Dead Watch News

[p]Helloooooooo!
It's time for the second public development update of Outcore's sequel, ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː Dead Watch ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]But first, let's announce the demo's release date[/p][p][/p][h2]February 2nd, probably[/h2][p]Unless I don't finish my remaining tasks or a major unexpected problem shows up. That means there are fewer than two weeks until you can play a slice of Dead Watch. Hooray![/p][p][/p][p]So what's new?[/p][p][/p][h2]New sprites[/h2][p]The guy impersonating Lumi (internally called Fake Lumi or Flumi) received new sprites. He looks much better now. Look at those abs![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Capi & Comi also got a bunch of new sprites (not gonna post them all though, gotta keep some exclusive to the patrons 👀)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And Lumi finally learned how to feel sadness[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Playtesting[/h2][p]The game went through several playtesting rounds and was adjusted multiple times.[/p][p][/p][p]Initially, most of the castle was open for you to explore right away. The problem was that players kept getting lost, often before even finding the first puzzle they were supposed to complete. That left players frustrated, especially when they found items for puzzles they had not yet encountered.[/p][p]So to solve that, I decided to lock players to the first floor until they managed to solve the first big puzzle. After that they gained the knowledge they needed to unlock the other floors whenever they wanted. That drastically improved the pacing of the game.[/p][p][/p][p]Another issue was that one player complained the game was mostly a fetch quest. You find a puzzle, then you find an item that solves that puzzle.[/p][p]That's... somewhat ok, since I do want the game to have such puzzles. But I didn't want it to feel like that was most of the gameplay. The main loop should involve solving puzzles through the knowledge you gain using your power to loop back in time.[/p][p]So I decided to rewrite some of the content of the demo and changed the puzzles. This was honestly hard, took me WEEKS to figure it out. But once I did, implementing the changes was relatively quick.[/p][p][/p][p]Between major changes, bug fixes and quality of life improvements, the reception of playtesters to the game is now MUCH better. I can't wait for you to try it out too! [/p][p][/p][h2]Meta systems complete[/h2][p]When I say meta I don't mean it like in Outcore. Rather, I'm talking about boring but important stuff like a main menu, a pause menu, a settings screen, credits, a save system, etc...[/p][p][/p][p]In Outcore, I took a minimalistic approach for the UI. With Dead Watch I wanted to put more effort and inject a bit more style into it. I'm proud of how it came out.[/p][p][/p][h2]What's left?[/h2]

• [p]So far I only tested the game on Windows, so I need to build native Mac and Linux versions.[/p]
• [p]I need to continue working on the localization system. Initially the demo will only support English, but I hope over time to add translations for more languages.[/p]
• [p]There are some bugs left to fix[/p]
• [p]MARKETING - Releasing a demo is a big marketing beat, and I should make sure as many people hear about it as I can. I also want to prepare video reels for the game's new Instagram page.[/p]

