Just a quick patch for two requested fixes. I'll still be looking into bringing the performance improvements from the console version on steam, but I piled up my table with other enhancements that made things more complicated. I'll let you know if something is on the way! Patch Notes from 11/19/2018

General

• Fixed a typo in one of the memory pieces
• Split "Camera Speed" into "Camera Speed X" and "Camera Speed Y"

Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2018-11-19 18:36:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

I have been given the honor and the chance to participate in this week's GDWC Fan Favorite Vote! If you want to support this game, I would be eternally grateful if you would take the few seconds it takes to go over to https://thegdwc.com/ and vote for Fumiko! so that it has a chance! Of course you should also check out the other participants as well, they look great too. Thank you for your interest! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2018-06-13 16:21:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

When I first started working on the Xbox One port of the game I did not give the warning signs enough credit. As a solo dev, porting a game to a console is an unforgivingly challenging task. To quote a member from the development forums who shared a general step-by-step guide for other partners, this basically sums it up pretty well: "I want to warn you if you're on a small team or by yourself porting a game. [...] Some portions of the porting process expect very high levels of knowledge regarding a subject matter and a lot of time to complete. Most of the time I felt like I was battling a boss in dark souls blind folded kicking my feet up into the air hoping something would hit only to see a death screen again. Yes many people have done it but don't expect it be a walk in the park, in fact expect it to be a walk on the side of mount Everest, naked." Nevertheless, I did not slip and fall to an inevitable doom but tried to do small steps every day until I finally reached the top. It was refreshing and I would do it all over again, but for now it is time to celebrate!

Fumiko! is coming to Xbox One on February 23rd, starting its preorder on February 9th!

For this occasion, I have created a special Teaser to get everyone excited for the release. If you want to help me out, share this with your friends that own an Xbox One or share it with people who you think might enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOG18Llg3Gs If you own the game on Steam or if you're considering to buy it: The Xbox One version has feature parity with the Steam version. I have made some performance tweaks and improvements on certain things, but mostly to let the game run smoothly at all times. I am considering moving some of these improvements over to the Steam version anyways, as some of these are helpful to achieve better FPS in huge areas on lower end systems.

Other News

I have updated the Website and started streaming on Twitch recently. Stop by if you can and let's have a chat! I am currently working on something new called Infectious Void, which you might already know if you've followed my LudumDare#40 entry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1DjvT16ZCs I'm looking forward to the release and seeing you people on the streams. Working on Infectious Void is very fun, so I hope the release goes well so that I can continue this great journey being a game developer with you all. Also - New Logo!
Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2018-01-29 11:31:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

When I first started working on the Xbox One port of the game I did not give the warning signs enough credit. As a solo dev, porting a game to a console is an unforgivingly challenging task. To quote a member from the development forums who shared a general step-by-step guide for other partners, this basically sums it up pretty well: "I want to warn you if you're on a small team or by yourself porting a game. [...] Some portions of the porting process expect very high levels of knowledge regarding a subject matter and a lot of time to complete. Most of the time I felt like I was battling a boss in dark souls blind folded kicking my feet up into the air hoping something would hit only to see a death screen again. Yes many people have done it but don't expect it be a walk in the park, in fact expect it to be a walk on the side of mount Everest, naked." Nevertheless, I did not slip and fall to an inevitable doom but tried to do small steps every day until I finally reached the top. It was refreshing and I would do it all over again, but for now it is time to celebrate!

Fumiko! is coming to Xbox One on February 23rd, starting its preorder on February 9th!

For this occasion, I have created a special Teaser to get everyone excited for the release. If you want to help me out, share this with your friends that own an Xbox One or share it with people who you think might enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOG18Llg3Gs If you own the game on Steam or if you're considering to buy it: The Xbox One version has feature parity with the Steam version. I have made some performance tweaks and improvements on certain things, but mostly to let the game run smoothly at all times. I am considering moving some of these improvements over to the Steam version anyways, as some of these are helpful to achieve better FPS in huge areas on lower end systems.

