Welcome back phasmic ones to another update... Just a general bits and bobs maintenance update with some new levels to explore, some changes to focus the game into strange puzzler solving rather than actiony platformer segments, as well as the usual level tweaks to make them a bit nicer and more intuitive.

6 new rooms have been added: Chain, Obsess, Silence, Witness, Graveyard, Boast.

The Graveyard room is unusual as it reveals the location of a special place where a bunch of rooms have now been moved to. You can still play these rooms but they are no longer needed to beat the game as I felt they no longer suit the more puzzle/exploration orientated approach updates have been moving towards as they are mostly heavily action/platformer orientated (some that were just not interesting have been removed completely).

The Boast room is also unusual in that it reveals the location of a little score attack challenge room where you must shoot as many phasms as possible without getting hit and comes with an online leaderboard (just thought it was kind of a neat idea).

General changes...
- The game has been updated to the latest version of GameMaker (v2024.13) which might help with compatibility.
- The game's Demo has been updated to use this new release build.
- Pressing Alt-Enter will now switch between Windowed and Fullscreen modes.
- Settings - Display: There's now an option to play in Borderless Window mode.
- Settings - Window Scale: This has now changed to Resolution (so you know exactly what the game resolution will be).
- Settings - Sounds Volume: This has now been split into Master Volume, Music Volume, Effects Volume (for better control).
- Souls now have a faint extra diamond shape around them when they can be shot (so it's easier to tell from afar).
- The various words that randomly show during a room have been removed (tends to just confuse people).
- The word walls for completing an island have been removed (rather pointless and pretentious).
- The end win screen for completing all levels has changed.
- Themes - Island 6: The theme colour is now a soothing icy vibe (the yellow was a bit of an eyesore).
- Themes - Island 8: The floors are now darker with higher contrast and the Souls now have a weird ghosting effect (more visually interesting).

Changes to rooms...
- Many rooms will now auto-restart the room if you fall (instead of just endlessly falling).
- Some rooms will now teleport you back to an appropriate platform if you fall (some rooms previously already did this but it looks like I missed some).
- Realm: If the Phasms reach you then it will now show a Phasm screen effect (so it's clearer what happened).
- Sequence: The room now starts with the first pillar active (to give an extra hint).
- Circuit: When hitting a block it will now flash yellow (to better signify the room's aim).
- Runic: The runes are now larger and there's less of them (they were a bit small to see).
- Vortex: When hitting a Soul the platforms will now spin in the opposite direction (bit of fun).
- Facade: The fake Souls now show the Phasm screen border effect when you're near one. The design mechanic has been condensed into finding a single Soul (so not wasting your time).
- Slide: The slider will now move towards the closest edge your shot hit (instead of in the direction you're facing) and there's now a little arrow to indicate which direction the slider can move (since previously you could just think a slider could only move in two directions unless you moved around the room).
- Slots: The room has been re-arranged a bit (so it's clearer you only need to hit 3 of the 4 slots).
- Glade: You can now shoot which creates a small explosion at the Soul's position (so you have something to do).
- Cling: Some elements of the room design and how the puzzle works have been tweaked (so is more intuitive).
- Order: Touching the right platform but in the wrong order will no longer cause all platforms to fall (was annoying). The speed of falling platforms has been increased by 50% (to keep you on your toes).
- Blind: When triggering a Soul the platforms no longer fall until you reach the middle (platforming on falling small platform was annoying).
- Cycle: Triggering a Soul will now move the Stone icons by +1 instead of -1 (so it's the same as when shooting the Stone). The beginning layout has been changed (so it's easier to see what effect triggering a Soul has).
- Portal: Falling will now teleport you back to the start platform instead of the last Soul you triggered (so falling has a downside).
- View: The bottom platform will now always show but there's now multiple platforms (so part of the puzzle is finding the correct view instead of figuring out you need a view at all).
- Infest: The Phasms now have vertical lasers (so are easier see).
- Planes: The different planes now use more themes (so it's easier to tell them apart). Your jump height has been slightly increased (makes jumping on the spot to scout ahead easier).
- Series: The non-active Souls now don't show a vertical laser (was difficult to see which Soul was currently active).
- Undersway: The first Soul is now one platform closer (so you get to the challenge quicker). Some pillars have been added near the start (to more easily orientate yourself).
- Duality: The speed at which the platforms disappear has been slightly reduced (was a bit finnicky).
- Extrude: The Souls now have a grass platform near them (so you can better see where to go). The beginning dead-end has been removed (just wastes your time).
- Grinder: The Soul blocks will now move in the direction your facing and there's now an arrow on top of them indicating this (so it's clearer what the room mechanic is).
- Pitfall: The Souls must now be shot to activate them (instead of touching them which was fiddly). The end platform now starts visible (instead of invisible so is no longer a gotcha).
- Drift: If you're standing on a platform and press Jump then you get a small extra height boost (otherwise it's easy to think jumping doesn't do anything).).
- Spring: The Souls now have a vertical laser (so are easier to see).
- Aerial: You now just have to move past the Souls to trigger them (instead of having to touch them which was quite finicky).

