Cattails: Wildwood Story News

We are proud to announce the ✨public Demo✨ for Cattails: Wildwood Story, coming to Steam June 1!
😸😻😸😻😸

Register your interest by wishlisting Cattails: Wildwood Story on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1882500/Cattails_Wildwood_Story/



Cattails: Wildwood Story is participating in the Steam Next Fest - June 2023 edition, a festival celebrating exciting upcoming releases with playable demos, which kicks off on June 19. The free demo will be made available June 1 for download ahead of the festival. 😸

The Demo for Cattails: Wildwood Story will allow the player to experience the intro & the entire first season of Spring, clocking in at over 3 hours of gameplay! The full release of Cattails: Wildwood Story is coming to Steam in late 2023 and Nintendo Switch™ in 2024.

Hello and welcome to the May developer update for Cattails: Wildwood Story! Another amazing month of development is behind us, and we’re excited to release yet another test build for our beta-tier backers!



[h2]Exciting News Coming Soon![/h2]

While we can’t give the details just yet, we wanted you all to be the first to know that we’ve got some very big news for everybody coming later this month! Not an official release date just yet, but I’m sure several of you will find it interesting 😻 We’ll have more to say in a couple of weeks, so watch your email inboxes and our social medias @CattailsGame and stay tuned!



[h2]Beta v0.30[/h2]

A new version, v0.30, is now available on Steam for our early access backers. There’s several exciting new features, in addition to the usual bug fixes and balance changes.

[h2]Expanded Mines[/h2]

If you enjoy your time in the mines, this update is for you! We’ve added not just one, but two new mines to complete, chock-full with new items, new enemies, new challenges, new floor types, and new rewards. When you reach level 100 of the first mine, you’ll find the key to the second mine. Likewise, at the bottom of the second mine you’ll find the key that unlocks the third mine.



Each of the three mines gets progressively harder and harder, so make sure you come prepared! (Especially once you reach the third mine, that one can be quite tricky 😹)

Mines Two & Three feature new generation algorithms and lots of new items to unearth. In Mine Two, be on the lookout for Alexandrite, a precious gem that is extremely rare. In Mine Three you’ll be searching the depths for Brightstone, a mythical stone with powerful properties.



Halting your progress are a host of new enemies with their own unique attack patterns. Take on Tremortroves, diabolical machines that generate harmful shockwaves; swarming Prowlers in their fragile nests; creepy Lurkers that cloak their presence and strike from the shadows; and plenty more intriguing foes.

You’ll also find new staircase modifiers! You may encounter a Candle challenge that requires you to extinguish many small lights in order to progress, or be greeted with false staircases in an Illusion challenge. Some rocks are placed directly over toxic poison vents, so watch for the telltale signs before you go rampaging through every boulder you see!



There’s also four new floor types to learn about before you go spelunking. For example, on Beach-type floors, you’ll find a veritable invasion of Granite Crabs that nestle beneath the rocks. Fortunately for you they are slow and lumbering, but you may find yourself easily beset by several of these minions trailing you in a long line. Try not to get cornered!



Of course, there’s plenty of new rewards for the brave cats who choose to take on these deadly trials. Each mine has two Power Paws to collect, which means that every Power Paw is now officially available in-game! Hooray!



The moles Molu and Molay will also open new Mole Cash stores when their respective mines become available, and each store has loads of cool stuff to purchase. From new pets to special items to crafting recipes, there’s lots of neat prizes available.



Craft Supply Troves to greatly increase your colony’s stockpile values; make Dynamite to provide you with a powerful way to progress in the caves; create Farsighted Orbs to magically discern the direction to the nearest downward staircase; or construct Bright Emblems out of fabled Brightstone gems to greatly secure your colony’s claim over the wilderness.

[h2]New Game+[/h2]

Start a new savefile and begin with several bonuses! New Game+ is available for any player with at least 1 kitten that has reached buddy level 10 (the max level.) In the future, New Game+ will probably also require that you’ve completed the Main Story, but since the Main Story isn’t implemented just yet, that is not currently a requirement :)



Visit the New Game+ Portal in the Temple to get started. You’ll pick a kitten to bring over to the new savefile. You’ll begin with their coat color, appearance, and accessories. Your old savefile will remain as-is and be unaffected by the creation of your New Game+ savefile.

