Happy New Year!

Welcome to our first Hermit and Pig devlog of 2026, and one of our last before launch. It has been a minute since you\'ve heard from us, but we\'re finally emerging from the deep dark development journey known as the final stretch, and things are looking very good if we do say so ourselves.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/62aed3431d34ebb19c40fe0dc8e3c8ff95d4ab03.png\"][/img]Over the last month we\'ve had an elite group of volunteers from our community doing alpha testing, and they\'re real crackerjack testers who have helped us a ton! While they\'re testing we\'ve focused onfixing bugs, finalizing sound and music, and adding in a bunch of small details to really make Hermit and Pig feel complete. For a while we were feeling stuck on how exactly we wanted to bring the Hermit and Pig story to a close, but after many edits and iterations we sorted out the final ending and we are excited for you to see how the whole story goes. Over the next few weeks it\'s all about continued testing, polishing, and putting the final touches on this dang game. It has taken years plural, but we can finally say the finish line is in sight!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/068d05abb31d0b22e7c71790d5d9885df93abc7d.png\"][/img]And speaking of finish lines, we\'re making a slight edit and moving ours to February 5th. We hope you don\'t shed too many tears over this one, but the extra two weeks is all we need to make sure we can release this mushroom-covered beast exactly how we want to (and really figure out how to launch a game, that\'s a whole workload in itself).[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/0ef190d78e85e875d355608b536c7b0c6a492f8c.png\"][/img]Okie dokie, well thanks for reading, and thanks for sticking with us through this gamedev journey. We hope you\'re as excited as we are about Hermit and Pig!

May your new year be strong on animal friendships and tough on fascism.

Mason and Nathan

It\'s a Next Fest surprise! We just dropped an extended version of the Hermit and Pig demo on Steam for a limited time! Players will go beyond the prologue into the first full world of the game, venturing deeper into the plot of Hermit and Pig and experiencing Pig as a battle companion. We gave press and streamers early access to this secret edition last week, and now it\'s your turn! We\'re only sharing this demo version through the end of Next Fest (Oct 20) - so make sure to try it out while you can!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/ca4f611d96cc207e0acd94c392e9d0e2a0c09e2f.jpg\"][/img]

Howdy and happy October!

\nWow - we probably thought the gamedev journey couldn\'t get any busier, and then we entered this season.

On the top of the list is SteamNext Fest - save the date! We\'ve been prepping behind the scenes for a while now -polishing up the demo, reaching out to streamers, and planning a pretty cool surprise.Steam Next Fest runs October 13-20, and it\'s one of the best opportunities unreleased games have to get eyes on their game and get the Steam algorithm churning. TheBIGGEST thing you can do to help us is wishlist Hermit and Pigfrom now through October 13and ask your friends to do the same - it reallyyyy makes a difference!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/b9c4cdcd836672685b9451da3bf38a49041cd380.png\"][/img]On the dev side of things - it\'s kind of hard to believe how quickly everything is coming together for Hermit and Pig now! We are on track to have this puppy (or piglet) feature complete by the end of the month. Then we\'ll begin an intensive playtesting period for the rest of the year. Since our last big update we sent out, we\'ve pretty muchfinished cutscenes. This is a huge milestone for us - there are 125+ of these throughout the game! We\'ve also got ALL of the game\'s rooms set up, and now we\'re working on getting them dressed up with scenery objects - all the trees, grass, urban items, etc. that make a game feel like a home.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/3ab37c1d80cea21df5cda4ca6ba2cef13da1c16d.png\"][/img]And finally, we will end the month at Dreamhack Atlanta - please let us know if you\'ll be there, we\'d love to see you and we\'ll plan to have some cool giveaways and Halloween candy at our booth.

Thanks as alwaysfor reading and being here!

Nathan and Mason

Hello Steam friends!

Wanted to give you a heads up that Hermit and Pig will be in the Six One Indie Showcase this Thursday,September 18. Were revealing a Hermit and Pigtrailer with all new, exclusive content - and a PRETTY BIGannouncement - no spoilers!

Pre-show starts 11:50am EDT, showcase is 12pm EDT - The main event page is here and you can watch via the Six One Indie YouTube and Twitch channels, IGN, or GameSpot. After the showcase the Steam event goes live and runs thru Sep 22. Make sure you check out the indie games on sale there.

Alsooo -we are excited to return to Dreamhack Atlanta this year Oct 31 - Nov 2. If you or anyone you know wants to go, you can use the code HERMIT for 15% off ticket badges (we dont get anything for this, were just spreading the news). Wed love to see anyone there. They\'ve got some extra fun things happening with the Halloween overlap this year.

