Hey farmers,

Another month has come and gone and weve been keeping up with the hard work of development. We are getting closer to our internal release date and hope to get Everafter Falls in your hands soon! Everafter Falls is now entering the content-lock phase so next month will be focusing on smashing bugs!

Here is the amazingly talented developer behind Everafter Falls, Ou to talk about what he has been working on!

[h2]Whats new[/h2]
[h3]Achievements[/h3]
Achievements have been finalized and completed and working across all stores and platforms. The full set can be seen below.


[h3]Cooking[/h3]
The Cooking system has been implemented and players can cook and show off their cooked dishes in the Bakery Cellar. Cooking requires some prep and timed mechanics. There is also a mini game where you must serve up as many dishes to hungry townsfolk!

[h3]Hershas Bakery ground floor[/h3]


[h3]Bakery Cellar[/h3]


[h3]Recipe Books[/h3]
There are a total of 5 recipe books which contain all the information you need to create all the dishes to be displayed in the bakery cellar.


[h3]Meal Service mini game in the Cafeteria[/h3]
This mini game will be very familiar to those who have played Overcooked. Race against the clock to serve as many dishes as you can and earn prizes for reaching set targets. The game is available to play twice per season after it is unlocked through a quest.


[h3]Pigeon Friend[/h3]
To befriend this little pigeon, a total of 13 items need to be given to it. It is very picky however and will change its mind every day! Once befriended, this little pigeon will tag along wherever you go and occasionally, pull up silkworms or caterpillars for you.


[h2]New Item additions[/h2]
[h3]Food and cooking related items[/h3]


[h3]Bonsai Tree Set[/h3]


[h3]Chef Posters[/h3]


[h3]Black Alpaca[/h3]


[h2]Looking ahead[/h2]
We are finally in the last phases preparing for release, a content-lock is in place and I am now solely focusing on finding and squashing any remaining bugs that are found. There are Alpha and Beta testers that have still stuck with me right from the beginning and the contributions they have made to get the game to where it is today cannot be understated.

The progress on the console ports is advancing smoothly, with Akupara Games diligently working on the porting, submission, and approval of builds for all three consoles. Collaborating with Akupara has been such a blessing. Seeing the work involved in porting and securing approval for the games release on each console and knowing I dont need to deal with any of it, is such a huge burden taken off me.

[h2]Some funny bugs that have cropped up during testing.[/h2]
[h3]The Achievement UI may be just a little oversized[/h3]


[h3]When giant crabs attack (AHHHH!)[/h3]


[h3]A little help please?[/h3]


[h3]Pigeon Friend imposter.[/h3]


[h3]I didnt know we could build this here?[/h3]


- Riv Otter

Hey Farmers,

It has been a busy few weeks. Snow has started melting around here with spring around the corner. I heard that you may have had to set your clocks forward on Sunday for Daylight Savings. That seems like a strange thing to have, weve never had to set our clocks forwards in Everafter Falls. Once the clock is set we just leave it.

I had so much fun talking with Ou, the developer of Everafter Falls at SquareHusky about what he has been working on in the new year.

[h2]Latest News Announcements[/h2]

[h3]Physical editions[/h3]
Some exciting news - Akupara Games have secured plans for the release of physical copies in Asian markets, and I believe there are also plans for a limited run for physical release for western markets too.

[h3]Xbox and Playstation [/h3]
In addition to the Switch and PC releases, Akupara Games and I have decided to move forward with releasing the game for both Playstation and Xbox. Akuparas team have been working hard on the Switch port and have also started work on these additional consoles in order to ensure it is completed in a timely manner.

[h3]Release Date[/h3]
We have finally settled on the release date which will be later this year. The additional console versions have pushed back the release date another couple of months. We are planning a simultaneous launch across all platforms. I do apologize for yet again, to any backers disappointed by this further delay.

The additional time does allow me the time I need to work on some additional content for the game, namely, the Cooking System and Hershas Bakery. As mentioned previously, this was intended as a post patch update, but it will make it into release.

