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Aloft News

New Multiplayer Demo Out Now, Funcom Joins the Team! 🕹️

Hello Sky Sailors,

We have been promising big news, and well, tie yourselves to the mast, because the winds of change are here! A brand-new multiplayer demo, a publishing partnership with Funcom, and a Fall 2024 Early Access release date! Join us above the clouds in our new trailer:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]New Multiplayer Demo [/h2]

It’s time to band together, Sky Sailors! Our multiplayer demo is now available to play, with up to 8-player co-op and a deluge of new features. Multiplayer will be available until June 17 as part of Steam Next Fest, after which the demo will remain for solo play.

Here’s the list of changes:

  • Multiplayer: Create a veritable sky village with up to 8-player co-op. Why not try out a slightly lopsided flying V formation?
  • Frescoes: Find repositories of ancient knowledge to discover new technologies.
  • Ecosystem Restoration: Heal and fortify islands’ ecosystems with the help of the new Field Guide.
  • New Resources: Rock salt, and charcoal.
  • New monster: The Coward. He lives up to his name and will catch you by surprise.
  • Sketchbook: Find ruins and wrecks to discover new decorative building pieces with the aid of your Sketchbook.
  • Momentum System: Skillful fighting and gliding accumulate momentum, which allows you to execute powerful maneuvers. Destroy corrupted nodes to unlock new combat moves.
  • New Starting Island: Begin your adventure on an updated sky island, which is far bigger and with something new to discover at every turn.
  • Glider Stand: Use it to craft, equip, and customize your glider.
  • Sewing Table: This new crafting station lets you craft and customize your outfits.
  • Updated UI: Additional polish and streamlining.
  • Improved VFX, SFX, and Music: In short, things look and sound better!
  • Multiple QoL Improvements
  • Several tweaks and improvements to progression.
Read the full Changelog.

[h2]Astrolabe + Funcom = 🌞 [/h2]

We’re excited to announce that we have joined forces with Funcom, who will support us in marketing (such as with the shiny new key art sketch we showed off), PR, localization, and quality assurance testing - essentially, to recruit as many Sky Sailors as possible! This gives the dev team more time to add new features and polish the game.

Funcom has a lot of experience both developing and publishing open world survival crafting games (Conan Exiles, Dune: Awakening), so they are a perfect fit for us. It’s fantastic to partner with a team that’s this passionate about the game, and it’s clear to us that Funcom are as committed as we are to ensuring Aloft soars.

[h2]Fall 2024? More like Fly 2024! [/h2]

Aloft will soar into Early Access in Fall 2024, meaning you will be able to play the game with your friends in its most up to date state starting from then onwards.

When we launch in Early Access, we will be listening closely to all your feedback as we update the game regularly. We can’t wait to embark on this collaborative journey with all of you.

If you have any questions for us, please join us for a Q&A session on our official discord on June 10th, where we can expand on anything we’ve mentioned here and beyond.



REMNANTS & RESTORATION DEMO UPDATE — JUNE 9TH, 2024! ⚒


The news is finally out, the Remnants & Restoration Update will be releasing on June 9th, 2024! We wish you fair winds on your next adventure. More details to come at the PC Gaming Show. 🌀

📢 Major News at the BIG Summer Showcase & PC Gaming Show! 📢

AHOY, SKY SAILORS!
It's been a long time since our last voyage, and we're almost ready to set sail once again. So gear up, and get ready for the incredible adventure ahead! ✨ There are several major announcements coming your way, first at the Best Indie Games Summer Showcase, and next at the PC Gaming Show. See the dates + details below!

☀️ 🌻 ALOFT will be featured in the Best Indie Games Summer Showcase Stream tomorrow, June 4th, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST with a long-awaited announcement! 👀 There will also be a Steam Event Page that will go live at the conclusion of the showcase. #indiE3



🖥️ 🎮 ALOFT will also be featured in the PC Gaming Show Stream on Sunday, June 9th, 2024 at 4:00 PM EST with an exclusive reveal and 2 major announcements, so make sure to tune in! There is also a live Steam Event Page featuring all of the event participants. #PCGamingShow



As always, we thank you for your continuous support and excitement, and we'll see you in the clouds very soon. ☁

Have a Sneak Peek Behind the Clouds! ☁️

Greetings, Sky Sailors!

The Steam Open World Survival Crafting Fest has begun, so to celebrate, we want to share a small update on what’s brewing over here.

First of all, we’re excited to show you this early work-in-progress sketch of the game’s new key art. It still has a ways to go, with details, polish (oh, and colours!), but we think it passes the vibe check. We’d love to hear what you think!


While we have you here, why not take a peek at an upcoming trailer we’re working on. The finished trailer focuses on introducing new players to Aloft, by revisiting the main gameplay loop with all our updated visuals, mechanics, and a few surprises.



Our next demo update is coming along nicely, too. We don’t have a date to share just yet, but keep your eyes peeled for big news in June!

We’re also celebrating the festival with new emojis on our Discord server, so join us in the clouds to chat with other Sky Sailors and share your feedback on the game!

DEVLOG - NEW UI/UX DIRECTION 🧑‍💻


In this Devlog, we will be unveiling our new UI/UX direction — featuring major improvements to aesthetics, readability, and functionality. All of these menus are a work in progress and subject to change, so we’re really looking forward to hearing your feedback. Let’s take a look!


Changes to the start menu are simple yet effective; a higher contrast menu bar to improve visibility and readability, as well as some familiar motifs for decoration.


A complete overhaul of the head-up display is in effect — featuring a new health gauge, conditions, notifications, and more. The first image shows how the HUD would appear most of the time, while the second image displays all possible notifications, including multiplayer widgets 👀. Missing from this image is stamina! After gathering some feedback from the community and reviewing the stamina system, it has been decided that stamina will be replaced with a momentum system. More details on the momentum system will be shared in a future Devlog.


Aesthetics, visibility, and functionality improvements are all part of the new crafting menu. Players will be able to decide if they want to just learn the recipe (short press) or craft the recipe (long press) in one single step instead of two.


Saving the best for last, here is our biggest UI/UX change yet — the new tool wheel! Now tool selection will be front and centre when you activate it, and disappear when not in use. Your active tool will always be displayed at the bottom right of the HUD. This radial menu format will be used for other contexts as well, such as interacting with players and animals.

That’s it for now! We hope you like the new UI/UX direction, and we’re eager to hear your feedback. Let us know in the comments below or in our community Discord!