Northwind News

Hello everyone! 👋

We want to provide an update on the progress we are making with our game.
We're working diligently on both the Early Access version and the Demo version, but it might take a little more time than we initially anticipated. All our resources are focused on game development and we aim to provide an update by the end of this month or in October. 📅

[h2]Here are some of the progress highlights:[/h2]

[h3]- Speed Options ⚡[/h3]
You can now choose a very fast gameplay speed, which has been implemented in the game.
[Will be Available in the Demo]

[h3]- Hazard Level ⚠️[/h3]
We'll unlock a few hazard levels for players looking for more competitiveness in the game. You'll need to defeat the boss to raise your hazard level. Hazard levels are separate for each mercenary.
[Will be Available in the Demo but with limited Content]

[h3]- New Town Progression System (TP) 🏘️[/h3]
We’ve added more features to the town progression system and fix UX Design, but we don’t want to spoil the details yet. However, we can say that it’s no longer the same as before.
[Will be Available in the Demo with limited Content]

[h3]- Visual Feedback Changes[/h3]
We've made a lot of visual feedback changes in the game. We don’t have pictures to share yet since it's not final, but it won’t be the same user experience you’ve seen in some parts of the game.
[Most should be available in the Demo]

[h3]- Content[/h3]
We've completed 80-90% of the content for the Early Access version. We are currently going through playtesting, balancing, and quality assurance. 🛠️ This means the Pyrotech is now complete, including all the additional events, relics, and perks in the game. 🎉
[Only the Duelist will be available in the Demo, but we'll definitely have some internal playtest for our Pyrotech]

[h3]- Localization 🌐[/h3]
Some parts of the visuals are still being implemented, which could affect localization. We’re waiting for everything to be finalized before starting the localization process. For those who have registered to help with translation, please stay tuned—we want to minimize changes before you jump in and assist us. However, we've been experimenting a lot with our local language, Thai.
[English and Thai should be available in the Demo.]

[h2]Intern[/h2]
Lastly, we are thrilled to announce that Vulpixon732, one of our active community members, has joined us as an intern! 🎉 We are more than happy to welcome him. He has shown great passion for helping Northwind from a game design perspective. 🎮 It's amazing to have this opportunity to welcome a student who loves deckbuilders and wants to be a part of Northwind. He’ll mainly be helping out with our game designers and doing a lot of playtesting. 🕹️

[h2]That's it for now! Thank you for your support. ❤️[/h2]
We promise you won't be disappointed with the changes in the demo. We are super excited to polish it up and let you all try the game. I apologize for not being able to set a specific date, but we assure you it’s going to be much better than any version you’ve played! 🚀
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! ːsteamhappyː
It's been a while, so we want to provide you with some updates! 🌟

[h2]Updates:[/h2]

• Metaprogression Revamp to create more impact! 🌟
  
• Second Character Cards are complete, including all upgraded versions. 🎮
  
• Localization System/Looking for Translators!
  
• We are in Chinajoy x Game Connection Event! 🎉

[h3]Metaprogression Revamp[/h3]

Based on feedback, we’ve decided to remove the upgrade tree. Players didn't find it engaging, and we couldn't agree more. Our new progression system will focus on impactful progression rather than getting access to discounts and gem slots. The new system will feature character upgrades that provide new sets of cards rather than just one, and more town-impact strategy, enhancing the "one more run" vibe. 🔄


[h3]Second Character and Hazard Level[/h3]

The second character cards are complete, including all upgraded Smelted card versions.
New monsters will appear in late ascension games as part of our hazard progression. More handicaps will also be introduced to increase the difficulty levels for those pro players out there! 👹
Balancing and bug fixing are currently our main focus. Once we have a stable version, we’ll need your input! Expect this around September. 🛠️


[h3]Localization System / Looking for Translators![/h3]
We invite players who are interested in helping out with translation. Currently, we are working on our demo translation to start. Languages we are interested in include Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Russian, Japanese, and Korean. If you speak another language or would like to let us know, or wish for it to be translated, please let us know! 🌏
[h3]==============
REGISTER HERE
==============[/h3]

[h3]Chinajoy x Game Connection Event[/h3]
We’re thrilled to be part of this event! Make sure to check out other amazing games there.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1476400/Northwind/


[h3]Our next update should be in late August or September. 📅[/h3](We’ll likely include a playtest registration form for you to join in!)
Thank you for your kind support! We pour our heart and soul into this game, and we appreciate you sticking with us. We hope you are looking forward to our game! 💖

Have an amazing day!
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! 🎮

As we continue working on our Demo 1.0, we've realized that the current demo no longer reflects the true quality of the game.