Everafter Falls will be launching this summer on all Steam platforms, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox and Playstation 4 and 5!

[h2]Whats new[/h2]
[h3]Alternative NPC schedules[/h3]


All NPCs now have alternative schedules every 5th day, which can be considered a weekend. No shops are closed though as they are all self-checkout anyhow, and I know nobody likes having to wait a whole day to access their favorite store. The alternative schedules also give a bit more insight into who the townsfolk like to hang out with and makes them a little more life-like.

[h3]Localization[/h3]


The localization team at AllCorrect have done an amazing job with translations so far and while were still working on ironing out all the bugs, it is really cool to see the game actually working in another language!

Localization was rather challenging for me, and much more difficult and time consuming than I imagined before this stage. Some advice I would give to those planning to localize their game, is to make sure to have a system in place that can pull in all the strings you need from a separate CSV (or similar format that can be edited in a spreadsheet). This needs to be done from the get-go, the earlier you can address this, the less work and issues you will encounter later on. It took a fair amount of time for me to sift through all the code and find out where Ive lazily hard-coded in strings, so doing it right from the start is highly recommended. Its also a really good learning experience for those new to game development because it is a fairly self-contained system with a straightforward goal of intermediate difficulty. If you can tackle this, youll feel like you can tackle anything!

[h3]Restocking Prize Cabinets[/h3]


The Prize Cabinet system where you can exchange Keys earned from spending gold now restock at the start of each year. They do so only if they are empty, and for each time they get restocked, the number of Keys required to unlock them increases by one. There are a couple of new items created just for these cabinets which you cannot craft or find elsewhere in game, so keep a lookout for those!

[h3]Your Pigeon Friend and the Replica Treehouse[/h3]



At some point in the game, youll be able to recruit a pigeon friend who will follow you around and occasionally dig up worms (and caterpillars). For those who want a break from the myriad of creatures following you, you can complete a Replica Treehouse project. Using this item, you can leave your Pixie and Pigeon friends here to hang about while you do more important things like going fishing.

[h2]Some cool things achieved in game by beta testers[/h2]
RecitedPlays first giant lotus!


EpicSilence has found the impossible-to-find Red Fishing Mod!


[h3]Modding Support[/h3]
In the latest versions, files that control values and content for various aspects of the game, which include things like item costs, crafting recipes, crop details, monster stats, equipment, quests and more - have been made easily editable in the games install directory. I hope to make the game easily accessible for modders, and plan on exposing even more values when I get some time.

This has also allowed me to more easily fine tune numbers to balance the game, a lot of progress has been made here with help and feedback from testers so another shoutout to them :)

[h3]Looking ahead[/h3]


A work-in-progress preview of the interior of Hershas bakery, which is being worked on and will be making it into release at launch. Her shop will also sell various appliances and recipe books you will need to stock your kitchen with in order to cook. The additional content will also include a couple of new quests, and a cutscene. These will be keeping me very busy while Akpupara work on the ports for all the consoles.

[h3]Some funny bugs that have cropped up during testing.[/h3]
Frog stretching its limbs


Chairs are for standing on too


Naked fruiting mulberry trees

Hey farmers,

Its a new year in Everafter Falls. Hope you had a great holiday on Earth. PET cant wait to see you again. I wanted to give you an update on what is going on in Everafter Falls before you come back. We hope to see you again soon.

I had so much fun talking with Ou, the developer of Everafter Falls at SquareHusky about what he has been working on over the new year.

[h2]Dev log[/h2]
[h3]What's New?[/h3]
Starting farm map choices

When starting a new game, you will be presented with a choice of one of three starting farm layouts to choose from. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, my favorite being the Mini farm which significantly cuts down on travel time across your farm, sacrificing real estate. Great for those who want to focus more on a combat-orientated playthrough. Check out one of our play testers (EpicSilence) Mini Farm.



