IT\'S TIME FOR A NEW MAJOR UPDATE!!

\nAnd possibly the final major beta update..?\n\nI\'ll explain everything as we go.\n\nThis update is huge. Like, stupidly huge. \n\nI even managed to implement online multiplayer, something I\'ve been strictly opposed to since the game\'s inception! Let\'s go over the biggest new features and discuss the future of the game.\n\n

Online Multiplayer

\nVibrant Venture now features peer-to-peer online multiplayer through Steam!\n\n\nYou can connect to friends\' game sessions by opening the pause menu, going to the multiplayer tab and clicking \"Join Game\". Or, you can host your own session and have friends join!\n\n\nMultiplayer works similarly to how it used to work back in the crusty old Roblox version. You can see other players connected to the same session, but the game is still a singleplayer experience at its core.\n\nThis lets you complete the game alongside a friend while still maintaining the curated experience only a singleplayer game can deliever. I understand that some of you wanted a full multiplayer campaign, but this would require rebuilding the entire game from the ground up as a multiplayer experience, which is obviously not something we\'re interested in doing. Consequently, what we have today is the best possible compromise.\n\n\nBecause this is the very first version of online multiplayer, there will be bugs. Please report anything you find on our Discord server !\n\n

World 3 Boss

\nFinally, after years of planning, experimenting, failing, and restarting, we landed on something we\'re happy with for 3-Boss - a fight against Violastro on the peak of Starlight Summit!\n\n\nThis is by far the most ambitious boss fight we\'ve ever created, and there were multiple failed iterations along the way. Originally, we wanted you to climb a tower in a 3D perspective, and while we managed to develop a functional version after a few scrapped versions, it ended up just being plain unfun.\n\n\n\nThere\'s only so much you can do when the core concept of a boss fight revolves around climbing up a tower that loops around itself. It just wasn\'t fun, so we made the tough decision to scrap this idea.\n\n\n\nTo reach this boss, you\'ll first need to conquer an entire level built around unique mechanics - the fight doesn\'t start until you\'ve earned it!\n\n\n\nKeep in mind that 3-Boss is still subject to change!\nWe are actively looking for feedback on the level - if you have any thoughts or suggestions you\'d like to share, please come and talk to us on our Discord server .\n\nWe also have not had time to add any cutscenes to 3-Boss yet, which we plan on doing in the future.\n\n

New Upgrades

\nThis update features seven new upgrades. That\'s a lot!\n\n\nWe won\'t cover all of them in detail here, as they are explained in the changelog further down and are honestly way more fun to discover on your own. Crucially, however, the new upgrades alter your abilities and movement, making for a completely different gameplay experience!\n\nAlso, it\'s now possible to have SIX upgrades equipped at once, so try and find the best combination that suits your playstyle!\n\n

2-2 Visual Overhaul

\nThe second level in World 2 has a shiny new look, featuring brand new tiles and backgrounds!\n\n\n\n\nWe made an entire video about this here if you want to see a deep dive comparison:\n\n\n

New Level Builder Content

\nFor our builders, the Level Builder features six new tiles and two new themes, all of which are based on the new 2-2 graphics!\n\n\nThe Level Builder also features several key bug fixes, making for an overall improved experience.\n\n

New Cutscenes

\nA new prologue cutscene has been added, delving further into the origins of the Harmony Ring and Hickory\'s role in the story!\n\n\nThere\'s way more going on between the lines than you might think...\n\n

World Map Collectibles

\nGems are now scattered across the World Map, with larger ones tucked away in hidden corners waiting to be discovered!\n\n\nWith the introduction of new upgrades, we wanted players to have more ways to collect gems while also rewarding exploration throughout the world.\n\n

Hickory\'s Shop

\nThe shop is now accessible directly from the World Map through Hickory\'s traveling stands!\n\n\nEach stand comes with its own bit of unique dialogue from Hickory, making upgrades feel more like a part of your journey rather than just a menu option.\n\n

