Slipways News

The public beta is now over! Thank you all for helping make Slipways better!

If you missed it, please do not fret: the release is just around the corner on June 3rd and if you wishlist the game now, you'll be able to get your hands on it in a few short weeks!



Over the course of these last four days, thousands of people have enjoyed the game. If Steam statistics are to be trusted, quite a few managed to play it for 10 hours or more. You've given me a metric ton of feedback on the Steam forums, the game's Discord, Twitter and via e-mail.

I'd like to thank you for all that - for your time, your comments, suggestions and bug reports. I'd especially like to thank those of you who just wrote me to send notes of encouragement. Making a game that so many people are eager to play can be a little scary at times - even more so now, when the release date is looming on the horizon! But I value suggestions for improvement and constructive criticism just as much, especially since the vast majority of it comes from a place of caring deeply about the game.

[h3]WHAT'S NEXT?[/h3]

The release date is still in force and the beta has shown the game to be in a good shape. There were a few bugs, of course, including ones so esoteric that my only explanation is the forebears messing with your computers - but no showstoppers. This means that my focus now is using these last few remaining weeks to make Slipways the best game possible for all of you.

The beta has given me a lot to think about, so there might be some changes in the exact features available on release, as priorities change based on your feedback. Once I've had a little bit of time to wind down after all the excitement and think things through, I'll post another update here!

Until then, time to retreat to my bat cave for some quiet planning and development time.
Thank you again for your investment in Slipways and talk to you all soon!

When I last wrote about Slipways, I called it the best demo of the Steam festival and lamented that it was no longer available. Good news! It's back, and in expanded form. There's now a public beta of this wonderful, pocket-sized grand strategy game which you can play via Steam until May 10th.

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It's May 6th, and as I'm writing these words, we're 4 hours from opening the beta! I can't wait, but you don't have to - if you're reading this the beta is already out!

The game can speak for itself, so this announcement is going to be a short one: just go to the game's store page and download the beta! You'll have four days to try everything: score-focused play in the standard run mode, searching for a derelict megastructure in the sample campaign mission and the ultimate sandbox chill of the endless mode.

Feel free to stream the game, make videos about it, rope in all your friends and significant others into trying it, and everything else you can think about! I'm going to keep an eye on the Steam forums and the game's Discord for any feedback you might have.

Enjoy!

April is coming to an end, and it's time to announce the details for the upcoming Slipways beta!

Almost 4000 people expressed their willingness to take part, which is an astonishing number for a small developer like me. Thank you all for your interest, it means a lot!

I value the opinion of my players and strongly believe that your feedback makes Slipways a much better game than it would be otherwise. For this reason, I'd like to give access to as many people as possible. However, the logistics of distributing 4000 keys for a closed beta would be a little overwhelming for a one-man operation like my own, costing a lot of time that could be better spent working on the game.

This is why I have decided to make this one an open, time-limited beta. From 6th May 2021, 12:00 UTC until 10th May 2021, 12:00 UTC, you will be able to freely download and play the beta version of the game from the game's Steam page. This is going to be the final opportunity to try the game before its release.

[h2]What's in the beta?[/h2]

The beta will be available in English only, on both platforms supported by the final game (Windows and Mac). You'll be able to play a standard run on a few predefined maps, search for a forgotten forebear structure in a single campaign mission and tinker freely on a single map in the endless mode.

Other improvements since the demo include a revamped technology system allowing for more flexibility in your strategies, a new set of 20 perks to try, new technologies, events and other content, a proper map selection screen and many, many other UX, presentation and performance improvements.

[h2]What's still planned?[/h2]

It's hard to believe (for me at least!), but there is just one short month left between now and the release date. Much of the remaining work will be dotting the I's and crossing the T's: localization, bug-fixing and performance work. But there is still a lot to look forward to compared to what's in the beta:

- the full first act of the campaign, featuring 4 missions with distinct mechanics
- the ranked run mode, comparing your scores against other players around the world on predefined maps
- a sector type/quirk system, letting you modify runs for a new experience each time
- an unlockable tough+ difficulty for those who'd like even more challenge
- an achievement system to nudge you in different directions
- many visual improvements making sure all the 3D models and animations are properly juicy

Once the game is out, my focus will switch to working on the post-release updates, taking the campaign to its full three acts and introducing even more variety to the game.

