Storebound News

[p][/p][h3]Hello shoppers![/h3][p]We are going to be running a playtest for Early Access and Episode 2 starting tomorrow at 4PM UTC and will close on Monday the 10th.[/p][p]Help us break the game, give feedback, and report bugs to help us improve the launch of Early Access![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

• [p]To register, just go to the game's Steam page and click the green "Request Access" button. If we get a big influx of requests, we might not be able to add everyone to the test.[/p]
• [p]Note that this version of the game will only be available in English[/p]
• [p]It'd be great to record your gameplay or take a screenshot if you encounter bugs, and to describe the bug you encountered as best as possible so that we can investigate![/p]
• [p]Share your feedback or report any bugs on Discord![/p][p]Join the Discord![/p]

[p][/p][p]See you in the Playtest!
Nikko
Community Manager @ Embers[/p]

[h2]Storebound will open its doors to Early Access on November 17th![/h2][p][/p][h3]Hi, shoppers![/h3][p]Steam Next Fest is over, and we wanted to thank everyone who played the demo, shared feedback or left a review. It has been a lot of fun watching people try to escape the first part of the Store, whether they succeeded or not! We improved the beginning of the game and are squashing bugs thanks to all of your feedback. Now, we're ready to move on to the next chapter...[/p][h3]We’re thrilled to announce that the Store will open its doors to Early Access on November 17th, 2025.[/h3][p]We wanted to give you more information about what to expect in this Early Access, since we got a lot of questions about what the final game will be like.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Why Early Access?[/h3][p]Storebound as a full game will be built around several episodes that form a bigger story. We already have a clear vision for the full narrative and each episode, but we need help from the community to make the best game possible. Early Access lets us share content early, gather feedback, and improve the current and following content as new episodes are added. [/p][p]This is even more important for a game like Storebound, as making engaging narratives, puzzles, and challenges requires lots of iterations and feedback.[/p][h3]Early Access content[/h3][p]Storebound is a game where you have to explore, work together with your friends, and solve environmental puzzles to escape while under the threat of monsters and traps. We have spent a lot of time crafting linear levels within the Store that are challenging to figure out and will put your team to the test. The three difficulty modes will allow you to set the amount of tension you want to get, and to replay the game with more challenges.[/p][h3]The final game will consist of multiple episodes, and we are starting Early Access with Episodes 1 & 2. [/h3][p]It represents an average game time of 2 hours, depending on the difficulty you select, and on how quickly you’ll manage to solve the puzzles. Episode 1 is the same part that was playable in the demo.[/p][p]The next episodes will explore multiple timelines, following different groups of characters finding themselves in the Store for different reasons.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Price[/h3][p]We want to ensure our early supporters get a fair deal: you are paying for the content you can play right now, and not for future updates. As a result, the base price for the game when early access starts will be below $10. We’ve also planned a launch discount which will run over the first week to celebrate the launch! [/p][p]Then the price of the game will increase as we add more content, but we’ll always give you a heads-up before any change.[/p][h3]Popular requested features from the demo that we will be adding to the game:[/h3]

• [p]New Features[/p]
  • [p]Field of View Slider — You can now adjust your FOV to balance immersion and visibility.[/p]
  • [p]Pixel Filter Toggle — Choose whether to enable or disable the retro pixel filter to match your visual preferences.[/p]
  • [p]Voice Volume Controls — Adjust the individual voice volume of each teammate.[/p]
  • [p]Lobby Management — You can now kick players from your lobby if needed.[/p]
• [p]Tutorial Improvements[/p]
  • [p]Refined the tutorial for a smoother onboarding experience and clearer explanations of key mechanics.[/p]