When you first load up your New Game+ savefile, you will also be granted a pool of XP, Mews, Items, and Skills based on you and your kitten’s lives up to that point. In general, the longer you’ve played on the original file and the more you’ve accomplished, the bigger your starting bonuses will be in the New Game+ savefile.



You’ll also carry over your progress in the following areas:
-All unlocked NPCs
-All discovered Power Paws
-Colony/Den layouts
-All unlocked furniture
-All unlocked accessories

However, everything else will be reset in the New Game+ savefile! You’ll be able to once again tackle most challenges from the beginning, including:
-Relationships/dating/marriage
-Map influence
-Stockpiles/construction projects
-The mines
-Museum
-Most achievements



We hope this New Game+ feature will allow players who want to maximize their time with the game plenty of additional time to explore the world of Cattails: Wildwood Story and take on its many challenges in a fresh new way.

[h3]Name Randomizer:[/h3]
Ever get stuck trying to think up the perfect name? By popular request, we’ve added a Random button to the name inputs on the character creation and kitten creation panels!

[h3]Disable Achievements:[/h3]
Some of our players have asked for an option to disable achievement progress & notifications, so we’ve added that option in the in-game Accessibility menu.

Alright, that’s everything for the month of May! Stay tuned for that exciting news coming later this month (we can’t wait to say more about it!!) Until then,

-Tyler (@FalconDevelops)

Hello and welcome to the April developer update for Cattails: Wildwood Story! New features are now available for our Beta players, bringing the game closer to its launch state. Let’s get right into it!



Another month, another slew of new features and changes! In addition to the regular bug fixes and balance tweaks, here’s some of the exciting new mechanics:

[h2]Museum of Curiosities[/h2]
Glimmer’s Museum of Curiosities is now open! Find Unidentified Curios in various places as you play (in interesting areas, in the mines, even in certain shops). Bring them to the Curio Identification Table in the Museum to discover what they are, then consider donating the identified Curios to the Museum by speaking to Glimmer.



There are 30 Curios to discover, and Glimmer will be more than happy to tell you all about each and every one of them when they are donated. Of course, there are plenty of rewards available for those who donate lots of Curios to the Museum. There’s even a Rainbow Power Paw up for grabs for the generous few who complete the Museum!



[h2]Achievements[/h2]

Completionists, take note! Achievements are now available in Cattails: Wildwood Story. There’s currently a whopping 55 achievements to unlock!

View your progress in the all-new Achievements menu. You’ll also be rewarded with in-game XP when completing each achievement’s requirements.



If (for whatever reason) you’d like to clear your Steam account of all Cattails: Wildwood Story achievements, allowing you to start fresh, you can enter this special promo code in the pause menu: AGAINAGAIN (this will reset your global Steam achievement progress for Cattails: Wildwood Story, locking each achievement, but not your in-game achievement progress on a per-savefile basis.)



For existing savefiles created prior to Beta v0.20, you’ll find that many Achievements that you’ve already met the requirements for will unlock automatically when you load your existing file; however, some achievements track stats that we previously were not tracking, so these achievements will begin at 0% progress. However, all achievements should now be able to be unlocked on all files, regardless of when they were created.

[h2]The Gift Record[/h2]
The Gift Record is a nice new quality-of-life feature!



Each NPC has their own Gift Record that will begin completely empty. When you give a gift to a particular NPC, if that gift is a Liked or Loved item, it will be added to that NPC’s Gift Record. View an NPCs Gift Record via the Social Panel by selecting their name to see which previously gifted items were received positively by that NPC. Use this knowledge to ease the burden of making new friends!

[h2]Recruiting Cats (new savefiles only)[/h2]

This one is pretty big! We’ve been planning this for a long time and we’re so happy with how it turned out. New players (and new savefiles) will have a much smoother introduction to all of the many, many characters in the game now through the Pillar of the Wildwood.



