The AdventureX celebration continues!

Curious about the development progress? Most of the work is finished, and the two big tasks still underway are voice over and animation, both over 85% done. After that, the main thing left is finding and fixing any bugs that show up during full integration testing.

\nA note on streams: We will be streaming our game live throughout the event. This requires us to schedule several specific event slots, so please excuse the extra notifications in your feed. We appreciate your support!

We\'re thrilled to announce that our supernatural mystery adventure now has a brand-new, fully voiced demo available during Steam Next Fest (October 13-20)!

What\'s New

Our entire cast of characters is brought to \"life\" by professional voice actors, adding a new layer of personality and emotion to every conversation.

We\'ve polished many details and improved performance, especially for laptops and portable devices, because unraveling supernatural mysteries shouldn\'t drain your battery.

First time here?

Shadows of the Afterland is a supernatural comedy adventure about identity, courage, and destiny. You can\'t remember your death; you haven\'t even been born yet. Switch between worlds, possess the living, and confront sinister forces to discover if you\'re merely a pawn of fate, or if you can change your own future.

Try the demo now and let us know what you think! Your feedback helps us make the full game even better.

And if you haven\'t already, add Shadows of the Afterland to your wishlist: it helps us more than you know.

See you in Afterlife Arcadia,

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506100/Shadows_of_the_Afterland/\"][/dynamiclink]

Silvia and Rubn

P.S. We\'ve just started working on a German localization. Stay tuned for more news!

Hey there, adventurer!

It's Rubn from Aruma Studios, and I'm excited to share some fantastic progress on both our demo and the full game development!

Demo Update: Smoother Than Ever

We just dropped a fresh demo update that's going to make your gaming experience so much better. The biggest change might fly under the radar: we've completely rebuilt our engine from the ground up. The result? Lightning-fast performance that uses half the CPU and 30% less RAM (as tested on my development machine).

There is a very good reason behind this rewrite. We're preparing to bring the game to new platforms beyond PC, and the old engine architecture was getting in the way. However, if you're gaming on your Steam Deck or laptop, you'll love the extended battery life this brings.

But we didn't want it to be just about performance. Here are a few more exciting improvements packed into this update:

• Hold down the left mouse button and glide through longer screens effortlessly. You can even combine it with double-click to run.

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• The Atrium of Amnesty puzzle has been fine-tuned so you solve it through clever thinking, not happy accidents.

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• For multi-screen players, there's now an optional cursor lock setting (off by default) to keep your mouse right where you want it.

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• Conversation navigation just got an upgrade with much better focus highlighting. It's perfect for those who navigate dialogue with the keyboard, even if they use the mouse for everything else.

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• Our particle system got a boost! Check out the intro zoo scene, now featuring water droplets on many more surfaces.

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We've put this new engine through its paces with extensive testing, but we'd love for you to take it for a spin. If you spot anything unusual, just give us a shout in the community hub.

Full Game Development: Racing Toward the Finish Line!

I think it's about time we told you what's happening behind the scenes.

Art: Emilio, our incredibly talented lead artist, has wrapped up designs for every background, character, and inventory item. He's now deep into animation work, and we're already 40% done with all animations.

Music: Juan, our composer, is back in the studio creating the soundtrack that will accompany you through every new location.

Voice Acting: We've secured funding for full voice-over work! I'm holding off on updating the Steam page until we can include voiced dialogue in the demo, just to avoid any confusion, but this is going to elevate the experience in a big way.

Localization: Silvia is working her magic on the Spanish translation, and it's already 70% complete.

Other areas: Our script, puzzle design, programming, and Steam achievements are all locked in. We recently ran a playtest of the entire game, made some final tweaks, and are now calling it done!

The Home Stretch

In summary, here's what's left to bring this adventure to life:

• Complete the remaining animations.

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• Finish the musical score.

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• Wrap up localization.

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• Record and implement voice-over.

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• Professional QA.

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We've got five months to hit our 2025 release target. The voice-over funding took a bit longer than we anticipated, but we're still confident we can make it happen. The timeline is tight, especially with all the audio production work that follows VO recording, but the team is more motivated than ever.

Thanks for being part of this incredible journey with us. We can't wait to share the finished adventure with you all!

If you haven't already, consider adding Shadows of the Afterland to your wishlist. You will receive a notification when the game is released and we will get extra visibility from the mighty algorithm. Win-win!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506100/Shadows_of_the_Afterland/

Hey everyone! We've just pushed a massive update to our demo, and we're dying to share what's new!

The demo has received substantial quality-of-life improvements and new content. Players will discover two new characters, fresh animations, and additional dialogue throughout their journey. Gameplay fluidity has been enhanced with responsive inventory interactions and smoother scene transitions.


Navigation is more intuitive than ever, featuring smart map features and new location notifications. We've also significantly optimized performance for better battery life across all devices. And because we want everyone to enjoy their time in the afterlife, we've added enhanced font rendering, better keyboard and gamepad support, and clearer visual feedback when changing font sizes.


Haven't tried our demo yet? There's never been a better time to cross over! And for those who've already visited - come back and see what's new. Death has never been this welcoming!

[h1]What to expect in the full game
[/h1]

• A supernatural murder mystery exploring identity and destiny through past lives and the afterlife.
• Take command of 11 playable playable characters using unique possession mechanics.
• Discover the intriguing tales of eccentric spirits through meaningful conversations.
• Solve clever puzzles woven into the story using magic, possession, and tactical realm-switching.
• Immerse yourself in meticulously crafted pixel art scenes and animations.
• Experience an original soundtrack that enhances the haunting atmosphere of the game.
• The classic point-and-click experience with a modern one-click user interface.
  

Join us for an exclusive journey into the enchanting world of Shadows of the Afterland! Although today's showcase is pre-recorded, we're thrilled to offer you an in-depth exploration of the game's development process and its captivating features. I'm Rubn, one of the minds behind this mystical adventure, and I can't wait to guide you through the intricacies of our creation.

From the mesmerizing visuals to the immersive gameplay mechanics, we'll delve into every aspect that brings Shadows of the Afterland to life. Join us as we navigate through the game, highlighting its unique functionalities such as hotspot highlighting, inventory management, and the intriguing dynamics with characters like Emilia Velasco and the enigmatic agents. Along the way, we'll offer tantalizing glimpses into the rich lore and evolving narrative that define this fantastical realm. While we won't spoil the thrill of solving puzzles firsthand, we promise an unforgettable sneak peek into the mysteries awaiting you in Afterlife Arcadia.

We are very excited to share that the Shadows of the Afterland demo is available on STEAM.

At the same time, Shadows of the Afterland is participating in the WINGS 2024 Women's Day Steam Sale.


About Shadows of the Afterland:
Shadows of the Afterland is a supernatural adventure sprinkled with humor, taking players on a captivating journey through the worlds of the living and the great beyond. Set in 1960s Madrid, Shadows of the Afterland challenges players to unravel the mystery of a soul bearing the memories of Carolina, a woman who perplexingly has yet to be born. Embark on the first chapter of this unforgettable saga, stepping into the shoes of Carolina as you explore the enigmatic realms of the afterlife. Wield magic, shift between dimensions, and possess the living to solve puzzles woven into a compelling narrative.