Townseek News

[p][/p][p]Hop onboard, as it's time for us to continue our Tour of Explora! Now that we've visited the underwater town of Sharkdwell and the furry settlement of Meowosville, we're heading towards a colourful, majestic swamp! Watch out where you land your ship. The swamp water can be hard to wash off![/p][p]This time, our stop is at Driplands, a place that is a town as much as an endless, rainbow swamp! 🌈 The lands around the town are covered in very colourful goop. You'll know you're there when you see a giant iron water faucet on the horizon! Even if you're travelling on your own, you can't miss it.[/p][p]Put on your best raincoat, some tall boots, and let's meet the locals![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When the goo from the Pastel Falls merged with the Mossy Marsh, the first slimefolk were born! With time, they learned that the substance that gave them life had a lot of handy properties, like solidifying, medicine, jewellery, and more, and built their own town from it. To control the flow more properly, they built the Giant Faucet, placed right in the middle of their town. You'll find them to be a creative bunch. They have experts in art, fashion, cooking, and all sorts of creative works they make from slop.[/p][p]More to the south, where the colour stops and the vegetation starts to become denser, one can find the Mossy Marsh! It takes some time to get used to the smell of nature, but just because it’s slimy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its charm. Crocodiles, flies and even a frog playing a banjo are proud of calling it home. [/p][p]And if you’ve got a Pickaxe, you can help yourself to some minerals at the Boggy Quarry, where gold does grow on trees! Oh, and there's gems and artefacts to find too, but we didn't want to ruin the punchline. ⛏️[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you want to trade and do business at Driplands, you should go see Blubbie! As the owner of the rapidly growing goo fashion brand Bubbline, she's usually busy making new designs, but she'll make some time for you! Her Rainbow Necklace goes with anything, her Bath Bubbles are very relaxing, and if you're hungry, treat yourself to some Slopsagna![/p][p]But don't forget that she is a visionary! Blubbie's designs are rainproof and waterproof, yet it’s never enough! She's always looking for more ideas and inspiration to craft her art. ✨[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The reputation of the Bubbline fashion brand didn't build overnight, and neither does yours! As with any other town, Blubbie is always on the lookout for people that would accept some quests and odd jobs from her, in exchange for money, rewards and, of course, Town Reputation![/p][p]Town Reputation is a special value for each town that tracks how much you've interacted with each town. From selling new items, to completing town quests, towns will track how much you've done for them. As you accumulate Town Reputation, you'll level up your Town Rank. Doing so, will unlock you new items, like cosmetics for your airship and extra upgrades, alongside even more quests. Later quests come with extra-valuable rewards such as Stardust, Super Water, and even more special resources we'll talk about later.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Town quests can also be repeated and will replenish over time! Unlike the story quests where you seek and fill the lost diary of Sir Reginald Sharkingston, these can be done multiple times for more reputation and rewards. You'll have a limited amount of town quests you can take at each time. As you increase your town rank, you'll also be able to take more town quests. Hurray for interconnected systems! ✨[/p][p]At Driplands, Blubbie will often ask you to get materials for her designs. And if there is some demand, some slimefolk might want to hitch a ride to visit a tourist spot! Most importantly, since Blubbie herself rarely has any chance to leave her workshop, she is likely to request from you some photo shots of amazing places for inspiration! Grab a Camera from her inventory and go snap some photos! 📷[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For this week's behind-the-scenes and with such a unique species of townsfolk, we've got to talk about how we go about creating the fantastical but believable characters that populate Explora! Very early in development of the jam version, we created Blubbie to showcase that this wouldn't just be a game about anthropomorphic animals. Rather, we wanted to show we could have all kinds of species if we wanted, even magical ones. However, we also wanted them to feel like they could coexist, while still having quirks that separated them from one another, to further differentiate their cultures.[/p][p]Blubbie, for example, was originally created to parody the anime slime girl archetype. Throughout development, as we explored that slimefolk were mostly liquid that changed shape and form at will, we made her design more gooey and unique. For their world building, we also figured that this meant that slimes could be whatever shape, form and gender they wanted at any given time, appearing as they saw fit. There are other characters in Explora whose design also allows exploring how the characters approach their identities.