Spirit Swap News

WHAT A MONTH! June was the time for not-E3 festivities to get into full swing, oh, and a little something called Pride? You may have heard of it! ^_^

We were especially happy to be a part of the Wholesome Direct and Future of Play (which you can watch here and here, respectively).

And, the DEMO. We released a limited time, narrative-focused demo to show off some of what we’ve been working on, and we were blown away by the feedback y’all gave us. (That’s why this update is a liiiittle later than normal, since we’ve been crunching numbers and going through every single bit of feedback!)

Let’s dive into this month’s update, and I’ll tell you more:

[h2]Demo Feedback[/h2]

Most of what we’ve been doing since the demo (after taking a little rest) has been going through all the feedback and adjusting our priorities based on that!

We really appreciate everyone who took the time to answer our questions and help us get a better idea of what your expectations are, what we’re doing well, and what still needs work!

So, without further ado, here’s a very high level summary of what you & the rest of the community had to say!



You really love: the vibes! When we asked you to rank the different elements of the game thus far, the visual style FAR outranked every other element, with music as a close second!



In that same ranking (and throughout the verbal feedback provided in the form), it was clear that we could improve upon tutorialization and allowing for more time for players to get into the game and its mechanics!

Whether folks ranked themselves as total newcomers to the genre or as seasoned pros, the pace of the tutorial was another element that we got lots of comments on, and will address!



70% of players could correctly identify the square spell and its effect! For those who need a quick reminder: the square spell clears the top half of the board as well as converts garbage into spirits!

But, we also found only 56% of players would count themselves as very confident in using the spell in-game. So, we’ll be working on ways to help bring that confidence up with spells (and beyond!)



89% of players could correctly identify and explain the purpose of the Spellmeter!

(Psst -- the Spellmeter will charge as you make matches, and will allow you to cast spells as the bars of the meter fill!)

Quick shoutout to the person who appreciated the effort I took with Paint. :)



Despite tutorialization needing a little work, almost half of you rated the difficulty as a “3” on a scale of one to five, which is right smack dab in the middle! We were pretty pleased looking at the distribution of this curve, and happy to see that it skewed a little bit towards folks considering it “not as difficult” than “incredibly challenging”.

Regardless, we WILL be finessing AI difficulty for everyone, in addition to working on other fixes to polish the level of challenge in each match.



Your favorite character was Samar, and Mo was a VERY close second! Leon probably received the most verbal love in the comments, though, and we were surprised at how many of you requested more FamiliarZ content! :) It’s duly noted!



While we can’t type every comment that we received, you all had some kind words and specific elements that you enjoyed (and that really made our hearts happy)!



Things like appreciating the little reminders in the loading screens (hydrate, please!), the 90’s references, and the fact that our characters are HOT and GAY (SO many of you put this in the feedback!) We really loved seeing what resonated with you the most!

There’s SO much more that we’ve drawn from after reading all of your feedback. Much more than can be captured here. So we’ll leave you this month with a big THANK YOU for taking the time to provide both the heartwarming words and thoughtful critiques and hopes for the game.

The last thing we wanted to share is some feedback we hope happens in the future for ALL of us (you too!): more money and more naps.

That’s it for this month! We’ll be back with more usual dev updates in July ~ until then, find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!


Love,

The Spirit Swap Team

We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the narrative demo that we’ve shared for Spirit Swap -- and if you’ve played it, please remember to fill out the feedback form (found here).

This demo is still a work-in-progress toward our final vision of Spirit Swap, and we wanted to illuminate a few details for you: some larger bugs and polish we’re aware of and still working on…and even ~secrets~ you can try out if you’re looking for a challenge!

[h2]UI/UX: Input [/h2]

We’re working on making sure the control schemes are consistently displayed in the demo: right now, they switch between keyboard and gamepad (which is good for keeping you on your toes, but not for clarity!)

Here’s a quick overview of controls:

Keyboard Controls:

WASD or Arrow Keys -- Move cursor
J / Space -- Confirm (dialogue and swap)
SHIFT / K / ALT -- cast spell
ESC -- Pause


Gamepad Controls:

D-pad -- Move cursor
A/B -- Confirm (dialogue and swap)
X/Y -- cast spell
LB/RB - Raise Board
Start -- Pause

[h2]Space: The Final Frontier[/h2]

If you hit space during the loading screen, you may progress the visual novel dialogue, so spam space (or A) at your own risk!