When you start your file, you’ll have several cats already in your colony: Ember, Spark, Coco, Elli, Jag, and Krampy. However, the other possible residents must now be recruited before they will join up. You’ll find the new Pillar of the Wildwood in the central chamber of the Temple of the Forest Guardian. This powerful object can locate cats that live nearby and help you to meet their unique needs so that they will move into your town.



Each possible cat that you can recruit is represented by a Card that lists their bonuses and benefits, as well as their needs. You’ll have to collect the required items and donate them at the Pillar of the Wildwood, at which point they will immediately join your colony and you’ll be instructed to place their den via the Build Menu. The first few cats should be fairly easy and straightforward to recruit, so you can begin to expand your town’s population quickly.

Important note: Savefiles created in Beta v0.10 or earlier will automatically have all residents recruited for compatibility reasons. Your savefiles will continue to work as usual, but this new feature is for new savefiles only.

[h2]Balance Update[/h2]
Players seeking a challenge will find that Hard mode is a bit harder than it used to be, and Impawssible mode is quite a lot more punishing than it once was. All other difficulty settings (Kitten, Easy, Normal) remain unchanged.



Phew, another month down and another major update released! We’re narrowing in on the last few big features that need to be added to the game prior to launch. We’ll continue to keep you updated as development progresses. Check back in May when we’ll have more info for you here. Until then,

-Tyler (@FalconDevelops)

Welcome back to another monthly update for Cattails: Wildwood Story!

It’s finally here! The month of March marks a very important milestone for the project. Right on target, we’ve officially launched the closed beta! If you backed to receive beta access (and did not already have access to the alpha phase,) you will find your download keys and instructions in your Kickstarter account inbox. 😸

We’ll be using this update to provide you with two important types of news. First, we’ll talk about the changes and new features that are now available in Beta v0.10 (Kittens! New intro! And more…) Then, we’ll talk more broadly about the road ahead for Cattails: Wildwood Story in the “State of the Game” section. We’ll wrap up with information about our upcoming livestream tomorrow (more on that in a bit!)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Beta v0.10[/h2]
An incredible amount of work has gone into polishing the game for our new incoming wave of beta players, introducing new features that will be of interest to both our existing players and those who will be starting a new file. Alpha players, you’ll be happy to hear that all savefiles from the alpha will be fully compatible with the beta.

[h3]New Introductory Experience[/h3]
Perhaps the most noticeable change is the new introduction! When creating your very first file, you’ll be ushered into a dramatic intro that will introduce you to several major characters, teach you how to play, and offer some exciting choices that will impact the starting state of your colony. We hope this new introductory experience will help you get a better feel for the world of Cattails: Wildwood Story as it sets the stage for your adventures.



Players who have already created a save file will be given the choice of whether or not to play the new intro, or skip it, during character creation.



[h2]Kittens! 🐈🐈🐈🐈[/h2]
At long last, kittens have been added to the game! We know this is one of the most highly anticipated features and we are so excited to announce that players can now have a litter of their very own.

After marrying a cat of your choosing, you may eventually be asked by your spouse if you would like to start a family. You may choose to say yes, no, or maybe someday. If you say yes, the two of you will one day give birth to kittens!



Each of your kittens will have a unique dialog portrait and a special generated coat color that is based on the patterns of you and your spouse. We spent a lot of time perfecting the inheritance system so that it is capable of producing plenty of amazing, cute kittens that will be wholly unique to your playthrough.



In Cattails 1, each kitten could inherit 1 of 12 possible patterns based on you and your spouse; in Cattails: Wildwood Story, the possibilities are virtually endless! Your kittens will also inherit your body types and eye colors.



Another fun feature we’ve added to the game is the ability to dress up your kittens with accessories! Any non-pet accessory that you have unlocked can be equipped to any of your four kittens at any time. There’s nothing sweeter than a kitten in a costume!

