Paper Sky News

[h3]Hey people![/h3]
[h3]The new demo is almost here! Huge progress has been made, and exciting opportunities are ahead. Let’s dive in:[/h3]



I couldn’t fit the full GIF here, so check out my Twitter for higher-quality videos and (almost) daily updates: https://x.com/BruteForceGame/status/1894064670505418967

Almost all planned features for the demo are in, except NPCs and a secret animal interaction mechanic that lets you blend into the world’s fauna and "evolve".

The GIF shows a track challenge where you pass through gates to unlock rewards. These gates also provide a natural environmental boost for relaxed exploration.



Paper Sky will be featured in a demo showcase at the Future Game Show on March 20, 2025—a great chance to introduce more players to the paper plane concept and gather fresh feedbacks!


The new demo update will launch on Steam on March 20, alongside the show.

This update introduces a second part with progression and environment interactions. A major change is the flight control scheme, refined based on feedback to offer the best experience—no more difficulty selection!

The demo’s beginning remains mostly unchanged, aside from bug fixes and level design tweaks.

See you for the new demo release and thanks for the support! ✈️


doggo

[h3]Hey everyone!
Let's dive in January's update[/h3]



After lots of testing, I’ve refined the boost mechanics. While last month’s version looked cool, it didn’t feel quite right and let players bypass too much of the game’s challenge. The new boost system is inspired by Abzû—if you time your inputs right, you can chain boosts for longer distances.

I’m still deciding if missed inputs should have negative consequences, but for now (and in the upcoming demo), it won’t. I'll tweak this based on how it fits with level design.

Speaking of level design;


I’ve added cloth simulations to help you glide across vast aerial sections and to highlight where other players' messages are hidden. These notes give you upgrade points when found. Look for the red drapings!

And don’t worry if you miss any—they’ll be marked on your map, with progress tracking for all the completionists out there (myself included!).


Now we're entering in a spoiler and weird territory, much like my precedent game when I was in that period of development there are some things I do not wish to discuss simply because it would spoil a great majority of the game's narrative and game experience.

So without diving into spoilers, I’ve wrapped up the core narrative of Paper Sky. It’s not a direct story with characters or dialogue but an underlying thread that ties the universe together and gives meaning to your journey.


We’re close to breaking into the top 1000 most wishlisted games on Steam! It’s incredible to see so many people excited about Paper Sky, trying out the demo, and giving valuable feedback. This support is helping shape the game into something truly special.



I’ve got three worlds left to draft art-wise, and things are moving steadily. The prologue I planned for March will now be an update to the current Steam demo, thanks to recent changes in how Steam handles demos compared to prologues. While I missed the chance to release it as a separate prologue and benefit from the Steam changes (because they did the changes right after I released the demo 🤡), the game's media traction and your support mean I don’t need to chase visibility as much, so I'm not too bummed about it.

I’m aiming to release this updated demo in the coming weeks, but it may land around the March milestone.

That’s it for this month—back to polishing the demo! Thanks for being part of this journey. ✈️💨🍃

[h3]Here’s a quick look at what I’ve been working on for Paper Sky this December:[/h3]


Let's start with the coolest one, I’ve added another layer of detail to the grass in the demo, which looks amazing when flying over it at high speed.




The old skybox (that we all agreed wasn’t great) is gone! It’s been replaced with a new dynamic skybox that blends beautifully with the world. It aligns more closely with the concept art. Check out the before/after comparison and how it integrates into the game:




Shadows now look softer, reducing aliasing and improving overall stability. Plus, I’ve got some cool environmental color bleed effects for added style!



The shadows will appear more soft which will prevent aliasing and streaming bitrate going down.



Grass now reacts dynamically to the player’s wind displacement, and I’ve added patches of white flowers to guide you through denser areas.


Progress has been slower than I’d hoped, but for good reason: I’ve been reworking assets to be compatible across all worlds in Paper Sky. This will speed up development moving forward.

Here’s what’s left before the new demo can drop:

Last town assets: A key city hub essential to the demo (yet to be revealed).
Interactive map: A fast-travel system that doubles as a pop-up art book, complete with guidance and secret-hunting features.
Upgrade/customization menu: Still tweaking it to make sure it’s perfect!

I’m aiming to release the updated demo in January. Thanks for your patience—I’m excited to keep building the world of Paper Sky!

