Honeycomb News

[h3]Hello explorers! [/h3]

It's been a while since we last saw each other and we’re happy to meet you again!

With the first blooms the spring came back, making the days longer, warmer, and brighter.
We felt inspired to share a development update focused on a pivotal game mechanic: crossbreeding.
Cherishing the sunny days, we’ll focus on plants, leaving the animal section for later.
For those who are eager to deepen their knowledge about our game, this video-devlog is for you!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Crossbreeding, though a fascinating mechanic, comes packed in layers of complexity and restrictions. Not all actions are allowed, and not every experiment leads to success. We're here to gently steer you through the dos and don'ts, paving the way for your success as a bioengineer! However, we won't reveal everything — maintaining an air of mystery is essential.



[h3]KEEP UP TO DATE[/h3]

We hope that you've gleaned some insight into the nuanced world of plant crossbreeding in our game. It fills us with excitement to gradually reveal the many mysteries of Honeycomb to you. If certain facets have sparked your curiosity, we're eager to hear from you on our social media platforms — our team is ready to engage and share more with our vibrant community!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510440

[h3]Psst![/h3]

For those who love being in the know ahead of time, we've got a little sneak peek of our next devlog for you. After all, we haven't mentioned anything about animals today, have we?



As always, we encourage you to enhance your wishlist by adding Honeycomb and invite you to visit our Discord. There, you'll discover exclusive content and will be able to interact more closely with the team working on the game.



Stay curious and remember,

Science is an art!

Team Honey~

I was just pondering writing something about Subnautica, inspired by revelations that there’s a new Subnautica project on the boil, and along comes the decidedly Subnautica-esque Honeycomb: The World Beyond with a trailer. Developed by Polish team Frozen Way, whose other projects include, erm, Hairdresser Simulator, it casts you as Hennessy, a human xenobiologist who is starting afresh on the alien planet of Sota7.

As in Unknown Worlds’ survival sim, you’ll search various biomes for resources, build solar-powered habitats on stilts with nice, wide windows, and gradually amass a database of local animals and plants. Unlike in Subnautica, you won’t be constantly at risk of suffocation.

Read more

[h3]Hello Explorers![/h3]

We hope your journey to Sota7 is smooth sailing, and you've settled into a comfy seat.
We're sending you a crucial update straight from the ship, courtesy of Hennessy herself. In this message, you'll learn about a significant change in the release date, as well as added subtitle to our game, key art change, and console news…
We encourage you to stay with us until the very end.

Thanks and wishing you a pleasant journey, Team Honey~

[h3]WHAT’S NEW[/h3]

Getting to the heart of the matter, we wanted to share a very important message with you. Be assured that we made this decision keeping the project's best interests in mind and ensuring everything is locked in place. We hope you understand, but we've chosen to move the Honeycomb release date to Q3 2024.

We understand that it's not the first time we've adjusted the release date, but with the complete vision of the Honeycomb project in mind, we want to deliver the game to you in its full glory.

This adjustment is driven not only by the commitment to launch the complete game instead of early access but also by a major announcement we've been keeping under wraps...

It's BIG NEWS for both us and console players! Alongside the full PC version of Honeycomb, we'll try to launch the game simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S!

We wanted to make sure players on all platforms will be able to embark on this journey at once.

We hope you understand our decision, and perhaps it'll add a bit of sweetness with our new TRAILER, diligently prepared for you over the past few weeks:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]KEY ART[/h3]

Just as bees breathe life into our planet, we've decided to infuse new life into our capsule. Hennessy stands in the glow of dawn over Sota7, looking out beyond the horizon. Her time is now, and the world is full of new things for her to discover. It's time to embrace this boundless space, leaving behind her symbolic cradle.

On Sota7, Hennessy has a chance to encounter life forms that don't necessarily conform to her expectations and enjoy much more freedom than she ever did living in the safe enclosures offered by the ARKs back on Earth.

[h3]NEW SUBTITLE[/h3]

After much back-and-forth within our team, we've decided that our game could use a subtitle to better capture the essence of what Honeycomb is all about. But before we dive into that, let's kick things off with a fundamental question - why did we call the game Honeycomb in the first place?
Our most important inspiration for the game is nature and the role it plays in the survival of our planet and frankly, without bees, mankind would be gone in less than five years.

Since our game mechanics are so closely tied to the natural process of cross-pollination and humanity’s continued struggle to survive against all odds, “honeycomb” represents Earth, a place that humanity built up as its cradle. It’s a safe, well-known space, but also a closed and limited environment.