Equipment Orb Slots

Equipable items now drop with a chance of having between 1-3 orb slots. These orbs are found by chance in dungeon chests and can adobe forged in the Giant Furnace at Brams. They offer various bonuses to stats. Once inserted into an item, they can only be removed by smelting (and thus destroying the item). Even Legendary items have a chance to gain orb slots!



Soot Puffs
Soot puffs are a unique type of critter that can be found in different sizes. Find and combine them all into 1 giant puff of soot at the museum. Youll earn prizes for hitting different milestone goals.


[h3]New Item additions[/h3]
The Artificial Sunflower is a redeemable prize for the first target collecting Soot Puffs (earn when your soot puff reaches 100 in size). It attracts a Bee every day. You can also coat it in Cherry Blossom Syrup to attract a rare Pink bee on the following day.

The Soot Grower can be obtained for a single Museum Credit (earned for completing any museum collection). It will grow a Soot Puff steadily every day. You can increase the rate at which it grows by binding a Pixie to the machine.

The Bomb is a new craftable item that can help you clear out rocks (or enemies) in the dungeons.


[h3]New farm produce[/h3]
Giant Pink Honeycombs can be created by loading up a beehive with 4 Pink Bees. As these are fairly difficult to come by, youll need to sacrifice some regular pink honey production to achieve this. Itll be all worth it when you concentrate the this giant honeycomb down to form Premium Pink Honey!

The new Neon Cow now produces Electric Milk, which is more more aptly suited to match its crazy colors. It is a shockingly refreshing drink.


Here is a big Bench


[h3]Looking ahead[/h3]
Hershas bakery. This building has been added to the game, and although it would have been nice to have this completed in time for release, the building will remain closed for repairs. In a post release update, this building will be open, along with a new recipes and cooking system.


Roadmap
The next few months up until released will be focused on bug fixing and polish so any new content/features will be limited. I do want to squeeze in a couple of items/decorations before a content lock is in place. From then on, Ill continue to listen to the play testing feedback and reports to make sure the game is as bug-free as possible. Thank you so much to those who have tested the game and provided valuable feedback and contributions with regards to copywriting, translations, feature suggestions and bug reporting - the game would not be where it is without you!

[h3]Some funny bugs that have cropped up during testing.[/h3]
Chicken Coop Island


Ponyas going for a swim


Sowing seeds indoors


Chest full of Giant rugs!

Hey farmers,

You may not remember me but Im Dog from Everafter Falls. The simulation is almost over. Soon, youll be back to the serene and peaceful existence right here in Everafter Falls. The marketing lead of Akupara Games from Earth, Buddy will give you a deeper look into the story of Everafter Falls and what you may expect once the simulation is over.

https://youtu.be/iHSRlMsYLOE

I talked with Ou, the developer of Everafter Falls about what they have been working on just to keep all of you in the loop on the biggest and best changes.

Dev Log December
[h2]Whats New?[/h2]
[h3]Revamped Museum Collection[/h3]
The Flora section of the museum has been completely revamped to include Tree Saps, Animal Produce, Flowers, and Processed Goods. A new collection book has been added which contains these new collections.


[h3]Rare animal designs[/h3]
Available as prizes or end game unlockables, your farm wouldnt be quite as awesome without these :)



[h3]New items and machines[/h3]
Below are some new craftable machines that can be unlocked end game to help you build your dream farm, and items that have made it into the game.




[h3]New Flowers[/h3]
Flowers are unlocked in the end game and flower farms become a possibility. Or grow a few to brighten up any location.


[h3]The Zorpian Tree[/h3]
A rare fruit tree obtainable only through a special visit from some alien friends.


[h3]The Sacred Tree Area[/h3]
This area is unlocked after completing the story where you can unlock some end game items and rare animal designs which are not available elsewhere. After bringing light back to the entire area, youll be able to decorate the place and make it your own little peaceful getaway!


[h3]Alien Friends Event[/h3]
Unlockable after completing Cedrics Rocket Quest, you have a 3 day window to trade with the aliens for some rare items. A habit of hoarding is of much use here.



