v3.0.9 - New Demo Level Added, Bug Fixes

v3.0.9

1 more level added to the demo - Classic World 2, level 2
The new, updated UI has also been added to the demo (previously just in the full release)
Fixed some issues with the PS5 DualSense controller not behaving properly in some situations on certain distributions of Linux
Fixed issue where "Undo" was not working on PS5 controllers
Other minor fixes and optimizations

[ 2024-11-06 05:17:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.8 - UI Layout Update

It has been noted that some players were not seeing the "Undo" function and just using "Restart" every time they made a mistake, restarting the entire level, which led to some frustration. The in-game UI has now been updated to try and make things clearer, as follows:

Reworded "Undo" to "Undo Step", to show that it is just one step / move that is being undone
Reworded "Restart" to "Restart Level", to show that the entire level will be restarted
Changed positioning of "Undo Step" and "Restart Level", with "Undo Step" at the top near the movement arrows, in the hope more players will clearly see and use the "Undo Step" feature and not confuse it with "Restart Level".

Hopefully this makes the controls clearer to more players and improves the overall experience.

[ 2024-10-26 06:50:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.7 - Any Key Fix

A bug had crept in where, at the title screen, it says "press any key", but only certain keys worked. That is now fixed.

[ 2024-09-08 08:07:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.6 - Further Controller Support Improvements

v3.0.6 Further improvements made to controller support.

New PS5 and PS4 controller icons. PS3 Still uses PS4 icons, will update that in the future.
Updating PS controller compatibility caused inadvertent issues with some other controller compatibilities, this now appears to be fixed - the game should now be back to having a very wide range of controller support, however, many gamepads will use generic icons, except for Xbox, PS and Atari VCS controllers.
The game better recognizes now if multiple controllers of different types are plugged in, responding between the different inputs and changing UI icons accordingly

[ 2024-08-26 15:13:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.5 - Controller Support - Updated

v3.0.5 - I've just updated the list of official controllers supported. With the software package I use, the majority of game pads should work, however, only a few have official support with the icons. Now added:

Full Xbox One and Xbox 360 controller support (using Xbox One Icons only at this time)
Full PS4 and PS5 controller support (using PS4 Icons only at this time. PS2 and PS3 controllers should also work, but with PS4 icons)

Will work on updating icons more in a future update but this now adds improved support for XBox and Playstation controllers.

[ 2024-07-31 02:16:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Steam Deck + Cross-Platform Cloud Saves

Steam Deck compatibility has been confirmed by multiple users, and is now running the latest Linux build. In addition to this, cross-platform cloud saves are now in, so you can continue the journey between Mac, Linux and Windows. This means you can play on your PC, then take the journey with you on your Steam Deck! In addition, the Steam Demo has now been downloaded over 3,500 times! Thanks to everyone for their support! If you are enjoying the game, please remember to leave a review, as this helps the store algorithm. Happy puzzling! You can read the full press release here. If you have any issues with Mac or Linux save files since the changes, please see this post for technical help. [previewyoutube=GFPJJQ-LtfE;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-25 13:03:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.4: Music Bug Fixes

v3.0.4 There was a bug in both the the demo and the full game where the music theme for each world would play on loop, rather than switch to the alternate track, and then back. That is now fixed. [previewyoutube=DhfqRaXYJqE;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-22 11:20:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Demo Out Today! + Mac & Linux Released!

The free demo has finally launched! In addition, Mac and Linux versions are finally available! I will be around all weekend in case anyone has any issues to report about the new Mac & Linux builds. Windows cloud saves exist, but cross-platform cloud saves are not yet active. That will be coming soon though. If you would like to read the full press release, see it here. Hope everyone enjoys playing! [previewyoutube=RKiat5HzqWQ;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-19 08:12:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.3 - Credits Changes

Minor update to how finishing a world works.