UI Updates

\nMost of the game\'s menus and user interfaces have received a visual refresh, along with some functional improvement! Animations, interactions, and layouts have been touched up to create a smoother, more consistent experience.\n\nCheck out the new the Totals menu: \n\n\nAnd the updated Options menu: \n\n\n\nIf you zoom in on the text, you might also notice that all text elements have been updated to a new crisp, pixel-perfect text and outline rendering system. This change makes every UI element feel much more at home with the game\'s pixel art style!\n\n

Custom Levels Now Track Completion

\nThe Level Builder now shows which Steam Workshop levels you\'ve completed, along with your best clear times! Perfect for tracking your progress and chasing new personal bests.\n\n\n\n

New Scoring System

\nWe\'ve completely overhauled the scoring system! Points are now calculated with a smarter, fairer algorithm that better balances exploration and speedrunning, instead of heavily favoring just one playstyle.\n\n\nWhether you\'re combing every corner for collectibles or racing to the finish, your score now reflects your playstyle much more accurately.\n\n

And a Few Extra Touches...

\nThis update also includes plenty of small but meaningful improvements across the game world - visual polish, smoother gameplay, and a few welcome quality-of-life tweaks that make everything feel more cohesive.\n\n

Fluppy Animations

\nThe Fluppies and Grand Fluppies have received new animations on the World Map, giving these familiar fish more life and personality as you travel through Sparklestone Shores.\n\n\n\n

Visual Updates

\nThe final section of 3-G has been visually refreshed.\n\n\nWater tiles now feature improved visuals and smoother animations.\n\n\n\nThe climbable vine tiles in Forever Fall Forest have also been updated to better fit with the environment.\n\n\n

Enemy Sprite Improvements

\nSeveral enemies have received updated sprites and animations, including Leafly, Bramble Bopper, Flathead Bopper, Spewshroom, Big Beak, and Jester Shrimp! These improvements make the enemies look cleaner and more polished without changing their original designs.\n\n\n\n

Camera Improvements

\nThe level camera now tracks the player much more smoothly, finally eliminating jitter for good!\n\n\n\n

Challenge Coin Rewards

\nCollecting a Challenge Coin youve already obtained now grants gems as a small bonus reward - giving players an extra reason to revisit completed levels!\n\n\n\n

The Serious Part - Vibrant Venture\'s Future

\nAnd now we get to the dreaded section - the future of Vibrant Venture.\n\nVibrant Venture has been in active development since late 2018 - around 7 years of work, passion, and persistence. From the very beginning, it has always been a hobby project. I now work full-time as a software engineer, and while I still love creating games, I need to dedicate more time to my family, health, and career.\n\nBecause of that, Beta 7 will likely be the final major beta update. There may still be one more beta after this - a potential Beta 8 - but if it happens, it won\'t be on the same scale. It would mostly serve as a smaller, transitional update to bridge the gap between Beta 7 and the full 1.0 release.\n\nFrom there, the next big step is the full 1.0 release - and not just a label saying \"done\", but a proper update in itself that will complete the story and wrap up the game as a whole.\n\nSo yes - 1.0 will be a major update of its own.\n\nOver the years, the scope of the project has changed; team members have come and gone, and while we originally planned for 5 worlds with 4 levels each, we ended up with 3 much larger worlds packed with more content than we ever intended. As much as we love improving and expanding, we\'ve realized that over-ambition and perfectionism can slowly kill a project, and we want to finish strong instead of dragging things out.\n\nOur current goal is to create the game\'s finale following the newly released 3-Boss - a proper conclusion to the story. This will also open the door for something many players have asked for: console ports. But those can\'t happen until the game is fully finished.\n\nMaybe we\'ll continue working on Vibrant Venture after 1.0 - who knows? Maybe we\'ll do a 1.1 update or something. There are no guarantees. What matters most right now is wrapping it all up so we can finally say:\n\"Yep, the game is finished, fully playable, and available on these platforms.\"\n\nWe\'ve never made much money from the project, and we\'re far from being a big studio. Vibrant Venture has always been a passion project - something we\'ve built in our free time for years. But as life moves on, so must we. It\'s time to bring this adventure to a close - properly, proudly, and with the love it deserves.\n\n- Pattrigue\n\n

