Hi everyone! Josh here! \n\nIt\'s hard to believe 2025 is wrapping up already! What a wild year!\nI can\'t thank you all enough for all of your support for Firefly Village.\nIt\'s been genuinely life changing.\n\nI\'ll be transparent: I love Firefly Village. But when you eat your favorite meal every day, you start craving something new...\n\nFirefly Village is in a great place, and I think it\'s time for me to look forward and focus on the next game. \n

...But I don\'t want to leave you all empty handed!\n\nSo here\'s one last \"Thank you for everything\" patch!\nThe Marriage Update is Here! \n\n Marriage System - Had your eye on a certain villager? After you view their second heart event, you can now propose! Your spouse will move into your farmhouse, and you\'ll share a new life together.

Leo\'s shop now carries an extra item each day.\nNo more waiting seasons for that one tool to finally show up! ...Hopefully!

One final polish pass, adding some new dialogue and cleaning up a bunch of smaller bugs.\n\nAs always, if you encounter any issues, please let me know in the bug reports thread.\nAnd if you\'re enjoying your time in the village, leaving a review on Steam makes a huge difference! \n\nThank you for being part of this journey!

Josh

Hi everyone! Josh here!

And a big welcome to everyone who just joined our community during the Autumn Sale!

I\'m releasing a surprise (and highly requested!) new feature today: Item stacking!

Ill admit I\'ve been dragging my feet on adding this. I grew up on farming sims that didn\'t have stacking, so I didn\'t quite get the hype. But I kept seeing how many of you were asking for it... and now that it\'s in, well, I kind of really like it.

You can now stack up to 9 times per inventory slot. My hope is that this makes managing your inventory much smoother and lets you spend more time enjoying the village and less time running back and forth to the shipping bin.

This was a HUGE task that involved touching up nearly every aspect of the game, so please let me know if any bugs slipped past testing.

Important Note for Existing Saves: When you load an older save, all of your existing items will still be unstacked in your inventory/storage. However, all new items you pick up or craft will stack correctly from now on!\n

Other Bug Fixes:

Fixed an issue where players could sometimes slide unexpectedly during the start of date scenes in the Grove. (Guess they were a bit anxious?)

Fixed a bug where the Kitchen oven could become unresponsive after being built. Cooking is back on the menu!

Your feedback is what helps me make Firefly Village the best it can be. Thank you for bringing these issues to my attention!\n

As always, if you want to support the game, consider leaving a review on Steam it makes a huge difference!

--Josh

Hi everyone! Josh here.

\nA common critique I see is that Firefly Village\'s grid movement can feel stiff and restrictive. Of course, grid movement is deeply ingrained in the game, so changing it would be impossible

Just kidding!

Todays update overhauls player movement to feel more modern.

Let me know what you think!

I also got carried away and added a new animal: fluffy bunnies!

Im calling it the Smooth Moves & Fluffy Friends update.

And whats this? The game is also part of the Steam Autumn Sale!

Perfect timing to grab a copyor share with a friend.

Thank you all for the support!

If youd like to help the game grow, please consider leaving a review.

\nJosh

PS: Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. Looks like character stuff is next on the list!

Hey everyone. Josh here!

Its hard to believe Firefly Village launched a month ago! Im so grateful for all the kind words, helpful feedback, and the time youve spent in the village so far. Seeing the reviews and stories youve shared has been a huge boost. Thank you.

This first month has been a mix of fixing the rough edges, enjoying your feedback, and watching the community grow. I dont have a big patch to announce today just a heartfelt thanks and a note that Im still listening.

If youve been playing, Id love to hear: whats one small thing youd like to see more of in Firefly Village? No promises, but I always enjoy seeing what parts of the game resonate most.

Thanks again for making the first month so special and if you havent yet, leaving a short review helps a lot.