An example of a hoarders inventory:


[h3]The Infinite Dungeon Challenge[/h3]
After completing the story, youll be able to work towards obtaining your very own simulation chair which will give you access to an infinite dungeon challenge. See how many levels you can reach, and win some exclusive items for hitting level milestones.


[h2]Looking ahead[/h2]
The Beta version will probably have been complete by the time you are reading this.

I am planning to finish some outstanding additions throughout the Beta that have already been planned such as item augmentation. Along with continuing to implement feedback throughout this important stage as I continue to roll out to more testers.

Implementing translations will also be a main focus in the near future, with Akupara Games helping a lot with that, in addition to the Switch port which is well underway. Ive also started on Steam Achievements, a preview of some of them can be seen below:


[h2]In the works[/h2]
Id love to be able to work on the Cooking System, getting recipes and a functional Kitchen in the game. It has been on the cards for a while now but I have not had the chance to start it. If this feature does not make it into the game in the initial release, it is definitely something I will be working on in an update.

- Riv Otter

Hey, farmers!

Im Joseph, the Community Manager at Akupara Games and I wanted to introduce our newest devlog series: The Everafter Falls Monthly Development Log. With Everafter Falls, coming closer every day, I want to pull pack the development veil to show off some of the coolest changes coming your way when the game launches Soon Every month until the launch of Everafter Falls, I will talk with Ou, the developer of Everafter Falls about what they have been working on just to keep all of you in the loop on the biggest and best changes.

[h2]Whats new?[/h2]
[h3]Pooklets[/h3]
As a way to add some variation and interesting points to the dungeons, youll encounter these little creatures along the way. Previously named Omobys, these Pooklets have made it into the game in the dungeons. They are randomly scattered throughout each level and upon clearing the room and rescuing them, you get a choice of 3 stat boosting potions.



[h3]Mini boss rooms[/h3]
While in the current alpha testing phase, Ou has found that players are spending a lot of time in the dungeons and there is a lot of room to improve that experience. These mini boss rooms offer up a challenge every now and drop better equipment than you would usually find from chests.

For those that really enjoy a challenge, a Hard Mode has been added, unlocked upon completion of the game. Conversely, if youd rather a more relaxed and leisurely experience, an Easy Mode is also available.


[h3]Pixie Friend[/h3]
Upon releasing a certain amount of pixies, you can have a little pixie friend follow you around. By meetings certain targets for releasing pixies, youll also be able to bestow blessings onto your pixie friend. These are permanent buffs such as increasing the number of mushrooms that grow, or increasing the number of items your farm animals produce. Up to 3 blessings can be earned, and you can stack the same ones!


[h3]Spooklet Debt Collector[/h3]
Previously, when losing all your HP in the dungeons, a Spooklet rescues you, taking 10% of your gold. After feedback from players, this system seemed to encourage players to spend and keep their gold total low before entering the dungeons.

To address this, spooklets will take a fixed amount of gold, depending on the level of the dungeons you are in. If you do not have enough gold, a Spooklet guard will block entry back into the dungeons until the debt is settled (plus 20% extra for the trouble).


[h3]The Job Board[/h3]
For some extra income, players can take on jobs from villagers to earn gold. It gives players some extra goals to achieve in between quests.


[h3]Giant Lotuses[/h3]
Farming giant lotuses is a rewarding and lucrative path, however getting them will be tricky. Lotus pods (the final stage of development of a lotus plant) can be thrown into water to create a new lotus plant of a random color. Not only do you need to create a 3x3 grid of lotus plants, they must all be the same color. Only then is there a chance for a giant lotus to form (currently at 3% per day).


[h3]Here is a big couch[/h3]
Thats it. Ou added a big couch. Its comfy.


[h3]Non gameplay developments[/h3]
The new reduced color palette option seems to be quite popular. Although intended as an accessibility setting for when color overload can cause eye fatigue, some prefer this toned down palette over the original.


The color picker for character customization has been introduced in addition to the default palette set available.


