Ascend News

[p]Hi everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We hope you had a lovely festive wintery season and happy new year 🎇[/p][p]
Just a quick one from us, we wanted to hit the ground running so here's a hotfix to start the year off right![/p][p][/p][h3]Hotfix 1.3.1[/h3]

• [p]Save System: Duplicated assets are now fixed. When backing out to the main menu and going back into the game, you will no longer be holding the previous key items.[/p][p]Note: We are looking at updating the saving and checkpointing system for 1.4! More frequent saving, including after cinematics and within the actual puzzles.[/p]
• [p]Audio: Adding climbing foley[/p]
• [p]Audio: Adding jewellery foley[/p]
• [p]Journal: Tarot cards did not always appear in the journal[/p]
• [p]Flowers collected showing 3/0 now correctly show 3/3[/p]
• [p]When you are at the scorpion tail, it will now mention to press E to rotate the tail. This wasn’t clear before for the player.[/p]
• [p]Out of bounds area for the Water temple is now fixed[/p]
• [p]Collison boxes are cleaned up in the Water Level[/p]

[p][/p][p]Stay safe out there on the mountain 🏔️✨[/p][p]Team Miami Avalon[/p][p][/p][p]Let us know any feedback via the Steam Community Hub, Bluesky, Instagram or our Discord server in the feedback channel. [/p]

[p]Welcome to our biggest Patch for Ascend![/p][p]This update brings a lovely milestone for the end of the year, Steam Achievements! They are now live, so you can finally show off your mastery of puzzles and starsigns. We’ve also been hammering through quality of life bugs across the board to smooth out progression, tighten the story flow, and make the journey feel that bit more magical from start to finish.[/p][p]And because it’s the season for spoiling yourselves silly, Ascend is 25% off for the duration of the Steam Winter Sale until 5 January. Perfect time to rope in a mate or that cousin who insists they’re “good at logic and puzzles!”

[/p][h3]General[/h3]

• [p]Achievements added to the game[/p]
• [p]Collectable placements within the game have been altered slightly[/p]
• [p]Added dusk secrets to the levels[/p]
• [p]‘Skip Cutscene’ prompt stays after not skipping[/p]
• [p]Tied the Time Turner unlock conditions to journal entries[/p]
• [p]We now allow the player to pet the fox monkeys
  [/p]

[h3]Save & Settings[/h3]

• [p]The save system has been updated, so when the player collects a collectible it saves correctly[/p]
• [p]ESC didn't unpause the game - ESC should exit the journal[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Interact bugs[/h3]

• [p]Aurora has been placed closer to the yaks on interacting with them[/p]
• [p]Yak interaction issue was still present when you interacted with them. It meant you time travelled to somewhere else in the level.[/p]
• [p]Inspect UI had a description button is overlapping[/p]
• [p]No inspection was on the Twilight flower tutorial[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Tutorial Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]Only have the flowers appear after the player has completed the Twilight block tutorial[/p]
• [p]Flowers are now more noticeable to the player[/p]
• [p]Time Turner tutorial popped when picking up the Carnation[/p]
• [p]Player could climb over the wall near the gate from tutorial area into main fire area[/p]
• [p]Tutorial flowers in the water were too high
  [/p]

[h3]Aries Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]We gave the player the power of the Sun after completing the puzzle[/p]
• [p]Adjusted the yak positioning when it hits the Gaia statue[/p]
• [p]Player could move blocks before they appear[/p]
• [p]Missions not updating after interacting with the Helle statue[/p]
• [p]Colours on blocks weren't distinct enough[/p]
• [p]Yak could be seen floating after ramming the Gaia statue[/p]
• [p]Twilight shard needed replacing with Aries puzzle book[/p]
• [p]Gaia and Helle statues needed clearer direction
  [/p]

[h3]Leo Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]Player could pick up the Sun planet before completing the puzzle[/p]
• [p]Replaced Twilight shard with the correct item
  [/p]

[h3]Cancer Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]Moons were too big and need resizing[/p]
• [p]A random Aurora was in the world
  [/p]

[h3]Virgo Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]Updated Virgo quest prompt from Chrysanthemum to Astraea’s Aster[/p]
• [p]Improved interaction and messaging with the Astraea statue
  [/p]

[h3]Sagittarius Puzzle[/h3]

• [p]“Between the Stars” book title is too long[/p]
• [p]Chiron's title is too long[/p]
• [p]Added the exit to the Sagittarius castle leading to the level end[/p]

[p][/p][p]That’s everything for now! We hope you have a peaceful, joy filled holiday break and get plenty of time to play far too many games (including this one). Thank you so much for being part of Ascend’s journey this year. It's been great to see Ascend grow.[/p][p]We’re incredibly excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to share more with you in 2026. Until then, take care, enjoy the rest of the year and we’ll see you on the mountain.

