Voyagers of Nera News

[p]Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with an important update about our demo and our focus heading into Early Access.[/p][p][/p][h2]Demo Goes Offline Today[/h2][p]The Voyagers of Nera demo will be turning off at the end of today. We've mentioned this in a few dev streams and previous posts, but we know it's hard to reach everyone![/p][p]After today, the demo will no longer be available to download or play.[/p][p][/p][h2]Why We're Making This Change[/h2][p]We need to focus all our development efforts on making the Early Access version the best and most bug-free experience possible. Here's what we're prioritizing:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Having two different versions of the game running creates confusion when sorting through feedback and bug reports. By focusing on one version, we can be much more efficient in addressing issues and implementing improvements.[/p][p][/p][h2]Early Access Launch - September 16th[/h2][p]We're getting close, and we still need your support to make this launch amazing![/p][p][/p][h3]For Our Alpha Testers[/h3][p]We're still actively testing the game and need your help finding issues and bugs. You'll see us increasing the rate of new test versions as we get closer to launch - your feedback during this final stretch is crucial.[/p][p][/p][h3]Creator Program & Launch Events[/h3][p]More information is coming soon about:[/p]

• [p]Our creator program for launch[/p]
• [p]Twitch drops during the Early Access launch phase[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Help Spread the Word[/h3][p]As a small indie team, we need help from our incredible early community to help more players discover Voyagers:[/p][p]
Join and Share our Newsletter:[/p]

• [p]Sign up for our Newsletter here: https://bit.ly/VoNNewsletter[/p]

[p]Follow our socials:[/p]

• [p]Twitter: @VoyagersOfNera[/p]
• [p]Instagram: @VoyagersOfNera[/p]
• [p]TikTok: @VoyagersOfNera[/p]
• [p]Discord: discord.gg/VoyagersOfNera[/p]

[p]Recent & Upcoming Events:[/p]

• [p]We were just part of Debut Fest[/p]
• [p]Coming up: MIX Seattle at the end of the month[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Thank You[/h2][p]Your support throughout this journey has been incredible. All the survey responses, feedback shared on Steam, discussions in Discord - every bit of input has helped make Voyagers better.[/p][p]We can't wait to continue this journey with you into Early Access and beyond![/p][p]See you on the waves![/p][p]- Michael and the Treehouse Team[/p]

[p]Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with some exciting server announcements and updates as we approach our September 16th Early Access launch![/p][p][/p][h2]🖥️ Dedicated Server Approved Partners![/h2][p]We're thrilled to announce our dedicated server hosting options![/p][p]XRealm is our official partner, and we've also approved three additional hosting providers:[/p]

• [p]Nitrado[/p]
• [p]Bisect[/p]
• [p]GPortal[/p]

[p][/p][p]Of course, you can always play with local hosting or set up your own dedicated server for free if you prefer! More details to come when we get closer to pushing our dedicated servers live.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]🏃‍♂️ Final Stretch Playtest Changes[/h2][p]We're in the home stretch toward Steam Early Access on September 16th! With launch approaching, we're shifting how our internal alpha playtests work:[/p][p][/p][h3]Focus Shift:[/h3]

• [p]Moving away from general feedback collection[/p]
• [p]Focusing on finding issues and fixing bugs[/p]
• [p]Hardening the launch version of the game[/p]
• [p]Testing save data persistence between playtests very soon[/p][p][/p]

[h3]⚠️ Demo Notice:[/h3][p]We'll be turning off the public demo soon, to focus effort on the launch version of the game. So if you haven't tried it yet or want one last sail through Nera, now's the time![/p][p][/p][h2]🧪 Last Chance to Join Alpha Testing[/h2][p]It's not too late to join our playtest community! We're still inviting people for the next couple of weeks only. Your feedback during this crucial final phase would be incredibly valuable.[/p][p]Ready to help us polish Voyagers? Apply to playtest here on Firstlook[/p][p][/p][h2]🙏 Thank You & Special Surprises[/h2][p]We're almost there, and we genuinely couldn't have done this without all of your feedback, bug reports, and support throughout years of development dozens upon dozens of playtests.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]We've got some special thank-you's in the works, including something we previewed at our last dev stream: the return of the booty scooty![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That's right - this fan-favorite "bug" (video by: @FuzzyOutOfWater) is coming back as a feature! Our playtest community will be able to craft a special statue that puts you in the legendary butt scoot for a short while. Sometimes the best features come from the most unexpected places! Details on how to unlock it in the Early Access version of the game coming soon. [/p][p][/p][h2]➡️ Almost There![/h2][p]September 16th is getting closer every day. Thank you for being part of this journey with us - we can't wait to officially launch into Early Access together![/p][p][/p][p]Set sail with us![/p][p]- Michael and the Treehouse Team[/p]

