Voyagers of Nera News

Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with our BIGGEST announcement yet!

[h2]A New Era for Voyagers[/h2]
The team has been pouring their hearts (and countless cups of coffee) into preparing for what might be our most exciting milestone yet – we're opening up Voyagers of Nera to more players than ever before! And let me tell you, the game has had an absolutely incredible glow up.

[h2]The World of Nera Evolved[/h2]
[h3]Deeper Adventures[/h3]
We can’t wait for you to see what lies beneath the waves! Discover mysterious underwater ruins, gather new resources, and experience completely revamped swimming animations that make underwater exploration feel more fluid than ever.

[h3]Looking for a Challenge[/h3]
We’ve been playtesting non-stop to make exploring Nera a much more challenging and engaging experience. Look out for more important choices on attrition as you go from surviving on coconuts to cooking specialty dishes. And for those of you who thought you had mastered combat – think again! We've rebalanced the whole combat system to make stat points and new gear feel more impactful and to make the clash with enemies feel more dangerous. And speaking of those creatures...

[h3]Enemies and Spirits Reimagined[/h3]
Our artists have outdone themselves with visual overhauls and polish to our monsters:

• Reef Hobbs now glow hauntingly in the darkness, making nighttime exploration both beautiful and terrifying
  
• The Deepfang Snapper (our underwater terror) has gotten a ton of animation love that… well, let's just say you might think twice about deep-water diving!
  

And on the friendly side, our spirits have never looked better! Each type of elemental spirit, Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, has a unique look. Find all 8 around the map to unlock their knowledge of ancient crafts, empower your base, and fulfill your duty as protector of Nera!


[h3]Set Sail[/h3]
Ship exploration been a huge focus for us with improved controls and camera work that makes sailing feel more intuitive and immersive than ever. In case you missed it from the last update - awakened spirits can now join you as crew, imbuing your ships with magic for your travels!

[h3]Skimming Sensation[/h3]
Skimming water trails are back and just wait until you see what special gift the Spirit of the Ocean has in store for you! (No spoilers, but you’ll feel the Elder Spirit boosting you across the ocean!)

[h3]The Embrace Renewed[/h3]
We've given the map a major overhaul, adding new points of interest and refining existing locations to make exploring the Embrace feel fresh and exciting – even for our veteran players.

That includes discovering new lore stones scattered throughout the world that not only provide valuable knowledge points but also reveal deeper mysteries about what really happened in the world of Nera...

[h2]The Big Day: December 4th![/h2]
Mark your calendars, because December 4th is going to be HUGE:

• We're revealing our brand new gameplay trailer at the OTK Winter Expo, starting at 12pm Pacific Time. You can watch the live stream on their Twitch at OTKNetwork or their YouTube channel @OTKChannel.
  
• AND launching our first public Steam Demo!

That's right – you'll finally be able to explore Nera with your friends!

[h2]Spread the Word![/h2]
This is where we need YOUR help, Voyagers! It helps us out a TON when you:

• Share the news with your communities
  
• Invite your friends to wishlist the game
  
• Get your crews ready for December 4th!
  

[h2]A Heartfelt Thank You[/h2]
We wouldn't haven’t gotten to this point without your incredible feedback and support throughout development. Every bug report, every creative idea, and every excited message has helped shape Voyagers into what it's becoming.

The waters of Nera are calling, and soon, many more will answer. We absolutely cannot wait to dive in together and hear what you think!

Michael and the Treehouse Team

P.S. Keep an eye on our social channels (@VoyagersOfNera) in the coming days – we might have a few more surprises to share before the big day! 🌊✨

Hello amazing Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here, and wow do we have some exciting updates to share! Thanks to your incredible feedback and all those hours we spent watching you play, we've been cooking up some massive changes that we can't wait for you to experience.


