Mar 21, 2024

💡 Illuminating Highlights of Our Lights Out Event

Among Us 3D: VR - akuta

Heya, beans!

Last week, we turned the lights off on our first-ever 💡 Limited Time Event — Lights Out. 💡 We were overjoyed by your reception and the amount of Crewmate engagement we saw surrounding it, so wanted to share some interesting highlights with you. 🧮

We kicked off the Lights Out Event on Thursday, February 8, and immediately saw a surge of Crewmates joining in — 88% more than that of February 1, to be exact! 📈 In fact, there was a 194% increase in active Crewmates from the day before the event to the Saturday post-launch. The hype extended for the entire event with the most popular day to play being Saturdays. So. Many. BEANS! 🫘

No major changes occurred within the overall Crewmate community cosmetic preferences 🎨, but it’s the little ones that stand out. For example, while ❤️ Red beans wearing a fedora (Official Name: Fedorable? Trillbilly? Fedora? No one knows. 🤔) remained the most common choice, Safety Second jumped from seventh place to the second most used hat 🐱 Purrtected (Polus Point Picks) also made an appearance in the top five hats overall, while not even making the Top Ten for 2023 overall.

So what about the Limited Time Hat: Overscoped? 🥽 This was our first fully-animated hat and was exclusive to the timing of the Lights Out Event… so, hopefully you jumped on the opportunity to add it to your wardrobe!

Overscoped came in at the 22nd most popular hat throughout the duration of the Limited Time Event, beating out every other hat from any of our other Hat Pack DLCs! Plagued (Crew Favorites) was very close to matching Overscoped’s popularity, only off by 30 uses. However, don’t get it twisted — Overscoped was so popular that for every ONE Sandmate (Fungle Fresh Picks) in the wild, there were 340¼ Overscopeds! 🤯

We’re so excited to see that the hype for our new Limited Time Events has become infectious. However, for now, we’ll need to keep you in the dark a bit longer while we 🔥 cook 🍴 up our next event — coming in April 2024! 🐥

Stay suspicious, beans!

Mar 21, 2024

Update to Version 0.0.3

Number 8 - ArtTrace

Hey, everyone!
I am glad to present to you the new update to version 0.0.3
List of changes in the game:

Levels

Added a new level - Laboratories.
Save points have been added to the level. You no longer have to start from the beginning of the level after death.
Redesigned the design of the initial tutorial level. The gameplay time on the level has increased threefold.
Improved design of the first and second levels (lighting, gameplay, optimization).
Redesigned the reactor room on the third level. New core design with additional gameplay elements.Lighting and gameplay aspects of the third level have been improved.
Added a corridor for easier access to the green key on the third level.
Changed the collision principle of the player with debris. The player no longer steps on debris (previously the player could stumble while walking on debris).
Glass and windows have been added. Now the player has the ability to assess the situation in the rooms. Unguarded glass can be shattered, allowing entry through the window.
New types of doors with gameplay elements (manual opening control and glass inserts) have been added. Now the player can close doors in front of enemies to escape. Glass doors allow observation without being noticed. The player can assess the situation behind the door and decide on the appropriate moment to attack.
New special effects added: cold steam, explosions, flickering light sources.
New environmental elements with physical properties have been added (tables, chairs, cabinets, shelves, computers, trash bins, boxes, crates).
The appearance of keys has been changed. They are now access cards lying on tables.
The design of the elevator has been improved. New sound effects for its operation, activation button, and the ability to go back have been added.
New environmental elements added: floor, ceiling, walls, windows, doors, columns, railings, and more. Player collision with cables has been disabled.

NPC

The total number of enemies on levels has been increased.
Models of female enemies have been changed.
Models of male enemies have been added.

New types of enemies added:
Security guard with a shock baton (male)
Security guards with a blaster (male, female)
Drone

New types of behaviors added:
Guarding,
Random movement.
Enemies now have a visibility zone, and the player can move unnoticed. There's also an alarm time - if you're not detected for several seconds, the enemy will go about their business, ceasing to pursue you. Barrel design has been improved. The system for dealing damage to surroundings has been enhanced. The barrel explosion effect has been replaced.
Opening crates with health, energy, strength cores, weapon upgrades, and character upgrades have been added.
Two new turret designs created. Bugs fixed (laser now shines on character bodies, hanging turrets no longer glitch). Explosion effect replaced.
Two new mine designs created. A new type of mine added: falling and rolling. Explosion effect replaced.

Character and UI

Improved appearance of the in-game character.
Character hair has been improved (physics and material).
Interface design has been improved (detailed character information removed from first-person mode and moved to the statistics section).
Visual confirmation of activities added: health regeneration, weapon recharging, use of time slowdown (animation in the interface).
Visual effect added when aiming from third-person view (aim appearance animation).
Improved effect when the player takes damage.
A button to access the graphics settings menu has been added to the main and game menus.
A bug that didn't save the display of selected settings has been fixed.
Game's musical arrangement redesigned. Old music canceled. Two new ambient-style musical pieces created and added.
A slider for controlling the overall game volume has been added to the sound menu.
Image post-processing improved (gamma correction, scene color work, cinematic highlights on chrome surfaces).
Global optimization work has been carried out. Game performance improved by 30%.

Mar 21, 2024

Demo v1.4! Big changes for our little bugs!

Cast Out Colony - Natis

Hey there everyone!

We have updated our demo! This update changes a core gameplay feature. Please take a look at the patch notes below.

Demo 1.4 Patch Notes (3-21-24):

Combat Arenas

We have changed where the player fights for the combat portion of the game. Players will no longer fight in the colony they build, but in a completely different area that we are calling Arenas.

