Neighbors: Suburban Warfare News

Hello NEIGHBORS and welcome to the first Steam Update in 2025!
We cooked up a pretty big one so let's get started!

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[h2]Content of todays update:[/h2]

🧑‍💻 Feedback, polishing and getting back into action
🧑‍🏫 Community Translation
🎮 Q1 Playtest Announcement
📹Content Studio

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[h2]Back from the Holidays & Full Steam Ahead!🧑‍💻[/h2]

We're back and on track. 😎
The break gave us tons of energy to iron out bugs, glitches and adjusting various item values and game settings. So after the holidays we jumped right back into it and started to implement one feedback point after another.

What all this translates into at a Game Developer? A loooot of meetings and discussions regarding balancing, items, game length etc. We can't wait to share what we've been working on later this week.

But speaking of translating: We NEED your help!

CEO David going through all changes in the next sprints together with the team.


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[h2]Community Translators Assemble!🧑‍🏫[/h2]



Our game's getting love worldwide and we've received quite a few request to offer support for more languages. Currently we have a 100% functional translation into English and - of course - Danish. But we recognize, that we should offer more. But it's hard for us to assess which languages we should focus on and we don't have the ressources to review every translation we receive. Aaand that's where Crowdin comes in.

[h3]How it works[/h3]Using Crowdin we are opening up a direct way to shape the game, because YOU can actually help us translating the game into your native languages. Crowdin is directly tied to our current development branch of the game and regularly (every few minutes) implements all approved translations directly into the game.

[h3]Step 1: Sign up on Crowdin following this link. [/h3]
In order to participate in the community translation you will need to create an account on Crowdin. Whether you are using your real name or an alternative nickname is yours to decide, but we will use your name in the credits when you've submitted at least 2000 words.


[h3]Step 2: Choose the language you want to translate OR request your language via Discord[/h3]
After setting up your account you should now be able to become a translator in the project called Motheaten/NEIGHBORS: Suburban Warfare and see the overview page with all languages, which are implemented right now.

What if my desired language is not set up yet? If you want to add another language please make sure to be a member on our Discord server and to reach out to me directly (@artimcf1y).

In the Project Overview you can see all languages, which are set up and their progress.


Every language will consist of three files, which are copied over in "almost realtime" into the game. The main file for the majority of translations is always called game.po. The other two files should be named Steam Store Page and Welcome Neighbors - (Steam news post). As we plan to update the store page itself with new descriptions fairly soon feel free to disregard this for now.

Every language features three files. The most important one being "game.po"


[h3]Step 3: Add a translation and rate submissions [/h3]
And this is where the fun begins! After choosing your language you will have an overview of all 12.308 strings, which need to be translated. It features item descriptions, key words, skills, neighbor descriptions, tooltips and more. Feel free to choose the strings you are most comfortable with and type in the translation in this overview or select specific strings to rate already submitted translations.



Use the filter and search settings to find the strings you want to translate. Type in your translations under the "Translation" column



Choosing a string will open this view on the right. Here you can see the string details, rate other submissions and compare the translation to other languages.



[h3]Step 4: Reach 2000 submitted words and be immortalized in the game. [/h3]
So If you're up for helping translate, we'd be forever grateful and if your account has translated 2000 words for the game you will be immortalized in the Credits + receive a digital token (we haven't yet decided what exactly, but it should be visible in the game like e.g. a "Heartsville Press" skin for a weapon or something).


The game.po consists of 12.308 different strings, which need to be translated


Stay tuned for more on this later in Q1!
Thanks in advance to everyone contributing. :)


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[h2]Not one but TWO playtests!
Playtest Q1 Announcement.🎮[/h2]




Oh yeah. The most famous P-Word in Heartsville is back!
We're excited to announce, that we decided to not have one, but two playtests in Q1. Please see the dates and timings below:


[h3]Playtest 1- Stability Playtest[/h3]
Friday, January 17th [12:00] - Monday, January 20th [10:00]


[h3]Playtest 2- Major Playtest[/h3]
Tuesday, February 11th [12:00] - Monday, February 17th [10:00]


Why two?
To be frank we just want to test all the feedback we have implemented since the last playtest back in December. Back then we received feedback regarding game breaking bugs and crashes, which hindered some players to have a fully-fledged experience with the game. That means we gave access to testers, who couldn't really play the game, which is...yeah...unfortunate. To make sure the game runs smoothly before we let in more than double the current amount of testers we've decided to squeeze in this so-called "Stability Playtest" right before that.

