Wildmender News

[h3]Want to take part in our second round of alpha testing?

Our sign-up form is now open![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/

We’ll again be keeping our numbers limited, so you’ll want to sign up as soon as possible to be in for a chance to test our latest build 🌱

Below, we’ve got more information about what this alpha build will contain and how to sign up!



Can I sign up for this alpha test if I wasn’t part of the first one?

Of course! We want both new and experienced players to test this build, so everyone is welcome to sign up.

Will I be able to use my demo save file or other previous save files in this alpha build?

You won’t be able to use any of your previous save files in this alpha build, including if you still have a build saved from our first round of alpha testing. This is because the game has changed quite a bit since that first round!

Don’t worry though, you won’t be locked out of your demo save file! You’ll still be able to play in your demo garden while cultivating your alpha garden. Just like our first round of alpha testing, we’ll be sending special instructions to experienced players, so that you don’t accidentally bring your demo save file into the alpha build and potentially corrupt it!

What happens if I take part in the alpha test and I get the Wildmender itch? How will I cope when I can’t play Wildmender anymore?!

You’ll still be able to request a key for our demo in our Discord, so you can start a new desert adventure that will satisfy your Wildmender cravings until our full release!

What will I be testing in this alpha build?

We’ll be looking for as much feedback as possible on every aspect of the game!

We’re getting very close to being content complete, so we’d appreciate every piece of feedback and suggestion you have for us. This particular alpha build will contain four biomes, including one new biome that wasn’t part of the first round of alpha testing (the Mountains). It will mean you’ll also get to meet the final ancient god of Wildmender, but we won’t spoil who that is or what they’ve got in store for you!



Can I get my friends to sign up too?

We’d love it if you shared this announcement with your friends and encouraged them to sign up!

The alpha build will support 4-player online co-op, so you can even play with your friends if you all get chosen as alpha testers 👥

Okay, I’m sold. How do I sign up?

All you need to do is click the link below and sign up via the online form 👇

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdeSPPzx4jUhaB8C1flMwTlWyU3WLaOLwqg-LFWUl3hgr86rw/viewform?usp=pp_url

Please remember to provide us with your email address and tick the box to let us know if you’ve played Wildmender before.

There is no deadline to sign up for this alpha, but the alpha will begin on Monday March 6th and end on Monday March 20th.

If you are chosen for the alpha, we’ll send out an email to you with a key to access our test build 🔑

Make sure to check your spam folder, in case our lovely email has gotten stuck in there.

We’ll also provide instructions on how to submit your feedback and let us know about any bugs you find 🐞

[h3]Want to learn more about what to expect from our alpha test?[/h3]

Then check out our developer livestream, where we discussed our very first alpha test and showcased some of the incredible gardens that came out of it 🌺

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Join our Discord server for exclusive content and follow us on social media at @wildmendergame on Twitter or @wildmenderofficial on Facebook and Instagram for more updates 💬[/h3]

[h3]We’re honoured to have been nominated for the Game Connection America 2023 People’s Choice award 🌺[/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/

Rather than being determined by the Game Connection jury, this award is decided by the votes of the people who love indie games. That means you!

We’d really appreciate any support you can give to help us win this award. It’s not just because we want another fancy stamp to add to our launch trailer, we promise 👀

If you’d like to cast your vote, you can do so by following the link here.

Deadline to Vote: March 1st

The event will take place from March 20th to March 21st, which is when the winners for each award will be announced 📢



Want to get notified if we win? 🏆

Join our Discord server and follow us on social media at @wildmendergame on Twitter or @wildmenderofficial on Facebook and Instagram, where we'll be making an announcement if your votes have carried us to victory!

[h3]Greetings Wildmenders![/h3]

4 years ago in a game jam, we found ourselves asking the question:

[h3]Why are life forms, especially plants, in procedurally generated worlds invariably just props? [/h3]

From there, we started to simulate plant life and growth to see if plants could take on lives of their own in a game. We created a small spring and a tiny oasis in the desert for ourselves to survive, garden, and bring life back to the world. From there, Wildmender was born.

