Space Prison News

[h3]Hey, inmates,[/h3]

[h3]Register for our playtest starting May 24 until June 3![/h3]

We're back with a new playtest, and your feedback will be key for the new features, mechanics, enemies, rats, and quests we've been working on! We're testing the early and particularly the mid-game. Start your sentence in the toughest prison in the galaxy!

[h3]Request access to the playtest now on the Steam page![/h3]


In the playtest, you will experience the life of a prisoner at the Space Prison from early to mid-game. As the game is still in development, a lot of what you will see is still work-in-progress. Share your feedback with us about all the new additions!

You will be able to discover:

• New quests
  
• New features
  
• New gear and rat types
  
• New enemies and areas
  
• Second gang with its gang members
  

Feel free to record and share your playthrough with us (no camera or microphone needed, only gameplay footage). It would be incredible valuable material for us.


[h3]What are the early game and mid-game? [/h3]
The early game is the beginning when you get to the prison, complete the introduction quest for one of the gangs, and join the gang you chose. The mid-game starts after you join the gang and advance to a new rank in the gang. Try to advance in the gang after completing the story-quest for one of your fellow gang members (when you gain their Respect)! And, of course, the more you explore, the better!



[h3]How and when will I know if I can join the playtest?[/h3]
You will receive an email notification from Steam about the playtest being available to you after May 24.

[h3]Will I be able to join the playtest later, between May 24 and June 3?[/h3]
Yes. Just go to the Space Prison page on Steam and click “Request access” until June 3 to join the gang of our game testers.

[h3]And if I decide to help you, where should I share my feedback?[/h3]
At any given moment of the playtest, you will be able to fill out the survey. We would love to read your feedback in our Steam discussions or on our Discord server.

We hope you’ll have a good stay at our facility with the Space Prison playtest, and we can’t wait to read your feedback!

Don't forget to share your ideas with our upvoting tool!

Join our community of convicts on:
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See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team

Hey inmates!


New update on the development of Space Prison! Today, we'd like to discuss the two gangs and their members, as well as the creative process that went into their design, stories, and quests.

Before we begin, we value your feedback, so feel free to share your ideas and suggestions using our upvoting tool! Want to help even more with the development of Space Prison? Register for our playtest, which will start on May 24. We appreciate all of your input, and thank you for your commitment!

One last piece of information before we dive into today's devblog, our demo is still available until May 20. Discover the introductory quests of our two gangs and meet your fellow convicts!


[h2]Making the gangs of Space Prison[/h2]

We wanted to create really interesting and vivid characters who live in this prison. All the gang members are unique individuals who have their own personalities, stories, statistics, and perks that you unlock when you develop a relationship with them. We wanted to focus more on you making individual friends and allies than on making a bunch of nameless goons. We poured our hearts into making characters that we hope you will remember for the stories you had with them—that you will celebrate with them when you succeed together, shed a tear if someone they loved dies, and maybe even help them get their revenge.

Meet the two gangs in our game:
Hypernova. Anarchists that focus on undermining the system. They use gadgets and guerilla warfare tactics like drones or grenades.
Gravity Fist. They are vicious brawlers who rely mainly on brute strength. They support each other but respect the ones who are more powerful than they are.



Both gangs have their identity, they have their colors, a banner, and what’s most important—their unique gang hideout, where you can use their special workbenches.

Ah, and a tip for you, fish: joining a gang will lead to aggressive behavior from the members of the opposite gang! They are rivals in this wretched place. In our prison, you can gather intel to discover more information about any gang member, ally, or enemy, make friends with members of your own gang, or prepare to battle members of the opposing gang.




[h2]Handcrafted and unique gang members[/h2]

[h3]Psychological profile and backstory[/h3]
We focus on the characters—who they are, where they’re from, and where they're going. We developed a process for creating deep and interesting characters. First, we create a psychological profile of the character, with their Meyers-Briggs personality type and their dominant personality traits. How did they come to have those? Where do they come from? What important events from their past made them land here, in prison? Then we think about what they look like—their view on the world, their interests, how they dress, and what they would keep in their cell. And then we come to the most important part: what’s their way of coping in prison, what they do here, and what they need. This is the work we do before we ask ourselves what this character needs here that you would be able to help them with.

[h3]Gang members’ quests[/h3]
And then we craft the quests. We get to know these characters through their unique stories. Every gang member we made is considered an individual and comes straight from their past life to their new one in prison.

Each crooked face in this place has their own story—there’s a crew-less pirate trying to muster their new crew; a movie star with a dangerous stalker looking for a bodyguard; or an entrepreneur setting up an unconventional business. Helping these criminals will get you through countless adventures, like joining a dangerous cult, making a radioactive beard, building a portal to another world, or helping a fighter rat reconcile with its father.



