Greetings surveyors! Here are a few extra improvements to share for Periphery Synthetic. These were found while storyboarding and collecting footage for an upcoming trailer that will reveal the two new worlds coming in the free Side D content expansion. I'm excited to share more about the expansion soon. Enjoy!

v3.2.11 changes

• Added a slider for collectable volume to the Audio Mixer screen.
• Added some screenreader tips to the manual.
• Fixed an issue with drawing stars at higher draw distances.

[ 2024-12-09 23:37:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I'm excited to share another batch of accessibility enhancements for Periphery Synthetic based on your feedback. Importantly, this release adds instructions for how to use each system, which reveal more information about them as you upgrade their subsystems. There are also some enhancements to the collectable and destination guide sounds to improve their audibility. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the number of enhancements I've made this past week to celebrate the EP's nominations for the Indie Game Awards and GAconf Awards. Your feedback makes this project better. Enjoy!

v3.2.10 changes

• Added instructions to the system screens that reveal as they are unlocked.
• Added modulation to the scan destination guide when facing the wrong way.
• Fixed an issue with material lock-on sound parameter calculations.
• Rearranged the manual so the controls come first.
• Reduced saturation of graphics when blurred behind a menu.

[ 2024-12-04 04:29:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Im excited to share another round of improvements for Periphery Synthetic. These focus on improving the accessibility of its navigational audio cues by increasing their clarity, especially for extremely vertical spaces. Importantly, the filtering of many sounds now reacts to the look angle when vertical look is enabled. Similarly, there are some specific improvements if you had trouble navigating certain enclosed spaces. A few extra changes from the upcoming expansion have found their way here too. Enjoy!

v3.2.9 changes

• Core Gameplay
  • Increased effects of wheels axes upgrades.
• Core Audio
  • Improved clarity of scan destination guide sounds.
  • Applied filtering to collectable sounds based on vertical look.
  • Filtered out collectable sounds when idle.
• Alpha Periphery B
  • Prevented artifacts from spawning under solid ground.
• Alpha Periphery C
  • Added silent sweet spots for underground collision detection sounds.

[ 2024-12-01 23:55:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! Im excited to share another vertical slice of improvements for Periphery Synthetic. The main objective for this release was to improve its hearing accessibility. It adds new sliders to the audio mixer for changing the stereo width and loudness of each ear. It also makes several enhancements to the audio mix to clarify important navigational sounds. These improvements are paired with a variety of smaller changes made during the development of the first free content expansion. Enjoy!

v3.2.8 changes

• Core Gameplay
  • Allowed New Seed Plus to be resumed from Prototype seeds.
• Core Interface
  • Added stereo width slider to the Audio Mixer.
  • Added left and right volume boost sliders to the Audio Mixer.
  • Removed the toggle for stereo or mono output from the Audio Mixer.
  • Removed unnecessary focus memory on the New Seed screen.
• Core Audio
  • Improved clarity of collectable sounds.
  • Improved clarity of navigational cues.
• Core Graphics
  • Animated portal effects while time is paused.
  • Improved wrapping of particle effects on Alpha Periphery B.
  • Fixed graphical pop-in of collectables at lower draw distances.
  • Improved sun glow on Alpha Periphery B and C.

[ 2024-11-28 04:30:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I'm excited to announce that Periphery Synthetic has been nominated for the Notable Achievement in Accessibility category at the first-ever Indie Game Awards. It joins five other independent titles which pushed accessibility forward in 2024 by prioritizing inclusive design. The inaugural event will be livestreamed by IGN on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 6 PM CST. I'm looking forward to the final resultsand learning who takes home their prestigious Game of the Year award.
While I'm proud of my personal accomplishments with Periphery Synthetic, the EP would not have been nominated without the help of the larger community. From all of your feedback and the continuous improvements made throughout its development, to its inclusion at this year's Access-Ability Showcase and GAconf USA, it has surpassed all of my original expectations. As you might suspect, I don't care for the constant hustle of networking and marketing on social media, so it's deeply humbling when the project finds itself in places beyond my limited reach. Thank yousincerelyfor your contributions that led it to this nomination. By the time the event airs, I will be finalizing a special trailer that I'm preparing for the GAconf Awards in January 2025. The trailer will reintroduce the EP to the award show audience, ending with a significant reveal of the two new worlds releasing with the upcoming Side D expansion. I'm excited to surprise you with the secret fifth world soon! Cheers!

