Memory's Reach News

Huge news: The Memory’s Reach pre-alpha demo is out now on Steam!

This release is a big milestone for the game and I'm super excited to get it into the hands of players! The demo is an updated version of what has previously been shown at events like PAX and SXSW, it takes about 15-20 minutes to play though and is designed to give a small taste of what you can expect from the full game.

To celebrate, I have also put together a new gameplay trailer for the demo’s release:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
(It also includes a few sneak peeks at other areas and features still to come ;) )

So what are you waiting for? Try the demo today and let me know your thoughts in the Steam forums - and don’t forget to Wishlist Memory’s Reach on Steam!

[h2]About the Demo[/h2]
Memory’s Reach is still in the pre-alpha stage of development. And while a lot of work has gone into polishing the demo, there’s still a lot of work to do and nothing you see, hear, or play in the demo should be considered “final”.

Some features are not yet implemented, other things are not yet finished, and some things (especially the UI) are still placeholders.

You may also encounter bugs while you play. While this is to be expected with a game still in development, if you do run into any please let me know about them in the Steam forums. I will be updating the demo with improvements, bug fixes, and new features as development continues.

Note: because this was designed as a trade show demo, progress is not saved. So set aside the 20 minutes or so to play it in a single session.

[h2]Permission to Share[/h2]
You are welcome to stream and share footage, screenshots, gifs, etc from the demo. Have fun, and please tag 100 Stones in your content :)

Twitter/X: @100StonesGames
TikTok: @100StonesGames
Instagram: @100StonesInteractive
Facebook: @100StonesInteractive

I am very excited to announce that Memory’s Reach has been selected as one of the titles featured in this year’s PAX Rising Showcase at PAX East!

As the PAX website puts it:

“The PAX Rising Showcase is an intensely curated collection of games selected by the PAX Team and highlighted on the show floor. If a game is part of the Rising Showcase, it's because we believe the title stands out from the crowd in gameplay, entertainment, or inventiveness; regardless of which genres or platforms you favor.”

I’m honored that Memory’s Reach was selected as part of the showcase, and to be given the opportunity to demo the game alongside other great indie titles.

To celebrate, I’ve given the Steam page a bit of a refresh and included some new video, screenshots, and gifs. Enjoy!



PAX East takes place in Boston, Massachusetts from March 21 to 24. If you’re in town for the show, be sure to swing by the PAX Rising Showcase area and have a go at the Memory’s Reach demo!

It’s been a while since the last dev update - a lot has been happening recently that’s kept me from writing. So this time I wanted to jump in with a general progress update, rather than cover a specific topic like previous entries.

[h3]Sound, Music, and Narrative[/h3]
Production is ramping up now, with the sound designers, composer, and narrative designer each coming on board over the past few months (and you may also have noticed the awesome new poster art and logo). Until this point Memory’s Reach has been a solo endeavour, so it’s really good to have more hands contributing to the game. Most of their focus was on the PAX demo (below), and they did a bang up job. I can’t wait for you all to see (and hear) what they bring to the rest of the game!



[h3]PAX Aus and SXSW Sydney[/h3]
The big news of recent months is Memory’s Reach just had its first major public appearance in the form of a playable demo at PAX Australia and SXSW Sydney. A big thanks to everyone who came by my booth and tried the demo, it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the game! I took literally PAGES of notes, and got a lot of great player feedback. These events have left me feeling excited and energized to get back into making a great game!



[h3]More to come[/h3]
Between onboarding the new devs and working furiously preparing for PAX and SXSW, there was a lot to keep me busy and little time left to write dev diaries. But now that’s all out of the way I’m keen to get back into production on the full game, so you can expect somewhat more regular updates moving forward. The next one should come reasonably soon… I’ve got some exciting news that I can’t wait to share with everyone!

So click the follow button (and don’t forget to wishlist ;) ) and keep an eye out for more Memory’s Reach news soon.

[h3]Lastly, a slight detour…[/h3]
So that’s where Memory’s Reach is at, but while I’ve got your attention this seems like a good time to plug my last game: The Eyes of Ara, which is about to activate its annual Halloween holiday event from Oct 27 to Nov 2. So get in there and hunt down some pumpkins ;)

Memory’s Reach is a metroidvania that focuses on exploration and puzzle gameplay. This is a game that you can take at your own pace and really dig into the mechanical functioning of the world.