And bug fixes...
- Some screen shaders were creating odd visual effects around the screen's border.
- Realm/Planes: When falling the teleport effect was taking too long.
- Infest: If you shot just before entering the exit then it would cause a crash.
- Spire: The Soul pillar lights weren't showing if you were far away from them.
- Maze: The base of the Stones weren't displaying correctly.


Enjoy! :]

- Map: Fixed a visual bug where entering the teleporter would then show the full teleporting visual overlay when restarting in subsequent levels.

Greetings again Phasmic ones... :]

The previous version of Ilamentia was made in a very old version of GameMaker and it seems Windows 10 updates have been progressively causing more technical woes. Most notably for some (including myself) the game recently suddenly seemed to just cap at 45fps.

So I spent a bit of time converting Ilamentia into the latest version of GameMaker which seems to have fixed those issues and has a nice performance boost too. The new GameMaker builds 3D models very differently to the old way though and so since I'd be going through all the levels to make sure they look as they once did, I couldn't resist having a potter about with various bits and bobs.

Most of the gameplay changes are related to the latter half of the levels to make them a bit nicer and more interesting to play (since previous updates tended to focus on the earlier levels). But also a lot of levels now have Teleport Falls, where if you fall into the abyss rather than having to manually restart the level you'll be automatically teleported back above to a safe spot based on the last Soul collected. It's very nice for the more obstacle course type later levels as the Souls basically act like checkpoints. Note though it doesn't revert other negatives, such as the effects of Phasms or fallen platforms, so you still have to be careful about it. It's not too much use in the early islands but is there more just to introduce the mechanics for the later islands.


// general changes
- The three platformy levels of Amp, Tumble, and Cling, have been repurposed as new puzzley levels (Amp is renamed to Found).
- Added a gong sound effect for when the level exit appears so you know when the level is complete.
- Added a soothing bit of music when a level is won and at the 100% completion screen.
- Fixed a bug with the 100% ending where it would initially show wrong text.
- Souls: Made it more visually obvious when they are/aren't active.
- Your POV will no longer go mental if you tab out of the game.
- Fixed a bug with Look Sensitivity where it was only applying if it was a multiple of 20 (e.g. 60%, 80%, etc).
- Made the cursor on the title screen much easier to see.
- Some minor tweaks to some of the level Hints (typos, better explaining of some mechanics, etc).

// island #1
- Coddle: Replaying the level will replay the tutorial (previously the help text wouldn't spawn once you beaten it). Added Teleport Falls.
- Hop: Platforms that raise now show a shadow effect of their high point. The teleportation from falling is now based on the last soul collected (so it's possible to get stuck on the first soul).
- Path: Slightly increased the range the souls activate to make the solution a bit more apparent. Made the sigil block's on/off state more apparent so the max on limit is easier to spot.
- Fragment: Turning on the outside Phasm blocks creates a Phasm visual/sound effect to hint it's a bad idea.
- Proximity: Added Teleport Falls.
- Flee: Added Teleport Falls.

// island #2
- Theme: Reduced the frequency of screen glitches.
- Seeker: Removed the arrows from the map as it made the puzzle a bit easy.
- Fade: Made the map route a bit more interesting. Added Teleport Falls.
- Pressure: Added Teleport Falls.
- Facade: Added Teleport Falls.

// island #3
- Teleport: Falling prevents teleporting (since it doesn't teleport you back above it's otherwise a bit confusing).
- Planes: Added Teleport Falls.

// island #4
- Order: Reduced the amount of bad sigils to 4 so it's possible to discern the path by sigils alone. Added small shadow platforms to signify when the path flips to the other side.
- Crowd: Fixed a bug where you were still able to fire after collecting the Soul (the intention is after collecting the Soul you just have to leg it to the exit).
- Convert: Fixed a bug where level Hints weren't showing.
- Slots: Fixed a bug where a Soul remained uncollected despite the exit opening.
- Slide: Tiles that move into the correct slot will now become fixed there and cannot move. You can now freely move about the realm. Reduced the number of tiles by 2. Added a border around the completed tile edges so it's easier to see the pattern. When shooting a tile if it can move in multiple directions then it will attempt to move in the direction you're facing.
- Glade: The Soul if uncollected will now periodically create Phasms (so may be used to roughly judge the Soul's whereabouts). The Phasm explodes if you draw line of sight to it.
- Planes: Souls appear in an additional realm to give a bit of extra leeway when attempting to collect them.
- Ascendant: Reduced the amount of Souls from 3 to 2. Added an extra Phasm to keep you on your toes. Added Teleport Falls.

