Hey everyone

Some of you may or may not know but since the launch of Galactic Mining Corp I have joined forces with a few other amazing developers. We started our own studio called "Creature Cauldron" and we have been working away on our first release Spirit Hunters: infinite Horde!

SPIRIT HUNTERS: INFINITE HORDE - OUT NOW!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914580/Spirit_Hunters_Infinite_Horde/

My/our latest video game Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde just released onto Steam Early Access. Check it out!

"You are the Spirit Hunters in this action rogue-lite. Slay huge waves of monsters and harvest their souls for ever increasing power. Unlock many playable characters, abilities, maps and more through a deep progression system."

The game costs just $5 for Early access and we are working on this a lot so expect regular updates and frequent content!

Thank you all so much for the amazing support over the years. I appreciate every single person who plays any of my games and I sincerely hope you enjoy my latest one Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde.

Much love
Anthony

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Hey everyone!

I have some very exciting news! Since the launch of Galactic Mining Corp I have joined forces with a few other amazing developers. We started our own studio called "Creature Cauldron" and we have been working away on our first release Spirit Hunters: infinite Horde!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914580/Spirit_Hunters_Infinite_Horde/



"You are the Spirit Hunters in this action rogue-lite. Slay huge waves of monsters and harvest their souls for ever increasing power. Unlock many playable characters, abilities, maps and more through a deep progression system."


Head over to the Steam page to check it out and SMASH it on your Wishlists!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914580/Spirit_Hunters_Infinite_Horde/

Thank you all so much for the amazing support with ALL my games. I am super excited to be releasing another game and WE hope you enjoy it very much.

If you would like to know more about Creature Cauldron then check out some of the links here or join our Discord and say Hi.

Follow Creature Cauldron on...
Discord | Twitter | TikTok | Twitch | Instagram | Patreon | Website

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Follow Windybeard on...
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Hey everyone

This will be the final development update post, as I can now announce the release date for Galactic Mining Corp!
First up, over the last few weeks I have worked on squashing over 200 bugs and issues identified by my amazing team of testers who have spent collectively thousands of hours playing the game through over and over again. In particular, I'd like to thank my good pal RetroSteezy for his incredible dedication to meticulously pulling apart my game over hundreds of hours of playtime - cheers, mate! :D

Alongside all this bug fixing has been more polishing and some late-game balancing, which has been both difficult and time-consuming, but important to the overall experience. In my last update I told you that Lana_Lux had voiced Kira, the tutorial bot. She is now joined by Galactic Mining Corp's character artist, Peet Cooper, as the voice of Hogan the hangar dude. And of course, I am voicing the dodgy market seller slime alien. My thanks go to both Lana and Peet for helping bring those two characters to life.

But anyway, now onto the bit you've been waiting for. As many of you know, one of my gamedev heroes is Shigeru Miyamoto and I think one of his past quotes sums up my feelings on Galactic Mining Corp: A delayed game is eventually good. A bad game is bad forever. Galactic Mining Corp has been in development for close to two years and represents the largest investment of time I have made in any of my seven games to date. However, as I have said in the Kickstarter and the various updates, I truly believe it has been worth it. Thank you all for your patience with the release date announcement, and so with that...




For those of you who pledged in the "New Recruit" or higher Kickstarter reward tiers, details of fulfilment applicable to each tier will be posted prior to release.

I'll finish with another big thank you to everyone for their amazing support and helping me to bring the full Galactic Mining Corp vision into reality.

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Much love,

Anthony (Windybeard)

Happy New Year!

It's a brand new year and I am really pleased to report that all of the crew members and HQ rooms are now finished and have been integrated into the game. Most of the artwork is now also done, with a few remaining larger static pieces for the Investment Sites still to go. I am growing the GMC universe every day with the backer content and it is shaping up really nicely.