For this month’s dev update, I wanted to run through some of the types of puzzles you’ll encounter in the game.

Please note: many of the screenshots below contain non-final and placeholder art.

[h2]Single Puzzles[/h2]
These are discrete, self-contained logic puzzles that usually come in the form of holographic displays. You access these from a terminal and solve the puzzle using its bespoke interface. Generally these sorts of puzzles are used to break up exploration and gate progress by unlocking doors or activating machinery and so forth.



[h2]Navigation & Puzzle-box Rooms[/h2]
These are challenges that incorporate the room or immediate environment. You will need to use a variety of the tools and abilities at your disposal to proceed. These could be navigation based (e.g. figuring out how to align a series of platforms in order to move around a room), observation based (e.g. identifying hidden features in a room), logic based (e.g. deducing how various elements of a room interact with each other), or mechanics based (e.g. solving the puzzle requires use of a bespoke mechanic or player ability). Many rooms involve a combination of several types.



[h2]Environmental Mastery[/h2]
Each level contains large-scale puzzles that span multiple rooms and often involve large portions of the wider level. You will need to become familiar with the level layout and how everything is connected together, understand how the mechanics can be used to interact with and manipulate that layout, and then apply that knowledge in order to proceed. Or put another way: each level is one massive puzzle!



[h2]Collectible Hunt[/h2]
Many optional collectibles are scattered throughout the game (more on them in a future update), and finding them all is an additional challenge. Sometimes these are rewards for solving some of the puzzles above, while other times they are rewards for exploration and finding hidden paths. Finding them all will help to unravel story and even provide clues to more hidden secrets!



[h2]Combining Them All[/h2]
Each area of the game includes a mix of all of these sorts of puzzles, and often in combination with one another. For example, while at times a Single Puzzle might be used simply to unlock a door, at other times one or more of them might be used as components of a Puzzle-box room. Meanwhile as you work your way through the level, opening paths, powering up devices, raising bridges, etc, you are actually setting up the conditions for the Environmental Mastery challenge to begin…

Wishlist Memory’s Reach on Steam.

I want to take a moment to talk a bit about the high-level design concept behind Memory’s Reach, and what I’m trying to achieve with the game. I’m aiming to build what you might call a “Puzzlevania” - a blending of the genres of adventure-puzzle (defined by a focus on exploration, narrative, and puzzle solving) and metroidvania (notable for their focus on expansive, interconnected worlds and ability-gated progression). I believe these two genres are well suited for mashing together into something new.


[h2]Game Structure[/h2]
In Memory’s Reach the primary gameplay comes in the form of interacting with and solving puzzles, while the overarching structure of the game is one of an interconnected world that gradually reveals its secrets as you solve puzzles and acquire new abilities.

It’s a structure built around the concept of ability-gated progression. While exploring the world you will inevitably come across locked or obstructed pathways and other inaccessible areas. But by solving key puzzles in certain areas you will acquire power ups that grant new abilities.

I’ll talk a bit more about abilities in a future dev diary, but some examples include things like a Range Finder, that allows you to measure distances and interact with distant objects; a Translocator, that allows teleportation across wide gaps and to hard-to-reach places; and Radiation Shields, which allow safe passage through zones of deadly radiation.

Returning to the previously inaccessible area with this new ability in hand, you can bypass the obstacle and access more of the game’s world. This loop repeats, and gradually over time you will amass an assortment of powerful abilities and unravel an ever increasing world to explore.


[h2]Always More to Explore[/h2]
In addition to progressing through the main story, these abilities will also allow you to access a range of secondary and hidden areas off the main path. It’s here that you will find optional collectible items (tied into the game’s story), and even some bonus optional abilities!

I want the world to feel like it continues to grow - there’s always more to explore, more puzzles to solve, and more secrets to find.

If you’re a fan of exploration based games, puzzles, and metroidvanias (as I am), then I’m aiming for Memory’s Reach to be exactly the game for you ːsteamhappyː

Wishlist Memory’s Reach on Steam.