Nareice[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey climbers! [/p][p]We’ve got a lovely little double announcement today and we’re buzzing to finally share it.
[/p][h3]❄️ !!Ascend is part of the Midwinter Spirits Steam Showcase!! ❄️[/h3][p]Ascend has officially been selected for the first ever Midwinter Spirits event on Steam! WOOO!

With over 160 titles involved, it’s shaping up to be a brilliant celebration of cosy winter vibes, magical worlds and everything inbetween. A massive thanks to the organisers for having us. We can’t wait to share Ascend with even more players during the event.[/p][p]To mark the occasion, Ascend will be 15% off from 1 - 8 December, as part of the Midwinter Spirits sale.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Updated Demo[/h2][p]We’ve also pushed a fresh update to the demo and is now fully up to parity with the current version of the main game, giving you the complete first level exactly as it’s meant to be played. That includes:[/p][p][/p][h3]The Fire Constellations[/h3]

• [p]Aries[/p]
• [p]Leo[/p]
• [p]Sagittarius[/p]

[p]Solve three distinct constellation puzzles and explore the mountain’s opening chapter with all the polish and atmosphere from the full release.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Meet the Starweaver[/h2][p]
This is your first proper taste of Ascend’s time of day mechanic. Switch freely between daytime, twilight, and dusk to reveal hidden paths, uncover secrets, power mechanisms and reshape the puzzles around you.[/p][p]If you’ve been waiting to try Ascend, or you played the original demo and fancy a revisit, this is a great moment to dive in.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]See You at Midwinter Spirits[/h2][p][/p][p]We’ll be sharing updates during the event and we’d love it if you popped in, tried the demo or grabbed the game while it’s on sale. Also check out the showcase! There are loads of incredible titles joining us in the showcase.[/p][p]Thanks so much for your support and enjoy the new demo build![/p][p][/p][p]The Ascend Team 💫[/p]

[p]Hi all, we've been busy attending events and showing off Ascend! It's been great seeing people enjoy Ascend in person and also find out what they love about the game!

We'll be at MCM Comic Con in Birmingham at the end of this month! Make sure you come and find us in the Leftfield Collection or the Rezzed Zone. This time we'll have two booths!

Take a look below at some of the fixes we've added in.[/p][h3]
Fire Level[/h3]

• [p]Added a new exit next to the Saggitarus castle, which leads to the level end.[/p]
• [p]The tutorial flowers are now more noticeable to the player[/p]
• [p]Gaia and Helle statues have a clearer direction on who they are. New riddle text box added to Gaia[/p]
• [p]Aurora was able to climb over the wall next to the gate, leading from the tutorial area into the main fire level area.[/p]
• [p]'Skip Cutscene' stays after not skipping cutscenes[/p]
• [p]Adjusted the Yak's positioning when it hits the Gaia statue.[/p]
• [p]The player is able to pick up the Sun Planet without completing the puzzle[/p]
• [p]The player can move the Aries twilight blocks before they appear[/p]
• [p]Missions are not updating after the player interacts with the Helle statue during the Aries puzzle[/p]

[p][/p][h3]General[/h3]

• [p]'ESC' should exit the journal as well as than J[/p]

[p][/p][p]Enjoy the small update! We will be looking to do a big one in December with more fixes and focus on improving the underlying puzzles and full controller support.

Keep an eye out for developer interviews dropping soon to learn more about Ascend.
[/p][p]Nareice[/p]

[p]Hi everyone, ⋆˙⟡

We’ve been hard at work polishing ASCEND and learning so much along the way. We’re a small, no-budget indie team who built this game out of love, and we’re honestly so proud of how far it’s come. Thank you so much for the patience, feedback, and support that helped us able to focus on our priorities for bugfixing.[/p][p]This update fixes a lot of the issues you’ve been reporting - especially around controller navigation, puzzle stability, and performance. Annnnnnd, we've added a few Halloween surprises to discover too 👀.[/p][p]Oh, and one more thing… Ascend has been nominated for Best Indie Game Made in The North 2025! 🏆WAHHHHH! ⋆⭒˚.⋆

You can support us by voting here 👉Vote for Ascend
Every vote means the world to us! And we’re truly here to stay. 💫
[/p][h3]🎃Halloween Event🎃[/h3]

• [p]Pumpkins have appeared throughout the Fire Level![/p]
  • [p]Collect them as you play. Every 5 pumpkins triggers a surprise.[/p]
  • [p]Gather 20 pumpkins and press P to unlock something very special.[/p]
• [p]A Halloween-themed Tarot Card is hidden somewhere in the level. Can you find it?
  [/p]

[h3]
Tutorial[/h3]

