Fixes, QoL and What's Next? | Demo Update #1

[p]Hi there! Since the start of Next Fest, we’ve been releasing updates almost every day, sometimes even multiple times a day to meet your expectations and implement your suggestions. Alongside numerous fixes, we’ve also focused on improving QoL features and overall readability so here is summary of what we added so far! Future updates will include proper patch notes, instead of the way we’ve handled them this time. [/p][h3]📈 Performance 📈[/h3][p]We’ve seen a few reports about the game running unusually slow despite having stable FPS, that was indeed a bug, and the game should no longer play in slowmotion. We’ve also implemented several performance improvements for smoother gameplay. Please let us know right away if you encounter any performance issues even though the game isn’t graphically demanding, smooth performance is one of our top priorities! [/p][h3]
🧩 Puzzle Helper 🧩[/h3][p]Mortem the Cat will now appear during puzzle sections to offer hints on what to do. Each subsequent hint will become more direct until, eventually, Mortem disappears once his patience runs out.

[/p][h3]🌟 Pickup Indicator 🌟[/h3][p]You pointed out that some items required for progression were too hard to spot and didn’t stand out enough from the environment. While this was partially intentional, since game has Hidden Object elements we realized the visibility needed improvement. Previously, the crosshair would fill white when looking at an interactable item, but that alone wasn’t enough. We’ve now added a small star icon that appears when the player is close to an item they can pick up. We’ll continue experimenting with this mechanic to find right balance between keeping the sense of searching intact, but without turning it into frustrating pixel hunting. [/p][h3]✨ Ritual Drawing Effects ✨[/h3][p]Some of you mentioned being confused about what’s going on with the left hand. To make it clearer and give better context, we’ve added new visual and audio effects to the ritual drawing process.

[/p][h3]🗺️ Expanded Level Start 🗺️[/h3][p]This update was actually implemented just before Next Fest, but we’re including it in this patch notes since it wasn’t mentioned previously.
The previous version of the level start was fairly dull, featuring only a single Drowned enemy that couldn’t be avoided. The current version makes the encounter optional and, if you choose to fight directly, allows for more shooting opportunities.The Drowned enemies themselves have also been updated. Their attacks can now be dodged by crouching just before they strike.

[/p][h3]🔥 Ignitable Torches 🔥[/h3][p]We’ve added torches to the catacombs that can be set on fire using Fire Bullet. They can help indicate whether the player has already been in a certain area. Of course, they can also burn out after being ignited.

[/p][h3]🔍 Inspect Improve 🔍[/h3][p]Due to the retro visual style, we noticed that some of you had to disable post-processing to properly see items during inspection. To make the experience smoother, the retro effect will now automatically turn off when inspecting an item and turn on when get out of inspect (if it's turned ON in settings).
[/p][h3]🏃 Improved Sprint Feel 🏃[/h3][p]You pointed out that movement in the game felt like pushing a shopping cart (lol). We’ve improved it by enhancing the effects that contribute to the sprint feel.
We’ll continue monitoring both the actual speed and the overall feeling of movement. Additionally, we plan to add an option in the settings so each player can adjust headbobbing to their personal preference.

[/p][h3]What's Next?[/h3][p]We’re currently focusing on improving existing systems, such as enemy AI (a top priority), and preparing new levels for early access. The demo will also receive updates when significant progress will be made.
Here’s a small preview of what we’re working on:

Lake level on it's early enviro
Mushroom Forest level on it's blockout phase
Official concept of the boss for the Mushroom level [/p][p]
Early concept of an enemy for the Fields level
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