Who will be able to play?
Everyone who had access to the game before will have access again and we will also add more - albeit not a whole lot more - on Friday shortly before we kick it off. Keep an eye on your mail folders to see if you receive the notification.

Chances are reasonably high, that may not receive an invite despite having wishlisted the game. We are sorry for that, but hopefully you find solace in the fact, that the big playtest is in less than a month so you possibly don't have to wait too long.

We'll come around with a detailed breakdown of changes we implemented since the last playtest in another Steam Update right before the launch of this weeks Stability Playtest.

Make sure to Follow the game on Steam to see the news asap!

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[h2]Moving camera stuff inside our visible walls!📹[/h2]

As teased in the previous video we are looking to expand more in the content creation side to showcase more of our talented devs, but also share more about the development of Neighbors in general. To do so we had to relocate our QA department and created our own little studio.

During the playtest we will utilize this room to stream on our Discord server and play games together with the community. Currently we ask to not share any gameplay of the current build, but as soon as we feel we are in a good state this room will also the place we will use to be live on the streaming sites like e.g. Twitch.

While you're at it make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel.

The new content studio at Invisible Walls with a general setup for streams, video updates and more.


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Bonus: The mighty Leloi is also working hard after receiving tons of complains about being OP.



Join our cozy Discord here.


That's all for now.
See you around the neighborhood!

Stay awesome,
Artjom

Greetings NEIGHBORS,

We've recharged our batteries after the Mini-Playtest last weekend and had the chance to look through your feedback and we gotta say....that's some quality sh*t right there. ːsteamthumbsupː

Our plan was to host this playtest in order to collect more data and adjust major gameplay aspects and YOU - the testers - have delivered BIG TIME. As we're currently wrapping up analyzing the data we wanted to share some tidbits and trivia. :)

[h2]PLAYTEST RECAP[/h2]

On Saturday at 12:00 noon we opened the Playtest to only a few thousands and expanded it throughout the day. Because of the very short notice and the Pre-Xmas stress we didn't really expect a huge turnaround. At the end we gave access to over 15.000 testers and in the end we hade 4300+ unique testers. So almost a third, which is suuuuper solid.

We can't wait to get going in 2025 and start implementing all your impressions to further polish the game as we are aiming to release Neighbors next year!


Some of the key facts and learnings we took away from the Mini-Playtest:

• 15.000 tester received access.
  
  
• 4.300+ unique tester in 48 hours.
  
  
• Unanimous OP character is this young, lovely lady, also known as "Granny" or "Grandma".
  
  
  Doreen is happy to have destroyed many, many players. These hips don't lie.
  
  
  
• Had our first Developer Streams for Neighbors. More to come in 2025!
  
  
• Leloi (also know as "THE DOG") is too strong and will in the future give opposing players the chance - but only the chance - of survival.
  
  
• A ton of players got absolutely destroyed by armies of Baseball pitchers. We will adjust it. Although it was quite funny. :D
  
  
• 200+ feedback forms filled out with almost 40% giving the game a 10 in the "Would recommend to a friend" question. THANK YOU!
  
  
  
  
  

[h2]INVISIBLE WALLS TEAM goes on HOLIDAY[/h2]

We are slowly winding down for the year with everyone from the IW team going on holiday after this week. Some of our team will leave Denmark to visit their families in their home countries like e.g. Germany and Lithuania, while the bulk of our team will have "hyggelige" Christmas days here in cozy Copenhagen and Malmö, Sweden.

But we got one more thing: A lovely Christmas card from us and the neighbors of Heartville to YOU
Our beloved residents of Heartsville enjoying a nice bonfire with presents and coziness.

See you next year everyone!
- Artjom ːpraisesunː

Hello NEIGHBORS,

Yes. What you are reading is correct. We are hosting a Mini-PLAYTEST this weekend!