Each gang member has what we call a “quest chain” (a series of quests) that comes from and reflects their real needs. You will need to complete their quests to know more about them. To think of one, two, three, or four interesting characters and eventful quest chains in prison was already requiring some creativity and process, but doing this for 18 characters and making sure they were fresh was a big challenge. Each team member had a chance to throw ideas around. We also asked our community what they would like to see or do when locked in a space prison station. That’s why we amassed a lot of incredible ideas that became food for thought!

Not mentioning all the inspiration we had from pop culture (not only science fiction). For all the geeks out there, you will have a blast finding Easter eggs and references to your favorite books, movies, or shows. Hell, we’ll maybe even make a contest out of it.

[h2]Perks of joining a gang[/h2]

Gang Hideouts (or Gang HQs) are hidden locations that only gang members have access to. They allow for special workbenches, repairs, or trading options. Both have a unique feel to them, so if you choose a gang you like, you should feel right at home. (As much as that’s possible in a place like this!)
Another way to put it is that we kind of see these hideouts as the various Harry Potter Houses in a sense, each with a unique theme and atmosphere.



Thank you for your support and contributions! We really appreciate you providing feedback on the demo and participating in our playtests. It’s incredibly helpful to help us make the best version of the game, and we’re glad to do it with you!

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop Space Prison!

See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team

Hello inmates!

[h3]The prison gates are still open! Play our public demo NOW![/h3]


[h2]Interested in the demo? We're preparing a playtest later this month, register to join and share your feedback![/h2]

The Steam Endless Replayability Fest has started, and we've updated our demo for the occasion! You can now choose from two gangs to form alliances to escape this place, and we also added more content! The demo will be up until May 20!

The demo is playable in English. Discover the prison and its inmates in the first two days of your sentence!




[h3]Download the demo on the Steam page![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1865930/Space_Prison/

Choose from one of 3 playable races: Human, Ferath, or Nex, each boasting unique perks and skills. Select your crime to determine your set of bonuses and penalties. Engage with fellow inmates to complete their quests and join one of the two rival gangs within the two-day limit! Rats are inmates' most trusted friends, recruit them and explore the darkest prison's corners! Craft and manage tools and contraband to progress in the prison maze!



You can restart your sentence, select a new race and crime, and try to join the other gang!

This updated demo brings more content to the narration of the early game and adds a few community-based suggestions like the rat healing, the second gang quest, and combat improvement. Don't hesitate to share your ideas with our feature upvoting tool!



[h3]Demo patch note[/h3]

Space Prison Demo 3.0 Changelog_10.05.24

• New Gang! Gravity Fist comes in with a powerful jab! You can now join the more violent gang of brutal brawlers - The Gravity Fist!
  • The Demo includes: A new Gang Intro quest that will allow you to join Gravity Fist. If you’re tough enough, that is.
    
• Rat Beds. A new zone in the cell that lets you lay your rats to rest, so they can heal overnight.
  
• Weapon Swap. Allows you to wear 2 weapons on you and switch between them in combat so you can adjust your tactics to the situation on the combat arena.
  
• Combat Improvements:
  • Party Members labels showing their Portrait, Name and HPs
    
  • Combatants Portraits are colored and facing different way to differentiate between teams
    
  • When you hover over a combatant portrait they are highlighted on the arena
    
• New Hazards. We've added new Hazards for combat arenas with increased difficulty (but at the same time increased opportunity, if you use them wisely). There will be around 20 in the full game.
  
• Resources Rebalance:
  • Hope rebalance
    
  • Hunger rebalance
    
  • Credits rebalance
    
• Animated Main Menu
  

Have fun and support us by wishlisting the game!

Join our community of convicts on:
► Discord
► Twitter
► Facebook
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See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team

Hello, cześć, inmates!

[h3]The prison gates are opening again! Play our public demo NOW![/h3]

As Polish game devs, we're super excited to be part of the Polish Constitution Days event held by Acram Digital from today to May 10! The demo will be running even after the event, until May 20!



The demo is available in English. It offers a glimpse into the prologue and the first two days of your sentence, which goes up to about 45min of gameplay. Will you manage to join a gang in such a short time?


[h3]Download the demo on the Steam page![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1865930/Space_Prison/

The demo offers 3 playable races: Human, Ferath and Nex. They each have their own perks and skills. Choose from 5 crimes to pick your bonuses and penalties. Complete a handful of quests, fight and recruit rats, meet your fellow inmates, explore the prison, craft makeshift tools, use and hide contraband, and you can even join a gang if you complete its mission within the time-limit!



You can restart your sentence, select a new race and crime, and experience the prison from a fresh perspective.

We’re really excited about this new demo and can't wait to know what you think. Share your feedback in the Steam discussions or on Discord!