Not reflecting the true quality of the game includes:

• Gameplay
  
• Visuals and UX
  
• Both progression and metaprogression
  
• Balancing
  
• And so on...
  

[h3]Therefore, we want to make a short announcement: we'll be removing the demo from our Steam page, and you'll have the opportunity to play it only until the end of June.[/h3]

[h2]The demo will be removed on July 1st.[/h2]

We expect to provide you with an update again around August-September. 📅 We hope you look forward to our new Demo 1.0! Thank you so much for your patience and support along the way. Some of you have just joined us, and some have been with us for years—this means so much to us! 🌟

Thank you! Have a nice day, and feel free to revisit the game until we remove it from Steam! 💬
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello everyone!

[h2]🌟 A little update this June! 🌟[/h2]
- Community Localization
- Spoilers!
- We are in Best Indie Games: Summer Showcase 2024! 🌞

[h3]Community Localization[/h3]We're about to implement a system where the community can lend us a hand with localization. Since this is our first time, we'll be testing it along the way with the new demo version. Once we have all the systems settled, we'll make another official announcement. For anyone interested, please join us!

Also, a huge thank you to our community for assisting with the translation of our store page!
- Thank you, Huang "Shuyuan" Teng, for the Simplified Chinese localization ❤️

[h3]Spoilers!🤫[/h3]When we talk about monster hunting, you can't forget about those tails!
We won't tell you the ability though, but just look at those tails!!

New Keywords for our second character:
(There are actually a lot more, but we'll be spoiling you with one for now)


Beneath: Triggers when the number of cards in your hand is equal to or less than required.
You can see we're now playing with hand sizes combos. That's all I'm going to say; there's so much more, with over 70 cards, that's a lot of testing! We'll let you know when you can step in to help us out!

[h3]Lastly, we're in Best Indie Games: Summer Showcase 2024! 🌞[/h3][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]We're honored to be a part of this showcase! Make sure to check out other amazing fellow indie games!

That's it for now. Thank you for your support!
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello everyone! 👋

After launching our demo, we have been collecting a lot of feedback, both through in-game data and feedback surveys. Some of you have also messaged us directly, and we really appreciate all the feedback we've received. We received over 100+ pieces of feedback from all channels, so it took us a while to bring everything together. We value your opinion, and since you took the time to write it, we should also take our time to read it! 📖

Before I share the insights we've received, a little shoutout:
[h2]Northwind will also be featured in:
The Steam Endless Replayability Fest! (Demo is still up!) [/h2]


[h2]Alright, here are some stats for our demo. 📊 [/h2]


This time around, Preparation has won 1st place. However, Eager Punch still holds a very good position and will always be the go-to card when it comes to winning the game! If you haven't won the game yet, try giving these cards and relics a shot!

It's interesting to note that we've seen people picking a lot of Shadow Blade?? We launched our demo at the time when the Solo Leveling Sung-Jinwoo anime was released; could it be the effect of the anime?!
So far, compared to our pre-demo stats, we've improved in terms of difficulty level.
It seems like you guys enjoy it more than before. Yay! ːsteamhappyː

[h3]Additional Comments from Feedback:[/h3]

• We have noticed issues regarding gameplay speed settings.
  
• The impact of roguelite progression is not strong enough.
  
• Events are boring.
  
• Many other notes mentioned performance issues and varying difficulty levels; some players are seeking more challenges!
  
• Improvements can still be made in some UX areas, like card smelting where recipes aren't clear.
  
• And many more...

[h3]Opt-Out from Analytics:[/h3]
We've also heard some might feel uncomfortable sharing information, so in the future, we'll now have an option for players to opt-out. Sorry if this causes you inconvenience and stops you from playing the game. ːcrying_yetiː

[h3]There is still so much to do![/h3]
With our small team, instead of fixing the current demo, we've decided to put our resources into early access, doing the fixes from the demo in a potentially beta testing branch in the future. There will definitely be a playtest before launching, so if you want to join our playtest, don't forget to join our Discord!



[h3]Please don't forget to help us by adding Norhwind to your wishlist! [/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1476400/Northwind/

[h3]💌 Message from the Developers:[/h3]
Thank you so much for playing our demo and for all your feedback. 💖
With your voice, we know where we should be heading, what will make an impact, and what makes you want to see more in the game.
We hope you had a good time playing Northwind, and we aim to deliver an even better version in Demo 1.0 and Early Access! So please look forward to it! 😤🔥🔥
The Northwind team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