// island #5
- Theme: Fixed a bug where the fog colour was being incorrectly set based on the previous theme you encountered.
- Fate: Moved from Island #8 to make sure you'll find the level without the platforms all aligning. Added a red overlay to the icon based on how many levels within that island are complete.
- Pitfall: Slightly slowed the speed the platforms disappear so the platforming isn't quite as precise. Tweaked the height of one of the lowest platforms so you need to use a trick to reach the next. Fixed a bug where jumping on a rising platform may clip you through it.
- Shroud: Added Teleport Falls.
- Portal: Added Teleport Falls.
- Unveil: Added Teleport Falls.
- Link: Added Teleport Falls.

// island: #6
- Theme: Changed the colour of the platforms and fog to something more distinct and so the platforms blend less with the sky. Fixed a bug where the fog colour was being incorrectly set based on the previous theme you encountered.
- Spiral: The platforms now create an explosion when fading in to give a much better idea of where they are. The Soul platforms now start visible to make it easier to get your bearings.
- Plummet: The Souls now create an explosion when spawning so are a lot easier to notice. The level now loops back to the top if you reach the bottom without collecting all Souls.
- Impetus: Slightly extended the timing and the collision mask duration so the platforming isn't quite as precise. Tweaked the first Soul shadow pattern so it's easier to see the loop.
- Transit: The number of Souls have been reduced from 3 to 2. Slightly increased your jump height to give you a few more options. When a Soul is collected the platform you're standing on no longer begins to fall (so you can take your time admiring the traffic).
- Puppet: Adding a landmark so it's easier to get your bearings. Tweaked the layout/behaviours to make the level flow better. Added Teleport Falls.
- Reactionary: The souls will respawn at the bottom (with a Phasm) if they float up too high.
- Nocturnal: When teleporting back after collecting a Soul you'll now face the direction of the Soul's entrance (so it's easier to notice the entrance you came from is now barred).
- Fluke: There's now a chance of less or no Phasms at the start. Reduced the chance of there being less floors and Phasms spawning after each Soul collected. Has a 69% (nice) chance of having Teleport Falls (this is rechecked each start/teleport).
- Domino: Added platforms so it's easier to see/shoot the distant Souls. Added an extra trick required to complete the level (related to the platforms). Added Teleport Falls.
- Averse: Added Teleport Falls.

// island: #7
- Maze: Added three sigil blocks which if hit will remove some of the walls around them.
- Undersway: Increased the Soul's Laser height/width so they're easier to see from afar. Fixed a bug where the HUD hands weren't animating when shooting. Added Teleport Falls.
- Duality: Slightly reduced the speed of the waves and fading platforms so the platforming isn't quite as precise. Added Teleport Falls.
- Checkered: The beginning and end platforms are now always active. The Souls now remain in a static position.
- Treadmill: Added Teleport Falls.
- Blink: Added Teleport Falls.
- Extrude: Added Teleport Falls.
- Claustro: Added Teleport Falls.

// island: #8
- Journey: Instead of the names being displayed an image of the level is now shown. Getting close to the sigil stone will now change the room theme to the stone's island theme. Fixed the Island 2 and 3 sigil stones and Hint being in the wrong position (they were switched).
- Sacrifice: When the level is completed for each island sacrificed a number of complete levels equal to the island number now becomes uncomplete. Any islands that have a number of equal levels complete at least equal to the island number can now be sacrificed (previously all levels had to be complete). Added a warning text so you're aware your island choice matters.
- Time: Tweaked the platform mechanics so they now only rotate in one direction and individual platforms now rotate based on one of your movement axis (x,y,z). Added Teleport Falls.
- Presence: Each Soul collected now creates a Phasm which randomly moves through the maze. Added Teleport Falls.
- Bypass: Reduced the amount of Souls from 2 to 1. You can now emit a shockwave which stuns/reverses the orbit of Phasms. Added Teleport Falls.
- Macular: Reduced the amount of Souls from 3 to 2. Platforms now continue to fall after you've landed on them.
- Collateral: Reduced the amount of Souls from 2 to 1. Phasms are now randomly faster.
- Shy: Added sigils to the platforms indicating when they begin to fade out. Added Teleport Falls.
- Pedestal: Added Teleport Falls.
- Ripple: Added Teleport Falls.
- Reversal: Added Teleport Falls.