Finishing the beginner puzzles will acknowledge your completion with a brief message, then automatically start the Classic Puzzles
Finishing the classic puzzles will acknowledge your completion with a brief message, then automatically start the Christmas Puzzles
Finishing the Christmas puzzles shows the credits.

I may make further changes in the future, but I think this makes a tighter first play through experience.

[ 2024-07-17 09:57:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Mac + Linux + Demo coming Friday!

[previewyoutube=DhfqRaXYJqE;full][/previewyoutube]

Summary

New Mac & Linux versions are releasing on Steam next Friday, July 19
A new demo is launching on the same for all 3 platforms - Windows, Linux and Mac
Ambience bug fixes

New Platforms + Demo

New Mac & Linux version of Puzzledorf will be coming next Friday! I am working this week on trying to make cloud saves cross-platform; that will be coming soon too. In addition to this, the new demo will also be launching at the same time on all 3 platforms. The demo will include all of the Beginner Puzzles, and up to the start of World 2 of the Classic Puzzles. That's quite a bit of content to trial. The new graphics will also be coming to Atari VCS on the same day, along with a new demo. You can read the full press release about it here.

Ambience Changes

I fixed a bug where the volume for the "Ambient Sounds" would be set to 0 by default for existing players. New players are unaffected. That has now been fixed. See the full details and what that means here. I hope that people continue enjoying the new graphics! [previewyoutube=RKiat5HzqWQ;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-14 03:18:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

v3.0.2 - Fixed Ambience Volume Bug

v3.0.2

Fixed bug with ambient nature sounds
Updated colour blind previews in the settings menu

I hope people have been enjoying the new graphics. I was made aware, however, that a mistake was made for existing players - the "ambient nature sounds" volume would default to 0 for existing saves, whereas new saves were correctly at 100. This means no nice bird sounds for current fans. It is now fixed. If you haven't heard them yet, I suggest booting up the game now. It makes for a much more pleasant experience having the nature sounds on top of everything else. This also means that for all players, the ambient volume will default to 100 on your next play session, and then it won't automatically change after that. The game should now default to these volumes for new players:

SFX - 50
Music - 50
Ambience - 100

However, for existing players, the music and SFX volumes will remain at whatever you currently have them set.

[ 2024-07-13 04:10:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fixed Save Bug

v3.0.1 A couple of bugs crept in to the new graphics update.

Fixed a couple of incorrect level preview images
Fixed an issue with the save file that crept in from managing the Xbox version. All fixed now

Hope people are enjoying the new graphics update! [previewyoutube=DhfqRaXYJqE;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-06 05:06:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

New Graphics Released!

v3.0 New Graphics Release

The new graphics are finally released
Also includes new ambient nature sounds, with independent volume controls
Demo nearly ready to be released
Several easy achievements removed as discussed here and here
Several new achievements have been added

[previewyoutube=DhfqRaXYJqE;full][/previewyoutube]

New Additions

The new graphics have finally been released tonight. Preview trailer below. You can read the press release here. Along with the new graphics I have added ambient nature sounds. These have their own independent volume controls and I feel add a sense of deeper immersion to the game.

Achievement Changes

As discussed previously, there have been several of the simple, early game achievements removed, however, several new achievements have been added. The new ones added are:

Beat 2 different puzzle types, ie, Beginner, Classic or Christmas
Beat 3 different puzzle types
Beat 2 different mirror modes, ie, Beginner, Classic or Christmas
Beat 3 different mirror modes
Earn all Classic and Beginner Highscore achievements
Earn all Christmas Highscore achievments

If you've already earned all other achievements, then these new ones will automatically be awarded to you the next time you play the game.

Demo

The demo is in the final stages of testing and planned to be released soon. It will include all of the Beginner puzzles, the whole first world of the Classic puzzles, and the first level of world 2 in the Classic puzzles. Keep an eye out if you're waiting to try Puzzledorf.