[p]Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with an important update about our Early Access timeline and some exciting progress to share.[/p][p][/p][h2]Important Early Access Update[/h2][p]We're moving our Early Access launch date to September 16th.[/p][p]As a small indie team, we want to make sure we're launching Voyagers when it has the best chance of reaching players. Our original launch date is right next to some (pretty dope) AAA releases that have marketing budgets we simply can't compete with, and pushing ahead then will lead to us getting lost in the noise.[/p][p]On the plus side, this extra time lets us fix more bugs, polish features, and deliver the most awesome Early Access experience we can! We know delays are never fun news, but we're confident this extra time will result in a much stronger experience at launch.[/p][p][/p][h2]Game Progress is Flying! 🚀[/h2][p]On the development side, we are taking advantage of the extra weeks! We just set up another playtest with our alpha testers featuring some major additions:[/p][p][/p][h3]The Greatwood[/h3][p]Our third biome is taking shape! Alpha testers are now exploring an entirely new environment with:[/p]

• [p]New enemies called the Hunters that stalk and hunt you amongst the mangrove trees[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]New resources and recipes to discover. A whole biome’s worth![/p]
• [p]Completely different atmosphere from the first two biomes, with a vast magical forest to explore, traverse and sail through[/p]

[h3]More Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Dedicated server support is progressing well - we'll have announcements about official hosting partners soon![/p]
• [p]Loads of new graphics options to help the game run smoothly on more systems[/p]
• [p]New art assets making their way into the game regularly like this new Thatch Building Kit![/p]

[p][/p][h2]Thank You Playtesters! [/h2][p]The feedback from these playtests continues to shape every aspect of development, and seeing players explore these new spaces for the first time never gets old. If you’re participating in these playtests, be sure to fill out the survey link in the Options Menu![/p][p][/p][h2]Quick Reminders 📅[/h2]

• [p]We’re part of the Dames for Games show happening next week on July 17th to July 24th on twitch.tv/dames4games. [/p][p][/p]
• [p]We’ve also got a new video at the Secret Sauce Game Showcase on Saturday July, 19th at 11am PT.[/p]
• [p]We’re also going to be at the Open Sauce 2025 Showcase in San Mateo from Friday, July 18 - Sunday, July 20 - if you'll be there, come say hi to the team![/p][p][/p][p]Missed our recent dev stream about how the water in Nera works? [/p]
• [p]Check it out here: Diving into Water Aesthetics in Voyagers of Nera! [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Thank You[/h2][p]Your patience and support mean everything as we work toward the best possible Early Access launch. The extra development time is going directly into making Voyagers the game we all want it to be.[/p][p]- Michael and the Treehouse Team[/p]

[p]Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with photo contest results, playtest updates, and NextFest insights![/p][p][/p][h2]📸 "P is for Photo" Contest Winners![/h2][p]Congratulations to our three amazing winners who captured the magic of Nera perfectly:[/p][p]First Place - Aittsel - Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay [/p][p][/p][p]Second Place (a tie!!!) NexusCupcake - Skimmer Buddy[/p][p][/p][p] ItsNikkiNii - Sometimes the Where is Close By...[/p][p][/p][p]Third Place - ItsTheDanger - Taking my Bestie to Seaworld[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you to everyone who participated - the creativity in our community continues to amaze us![/p][p][/p][h2]🧪 New Internal Playtest[/h2][p]Our Discord test group just started diving into our latest internal build with some exciting updates! [/p][p]Check out the full details in our patch notes here.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]📊 Steam NextFest Takeaways[/h2][p]We're still processing all the incredible feedback from NextFest, but some clear themes have emerged (as you can watch from the montage above!): [/p][p][/p][h3]What You Loved:[/h3]

• [p]The atmosphere and art style of Nera[/p]
• [p]The exploration loop and sense of discovery[/p]
• [p]Water traversal - sailing and skimming especially![/p]
• [p]Spirit system and the magic it brings to the world[/p][p][/p]