Further to extensive feedback from alpha testers, it became clear that the additional fourth galaxy was skewing the progression and spacing out the game content too far to be enjoyable. For this reason, I have decided to axe the fourth galaxy and re-structure things - the number of planets and locations will be the same, but in three galaxies rather than four. At the time the stretch goal of the fourth galaxy was created it was not anticipated that play would be negatively impacted, but this is part of the development process and we have to learn from it and respond accordingly - I don't want it to spoil the game, but rest assured that the actual content that would have been in the fourth galaxy is not being axed.

Over the next few weeks I will be addressing a number of bugs from the alpha testers and getting fixes integrated ahead of the release candidate testing. I will also be finalising those remaining Investment Site art pieces and polishing up the last bits of content.

I'll wrap up this update with some very exciting news: Based on current timeline, I expect to finish development of the game by around March 2021, with the intention to release it soon after. We're so very nearly there and I am doing my best to get it to you as soon as possible. I will make a full announcement regarding the release date in the next 6-8 weeks or so.

See you in the next update!

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Much love,

Anthony (Windybeard)

Hey everyone

For those of you who have been tuning into my Twitch livestreams, you will have seen some great progress over the last few weeks. I am really pleased to tell you that all of the HQ rooms are now complete, as are most of the backer content rewards. HQ rooms include saunas, dark matter reactors, meditation gardens, and even an animal rescue centre. Here are some more examples of the new rooms you can build in your HQ building:



Peet has been also working tirelessly on the crew character portraits, which have turned out beyond amazing. From fire-breathing space giraffe to a smug 1980s business guy who loves showing people his watch, there has been a huge variety of wacky crew lining up to join your mining corporation once you complete their in-game crew contract! Here are some of the latest additions to the crew roster:



These have been some really important milestones that I was really determined to hit before Christmas and I am very happy to achieved them. Going into the new year, I have some of the larger individual art pieces such as the Investment Sites to work on, and then lots more testing and polishing ahead of release. I also have some cool announcements coming up about collaboration and cross-over with other game universes which I hope you'll find as exciting as I do... stay tuned for more.

In closing, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2021!

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Much love,
Anthony (Windybeard)

This update is a little different to my previous ones, but it's both important and deserving of a little context - I have decided to change the name of the game to "Galactic Mining Corp". I'm in the process of making the name change across all media platforms effective Tuesday 1st December. Please rest assured that the game is staying the same as has been promised - it is only the name that is changing (and not really by much).



"OK Windy, that's great, but WHY?" I hear you scream. First and foremost as time has gone by and development has progressed, it has become clear to me that the game is more than a sequel. It is Geo's successor in nearly every aspect, from the significant improvements in art and music, through to new gameplay elements and player experiences. As I consider the totality of the game, it is a standalone work in its own right - there is also no need to have played the original Geo in order to get the most out of this game.

Secondly, each game a developer releases is being thrown into a very busy, crowded marketplace full of messages from content producers such as myself. It's very difficult to get visibility and when you do, you usually just get one shot at capturing someone's interest. "Geo" doesn't mean much on its own and I am frequently asked what the original game is about. By changing to "Galactic Mining Corp", it instantly tells players what sort of gaming experience lies ahead of them - you're in space, you're mining, and you're running a business. I ran the name change past some friends, industry professionals, and players of my games - the response was as clear as it was positive - it is a much better name.



And finally, over the course of releasing half a dozen commercial games, I consider myself to be more experienced and, hopefully, more professional in my approach. Being an indie developer in a crowded bazaar of gaming and entertainment offerings means that changes such as this can be inevitable - it's moving with the ebbs and flows of what people are looking for, better understanding not only what but also how they search for, access, and enjoy new content and experiences. The change in name should lead people more directly and more clearly towards the game.

This journey, made possible by the generous support of my wonderful Kickstarter backers, has been about making the game the best it can be. The extra time to enhance the art, game mechanics, and content will really make it shine, and with the name changing to Galactic Mining Corp, I hope it will bring in even more players to share that experience with you.

During this transition to a new name there may be changes to how Geo 2/ Galactic Mining Corp is found and handled by Steam. Certain aspects of this change have to be handled by Steam themselves so this process is ongoing. Hopefully this slight turbulence won't last long and I will keep you updated along the way.

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Much love,

Anthony (Windybeard)

Hey everyone!