[/p][p]This approach also created a lot of fun challenges and domino effects that impacted the world. For example, like we've talked about in Sharkdwell, instead of creating anthropomorphic sharks that had legs and could walk on land, we designed sharkfolk to need mechanical legs to do so. Later down the line, there are more characters whose physical design or species allowed for more storytelling opportunities! We hope you get to meet them soon! 😊[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you've been keeping up with the posts we've been making, we've recently hosted a pets quest on our Discord Server! 😺 Folks had chance to submit their pets, and we'd pick a few to adapt into the game. We've got a lot of submissions! These are some of the pets that folks submitted and made it in as part of a first batch. Don't they look cute? 🐶[/p][p]We'll continue going through the submissions and picking some pets to add to the game as we carry on development. If you've missed participating in it and didn't submit your pet, you can share some photos of yours! We've got a brand new Discord Server channel for pets and friends, where pets are a part of the community all the time! 🐩[/p][p]You can also be on the lookout for more Townseek activities! We know that not everyone has a pet, so we have more activities planned that will be more accessible for people who want to leave their impact in our game! 🌳[/p][p]Now, dry yourself, since we're continuing the tour! Things got a bit too energetic with the fuzzy cats and the splashy slimefolk. Let's take it easy and visit the calm farm lands at Lawride Town next! It's just a rural town, so it should be a relaxing stop. What could possibly go wrong? 🍉[/p][p]Have a rest, enjoy the voyage, and eat your veggies! We'll have plenty of them next time! Cheers! 👋[/p][p]– Whales And Games 🐳[/p]

[p][/p][p]Calling all pet owners and adorable pets! 🐱 You might have noticed while playing our demo and throughout our Tour of Explora that Townseek has many critters that liven up our world. Over the course of development, whenever we found the opportunity, we have added new animals and creatures that appear at random as you travel around, populating the different continents and places you visit. There's not only dogs, cats, and birds, but also more unique friends such as capybaras, kiwis, triceratops, and many more![/p][p]Since we've just highlighted a town all about cats, their close-by dog park and fish aquarium this week, we would like to give you the opportunity to have your own pets added in-game as critters! ✨ Be it dogs, cats, or any other animal you've got, we'd love to get the opportunity to meet some of your own pets, pick some of them, and introduce them in game as some of the critters that appear in the world![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you'd like to submit your own pets, come over to our Discord Server! After you join, you can submit your pets over at the townseek-show-your-pets channel! Our team will then pick a handful to adapt into the game! You can send photos of any of your pets, no matter the type. If we pick your pet, we'll work closely with you to help finalise their design. We want to make sure that you can easily spot them in-game when it releases. 🔍[/p][p]As examples, here's how our artist turned their dog Apple and our composer's cat Bolinha into critters already! 🐾[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Pet submissions are open until the 6th of September! 📌 Please make sure to submit them over on the channel there. No other channels or socials are applicable.[/p][p]If you can, please help us spread the word! This is the first time we run something like this in a long while and we'd love as many people as possible to join in![/p][p]If you don't have any pets of your own, don't worry! There'll be more Townseek quests and contests that we've got planned leading up to launch! We'll let you know what's coming. For now, look forward to more Tour of Explora as we head into Driplands next week![/p][p]Well then, we look forward to meeting your pets! Cheers! 🐶[/p][p]– Whales And Games 🐳[/p]

[p][/p][p]It's time to leave the seas and head to our next destination on our Tour of Explora! In case you haven't caught up yet, last week, we started a tour of the different towns you can discover in Townseek, starting with Sharkdwell.[/p][p]This week, we're looking at the feline town of Meowosville! As one would expect of cats, they really like cardboard and strings, and made their town to fit their needs. Being a close neighbour to Sharkdwell, it's one of the first towns you'll discover as you venture into land.[/p][p]Let's go meet these adorable yet crafty friends! Just keep an eye out for your belongings! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Catfolk are very social and great explorers, and Meowosville is surrounded by equally interesting creatures. They're friends to the sandcastle crabs at the beach south of the town, and unlike whatever one might expect, they love playing with the dogs at the nearby Goodboi Park! Meanwhile, to the north, a group of territorial buff cats have claimed a cave and made it a gym for themselves. We recommend you admire their pectorals from a safe distance. 