Josh

Hi everyone!\nJosh here with a quick patch!\n\nI think I FINALLY solved the intro cutscene switching languages!\nI know, I said that before and was wrong, but this time I think I really got it!\nKeep an eye out and let me know if it pops up again?\n\nI also added a little \"Are you sure?\" confirmation when returning to the title screen.\nNo more accidental exits!\n\nLastly, I heard back from BitDefender! They need more time... \nWill keep you posted!\n\nThanks everyone!\nJosh

Hi everyone! Josh here! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f44b.png\"][/img]

Firefly Village hit 50 REVIEWS on Steam!

I know that might not sound like a lot, but it\'s a big deal!

Two weeks ago I was genuinely having panic attacks over whether or not I\'d sell a single copy...! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f605.png\"][/img]

To everyone who reviewed the game, thank you!

If you haven\'t reviewed it yet, please consider it!\n(The Steam algorithm gods are watching...!) [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f440.png\"][/img]

What am I working on right now? [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f527.png\"][/img]

Hey everyone, I need to address an issue with the last patch.

Without getting too technical, I changed how the game is exported. Not only is the new version more stable, but it also interfaces way better with Steam (hello achievements!).

But I didn\'t understand the Steam Deck\'s architecture well enough and I made some mistakes. It sounds like many Steam Deck users lost their saves during the transition.

I\'m really sorry. I know it stings to invest time in something and have it disappear.

I identified where I messed up, so this shouldn\'t happen again.

Thank you for your patience.\nAs long as you keep supporting me, I\'ll keep making this game better.

Josh

Hi everyone!Josh here!

Firefly Village has been out for a little over a week and the response so far has been amazing!

Thank you so much!! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f970.png\"][/img]

I have a lot to cover!

First, today is another big milestone because... WE ARE OFFICIALLY VERIFIED ON STEAM DECK! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f3ae.png\"][/img][img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/2705.png\"][/img]

This was... honestly a lot of work to set up! But it\'s exciting to finally succeed.

I know Steam Deck support was a frequent request from the community.

Second, I\'ve released several patches over the last week, including some significant achievement fixes. I\'m getting reports that achievements are working now, even on Steam Deck! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f389.png\"][/img]

Many achievements will now be retroactively added to your account when you load your save, so you don\'t need to restart to unlock anything!

I\'m hoping we\'re near the point where I can focus less on fixing bugs and more on making new content...? [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f440.png\"][/img]

But if you do encounter bugs, please let me know! [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1fae1.png\"][/img]

Third, a small request! If you want to support the game, consider leaving a review! I know it\'s a bit of a pain, but even a really short one is HUGE for Steam\'s algorithm. [img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f4dd.png\"][/img][img src=\"https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f499.png\"][/img]

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

\nJosh

Hi everyone! Josh here! \n\nAchievements seem to be working for everyone now! I\'m SO happy to hear that. \n\nBut what if you earned achievements while they were broken? Did you miss out? \n\nI just pushed a little patch that will check for any \"one time\" achievements (ie, becoming best friends with someone, buying an animal, upgrading your house, etc) and retroactively give you the achievements when you load your save!\n\n(Some achievements, like attending festivals or finding a rainbow gem, don\'t have any kind of permanent flags, so you\'ll have to earn those the old fashioned way unfortunately.)\n\nALSO, the mine slimes will sit still when you pause the game! So no more ambushes while you\'re sorting through your inventory.\n\nBoth of these were suggestions from the community, by the way. So keep \'em coming! \n\nLots of love,\nJosh

Hey everyone!\n\nI know some of you have been experiencing issues with Steam Achievements not unlocking properly.\n\nI haven\'t been resting idle though - I spent all day working on a patch! Early testers report that achievements are now working consistently on PC... and Steam Deck too?!\n\nThis fix is now live for everyone to try.\n\nI\'m really grateful to everyone who has been patient with me as I figured this out, and a huge thank you to everyone who reported these issues and helped with testing!\n\nOf course, if you continue to have achievement issues, definitely let me know.\n\nMore exciting news coming later this week, stay tuned! \n\nJosh