Conclusion

Also, if you're enjoying the game and you haven't already, leaving a review is super helpful, as it helps the game get discovered more easily by the store algorithm, and helps other buyers to make an informed choice. For any indie game you want to support, every review helps. I've also got some other stuff I'm working on, so look forward to more news soon. [previewyoutube=RKiat5HzqWQ;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-07-05 15:05:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update Coming Soon, New Demo + Achievement Changes

Summary:

New graphics update nearly complete and releasing soon, planned for sometime June / July
Possible minor changes to Beginner achievements
Planning to add a free Demo for new players

New Graphics

The new graphics update is nearly complete and will be releasing soon. You can see some of the latest progress below, including the revamped lava world: [previewyoutube=_zQIRAO-AbM;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=Q4wEU--AV9g;full][/previewyoutube] The new graphics are currently up on the Xbox demo already. To give you an idea of how it will feel, here's a playthrough of it: [previewyoutube=yQ0RFt0sVwY;full][/previewyoutube]

Beginner Achievements

I want to make some minor adjustments to the beginner achievements. After reducing the number of levels in the beginner worlds, it feels like new players get too many easy achievements too quickly at the start. I feel like it will improve the experience to remove some of them, which will also keep achievements consistent across platforms. For more details about the changes I'd like to make, I go into detail in this Community post here. I know some people can get really passionate about their achievements, so I wasn't planning on making any drastic changes before bringing it up for discussion and seeing how people feel about it. Edit: I am also looking at adding new achievements to replace these ones, which I've talked about more in the comments.

Free Demo

The Xbox Demo has been doing really well, more on that in a later post. In light of this, I have decided it's worth adding a free demo to Steam. I am hoping to launch that soon after the new graphics update is complete and released. This way, anyone curious about the game can try the demo first. It will be the same as the Xbox Demo which currently includes:

All of the Beginner Worlds
World 1 of the Classic Worlds Plus the first level of World 2.

I will be announcing the release date of the Demo soon.

[ 2024-06-03 10:37:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Major Graphics Update + XBox

[previewyoutube=j_eE0h5Jwig;full][/previewyoutube] Im very excited to announce that Puzzledorf will soon be releasing on XBox Series X / S and XBox One consoles! The demo is currently live to play right now on XBox! See it here. To read the full news release, click here. You will also notice the above teaser trailer has new graphics. Its soon going to be more colourful than ever with relaxing waterfalls. I am hoping to have this graphics update ready mid february. The Ruins puzzles are planned for release later this year, delayed due to console ports. Heres a quick preview from some of the new level designs:

To read the full news release, click here.

[ 2024-01-24 05:47:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Bug Fixes

v2.9.04 Quick fixes:

UI in Mirror mode was accidentally mirrored for "some" game pad types. This has now been fixed.
Level 8 of Palm Beach, Classic mode, was accidentally replaced with the wrong level. This has now been fixed.

[ 2023-08-04 13:27:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fixed Game Crashing Bug

v2.9.03 A quick of changes:

Fixed rare game crashing bug where, if you finish a level and hit the credits, on restart, weird stuff happens making the game unplayable. This was unfortunately caused due to the boot time tweaks last time and got missed.
Night sky is back behind the intro logos

[ 2023-08-03 12:02:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Puzzledorf Coming to Atari VCS

[previewyoutube=sYdVNUntayk;full][/previewyoutube] Puzzledorf will be coming out this August on the Atari VCS. This will be its first console release after Steam. I think the Atari VCS is a super cool little console with slick design features I love the wood fronting. Im very excited to be bring Puzzledorf to Atari audiences! I have been doing a lot of updates to the game lately to be getting it ready for console release. New graphics and animation updates, new UI, and soon, new puzzles! A Nintendo Switch release will likely be happening later this year, as well as possibly other platforms. Read the full blog post here. [previewyoutube=UYA_rmI9vm8;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2023-07-26 13:05:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

New UI

v2.9.02

A small update. Summary:

Slightly faster boot time
New UI Icons for increased readability

New icons have been added to the UI that look a lot nicer, in preparation for Puzzledorf's first console release which will likely be happening next month. Below are imaged of the new UI. It's more readable and makes the game feel nicer.