💪[/p][p]While Meowosville is the home to most catfolk, they actually have a long history of travelling the world! It's said that they come from the faraway deserts of Dunafar and that they crossed paths with the stone people of Stonehedge. They're actually the most numerous species in Explora! Keep your eyes peeled, and you might find some cats at some interesting locations.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The merchant and host for Meowosville is Whiskey, and at his store, you're the boss! ✨ Like any good shopkeeper, Whiskey will charm you into buying his wares, such as Fish Burgers and Squeaky Toys. But if he happens to snatch your pouch, don't be alarmed! That's how catfolk play! He'll give it back if you chase him, along with some round pebbles.[/p][p]Whiskey isn't the only trader in the family either. While Whiskey prefers to stick around at home, his cousin Pawline travels and trades the world in her own airship. You might even get to meet her during your own travels! You didn't think you were the only one flying around, did you?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Fishing is also a big part of life at Meowosville! While fish is important to their diet, most of their fishing is actually recreational! During the main quest for Meowosville, Whiskey will introduce you to their prideful aquarium at The Big Bowl. Once you get a fishing rod, which Whiskey conveniently sells, he'll ask you to help fill it for an upcoming exhibition! 🎣[/p][p]Search for one of the many fishing spots around the world, like the nearby Atlantis, cast your rod and see what bites! There are many different kinds of fish to catch, and they're also a great opportunity to make some quick money. But if you want to complete your collection, your fishing rod will need to get an upgrade at some point. 🔥[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For our behind-the-scenes development trivia for this week, Meowosville was the first town we designed for Townseek, all the way back in its game jam version. As a quick proof of concept to figure out how we wanted towns and characters to look, we designed the host for the first town as a blue anthropomorphic cat in robes. That helped us set the tone and themes we'd need for the rest of the characters.[/p][p]Having a cat-themed town also gave us the opportunity to reference one of our previous game jam games, Woofice Chair! In it, the player would control a dog in an office chair, defending their park from various waves of extremely muscular animals, which inspired us to add the Buff Cat Cave and Goodboi Park to Townseek. But worry not, the cats and the dogs sorted out their differences since.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Speaking of cats and dogs, if you happen to be a pet owner, keep an eye out for more news early next week! 🐶 You might have noticed by now that the world is full of unique critters that we've created to populate the world. But what if some of your own pets managed to slip into Explora? 🔍[/p][p]Anyway, it's time to head to the next stop on the tour! Put on your rain boots, since we'll be heading to the swamps of the Driplands next! 🫧 If you'd like to share your favourite bits of the tour so far, consider joining our Discord server! Tell us what you liked about Meowosville and what you'd like to see next on the tour![/p][p]For now, have a safe voyage, and we'll catch you on our next stop next time! Cheers! 👋[/p][p]– Whales And Games 🐳[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]If you've just been catching up with our Tour of Explora that we kicked off this week with Sharkdwell, why not take the opportunity to go on a trip around the world? Our Townseek Demo is part of the Debut Festival happening right now! 🦈🌏[/p][p]The Debut Festival version of our demo is the same as the one we took to BitSummit a few weeks ago, so there are no surprises for veteran explorers this time around. But if you haven't tried it yet, now is your chance to take to the skies, trade over 200 items between five unique towns, discover landmarks, and see what adventures await you across Explora![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We do want to let you know that we're still at work on adding new languages (including Japanese, Chinese, and others) to the demo and that the translations are going really well! We're planning to have a new update to the demo with them and new quality-of-life improvements in the coming weeks. Thanks a lot to all of you who've left us your feedback! 👍[/p][p]Since this is the same demo, progress you make on it will carry over to the full game! That means your collected items, journal pages, and cosmetics will all be waiting for you when Townseek releases in full. You'll be able to pick up your adventure right where you left off! 🎉[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]These are exciting times for Townseek! You can look forward to more news as we continue our Tour of Explora next week with Meowosville. We're also preparing some surprises you won't see coming! While we're keeping them under wraps for now, we can't wait to show you what's next on your journey.[/p][p]If you do set out on a trip during the festival, let us know what you think! Leave us a review on the demo's page, report bugs you find, and share your suggestions and feedback with us on the Steam Forums or on our Discord Server.