Hi everyone, Josh here! \n\nTwo quick updates:\n\n Controller Double Input Fix\nI saw a couple reports of users getting double letters with a single button press on the name entry screen. I\'ll be honest, I couldn\'t reproduce this on my end, but I\'ve added some extra safeguards that should prevent any double inputs. Can you let me know if it worked? If you\'re still experiencing issues, please share your setup details (especially what type of controller you\'re using) so I can dig deeper!\n\n BitDefender False Positive\nBitDefender Antivirus is incorrectly flagging Firefly Village as malicious - specifically the node.dll file (which is a standard component of NW.js that tons of games use). I\'ve submitted a ticket to BitDefender support and hopefully they\'ll whitelist it soon. In the meantime, the game is completely safe - this is just an overzealous antivirus detection.\n\nWhat\'s next?\n\n Tilly is STILL sometimes speaking Chinese in the English version despite my previous \"fix\". She just really wants to impress you with her multilingual abilities! I\'ll have another chat with her about sticking to one language at a time.\n\n Steam Deck achievements are still being stubborn. Steam Deck support is new territory for me, and I definitely underestimated the challenge. But I have a few more ideas up my sleeve, so hopefully we\'ll crack this soon!\n\nThank you as always for your patience and support! \nJosh

Hi everyone!

It\'s been two days since launch! To everyone who has bought the game, thank you so much!!\nI\'ve been monitoring your posts, and just pushed a new update live!\n\n[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45490997/8e021362100d5dd093c408c496488c823e006d2a.png\"][/img]

It sounds like a lot of you were jumpscared by this debug screen today! That should be resolved now. Sorry about that... that\'s the last time I push a \"quick fix\" before bed!\n\nThat\'s not all:\n\n Achievements seem to be working for more people now. Still sounds like they\'re not working for some of you though? Let me know if you\'re still having issues (and if you\'re playing PC or Steam Deck).\n\n There was a bug where Tilly rarely spoke Chinese in the intro regardless of language settings. That should be fixed too, but as always, let me know if it resurfaces.\n\n Steam Deck should now show the correct buttons instead of keyboard keys.\n\n There were a few minor typos fixed too!\n\nThanks for being patient with me and continuing to provide excellent bug reports. It\'s wonderful having a community like you!

Josh

Hi everyone! Josh here \nThank you so much to everyone who bought the game!\n\nI know I don\'t post much in the forums, but I am reading all of your feedback. \nAnd a common issue I\'m seeing is that achievements aren\'t triggering for many of you!\n\nI think I found the bug and squashed it. Version 1.3.3.31 is now live! \nIf achievements still aren\'t triggering after updating, please let me know!\n(And let me know if you\'re playing PC or Steam Deck - they both work differently!)\n\nI\'m also working on a few more bugs you all reported (multi-lingual Tilly , Steam Deck glyphs).\n\nPlease keep them coming! I want to make a game you love! \n\nThanks for your patience!\nJosh\n\n

I can\'t thank you all enough!\n\nA year ago I wasn\'t sure if anyone would even notice this little game. But the support in forums, the discord, and all the wishlists - I truly couldn\'t have gotten this far without your support! \n\nFirefly Village is an intentionally smaller, cozier take on farming sims, so I made sure to price it affordably to reflect that. PLUS it\'s on sale for launch week, so you can grab it even cheaper!\n\nWait, am I actually going to make any money at this rate??? \n\nIf you enjoy the game, please consider leaving an honest review. Even a short one makes a huge difference for the Steam algorithm and helps other players discover the game. \n\nThanks again for being part of this journey with me! \n\nJosh

AM I DREAMING!? Firefly Village is on Steam\'s Popular Upcoming Games List!

That means potentially... thousands more people could discover the game!?\n\nTo everyone who wishlisted, discussed, or shared the game: THANK YOU!

I never thought I\'d make it this far!\n\nRelease is MONDAY (August 11th)! I\'m feeling ALL THE EMOTIONS!\n\nThank you thank you!