[p]I should be able to complete my tasks within the time left, or at the very least the ones that are important for the demo release.[/p][p][/p][h2]Where to follow[/h2][p]First of all, on Dead Watch's page. This is where I'll be posting big announcements[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Other than that, there's Discord, Reddit and other socials where I post stuff occasionally[/p][p]Discord[/p][p]Reddit[/p][p]Bluesky[/p][p]Twitter[/p][p]YouTube[/p][p]Instagram[/p][p][/p][p]If you want to support the game development and be rewarded for it then there's also a Patreon page[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for following Dead Watch's development! See you on February 2nd (I think??? hope???)[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]It's been 4 months since Dead Watch was revealed. I'd like to keep the community updated with the game's development every now and then, so it's time for the first public update![/p][p][/p][h3]New character reveal[/h3][p]If you watched the trailer (which, if you haven't, how are you here???), then you should know Capi, the little capitalist gremlin girl who is Mr Krabs reincarnated.[/p][p]Guess what? Dead Watch is a murder mystery game, and murder mystery games MUST have a pair of twins.[/p][p]That means Capi has a sister! She represents communism, a rival economic belief to Capi's capitalism. The sister's name is Comi:[/p][p] [/p][p]Although they are twins, Capi and Comi don't like each other very much...[/p][p]Who is your favorite twin? Don't let me know in the comments because this isn't YouTube and the visibility algorithm doesn't care about engagement![/p][p][/p][h3]New sprites[/h3][p]Capi, Comi, and Lumi have all received several new professionally drawn sprites![/p][p] Just for comparison, these were Lumi's and Capi's old sprites from the trailer[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Current status of the game[/h3][p]The demo content is complete. We started internal playtesting this month, and I've been working on addressing playtesters feedback and fixing bugs. I hope to be done with that by the end of October or early November.[/p][p][/p][p]Although the demo content is complete, the demo is still not ready to be publicly released. I still have to work on adding a pause menu, a settings menu (big feature), a proper save system, achievements, localization, replacing some placeholders, and polishing the game a little more.[/p][p][/p][h3]Plans for the near-term future[/h3][p]The demo will most likely be ready in December. Even though it might be ready this year, I'm considering postponing its release to January or February.[/p][p]The main reason has to do with marketing. Releasing it during the Christian holidays is a risky move, and I might have a better opportunity in the following months.[/p][p][/p][p]Regardless of when the demo will actually be released, Patreon supporters will get to play it earlier. More about it in the next paragraph[/p][p][/p][h3]Patreon (aka this is a robbery give me your money now)[/h3][p]Dead Watch has a Patreon page. Pledging allows me to hire professionals more often, which not only makes the game better, but also helps it release sooner because it frees me to work on content. The highest tier even lets you try the game before it's released to the public ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː[/p][p][/p][p]If you'd like to follow Dead Watch's development more closely then generally I post a development update once a month on Patreon. These updates also contain more stuff than the public ones.[/p][p][/p][p]That's it, folks! Now say it with me! Together![/p][p]3...[/p][p]2...[/p][p]1...[/p]

[p]I'm happy to finally announce Dead Watch(ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː THE NEW GAME ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː)![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Dead Watch is a murder mystery game where the time resets whenever you find a dead body. You're stuck in a castle and have to find a way out before the next murder occurs.[/p][p]While you explore, characters will follow their schedule, move around, and do certain actions. You'll have to use your knowledge of past loops to steer the future and prevent the murderer from killing.[/p][p][/p][p]Featuring a bunch of losers, such as:[/p]

• [p] Yourself.[/p]
• [p] Lumi from Outcore, plucked from the internet.[/p]
• [p] A mascot animal whose sole purpose of existence is to sell merchandise![/p]

[p][/p][p]This is the part where I tell you to Like & Subscribe, except I'm not a YouTuber, so please Wishlist & Follow Dead Watch![/p][p][/p][p]This is a self-funded project, so I can't afford to hire a full-time team. I end up doing almost everything, including programming, game design, story writing, illustrations, sound design, etc... This slows down development.[/p][p][/p][p]Nvidia's CEO has this phrase where he says "The more you buy, the more you save". Yeah? Well guess what, I have my own dumb catch phrase:[/p][p]ːsteamhappyː The more you donate, the sooner Dead Watch will be released! ːsteamhappyː[/p][p][/p][p]Every dollar you donate will be used to hire people who actually have an idea what they're doing. This will free me to work on the stuff I'm good at (cleaning dishes), accelerate development, and allow the game to be released sooner.[/p][p][/p][p]NOW everyone! Say it together with me![/p][p][/p][p]That's right, kids! Now go get your parents' wallet![/p][p][/p][p]People who donate through Patreon will receive the following rewards:[/p][p]Monthly rewards[/p][p][/p][p]Lifetime accumulation rewards[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Here's the Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/c/DoctorShinobi[/p][p][/p][p]Alternatively, you can donate money to your local animal shelter. It won't help Dead Watch, but it will make the world a slightly better place for animals[/p][p][/p][h2]How else can you help without spending money?[/h2][p]The biggest reason Outcore (the previous game) succeeded was the community. People who loved it told their friends about it. Those friends shared it with others, small streamers began covering Outcore. Eventually, even larger ones created videos. [/p][p][/p][p]That's right, my secret marketing power is YOU(💖)! [/p][p][/p][p]As a small developer, there's a limit to how much I can market Dead Watch. You have the power to spread the word about the game beyond my reach. [/p][p]Tell your friends, your favorite influencer, your dog, and even the prime minister of Antarctica about the game![/p][p][/p][p]Closing words.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I'm aiming to release Dead Watch in 2026. Meanwhile, come hang out on the game's Discord server[/p]