Ascend News

[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]

[h3]Welcome fellow climbers! 🏔️[/h3][p][/p][p]It's been just over a week since we launched, we're a small indie dev team working on this game in our spare time, so all reviews and feedback help so much![/p][p][/p][p]Saying that - thank you so much for your support and feedback - we've taken them on board and have just implemented them into a major patch. [/p][p][/p][p]This update brings new art and audio, improved tutorials and puzzle interactions, and a big round of bug fixes and polish.[/p][p][/p][p]✨ Highlights include:[/p]

• [p]New Taurus puzzle assets and lighting improvements[/p]
• [p]Better tutorial interactions and Time Turner feedback[/p]
• [p]Improved cinematic timing[/p]
• [p]Lots of bug fixes across puzzles, UI, and audio[/p]

[p][/p][p]🤯 New Features & Additions[/p]

• [p]Added new art assets to the Taurus puzzle.[/p]
• [p]Added an interact widget to the dusk NPCs[/p]

[p][/p][p]🐞 Bug Fixes & Improvements[/p]

• [p]Tutorial windows now close with a button (no more hold-to-close!).[/p]
• [p]Adjusted reset button to reduce accidental activation.[/p]
• [p]Improved timing of the Libra puzzle ending cinematic.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with starting Sagittarius quest without picking up the Sun ball.[/p]
• [p]Shrines & collectibles now display correctly in the journal.[/p]
• [p]Added audio to the opening cinematic.[/p]
• [p]Tarot cards no longer get stuck when rotating.[/p]
• [p]Pressure plates now visibly go down when stepped on.[/p]
• [p]Fixed long book titles overflowing UI.[/p]
• [p]Key item in the journal now greys out when used.[/p]
• [p]Fixed occasional cutscenes not being skippable.[/p]
• [p]Polished ending cinematic.[/p]
• [p]Removed duplicate doors at Capricorn puzzle entrance.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted daylight brightness and shadow behaviour.[/p]
• [p]Lowered harp interaction music.[/p]
• [p]Fixed daylight shadows appearing indoors during the Aquarius puzzle.[/p]
• [p]Prevented Aurora from going under snow in gorge areas.[/p]
• [p]Removed duplicate lavender plants near Gaia statue.[/p]
• [p]Improved messaging and functionality when interacting with Aurora’s scales.[/p]
• [p]Fixed door audio near Starweaver triggering twice.[/p]
• [p]Fixed dialogue occasionally playing twice.[/p]
• [p]Fixed input persistence and looping interactions on mirrors.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bookcases appearing open too early in the air level.[/p][p][/p]

[p]🔊 Audio Improvements[/p]

• [p]Added laser beam detector sound.[/p]
• [p]Added missing audio to opening cinematic.[/p]
• [p]Lowered harp interaction volume.[/p][p][/p]

[p]🔎 Level & Visual Passes[/p]

• [p]Improved visuals and interaction polish on several puzzle areas.
  [/p]

[p]🤔 UX Tweaks[/p]

• [p]Interaction prompts have been improved across multiple puzzles.[/p]
• [p]Improved cinematic transitions and puzzle feedback loops.[/p]
• [p]Tutorial usability improved based on player feedback.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]We're going to constantly be working to improve Ascend with patches, and updates - so please watch this space! 🫡[/h3][p]
Let us know any feedback via the Steam Community Hub, Bluesky, Instagram, X or our Discord server in the feedback channel. [/p]

[p]It's definitely been a climb, but we made it to the top (and soon so will you)! [/p][p][/p][h2]Ascend has officially released 🎉[/h2][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p]We hope you like it - we're so proud and couldn't be more thankful for your support.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much, for your feedback and your words of encouragement 💖[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Now please, play the game and discover the world of Ascend 🌠 [/p][p](and send us pictures throughout your climb!)[/p][p][/p][p]Let us know any feedback via the Steam Community Hub, Bluesky, Instagram, X or our Discord server in the feedback channel. [/p]