[ 2023-07-24 11:27:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Minor Fixes - v2.9.01

v2.9.01

Just some minor fixes.

Removed the "run" option from the UI because it no longer exists in the new movement system
Minor audio rebalancing

[ 2023-07-14 07:53:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Game Improvements

[previewyoutube=UYA_rmI9vm8;full][/previewyoutube] A lot of small but significant quality of life changes have happened in this update, as well as significant changes to the beginner puzzles. You can see some of the changes in the new trailer above. Bug fixes:

Fixed a bug where there was a big delay when quitting the game, and you could still move the menu selector
Fixed a bug on the menu where if you double tapped to go to a level really quickly, unexpected behaviour would occur

Other changes:

New smooth movement - you can change the movement speed in the options menu
New walk animations to suit the new movement style
The world name now appears in-level
Small changes to the UI layout in-level
The number of beginner puzzles has been reduced
Some achievements were affected, but rather than being removed, they have been modified, more info below

New Movement

You can see in the trailer above that there's a new movement system that's much smoother, rather than the old style that instantly teleported you to the next grid space. I liked that the old style was very snappy, but I always planned a smoother movement system - I could just never get it to feel right until now. I think it improves the feel of the game a lot, and is smoother while still being snappy. And if you want it a bit quicker or slower, you can adjust that in the options. Currently there's no way to play with the old movement system, though if people really want me to include it as an option, I can add that in a minor update. Also, as mentioned, there's a new walking animation. It's a lot more detailed now, animating both arms and feet and his little head bobs around, giving the little guy a lot more character and life.

Refining Beginner Puzzles

Before I had beginner puzzles, some players were getting stuck too early in the Classic puzzles. I felt Beginner Puzzles were needed to ease in new players. On reflection, however, I decided some puzzles were too similar and that too much hand holding was slowing down the pace of the game. After removing them, the game feels much better.

Examples

Below are 2 levels being removed, the old 0-6 and 1-1. You can see they are both very similar.

The old level 1-2 below, which will become 1-1, fulfils the same basic function of the above 2 levels. Keeping just this one level improves the pace of the game, making sure the puzzles keep introducing new ideas to stay interesting.

There are a number of other levels I removed from the beginner puzzles because they felt too similar or otherwise redundant. The result is that the beginner puzzles feel a lot more solid and fun now, with players able to move through them a lot quicker while still getting the teaching benefits.

Achievements Affected

As stated above, I tried to avoid affecting any achievements, but several were changed rather than removed. The changes, however, are minor, and if need be will be easy to get back. The total number of achievements remains the same. If you have already completed the conditions, then they will be retained without having to do anything. They are:

Total number of puzzles
Complete Level Number X in World 1
Highscore: beat 1-4 in 12 moves, Beginner
Highscore: beat 2-2 in 24 moves, Beginner

The total number of puzzles was 170 before, it's now 140. If anyone has already unlocked the achievement, it will still be there. There were 4 completionist achievements for simply beating a Level in World 1 before. As there are on 2 levels left in World 1, this had to be modified. The new levels to beat to retain / regain those achievements are:

The new 1-1 (previously 1-2)
The new 2-2
The new 2-3
The new 3-2

Anyone who has already beaten the relevant levels will retain these achievements. The old Level 1-4 and 2-2 are being removed, so their Highscore achievements will no longer be retained. The new achievements to replace them will be:

Highscore: beat 2-4 in 23 moves
Highscore: beat 2-5 in 22 moves

Ruins & Console

Thanks for your patience with these quality of life updates. The game now feels in a much better position ready for console release, with a much smoother intro for new players. I hope to release the Ruins update over the next few months in time for a console release coming soon.