[h2]Audio Issues? Just Restart![/h2]

While we think we may have squashed this bug, we’d love to give a heads up in case you happen to experience this! If you don’t hear any audio in the title screen (specifically the background music), try quitting out of the demo and re-opening. That should do the trick!


[h2]Secret Spells[/h2]

If you’ve played the demo, you’ve seen the Square spell...but did your eagle eyes notice two other spell shapes to the right and left of the trusty SQUARE spell during the tutorial?



If you’re looking for a special challenge, you can try out these two secret spells: Diamond and X!

They’re implemented in the demo, and technically playable, but we didn’t want to (officially) tutorialize and test them quite yet…but, who’re we to stop you if you wanted to give ‘em a try?

If you’re wanting to step up your swapping game, the shapes you need to make to cast DIAMOND and X are listed below (the red shapes indicate the same color spirits that must be placed):

DIAMOND


X


Like the SQUARE spell, both cost one bar on the Spellmeter to cast!
Enjoy, and let us know if you happen to cast one (or both!) successfully!

[h2]Thank you![/h2]

If you want to chat with us, you can always hop into our Discord, find us on Twitter, or send us an email at [email protected]!

[h2]Hi Swappers![/h2]

[h3]A special update from the Spirit Swap team![/h3]

We alluded to the fact that we’d have a shiny new demo available in the near future, and we’re excited to tell you: THE FUTURE IS NOW!



That’s right!

[h3]There’s a limited-time, narrative demo for Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To available for you to play now on Steam.[/h3]

This demo is a small taste of our story mode gameplay. In it, we’ll introduce you to Leon and Mo, two of Samar’s best friends. What’re they up to? What’s on their minds? You gotta play to see!

A few things to keep in mind:

✨This is a LIMITED TIME OFFERING. The demo will only be available for one week (June 11th - June 19th, 2022), so download and play during that time period! After the 19th, we’ll be reverting back to our previous endless mode only demo.

[✨] Fill out the feedback survey. Part of the reason the demo is available for a limited amount of time is because there’s a lot we’d like to get feedback on and finesse. Please fill out the survey (linked in the demo) if you play so we can continue to polish the experience! Check out our demo notes post to see what we’ve already got eyes on in terms of polish (plus discover secret spells we’ve included in the demo).

✨Wishlist Spirit Swap! If you enjoyed your experience with the demo, please wishlist and spread the news to your friends! Every little bit helps, especially with a small team like ours, and we’d truly appreciate it if you could help us shout our updated demo from the rooftops!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592170/Spirit_Swap_Lofi_Beats_to_Match3_To/

Thanks so much for all your support, and hope you enjoy the demo!

Love,

The Spirit Swap Team

We wanted to share an important update on Spirit Swap’s development before diving into what we’ve been working on this past month:

Your support and kindness throughout this whole process has been incredible. From an idea created by friends, to a successful Kickstarter: you have been with us and propelled this project further than we imagined!

Like so many teams, we have also faced challenges this year -- some that we anticipated, and some we weren’t quite able to. To ensure we take into account the well-being of our team and the desire to create the best possible game that we can for you, we have decided to shift our release to 2023. We truly appreciate your patience!

None of this would be possible without you, our amazing community, and we want to make sure you still have some FUN to tide you over. So, keep your eyes out for an exciting fresh demo experience coming in the near future. You’ll be able to visit Demashq and check out (first hand) what we’ve been up to!



[h2]Illustration Station[/h2]

As we’ve been continuing our work on the hub area of the game, Samar’s Room, we’ve added yet another illustration to the mix!

For a bit of a reminder and context: Samar’s Room is the central area of the game. You’ll come here when the day is done to relax.…and you’ll start here each morning, ready for a day of swapping, spells, and …sfriends!

Our goal for the hub is for it to feel as diegetic and immersive as possible. To put it simply, this means as you move around, you’ll really feel like you’re in the room with Samar, seeing how they exist in the space, feeling a bit like you’re hanging out with them!

So, for the option to “Head Out” we wanted to make sure to convey Samar leaving the room, but taking a couple of elements in mind. When we initially brainstormed the “Heading out” artwork showing Samar walking out of their front door.