Cheers!

[h3]Hey everyone!
As we near the end of the year, it’s time to recap all the exciting progress made on Paper Sky this past month. Let’s dive in![/h3]

I’ve made big progress in the new art style and assets, especially for the demo world and areas beyond the demo playthrough. And yes, Twitter can now officially stop commenting on how orange the buildings are! 😊

The demo environment is shaping up beautifully, and you can catch a sneak peek in the background of the pic. I’ll reveal the full map once the demo is ready!




If you didn't see the special announcement last month, The CNC has granted €45,000 (roughly $48,000) to Paper Sky.
The CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée) is a French Ministry of Culture agency dedicated to supporting cinematic and audiovisual arts, including video-games.


I’ve been refining what the Paper Sky experience is meant to feel like. At its core, the gameplay revolves around Movement and Exploration.

I want players to feel the natural flow of the world without frustration. Upgrades will be tied directly to gameplay and exploration:

Earn upgrade points by finding messages left by other players.
Unlock upgrade slots by achieving feats within each world, like flying long distances without touching the ground, reaching high speeds, or pulling off daring stunts for style points.
This system means every playstyle is rewarded: whether you prefer to chill and explore, or tackle challenges head-on, you’ll have a fulfilling experience.

I will soon work on the clear visuals for that upgrade feature, the main thing to takeaway from it is that you'll be able to customize your experience based on the actions in the game, if you want to upgrade the ball more than the plane you will be able to do so.

Another key feature is the world map, which will show your location and allow fast travel between worlds—but not within them. This preserves the sense of journey and discovery in every environment.


Originally, the new demo was set for the end of November, but plans have shifted. Steam recently updated how prologues and demos are featured on their homepage, so I’ve decided to aim for a 30th December release.

This change gives me time to pack in more content and polish, including some final-stage features. I want to start 2025 on a good note and get early feedback on all the finished, polished mechanics. Thanks for your patience!


One of my Paper Sky TikTok videos hit 1.3M views in just a week! 🚀 More and more people are discovering this project, which feels surreal. It’s also a great reminder of how much has been accomplished over the past year. I can’t wait to see what 2025 holds!

Doggo got a bath

[h3]Hey everyone, special surprise announcement today!
I’m thrilled to share that Paper Sky will be receiving financial support from the CNC![/h3]



The CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée) is a French Ministry of Culture agency dedicated to supporting cinematic and audiovisual arts, including video-games. Their mission includes offering financial aid to outstanding artistic and video-game projects; and I’m incredibly honored that Paper Sky has been recognized as one of them.


While this doesn’t change the core plans of the game, it makes everything easier for me as a solo developer. During my last project, Crumble, I often found myself worrying over; “Will the game sell well?”, “Will I have the resources to make another game?”, “Am I making a mistake somewhere?”

With the CNC’s support, many of these concerns are now behind me. Here’s what this means for Paper Sky:

• The CNC has granted €45,000 (roughly $48,000) exclusively for the project
  
• I am now 100% confident the game will have enough funding to reach completion, including handling any potential delays
  
• I won’t need to depend on Paper Sky’s future sales to start my next project
  
• Development and marketing are significantly less stressful, allowing me to focus on making the best game I can
  
• A detailed development roadmap and comprehensive game design document are now fully in place, ensuring every planned feature is accounted for
  
• Some features that I wasn't sure I would have enough time and resources to implement will be implemented, this includes the progression system with skill points, an underwater world and many more secrets
  
• The soundtrack will now receive extra care and attention, with more features to make it truly stand out
  
• I’m now committed to releasing Paper Sky on PC, Mac, Linux, and the Nintendo Switch!
  
• Due to the project financial viability, Paper Sky will be more tailored for the people who've been following and supporting the project instead of aiming for mass-market appeal
  

As a solo developer, this combination of Kickstarter funding and public support is what makes creating games like Paper Sky possible. I am deeply thankful to the CNC commission for this incredible opportunity.
You can check out the official public release of the CNC commission results here: https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/aides-et-financements/resultats-commissions/fonds-daide-au-jeu-video-fajv--resultats-de-la-commission-du-26-septembre-2024_2294001
(Warning: A lot of french words)

In next month’s update, I hope to share the new demo with you, featuring completely overhauled mechanics and a brand new look of the town world.

Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm. See you in the next update!