[h3]What You Want More Of:[/h3]

• [p]More content (makes extra sense since the demo is just biome 1 and there’s still a ton to add!)[/p]
• [p]Boat customization options[/p]
• [p]Deeper spirit interactions[/p]
• [p]Combat polish and refinement[/p]
• [p]Did we mention more content? 😉[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]🔮 What's Coming[/h2][p]Your feedback is directly shaping our development priorities. Just to tease a few things in the works:[/p]

• [p]In-game chat system[/p]
• [p]Expanded graphics settings[/p]
• [p]Dedicated server support[/p]
• [p]Multiple save file support[/p]
• [p]New biome with fresh armor, enemies, spirit abilities, and resources![/p][p][/p]

[h2]❤️ Thank You![/h2][p]Your enthusiasm and feedback continue to fuel our development every day. We can't wait to share what we're building with you at the next playtest! [/p][p]- Michael and the Treehouse Team[/p]

Also, Happy Canada Day to our fellow Canadians! 🇨🇦

Hello incredible Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here, and I'm still REELING from the whirlwind of Steam NextFest!

[h2]🤩 The Response Has Been Incredible[/h2]
NextFest brought so, so many new players to Voyagers alongside our existing community. Honestly, we hoped it would go well, but the actual response blew us away!



[h2]📈 The Numbers:[/h2]

• Tens of thousands of new players tried our demo!
  
• We hit 100,000 wishlists at the start of the week and climbed past 150,000 wishlists now!!
  
• Made it to the Top 50 Demos for NextFest among so many fantastic games
  
• We made it on a Top 15 list by GameDiscover of Most Wishlists Accumulated!
  

Your support made this possible. Sharing the game, playing the demo, giving feedback - it’s all adding up to something we never expected when we started this project.

Speaking of clips, we've put together a montage of some of our favorite community moments from NextFest week: [previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]🔧 Getting Back to Work[/h2]
The team is processing the mountains of feedback, bug reports and excitement from NextFest. As always, the real input from real players is so valuable for us as we keep planning our work and developing Voyagers!


[h3]We Want to Hear from YOU[/h3]

• Haven't filled out the in-game survey yet? Please do! Your input directly shapes our development priorities.
  
• You can find the survey link here, in the Main Menu of the game, and in the Escape Menu (the Clipboard symbol).
  

Have translation feedback? We'd love to hear it as we work on improving our translations! Please join us in the Localization Section in our Discord!

[h3]📅 Early Access is Coming August 5th![/h3]
With Early Access just around the corner, we're sprinting toward some major features and content:

[h3]Important Upcoming Features:[/h3]
There’s lots of new stuff coming both in and outside of the game! Here are just a few that are at the top of our list right now:

• Fast travel / teleportation so you can easily travel between Spirit Anchors
  
• Broader graphics options to tune your experience
  
• Performance improvements
  
• Dedicated server functionality
  

[h3]⭐ New Content Expansion:[/h3]
There’s also just tons of game content to still add to the game!

• Biome 2 “The Reef” - polish and refinements. We will be back to playtesting this in our Discord soon!
  
• Biome 3 “The Great Wood” - featuring a completely new enemy faction, fresh recipes and resources, and a whole new space to explore!
  
• Sneak peeks coming before you know it! 👀
  

[h2]📢 Other Exciting Updates[/h2]
[h3]Contest News:[/h3]

• Our NextFest Gleam contest for Early Access keys ended!
  
• Our “P is for Photo” Contests are wrapping up on Discord. Be sure to vote for your favorites!
  
• Don't worry if you missed out - we've got another Gleam campaign running right now: Check it out here! 3 Lucky Winners will win a game of their choice on Steam! (Value up to $100).
  

[h2]🔴 Demo Still Live:[/h2]
The updated demo is still available on Steam right now! If you haven't tried it yet or want to show it to friends, now's the perfect time.


[h2]Thank You[/h2]
It’s been amazing to see so many players discovering Voyagers, and so many previous players come back to see everything that’s changed!

Once again, thank you to everyone in this community for playing the game, giving us feedback, sharing news with their friends. This is a huge milestone we are achieving together as a giant team of devs and players, and we are so lucky to have your support. It has made all the difference in helping us reach new audiences, making the game better, and giving us the motivation to do our best work.



Early Access is coming up fast, and we can’t wait to keep building Voyagers together. ❤️

- Michael and the Treehouse Team