As we watched gamers play our demo, from the initial upload to the most recent update for Steam Next Fest, we began to realize that players did not want to build their colony since they felt that if they built too much, they were hindering their own survival. Even after giving incentives to build (extra Flower Coins, stat boost, etc.) it just became more clear based on what we watched and feedback we received that we needed to pivot. We feel that creating Arenas for combat solves this issue, and gives us creativity to create fun and unique Arenas further down the road.

The demo has 1 arena available and we are planning on having more unique arenas ready to play in the full version of the game.

Overall, the core game loop remains the same: playing in the combat phase gives resources to build the colony and growing your colony helps you grow your stats.

Please note that due to this change, some features did get cut, such as the traps. We do have plans to work those back into the game, but in a different way.

Companions

We have added a Companion System to the game! When certain Structures are built in your colony, there will be an NPC that will be able to join you in combat!

As of now, we have 3 Companions, (all of which use generic villager models for now), but there are plans to add more, and give them their unique 3D models!

Clean Up

We've introduced a new feature called 'Clean Up' to further enrich the colony building experience. When you first start your colony, it will be a mess. To create room to build objects in your colony, you’ll have to clear a spot for it. Cleaning up items will grant you extra flower coins, and if you have villagers in your colony, they will pitch in to assist!

The items to clean up are spawned procedurally, so your colony will be unique from all the others to give each player a slightly different experience!

Other Stuff

We have made general changes here and that you might spot if you are returning to the demo.

We have added an opening sequence, spread out and simplified our tutorials, made enemy stat changes, changed the way some skills/buildings can unlock (Please note that even though the library will give the secret to unlock something, not everything will be able to be unlocked in the demo), made tons of UI changes, and so much more!

As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the feedback forum or in our Discord server!

Mar 21, 2024

Play Our Demo During PAXEast!!

Survival Nation: Lost Horizon - Ashe

Hey everyone!

We are excited to announce that Survival Nation: Lost Horizon is participating at PAXEast as part of our publisher, Freedom Games Booth.

If you are at PAXEast, you can stop by booth #15096, and play our demo.

As part of our participation, there is a free demo available for everyone to try during the event RIGHT HERE ON STEAM.

Keep in mind , the demo will come down March 25th, so be sure to download and play today!

Don't forget to wishlist the game so you don't miss out on any news and thank you for your support!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2504380/Survival_Nation_Lost_Horizon/

PS Freedom Games is also running some cool giveaways at Pax, so stop by their booth for a chance to win some cool swag and games!

Mar 21, 2024

Forge Features

Halo Infinite - misplacedyank

Welcome back to Forge Features!

It’s been a hot minute, we know, but we’re back to showcase some awesome new community-created maps for you to bookmark and play.

The Pillar of Autumn

Credits: HMkiller05, Nikos, xXBarthXx
Bookmark: Map | Mode (Easy | Normal | Heroic | Legendary)

From the folks that brought you The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room recreated in Halo Infinite’s Forge comes another Halo: CE level—The Pillar of Autumn.

Get your targeting diagnostics and energy shields tested because you’re gonna need all the help you can get to repel enemy boarding parties, protect your fellow soldiers, and get to the escape pods to make ringfall! The placement of the enemies, the winding corridors, even some of the additional details from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is all here, and it’s a delight to see just how much love was put into this experience.

Purgatory

Credits: VidGamesPete, Dellsoto, ShredderMcgenty, Trignate, Yung Mithos, thesilencebrokn, Zaddy Hammer, I KAMIKAZE II, Le Frenchys
Bookmark

Things will never be the same for fans of Halo 2’s gondolas, as Purgatory is heavily inspired by the aesthetic and gameplay experience of those missions.

A particularly cool detail is that the walls around you are perpetually moving upwards, making it feel like you really are descending into the substructural belly of the beast.

Dawnbreaker

Credits: Anvil Prime 52, Cousin Tim, Squally DaBeanz, I Crush ALL, Galaxytivity, IKYLEIZBEASTLY
Bookmark

This BTB map features a Forerunner beam emitter on one side, a Banished base on the other, and a network of caves mixed with open, grassy terrain for you to navigate.

This map looks stunning, providing a great visual juxtaposition between the sleek, advanced look of Forerunner technology and with the dark, foreboding presence of a Banished tower.

Old Salt

Credits: Sikamikanico, Lahont, CertifiedChamp, WhosBlaze, Okom1
Bookmark

I like big boats, I cannot lie.

Man the cannons, hoist the sails, sing a sea shanty, and ready your muskets for a battle that can only be described as historic!

Firefight – Corvette Outpost

Credits: GlizzyGod420496
Bookmark: Map | Mode

Welcome to the Corvette Outpost. Weather conditions are chilly, lives are limited, and the Banished are on their way. Lock ‘n’ load, Spartan—you know what to do!

The Gulch

Credits: daomum, ElphCrimLester
Bookmark

The quick and the dead. One can simply never tire of Blood Gulch remakes, and this one is heavily inspired by the visual direction of Zeta Halo’s landscapes in Halo Infinite’s campaign.

Pirth

Credits: DEATH WEAPONxx
Bookmark

I could tell you lots of cool things about this map, but my neurons started firing with excitement at a great recreation of a damaged Locust from Halo Wars in the city streets along with a Scarab. That alone is worth a bookmark!

That closes us out for this issue of Forge Features. Thank you for joining us for this showcase, and for your incredible creativity in the making of these maps and experiences.

We’ll see you in April for our next issue!