As we reach the end of November, it has been a very intense few weeks here at the studio. There has been lots of testing and refinements on systems and mechanics across the whole of Geo 2. From tweaking progression in the Coretrium to adjusting the fine-grained stats for drills and bonuses, a huge amount of effort has gone in to get things balanced so that you have the most enjoyable experience when mining for your galactic fortunes.




We know that players love being able to show off their skills and determination, so there are now over 100 unlockable achievements going into the game to track and celebrate your progress! There are a wide variety of achievements, with simple goals as well more challenging ones for the most demanding of gamers.



We now move into December where work continues on the content and art for Geo 2. In particular, Peet and I will be focusing on the remaining Kickstarter backer content rewards. Most of the planets, items, and space traffic are now complete - we have got some wild and wacky stuff in there! For those backers in the VP Human Resources reward tier, Peet has already reached out to most of you regarding your character designs and we have seen some incredible suggestions being brought to life. I can't wait to see these crew in the game!



As the temperatures plummet here in the UK and winter settles in, over the next couple of months the game will get its remaining sets of art assets, data content, mechanics tweaks, and final polish. There will also be an updated game trailer coming soon, showcasing many of the improvements. It has been a long road for Geo 2, but I believe the end result will be well worth it. It's a game that I will be immensely proud of and one which I hope will bring an enormous amount of enjoyment to you and all the backers - it couldn't have got to this level without you.

You can still find me regularly streaming game development and art over on Twitch, please do drop by if you'd like a look at how it's all coming together - I'd love to see you there.

Twitch | Discord | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon | Steam | Youtube


Expect another update and exciting sneak peeks before Christmas.

Much love,
Anthony (Windybeard)

Hey everyone

So much has happened with both Geo 2 and my other games since the last update. Rest assured I am working on Geo 2 every single day and doing my very best to make Geo 2 the sequel to remember! So enough words Windybeard, tell me what you have done!

Now this is one of my favourite stages of a games development. Now that I am fast approaching the later stages of development I have been replacing, updating and polishing everything that needs it. Little tweaks to explosions, small visual effects, colour changes and rearranging things that didn't quite feel right. The list of these small jobs is too long to list here but after several weeks of this the game has leapt forward in terms of quality. Below are a few screenies that show some of these updates and effects.



I have started ramping up the variety and events you can find while drilling. One of my intents with Geo 2 is to give you all the sense of never really knowing what to expect when drilling toward the core. Even after many hours of play I want you to find new things to interact with, run from and even laugh at. I have added lots of new “cave events” to find. These are small random things you can find, some help you, some don't but they are never negative. There are common ones and rare ones. The rare “cave events” can be super useful. Here is a fun one to have a peep at.



For the Geo 2 Kickstarter I offered backers the opportunity to purchase different assets in the game such as rooms, planets and even crew members. Here are some of the new assets I designed based on the awesome ideas of the Kickstarter backers. It was awesome to see how creative people can be and some of the ideas were genuinely amusing. Here are some of the planets the crazy Kickstarter backers came up with!



As with the polish stage I detailed above, I have now moved head first into the pulsating belly of the bug beast. Every little annoyance, every little mistake or bug is being chronicled and obliterated. Its a challenging, often annoying but very satisfying part of late stage development. Still a few to go but its really starting to come together now.

As some of you have seen I have released a Vampire themed expansion DLC for my FREE to play match 3 game Puzzle Plunder. Puzzle Plunder Vampire Nights is out now so if you fancy checking it out please do so.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1445800/Puzzle_Plunder__Vampire_Night/

Every game of mine is currently heavilly discounted for the Steam Halloween sale! Upto 75% off everything. Check them out and if you fancy grabbing one then I would appreciate that very much.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/6139/Windybeard_Complete_Collection/

Thanks again for the ongoing support for Geo 2 and all my other games. It really is appreciated! Also while I have you here, please consider leaving a short review for any of my games if you own them and even if you dont own them, consider leaving a short review for another indie developer. They mean so much and are often a glimmer of light in the ever swelling waves of Steams algorithmic uncertainties.