First up, for those of you who thought gathering seaweed was getting a bit too comfortable – we've got a surprise for you! Meet the Deepfang Snapper: a mysterious predator that now patrols our waters. Armed with your trusty spear, you'll need to stay alert as these creatures hunt you when you least expect it. Drift too far from shore or spend too long gathering resources, and you might find yourself surrounded!




We've majorly revamped how Spirits work in the game, based directly on early playtester feedback (yes, we read every single comment!).

[h3]The Spirit Anchor: Your Magical Hub
[/h3]
Many players mentioned that while finding and awakening spirits was exciting, their roles weren't always clear. So we've transformed the Spirit Anchor into a true hub for your base. Once you awaken a spirit, you can now assign it anywhere you need magical assistance:


They can help you power your harvesting stations, boost your refiners, even imbue your ships and join you on your next voyage!


[h3]Companion Choices
[/h3]
We also saw how much people enjoyed having a spirit companion aid in their journey, but it we got clear feedback that players wanted to make specific choices about which companion and which buffs you equipped. At the Spirit Anchor, you can now:

• Choose which companion accompanies you
  
• Select their Affinity (which magical effect it gives you, assuming you’ve crafted the gear required)
  

And now for the news we've been absolutely bursting to share: Voyagers of Nera will be featured at the OTK Expo on December 4th!

But that's not all... drum roll please...

On the same day, we're launching our first ever public Steam Demo! If you've been waiting to explore Nera, or want to try the game with friends, December 4th is your chance to dive in!


None of these improvements would have been possible without your passionate feedback and support. Every comment, clip, and bug report helps us make Voyagers of Nera the best it can be.

Don't forget to:

• Wishlist us on Steam
  
• Tell your friends about the OTK Expo and our December 4th Steam demo
  
• Keep that amazing feedback coming
  

Until then, watch out for those Snappers, and may your spirits guide you well!
- Michael and the Treehouse Team

Hello Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here with an exciting peek behind the curtain of Voyagers of Nera's development. Today, we're diving into something that brings our magical world to life in ways you might not even notice (and that's exactly the point!) - the sound design of our game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Meet the Maestros[/h2]
First, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Ben and Billy from Hitbox Sounds, two talented hybrid game developers and sound designers crafting every creak, splash, and magical whisper you hear in Voyagers (on top of some fan favorite systems like fishing!). If you caught our recent dev stream, you already know just how passionate these folks are about their craft. If you missed it, don't worry - we'll cover some of the highlights right here!



[h2]Finding the Voice of Nera[/h2]
When Ben and Billy first joined our team, they faced an exciting challenge: what does a vast, vibrant, magical ocean world full of spirits and monsters actually sound like? They began by identifying the core elements that make Nera unique:

• Naturalistic: Every sound needs to feel grounded in reality
  
• Ancient: The world carries echoes of its history - long-dead massive golems, dark creatures under the waves
  
• Magical: But with a fantastical, ethereal, not-just-Earth element
  
• Mysterious: Sound cues that make you wonder what's around the next corner
  
• Alive: A breathing, moving world full of living creatures
  

[h2]Bringing the World to Life[/h2]
[h3]The Living Environment[/h3]
Our sound team focused on two major aspects of environmental audio:

1. Ocean Soundscapes

• Creating vast, inviting oceanic sounds that draw players to explore
  
• Dynamic ambience that shifts with the time of day
  
• Wildlife sounds that make the world feel inhabited and alive
  

2. Player Movement

• Footsteps that tell a story - about your character, the surface you're walking on, and the world around you
  
• Boat sounds that make seafaring feel as amazing as it looks (because let's face it, boats are central to our game and super cool)
  

[h2]The Subtle Craft of Audio Design[/h2]
Here's something fascinating we learned from Ben and Billy: everyone's an audio expert, even if they don't realize it. We all know exactly what footsteps should sound like because we hear them every day. This makes sound design particularly challenging. If you get it right, it’s feedback to your actions that feels like it FITS, immerses you, and reinforces your actions. But if it’s even a little off, your brain can INSTANTLY tell!