To give you a quick overview of the timeline, what we're aiming to achieve with this playtest, and why we're calling it a "mini" playtest, our Community Manager Artjom put together a short video, which you can check out below:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h3]WHEN IS THE PLAYTEST?[/h3]
Saturday, Dec. 14th, 12:00PM (CET) - Monday, Dec. 16th, 12:00PM (CET)
Damn. I said AM and even wrote it on the graphic assets... ːsteamfacepalmː


[h3]WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS?[/h3]
Anyone who had access to a previous playtest will be able to play again. In addition, we will open the playtest to a select number of players from regions in or near the Central European Time Zone. This will allow us to ensure a smooth playtest with moderation and technical support if required. The final number of testers is not set in stone, but we will try to keep the servers busy without overloading them.


[h3]HOW WILL THE PLAYERS BE SELECTED?[/h3]
We'll choose a few users at random from each country. We'll let them know by email or Steam that they're eligible for the playtest.


[h3]HOW CAN I PROVIDE FEEDBACK?[/h3]
We will provide a feedback form, where you are kindly asked to give us your opinion on the game and what you would love to see improved/changed for the bigger playtest next year.


[h3]IMPORTANT NOTICE: Since the build for the playtest is not final we kindly ask everyone to NOT record and share gameplay or content of the playtes, since it may depict unfinished features and designs and in the end spoil the experience for other players. [/h3] ːsteamsadː


The Invisible Walls Team will be online over the weekend, playing community games to get a feel for player sentiment. Join the Community Discord to hang out and talk about NEIGHBORS.



Hope to see you in the game or on the Discord server!
Artjom ːsteamhappyː

Greetings NEIGHBORS,

In this update we would like to introduce our newest colleague at Invisible Walls and give you an update on what we are currently working on:



As we mentioned in last week's update, we are very happy to welcome a new member to the Invisible Walls crew: Brand & Community Manager Artjom "ArtiMcFly" Schmatkow has joined the team and will make sure that the Neighbors community will be able to grow happily, celebrate events together and also receive regular insights into current and future updates.


Hello everyone!
My name is Artjom and I'm really excited to introduce myself ːsteamhappyː

I've been in the industry for roughly six year now and after moving from Germany to Denmark last year, I was looking for a job to work even closer with video game development and to be part of something really special. And after only a few short visits I am convinced, that I found the perfect spot here with the amazing team at Invisible Walls.

As soon as I stepped into the cozy studio right in the heart of Copenhagen I was wholeheartedly welcomed by the entire the team and I can really feel the passion and love they put into Neighbors: Suburban Warfare every single day. That's something I would love to share with you in future streams, on social media and on our beloved community Discord (link down below).

Whether it's sharing updates, gathering feedback, or just geeking out over games, I'm here to make this journey as engaging and fun as possible. So don't hesitate to reach out to me via Discord or the Steam Community Forum. Let's build something great together!
Me, our IT Wizard Spoisen and our CEO David "decorating" the studio for our Halloween Party.


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Last time we mentioned that we are working hard on delivering a build for future playtests. While we're at it, we'd like to periodically share a little bit of what exactly we're working on right now to involve you more into our day-to-day progress.



HOW TO DEFEND YOUR PROPERTY
One of our main focuses after the last playtests was to make the game as easy to understand as possible for newcomers. That's why we're currently working hard to create a tutorial that will give you the tools you need to defend your property.




For example, to fend off annoying neighbors, you will learn where to collect and buy items such as the good old bear trap.




Every house has its weak points, which the neighborhood can use to get rid of your important furniture. In the tutorial you will, among other things, learn where to place the traps. If not, you will learn the hard way when your TV is smashed to pieces.



ITEM SHOP OVERHAUL
Items are a core element of Neighbors: Suburban Warfare to either fend off annoying neighbors or to "redecorate" their homes and furniture. Currently, we are looking to streamline and optimize the shop system where you can get all of your weapons, tools, and utilities such as baseball bats, automatic baseball pitchers or the infamous Seagull-130 Gunbird.

As you can see below, we are experimenting with visualizing all unlocked items in the item shop and making it more easy to navigate. Right now we are working on a new closet that will pop open when you run by.





ITEM EXPLORATION FEATURING "THE PLUNGERGUN"
We love taking everyday objects you might find in a sleepy suburban neighborhood and turning them into silly tools and traps. Regularly we are looking to either create new or adapt existing items to enable the chaotic neighborhood scuffles we all desire.



One of the items we are currently testing is the handy "Plungergun" that shoots... well, plungers. Why you ask?


