August Update

Back to School, Back to Paper Planes

What better time than back-to-school season to talk about paper planes? The 1 month challenge is over, and I’m happy to announce: Beta Access is here! well.. kind of..

Beta Access is here

2 Months behind, eh not too bad!

If you pledged at the “Beta Plane” tier or higher, you’ll receive your Steam beta key tomorrow via Kickstarter message. This key gives you:

• Permanent access to the beta build on Steam

• Full access to the final release at launch

That means some of you are already unlocking all your pledge rewards.

⚠️ Note: the Steam beta build is being uploaded as I write this, so it might take a few hours before you can play. I’ll post on Discord when it’s live. You will most likely receive the key once it is sorted out tomorrow!

Benchmark & Dynamic Loading

The first beta build is mainly for benchmark testing. It will teleport you across finished art-style scenes to check performance, shaders, and post-process effects. If all goes well, I’ll move ahead with seamless scene transitions and no loading screens when switching between art styles (except for world map travel). I plan to release monthly beta updates until launch, so you can follow the game’s progress step by step.

Next month I will upload the finished checkpoint systems and message system so you will get the full final gameplay loop as promised.

Checkpoint System

Here’s an early look at the checkpoint mechanic I teased last month. With luck, beta testers will get to try it in the update.

A more contemplative experience

I’ve reworked the flight feel with new “hoverboard” air-cushion physics:

• Flying close to the ground now gives you a gentle hover and a speed boost

• Diving into slopes flows smoothly with momentum conservation and assisted yaw

• Risky maneuvers feel rewarding, not punishing

These changes, combined with the continuous boost meter, make the paper plane easier and more fluid to control.

(GIFs don’t do it justice, I’ll post a proper video on Twitter soon!)

Puppy month

Outside of dev, this month was full of puppy training sessions. The little one is settling in and becoming best friends with the resident dog.