Hi everyone! Here is our 67th update with what's going on at whimindie! Please note that some of this information will be cross-posted to our Spellbearers project page on Kickstarter for project backers.
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Spellbearers
We have a Steam Release Date! (Also updated Timelines)
October 7th, 2022 on Steam - Save the date!
Last week, Gerren and I finished taking all of footage for the upcoming release trailer and up until this date we will be working on polishing and testing various aspects of the game and Jessica is working on the final trailer to be shown later this summer.
Here is an updated timeline on where we stand:
October 7, 2022: Initial release on Steam/Steam Deck addressing feedback and patches from itch.io release. We also plan on reaching out to curators and have a new trailer around this period. (Steam codes will be provided to backers on the Early Bird Tier/"The Game" and above.). The ability to receive achievements will be enabled on this date.
Late 2022-Early 2023: Initial release on Xbox platforms/Xbox/Microsoft Store
*Please note that for those with the Selactic Spellbearer FLASH TIER! that Selatria codes will be sent out when that game is completed.
Late July 2022: Soft launch / Initial "Beta Test" release on itch.io platform (itch.io codes will be provided to backers on the Early Bird Tier/"The Game" and above.) - This will include an updated Level 1 free demo on itch.io and Steam to gather feedback on the normal difficulty. Achievements will be disabled.
October 7, 2022: Initial release on Steam/Steam Deck addressing feedback and patches from itch.io release. We also plan on reaching out to curators and have a new trailer around this period. (Steam codes will be provided to backers on the Early Bird Tier/"The Game" and above.). The ability to receive achievements will be enabled on this date.
Late 2022-Early 2023: Initial release on Xbox platforms/Xbox/Microsoft Store
2023/Future: Focusing on PlayStation versions
TBA: Research other possible platforms for Spellbearers release
*Please note that for those with the Selactic Spellbearer FLASH TIER! that Selatria codes will be sent out when that game is completed.
Implementing Changes to the Player HUD and Changes to Bosses:
In the last development log, we mentioned how some information was difficult to understand for the players. What did the diamonds mean near the characters? In the last development update, I shared a mockup by Jessi on how the new UI would be implemented. I would like to share the final HUD that will be presented in game! See below:
In the last development log, we mentioned how some information was difficult to understand for the players. What did the diamonds mean near the characters? In the last development update, I shared a mockup by Jessi on how the new UI would be implemented. I would like to share the final HUD that will be presented in game! See below:
We'll be moving forward with using chevrons for speed boost buffs. And as you can see in the second screenshot, we've made the decision to implement a Health Bar for all bosses. The boss health bar will only be visible in Easy and Normal modes of Spellbearers, so players looking for an additional challenge will have to deal with the bosses without any help! Good luck!
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Selatria
Work is continuing on the final two chapters. The end of Chapter 5 is taking a lot longer to finish than planned, and we're unfortunately about 4-5 months behind where we need to be for the project as a whole. We're going to be reallocating some of the team over the next few months to place emphasis on Spellbearers and Selatria and finishing these two games will be a priority.
Unfortunately, there's not much more I can share on this project for this development log. I hope to have something more substantial to show next time.
Unfortunately, there's not much more I can share on this project for this development log. I hope to have something more substantial to show next time.
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Some Upcoming Conventions for our Games
We will be at the Mega Bit Game Expo showing Spellbearers, Selatria, and another game being developed by CSUSB alumni Star Rider in Simi Valley (Los Angeles) in September! Please come check it out if you're in the area!
https://megabitgameexpo.com/
https://megabitgameexpo.com/
We will also be at Sin City Anime November 18th-20th showing Spellbearers and Selatria as well in Las Vegas! Please come and say hi! https://www.sincityanime.com/
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On a Whim! Podcast
We do a weekly podcast show where we talk about development of our games and other news going on in the game industry and other topics! Check it out on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We put out a new episode weekly.