So you can pull LITTLE SH*TS Kevin players shooting at you from above down from the roof. OR you can pull yourself up to higher ground to teach them a lesson. With your fists...




NO PARTY? NO PROBLEM. QUICK PLAY IS HERE!
In previous builds, players could only host or join lobbies to fight each other. These are still viable options, and ideal if you are looking for custom experience. However we have been hard at work at adding a "quick play" option so you can jump directly into 3v3 suburban clashes.





FUTURE UPDATES
Expect regular development updates in the coming weeks as we strive to deliver a playable build for future playtests. We really appreciate the interest in the game, and until you are able to pester your beloved neighbors (in-game!), we want to share as much as we can about the game.

We get a lot of questions asking for a playtest date, and we promise to be transparent with updates as soon as we have some.



Be sure to also Wishlist & Follow Neighbors: Suburban Warfare on Steam to stay on top of any notifications and receive similar behind-the-scenes updates like this one.

Until next time!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1732430/Neighbors_Suburban_Warfare/

Hello NEIGHBORS!
We are absolutely thrilled for the excitement and feedback we have received in the days following our name reveal at theSPILL a few weeks ago.

The interest in Neighbors: Suburban Warfare have blown our minds and we can’t wait to bring this project to fruition together with you all.
Moving forward we will begin to be more present across all social channels and you can expect updates on development and playtests both here and on our discord channel: https://discord.gg/bWRYnuxS

Troels and Katarina before we went live at theSPILL - find the link below to see how it went



Since the reveal we have received a lot of questions and therefore felt that a FAQ format could be a good idea for us to post to get all our new neighbors on board. So here goes:


[h5]WHEN CAN I PLAYTEST THE GAME?[/h5]
We are not ready to give a date for the next playtest yet. We are hard at work implementing feedback from our last playtest to the game. Since the reveal, the number of playtest signups have increased more than we anticipated. While this is awesome in every single way it also puts more stress on our systems. We want to get this right and we will do our best to give access to as many Neighbors as possible. That said, the wait might be longer for some of you. We will update you as soon as we know, promise.


[h5]AM I ALLOWED TO STREAM AND SHARE CONTENT FROM PLAYTESTS?[/h5]
Good question. Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is like a baby to us. And while we love it dearly, others might still find it a little rough around the edges. For this reason there is a chance that we would kindly ask for your discretion during the early playtests so that we can address your feedback before we spread it wider. If you are a streamer/content creator looking to stream the game, our IW Prelude Program might be of interest to you. Sign Up here: https://www.invisiblewalls.co/prelude



[h5]WHAT TYPE OF GAME IS NEIGHBORS: SUBURBAN WARFARE?[/h5]
Neighbors: Suburban Warfare combines all our favorite elements from established Shooters, Brawlers, MOBAs and Base Builders into a light-hearted setting where everyone can play along. It does not necessarily fall into a neatly definable box. Regardless of what type it is, we like it. And we hope you will too.


[h5]IS IT A MULTIPLAYER GAME?[/h5]
Yes, Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is a team-based multiplayer game for 2-8 players. There might come free-for-all game modes as development moves on if it works well during testing.


[h5]WHEN WILL THE GAME RELEASE[/h5]
Another good question. Right now our focus is on getting the playtest going so we can get a feel for the remaining work we have in front of us. For this reason we will not speculate in possible release dates yet.


[h5]IS LELOI A REAL DOG?[/h5]
Yes, Leloi is heavily inspired by a real dog. We love animals and we love pets. We have several on a regular basis at the office, one of which is Leloi. Will we add the rest as well? Very likely.


[h5]WILL YOU BE ABLE TO PET THE PETS?[/h5]
Yes.


[h5]WILL THERE BE A ROADMAP?[/h5]
Yes. We are currently working on fleshing one out. It will most likely change during playtesting but we aim to have something to steer us.


[h5]WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION?[/h5]
You can read more about the game and the Neighbors on our website: www.neighborsgame.com


You can also watch (or rewatch) our segment from theSPILL here: https://www.youtube.com/live/pTBCH6PKev4?t=10215s


And finally, you can join of Discord community where we discuss and show new stuff from the game:



On behalf of the entire Neighborhood, we want to thank you for reading. We expect to be back next week to introduce a new member of the team and show what we are cooking for the playtest.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider to wishlist the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1732430/Neighbors_Suburban_Warfare/