[h2]What now?[/h2]

Now? I'm switching away from the window I'm writing this announcement in and going back to working on everything else to make sure you have the best experience possible in the beta.

See you in about a week!

We're getting close! As the second quarter of 2021 draws near, it's time to share the final Slipways release plan and announce the dates and numbers everybody is eager to know.

• The game releases on June 3, 2021 and will receive free updates for some time after that.
  
• The price will be $16.99, with regional adjustments for non-US regions.
  
• It will be available for Windows and Mac, in five languages: English, German, French, Chinese and Polish (more languages possible as community localizations)
  
• The closed beta is now planned for early May (sign-up here)
  

That's the gist of it! If you'd like to know more, I go into more detail below.

[h2]Release and roadmap[/h2]
The game will drop on June 3, 2021. This is going to be a full release, not Early Access, but I do plan on improving the game after it's out (see the "Post-release updates" section).

Here is a rough list of upcoming features slated for release:

• Endless mode: For those who are not fond of time limits, coming in both a challenge flavor (where you try to accomplish massive sector-spanning goals before being voted out) and a sandbox flavor.
  
• Campaign mode: With each scenario introducing a new twist to the gameplay. The game will launch with just a few scenarios. The plan is to round the campaign out with post-release updates (read the next section to learn more).
  
• Tech system overhaul: A big balancing pass aimed at making the system easier to grasp, but at the same time more open to different strategies.
  
• Ranked maps: Pre-seeded maps with unique rules, refreshed twice a week to let you compete for high scores with others around the world.
  
• More content: New random events, mission types and technologies to shake things up more.
  
• Replayability features: Sector quirks and rule modifiers making each sector different, planet modifiers to make some planets more unique, "tough+" difficulty levels for those who want even more challenge, achievements and more.
  
• Many, many UI improvements: Largely based on all the feedback from the SGF demo, aimed to make the game play as smooth as possible.
  
• Lots of polish: To make sure all of the game's graphics and animations are up to scratch.
  

[h2]Post-release updates[/h2]
My original vision for the game included an ambitious campaign with every scenario introducing a big twist: a new structure type, resource or obstacle to shake up the gameplay and make it a fresh challenge.

This is something I still want to do, but there is no way to make it fit for the June release. With this approach, each scenario is a small new game, requiring new assets, careful design and quite a bit of iteration before it plays right.



On the other hand, I'm eager to let everyone play the game already and I don't want the campaign to hold the release back. For that reason, the plan is to push most of the campaign scenarios into free, regular updates, to be delivered in roughly monthly intervals after the game comes out. These updates will not be limited to just the campaign: the mechanical twists enabling the scenario will become available as options in other modes, giving you new ways to play standard, endless and ranked runs.

I will also be working on a few features that didn't make it into the release plan. The most important of those is proper modding support, so the community can start expanding the game alongside me.

[h2]Moving the beta[/h2]
If you want to play the game even earlier, there is a closed beta coming up!

I originally hoped to make it available in April, but as development continued, it became clear that I have to push it back to early May. I'd rather give you a solid beta a little late than deliver a flawed one early.

This beta will let you try all of the new game modes except for ranked maps and experience most of the new content. If you haven't signed up yet, here's the sign-up form! Access will be limited to a few thousand Steam beta keys, with earlier sign-ups having a better chance of getting one.

[h2]Summary[/h2]
That's it! Still quite a way to go, lots of work to be done and lots of pressure to get it right - but with the adjustments I made, I'm confident I can make this happen and deliver a great game for you in June!

If you still have any questions, I'm happy to address them on Discord or Twitter!

See you around the galaxy!