Sorry this took so long but I had to redo a good chunk of the last level, and I'm battling a very bad flu.

What is Explore Mode?

How do you enable Explore Mode?

Here's a video preview

I just wanted to let y'all know that the speedrunning community is up and RUNNING (get it?). I hope this community grows, as I seriously enjoy watching the runs, and would love to see it hit GDQ one day! If you're a runner, check it out here:

Lorn's Lure Speedrun.com

Just wanted to let you all know what I'm working on since the first two updates have been released.

1. Explorer Mode

2. Modding Support

Steam Deck Verified!

Mac M2 Support

If you've always wanted a cute plushie version of The Android, you can now pledge $2 to this Makeship petition! >> https://www.makeship.com/petitions/the-android << This plushie will be an adorable rendition of The Android which will lure your eyes and prevent your Energy Core from expiring <3 If it gets 200 pledges in 10 days, they'll charge the rest, and ship it to ya. Otherwise, your $2 is refunded. Cheers!

Had to make a smaller followup update after some issues were reported.

• Full Run and Crystal Run achievements should now load :)
• Chapter 6 loading bug likely fixed (There was a case where the culling group did not trigger when scanning)
• Chapter 8 path obstruction bug likely fixed (trigger logic changed to be consistent with saving checkpoint)
• Fixed a slide in the chapter 8 tutorial area
• Chapter 4 now correctly only has 4 scans vs 5

It's time for the first of many updates! Here's the list of patch notes:

Bugs:

• Achievements implementation fix. The achievements you should have gotten will now be populated on startup
• Invisible triggers should not kill you now
• Save progress should never be lost, even if you alt+f4
• Fixed some triggering volume logic. This affects levels loading properly (chapter 6 after the harvester). Waypoint hints may also be fixed. Chapter 8 path block may also be fixed. Please report if not with your save.dat and player.log file!
• Not really a bug, but the community updated some dialogue in certain locales

Control jank fixes:

• Standing next to a slide and jumping should not launch you off
• Tic-Tacs had a minor change that may help improve reliability, but still thinking about this one
• No more dying when touching a vertical wall at terminal velocity

Waste tunnel improvements:

• Death volume is now below sludge so it will feel more fair
• Flare light range has increased
• Flares last longer, so you can trace a path with them, or take your time platforming
• Don't allow looping back into start of caves once you've triggered the sludge flow
• Chase segment sludge has been slowed down a bit

Failed Biome improvements:

• Better teaching of Tic-Tac by having the tutorial appear right after getting it, and the exit being closer by
• Player cannot start the sky tram if they don't have the Mold Flower
• There are now 3 paths to the mold flower, and underneath the island is visible from farther away to make it more obvious that you have to go under the island
• Added some new checkpoints here and there

Dissolution improvements:

• Added more platforms in area after the long fall
• Added platforms in the area where you have to go upwards through a hole
• Second last section where you surf on the left: I cut off the top part since folks mistakenly went up
• Removed misleading path in the meat room
• Slowed down many sequences of meat and blocks
• Made it clearer that the block in the rotating checkered room kills you by changing the texture to glow-meat
• Increased the length of the starting area so that it better trains the player to use the grappling hook (also more fun to be had)

Firstly, I just wanted to thank everyone for your support on launch, and over the years helping me to get this project on its feet. The community really kept me going, and y'all really helped create buzz!

Just wanted to give a post-launch status update.

After 256 years, Lorn's Lure is finally out! (Note that it might take Steam a little while to propagate availability everywhere)

What you should know

• Don't forget to leave a review! Pre-launch it's all about wishlists. Post-launch it's all about review count.
• I will continue to take feedback and improve the game to ensure it's the best experience!
• I was not able to find a South Korean community translator, so if you're out there and willing to help localize, let me know! Until then, it's machine translation :(
• Once you unlock New Game +, there is a possibility that you can easily go out of bounds (except for the last chapter). It is near impossible for me to solve this without adding a LOT of geometry, which may impact performance - so I will allow it.
• When I make updates, you may have to redo your settings sometimes
• If you played the demo, there might have been an update to the control mapping that breaks it in new builds. To fix this, simply reset the control binds!

What's next?

• Fixing bugs here and there that folks bring up
• Maybe adding features if there is enough demand
• Maybe fixing localization issues as folks bring them up
• After launch week and enough bug fixing I'll probably take a break
• Afterwards, if the game has done well enough, I'll run a poll to see if folks want modding or a VR spinoff next
• I'll probably also experiment with an infinite procedural megastructure in parallel to see if this is possible.

Launch Trailer

[previewyoutube=VVUF-bkKytY;full][/previewyoutube]

I've just dropped a new demo that aims to show how the game is NOW, very close to launch. The previous demo had deviated severely from its current state, so I wanted to update it before releasing the full game. Localizations are also included, but quality might vary, and there is at least one menu item that is not localized that I know of (that should go away at launch however). I'm hoping this demo can also help identify game-breaking bugs given the wider audience it will reach - but it should be fairly air tight given Omega testing. Beyond that, you can expect: New tutorials New crystals New level design More juice New intro cutscene Fully Steamdeck compatible (with cloud saves) Updated menu with more settings New music And more! Here's a brief, celebratory teaser trailer as well: [previewyoutube=FdScBTIaRn4;full][/previewyoutube] Stay tuned for more! Aaaaaalmost there now :) PS I wasn't able to THOROUGHLY test this demo build cause I couldn't figure out a way to issue keys on steam while the demo was down, crossing fingers there are no major bugs, but don't hesitate to let me know!

