Hey pack!

Things are getting serious.
We decided on a launch date: Thursday, September 21st 2017.
That is just four weeks from now! Until then all new versions will remain on their separate branches. On launch day they will be pushed on to the main branch. Now we need all the help we can get to make sure the release version runs like a charm, so all new pack members discovering the game on launch have a great time experiencing it for the first time ^^

Please note: If you just want to play and enjoy the game DON'T play this version. This version is for bug testing and feedback. Your game will automatically update itself as soon as the update runs well and is pushed to the main branch.

Please help us test this version and report feedback here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1471969431578238854/
In case you speak German, French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian, please play the game in your language and report translation issues :)

The launch will be an extremly important event for Niche and our studio. We would love to keep adding more features to the game and really hope it will sell well enough to enable us to do so. All infos about Niche’s future here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1368380934282493056/

--------------------------------------------------

What is new?
- Distinction between story and sandbox mode
+ selectable start islands in sandbox mode
- Tutorial (finally!)
- Steam achievements
- 5 available save slots
- Polishing and bug fixes
- Ui is completly reworked (It took me a while to get used to it xD)
- Localisation to French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian
(a huge thanks to our translators <3)



The tutorial includes a few references to the intro video (which is currently in production and looks awesome :D) which are probably a but confusing.

--------------------------------------------------

How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “release_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D
> report bugs and leave feedback here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1471969431578238854/

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.

We are really curious to hear if the game runs well on your computers now since we hope to have fixed some of the performance issues.

Known issues (currently fixing):
- Some animal textures (mainly for right paws) are misplaced
- Blue bird fly around weirdly
- Title screen not fit for all screen resolutions

Thank you all very much for your time and support :)

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Hey pack!

Things are getting serious.
We decided on a launch date: Thursday, September 21st 2017.
That is just four weeks from now! Until then all new versions will remain on their separate branches. On launch day they will be pushed on to the main branch. Now we need all the help we can get to make sure the release version runs like a charm, so all new pack members discovering the game on launch have a great time experiencing it for the first time ^^

Please note: If you just want to play and enjoy the game DON'T play this version. This version is for bug testing and feedback. Your game will automatically update itself as soon as the update runs well and is pushed to the main branch.

Please help us test this version and report feedback here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1471969431578238854/
In case you speak German, French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian, please play the game in your language and report translation issues :)

The launch will be an extremly important event for Niche and our studio. We would love to keep adding more features to the game and really hope it will sell well enough to enable us to do so. All infos about Niche’s future here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1368380934282493056/

--------------------------------------------------

What is new?
- Distinction between story and sandbox mode
+ selectable start islands in sandbox mode
- Tutorial (finally!)
- Steam achievements
- 5 available save slots
- Polishing and bug fixes
- Ui is completly reworked (It took me a while to get used to it xD)
- Localisation to French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian
(a huge thanks to our translators <3)



The tutorial includes a few references to the intro video (which is currently in production and looks awesome :D) which are probably a but confusing.

--------------------------------------------------

How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “release_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D
> report bugs and leave feedback here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1471969431578238854/

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.

We are really curious to hear if the game runs well on your computers now since we hope to have fixed some of the performance issues.

Known issues (currently fixing):
- Some animal textures (mainly for right paws) are misplaced
- Blue bird fly around weirdly
- Title screen not fit for all screen resolutions

Thank you all very much for your time and support :)

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Finally the update is on the preview branch :)
Pretty much the WHOLE dev team was sick during the last weeks, so please excuse the delay! As usual this version is not quite finished and still rather buggy, that's why we uploaded it on a separate branch.

Please note: If you just want to play and enjoy the game DON'T play this version. This version is for bug testing and feedback. Your game will automatically update itself as soon as the update runs well and is pushed to the main branch.

What is new?
- Lots of new island + special challenge islands
- More content for swamp and savanna biomes
- New dynamic pattern system
- New gene unlocking/ mutation system
- Interspecies breeding with Bearyenas
- New textures
- Small adjustments and fixes
(Sickness lasts only 2 days, healing plants cures sickness, ...)
- Lots of new bugs xD



--------------------------------------------------
How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “buggy_0.5_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D
> report bugs and leave feedback here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1457328927835841598/

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.

We are really curious to hear if the game runs well on your computers now since we hope to have fixed some of the performance issues.