In building some of the sounds in the game, Ben and Billy looked to real-world inspirations and reference to build something authentic and immersive.

• They actually bought planks of wood from hardware stores to record authentic creaks slaps for when your character runs down a wooden hallway or across the deck of the ship.
  
  
• The ocean sounds you hear in-game? Those are recordings from the San Francisco Bay and Davies Cove in Maine - bringing a piece of Ben and Billy's hometowns right into Nera!
  

[h2]Looking (and Listening) Ahead[/h2]
We still have plenty of exciting audio work ahead of us that we can’t wait to unleash Ben and Billy’s talents on. Some of them will be cracking exciting new ground:

• Spirits and boats are going to be coming together - what does a boat augmented by a spirit sound like?
  
• What's the perfect musical score for discovering an ancient ruin?
  
• How does the soundscape change when you're deep underwater versus skimming across the surface?
  

Stay tuned for a future stream where we'll dive deep into the music of Voyagers - there are some incredible things in the works that we can't wait to share!



[h2]Thank You for Listening![/h2]
Your feedback helps us fine-tune every aspect of the game, including its soundscape. Keep those comments coming, and don't forget to wishlist Voyagers of Nera if you haven't already!

Until next time, Michael and the Treehouse Team!

Join our Discord to stay connected: discord.gg/VoyagersofNera

Hello, incredible Voyagers! Michael / Spacenorth here, ready to plunge into the depths of our latest development update!

[h2]Back Into Dev-Land![/h2]
Just as we finished processing the feedback from our biggest playtest ever, we jumped right into another one that concluded yesterday! We’ve been digging through the feedback like crazy and are excited to share some of our top priorities in development.

[h2]Spirits and Seafaring: A Match Made in Nera[/h2]
First, we’ve heard a lot of great feedback about the role of spirits and skimming in the game. The most common critique was wanting a lot more of it! A huge number of players are looking for spirits to be more important to more parts of the game and having more of them to discover in the world. Well, we heard you loud and clear! We're doubling down on making spirits an integral part of every activity in the game. Imagine your spirit companions not just helping you craft, but also enhancing your seafaring adventures. It's going to be magical!

Our main topic for this post is another one of our big priorities for this milestone: the second biome, The Reef!



[h2]The Reef: Our Next Big Splash[/h2]
In Voyagers, we want to deliver beautiful and fantastical spaces that you can get lost in. With the Reef, we are hoping to transport you to a place that feels vibrant, oceanic, familiar, and yet all together magical. Huge shout out for this artwork from our Creative Director, Mitch Miller.

Like any good biome in a survival crafting game, you’ll see expansive new spaces to explore, new resources to discover, recipes to unlock, and goodies to craft!



As you might be able to tell, the Reef isn’t just expanding our world horizontally - we’re going up (and down!). Expect to see towering coral structures to explore, slipstreams of air to ride, and the return of a tool from our trailer - the glider! Get ready to soar above bright coral and mighty cliffs.

And there’s more to see beneath the waves as well - you’ll have to dive down to find out! But be warned - you’re not the only ones hunting in the deep ocean… 👀

[h2]Streaming Sensations[/h2]
I know we shared a few clips in our last blog, but I have another fun one to share. Our own talented teammate Cheery made a super-cut of recent streams that absolutely made the team’s day and we thought others might like to see it: [previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Watching you guys play has been an absolute blast, and it fuels our passion to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in Nera. As always, we're endlessly grateful for your support, enthusiasm, and feedback. Please don't forget to wishlist the game and spread the word – we need your help to continue growing this amazing community.

[h2]What's Next?[/h2]
We’ve got our next live stream on Twitch this Thursday at 5pm-6pm PT on Twitch where we’ll talking about audio design and making sound effects in Voyagers. Hope to see you there!


Catch you on the waves! 🌊

Michael and the Treehouse Team