[ 2023-07-05 08:51:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Small Update - Level transitions, credits

A quick small update:

Fixed a bug where the starry sky was no longer appearing on the credits
Modified the level transitions again, more info below

New Level Transitions

I've made some small, but significant changes to the level transitions. Watching people on Youtube try to smash through the beginner puzzles, I became aware that the transitions between levels could be a bit snappier. I've made a few changes:

The amount of time the final score is shows is reduced, down to 1.2 seconds roughly.
Level and world numbers are no longer shown when starting a level, reducing transition duration
Added a quick fade to black between levels
Once a level is completed, there is a brief delay before the final score appears - recently there was no delay.

There was a reason I had the level numbers showing as an intro to levels. It was, essentially, a loading screen, inspired by the original Mario. I have, however, removed the need for the loading screen. A quick fade to black is all that's required now. I also think the fade to black has a much nicer feel to it, improving the overall game feel. As stated, there's a new brief delay before the final score appears, once you beat a level. I feel this increases the satisfaction of completing a level, giving you a moment to watch the fireworks and enjoy the feeling of success before the score appears.

Future Updates

The Ruins are still coming along, as well as a few other minor quality of life improvements. I've also been planning future game projects. Feel free to come over and keep an eye on some of these and chat about them on the new Discord server.

[ 2023-05-22 07:17:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join The New Discord Community

Come and join the new Stuarts Pixel Games Discord Server! There are channels to talk about all sorts of things like: Join Here. I've been wanting to create a community for Puzzledorf and Stuart's Pixel Games for a while. Discord seemed an appropriate place. But then I thought, "Why not make it about Game Development too?" So that's what I'm trying to create. It will likely evolve with time. At the moment there channels for:

Game Development
General Chat
Different games I'm working on
Bug reports

I will potentially expand the channels as the server grows. For now, you can talk about anything game dev related in the game dev chat and I might expand it out into different disciplines later when there's enough people wanting it. I want the Discord Server not just to be about my games but to also compliment my blog's tutorials and articles. I've got areas where I will be pinning various links for tutorials, tools and other resources I found helpful for game development. Hopefully others will chime in with their own links so everyone can grow. Ive got areas where I will be pinning various links for tutorials, tools and other resources I found helpful for game development. Hopefully others will chime in with their own links so everyone can grow. And of course I will be sharing the latest developments on Puzzledorf, where I am currently working on console ports and some new puzzles in The Ruins update.

Ruins World 1 Concept Art And there is that new RPG prototype that Im working on (early prototype graphics below, focus is on mechanics at this moment it will likely look more like Puzzledorf when its done). I will likely be sharing sneak peeks on Discord before anywhere else (and maybe Twitter).

So if youd like a place to chill and chat about those things, learn something new or meet some like minds, come along and say hi. Bear in mind Ive only just made it, its early days yet, but Im sure we can get something great going. Join Here.

[ 2023-01-26 13:04:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

v2.7.5.3 Fixed "Success Mirror Bug".

Fixed a bug in Mirror Mode with the UI. At the end of a level, the parts of the UI that read "Success!" and displayed your score, at the end of a level, were mirrored. The UI is now back to normal.

[ 2022-12-18 01:19:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

v.2.7.5.2 - New Level End Transition

The level end transition has been streamlined. It makes the time lag of finishing one level and starting the next slightly shorter, while still conveying relevant information.

The success message, current score and best score all appear at the same time, immediately when you finish a level
If you get a new high score, the high score sound plays instead of the regular level finish sound, but not on the first play through
Transition times of showing end of level messages is slightly are shorter

[ 2022-12-11 06:58:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

v.2.7.51 - Fixed 'Success' bug

There was a bug where the message 'Success' would appear over the top of one of the levels and never disappear. Now fixed.

[ 2022-12-11 05:40:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

v.2.7.5 - Sound Setting Changes

There have been some minor changes to how sound settings work thanks to feedback (thanks Yuki):

SFX and music volume now change in increments of 1, making it easier to do subtle changes for head sets
Holding down the button will slowly accelerate how fast the volume changes
The games default volume now starts at 50 for new players, allowing for headsets sounding louder