The subtitle we’ve chosen complements the main title and points to the other core mechanic of our game - exploration. “The World Beyond” is what we’d like to invite you to see for yourselves - a realm that stretches beyond our comfort zone, surpassing the cradle. Sota7 is a door to that limitless, unfamiliar place – a world filled with captivating discoveries and potential hazards, inviting us to venture into the unexplored.

Inspired by the addition of a new subtitle, we also opted for a subtle change in the logo. We aimed to highlight Art Nouveau elements in a more sci-fi-inspired style. The delicate floral motifs on the lettering signify vegetation, while the centrally placed letter Y resembles a capsule containing plant life.
We're curious to hear your thoughts, so be sure to let us know in the comments what you think about the new visual direction of our logo.

[h3]KEEP UP TO DATE[/h3]

So… that's a wrap for today, Explorers. We hope you like the changes and share our excitement about the console and full PC release in Q3 2024. We're aware that this is another delay, but we want to make things right.

As always we encourage you to visit and follow us on social media, and wishlist us on Steam Page as well. But if you’re curious about some exclusive content, check our our Discord server, by clicking on the banner below, or HERE.

Science is an art!
Team Honey~

[h3]Hello, Explorers![/h3]

Before we start this devlog for real, we have hot news for you straight from Sota7. We’ve just launched our Honeycomb gameplay live stream! Make sure to visit our Steam page and see how two developers from our team fare against the challenges of our planet. And that's not all! If you'd like to play the Honeycomb demo, we are currently at Gamescom in Cologne till August 27th.



Swing by for a high-five and some potential feedback. We'll be waiting for you at the Hall 10.1 E028. Until then, fellow explorers!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510440/Honeycomb

Alright, now that we've got the news segment behind us, without further ado, I invite you for a short stroll!

Remember our last devlog? The one where we showed you what the vast and unexplored lands of planet Sota7 might look like? Well, today we have something special in store for you. Put your walking shoes on, because we're going on a little stroll.


[h3]ANIMALS[/h3]

Sota7 isn't just about stunning landscapes, it's also home to a variety of life forms. From the tiniest, like zuma, who made an appearance in the previous devlog, to the larger and more menacing!



In our Gamescom demo (available only at the event), you can encounter adorable woxes, striders, and the universally charming camillas, who mimic the behavior of others. They seem interested in Hennessy as well. Who knows, maybe they’d like to accompany her on her journey?



Hennessy is sure to meet other interesting animals on her journey - take for instance these woxes. These nimble little creatures thrive in an aquatic environment and they don’t like being disturbed. Let’s hope they get along - they will have to share the planet, after all.



[h3]OUR WORLD[/h3]

As we take those first steps on Sota7, remember it's an uncharted planet. There are all sorts of wonders of Mother Nature waiting out there. Its flora and fauna will surprise you time and time again.

We previously unveiled the concepts for Stem Sanctuary, Nenu Grove, and Ash Woods. Now you can see what they look like in-game!



We've added a day and night cycle as well, so now you will be able to experience a living world in both sunlight and moonlight.




[h3]RESOURCES[/h3]

Roaming an uncharted planet comes with its own risks, so proper preparation is key. Building a base of operations will be necessary if you want to survive. You will need a good amount of resources to make that possible. Sota7 is replete with various materials, which are there for the taking... or are they? Sometimes, you've got to dig deeper, and that's where our trusty trowel comes into play, helping you unearth those buried minerals!



As a bioengineer you can also graft plants onto other plants by using the branch-cutting scissors. The scissors can be used to cut fruits and vegetables as well – now that's what you call a useful device!



[h3]UI/UX[/h3]

Alright, let's get technical for a moment. A game can't function without an interface. We're constantly prototyping different versions and today, we wanted to give you a brief glimpse into the creation of a possible inventory interface, where you'll find all the materials you've gathered.



[h3]STATUS EFFECTS[/h3]

Continuing our journey through the interface, a crucial element for knowing what's happening in the game is status effects. First and foremost, we need to look after Hennessy’s health, which is represented by icons for hydration or dehydration, hunger or being full, and various energy levels.
During her adventure, Hennessy might also get injured - either by her own carelessness or territorial life forms. It’s important to take care of Hennessy’s health - after all, she’s out there on her own.



[h3]KEEP UP TO DATE[/h3]

That's all for today's devlog. We hope you enjoyed our materials and we're eager to hear your thoughts, so please share them with us in the comments.

Keep an eye on our social media channels to stay in the loop, and make sure to hit that follow button and add Honeycomb to your Steam wishlist to stay on top of all the latest game updates!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510440/Honeycomb

If you'd like to catch up on our exclusive content, we also invite you to join our Discord, where you'll find the link in the banner below. See you there!



Science is an art!
Team Honey~