Enjoy! :]

Hey souled endurers. Five years ago today Ilamentia was released.. happy birthday phasmic one. :]

It's been just over a year since the last update and in that time I've had some really great feedback, so just thought I'd potter about tweaking bits and bobs based on that feedback. There's not too much in terms of new content, but if you've struggled with levels before you may want to give it another whirl.



- The game now runs at 60fps.
- Added a new level called Shadow to island #1.
- Added 8 new achievements related to completing island levels. If you've already completed levels then you should get relevant achievements when entering the level selection room. Also tidied up the achievement icons.
- After fully completing an island a small platform will now appear in the middle of the level selection room offering a brief narrative.
- Added some extra sub-divisions in the existing game options (e.g. sound levels go down in 10s now rather than 20s).
- Added an Exit button to the title screen. Pressing Esc on the title screen no longer ends the game since this was quite easily done accidentally.
- Went through all the level hints tweaking them, adding more, fixing typos, etc.
- When entering a level the white overlay now fades out much quicker.

// Island Theme Changes

- The island icons have been redesigned since several of them used to look very similar to each other. They also incorporate an extra new numbering system which is also used in some other levels.
- Skybox: Removed the constant brightness flickering.
- The themes for island 2 and 3 have switched to make it easier to smooth out the island difficulty curve since the starkness of the island 2 theme limits its level options.
- #2: Reduced the frequency of screen glitches and they now don't show at all until you have souls. The glitch no longer nudges your aim.
- #3: Increased the overall brightness (most notably when close to completing a level as it used to get very dark). When the shaders are turned off the general colour has been changed from blue to red.
- #5: Reduced amount of screen blurring (in particular when you have no souls).
- #6: Reduced amount of screen pixelation and doesn't pixelate at all until you have souls. Fixed a bug where the fog colour was being incorrectly set based on the island you visited last.
- #7: Decreased brightness of platforms and fog to increase contrast with the sky. The colour shifting is slower based on how many souls you have (in particular when you have no souls).
- #8: Reduced the opacity of the film grain effect (in particular when you have no souls).


- Note some levels have changed island, notably islands 2/3.

// Island #1
- Coddle: Added extra text to the tutorial saying devouring souls opens the level's exit. Moved the map fragment onto the platform since there's a common assumption you can walk into it to pick it up which just leads to the player falling.
- Proximity: Added a new puzzle mechanic, the platforms won't fall if done in a certain order (though you can still also beat it the old way if you really want).
- Hop: Added a new mechanic, some platforms rise up as you get close. Level layout has been tweaked to make use of the new mechanic. Falling now teleports you back to the beginning platform. Phasms have been removed.
- Drift: You now have to fly up a bit from the beginning platform for the souls to be shootable. Previously you had to be close to them which made things a bit confusing since some souls could be shot from the beginning platform without flying up.
- Fragment: Changed the icon on the outer boxes to a phasm icon to differentiate them from the central boxes and to emphasise them being on isn't a good thing.
- Path: Changed the positions of the activator blocks so from the beginning platform you can see at least one of the platforms the activators activate. Slightly increased the range the souls become shootable to make the solution a tad easier to spot.
- Sense: Added a text line in-level that spells out the directions you've been through as you progress successfully.
- Flee: Extended the exit platforms so it's possible to complete the level getting hit once. The souls embiggen faster when they become shootable.
- Reflect: Each third branch is now a bit longer so it's a bit easier to see between the branches. The active box highlight is slightly increased so it's a bit easier to see the top active box.

// Island #2
- Facade: Added a phasm voice effect when near-ish to a fake soul and tweaked the layout to make use of this mechanic. Reduced the amount of souls from 5 to 3. Added a landmark so it's easier to navigate. When hitting a fake soul a visual/sound effect is played to emphasise that was not a good thing.
- Fade: Reduced the amount of souls from 3 to 2.
- Runic: Slightly reduced the amount of runes on the first two monoliths. Falling now teleports you back to the beginning platform.
- Forthright: Lengthened the end platform size and they appear sooner (by the time they show up you've solved the puzzle).
- Circuit: Lengthened the timeframe you need to hit the broken box to continue the circuit.
- Seeker: Added a couple of arrows to the map to jog the noggin.
- Map: Increased the size of the emit explosion so it's a bit easier to see in the Claustro room. The hints in the teleported room are now the Map's hints rather than the teleported rooms normal own hints. Fixed a bug where a hint was being shown when entering the portal. Fixed a bug where the wrong visual theme was showing when restarting the level.
- Pressure: Added a landmark so it's easier to navigate.
- Vortex: When the exit opens the small central platforms no longer begins to fall.