Of course, once they are old enough you can take your kittens with you on your adventures via the Buddy System! While each kitten starts with an Active Trait and a Passive Trait based on their personalities, you also have the option to Retrain your kittens traits and set them to any choice you’d like at the cost of some XP.



We believe that the combination of these features will make having kittens in Cattails: Wildwood Story very rewarding as nearly every kitten in every playthrough will be one-of-a-kind.

After having kittens, you’ll also be automatically granted a copy of each of your kittens’ unique coat colors in your Coat Studio so you can wear or share their patterns.

[h3]New World Map![/h3]
Another feature that we’ve added with the beta is this beautiful new world map illustration by Narabas Artworks!



We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Not only is the artwork itself gorgeous, but the map is well researched and very useful for navigation as it is a great representation of the actual in-game world.



Here is an example of the new world map in-game with all the usual information overlaid. Quite an improvement from the alpha version!

[h2]State of the Game[/h2]
Behind us now are the Pre-Alpha and Alpha stages of development. Now we’ve entered the Beta, which signifies that most major features are implemented at this point and the game is finally starting to shape up into a fun, cohesive experience. However, there’s still some time before the full release on Steam later this year, so I wanted to use this chance to give you all an update on which features have been implemented and which are still to come.

[h3]Base Game[/h3]
Implemented:
-Hunting
-Combat, Influence System
-Friendship & NPC Schedules
-Dating & Marriage, Marriage Ceremonies
-Colony Layouts & the Build Menu
-Colony Stockpiles & Construction Projects
-Tasks
-Gardening
-Crafting
-Festivals
-Mining
-Coat Studio
-Kittens
-Buddy System
-Den Decorating & Furniture
-Complete Open World
-Skills
-2+ Hour Soundtrack
-Community Content API
-Tutorial + Intro

To Do:
-Achievements
-Recruit Cats to Colony (instead of every cat being available from the start)
-Main Story
-German + Spanish localization

[h3]Stretch Goals[/h3]
Implemented:
-New Resident 1 (Rosemary)
-New Resident 2 (Zephyr)
-Wedding Venues

To Do:
-Museum of Curiosities
-New Game+
-Rival Marriages
-Expanded Mines



And here’s a reminder of our current planned release schedule for the full game. We’ll announce official release dates as we get closer.

-Q4 2023: Full Release of Cattails: Wildwood Story on Steam for Windows & Mac!
-Late 2024: Full Release of Cattails: Wildwood Story on Nintendo Switch™

At this time we feel confident in our ability to deliver the full release on time, as we have hit each and every deadline up to this point and have lots of time to finish up the core features of the game before the end of this calendar year. Hooray!

[h2]Dev Livestream #5[/h2]
Lastly, we wanted to remind you that Developer Livestream #5 is taking place on our YouTube channel tomorrow, March 2 at 6pm Eastern Time! We’ll be playing Beta v0.10 to showcase some of the newest features and answering questions from chat. The livestream will run for approximately 1 hour and will be archived on our channel for those who want to watch it later. We’d love to see you there!



Before we wrap up the monthly update, I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to all of our amazing alpha players for their help in tracking down bugs and submitting feedback during the closed alpha test phase of the project. Thanks to you all Cattails: Wildwood Story is in a much better state than it ever could have been without your assistance. Your passion and commitment to the game inspires me daily and I’m so grateful to have such an awesome community behind the game. 😻

If you can’t find your closed beta access keys and you are entitled to receive them, please reach out either via Kickstarter direct message or to [email protected] and I’ll help get you sorted.

Alright, that’s everything for March! I’ll be back in April with yet another monthly update. Until then,
-Tyler (@FalconDevelops)

Hello and welcome to the February developer update for Cattails: Wildwood Story! We’ll be talking all about the new features that are included in Alpha v1.00, available now on Steam for our alpha-tier backers.


Before we dive right into it, we wanted to give everyone who’s waiting on the Beta of the game a quick update! We’re right on track and can now confirm that the Beta of the game will become available on March 1 for our beta-tier backers. Hooray! 🎉



Another busy month is behind us and great progress has been made on the game! Here’s a quick look at the exciting new features.