Josh\n\n[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45490997/2dd47e3e5c121020836473cae104113a81a1debf.png\"][/img]

Hi everyone!\n\nI\'m deeply honored that Firefly Village is featured in Ogre Pixel\'s Short Games Showcase! \n\nGo check out all the awesome games on display here: \nhttps://store.steampowered.com/curator/43212066/sale/ShortGamesShowcase2025 \n\nI felt that Firefly Village was a solid fit for this event because unlike the typical 100+ hour commitments of normal farming sims, Firefly Village is built different:

• Quick 4-minute days that respect your time

  [/*]

• No busywork - play how you want, when you want

  [/*]

• A small, cozy world packed with charm and friendly villagers

  [/*]

• Easy to jump into - perfect for when you want a complete gaming experience without a huge time commitment

  [/*]

If that sounds like something you\'d enjoy, please try out the demo!\nAnd look forward to the full release on August 11! \n\nHappy farming! \n#ShortGamesShowcase\n\nJosh

I partnered with Level Up Games to add Simplified Chinese to the free demo!
If you haven't checked out the demo yet, I recommend it!

It covers the first five days of the game:

Start your cozy farm journey

Meet the lovable characters

See if Firefly Village is right for you!

It's the perfect way to see if you'll love the full game when it launches August 11th!

Hi everyone! Josh here!

First, thank you so much for the overwhelmingly positive support during Next Fest!

Indie.io and I decided to give this game an official release date: August 11!

...Wait, WHAT!? That's less than a month away!?

Yeah...
Real talk though, the game is in a pretty solid place at this point. I think it genuinely feels complete.

I also got the opportunity to partner with Level Up Games to create a fully translated Simplified Chinese build of the game! Localization work is tough, but they really did a great job with it.

Check out our fancy release date announcement trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0lKx47sCKI

Here's what you can expect from Firefly Village:

Get your own small, super cozy farm. Use it to grow crops, raise animals, or ditch it and go fishing. It's your life, there's no wrong way to play.

Enjoy the faster paced days, or slow them down in settings. The game's tempo fits your playstyle.

I never considered myself a writer, but playtesters seem to really like my characters... I hope you enjoy getting to know them too! They're pretty wacky, but lovable too.

Don't forget to wishlist and follow Firefly Village on Steam! I can't emphasize enough how much wishlists help the game reach a bigger audience.

Thank you! Your support means everything to an indie dev like me.
Josh

Tomorrow marks the start of Steam Next Fest, and Firefly Village will be participating!

Are you excited for Steam Next Fest?? I'm a nervous wreck personally, but let's do this!

If you haven't already, try out the little demo. :)

Wishlisting the game would help a TON with Steam's algorithm, so if you enjoy what you see, please consider it!

Any feedback? Drop it in the community thread or the discord!

Thanks everyone.
-(A very anxious) Josh

Hi everyone! The Firefly Village demo is now live!
If you want an early peek at the cozy farming life, feel free to jump in.

I appreciate you letting me know what you think in the community hub. This game has been a real labor of love and I want to make sure I make it the best it can be.

I've also set up a Discord if you want to report any bugs or chat about the game.https://discord.gg/dpcAWYuNCX
Thank you for all of your wonderful support so far!
Josh

Hi! I'm Josh, a solo game dev. Some of you might know me from my last game, Super Ember Kaboom .

This is my newest game, Firefly Village. It's a cozy-and-compact farming sim, with a focused cast and shorter days. It has the same snappy, colorful, and juicy gameplay that people loved from Ember, but recontextualizes it into something new.

That's not all, this time I've teamed up with a publisher: indie.io!

Why?

For those of you who may not know, working with a game publishing platform like indie.io greatly helps indie developers focus on game development while they handle all the behind-the-scenes magic. From helping manage store pages to crafting marketing campaigns and even helping the game shine at both digital and live events, indie.io helps in all the aspects that indie developers often struggle with alone.

To be honest, I was skeptical about signing on with a publisher. As you'd expect, most publishers just wanted me to make Stardew-Valley-but-bigger. But indie.io actually seems to "get" my vision and is committed to supporting it. So, long story short, I made the leap!

Together we're really making something awesome. I'd deeply appreciate it if you follow and wishlist to keep updated. Heck, even just liking this post would make my day.

Love,
Josh


You can see indie.ios portfolio here .

PS: Im also trying out instagram . I figured itd be a fun way to share features and behind the scenes stuff. Come follow if you're interested!