Slipways News

Major fixes:
- changes to the background generation code that should improve stability on lower-end systems

Smaller fixes:
- typos in the German translation
- Ba'qar task to "improve energy output by 0" should no longer be possible

I'm as excited about Slipways as any game coming out this year. It's a pocket-sized 4X about building a network of planets, and each game is designed to be completed in under an hour. I loved its demo during the Steam festival, and the full game is out now.

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- lensify should no longer cause problems with pinned colonization options/Alt-preview
- entering invalid seeds shouldn't cause problems now in the seed selection menu

After 19 months of hard work, I'm proud to announce: Slipways releases in a few short hours!
It's going to be available for PC and Mac, in 6 different languages, for $16.99 (with regional pricing), and it's coming out on 15:00 UTC, 17:00 CET, 11am ET, 8am PT!

It has been a long journey to get to here - a journey that started with the release of the original PICO-8 version 3 years ago! Hundreds of people still check back daily to play the original and I'm really grateful for their continued interest in the game.

It's only been a few short years since then, but it feels like ages from where I'm sitting. In that time, I matured a lot as a game developer, acquired tons of new skills and transitioned from making tiny games in my bedroom to... well, making BIG games in a different bedroom! For the last two years, my life has been revolving around getting the updated version into your hands and making it the best possible realization of the Slipways concept. I believe all this hard work has paid off and the new version is a worthy successor to the original, expanding and building on it without losing its unique appeal.

Now, everything hangs in the balance! Is the game going to be a success? Will it get enough sales so that I can carry on as a full-time game developer? Looking at the over 30000 wishlists for the game, I think the answer is yes, and this is the most excited I have ever been in my life!

If you'd like to help out, there is nothing better than simply getting a copy! I can't wait to see what you all think. If you enjoy the game, please leave a review and spread the word - small indie games like Slipways rely on word of mouth a lot.

Also, keep your eyes open for future updates! There is a lot of stuff still planned for post-release - more info will be available once I regain my footing after all this "releasing a game" excitement!

Thanks for reading, and see you around the galaxy!

It's only two short weeks until release! Time for me to take a little break from programming and give you one last update on what to expect!

[h2]WHEN IS IT COMING?[/h2]
First things first, it is my pleasure to confirm that Slipways is releasing on Thursday, June 3rd, 2021 at 15:00 UTC! That's 17:00 CET, 11am ET, 8am PT and 23:00 in China. On release, the game will be available on two platforms (Windows and Mac) and in six languages: English, French, German, Polish, Simplified Chinese and Spanish.

[h2]HOW IS IT COMING TOGETHER?[/h2]
The big features slated for release are 95% implemented. You'll be able to play standard runs (with optional quirks to mix the game up), the first act of the campaign (four missions, each introducing a significant twist to the gameplay), a chill endless mode and a competitive ranked mode (which is the last mode still under development).

I'm working around the clock to get Slipways in the best possible shape. The open beta gave me a lot to think about and I'm now prioritizing user interface, readability and game flow improvements based on your feedback. Unfortunately, prioritizing sometimes means cutting things. One unfortunate cut is Steam achievements: I can't make it for release, but they will be coming very soon after. The other feature that had to go is the "tough+" difficulty - this will be coming in the first post-release update.

[h2]WHAT NEXT?[/h2]
Speaking of post-release updates, I have three of those planned at the moment. These are not DLC and will be freely available to all owners of the game. Here is a rough idea of what to expect:

The first big update will be focused on adding some features that I really want in the game, but couldn't get done in time for release: the tough+ difficulty mode, a more challenging endless mode (in addition to the existing sandbox version) a stats screen to keep track of your bests and various UI improvements to make the game play even better. If needed, this update will also contain changes based on player feedback, including rebalancing and suggested features.

The second update will deliver more content, expanding the campaign with a second act and adding new events, quirks, council tasks and technologies to make the game even more varied.

The third update will cap the campaign off with a final act and provide modding support so that anybody can extend and expand on the game.

Smaller patches will of course happen as well. Bugs are inevitable and fixing them will be a priority, not something pushed back until a large update comes. I'm blocking a chunk of time right after release to fix any issues that might crop up.

[h2]THAT'S IT![/h2]
Enough talking about Slipways, time to make some more of it!
Thank you for reading and see you around the galaxy!



EDIT 2021-05-20 21:05 CET: Edited to add information about the achievement cut. This was intended to be part of the original announcement, but somehow slipped out of my mind.