// Island #3
- Spire: You can now tag phasm spires by getting close to them which then easily visually differentiates them from regular spires. The soul spires now always cast a beam upwards and have a floor decal so can be easily seen from anywhere.
- Bond: Added a permanent floor so there's now no platforming at all. Added a shine around the pillar when at full height so you can more easily see when a soul is hit.
- Roil: Added a new mechanic, some platforms are now special which do one of two things when stepped on, either go up/down much faster and increases the maximum height they roil, or just stop the platform's movement dead. Platforms now fade out 50% faster.
- Spring: Reduced the amount of souls from 13 to 11. Changed the layout so it's a bit more thrilling.
- Persistence: Reduced the amount of souls from 6 to 5. Changed the layout so there's more choice involved.
- Afar: Added a collision mask to the large pillars.
- Knock: Fixed a bug where one of the pillar textures was wrong (it seemed brighter than the others which caused confusion).
- Untitled: Made the logo on the title screen easier to see. Fixed a bug where the intro hint was showing after teleporting in.
- Vibe: Visually tweaked some things.

// Island #4
- Slide: Played around with the design a bit to make things more interesting (e.g. you now get 2 open slots but no border edge markings).
- Cycle: Added an extra soul at the beginning so you can safely see the effect hitting it has on the boxes.
- Planes: Fixed a bug where it was setting the wrong theme. Increased the player's jump height a smidge.
- Glade: Removed the phasm. Improved performance a bit (somebody said it was the only level to give them a performance error).
- Slots: Fixed a bug where hitting only 2 slots would create the exit instead of 3. When the exit opens the slot boxes now become inactive and rise (previously you could still hit the last box to reset all boxes).
- Cling: Added vertical lasers to the souls since they're otherwise easy to miss. Added an effect when you step on a safe platform. The phasm face on a safe platform is removed when you step on it.
- Order: Stepping on a phasm platform now creates a visual/sound effect emphasising you dun goofed.
- Convert: Fixed a bug where the gamepad analogue and d-pad weren't working.

// Island #5
- Blind: Added a puzzle element (The blind rate increases the more souls you collect). Removed the ability to shoot (just move into souls). Increased the rate the blind is removed so you're not hanging around as much. Upon collecting a soul that platform falls so it's easier to see which souls you have collected.
- Pitfall: Reduced the amount of souls from 8 to 6. Sped up the speed the platforms rise so the cycle is much faster. Redesigned a bit so it can be solved in multiple ways. Increased the size of platforms a bit.
- Reversal: Reduced the amount of souls from 6 to 5. Fixed the wrongly coloured floors.
- Tumble: Fixed wrong coloured texture on the tall platforms.

// Island #6
- Nocturnal: Reduced the amount of souls from 4 to 3. Collecting a soul will teleport you back to the center and create a barrier over that soul's entrance (so it's easy to keep track on which souls you have). Played around with the layout design and aesthetic to make it more interesting. Increased the presence of fog. Fixed a bug allowing you to walk outside.
- View: Added a platform that shows the second view which only shows once you fall beyond a certain point, just so you can confirm you have the correct view.
- Series: Reduced the amount of souls from 6 to 5. All souls at least show a small laser so you can always see where they are and how many are left. Fixed wrong coloured texture on the tall platform.

// Island #7
- Escalate: Played around with the layout and mechanic to add a puzzle element and reduce the length of the level. Each escalator now has a stone that you can hit to manipulate its speed. Once a soul is hit its escalator freezes. Each escalator is a little different (e.g. some longer than others, missing steps). Jump height slightly increased.
- Amp: Added a landmark next to the third soul so it's easier to judge when the platform stops moving (also moved the soul up a bit since you're otherwise jumping way over it).
- Extrude: Slightly increased player jump height.
- Maze: Slightly trimmed down some of the deadends.
- Blink: Slightly reduced the speed the platforms switch on/off.

// Island #8
- Sacrifice: The level no longer deletes your 'sacrificed' completed levels, instead you can only activate island pillars that you have completed all the levels for. Removed the phasm creation, instead a visual/sound effect is played.
- Fate: You no longer have to rummage around your hard drive, instead each platform is linked to an island with it's random position set using a seed based on how levels within that island has been completed (it's possible to beat the level without beating all other levels but beating more increases the chances of a favourable position).
- Macular: Added a landmark so the level is easier to navigate. The souls now have lasers so they're easier to see. Slightly tweaked the layout to make it more interesting. Mascular effect fades in more quickly. Platforms fall and fade out twice as quickly.
- Collateral: Tweaked the layout to make it a bit more interesting. Reduced the amount of souls from 4 to 2. Increased player jump height.
- Presence: Removed the phasm.
- Shy: Added a landmark so the level is easier to navigate. Platforms no longer fall when stepped on (they do still fade out but now also fade out a little slower). Slightly increased player jump height.