[h3]What’s next[/h3][p]We want to give you a heads-up that we will disable the demo when Early Access starts. This is your last chance to beat the current speedrun record (you can ask for the current time on our Discord)![/p][p]After Episode 1 and Episode 2 launch on November 17th, the next pair of episodes are planned for next year. Their content might change depending on the feedback we get from Episodes 1 & 2, so your feedback and reviews are important.[/p][p][/p][h3]Are you a content creator?[/h3][p]Finally, if you want to make content for Storebound, we’ve set up a form so that we can easily reach you. Just click the button below![/p][p][/p][p]Influencer & Press Key Request
[/p][p]Thanks to you all for the support![/p][p]Stay safe in the aisles,[/p][p]Nikko
Community Manager

[/p]

[h2]Hello Shoppers![/h2][p][/p][h3]Storebound is featured in the new Steam Next Fest that just went live! Head over to our demo page and download the Storebound demo to play now![/h3][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]If you have already shopped with us, thank you! Everyone who played the demo already and gave feedback helped us to find bugs and tune up balancing. [/p][p]If you haven't shopped with us before, welcome![/p][p]We’re Embers, the studio behind Murky Divers, and we’re back with our new game: Storebound. With Steam Next Fest, we’re happy to finally share the game with many new shoppers.[/p][p]With this demo, we’re offering a glimpse into the mall — a fragment of the story within the larger experience of the full game. You can play solo, or together with up to 2 friends. Depending on how many times it takes you to venture through the mall, the demo generally has about thirty minutes to an hour of content.[/p][p][/p][h3] What is Storebound?
[/h3][p]Storebound is a 1-3 player co-op horror game. Play as ordinary shoppers trapped in an accursed megastore. Find the exit together at all costs before the employees catch you.[/p][p]Team up with friends to escape a store that wants you to shop forever. Plan your next move using proximity voice chat and walkie-talkies. Piece together environmental clues and decode cryptic notes to find your next destination. [/p][p]Split up and look for whatever may help you escape. Search the mall for tools and items, and make sure you can slip away when danger comes. Solve puzzles to unlock new paths, hopefully guiding you to an exit.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When the lights go out, employees are on the look out for shoppers who need "assistance" after hours. Cut communications to stay silent, or risk getting caught. Hide in vents, progress without making noise, use flashlights to fight the darkness but be careful as the batteries are limited.[/p][p]Avoid the mall's traps and aberrations, they will gnaw at your mind until you can't trust what you see or do. Every error might lead the store's abominations straight to you. Find fuses to turn the lights back on and hopefully start a new day.[/p][p]If you're ready to start shopping, join the Discord now! There you can find others to shop with.[/p][p]Storebound Discord[/p][p]You can report bugs and leave feedback on Discord, or in this thread here on Steam. We'll be listening on Discord and Steam and looking for any issues that pop up, so please ask any questions you have! Here's a few we've received already many times and their answers.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: How many players is Storebound? Can I play solo?[/p][p]A: Storebound is 1 to 3 players, and you can play solo![/p][p][/p][p]Q: 3 is too low, will you add the option for 4 players or even larger teams?[/p][p]A: We do not have plans currently to make the team size larger than 3. We've play tested before and decided that 3 was the optimal experience, and we prefer 3 people having fun rather than a larger group getting bored. That being said, we've gotten this request a lot. Down the line when the development team has time to add this, it is something we will consider.

Q: Can I turn off the pixel/grain filter?[/p][p]A: We know this filter can make some players woozy, so the team is working on a setting so you can lower and turn off the grainy filter entirely. It will not be available in the demo, but we will work on it for early access launch.

Q: Is there a setting to increase FOV?[/p][p]A: We are working on a setting for this one as well, and it will be implemented for early access launch.

Q: Is Storebound going to have procedurally generated maps outside of the demo?[/p][p]A: No, Storebound is more adventure and puzzle focused than our previous title Murky Divers. It plays closer to a game like Zort and we are planning different episodes that take you through different parts of the megastore. We think this is the best type of experience we can deliver. We prefer giving you an optimal linear experience rather than something not as fun.