Lorn's Lure is now at a stage where I'm more confident in giving a narrow launch window. I'm aiming for a launch WITHIN SUMMER!!! According to Google, this gives me until "the autumn equinox, which is on September 23" to launch the game. I haven't been updating footage for a while now, so here's a little teaser trailer with this announcement for y'all: [previewyoutube=jQDKuKTZVjo;full][/previewyoutube]

Need Korean Localization

Another Omega Cohort Incoming

Long time no Steam update! It's been head down - focusing on development for a while now, so I apologize. However, today I need your help: I put out a call for community translators on X, but it seems there is no representation for Chinese translators there! (maybe X posts don't reach China?)

>> So I'm placing the application form here <<

• Simplified Chinese
• Japanese
• South Korean

How's Development Going?

• Complete community localization
• Fix some issues brought up during the Omega testing
• Another round of Omega testing, so if you didn't get into the other one, you may get into this one!
• Adding Easter eggs
• Maybe adding one more achievement for touching the glitch
• Graphics, effects and Environment details sweep to see if I can polish the visuals some more
• Cutscene improvements
• More Steam Deck testing
• If I have time, I'll try to get modding tools working before launch, but no promises
• Launch!

Come one come all! Closed Omega testing is now open for applications!!!

>>> CLICK HERE TO APPLY <<<

NOTES:

• This is access to the full length game!
• Download will be hosted on itch.io, not steam to avoid any issues with packages (and to speed things up frankly)
• It's not done yet - I expect some things to change after the Omega: additional settings, more credits, assets, achievements, localization, etc. before full release

And Happy New Year! So I passed my 2023 goal..... HOWEVER - the closed beta is very very close to launching. I just need to add a few final touches - so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say January it will launch! Now a few of us in the Discord have always thought the word Beta didn't make much sense. It's the second letter in the greek alphabet, but it's the last build before launching? Long story short, the closed beta will now be dubbed, the "Omega Build". Since it's the final build before release.

What has changed since the last update?

• New Android design - now not just a single texture over the whole body :P
• All cutscenes complete (in between scenes, not during)
• Lots of bug fixes
• Added a few requested settings
• Better picture and video mode implementation
• Speedrun mode is now not the default!
• Some gameplay improvements
• All music was finished by Phrakture Music, Lorn's Lure's contract musician
• Better UI scaling
• Hold Interact to skip cutscenes vs press
• A bunch more things!

What's left?

• Minor cleanup
• Performance Optimizations
• Steam Deck testing
• Actually figuring out how to run the beta through Steam

I have finally reached a point where the entire game is playable end to end. Although I can't show anything from the last level due to spoilers, I will say that you get a grappling hook :) You can see it in the footage below along with the new simulation level aesthetic though! I'm now taking a stab at re-doing the first level more in the style of the first demo (some of you may remember). Lots of folks brought up how that one felt more open and didn't involve boring long climbing sections. So I'm taking the best of both demos and mashing them together!

Beyond this, it's all about details:

• One more level design sweep just to make sure gameplay progresses nicely and story points aren't missing
• Cutscenes
• Revamp of the dialogue system to support localization
• Taking a stab at redesigning the HUD to be less intrusive
• Revamping the Hints system aesthetic
• I may add some style to the Scanning system
• I may re-implement the menu and settings system
• Adding some environmental life (lights, precipitation, environmental sounds, etc.)
• Finalizing the music
• Create the crystal levels
• A few bug fixes
• Beta
• Address beta feedback and bug fixes
• Steam Achievements

I've got another area complete, and only 1.5 left to polish! Beyond that there's:

• 3rd detail sweep (shouldn't take as long as this second one, which was the brunt of the work)
• Creating the crystal levels (which is much easier than main story arc)
• Revamping a few systems
• Beta
• Bug fixing
• Steam achievements

In the mean time, here's a nano dev vlog

No I don't have a release date yet - sorry for the click bait..... Still looking like this year - but can't be certain when specifically just yet! I also missed last month's update since taking care of a newborn is significantly more work than I thought lol But I did manage to get some things done, which I've captured in this micro devlog: [previewyoutube=6qk0VxofWrI;full][/previewyoutube] Please check it out, and stay tuned for more!

Just a song on loop to study to in the Megastructure :) [previewyoutube=l5tdTlQLZt0;full][/previewyoutube]

It's time for a monthly update! As I mentioned last time, progress has been a bit slow given that our baby is coming very soon now! I have managed to make a dent in the current level I'm working on, so not at a complete stop. I'll just show a brief, spoiler-less montage of that level, since no new features have been developed :) [previewyoutube=PKJqjaKZ-Eg;full][/previewyoutube] Stay tuned for more!

