Ready for NextFest!

NextFest is just around the corner, and Unknown Horizons will be in the mix, so I've put together a demo build that will show off the start of the game and first act of the story. I welcome everyone's comments to help me shape the game into something that people want to play more.

For those who have been assisting with the Playtest, the demo build is slightly different, some new graphics, some changes to audio, and few other teaks here and there. Definitely worth a look!

However, don't be put off by the limited story and functionality available in the demo... big things are to come...

What's Next after Next(Fest)?

With the demo build done, it's time to push on toward Early Access, but the push is rather large!

I've decided to perform a huge rewrite of the code to make it cleaner, more efficient and easier to maintain... which means I have basically started from scratch!

Obviously I already have the current code to use for the complicated bits, but I am in the process of rewriting the game from the ground up. So far I have already completed the following:

• Completely rewritten menus, with a new appearance and mechanics Steam post image

• Simplified "New Game" selection (a lot of those options we superfluous... lets keep it simple for now)

• Rewritten Intro screens, with a "graphical novel" approach to the opening story Steam post image

• Rewritten Planet Scene, now with "circular" planets that you can walk all the way around, and a new flow to the tutorial dialogue and process Steam post image

• New In Game UI (WIP) with updated Crafting system, changes to ship systems and repairs... basically it's just all been redone Steam post image

I'm excited to let everyone play this new version of the game, but I have a long way to go until it's as "complete" as the current demo build, so Early Access will likely be a couple of months away. When it comes, my hopes are that everything you can do in the demo will be available in the Early Access build, but done better, cleaner, faster and fun-er.

Next Fest is coming June 15, the demo will be coming slightly before that... maybe June 1, we'll see.

See you on the horizon!