Socials

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Changelog

\n

• Added a new level: 3-Boss[/*]
• Added new Brachin variants for 3-Boss[/*]
• Added a new prologue cutscene[/*]
• Added online multiplayer [list]
• Leverages Steam\'s peer-to-peer networking system[/*]
• Allows you to host lobbies or connect to friends\' lobbies[/*]
• Multiplayer sessions let you see and play alongside friends while the game remains singleplayer-focused[/*]
• Features a new multiplayer menu accessible through the Pause Menu[/*]

[/*]

Added 2 new achievements[/*]

Added 6 new tiles to the Level Builder

• New ground tiles: Yellow Sand, Purple Stone, Lime Grass[/*]
• New background tiles: Yellow Sand Background, Purple Stone Background, Lime Grass Background[/*]

[/*]

Added 2 new themes to the Level Builder

• Sunset Pier: Based on the ground background in 2-2[/*]
• Clouds: Based on the cloud background in 2-2[/*]

[/*]

Added 7 new upgrades

• Steadfast: Prevents knockback when taking damage[/*]
• Scorch Skip: Increases the height of Cardinal\'s Double Jump[/*]
• Burst Dash: Changes Azura\'s Dash into a short, fast burst of speed with increased vertical mobility[/*]
• Extra Homing Attack: Allows using Azura\'s Homing Attack twice in a row before needing to recharge[/*]
• Parasol Puff: Pistachio gains a small upward boost at the start of a glide[/*]
• Gecko Grip: Allows Banana to stick to walls without sliding down[/*]
• Aerodynamic: Maintains horizontal momentum when using Cardinal\'s Double Jump or Banana\'s Ground Slam[/*]

[/*]

Added 4 new upgrade slots, allowing a total of 6 upgrades to be equipped[/*]

Added collectible gems in each World Map[/*]

Added interactable Hickory shops in each World Map

• Features unique dialogue for each location[/*]
• Allows opening the shop through dialogue options[/*]

[/*]

Added a new cutscene in the World 3 Map for beating 3-Bonus[/*]

Added new animations to the Fluppy and Grand Fluppy sprites in the World Map[/*]

Added per-level stats for custom levels in the Level Builder

• Shows which levels you have completed and your best time[/*]

[/*]

Added a new text-outline rendering method and upgraded all legacy text with crisp TextMeshPro elements[/*]

Complete visual overhaul of level 2-2, featuring new tiles and parallax backgrounds[/*]

Complete visual overhaul of the second section in 2-G and 2-C, featuring the new tiles from 2-2[/*]

Updated the rank and scoring system

• S+ rank difficulty is now more consistent across all levels[/*]
• Scoring is now better balanced between exploration and clear-time performance[/*]

[/*]

Updated sprites and animations for multiple enemies

• Leafly[/*]
• Bramble Bopper[/*]
• Flathead Bopper[/*]
• Spewshroom[/*]
• Big Beak[/*]
• Jester Shrimp[/*]

[/*]

Updated visuals across multiple menus and UI screens

• Totals menu[/*]
• Options menu[/*]
• Control Mapper[/*]
• Pets menu[/*]
• Pet Maker[/*]
• Time Trial results screen[/*]
• Pop-up modal[/*]
• My Levels (Level Builder)[/*]
• Theme selector menu (Level Builder)[/*]
• Tiles/objects menu (Level Builder)[/*]

[/*]

Updated the visuals in the final section in 3-G[/*]

Updated water tile graphics and animations[/*]

Updated the climbable vine tiles in Forever Fall Forest[/*]

Decreased the price of some upgrades

• Lightweight: 1000 750 gems[/*]
• Longer Slow Mo: 200 100 gems[/*]
• Stronger Fairies: 1200 1000 gems[/*]
• Double Gems: 1500 1250 gems[/*]

[/*]

The level camera now tracks the player more smoothly[/*]

Collecting a previously collected Challenge Coin now awards gems[/*]

The Rectangle Tool in the Level Builder now allows you to draw on ground tiles[/*]

The Pause Menu background in World 2 now uses the new World 2 graphics[/*]

Fixed bugs[/*]

[/list]

[ 2025-11-22 16:59:31 CET ] [Original Post]