Hey folks, we put out a new update today (version 0.8) that changes the engine that Signs of Life runs on and adds a few quality of life improvements as well as a sweet new grappling laser function for your wrist device. We changed the engine that the game runs on from XNA to MonoGame because XNA has been abandoned by Microsoft for awhile now, and MonoGame fixes a lot of issues that we had with XNA as well as lets us support platforms other than Windows. That said, If we did our jobs right you probably won't notice much of a change right now. The performance seems a bit better for us on our machines and it fixes some crash bugs that we were unable to fix with XNA, but really this update is about opening the door for more stuff down the line and making sure the game is as future-proof as possible. While the new version fixes some things, I'm sure there will be some new problems as well, so let us know what issues you run into.

New Features

Added Linux OS support
Added support for resolutions higher than 2048x2048 (tested up to 4k)
Added Grapple Laser function to the MEG tool. Activated by holding and releasing C by default and uses energy to stick you to walls and ceilings. You can press S by default to release the grapple. The grapple laser is still a bit of a work in progress, but we figured it was too useful to hold back until we get it just right. Expect some changes to this over time.
Emeralds - Can be inserted into the MEG tool in order to increase the efficiency of the grapple laser
Added an option for the minimap that lets you use a UI popup instead of the projected minimap. The option is in the settings menu, and the popup is opened with the minimap key and can then be docked wherever you'd like on your screen.
Reworked start screen menus to be easier to use and work better on all resolutions

Known Issues

The new version of the game requires at least Windows 7 and an OpenGL 3.0 compatible graphics device. We believe that the vast majority of players should still be able to play, but there will be some players who will be unable to play the new version even if they were able to play old versions. We're still investigating what we can do to lower the requirements further, so if you are unable to play the game after this update please email your system information (OS version and graphics device) to playsignsoflife@gmail.com. We've put up the previous version as a beta option (xna_version_0.7.6.6) which you should still be able to play, but that version will not get future fixes or new content.
Occasionally, certain sounds will play louder than they should. We fixed most of the instances of this, but let us know if/when you notice it.

Gameplay Changes

Increased the width of all map sizes by about 50%, we'll increase it even further after we spend some time optimizing the world generation speed.
Tweaked some parts of the bases on the world to make them a bit more interesting
Increased the player's base jump height slightly
Reduced the damage of the infected sheep from 25 per hit to 10
Made cooked food give you more fullness

This update doesn't add a lot of new content, but that is somewhat intentional. We've actually been working on two updates at the same time, and we wanted to get this version of the game out to players as soon as possible so we can get to fixing the issues that crop up with the engine change first. The next update should be ready in a few weeks, and will add several new creatures, a new boss, and a bunch of other fun stuff. Here is a teaser:

[ 2017-02-07 13:58:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Signs of Life Update 0.8

New Features

Added Linux OS support
Added support for resolutions higher than 2048x2048 (tested up to 4k)
Added Grapple Laser function to the MEG tool. Activated by holding and releasing C by default and uses energy to stick you to walls and ceilings. You can press S by default to release the grapple. The grapple laser is still a bit of a work in progress, but we figured it was too useful to hold back until we get it just right. Expect some changes to this over time.
Emeralds - Can be inserted into the MEG tool in order to increase the efficiency of the grapple laser
Added an option for the minimap that lets you use a UI popup instead of the projected minimap. The option is in the settings menu, and the popup is opened with the minimap key and can then be docked wherever you'd like on your screen.
Reworked start screen menus to be easier to use and work better on all resolutions

Known Issues

The new version of the game requires at least Windows 7 and an OpenGL 3.0 compatible graphics device. We believe that the vast majority of players should still be able to play, but there will be some players who will be unable to play the new version even if they were able to play old versions. We're still investigating what we can do to lower the requirements further, so if you are unable to play the game after this update please email your system information (OS version and graphics device) to playsignsoflife@gmail.com. We've put up the previous version as a beta option (xna_version_0.7.6.6) which you should still be able to play, but that version will not get future fixes or new content.
Occasionally, certain sounds will play louder than they should. We fixed most of the instances of this, but let us know if/when you notice it.