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Thanks for reading!

Much love
Anthony (Windybeard)

Happy Halloween gamers!

I heard the screams for more Puzzle Plunder content and here it is! Puzzle Plunder Vampire Night is an all new Puzzle Plunder adventure. Help the vampire lord with his thirst for loot! Journey along the moon lit trail, Collect endless and every greater piles of loot and upgrade your cart, but watch out, you better connect plenty of moon amulets to stop the sun rising or "Ffffffft"... the vampire lord is dust!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1445800/Puzzle_Plunder__Vampire_Night/

Puzzle Plunder Vampire Night is only a few bucks (cheaper than a pumpkin latte) and here is what you get...

• 33 new steam achievements
  
• Hours of additional game play
  
• Separate progression from the FREE Pirate adventure
  
• Over 150 new types of loot to find
  
• Awesome vampire spooky stuff. Great for Halloween gaming
  
• Glorious new soundtrack
  
• Got the Support DLC? You got yourself a shiny gold horse and cart! BLING!
  
• Much more!

You will be able to toggle between adventures on the title screen AND you will be able to see your progression on each adventure!

Alongside this DLC there will also be an update to the entire Puzzle Plunder game. Here is some of the more interesting changes and additions to the FREE base game!

• Title Screen redesign
  
• End run button added. Pressing this will end the current run (great for if you are stuck or want to try again)
  
• Pirate ship redesign
  
• Better audio controls
  
• Can toggle sound on and off during play (Little music note button)
  
• Combo and other pop ups now spawn above the board rather than on it.

Thank you for your amazing support, I hope you enjoy this blood curdling new adventure and a very happy Halloween to you all... Stay spooky.

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Much love
Windybeard

Hey everyone

There has been loads of great stuff happening with Geo 2 over the past few weeks. Heres whats been going down in grove town!

As you may have seen the Geo 2 Kickstarter was a roaring success! It was fully funded in under 5 hours and finished at around 250% funded, achieving 2 stretch goals! This means that Geo 2 will now have an extra galaxy to explore, there will be hidden arcade mini games to find and play in the galaxy maps that will unlock cool stuff and thirdly you will be able to send nano drills off to bring you resources!! Wooo!

A big part of the Kickstarter campaign was to allow people to put their own stamp on the universe by designing planets, rooms, investment sites and more. I am now getting back the information from the amazing backers as to what they would like and OH MY MY... we have some awesomely weird and wonderful things going into the Geo 2 universe!



At the top of every planet in Geo 2 is a nice slither of art, the ground level of that planet. I have been furiously designing these assets and I absolutely love drawing alien landscapes. There will be a ton of variety throughout the planets and hopefully these will help build that feeling of descending into a strange alien planet. Here is a few of the designs.



I have now designed all of the drill components for Geo 2. As you play through the game you will unlock new drill heads and drill bodies. These are interchangeable so you can build a drill that best suits your play style! Each has its own stats that can be upgraded and all the components have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Each drill piece was designed in a large version for the HQ and the Garage and also a smaller animated one for when you are drilling and scooting about in space. The graphics change depending on your choice. Additionally each drill body has its own coloured trail when you fly.



As stated above there are now arcade mini games to find throughout the universe. If you can beat certain high scores you will unlock some really cool prizes (like the changable HQ backgrounds)
The first game is “Mr Banihans Banana Drama”. As with Geo 2 itself the game is played entirely with the mouse. Left click to shoot and right click to change lanes. Avoid the evil vegetable monsters and drop off bananas for points!



UI/HQ Update
A large job I recently completed was to modify every single UI and the entire HQ with damage, marks, scuffs and patches. It was a large undertaking but one I feel gives the entire game a much more “industrial” vibe. An intergalactic mining corporation run by strange aliens wouldn't be pristine and well kept now would it.



Whats next? I have a lot of art to do! I am chipping away at the mountain as fast as I can and rest assured, Geo 2 will be here soon and it will be all the better for all this extra work.

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Thanks for reading!

Much love
Anthony (Windybeard)