Known issues (currently fixing):
- Animals don't have textures currently
- Animal patterns sometimes don't match with portrait and family tree image

The full release of the game in September is coming closer and closer!
This will be the last "update" before release. However we will keep pushing new builds to the preview branch every few weeks until launch.
All infos about Niche's future can be found here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1368380934282493056/

Thank you all very much for your time and support :)



Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Finally the update is on the preview branch :)
Pretty much the WHOLE dev team was sick during the last weeks, so please excuse the delay! As usual this version is not quite finished and still rather buggy, that's why we uploaded it on a separate branch.

Please note: If you just want to play and enjoy the game DON'T play this version. This version is for bug testing and feedback. Your game will automatically update itself as soon as the update runs well and is pushed to the main branch.

What is new?
- Lots of new island + special challenge islands
- More content for swamp and savanna biomes
- New dynamic pattern system
- New gene unlocking/ mutation system
- Interspecies breeding with Bearyenas
- New textures
- Small adjustments and fixes
(Sickness lasts only 2 days, healing plants cures sickness, ...)
- Lots of new bugs xD



--------------------------------------------------
How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “buggy_0.5_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D
> report bugs and leave feedback here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1457328927835841598/

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.

We are really curious to hear if the game runs well on your computers now since we hope to have fixed some of the performance issues.

Known issues (currently fixing):
- Animals don't have textures currently
- Animal patterns sometimes don't match with portrait and family tree image

The full release of the game in September is coming closer and closer!
This will be the last "update" before release. However we will keep pushing new builds to the preview branch every few weeks until launch.
All infos about Niche's future can be found here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1368380934282493056/

Thank you all very much for your time and support :)



Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Wow that was quite a ride! The game is getting bigger and bigger which makes it harder to test and fix everything, but thanks to your help we hope to have squished most of the bugs!

However if you find one we missed, please keep reporting here :)
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1318835718939923242/

What is new?
- 2 new islands (Snow/Grass Island, Snow Island) + some islands reworked
- New biome: Mountain (along with 2 new predators and 1 new prey type)

- Twin birth and fertility system
- Updated sickness mechanic (sickness can now spread)
- New prehistoric genes
- Temperature system that allows more flexible weather and temperature events
- Added heat and cold resistance
- Added filters to the family tree
- Added a community translation system + German translation
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements



This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update. If you want to keep playing with your existing save files, here is how: http://niche-game.com/updates/

Please note that we plan to completly replace the current mutation system with a new one soon. That is the reason why the new genes are not in there.
It seems the game's performance has suffered a bit with this update. We are currently investigating and hope to increase the performance again in the next weeks.

Up next: New mutation system and procedural fur patterns.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support <3

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Wow that was quite a ride! The game is getting bigger and bigger which makes it harder to test and fix everything, but thanks to your help we hope to have squished most of the bugs!

However if you find one we missed, please keep reporting here :)
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1318835718939923242/

What is new?
- 2 new islands (Snow/Grass Island, Snow Island) + some islands reworked
- New biome: Mountain (along with 2 new predators and 1 new prey type)

- Twin birth and fertility system
- Updated sickness mechanic (sickness can now spread)
- New prehistoric genes
- Temperature system that allows more flexible weather and temperature events
- Added heat and cold resistance
- Added filters to the family tree
- Added a community translation system + German translation
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements



This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update. If you want to keep playing with your existing save files, here is how: http://niche-game.com/updates/

Please note that we plan to completly replace the current mutation system with a new one soon. That is the reason why the new genes are not in there.
It seems the game's performance has suffered a bit with this update. We are currently investigating and hope to increase the performance again in the next weeks.

Up next: New mutation system and procedural fur patterns.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support <3

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

April update incoming :D
It's not quite finished and still rather buggy, that's why we uploaded it on a separate branch. This preview version is labeled as version 0.3.2.

I’ll be attending Berlin Games Week starting tomorrow and be back to work in a week. However my team mates will check how the testing is going from time to time.

What is new?
- 2 new islands (Snow/Grass Island, Snow Island) + some islands reworked
- New biome: Mountain (along with 2 new predators and 1 new prey type)

- Twin birth and fertility system
- Updated sickness mechanic (sickness can now spread)
- New prehistoric genes
- Temperature system that allows more flexible weather and temperature events
- Added heat and cold resistance
- Added filters to the family tree
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements
- Lots of new bugs xD




--------------------------------------------------
How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “buggy_mountain_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.
Please note that we plan to completly replace the current mutation system with a new one soon. That is the reason why the new genes are not in there ^^

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.