[h3]Made in Poland![/h3]

We're a small indie team from Kraków, Poland, made of 7 ambitious and seasoned game developers. Our goal is to help you escape your daily life by sinking into otherworldly adventures on the other side of the galaxy. Space Prison is our first title and a game that embodies our vision in terms of narration, strong 2D art direction, and compelling themes.

Wooden Alien was born from our sheer love for games, uniting a group of friends and avid gamers driven by a shared passion for creating fun, unique, and immersive experiences that stand out. We'd love to develop Space Prison with you, try the demo and share your feedback with us!



Have fun and support us by wishlisting the game!

Join our community of convicts on:
► Discord
► Twitter
► Facebook
► TikTok

See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team

Hey inmates!

It's time for another update on the developments within the confines of Space Prison. We've been hard at work incorporating your feedback and suggestions to improve your experience within our facility. We wanted to let you know the biggest changes made since the Steam Next Fest demo, the various playtests we held, and our latest demo this year!

[h3]Before we start, your opinion is important to us, so feel free to share your ideas and suggestions with our upvoting tool! We take all your feedback into consideration, thank you for your commitment![/h3]

As you can see, the rats are very popular!


[h2]Tactical depth[/h2]

[h3]Hazards and obstacles[/h3]
Thanks to your requests, we’ve added a new feature for combat encounters for more tactical depth during fights. Say hello to hazards and obstacles! Combat arenas along the prison have objects that can be dangerous for you, but that you can use to your advantage if you play around them smartly. Exploit the terrain strategically to your advantage and fight your way out with more diversity.



[h3]Party member loadout management[/h3]
Your fellow rats and allies are now fully manageable in one convenient location: the party menu. Equip them with different gear depending on how you want to play. From weapons and armor to specialized combat items, equip your companions with the tools they need to be your partners in crime! Oh, even the rats have their own gear with Tiny Knuckles or Rat Capes (yes, they wear their dead comrades as armor, that's a thing).



[h2]Rat healing mechanic[/h2]
We know you formed a special bond with your rodent companions, we all do! Because you requested to be able to keep them longer and care for them, rats can now heal during the night. But why stop there? We're working on a dedicated area within your cell equipped with cozy beds for your rat friends.

[h2]Outer ring exploration[/h2]
Want to explore beyond the familiar corners of your cell? We've added a whole new part of the prison that is restricted to inmates, with new locations like Labs, Power Hub, or the out-of-order Prison Yard. You need to get a special keycard to get there. And even if you do, you need to be extra careful, as you will be attacked at sight by merciless guards, drones, and guard dogs.



[h2]Adding a second gang[/h2]
Fulfilling a long-awaited request from the community, you will have the freedom to choose between two gangs and explore the unique narratives and quests offered by each faction and its members. So, that means you’ll have twice as many interesting NPCs with their own stories and chain quests to discover, depending on your run! (And a special gang hideout for each gang!)

[h3]Other important changes made since the Steam Next Fest Demo and playtests:[/h3]

• Animations: Following your feedback during the Steam Next Fest demo, we've reworked the NPC and environmental animations to make them more impactful and smoother.
  
• Sound Design: You outlined the room for improvement of Space Prison music and sound design, and that is why we heard you (get it), you can listen to some of the changes in this video. We have also added new sounds for our NPCs. Music is an important topic for us as well, and we're exploring the musical atmosphere of the game. We shared one of our experiments on our Discord!
  
• Storyline & lore: You suggested that it would be nice to learn more about the Space Prison and have more lore to discover throughout the game. So, we focused on expanding it by creating unique race and crime backgrounds for NPCs, and more. Get a glimpse of the Space Prison lore in our previous Devblog.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1865930/view/7251430632280177989

• Combat balancing: Since the first public demo feedback, we have worked more on balancing out the combat and making it more interesting for you. Gear, including weapons and usable items, are not the only additions, we also implemented new abilities and created new and varied enemies.
  
• Difficulty: The Space Prison is a tough place, but some of the areas seemed either a little too harsh or too easy, from what we understood after reading your comments. That is why we worked especially hard on evening them out. Based on the latest playtests and the demo, the difficulty was better handled. We'll keep on balancing the game so that it remains a challenging experience but is still approachable for the new fishes in the tank.
  
• Tutorials: Some of you felt lost at times and requested more explanation of various game mechanics. We added new tutorials and improved some of the previous ones. Recently, we had some new ideas for in-game information display, we are currently working on improving the information system even further.
  

We thank you all for taking part of this journey and participating in our demos and playtests. The feedback you provide is invaluable to help us in the continuous improvement of the game. Your voices shape the experience of Space Prison, and we're committed to delivering the best one possible!

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop Space Prison!

See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team