[ 2024-11-20 01:17:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! As I work on the first free content expansion, Im continuing to make improvements to the core experience based on your feedback. Im excited to share a vertical slice of those with you today, including: a new dark mode interface, a toggle for stereo or mono audio, and many improvements to the How to Play screen. Thanks for playing!

• Core Gameplay
  • Spawned caches at exhausted artifact locations in New Game Plus.
  • Fixed an issue with the destination name generator.
  • Fixed an issue with the trinket name generator.
• Core Interface
  • Added a toggle for a dark mode interface.
  • Added a toggle for stereo or mono output to the Audio screen.
  • Added a focus outline to the manual on the How to Play screen.
  • Added a button to open the manual in a new window.
  • Improved how focus is managed on the How to Play screen.
  • Increased speed of scrolling with the gamepad.
• Core Audio
  • Improved spatialization of portals when charging up.
• Core Video
  • Increased particle densities on Alpha Periphery B and C2.

[ 2024-11-10 21:57:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I was delighted to be invited to speak virtually at GAconf USA on Ocober 28, 2024. The conference was filled with a diversity of perspectives covering topics such as inclusive design, assistive technologies, and behind-the-scenes looks at accessibility in games. It was an incredibly informative experience which reminded me that people are awesomeand we have so much to learn from each other. I'm deeply grateful for the organizers who produced this must-see event. You may find more talks from the conference in the GAconf USA 2024 playlist. Im excited to share more details about the upcoming free content expansion with you soon. There is a lot more to it than Ive revealed. Enjoy! [previewyoutube=6G1qtnBUm-E;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-10-30 04:32:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! Recently I started working exclusively on the new planet and mechanics coming in the first free content expansion. This release merges a number of general improvements from my secret development branch into the public builds. I'm excited to share a larger progress update about how the expansion changes the entire game with you soon. In the meantime, thanks for playing. Enjoy!

v3.2.6 changes

• Added a Danger Zone screen that's accessible from the Settings screen.
• Added dangerous buttons to reset progress in the Danger Zone.
• Fixed demo save not being continued in full version.
• Fixed the criteria for the Archeologist and Elementalist milestones.
• Improved when screens forget their last focused element.
• Improved the title of the New Seed screen.
• Revised order and quantity of cache rewards on Alpha Periphery C.

[ 2024-09-21 02:09:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! This release wraps up loose ends and the feedback that I received from you in the first week since release. I'm excited to read what folks think about the EP from Steam's Space Exploration Fest next week. Thanks again for your feedback and support. Enjoy!

v3.2.5 changes

• Required core reactors to be upgraded for other upgrades to appear.
• Fixed edge cases of system and subsystem upgrade availability.
• Ensured numpad enter key clicks all interface elements.
• Expanded numpad control mappings (see manual for details).
• Decreased falloff of scan guide volume when close to its target.

[ 2024-08-30 02:43:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! This release brings a vertical slice of new features, enhancements, and fixes based on your feedback from the first week since release. It includes three new milestones to gauge your progress, auto-targeting for the scanner, a new visual status bar, and a lot more! Following this larger update, I will be taking a short break from the project to recharge for its next phase of expansion development. Thanks again for your feedback and support as I work through your feedback and make performance optimizations. In the meantime, I'd love if you could write an honest review just in time for Steam's Space Exploration Fest, beginning on September 2. Enjoy!

v3.2.4 changes

• Core Gameplay
  • Added milestones for collecting artifacts.
  • Reinstated scanner auto-targeting with some improvements.
  • Decreased deceleration while drifting with wheels repulsors.
  • Increased effects of thruster gimbals at lower levels.
  • Increased minimum range of attractors casters.
• Core Audio
  • Increased clarity of multiple sounds.
• Core Graphics
  • Required collectables to be scanned to be drawn at full distance.
  • Animated in faraway collectables when scanned.
  • Increased default draw distance for Steam Deck to maximum.
• Core Interface
  • Added toggle on Graphics screen for displaying status at bottom of screen.
  • Switched toast notifications to a monospaced font.
  • Moved world seed to bottom of the Status screen.
  • Fixed focus order on Graphics screen when graphics are off.
  • Fixed exiting pointer lock interfering with pausing with escape key.
  • Fixed a potential hard lock on the Destinations screen.
• Alpha Periphery B
  • Added more ways to perceive a certain object.
  • Revised some perceptions text.
• Alpha Periphery C2
  • Added more ways to perceive certain terrain features.
  • Reduced particle limit.