It seems that we have performence problems with this update. If that is the case for you, please turn down your graphics settings for now.
Please give us feedback and report bugs here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1318835718939923242/

Please find as many bugs/balancing issues/things that are not understandable as possible so we can fix them when I’m back!
Thank you all very much for your time and support :)



Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

April update incoming :D
It's not quite finished and still rather buggy, that's why we uploaded it on a separate branch. This preview version is labeled as version 0.3.2.

I’ll be attending Berlin Games Week starting tomorrow and be back to work in a week. However my team mates will check how the testing is going from time to time.

What is new?
- 2 new islands (Snow/Grass Island, Snow Island) + some islands reworked
- New biome: Mountain (along with 2 new predators and 1 new prey type)

- Twin birth and fertility system
- Updated sickness mechanic (sickness can now spread)
- New prehistoric genes
- Temperature system that allows more flexible weather and temperature events
- Added heat and cold resistance
- Added filters to the family tree
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements
- Lots of new bugs xD




--------------------------------------------------
How to get the update:
> right click on Niche in your library
> click on properties
> select the beta tab
> select the dropdown and choose “buggy_mountain_preview"
> the game will update, please wait (restart Steam if the game is not updating)
> play :D

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update.
Please note that we plan to completly replace the current mutation system with a new one soon. That is the reason why the new genes are not in there ^^

If you are a Youtuber/Streamer:
Please inform your viewers how to access the update and let them know it is a preview version.


It seems that we have performence problems with this update. If that is the case for you, please turn down your graphics settings for now.
Please give us feedback and report bugs here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/1318835718939923242/

Please find as many bugs/balancing issues/things that are not understandable as possible so we can fix them when I’m back!
Thank you all very much for your time and support :)



Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio

Dear pack,

The February update has just left the bug testing phase and is now officially released! Thanks a lot for helping out with bug testing ^_^

What is new?
- New island travelling system (Once travelled there is no way back, islands are randomly connected)
- 3 new islands (Jungle/Grass Island, Oasis Island, Jungle Island)
- New biome: Jungle (along with 3 new predators)
- Changed sickness mechanic (having two different immunity genes is more important)
- Added Albinism and Melanism
- Messaging System that lets you know what is happening
- Option to banish creatures from your tribe
- Inviting creatures to join your tribe will cost you food
- Possibility to build nests
- New abilities (Scent Disguise, Stealth, Odor Disguise, Distasteful Appearance, Distasteful Scent)

- Spiky Body no longer hurts pack mates (unless it's licked)
- Added new types of perception (smelling and hearing)
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements such as an animal portrait in the UI

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update. In case you want to keep playing with your older save files, please head over to: http://niche-game.com/updates/

Please give us feedback and report bugs here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/133257636776588165



Up next: Snow biome update in April :)

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio
(we founded a company woohooo)

Dear pack,

The February update has just left the bug testing phase and is now officially released! Thanks a lot for helping out with bug testing ^_^

What is new?
- New island travelling system (Once travelled there is no way back, islands are randomly connected)
- 3 new islands (Jungle/Grass Island, Oasis Island, Jungle Island)
- New biome: Jungle (along with 3 new predators)
- Changed sickness mechanic (having two different immunity genes is more important)
- Added Albinism and Melanism
- Messaging System that lets you know what is happening
- Option to banish creatures from your tribe
- Inviting creatures to join your tribe will cost you food
- Possibility to build nests
- New abilities (Scent Disguise, Stealth, Odor Disguise, Distasteful Appearance, Distasteful Scent)

- Spiky Body no longer hurts pack mates (unless it's licked)
- Added new types of perception (smelling and hearing)
- Lots of big + small fixes and improvements such as an animal portrait in the UI

This update features a lot of new content and we had to rebuild the game quite a bit. Because of this older save files will unfortunately not be compatible with this update. In case you want to keep playing with your older save files, please head over to: http://niche-game.com/updates/

Please give us feedback and report bugs here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440650/discussions/1/133257636776588165



Up next: Snow biome update in April :)

Cheers,
Stray Fawn Studio
(we founded a company woohooo)