[h2]The Buddy System[/h2]
Take your friends with you on your adventures! Once you reach 3-star friendship status with a cat a new option will appear called “Buddy Up?” Selecting this dialog option will reveal the cat’s Buddy stats (XP and level,) as well as their unique combination of Traits.



Traits come in two flavors: Passive and Active. They provide special benefits to you or your colonymates while you are adventuring with a particular buddy. For example, the “Lucky” trait makes it easier to find rare items; the “Inspiring” trait will give an attack damage boost to all nearby fighters from your colony; and the “Renowned” trait will allow you to gain a small amount of Influence in whatever region you hang around over time. Traits also become more powerful as your Buddy levels up.



Your Buddy will help you hunt, fight, and gather herbs. As they do so, they will gain Buddy XP. Once your Buddy has acquired enough Buddy XP they can level up and become stronger! Buddies can continue to be advanced to Level 10, the maximum Buddy Level.

Starting in Year 2, Ember will begin selling Training Manuals at their shop. Use a Training Manual to instantly grant Buddy XP to whoever you’re currently adventuring with.

[h2]Wedding Ceremonies[/h2]
February is the month of romance, so what better time to introduce the most romantic event in the game– your Wedding!



Once you propose to the cat of your dreams, you’ll be prompted to select a Wedding Venue. There’s four lovely venues to pick from– The Temple, the Festival Plaza, the Beach, and the Meadow. Choose one and you’ll be whisked away to the ceremony, where all of your friends and family will join you to watch the wedding.



One of my favorite details of the wedding ceremony is all the little flower bouquets that you’ll find decorating the venue. The colors of the flowers will change based on the base coat color of you and your chosen spouse.

After the ceremony, remember to stick around for a bit and chat with all the attendees!

[h2]Expanded Map[/h2]
14 new map regions are now available to explore! We’ve added a few interesting new biomes– a rugged mountain, a flowery meadow, and an overrun farm.



Of course there’s plenty of secret Power Paws hidden within these mysterious new areas, so be sure to search them thoroughly.



[h2]Tunnel Construction Projects[/h2]
Now that the map is so big it can be a challenge getting around! We’ve added 4 new Construction Projects that you can view from your colony stockpiles– Tunnel: Northwest, Tunnel: Northeast, Tunnel: Southwest, and Tunnel: Southeast.

Once you construct these projects you’ll be able to place tunnel entrances anywhere in your town via the Build Menu. Use the tunnel entrances to instantly warp far away to regions near the corners of the map. This will make adventuring in the far reaches of the world much more accessible!

[h2]Invasions![/h2]
A new optional combat challenge has been added to the game– Invasions! These difficult combat encounters will cause enemy Voidlings to spawn in increasingly difficult waves and require you to come very well prepared if you wish to come out alive. If you complete the challenge you will be richly rewarded!



To start an invasion you’ll first need to craft a Wretched Talisman, a dark amulet that can call to the powers of the void. Use the Mole Forge to get started crafting your first Wretched Talisman.



Use your Wretched Talisman when you are ready to begin the Invasion. An Invasion can be started pretty much anywhere in the world, including your own colony town. If you leave the area while an Invasion is active it will immediately end and your challenge will be forfeit.

[h2]Greedy Paw Accessory[/h2]
Lastly, we’ve added a useful new accessory called the Greedy Paw! You can purchase this accessory from Molo in the mines. While it is equipped, all nearby items will be magnetically drawn into you and automatically picked up into your inventory if you have space.



You can upgrade the range of your Greedy Paw accessory from the Mole Forge.


Ok, that’s all the new features in v1.00! We’re also excited to announce another Developer Livestream to celebrate the launch of the beta in March.



Join us on March 2 @ 6pm Eastern Time over on our YouTube channel @CattailsGame for Developer Livestream #5! We’ll be playing the Beta version of the game, showcasing new features, and answering questions in chat about Wildwood Story.

That’s all for this month! We’ll be back in March with another update. Until then,
-Tyler (@FalconDevelops)