It's been over a month since the last update, and progress is still quite speedy!

Here's a summary:

• I've finished the Cave area to beta quality - including some very foolproof out of bounds prevention tech steamhappy
• I'm 1/3rd the way into another area. Once this is done, that leaves 3 more!
• I've actually used ChatGPT to create a pipe making tool! This will speed up level design given how many pipes I have to make from scratch..
• Development might slow down in coming months, since my wife and I are expecting a new born soon!!! <3

And of course a micro dev-log :)

Lots of progress since the last announcement!

• I've finished 3 chapters to beta quality.
• Part way through finishing another one as I speak
• I've added a crawl ability for claustrophobic gameplay in the area I'm working on now.
• I've also added flares - Deep Rock Galactic style - so that you can see in the dark in the same area.

This time I've compiled all the footage into one micro dev-log video here:

Time for the monthly progress update! Please read till the end to get contingency socials :P Here are a few things I've accomplished since the last update:

I've completed the gameplay optimization for one of the 8 chapters. I won't show too much to avoid spoilers, but here's a sneak peek:

Working on the second Chapter now. I've added lore, a simple find-the-thing puzzle, and made traversal more fun / challenging in certain sections. Here's some snippets from the level!

And then there's this guy, who I've revamped the dialogue for:

Also what's going on with Twitter???

It's been about a month, so it's time for another update! In prep for level design, I did have to do another round of mechanic revamps. I wasn't happy with the dashing mechanic - it felt floaty and weird. Additionally, the sliding had some issues where, after reaching critical velocity and falling off a ledge, you'd die instantly. Both have been resolved. I've also changed the way tutorials are done! They are no longer super annoying. Still have some styling to do, but it works well imo. You'll also notice that you can now ledge-climb even without picks :)

Here's some footage of the dashing:

Sliding

And of course, the tutorials, with pickless ledge-climb:

Hey folks, It's been a while since I've posted an update here. Mostly have been busy at my day job - BUT I have still managed to make significant progress.

Here's the updated todo list

• [strike]20% of the last level (currently working on this)[/strike]
• [strike]I gotta finish the second part of the first level (demo area).[/strike]
• [strike]Finishing off mechanics needed (tallying end run times, immersive mode, and other requests as well)[/strike]
• Level design + placing story details + difficulty optimization (maybe mechanic tweaking etc).
• Environment asset revamp (making things prettier)
• Steam achievements
• Maybe new game+ if I have the brain energy before release
• Maybe some mechanic revamps (like dialogue system + Settings menu)
• Finish rest of Crystal levels

Some Highlights

It's been a while since the Steam Fest and I've made a bunch of progress since then!

What's left?

• 20% of the last level (currently working on this)
• I gotta finish the second part of the first level (demo area).
• Finishing off mechanics needed (tallying end run times, immersive mode, and other requests as well)
• Level design + placing story details + difficulty optimization (maybe mechanic tweaking etc).
• Environment asset revamp (making things prettier)
• Steam achievements
• Maybe new game+ if I have the brain energy before release
• Maybe some mechanic revamps (like dialogue system + Settings menu)
• Finish rest of Crystal levels

And without spoilers, here's a sneak peek at the last level's challenges

And welcome to the Steam Next Fest newcomers! A bit of background for you:

• I am a solo dev, doing this as a passion project!
• Lorn's Lure is scheduled to release this year - I'm aiming for October at this point given the fact that my day job has been all-consuming lately
• My name is not actually Rubeki, but I'm okay with people calling me that

The Patreon Launch

patreon.com/rubeki

Why I'm doing it

The Tiers

For Press

>> PRESS KIT <<

Some Updates!

I'm absolutely floored by the reception of the prologue / demo, and I want to thank everyone that played, left feedback, joined the discord, uploaded speedruns, and just shared their thoughts in general with me. I just wanted to post a brief update for everyone on what to expect next!

When to expect more udpates?

Technical issues

Speedrunning uptick

Thanks so much for your support for the prologue demo! This version seemed to have far less issues reported than the last demo I released, which tells me it's going in the right direction. So what's next?

Speedruns

Roadmap

The demo is now live!

You can either download it from this page, or from here:

• It is shorter than the previous demo to create more of a tease :)
• It changes the way crystals function
• There are lots of bug fixes and improvements to the mechanics
• There is a settings menu. It has it's problems, but it will do for now
• It has controller support
• Better main menu
• Same area as the first demo, but completely reconceptualized
• This still doesn't represent the final product, but it's much closer to it!

Known Issues:

The second Lorn's Lure demo is officially being released on...

March 11th!!!

!!! It's Demo 2.0 beta time !!!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a decent holiday - I sure did. I ended up taking 2 weeks off after a very long time without a break, so this update will be short. Anyway, here's what to expect in early 2022 from Rubeki:

• Beta testing for the new demo (expect an announcement either later this week or next)
• Demo release some time in Feb (depending on Steam's Next Fest schedule)
• Continuing development, and more media updates