[h3]Funny Bugs[/h3]
Fruits available even out of season


Itll be a while before its ready


NPCs walking on water?


The deadly +2 attack legendary rare drop


Man the winds are strong over here.


That NPC above taught players how to walk on water too


A new quest is available


[h2]Looking ahead[/h2]
A lot of work has been put into reworking and balancing both the dungeon difficulty curve and the economy. While a lot of changes have been made (some quite drastically,) Ou feels this will be a point of focus going forward and will continue right up until release. I am finding this the most difficult part of development but something I am committed to getting right. I am extremely grateful to the dedicated group of players who are helping me to achieve this, Ou told me

[h3]In the works[/h3]
Finding time in between fixing all the bugs being discovered to work on new content is still a little tough right now. One such area being worked on is the Sacred Tree. It is unlocked after completing the core story and will be different from how you develop your farm. Tiles are inaccessible at first, apart from a small area around the tree. Planting the seeds you harvest from this tree will create flowers that unlock the tiles directly surrounding it.

Youll be able to slowly grow the area and fill it with a wide assortment of flowers (which you can take back to grow on your farm). At the extremities of this area lay access to some unique rewards, so your choice in which direction to expand towards matters.


[h3]Snippet of future feature[/h3]
The Ability to enhance Equipment is in the planning stages, which would be really helpful if you want to make it far in the infinite dungeon challenge.

Ou often gives updates and sneak peeks to what they are working on in the Akupara Discord!

- Riv Otter

Hey, farmers!

About a month ago, we announced our partnership with SquareHusky to publish Everafter Falls, our cute, story rich, farming sim where you rediscover the simple life after waking up from a simulation.. You've no memory of this place, your quaint animal neighbors, the refreshing wind and fragrant flowers, the little farm you had tucked away just outside town, none of it.

I talked with Ou Te, the designer behind SquareHusky and creator of Everafter Falls, and asked him some questions to gain some insight to share on the games iconic art! If youd like to keep up with Ou, Id recommend following him on Twitter!

[h3]Where did you get your inspiration for the art design in Everafter Falls?[/h3]
When I started working on the art style for the game, a couple of preview trailers came out for another game called Swords of Ditto. I used this a lot for inspiration, and the final result was somewhere between that, and the best my art skills could take me.

[h3]Were there any art directions you consider going before falling on the current one?[/h3]
There was a bit of an internal debate between going with pixel art, and the route I eventually chose. The final decision was made due to what I perceived to be easier for me to achieve. I absolutely love pixel art but know that to pull it off well takes an insane amount of time and skill.

[h3]What challenges did you face with the art design you picked?[/h3]
It took a while for me to figure out the easiest way to achieve the look I wanted, and to do it consistently. I experimented with painting using a graphics tablet initially, but soon realized that a vector approach using Illustrator was the way to go. It took a lot of time to develop a style that was not too time-consuming, but had enough detail to look decent. A lot was trial and error

[h3]Do you have some early sketches or art progression of characters, environments, etc. that you would like to show off?[/h3]
Here is a very early mockup I created of what I envisioned the game might look like. It was done before I committed to creating any of the final assets used in game, and I used it as a guide for how the game eventually turned out.


[h3]What is a step by step on how to draw one of the characters in Everafter Falls?[/h3]
When deciding on how a character is drawn, you should first work out exactly how they will be set up and animated in the game engine. I set this up in a way that I could quickly create new characters by drawing the least number of assets possible. This was achieved by breaking the character components into only a head and torso component. This way, I only needed to provide front, back, and side views of these two assets. The hands and feet are simple shapes that I set up once, and used code to change the colors to match the character.

Below are some examples of character sprite sheets used in Everafter Falls.


[h3]What was your favorite asset that you created for Everafter Falls?[/h3]
This fish fountain, because it is the only asset I had to redo from scratch after my computer crashed. I am normally very OCD with CTRL+S every couple of minutes. And illustrator is normally really good at recovering files after a crash. But both these things did not happen in this instance. I guess I must have been really engrossed in drawing this and recall working on it for a couple of hours before completely losing the first version, which I am adamant was much better than this one. After much cursing at the top of my lungs, and resigning to having to do it again, this was the result.


