected, this happens because many changes require planning, testing, and internal restructuring to ensure a solid foundation for the project's future.
It's also important to remember that much of the content shown here is still in development and may change before its official release. Some features may also arrive gradually in the game.
With that said, here are the updates!
1. New Features
1.1. Journal System
One of the current development goals is to encourage more exploration and experimentation.
During some tests, we noticed many players tend to use only a small portion of the available elements, leaving several mechanics and interactions less visible during the experience.
To help with this, we are developing a journal system that will function like an in-game encyclopedia.
The journal will be filled gradually as the player discovers new content. For example, when a player uses an element for the first time, a new entry will be unlocked containing basic information about it. As new interactions and reactions are discovered, additional information will be recorded.
The goal is not to create a grind system, but to encourage curiosity and reward natural exploration.
Figure 1 - Main journal layout.
Figure 2 - Detailed entry layout.
1.2. New Elements and Entities
The development of new elements and entities continues to progress steadily.
Some content planned for the previous update was delayed due to prioritization of other systems, but it remains in development for future versions of the game.
Planned additions include:
New types of vegetation
Vines and flower species
BGOs (Background Objects) to create more detailed scenes
New creatures, such as fish and ants
These additions will help make environments feel more alive, varied, and visually rich.
2. Improvements
2.1. Overhaul of the Achievements System
The current achievements system serves its basic purpose but remains fairly simple.
We are working on a complete overhaul to make it more engaging and progressive.
The plan is to introduce dependency relationships between achievements, forming something like a progression tree. This should encourage more exploration, experimentation, and discovery of mechanics throughout the player's journey.
Figure 3 - Concept layout of the new achievements structure.
2.2. Fixes, Optimizations, and Restructuring
Much of the development also happens behind the scenes.
Even when there are no major visible content additions, the project continues to receive internal improvements, including:
Bug fixes
Performance optimizations
System refactoring
Project architecture organization
Codebase improvements
These efforts are essential to ensure stability, performance, and to facilitate future updates.
As Stardust Sandbox approaches its third year of development, maintaining and evolving the project's structure becomes increasingly important.
3. Other Content
Not all planned changes can be shown in this post, but the project's development board is publicly available on GitHub for those who want to follow more details about current and future work. Visit: Stardust Sandbox Project (GitHub).
4. Conclusion
Development of Stardust Sandbox continues to progress gradually, always aiming to expand the sandbox's creative possibilities and make the experience richer and more consistent.
Thank you again for your patience, support, and continued interest in the project.
More updates will arrive soon.
Keep creating.
Sincerely,
Starciad.