[ 2024-08-29 02:20:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! This release addresses some feedback that was collected over the weekend from folks across various channels. Thanks again for sharing your experiences with the EP and how it can be improved. With this hotfix, it's beginning to seem that I can take a step back, and focus on larger updates along the way to the first expansion. Enjoy!

v3.2.3 changes

- Increased overall size and visibility of collectables on screen. - Split audio mixer and performance settings into separate screens. - Defaulted audio performance to lowest settings on Steam Deck. - Allowed material costs on subsystem screens to be clickable. - Improved compatibility with unsupported browsers.

[ 2024-08-25 23:42:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! This build fixes the ability to earn Steam achievements. You will earn your previously-earned achievements upon starting the EP, and all future achievements moving forward. Thanks for understanding, enjoy!

[ 2024-08-24 01:06:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! This release addresses the most commonly-reported issues on release day. If you are experiencing issues with audio performance, please try toggling off Ultra Quality and Reverb from the Audio settings screen. Thanks for your support and understanding.

v3.2.1 changes

• Fixed an issue with starting a New Game Plus.
• Added toggle for Ultra Quality to Audio settings (defaults to enabled).
• Tweaked various sound voice limits based on the Ultra Quality setting.
• Fixed panning of collectables in scan results.
• Fixed collectables not receiving targeting on scan.

[ 2024-08-23 00:38:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I'm excited to announce the immediate release of Periphery Synthetic for Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck. Explore a planetary system, synthesize new abilities, and uncover its past in this interactive EP that draws inspiration from your favorite metroidvania, walking simulator, and interactive fiction. This release follows two years of early access updates which saw it grow from driving a buggy in a desert to a full system of planets where you can surf waves, explore caves, climb mountains, and even visit space. I'm deeply proud of this accomplishment, and I'm excited for where this project goes next.

Expansion reveals

My biggest goal with Periphery Synthetic was to create an experience that can be easily expanded with new worlds and abilities that further diversify its nonlinearity. This model was tested twice during its early access period with the incremental release of its worlds. These have always arrived as free content expansions for existing players, and coincided with a base price increase of $1 USD per expansion for the EP. Today I have two of these free content expansions to reveal for you. Both expansions will introduce challenging new worlds which feature dynamic vertical environments to explore. They also include a new xenotechnology to collect, and new abilities to unlock that change how you play. These will also be released for free with a base price increase.

Side D reveal

Here is an exclusive first look at the Side D release:
Alpha Periphery D2 is a small terrestrial world covered in an ethereal moss. Throughout its day the moss undergoes colorful seasonal changes, morphing between two distinct planetary surfaces. Importantly, it features aerial materials to collect, with an overhauled aerodynamics upgrade system which allows for finer control while falling. The update intends to also reexamine the material economy.

Side E reveal

Next is an exclusive first look at the Side E release:
Alpha Periphery D3 is a large airless world lit only by an ocean of molten lava. The magma rises and falls in an oscillating manner to reveal materials on its extremely vertical terrain. As this expansion is much earlier in production, I'm still determining the best upgrades to include here. The ability to manipulate the flow of time is a major possibility, as it would be very useful on all but one of the worlds.

Information forthcoming

Beware that these are not merely pieces of concept art! The worlds are connected by portals, mostly sculpted, and fully explorable. However, they need their music, environmental sound effects, new abilities, unique points of interest, perception and milestone triggers, trinkets, and narrative text. Both will be extremely large endeavors to finish from here. Soon I'll also be thinking more deeply about when development on the EP should come to a close. Since the beginning, I've planned for there being six explorable worlds. Ideally, a hypothetical sixth world would combine elements from all worlds into one, such as an Earth-like world that has an equal amount of land and underwater areas to explore. Ultimately, getting there will depend on the success of the EP, and whether I have the stamina to reach it. It may end up needing to be its own spinoff project. I'm looking forward to sharing more details about these expansions soon. In the meantime, I will continue to support the EP with new features and bugfixes while the expansions are in development. Thanks for playing!

[ 2024-08-22 17:00:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! Im excited to announce that Periphery Synthetic will be released for Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck on August 22, 2024. The EP offers a chill and non-violent metroidvania experience across procedurally-generated musical playgrounds, which feature purely synthesized music and sounds that evolve and react to your input in real-time. Closer to release, I'll be revealing the first look at the EP's first expansion. It has been under active development for a few weeks now. The expansion will be a free content update for all players, which includes an all-new world to explore with a variety of new features. While developing the expansion, I will continue to support the EP with smaller updates. I'm excited to reveal more soon. Thanks for playing!

