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Folklands News

The Education & Research Update is Live!

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p]The wait is over. Our biggest update yet for Folklands is here.[/p][p]Over the past two days we previewed performance upgrades, quality of life improvements, and the introduction of new systems like education and the tech tree. Today you can dive into the full update with new buildings, professions, and content to explore.[/p][h3]New Buildings and Objects[/h3]
  • [p]Library[/p]
  • [p]School[/p]
  • [p]Stone Mine[/p]
  • [p]Lookout Tower[/p]
  • [p]Banners[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Visuals and Professions[/h3]
  • [p]Fresh character models and more than 150 new animations across 14 professions[/p]
  • [p]Updated resource art for Wheat, Wood, and Planks[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Systems and Improvements[/h3]
  • [p]New systems: Education, Research, Economy tools, and Kingdom standings[/p]
  • [p]Faster loading times and smoother performance[/p]
  • [p]Plus all the performance and quality of life upgrades from Days 1 and 2[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This is the most ambitious update yet, and we cannot wait to see how you use these new tools to grow your settlements. If you are enjoying the game, leaving a review on Steam helps us a lot and supports future updates.[/p]

Folklands Major Update – New Systems & Settlement Depth (Sept 10 Launch)

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p]We are back with Day 2 of our three-day preview of the next major Folklands update, launching Wednesday, September 10. Today’s focus is on the new systems that expand how you manage and grow your settlement.[/p][h2]Education and Progression[/h2]
  • [p]Added education levels and education for folks[/p]
  • [p]New tech tree with unlockable research items[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Economy and Management[/h2]
  • [p]New production efficiency graphs for better planning[/p]
  • [p]New Economy overview screen[/p]
  • [p]Updated settlement information for clearer feedback[/p]
  • [p]Reworked happiness effect to better reflect your people’s well-being[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Variety and World Interaction[/h2]
  • [p]Support for building variations[/p]
  • [p]Visible kingdom standings with foreign kingdoms[/p]
  • [p]Bridges can now be built across fish schools[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]These features deepen Folklands’ core loop, giving you more ways to grow and manage your settlement over time.[/p][p]Tomorrow we will wrap up with the full launch, including new buildings, professions, and visual updates. The update goes live Wednesday, September 10.[/p]

Folklands Major Update – Faster, Smoother, Better (Launching Sept 10)

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p]We’re kicking off a three-day look at the next major update, which launches Wednesday, September 10. [/p][p]Today’s focus is on performance and quality of life. These changes make every session feel snappier and more reliable, especially in larger settlements and on lower-end devices. The list below is not complete, and there are tons of other smaller changes and improvements, but we want to highlight a few key improvements that you've been asking for![/p][p][/p][h2]Performance[/h2]
  • [p]Map loading improvements: We have reworked the way the map data loads to improve performance on lower-end devices, and to prepare for supporting big map configurations with additional content. This includes chunk-loading parts of the map, on-screen and in-view detection and hundreds of optimizations to make sure the game runs smoothly for everyone.[/p]
  • [p]Improved loading times: We took a new look at the loading and saving functionality, addressing several issues that caused slowness while games were being loaded. The end result is a severely improved loading experience for everyone, and especially for bigger saves.[/p]
  • [p]Optimizations: Most of the game systems have been checked and re-visited to add performance optimizations and improvements where possible. Additional layers of caching have been added to speed things up, and some parts of the code has been rewritten for improved performance.[/p]
  • [p]Task queuing system: Your villagers do things in a task-based system, but sometimes that system was being a bit ... dumb. Some tasks could easily block the progression of other tasks, and especially as your settlement grew, non-important tasks could overtake important tasks. After adding a new task queuing system, performance has improved dramatically across all tasks.[/p]
[h2]Quality of life[/h2]
  • [p]Tooltips: We've gone through the entire UI and added helpful tooltips and popups to explain things better. No more getting lost about what each button do or doesn't do.[/p]
  • [p]Map generator improvements: We've sped up the map generator for new games, and updated the way it works so your map changes now apply instantly without a full regeneration. This makes it easier to tweak and change settings on maps you like.[/p]
  • [p]We added a camera position overlay added to the minimap so you can easily see where on the map you're looking[/p]
  • [p]A visual building highlight has been added when you pause your mouse over a building for easier selection and planning[/p]
  • [p]While we haven't managed to reach the framerate target for full Steam Deck "supported" labelling yet, we've added support for several Steam Deck-specific functions such as correct input glyphs, framerate improvements and floating keyboard inputs.[/p]
[p][/p][p]That’s Day 1. Tomorrow we’ll cover the new systems that add depth to your settlements, including education, the tech tree, and more![/p]

Devlog 18: Animations and a glimpse of what's coming

Welcome to our third and final devlog before the first Milestone update drops. August, you say? That’s right! The first big milestone in this chapter of Folklands’ development is just around the corner!

To keep things fresh and easy to follow, we’ll be releasing a series of smaller devlogs at the end of August, each one packed with new info, sneak peeks, and plenty of screenshots.

If you missed the earlier Milestone devlogs, you can catch up here: Devlog #16: Education and Devlog #17: Research.

So, what's this devlog all about?

A major animation overhaul

In the current version of Folklands, characters are represented by our two original models: Olaf and Sigrid. They have worked fine for our first EA release, but as we have talked about before, the plan has always been to offer something more immersive and intuitive.

That's why - in the upcoming update - every profession in the game will have its own unique male and female character models, each with a distinct look, animations and movements. This has been a huge undertaking and means over 150+ brand new animations has been added, making it much easier to tell professions apart at a glance.

Just look at these new shots of the Folks at work. You’ll notice the difference immediately!


Fresh resource art

During the animation updates, we’ve also improved and expanded the art for a range of resources: planks, logs, berries, and more, giving the game a richer and more lively feeling.

Player feedback

We're always watching streams and playthroughs, and new videos are being added weekly. Several changes has been done based on player feedback, but one we'd like to highlight is how we’ve reworked the way unemployed Folks stock up their homes, making their behavior more intuitive and consistent. It’s a small tweak, but it makes daily life in your settlement feel that much smoother.



Looking ahead

We’re incredibly excited for this milestone - but it’s just the beginning of what we have planned for Folklands! Once this new update is out, we’ll do a new round of feedback gathering, and getting your input on how the new features work.

We can't wait to get the new update in your hands!

Until then!

Folklands Joins the 2025 Multiplayer Games Fest!

[p][/p][p]Hello everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We’re excited to share that Folklands is now featured in the 2025 Multiplayer Games Fest on Steam![/p][p]This global online event highlights outstanding and promising multiplayer titles across a variety of genres — from co-op adventures to competitive showdowns, survival trials, and more. It’s a celebration of the creativity, strategy, and connection that make multiplayer games so special.[/p][p][/p][h3]🎉Event Duration: August 5 – August 13 (CST)[/h3][p][/p][p]Throughout the event, Folklands will be showcased alongside other fantastic multiplayer experiences. Don’t forget to check out the official event page to discover more great games and join the celebration![/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy everything Folklands has to offer![/p][p][/p][p]Until next time![/p]