On the dev side of things - we wrapped up THE GAUNTLET battle testing arenalast week - we hadgreat feedback and expert bugtesters. We really appreciate everyone\'s engagement, it helps us so much. While that was going on we werebusy cranking out ALL of the remaining cutscenes for the game. Yep! Huge progress being made over here.

We hope you can tune into the Six One indie Showcase this week for our big announcement!

Thanks as always for your support of our scrappy indie game.

ciao,

Nathan and Mason

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/21229af8ea3ab44f71e734dc182b1a55caf9f81d.png\"][/img]

Hiya!

\nWe\'ve been focusing intensely on battles. So much so that we\'re ready for you to playtest (if you want!) what we\'re calling THE GUANTLET. This is primarily a testing environment for us, but for you its a roguelike-ish, arcade-y, self-contained game that focuses on battles.\n\nTHE GAUNTLET will run August 22-September 5. To participate you\'ll just need to use this form to sign up , and then we\'ll email you a game link on the 22nd. \n\nYou can play through THE GAUNTLET as many times as youd like between August 22 - September 5. All participants will receive a credit in the game, a digital playtester badge (THE GAUNTLET edition), and have the chance to win PRIZES! Prizes include:

• $50 Steam gift card to the overall highest score*

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• $25 Steam gift card to 2nd and 3rd overall highest scores*

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• Hermit and Pig-style sprite of your choosing for achieving other in-game challenges well reveal on Friday

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(*Steam gift cards will be purchased in USD and automatically convert to your local currency upon redemption if you live in another country).\n\nSo what will actually happen in THE GAUNTLET? Youll progress through randomized rooms, fighting three battles in each one, and then visit a hub where you canget an upgrade and some other goodies. You\'ll progress like this through different rooms until you reach the very end (and hopefully want to run it again and again). Here\'s a quick look at one of these hubs (which alsogives you a sneak peak at how we\'re using truffles as currency in the game!):

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/3470fec979e7be61ac170a62315d7f4094d3e41d.gif\"][/img]\nYoull get to experience about 90-95% of everything that Hermit and Pig has to offer battle-wise, including a wide range of enemies, items and trinkets, upgrades, and our brand new special mini-games.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/44231004/ba1ef67375735c197156023f5907cdfd5f50c1d5.gif\"][/img]

Hope to see you in THE GAUNTLET!

Nathan and Mason

Greetings!

Well, we always knew this day would come. Hermit and Pig are actually gonna have to leave their woodland comfort zone if they want to find the Jumbo Fungo and help the townspeople. EXCITING! And we're finally ready to give you a sneak peak of what lies beyond the forest boundary. THRILLING!

Mason has been grinding for a while now - first mapping out the rest of the game's areas, and then creating art for all these new places - and we wanted to show you a couple of them here. We dont want to spoil any plot points, so well let the gifs do the heavy lifting this update. But you can be sure they're filled to the brim with new enemies and awkward conversations to survive.


This first scene is along the docks in the wetlands area. No trees to be found. FINALLY!


And here's a shot from the bustling town area - notice Pig is sans Hermit, what could that mean??? INTRIGUING!


Finally, a look at what's brewing inside the witch's home. Didn't know there'd be a witch, did you? SPOOKY!


Thanks for reading, helping us out, and caring about this game. We appreciate you.

SERIOUSLY,
Nathan and Mason

Were implementing our ACTUAL leveling system in the game, which will include a new type of item: trinkets!


These are mystical, mysterious, lucky objects that our heroes can equip to modify their abilities. As you level up youll be able to equip stronger trinkets. Ya know, like Paper Mario or Hollow Knight. Here are a couple of trinkets youll get to use:


Were excited to see your H&P trinket builds! What trinket/effect would you like to see in the game?

P.S. These bad boys will be featured in the new demo update that were announcing soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

P.P.S. Keep your eyes peeled is gross. Sorry we said that.

Weve been working hard on an art overhaul so we can make this the best danged game we can. Heres a little preview:


This fancy upgrade includes updated environments, animated battle backgrounds, cleaned up enemy and character sprites, etc. etc.


Well have some exciting new mechanic updates to show off soon - especially exciting for folks who like the RP in RPG.


We know we've been absent for a while from these Steam updates. We've really had to prioritize just a hard game dev grind while taking care of our day jobs and the rest of our lives as well. Thanks for your understanding!