Enjoy. :]

Hi. :]

- Added some new puzzle levels: Vibe (i2), Switch (i3), Cycle (i5).
- Added and tweaked a bunch of room mechanic hints to make things a bit clearer, particularly in the levels that revolve around you solving a mystery puzzle (such as those that contain clues or solutions outside of that level).
- Tweaked the colours of island 5 so should generally make things more readable.

The main purpose of the update though was to continue where the last update ended, tweaking and changing the island 5-8 levels to make them shorter but sharper experiences. Generally removing unnecessary redoing of stuff, in particular for the late-game action orientated levels which were perhaps more of a test of endurance than skill.

Note some levels have also changed islands.

/// Island #1
- Proximity: Changed the mechanic so it's now a logic puzzle. Removed phasms.
- Sequence: The stone's now better resemble the island pillars. Added an extra puzzle element.

/// Island #4
- Checkered: Souls are much easier to see.
- Glade: Removed phasms.
- Slide: Puzzle moved closer to camera so easier to see/hit.

/// Island #5
- Link: Level length reduced. Phasm speed increased. Circling platforms speed decreased and are now linked to souls.
- Unveil: Level length reduced.
- Blind: Level length reduced. Layout tweaked to add a puzzle element.
- Stalwart: Level length reduced.
- Pitfall: Level length slightly reduced. Tweaked the mechanic so there's much less waiting around.
- Volcanic: Level length reduced.
- Portal: Level length reduced. Tweaked layout so it's more interesting.
- Shroud: Level length slightly reduced. Removed big phasm.
- Tumble: Level length reduced. Removed big phasm.

/// Island #6
- View: You now start the level viewing one of the two needed perspectives. Pattern is easier to remember. All superfluous objects fade out when you view from a correct perspective.
- Impetus: Level length slightly reduced.
- Series: Jump height slightly increased. Phasms removed.
- Plummet: Souls are much easier to see.
- Reactionary: Souls are much easier to see.
- Nocturnal: You now have echo location.
- Wave: Phasms removed.
- Puppet: Jump height increased. Soul platforms don't fade away.

/// Island #7
- Duality: Repurposed into a logic puzzle room.
- Escalate: Level length reduced.
- Amp: End spinning platforms don't spin quite so fast. Jump height slightly increased.
- Blink: Level length greatly reduced. Solid platform added next to soul.
- Extrude: Level length slightly reduced.
- Grinder: Made it more obvious soul blocks directionally destroy adjacent block.
- Maze: Level length reduced. Slightly easier to see souls through walls.
- Treadmill: Level length slightly reduced.
- Erect: Level length reduced. Phasms reduced. Platform rise speed increased.
- Undersway: Level length reduced.
- Macular: Level length reduced. Phasms removed.

/// Island #8
- Collateral: Big Phasm replaced with 4 souls. Collateral shockwave made bigger. Jump height increased.
- Ripple: Level length reduced. Jump height increased.
- Journey: The room names of those that contain the maps are now displayed above the relevant stone.
- Bypass: Level length reduced. Jump height increased.
- Time: Level length greatly reduced. The platforms only move when you move. Phasms removed.
- Shy: Level length reduced. Bobbing platforms fade away when landed on. Jump height increased.
- Pedestal: Level length reduced. Wind speed slightly reduced.
- Presence: Level length reduced.
- Bombard: Phasm spawn rate increased but they move slower.


Enjoy. And let me know if you have any issues or suggestions to improve levels. :]

Hi. :]

There's now a Screen Shaders option which allows you to turn off all the various island theme screen effects, such as the fuzziness in island 1, visual glitches in island 3, the super high contrast effect in island 2, etc. I also removed the ghosting effect from island 8 since it was rather a bit much really. The Motion Sick option will also now turn off the souls that appear on your HUD.

Previously when playing the game for the first time you were greeted with all the controls shoved in your face and you were pretty much left to figure out everything yourself. Instead now the controls are given to you as you go along into the first level. So when you first start it just shows the Movement controls, then when you reach the first pillar you're given the Jump Above key, then when confronted with the Coddle level it now instead gives the Emit Interaction key, and the remaining keys are in the first level itself. There's some other changes to the first level too now so there's less chance of things going awry for you when learning the basics. The phasm is gone, the original platform is extended, the first soul is impossible to miss, the other souls are invisible until you activate their platform, and in the tutorial the first invisible platform starts visible.

