Josh Bossie

Category: Release

  • Release: Summer Sherbert Demo is now available!

    Hello Villagers!

    I’m very excited to announce that the latest Village Monsters demo – code named Summer Sherbert – has been released.

    To grab the demo you should head on over to the download page.

    It’s been about three months since the last demo, and as usual there have been too many changes to list in one blog post. This is also the first publicly available demo since last October, so for a lot of you the game will feel very different.

    First up, a few key details:

    • This is still pre-release software. The final version is coming out next Spring, so until then you should expect a great deal of missing features and bugs.
    • The demo is limited to three days (village time). Think of it like a weekend vacation.
    • There’s no saving yet, and many progression features (like buying a home) are disabled in the demo.

    Make sense? Cool. Here’s what else you can do in this new version…

    Kindle new friendships

    The most important part of any village are its villagers – and this one is no different. Make new friends by talking with these monstrous villagers throughout the day. Each one has their own distinct personality, relationships, hobbies, and schedule that they follow. Get to know them all!

    Start a new hobby

    What better way to start your new relaxing life then by picking up a hobby?

    Hunt for critters out in the wild and catch them with your net. Go fishing in the ocean or in one of the many ponds and rivers. Dig for treasures, then sell your findings for big profits or donate them to the library.

    Enjoy a dynamic world

    The world truly changes as the day goes by. Certain flowers wake up with the sun – other plants go to sleep. Villagers follow a simple schedule and have new things to talk about. Morning fog makes way to afternoon sun.

    Go exploring, find secrets!

    From beaches to forests and graveyards to farms, there’s a lot to see outside the village.

    You’ll never need to worry about enemies or stamina, so grab a comfy pair of boots and get exploring! Each area has secrets worth uncovering, and knowing what to look for might even help you in the final game.

  • Release: Beta 1 Demo is now Available

    Welcome to Beta, Village Monsters! Three months of tremendous work has lead to this being one of the biggest and most interesting updates so far.

    Toward the start I maintained a detailed list of patch notes, but as it grew and grew I realized that it was simply becoming too much – no one would want to read it!

    As such, here are some abridged notes on some of the most important features.

    Please note that some features were truncated or made “dark” (eg., they exist but cannot be accessed) due to some scheduling problems (and by that, I mean my son was born). They will be addressed in future patches to this demo.

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  • Village Monsters – Alpha 2.2 Release

    Happy New Year!

    The final Alpha version of 2017 has been posted. It’s also very likely the final Alpha version period! Next up I begin work on Beta 1. Get hyped!

    Your download portal should already be updated with the new hotness. Here’s the patch notes for the release:

    Alpha 2.2 Additions

    • The title screen now has music, more realistic clouds, and a proper transition to the game
    • Overflow has been completely redone – new layout, new furniture, etc.
    • A basic controls page has been added to the first page of the journal
    • You can now adjust the window size (zoom level) via the system menu
      • The game window now resizes itself to your particular resolution ratio
    • You can now switch to full screen via the system menu
    • Added a new villager, Mr. Rose
    • Added several new critters to find and catch
    • Interesting secrets have been considered
    • A new calendar GUI element has been added

    Alpha 2.2 Improvements

    • The camera for all interiors has been adjusted to match that of the outside cameras
    • The following control changes have been made to the gamepad option:
      • Y / Top Face Button now toggles the inventory
      • X / Left Face Button now uses the tool
      • Start now toggles the system menu
      • Select now toggles the journal
    • Reading mail no longer closes the inventory screen
      • Well, it does, but it’ll open up again on its own once you’re done reading
    • It’s now easier to toggle the inventory
    • The whoopie pie truck driver has gone on vacation
    • Shadows of most trees have been improved
    • The system menu selection now loops
    • The dialogue ‘tap’ sounds has been increses
    • The cursor is now hidden within the game window (for now)
    • Both bookcases (normal and small) have been redone

    Alpha 2.2 Fixes

    • Fixed a bug preventing an open book from being closed with “Cancel” when using keyboard controls
    • A number of creatures were incorrectly switching sprites during some occasions. This has been fixed
    • Blank item cards should no longer say “Ore” or “Flavortown USA”
    • Collision for many villagers has been adjusted

     

     

  • Village Monsters – Alpha 2.1 Release

    Oof, that’ll teach me to make a bunch of changes on a release day.

    It’s obvious now that Alpha 2 needed much more thorough testing of the last-minute changes; many of you have reported crashes and other problems that are preventing you from even playing.

    I was able to fix the majority of them and I’ve placed a new patched version of the game – Alpha 2.1 – in your download portal for you to grab. You’ll also get a new email if you’ve downloaded it already.

    I’m such an idiot, and I’m really very sorry for releasing such a sloppy version of the game out there. I knew I was taking a risk in making changes so soon to release, and it clearly was not the right move.

    I’ve learned my lesson – expect more stable releases in the future.

    Alpha 2.1 Fixes

    • Fixed a crash related to a door in the player’s house
    • Fixed a crash related to the vending machine
    • Fixed a crash related to the journal’s Mystery section
    • Fixed a crash related to leaving the vacant house
    • Fixed a crash related to music on the 3rd day
    • Adjusted animations to the player character when the day ends
    • Fixed an issue with ‘freezing’ the character if you attempt to place furniture outside
    • Adjusted the draw distance to see less pop-in, especially with trees
    • Fixed a transparency issue with Bottes’ dialogue in the general store
    • The bed in Boros’ house has been fixed (again)
    • Boros’ hello box has been adjusted
    • A linebreak in the Castled Cake description has been fixed

  • Village Monsters – Alpha 2 Release Notes

    Here it is! The first Village Monsters demo of the post-Kickstarter era.

    It’s called Alpha 2, and it’s hopefully a big improvement on Alpha 1.

    If you’re a Kickstarter backer that has pledged $25 or above you should be getting an email soon with instructions on how to download it.

    If you don’t fall in that category but still want to grab the latest demo then keep an eye out later this week for some news there.

    As always, you can send feedback via the in-game feedback system, or to my email, or to my Twitter. I read it all, so send as much as you want!

    Now let’s look at the big list of changes…

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  • Village Monsters Alpha 1.06 – Out Now!

    The latest demo for Village Monsters, Alpha 1.05, is now out and ready to download.

    This is the final demo release of the Kickstarter campaign and contains a time shift to the Early Fall, even more fixes & improvements, and some secrets to find.

    As always, you can grab the latest demo here, and keep reading to view the entire list of new features and fixes

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  • Village Monsters Alpha 1.05 – Out Now!

    The latest demo for Village Monsters, Alpha 1.05, is now out and ready to download.

    This patch release contains many fixes and improvements received via feedback from the Kickstarter campaign. Additionally, it also contains a rough prototype for gardening, a new type of activity.

    As always, you can grab the latest demo here, or on GameJolt, Itch.io, and IndieDB. Have fun!

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