Q: How much will Storebound cost?[/p][p]A: Under $10! Might even be in the $6-$8 range.

Q: Will Storebound come to consoles?
A: We have no plans for this at this time. We will need a successful Steam launch for this to happen so we are doing all we can to make Storebound a great game!
[/p][p]We hope you enjoy playing the demo during Steam Next Fest! Once you play, please consider leaving a review on the demo page. Yes, you can leave reviews on demos now! Leave a Wishlist for Storebound as well. Both reviews and Wishlists really help Storebound grow it's audience on Steam.

We look forward to shopping with you.
Nikko
Community Manager

[/p]

[h3]Hello shoppers![/h3][p] Thank you to everyone who has played the demo so far and left a review. We have taken the time to look over all the player feedback to find ways to improve the game. Yesterday, we put a new patch live that adjusts the overall difficulty of Storebound and should help to make your time shopping a much smoother experience! [/p][p]Demo Patch 2 Changes:[/p]

• [p]The running speed of the employees has been reduced.[/p]
  • [p]Often times we noticed that there was not adequate time to find a hiding spot when the employee began their chase. Reducing the speed should help give a few more seconds so you can scramble into a hiding spot. [/p]
• [p]Employees now make more noise and the volume of the noise has been increased.[/p]
• [p]If an employee teleports to a player, it will now teleport at a further distance to avoid spawning on top of player.[/p]
  • [p]We saw many reports of our employees landing on top of players when teleporting, which likely ruined a perfectly good shopping experience. Employees will now give a bit of distance when spawning near you. With the other changes, this should give you a bigger window to react and hide.[/p]
• [p]Employees will now spend more time in low tension mode (patrolling hallways and roaming to new areas), and less time in high tension mode (when it's in alert, looking for nearby players).[/p]
  • [p]This will give you a better feeling of creeping around employees, instead of the more constant chase that employees tend to default to.[/p]
• [p]Player stamina reduces slower when sprinting, and fills up faster.[/p]
  • [p]This will help when being chased, but will also help when navigating the map and back tracking to solve puzzles.[/p]
• [p]Opening hours have been extended.[/p]
  • [p]This means more time in the light! This should also make turning back on the lights more valuable, since your time to explore peacefully will be extended.[/p]

[p]These changes should make your shopping experience less frustrating, while still keeping a good sense of tension.

We've also heard feedback on the pixel filter effect and requests for an FOV slider. We are planning on implementing settings for both of these to give players more control over the visuals, but they will not be implemented until Early Access.

If you haven't already, please consider leaving us a review on Storebound's demo page! It really does help us out a great deal.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]See you next time, shoppers!
Nikko
Community Manager[/p]

[h2]Hello shoppers!
[/h2][p]Thank you to everyone who has played the demo for Storebound so far. We are looking over all of the feedback we have received to improve the game, starting with a new patch that is out right now!
[/p][h3]If you haven't already, please consider leaving a review for the Storebound demo!
[/h3][p]It really does help us out, and more importantly we are reading every review to help us improve the game. You can leave your review on the Storebound demo page here:

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Also, consider joining the Discord where you can meet others to play with and ask the devs your questions.

Storebound Discord

Here's what we fixed in our first patch:
• Many soft-locks have been fixed. Please continue to report these so we can fix them ASAP!
• Improved clarity of objectives and guidance in the environment to improve gameplay flow.
• Scourge has been tuned to be slightly less aggressive in the last portion of the demo.
• An invite friends button has been added to the pause menu.
• Fixed the issue that made players get stuck inside their own shoulder.

Currently Unresolved Issues:
• Voice Chat: We have identified problems with in-game voice chat and are working on a fix.
• There is an issue where after all party members die the game freezes, needing a restart. We are still working on a fix.

Please continue to report issues here or on our Discord.

Thank you again to everyone who has played!

See you next time, shoppers.
Nikko
Community Manager[/p]