Gameplay Changes

Increased the width of all map sizes by about 50%, we'll increase it even further after we spend some time optimizing the world generation speed.
Tweaked some parts of the bases on the world to make them a bit more interesting
Increased the player's base jump height slightly
Reduced the damage of the infected sheep from 25 per hit to 10
Made cooked food give you more fullness

[ 2017-02-07 13:58:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Signs of Life

Sweet Dog Studios Developer

Sweet Dog Studios Publisher

2014-01-27 Release

Indie Casual RPG Adventure Singleplayer Multiplayer Coop EA Tags

Game News Posts: 42

🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse

Mostly Positive (686 reviews)

http://www.playsignsoflife.com

Steam Store

The Game includes VR Support

Public Linux Depots:

Signs of Life Depot (Linux) [568.15 M]

Signs of Life is a sci-fi survival sandbox platformer with a combination of procedurally generated and hand-crafted content. You'll explore mysterious locations, Mine blocks for resources, and meet strange (and some familiar) creatures, some of which don't even want to kill you and eat your corpse. Along the way, you'll be able to craft armor, weapons, gadgets and more to assist you in surviving in an inhospitable environment.

Story

Sensing that an apocalyptic war was imminent, the United Nations executed a last ditch plan to save what they could of the human race. 2 crafts were launched, a massive colony ship called the Hephaestus and a smaller, faster scout ship called the Hermes. The destination was a recently discovered earth-like planet with the potential to harbor life located roughly 18 light years away. The Hermes reached the planet first in order to establish a presence in anticipation of the arrival of the Hephaestus.

4 years later, as the Hephaestus approached its destination a faint signal was detected from a nearby asteroid. Against their better judgement, the crew of the Hephaestus decided to investigate, and in doing so set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to their destruction.

The good news is, you managed to survive by hitching a ride on a small escape pod just in the nick of time. The bad news is, everyone you knew and loved is dead, you have nothing but the clothes on your back, a standard issue multi-function wrist laser and a faulty artificial intelligence companion named AGIS. Oh, and the human race is probably doomed.

Probably.

Features

An expansive world with procedurally generated and hand-crafted content.
Online Co-Op Multiplayer
A bunch of weird alien creatures.
Some familiar creatures.
Chickens.
Mining, hunting, gathering.
Gobs of ores, materials and animal organs you can use to...
Craft all kinds of weapons, armor, gadgets, furniture, etc.
A bit of story and lore to hold the whole thing together.
Eggs.
All spiritual content in this game has been assessed by Dr. Halamkah, advisor to the stars.

Current State of Development

Signs of Life is currently in Alpha. We feel like we've put together a fun, satisfying experience that will allow us to get wider feedback while we complete the rest of the game.

Right now our first priority is making sure that the content we have in-game is as bug-free, balanced, polished and fun as possible based on feedback from you folks. We have a significant prologue/tutorial planned, as well as significant content beyond what is currently playable, so the sooner you get involved the more of an effect you'll have on the final game. We deal in hard science, and in working very closely with our personal science advisor at Sweet Dog Studios, that tends to lead to results.

We are still very much in development, and we would like you to join us in shaping the game from here on out. Your feedback is vital to us, so don't be shy =)

Caveats/Issues

Some sound effects are missing, but we are actively working on filling them in.

MINIMAL SETUPProcessor: Dual-Core 2 GHzMemory: 2 GB RAM
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: OpenGL 3.0 Compatible Graphics Device
Storage: 1 GB available space
RECOMMENDED SETUPProcessor: Dual-Core 2+ GHzMemory: 4 GB RAM
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: OpenGL 3.0 Compatible Graphics Device
Storage: 1 GB available space

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