What's Next for The Vanished Soul? January Update!

As we shared a development update for December, I wanted to share some news in the January update as well. The New Year started off pretty well, but time is already flying by like crazy! I wish I had more free time to work on the game, but I think I’m still managing to make steady progress.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS:

As mentioned above, progress is definitely happening. I’ve been adding new features to the game and, at the same time, working on polishing some of the existing features in the game and the demo that many of you had the chance to play.

In the December update, I shared the news about the dynamic jump scare system, and I’m excited to say this has been expanded. For the upcoming demo, there will be at least 20 different dynamic jump scares, ensuring that each playthrough offers a unique experience with varying outcomes.

Building on this, I’ve also added a system where your choices truly matter! That’s right— there will be multiple outcomes for the game. Certain actions will have smaller impacts, altering tasks, while others might significantly influence the game’s ending. This system will feature different texts, items, and player behaviors depending on your decisions. In the next demo update, you’ll get a glimpse of this system on a smaller scale, but it will give you an idea of where it’s headed.

Additionally, I want to pay tribute to my first created and published game, Roll the Ball, by including a mini-game inspired by it, which you can play while in your apartment.

The scope for the next demo update is already set, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to polish it and get it ready for release. I’m experimenting with different puzzles and trying to introduce innovative elements, but game development takes time. My goal is to deliver a game that’s as polished as possible, especially considering I’m a solo developer.

Here are a couple of the latest images from the game:

WHAT'S NEXT?

The plan to participate in the February edition of Steam Next Fest is still in place, but I’m not entirely sure if the game will be ready in time. I don’t want to stress myself out or risk burning out, so I’ll continue working at my usual pace. By mid-February, I’ll evaluate the progress and decide whether I have something I’m genuinely satisfied with or if it would make more sense to postpone participation until the June edition of Steam Next Fest.

Once again, a big thank you to everyone! I’ll make sure to post updates at least once a month to keep you all informed about what’s happening behind the scenes.

For more updates, feel free to join our Discord server.