Welcome Next Festers!

Next Fest is here! That means the demo for Unknown Horizons is officially released!

Yes I know I released it a few days ago. I'm allowed, I checked.

Welcome to everyone who found us through the Next Fest campaign. For your benefit, here's a quick rundown of where we're at in the development cycle, and what you can expect from UH in the near future.

What's In The Demo

Firstly, it's important to point out that the demo version is considered a PROTOTYPE. It's playable, and it contains some elements and mechanics that we intend to keep, but long term (and even pretty short term) everything is subject to change... as you will see if you keep reading.

The demo introduces you to the basic story, a basic "tutorial", and the first stages of the story, including:

• repairing your crashed ship

• visiting other planets in the starting system

• "upgrading" your ship

• leaving the starting system and visiting others

• exploring the whole galaxy (if you want to)

• discovering a nearby faction

• completing some missions to build reputation with a faction

• building enough reputation to unlock the next stage of the story

But... I am currently in the process of rewriting large chunks of the core code to improve it and to make sure we can take the game where we want it to be long-term

Where Are We Heading

My current vision for the "final" version of the game is an open-world exploration game, but with a story that runs through it as you try to find your way home. The plan is for the story to have multiple endings, multiple ways for you to get home... or not. The method you choose (or get stuck with) will be largely based on your decisions in game, like who you choose to help, or where you choose to focus your exploration efforts. Will you explore how to generate a wormhole? Or maybe there's a way to bend spacetime, and warp home, or perhaps, this is where you were meant to be all along....

What's Next?

In a few months we will be entering the Early Access phase of the game. The code rewrite is currently going well, and the plan will be for the first Early Access release to be essentially the same as the current demo version but with:

• New Menus and UI

• Improved visual scaling of planet, local system and galaxy screens

• New game start screens and cut-scene system

• Easy to understand player and ship controls

• New graphics

• New Sounds

• New Galaxy and System generation system

• Better balanced food, water, oxygen, fuel depletion rates etc

• An easier to follow "tutorial" to start the game

• Better mission system

• Steam Achievements and stats

I really hope you enjoy the demo enough to stick around and see what comes next!

See you on the Horizon!