Other News

I have updated the Website and started streaming on Twitch recently. Stop by if you can and let's have a chat! I am currently working on something new called Infectious Void, which you might already know if you've followed my LudumDare#40 entry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1DjvT16ZCs I'm looking forward to the release and seeing you people on the streams. Working on Infectious Void is very fun, so I hope the release goes well so that I can continue this great journey being a game developer with you all. Also - New Logo!
Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2018-01-29 11:31:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

I know you're eager to put as many cool indie games in your cart as possible and we all know how easily that piles up. If you want to know if Fumiko! is something worth spending your time on, check out the latest episode of "Indie Games You Missed in 2017" from HeavyEyed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7N3ts0RStc Enjoy the holidays with your friends and families. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-12-21 20:33:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

I know you're eager to put as many cool indie games in your cart as possible and we all know how easily that piles up. If you want to know if Fumiko! is something worth spending your time on, check out the latest episode of "Indie Games You Missed in 2017" from HeavyEyed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7N3ts0RStc Enjoy the holidays with your friends and families. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-12-21 20:33:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

For a special occasion I needed to write a 100% completion guide for the game and I don't want you guys to miss out. Follow the guide here to never get stuck or get your remaining secrets & achievements! http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1232013304

[ 2017-12-15 12:54:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

For a special occasion I needed to write a 100% completion guide for the game and I don't want you guys to miss out. Follow the guide here to never get stuck or get your remaining secrets & achievements! http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1232013304

[ 2017-12-15 12:54:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks! I am excited about this patch, even if it is a small one. These changes include some tweaks to the camera and some more improvements I felt were necessary or helpful for the gameplay experience.

Camera

- The camera will now follow more smoothly, especially on the Y axis. This is both more polished and just feels right.

Idle Animations

- I created a complete set of idle animations for Fumiko. I always felt like there was something missing without them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1bE8jeYNR4

Other improvements

- Fumiko now leaves trails of numbers while jumping, helping with depth perception (while also looking really cool) - Tweaked some of the level design for Kronos Gate - Tweaked the pull enemy in the fourth chapter to be smaller and thus less annoying - Fixed some typos - Implemented functionality to translate the game in the future - Performance improvements in Hyperion - Bugfixes Thank you for your interest in the game! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-08-18 12:57:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks! I am excited about this patch, even if it is a small one. These changes include some tweaks to the camera and some more improvements I felt were necessary or helpful for the gameplay experience.

Camera

- The camera will now follow more smoothly, especially on the Y axis. This is both more polished and just feels right.

Idle Animations

- I created a complete set of idle animations for Fumiko. I always felt like there was something missing without them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1bE8jeYNR4

Other improvements

- Fumiko now leaves trails of numbers while jumping, helping with depth perception (while also looking really cool) - Tweaked some of the level design for Kronos Gate - Tweaked the pull enemy in the fourth chapter to be smaller and thus less annoying - Fixed some typos - Implemented functionality to translate the game in the future - Performance improvements in Hyperion - Bugfixes Thank you for your interest in the game! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-08-18 12:57:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

While I was working on the latest update I was finally able to get my hands on a MacBook Air to do some testing for the Mac version of Fumiko. For this reason I'm now proud to release Fumiko! on its third platform yet - macOS. The MacBook Air had the following specs: Intel i7 1,7 Ghz Intel HD Graphics 5000 8GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 The minimum system requirements will be a bit lower than that, an i5 or i3 should be totally fine, but an actual graphics card or performant chip is required to play Fumiko. The game ran fine on the machine tested above. The minimum graphics card required for a PC is a GT 520, which is a reaally old graphics card with minimal specs. The game does not require huge power, but the difference between having a dedicated card and only a cheap chip is noticable. Fumiko was tested on an Intel Core 2 Duo and ran fine. I dont own the hardware to test the game on older mac hardware, but I think as long as it is comparable to the minimum specs required for PC (Windows or Linux), it should work just fine. Thank you for coming by and make sure to check out the Fumiko! Demo! See you soon! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-06-13 11:30:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

While I was working on the latest update I was finally able to get my hands on a MacBook Air to do some testing for the Mac version of Fumiko. For this reason I'm now proud to release Fumiko! on its third platform yet - macOS. The MacBook Air had the following specs: Intel i7 1,7 Ghz Intel HD Graphics 5000 8GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 The minimum system requirements will be a bit lower than that, an i5 or i3 should be totally fine, but an actual graphics card or performant chip is required to play Fumiko. The game ran fine on the machine tested above. The minimum graphics card required for a PC is a GT 520, which is a reaally old graphics card with minimal specs. The game does not require huge power, but the difference between having a dedicated card and only a cheap chip is noticable. Fumiko was tested on an Intel Core 2 Duo and ran fine. I don’t own the hardware to test the game on older mac hardware, but I think as long as it is comparable to the minimum specs required for PC (Windows or Linux), it should work just fine. Thank you for coming by and make sure to check out the Fumiko! Demo! See you soon! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-06-13 11:30:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fumiko! received a big patch! We've added new content, new dialogue, new mechanics and a better menu. Players will be able to focus more on the narrative of the game and less on searching their way through the network. Many things have been implemented to improve accessibility for players who might be unfamiliar with 3D platforming.