Nathan and Mason

It's official - as of 12pm EST the Hermit and Pig demo is now available to download on Steam! We've never crunched so hard or pulled so many all-nighters in our 30s, but it's all worth it to share this news!

The demo has new features and updates since the betas, so even if you've tried it once there are still new things in store. We hope you'll play it, and we especially hope you'll love it! And if you do, please let a friend know - it's the greatest way to help support us.

All the best,
Mason and Nathan

Howdy!

With this update, we thought it might be cool to take a look at another region of Hermit and Pigs forest.We wanted to make the area feel overgrown and forgotten, so we stuck to deep greens and textured it with moss, algae, and a lot of vines to walk through.


This section of the map gives a peek into some of the magical realism that will pop up occasionally throughout the game via some unexplainable creatures (and people). Also a grumpy cat.


The Hermit and Pig closed beta demo is happening now! It has been a lot of fun seeing people play for the first time, and we appreciate the extra help finding bugs! Players are also competing for some sweet prizes. If you missed the beta demo this time around, no worries - we'll have plenty of opportunities in the future. Make sure you're signed up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Thats it for now! Hope those of you north of the equator are enjoying the fall weather.
Nathan and Mason

Howdy folks!

Next month Hermit and Pig will be featured in the EGX Leftfield Collection in London. This will be the first time anyone sees a build of our demo (who isnt our families or friends). If you happen to be around please come and give an anxiety-inducing hello!


More importantly, this means a demo beta is around the corner, so save the date! Important details below:

• When is it? The beta will open Friday, Nov. 17 at noon EST and youll have access until Monday, Nov. 20 at 10pm EST. Were estimating youll need about an hour to do the full play through. If you cant make it this time, well have other opportunities in the future.
  

• How do I access it? This is a closed beta, so you have to be signed up to our studio listserv to participate. If you sign up, then we'll email you a temporary Steam key November 17. Well also share a link to a feedback and bug reporting form, and access to a Discord if youre on the more social side of life. There may even be prizes involved.
  

Howdy!

The past month has been a busy one as weve continued to push to get this demo done. One of the biggest updates was to give the player the option to a) use a controller on computers and b) to customize their controls.


Were hoping this will give players a more accessible and pleasant experience. And while the technical details of the process are pretty boring, the implications are important. Our battle system is based on directional key combos that roughly correspond to the physical attack (i.e., the Stomp attack suggests a rise and fall motion, while the Punch mimics a real life punch combo, jab-jab-cross).


By default, keyboards use WASD for movement so we set those keys as the default for combos as well. HOWEVER. People want to do things the way they want to do them. And we appreciate that. So, if players are so inclined, they can get wild and assign Up to the B key, Down to the 5 key, Left to the /, and Right to the Q key. Just for fun.


If you end up playing like this you'll have to report back. Until then, well keep pushing this demo forward and get something for you to play as soon as we can! Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so that you can get access to our closed beta this year: https://www.heavylunch.studio/


Next month we're thinking about covering some mushrooms or NPCs - what do you want to hear about?

Hey folks,

Were working on getting our demo in shape for the beta release. Lately weve been focused on the battle system, so here are some new enemies:


A big part of our game is puzzling out which attack would be effective on each attacker. So were trying to pack TONS of enemies in to keep you on your toes.

How does one fend off a crazed squirrel? Kick? Cane? Slingshot? My uncle got attacked by a squirrel at a birthday party. All he had to defend himself with was a cake plate.


On the overworld, enemies are represented by these sprites:


This gives you a slim chance to avoid a fight, but unlike my uncle, youve gotta react quickly.

Well, back to work. We'll be sharing some big news about the beta SOON. In the meantime, sign up for our mailing list to be included in the beta https://heavylunch.studio/.

This is one of the most exciting projects either of us have worked on, and it means a lot to have you along for the ride. Stay cool.

Mason and Nathan
Heavy Lunch Studio

P.S. - Do you have any ideas for new enemy types? Let us know.

We're thrilled to announce our upcoming game to the world with our announce trailer at Glitch's Future of Play Direct event on June 10. The #FutureOfPlay Steam Event runs June 10-19, where you can watch a rerun of the event and see broadcasts and Steam pages for dozens of new and upcoming indie games.

After a lot of hard work to get our Steam page and trailer ready for the event, we're back to focusing on the demo, which we hope to release in 2023. The best way to stay informed on future beta/demo availability is by wishlisting/following our Steam page. You can also join our newsletter for future updates.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2408350/Hermit_and_Pig/