But there was a problem! We realized that since we will be providing the option for players to customize their outfits, if the illustration was different than the outfit equipped, that would ruin immersion! So, back to the drawing board….which then landed on the concept of a close-up while opening the front door.

As midniights__ was sketching, we also wanted to make sure that when heading out, you were feeling like you were going to head out to Demashq, not out of the game completely.

Thus, the SWAPSWAPSWAP key chain and trinket illustration came to be!



You’ll have to try the demo once it launches to see how the final version of the illustration turned out -- we think you’ll really like it!

(Also, who else wants this keychain?! WE DO!)

[h2]She’s too smart![/h2]

Here’s a silly moment we just had to share!

Morgan has been working on the AI for Spirit Swap -- this AI is who you’ll be taking on anytime you go up against the computer during the game. While initially, Morgan’s robot daughter wasn’t the best at playing Spirit Swap… she has finally become too smart.



Don’t fret! We’ll have her paired down for the demo! Pro-players who’re itching to test your skills: you’ll be able to customize the difficulty in the final version of the game! In the meantime? Don’t forget the Oh geez, oh f*ck mode for anyone who wants a challenge in a big way!


[h2]Wholesome Direct & Future of Play[/h2]

June is an exciting time for anyone who enjoys games, and this upcoming June is no exception!

There are a bevy of game showcases happening all month long, and we’ll be at TWO of them: the Wholesome Direct and Future of Play!

Be sure to tune into both of the showcases to get a glimpse of some new footage (and some fun announcements), and get ready to wishlist lots of awesome games.

Wholesome Direct: Watch here on June 11th, 9:30 AM PT.




Future of Play: Watch here on June 11th, at 11 AM PT




[h2]See you next month ~ [/h2]

Thanks again, and can’t wait to share even more. Let us know via Twitter, our Discord, TikTok, or here in the comments if you have any questions. See you next time!


Love,

The Spirit Swap Team

[h2]Hi Swappers![/h2]



Get those headphones on -- today’s update is one that you’ll want to listen to. For this month, we’ve got an audio-themed post and inside look at what we’ve been working on in the realm of Spirit Swap's music!

[h2]Ready to visit the café?[/h2]

We’ve shared a lot of the visuals surrounding the game, but Spirit Swap is so highly inspired by music (specifically those good lo-fi beats), we wanted to be sure to highlight a bit of what’s been going on with the incredible meltycanon and Réjon!

Inspiration boards are created for each track and since we’re working on character and location-centric songs, that’s what each board is made of. These boards are to help melty hone in on the specific vibes and sounds to fully capture each character’s personality.



Ready to hear the final result? Click here to listen to a small sample of “Letter to Lulu'' meant to represent our favorite baker.

In addition to melty’s music, you’ll also hear soundscape elements in the game to fully capture the cozy bustle of the café.



Réjon: There’s a lot of little details that go into defining the sound design of a space, but for Lulu’s Café we start by imagining what someone sitting in the café would hear. I first started with consulting Alex about their home, and what this experience sounded like.

Alex: I really wanted to convey the particular vibe of sitting in a café by the beach like I used to in Lebanon. My mom particularly loves this one bougie café on the cliffside of “Raouché” in Beirut. You can sit on their patio outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of the sea while the café bustles behind you. Lulu’s café was meant to harken back to those times sipping on coffee while mom and grandma smoked hookah, so I described this to Réjon in detail and sent them photos.

Réjon: There are 3 anchors for designing the soundscape of the café, proximity to the ocean, the frequency of customers, and the cafe’s typical day by day vibe. Because good memories are typically warm, I lean into the ocean’s lower frequencies to help listeners soak it in and carry the silence with EQ balancing.

This was the basis of the back and forth between Alex and Réjon, recalling details and tweaking coffee pour sounds and clanking of cups and saucers until the vibe was hit exactly right. So right that Alex teared up listening to it because it made them homesick. Réjon really did not have to go that hard!

Click here to have a listen and enjoy the specific energy that these ambient sounds capture!

[h2]See you next month ~[/h2]

Hope you and your ears are happier having gotten to sample some of the audio magic happening behind the scenes!

We’re prepping for a busy summer of events and festivities, so keep an eye out for some fun news soon! Let us know via Twitter, our Discord, TikTok, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Otherwise? See you next time!

Love,

The Spirit Swap Team