New Trailer

New to Fumiko? Looking for a way to learn what the game is about in less than 2 minutes? Give the new trailer a shot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynlS8F0ImuA

New Homeworlds

I was asked where all the social activity is in the biggest social area of the game: Hyperion. This has multiple reasons. The size of the place was a perfect opportunity to hide secrets. I wanted the first homeworlds I added to be something the players had to look for. Something off track that can be found when careful. But what happens to the players who do not stumble upon the homeworlds? How many homeworlds are there to find? Is there some kind of map guiding them? Well, there is now. With a new map in Hyperion, players will be able to track down every single homeworld. I also move some objects around and added visual hints to show where the social activity is happening, without ruining the open exploration.
To improve the experience and world building even more, I have decided to add 6 new homeworlds to the road of Hyperion. These places are easy to spot and give a sense of casual social life. They contain new dialogue and are affected by the distortion happening in Hyperion. If things are starting to go wild, make sure to give them a visit and get the new Achievement: Lonely Dancer!

New Ability

With the patch comes a new ability: Dropdown. A downwards jump with infinite charges to navigate through the air like a sea lion through water. This video shows the new ability in action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsUMMGJeFp4

New Menu

The main menu received a major overhaul and now supports savegames. This removes the necessity of handling the menu through shortcuts. What I thought would be an interesting and quirky approach to a menu turned out to be clunky and unfamiliar. I can understand if players don't want to rethink how to navigate a menu, so I made it more streamlined.
The savegame menu is especially helpful. The game will still auto save your progress in the 3 savegame channels available, but you'll be able to create your own savegames and safely travel between them. Each time you load a level, the game will create a backup savegame from the place you were coming from. Each major chapter automatically creates a savegame for you. Much convenience.

Player experience

Felt frustrated with the game in the past? I've taken a look at every level and made it a better experience for everyone. The first levels received quite some rework, giving new players and the ones unfamiliar with the 3D platforming better hints. Some mechanics needed better explanation, some levels further guidance. Many jumping puzzles received more platforms to land on or alternative ways to reach the goal. Players will learn Multijump and even Endless Jumping earlier in the game. This enhances the focus on exploration instead of giving the false impression that Fumiko! would be all about precision jumping. The I.M. Server is no longer invisible and should be a lot clearer now.

Conclusion

This patch makes Fumiko! easier to explore but doesn't take away from the challenge to figure some stuff out. In the end, it all comes down to giving just the right amount of hints to point to a general direction. Many small and broader changes were implemented to achieve that. Some of it is subtle, some things were completely rewired. I thank everyone interested in the game for your time and I hope Fumiko! will be able to reach more players in the future. Without your support few indie developers would be able to make games. Thank you for sticking around. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-06-01 09:18:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch Notes from 01/06/2017

General

• All memory pieces can now be found in the main menu once unlocked
• A message is now shown on the screen when a new objective is given
• Completely overhauled menu, giving much easier access to the game's settings
• You can now store and load savegames manually & the game creates backup savegames for key plot moments, giving an easy way to go back and continue exploration
• Can now scroll the last text log

Gameplay

• Improved drop shadow visibility
• Drop shadow now also goes downwards from fumiko and connects to the lower drop shadown, giving a clearer hint on where to land
• Increased collider sizes to collect flying orbs by a huge margin
• Reduced player respawn time to 2 seconds
• Added new ability: Drop downwards by pressing X or f (a downwards jump with infinite charges)
• Endless jumping is now introduced earlier in the game
• Multijump is now introduced earlier in the game
• Enemies will now reset to their spawn location when the player dies
• Vastly improved push bots (enemies) visibility
• Dash now uses the Right Trigger (RT) on gamepads instead of the B button

Levels & Homeworlds

• Overhauled introduction to the game, adding a new starting area and tutorializing things in a more effective way
• Improved several jumping puzzles to require less precision jumping
• Completely overhauled the I.M. Server, removing invisible platforms, adding hints and improving visual structure
• Added several subtle visual hints to levels to improve direction and distance judging
• Tweaked the kronos puzzle to require less iterations to solve, increased collider sizes for the well
• Reduced number of explosions needed to defeat the last boss
• Added 6 new homeworlds to Hyperion with new dialogues and vistas
• Added two maps to Hyperion for easier navigation
• Added large visual hints for maps and points of interest in Hyperion
• Added two public attractions to Hyperion