• [p]The Starweaver was lingering on screen when interacting with the Gaia statue.[/p]
• [p]Pass on the twilight crystal tutorials.[/p]
• [p]Gotten rid of the VFX when you pick up the flowers.[/p]
• [p]Text on tutorials should be bigger.[/p]
• [p]Flowers have had a pass to show up correctly when picked up.[/p]

[h3]🐏Aries Puzzle🐏[/h3]

• [p]Made the pressure plates go down when you step on the reset or push the blocks on the puzzle ones.[/p]
• [p]Added noise in for the reset button on the Aries puzzle.[/p]
• [p]Pass on Aries puzzle for sound and controller.[/p]
• [p]Dialogue pass.[/p]

[h3]🐂Taurus Puzzle🐂[/h3]

• [p]Messaging on the Taurus quest is better.[/p]
• [p]Re-arranged the area to now include pickables.
  Re-arranged the area to now show where you put the Yaks.[/p]
• [p]Dialogue pass.[/p]

[h3]🦁Leo Puzzle🦁[/h3]

• [p]It says "that’s not right" when you add the telescope lens to the telescope. Adjusted. 💅🏼[/p]
• [p]Reminder to switch to daytime if you haven’t done so yet in the Leo puzzle or delete the riddle.[/p]
• [p]Added audio messaging of the sun beam powering down when you exit daytime, while the sun beam is active.[/p]
• [p]'Sparking' particle effect was not appearing when in daytime, and sunbeam glass has been added.[/p]
• [p]Pass on the Leo puzzle from an audio perspective.[/p]

[h3]🦀Cancer Puzzle🦀[/h3]

• [p]Terrain pass on the platforming area for the moon fragment.[/p]
• [p]The crab claw moved, and platforming is now needed to find it.[/p]
• [p]The camera added when the crab claw let's go of the moon ball.[/p]
• [p]Moons have been adjusted when you pick them up.[/p]
• [p]Dialogue pass.[/p]

[h3]🦂Scorpio Puzzle🦂[/h3]

• [p]Cleaned up of the waterfalls that disappear after activating the 3rd Scorpio pressure pad.[/p]
• [p]Switched the switches around for raising and lowering the water.[/p]
• [p]Riddles are now up to date on the Scorpio puzzles and provide better support on what you're meant to be doing.[/p]
• [p]The panic attack scene has been looked at. Adjusted the comic scene and 3D scene.[/p]
• [p]Dialogue pass.[/p]

[h3]♊Gemini Puzzle♊[/h3]

• [p]Add in breaking building bits to the entrance.[/p]

[h3]Air Level (🏺Aquarius🏺 / Climbing Gorge)[/h3]

• [p]Dialogue pass.[/p]
• [p]There were multiple areas where Aurora could go beneath the snow during the climbing gorge.[/p]
• [p]There was no dialogue on the first lines as Aurora approaches the Aquarius puzzle.[/p]

[h3]Water Level[/h3]

• [p]The player was able to get underneath the split path area.[/p]
• [p]Waterfall VFX near the 1st pressure plate pad is too high.[/p]
• [p]Lighting Pass on the split path area.[/p]

[h3]Global / Cinematics / UI[/h3]

• [p]Added riddle prompts to UIWidgets so they appear/show during cinematics correctly.[/p]
• [p]There are occasions where the player can sometimes not skip a cutscene. Fixed. 💅🏼[/p]
• [p]Pass on the panic attack scene.[/p]
• [p]The interact button stays when talking to Gaia.[/p]
• [p]If the player picks up the Moon Ball from the grove first, it doesn't update the mission. Fixed. 💅🏼[/p]

[h3]Books & Scrolls[/h3]

• [p]Added all scrolls to the game.[/p]
• [p]Added in all books related to the Starsigns.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Polish & Misc Fixes[/h3]

• [p]The main menu widget didn't stretch on the screen.[/p]
• [p]Music didn't play on the splash screen.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Community & Thanks[/h3][p]We’re still a small team doing our best with what we have, no external funding, just doing what we love, persistence (as much as we can handle!), and the belief that ASCEND can keep growing into something truly special. We’re aiming to add more content before the end of the year.[/p][p]Come hang out, share your ideas, and show off your discoveries in our Discord:
[/p][h3]👉 https://discord.gg/mNCRehKv


Award Nomination[/h3][p]We’re honoured that Ascend has been nominated for Best Indie Game Made in The North 2025![/p][p]🗳️ Vote here: Vote for Ascend
🗓️ Voting closes: 10th November 2025
🏅 Winner announced: GaMaYo WX – 13th November 2025[/p][p]Thank you for believing in us and for being part of this journey!![/p][p] Thanks, Nareice [/p][p]┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊[/p][p]┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚ ⋆[/p][p]┊ ┊ ┊ ⋆[/p][p]┊ ┊ ★⋆[/p][p]┊ ◦[/p][p]★⋆ ┊ . ˚[/p][p] ˚★[/p]