While we’re still adding more plants, more ways to explore and adventure, and more ways to help with gardening, we thought it’d be interesting to share how plant life in the game has evolved so far - from graybox spheres to what it looks like today.


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

When we first started, a tree was represented by very simple combinations of spheres and cylinders. There wasn’t a lot of personality, just the barebones idea of a tree - but we wanted to experiment with how the plants responded to the soil, water, sun, and other conditions as they grew.

We started playing around with procedurally generated trees to get some more interesting shapes into the game. The code for this was based on, of all things, some lightning bolt VFX from a previous game - it’s just a series of cylinders linked together, with a simple cap on the ends.





This turned out to fit really well for a game about growth and cultivation, since it also let us show all the intermediate stages of a tree’s growth without creating unique assets. Trees also gained some individual personality, and their shape could respond to the terrain or other objects.

It was a unique challenge to have a tiny sapling turn into a large tree. The programmer and artist worked closely together, and with a lot of tuning turned those basic shapes into something that really looked natural at every stage of the tree’s life.





Each tree is defined by a set of rules that tell the game where and how many branches it has, plus some handcrafted assets for the bark texture, the leaves, etc. We’ve created over 20 different unique plant species using this system so far, many of which you’ve gotten to experience if you've played our demo or our Alpha build. If we have the time, we will also try to smooth out the transitions between stages of growth in more exciting ways.

We’ll be doing more development posts to share with everyone, so stay tuned!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/

[h3]Want to see how plant growth in Wildmender works for yourself?[/h3]

Then make sure to join our Discord server, where you can request a demo code! Don't forget to also follow us on social media at @wildmendergame on Twitter or @wildmenderofficial on Facebook and Instagram 💬

[h3]Greetings Wildmenders 🌺[/h3]



We got to exhibit Wildmender at MAGFest over the first weekend of the new year!

MAGFest has always been arguably our favorite convention to be a part of. The vibe, the cosplay, the amalgamation of arcade, indie games, art, and music are all what make MAGFest unique and endearing. Exhibiting at MAGFest has always been a highlight for us.



Over the 4 days at MAGFest, we had hundreds of people stopping by the booth to check out the game and play, and the responses for the game were incredible. People generally spent quite a bit of time with the game. We decided before the show to network all 4 stations for 4-player co-op and create a single save for all players to play.



This meant that the players were able to collectively create something that lasted beyond their individual experiences and pay it forward to the players that follow them. While most players didn’t play through the tutorial, we were there to teach and guide them. The communal garden was created over the span of 59 game days, and the result was stunning.

Here’s a video montage that we put together to pay tribute:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We want to end with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped by at MAGFest and subsequently wishlisted the game and/or joined our Discord. We are deeply grateful for your support.

Next, we’ll be at the Taipei Game Show, so more updates to come!

Team Muse

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/

[h3]Want to try building your own garden in Wildmender
[/h3]

Then make sure to join our Discord server, where you can request a demo code! Don't forget to also follow us on social media at @wildmendergame on Twitter or @wildmenderofficial on Facebook and Instagram 💬

[h3]We're excited to announce that we'll be showcasing Wildmender at MAGFest in Maryland![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/

You'll be able to find us in the MIVS area from today until Sunday January 8th so, if you're at the event, come along and try out Wildmender 🌺




Not to mention, you could walk away with an adorable plushy!

If you're a MAGFest attendee and you come find our booth, all you need to do is play and wishlist Wildmender, and you'll receive your very own Pimm plushy 🐹



You'll also get to meet the developer team working on Wildmender so, if you're a budding game developer or you're just interested in how Wildmender is being made, feel free to ask us anything 💚

[h3]Want to keep up to date on the latest photos and updates from MAGFest?
[/h3]

Then make sure to join our Discord server and follow us on social media at @wildmendergame on Twitter or @wildmenderofficial on Facebook and Instagram 💬