Hello, everyone!
It's a chilly autumn day here. We thought fall was in full swing when we first registered the demo on Steam last month, but now it's time to take out our winter clothes.
It's been over a month since we released our first demo on Steam. The comments, suggestions, and support we've received so far have been invaluable, and have given us deep insights and inspiration for improving Dungeon Inn in the future.
We'd like to thank everyone again for their interest in and support for our game. We also apologize for the delay in our next development schedule and ask for your understanding.
[hr][/hr]
Early Access Release Date Postponed
We planned to make the Early Access version with 3 of the 12 themes around the time we participated in BIC 2023 (Korean Indie Game Festival) last August. Our plan was to release early access in mid-January 2024 and full release in late December 2024. However, we realized that we wouldn't be able to participate in Steam Next in February 2024 if we released the game on the original schedule, so we changed the Early Access release date to late February.
To incorporate feedback and make Dungeon Inn more "Dungeon Inn"-like, we decided to postpone the Early Access release date to the second quarter of 2024. We need more time to improve both the quantity and quality of play that should be included in the Early Access version.
Once again, we deeply apologize for the delay.
(Dungeon Inn booth at BIC 2023)
Change in direction: "Focus on the core mechanics"
[h2]The need for change[/h2]
- 'Is core play still fun when playing multiple stages in a row?'The biggest goal we set while preparing for the BIC 2023 build was to check whether “core play is still fun when playing multiple stages in a row.” While playing through various stages, the player should be able to experience slightly different but continuous play experiences. We also wanted to include elements of the player character's growth, such as the growth of various stats, to reward players for successfully completing increasingly difficult situations.
- 'What kind of gamers should Dungeon Inn be designed for?'However, the question that became more important than the results of verification of the relevant elements was “Who loves Dungeon Inn?” At that time, we couldn't come to any other conclusion so just improved UI/UX convenience to help players understand the game. We couldn't collect enough samples from the BIC 2023 exhibition alone, so we decided to wait a little longer after uploading demo builds to markets such as Steam and Stove Indie.
- 'All roads lead to core play, and the paths to get there should be simple.'Now that some time has passed, we've decided to focus on core play and keep the other elements simpler. We should remember that every element in our game must enhance the core play.
[h2]How will we develop it?[/h2]
To that end, we plan to develop it with the following contents.
- Suspicion score will fluctuate more dynamically.
- Players will be rewarded for exceeding quest goals.
- Gold will be limited to goals (a kind of score), and a new currency called "Faction Tokens" will be added.
- The department and department placement concept was abolished and replaced with a character skill system (specs not included in the demo build).
- The tile placement system for each facility will be abolished and replaced with a tech tree system.
- A prologue will be added.
We will provide more details about each item in the next development log.
Approximate development schedule
- 'What is the appropriate amount of content for the early access version?'The direction of "Dungeon Inn" has been set, but the amount of content for the Early Access version is still a concern. We have looked at other games, but standards vary depending on the studio, so we need to set our own.
We used to think that a simple introduction to Dungeon Inn and its elements would be enough for Early Access, but after releasing the demo, we realized that it needs to have a larger scale to allow for deeper gameplay. The more we try, the more specific feedback we can get.
Therefore, our current development schedule and development goals are as follows.
[h3]Within 2023: Rebuilding the demo[/h3]
- Rebuilding the current build (theme 1) with the new development direction.
[h3]Q2 2024: Early Access release[/h3]
- Include 6 themes.
- All major elements that contain core play will be applied to the game.
[h3]Q4 2024: Full release[/h3]
- Include 12 themes.
- Incorporation of additional features such as collections and achievements.
- (L10N) Support for as many languages as possible.
[hr][/hr]
After releasing the demo build to the market, I was filled with anticipation, but also anxiety. Fortunately we received various comments and suggestions through email, Discord, SNS, and YouTube, and those gave us great strength and great insights. I am truly sorry to announce the postponement of the release date at this time. We will always do our best to show you improved "Dungeon Inn".
Thank you so much for supporting us and Sara on her journey.
Thanks again for reading!
Any and all feedback is appreciated.
- Cat Society
(The prologue tells the story of Sara and her crew before they started running the inn.)
(Inn guests checking out and leaving.)
(Changed the configuration of the quick load screen. / Added the Image Tutorial UI.)