[h3]What are some tips you can give other indie artists?[/h3]
It is definitely worth the time to try and flesh out a style early on that you are happy with, while also being feasible. Especially if you have a smaller team or are working solo, you need to be efficient with the time you have to dedicate to art. I feel that a cohesive and consistent look is really important and can go a long way to making your game more visually appealing. Be prepared to iterate often during the early stages, but once you have a style nailed down, the process should be frustratingly difficult or time consuming. If it is, I would go back and rethink your style.

Wishlist Everafter Falls here!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1416960/Everafter_Falls/

-riv otter

Hey farmers!

Fae, our social media master, will be streaming part 2 of Everafter Falls tomorrow 10am PST! If you miss or are busy for part 1 of the stream on today, then you can watch Fae continue their farming experience tomorrow and try to not accidentally kill all their crops.

The Everafter Falls demo will be available until June 26th! Feel free to leave feedback on the demo here and if you enjoyed the demo, be sure to give us a wishlist!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1416960/Everafter_Falls/

-riv otter

Hey, farmers!

Im super happy seeing the excitement for Everafter Fall.

My good friend Fae, the social media manager, will be streaming Everafter Fall here on Steam in celebration of Steam Next Fest! She will be live tomorrow 10am PST and on Friday at 10am PST!

The Everafter Falls demo will be available until June 26th! Feel free to leave feedback on the demo here and if you enjoyed the demo, be sure to give us a wishlist!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1416960/Everafter_Falls/

-riv otter

Hey farmers!

Im Joseph and Im the community manager at Akupara Games. Im happy to announce that Akupara Games is partnering with SquareHusky to publish Everafter Falls!

You can watch the trailer here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unskxVtw4NQ

You once had a serene and peaceful existence right here in Everafter Falls. Don't you remember?

You wake up to discover your previous life was nothing but a simulation. You've no memory of this place, your quaint animal neighbors, the refreshing wind and fragrant flowers, the little farm you had tucked away just outside town, none of it. But once you spend a little time with your forgotten friends and your helpful pet, doesn't Everafter Falls just feel perfect? Isn't it where you always wanted to be?

Features

• Lifestyle Farming Sim: Farm, fish, and forage a huge collection of items to make the most efficient yet cozy farm this side of Stardew
  
• Uncover the Mystery: Help your new friends with their extremely important small-town drama through quests and conversation
  
• Enlist Your Friends' Aid: Tackle your farm's toughest challenges with a friend in split-screen co-op!
  
• Start your Collect-o-pedia: Collect all the fish for the town aquarium, plant dozens of different crops, and munch down skill cards to level up your combat!
  
• Become an Expert: Equip helpful little drones to help automate your farm keeping things running even when you're down in the dungeons.
  

To fans of the game who have been following for a long time, this is a big milestone, I'm excited to announce that the game is currently undergoing Alpha testing.
I've received a lot of feedback and have made a lot of changes since. I will continue to change and add core features during this stage and once I feel it is ready, the Beta testing phase will start.

Currently, all testing phases are closed tests and invite only.

If you'd like to follow the progress, you can read all the discussions about this in the
Alpha testing Issues and feedback forum
( https://steamcommunity.com/app/1416960/discussions/1/ )


For those of you who would like a chance to play the game early, a demo will be available during the Steam Next Fest. Wishlist and follow to be reminded when the time comes.

Thank you for everyone who has waited patiently for the game's release.

Until next time,
Husky

All enquiries about the game, please email me at squarehusky@gmail.com.

As you may know, Everafter Falls is still a WIP and I would love to get feedback from the community to help shape this game.

If you have any comments or suggestions, or want to have a chat with myself and other fans of the genre, please stop by on Discord

https://discord.gg/aErc2B8BQb

Thank you for following the game and hope to see you online!