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thank you once again for being around! You make us smile like a shark! Cheers! 🦈[/p][p]– Whales And Games 🐳[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Gather around, explorers! ✨ With our updated demo and with Townseek on the horizon, we thought now would be a great time to take you on a Tour of Explora! There's many unique places and cultures to discover within the world. With so many locations, every couple of weeks, we want to give you a closer look at some of the towns, characters and stories you'll meet in the game.[/p][p]What better way to start this tour than from the town that you come from? From under the waves and in the middle of the ocean, we're starting this tour with a closer look at the steampunk town of Sharkdwell, home to Capt. Jawline, Sir. Reginald Sharkingston and, of course, to you! 🦈[/p][p]Let's get ready to depart on this journey together, shall we?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Sharkdwell is right at the centre of Explora's vast ocean, and is a popular hub for trading! Back in its former days, Sharkdwell was an unremarkable mining town hidden deep away in the ocean. It became prosperous after Sir. Reginald Sharkingston stumbled upon a cave full of a mineral he named Sharknite. That mineral turned out to have amazing energetic properties and changed the town forever. With it, Reginald helped fund and push through the invention of airships, the creation of mechanical legs, and the creation of Sharkdwell's steampunk culture![/p][p]Over a century has passed since airships were invented, and merchants now roam the world, trading between towns. Nowadays, Sharkdwell is the most important town of the ocean, and sharks are apex adventurers. While the average shark doesn't interact much with outsiders, others depart to nearby towns, bringing goods from the land.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The merchant and host for Sharkdwell is Capt. Jawline, your friend, mentor and boss, in that order! Jawline is a retired airship captain and spends his days as a merchant at Sharkdwell. Alongside that, he works as an airship mechanic and helps train new sharks for exploring and trading. That includes you, his favourite pupil![/p][p]Jawline is also a direct descendant of Sir. Reginald Sharkingston. After tweaking your airship, Jawline hands you Reginald's Journal, allowing you to use it as your own. As you learn the ropes of exploring and travelling around, he asks you to help him find its missing pages. Could there be a secret reason for his sudden request? 🤔[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Sharkdwell stocks many unique items in its trade and some favourites among seafolk. Some of the common items you can find in stock include the Algae Soup, Musical Conch and Mechanical Legs. Experienced traders can also get their hands on more airship supplies, as well as a plethora of sea creatures that can tag along with you on your journey. 🪼[/p][p]Being in the middle of the ocean, most of what surrounds Sharkdwell is water. But travel around, and you'll find places full of resources! There's the Shark Depths, the mine where Reginald first discovered Sharknite, and Atlantis, a fishing spot that fish love to gather around. While most of the landmarks you'll discover are on land, these places are a great way to start collecting items beyond trading.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As a bit of behind-the-scenes development, Sharkdwell and the decision to theme the story around sharks were very much made up on the spot! Townseek was originally made for the Global Game Jam in 2021. Like every game made during a game jam, we had a tight time limit to work with and brainstorm ideas. When we were thinking about how to theme the player's blimp in a unique way, that's when the juxtaposition of a shark flying among the clouds came to us. And we went with it![/p][p]That led to everything else, from the idea of using a steampunk machine to fly around, to having the sharks take a central role in the world. For us, Townseek is a game about how travel and getting to know the world changes you. We thought there'd be no better way to represent that growth than going with a species that's never walked the land![/p][p]This also presented a fun design challenge! Early on, we were split between the decision to have sharks walk on the surface or looking like traditional long-tailed sharks, we came up with the idea of mechanical legs that they could attach and detach at any time! This also helped us improve the story, and show how determined Reginald was to explore and travel beyond Sharkdwell. ⚙️[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Well then! That was our first stop, and quite an important one to begin with! Next week, we're highlighting the catfolk town of Meowosville, so keep an eye out for those feline troublemakers! 🐱 Meanwhile, feel free to join our Discord server to talk about your favourite part of Sharkdwell or which other towns you're eager for us to cover next![/p][p]We'll catch you up ahead on the next stop, so get on your airship and set sail! Cheers! ✨[/p][p]– Whales And Games 🐳[/p]