In previous patches I've attempted to make the first island levels more inviting to newcomers, which in turn created a rather sharp difficulty curve going from island 1 to islands 2 and 3. So in this update I wanted to tone down the islands 2-4 and just generally went through the first four island's levels tweaking and changing to improve things. In some cases I just reduced the amount of souls needed to be collected so there's less unnecessarily redoing of stuff, or in the case of the more puzzle orientated rooms reduced or removed phasms and platforming. A fair few rooms have also been swapped around, such as the Map level which was previously on island 1 was causing a lot of headaches for newcomers so it's been moved to a later island. In some cases entire levels were redesigned, such as the Realms level which has gone from what was a challenging platformer level to now not involving any platforming at all.

I'm quite liking how some pretty meaty levels have been slimmed down to become shorter but sharper experiences. I may possibly do the same to the islands beyond 4 too... not too sure yet and I'd have to come up with some new levels perhaps. I guess I'll wait and see what people think of the changes so far.



/// Island #1
- Coddle: Phasm removed. Initial platform extended. First soul position moved closer to path. Souls stay invisible until their platform is activated.
- Flee: Less phasms. Added an extra platform to make the final solution easier to spot.
- Drift: One less soul to collect. Changes to make the souls easier to see (they don't move upwards, activate closer, and the shockwave becomes larger as you complete the level).
- Sense: The phasms have been removed, instead if you go the wrong way you hear a noise effect and the souls reset.
- Path: Some visual changes and less platforrming (can jump further and smaller platforms have been added around the larger ones). The solution has been made a bit easier to spot.
- Sequence: Phasms removed.
- Pressure: Can jump further. Platform sizes increased. Less platforms to make the puzzle a bit easier and the souls are activated sooner so you have more time to complete the level.

/// Island #2
- Subsist: Can jump further.
- Teleport: Two less souls to collect. Can Jump further. Platform sizes increased.
- Spire: Slightly fewer phasms.
- Vortex: Can jump further.
- Realm: Redesigned so there's no more platforming.
- Harmony: Removed extraneous activator and soul block.
- Knock: Redesigned so the puzzle is more intuitive.
- Aerial: Big phasm removed so there's no more time limit.
- Focus: Two less souls to collect. Removed platforming.

/// Island #3
- Fade: Phasms removed. Two less souls to collect. Faders swap upon soul collection.
- Spring: four less souls to collect. Tweaked positioning of springs so it's more fun.
- Facade: Two less souls to collect. Platform sizes increased.
- Persistence: Two less souls to collect.
- Circuit: The circuit is a bit easier to follow. Extraneaous activator removed.
- Roil: Phasms removed.
- Order: Made a fair bit shorter.
- Storm: One less soul to collect.

// Island #4
- Spiral: Can jump further.
- Convert: Two less souls to collect. Platform sizes increased.
- Crowd: Phasms are slightly slower and start closer so easier to hit.
- Asceendant: One less soul and phasm.
- Fluke: Can jump further.
- Planes: One less plane to shift through. Second soul easier to collect. Safe platforms added.
- Cling: Made a fair bit shorter. Big phasm removed so there's no more time limit. Tweaked the ending so it's more interesting.
- Domino: Two less souls to collect.
- Slide: Extended the platform around so it's easier to see the back. Added a border to the edge of the picture so it's easier to tell which bits go where. Starts the level with some pieces finished.
- Infest: Two less souls to collect.

Hi. :]

There's now a Screen Shaders option which allows you to turn off all the various island theme screen effects, such as the fuzziness in island 1, visual glitches in island 3, the super high contrast effect in island 2, etc. I also removed the ghosting effect from island 8 since it was rather a bit much really. The Motion Sick option will also now turn off the souls that appear on your HUD.

Previously when playing the game for the first time you were greeted with all the controls shoved in your face and you were pretty much left to figure out everything yourself. Instead now the controls are given to you as you go along into the first level. So when you first start it just shows the Movement controls, then when you reach the first pillar you're given the Jump Above key, then when confronted with the Coddle level it now instead gives the Emit Interaction key, and the remaining keys are in the first level itself. There's some other changes to the first level too now so there's less chance of things going awry for you when learning the basics. The phasm is gone, the original platform is extended, the first soul is impossible to miss, the other souls are invisible until you activate their platform, and in the tutorial the first invisible platform starts visible.

In previous patches I've attempted to make the first island levels more inviting to newcomers, which in turn created a rather sharp difficulty curve going from island 1 to islands 2 and 3. So in this update I wanted to tone down the islands 2-4 and just generally went through the first four island's levels tweaking and changing to improve things. In some cases I just reduced the amount of souls needed to be collected so there's less unnecessarily redoing of stuff, or in the case of the more puzzle orientated rooms reduced or removed phasms and platforming. A fair few rooms have also been swapped around, such as the Map level which was previously on island 1 was causing a lot of headaches for newcomers so it's been moved to a later island. In some cases entire levels were redesigned, such as the Realms level which has gone from what was a challenging platformer level to now not involving any platforming at all.