[ 2024-06-25 02:42:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! The demo for Periphery Synthetic has been updated to v3.2.0. It includes a final round of new features, enhancements, and fixes to prepare the EP for its full release this summer. Here is a summary of the 50+ changes which improve the demo:

• Unlockable milestones. Earn lifetime achievements for exploring, experimenting, and completing objectives across the Alpha Periphery system.
• Collectable trinkets. Find lesser artifacts throughout the worlds which set the stage and progress alongside the story.
• Audio enhancements. Use new audio cues to locate unexplored destinations and explore them in three dimensions. The mix has been boosted significantly to bring out the finer details.
• World rescale. The worlds have been expanded with more space between destinations. Materials have been more evenly distributed based on their rarities.
• So much more. Play the instrument while in-game. Earn more materials from caches. Enjoy improved loading times and new scanning visuals.

This update was prepared for Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2024. Please tune in to the livestream on Friday, June 7, at 10:00 AM CDT to celebrate accessibility in games. I'm excited to share the rest of it with you soon. Enjoy!

[ 2024-06-04 01:45:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! The demo for Periphery Synthetic has been updated to v3.1.0. It received a plethora of new features, enhancements, and fixes. Here is a summary of the changes:

• Material screen. Click on individual materials from the Materials screen to learn more about them. This screen relocates their discovered locations from the Perceptions screen to a table here. It also includes previously-hidden information about the materials, such as their atomic symbol and weight.
• Graphical improvements. The planetary bodies of Alpha Periphery are now visible from each others skies. Their skies have also been reworked to behave more spherically. While subtle, the improvement is most noticeable when looking straight up or down.
• Audio improvements. The collectibles are easier to hear and attenuated when they cannot be collected. This release also fixes some bugs reported by folks since the last update.
• Accessibility improvements. Some of the access hotkeys that were available to keyboard users are now available on gamepad by holding Y and pressing a directional button. Overall the interface received a variety of smaller enhancements.
• Manual revisions. Every section of the manual was revised. The revisions focused on using plainer language, expanding on missing details, and improving the accessibility of its markup.

I'm excited to share the release date with you soon. Enjoy!

[ 2024-04-05 05:36:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! The demo for Periphery Synthetic has been updated to v3.0.0. Unlock the ability to double-jump and drive sideways! The desert planet has also received a number of enhancements. This coincides with a huge content update now available in early access. The EP is now entering its final stages of development before general release in Spring 2024. Here is the latest trailer: [previewyoutube=4-U_RKGXe7E;full][/previewyoutube] Enjoy!

[ 2023-12-16 19:32:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I am shiftBacktick, the developer of Periphery Synthetic. I use web technologies to create accessible and interactive audio experiences. Please join me for a special livestream where you may ask me anything. During the stream, I will play the game more casually while interacting with you in the chat. Enjoy!

[ 2023-06-20 18:00:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! Please join me for a special livestream where I will attempt to complete the first world as fast as possible. Depending on our progress during the stream, we may experience content from the full game as well. Although the game is intended to be a relaxing experience, it has the potential for both Any% and 100% speed runs. By visiting each world, our Any% run is complete. Then by completing all secondary objectives, our 100% run is complete. Enjoy!

[ 2023-06-17 16:23:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings surveyors! I'm excited to release the demo of Periphery Synthetic for Windows and Steam Deck. Periphery Synthetic offers a chill metroidvania experience across otherworldly musical playgrounds. It could also be described as a generative music album, walking simulator, or visual novel. In the demo, you may freely explore its first world with zero limitations. When the game is released, you may take your progress to explore its siblings. After release, their planetary family will grow with free content expansions. [previewyoutube=k_0dpr6fKbs;full][/previewyoutube] Shown in the trailer are the worlds launching in the full release:

• Alpha Periphery B: A desert planet with shifting sands and hidden structures.
• Alpha Periphery C: A water world with waves to surf and caves to explore.
• Alpha Periphery C2: An icy moon with steep cliffs and mountains to scale.
• Future worlds will be announced after release.

Each world introduces a new set of upgradable abilities which change the way you play. For example, in the demo you may unlock and upgrade the wheels system for a speed boost and drifting ability. There are discussion threads for providing feedback and reporting bugs. Enjoy!

[ 2023-06-09 19:53:19 CET ] [ Original post ]