I'm quite liking how some pretty meaty levels have been slimmed down to become shorter but sharper experiences. I may possibly do the same to the islands beyond 4 too... not too sure yet and I'd have to come up with some new levels perhaps. I guess I'll wait and see what people think of the changes so far.



/// Island #1
- Coddle: Phasm removed. Initial platform extended. First soul position moved closer to path. Souls stay invisible until their platform is activated.
- Flee: Less phasms. Added an extra platform to make the final solution easier to spot.
- Drift: One less soul to collect. Changes to make the souls easier to see (they don't move upwards, activate closer, and the shockwave becomes larger as you complete the level).
- Sense: The phasms have been removed, instead if you go the wrong way you hear a noise effect and the souls reset.
- Path: Some visual changes and less platforrming (can jump further and smaller platforms have been added around the larger ones). The solution has been made a bit easier to spot.
- Sequence: Phasms removed.
- Pressure: Can jump further. Platform sizes increased. Less platforms to make the puzzle a bit easier and the souls are activated sooner so you have more time to complete the level.

/// Island #2
- Subsist: Can jump further.
- Teleport: Two less souls to collect. Can Jump further. Platform sizes increased.
- Spire: Slightly fewer phasms.
- Vortex: Can jump further.
- Realm: Redesigned so there's no more platforming.
- Harmony: Removed extraneous activator and soul block.
- Knock: Redesigned so the puzzle is more intuitive.
- Aerial: Big phasm removed so there's no more time limit.
- Focus: Two less souls to collect. Removed platforming.

/// Island #3
- Fade: Phasms removed. Two less souls to collect. Faders swap upon soul collection.
- Spring: four less souls to collect. Tweaked positioning of springs so it's more fun.
- Facade: Two less souls to collect. Platform sizes increased.
- Persistence: Two less souls to collect.
- Circuit: The circuit is a bit easier to follow. Extraneaous activator removed.
- Roil: Phasms removed.
- Order: Made a fair bit shorter.
- Storm: One less soul to collect.

// Island #4
- Spiral: Can jump further.
- Convert: Two less souls to collect. Platform sizes increased.
- Crowd: Phasms are slightly slower and start closer so easier to hit.
- Asceendant: One less soul and phasm.
- Fluke: Can jump further.
- Planes: One less plane to shift through. Second soul easier to collect. Safe platforms added.
- Cling: Made a fair bit shorter. Big phasm removed so there's no more time limit. Tweaked the ending so it's more interesting.
- Domino: Two less souls to collect.
- Slide: Extended the platform around so it's easier to see the back. Added a border to the edge of the picture so it's easier to tell which bits go where. Starts the level with some pieces finished.
- Infest: Two less souls to collect.

It seems some people can really struggle to pick up some of the game's principle mechanics early on in the game or when facing a particularly strange level. So a hint system has been added to somewhat point you in the right direction.

Pressing the Enter key will now show a short cryptic hint. Most levels have several hints which you can cycle through by pressing Enter multiple times.

It's recommended you not use the system unless you're struggling with a level early on in the game, but the hints are vague enough that they shouldn't outright spoil puzzles. They don't tell you specifically how to solve a puzzle, but simply hint at what you should be keeping an eye out for.

It's a bit of a tricky tightrope trying to make the hints helpful without spoiling the fun of figuring out mechanics yourself, so if you come across any levels where you think the hints could be more descriptive or less spoilery then let me know and I'll have a look at changing them.

:]

It seems some people can really struggle to pick up some of the game's principle mechanics early on in the game or when facing a particularly strange level. So a hint system has been added to somewhat point you in the right direction.

Pressing the Enter key will now show a short cryptic hint. Most levels have several hints which you can cycle through by pressing Enter multiple times.

It's recommended you not use the system unless you're struggling with a level early on in the game, but the hints are vague enough that they shouldn't outright spoil puzzles. They don't tell you specifically how to solve a puzzle, but simply hint at what you should be keeping an eye out for.

It's a bit of a tricky tightrope trying to make the hints helpful without spoiling the fun of figuring out mechanics yourself, so if you come across any levels where you think the hints could be more descriptive or less spoilery then let me know and I'll have a look at changing them.

:]

- Added jazz hands to HUD.
- Added a motion sickness prompt when you play the game for the first time.
- Map (i1) is now much easier.
- Lost (i1) has been renamed to Sense and contains a better puzzle.
- Added new levels: Seeker (i1), Reflect (i1), Bond (i2), Knock (i3).
- All island levels are now open after completing the first level.
- Font has been changed to be more readable.
- A fair amount of bits and bobs.