Story

• Reworked story progression in Hyperion, giving a clearer goal to follow and guiding the player to either continue or exit the chapter
• Added distortion to several places in Hyperion (homeworlds getting corrupted), improving exploration in this chapter of the game
• Tweaked & rewrote multiple dialogues and story passages
• Added multiple new dialogues and some new story instances
• Added and improved several camera pans

Achievements

• Added a new Steam achievement to Hyperion: Lonely Dancer

Other

• Moved a memory piece to a different, more logical position
• Fixed waterfall not being influenced by sound settings in Ariana's homeworld
• Added new animations to casual humans
• First Person look can now be used when the camera is zoomed out by a script
• Can now invert Camera X
• Fixed accidental text skipping when completing text with Button A or Space
• Many small bugfixes
• Many small improvements
• Dialogue now prevents death in most circumstances

[ 2017-06-01 07:31:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch Notes from 01/06/2017

General

• All memory pieces can now be found in the main menu once unlocked
• A message is now shown on the screen when a new objective is given
• Completely overhauled menu, giving much easier access to the game's settings
• You can now store and load savegames manually & the game creates backup savegames for key plot moments, giving an easy way to go back and continue exploration
• Can now scroll the last text log

Gameplay

• Improved drop shadow visibility
• Drop shadow now also goes downwards from fumiko and connects to the lower drop shadown, giving a clearer hint on where to land
• Increased collider sizes to collect flying orbs by a huge margin
• Reduced player respawn time to 2 seconds
• Added new ability: Drop downwards by pressing X or f (a downwards jump with infinite charges)
• Endless jumping is now introduced earlier in the game
• Multijump is now introduced earlier in the game
• Enemies will now reset to their spawn location when the player dies
• Vastly improved push bots (enemies) visibility
• Dash now uses the Right Trigger (RT) on gamepads instead of the B button

Levels & Homeworlds

• Overhauled introduction to the game, adding a new starting area and tutorializing things in a more effective way
• Improved several jumping puzzles to require less precision jumping
• Completely overhauled the I.M. Server, removing invisible platforms, adding hints and improving visual structure
• Added several subtle visual hints to levels to improve direction and distance judging
• Tweaked the kronos puzzle to require less iterations to solve, increased collider sizes for the well
• Reduced number of explosions needed to defeat the last boss
• Added 6 new homeworlds to Hyperion with new dialogues and vistas
• Added two maps to Hyperion for easier navigation
• Added large visual hints for maps and points of interest in Hyperion
• Added two public attractions to Hyperion

Story

• Reworked story progression in Hyperion, giving a clearer goal to follow and guiding the player to either continue or exit the chapter
• Added distortion to several places in Hyperion (homeworlds getting corrupted), improving exploration in this chapter of the game
• Tweaked & rewrote multiple dialogues and story passages
• Added multiple new dialogues and some new story instances
• Added and improved several camera pans

Achievements

• Added a new Steam achievement to Hyperion: Lonely Dancer

Other

• Moved a memory piece to a different, more logical position
• Fixed waterfall not being influenced by sound settings in Ariana's homeworld
• Added new animations to casual humans
• First Person look can now be used when the camera is zoomed out by a script
• Can now invert Camera X
• Fixed accidental text skipping when completing text with Button A or Space
• Many small bugfixes
• Many small improvements
• Dialogue now prevents death in most circumstances

[ 2017-06-01 07:31:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fumiko! received a big patch! We've added new content, new dialogue, new mechanics and a better menu. Players will be able to focus more on the narrative of the game and less on searching their way through the network. Many things have been implemented to improve accessibility for players who might be unfamiliar with 3D platforming.

New Trailer

New to Fumiko? Looking for a way to learn what the game is about in less than 2 minutes? Give the new trailer a shot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynlS8F0ImuA

New Homeworlds

I was asked where all the social activity is in the biggest social area of the game: Hyperion. This has multiple reasons. The size of the place was a perfect opportunity to hide secrets. I wanted the first homeworlds I added to be something the players had to look for. Something off track that can be found when careful. But what happens to the players who do not stumble upon the homeworlds? How many homeworlds are there to find? Is there some kind of map guiding them? Well, there is now. With a new map in Hyperion, players will be able to track down every single homeworld. I also move some objects around and added visual hints to show where the social activity is happening, without ruining the open exploration.
To improve the experience and world building even more, I have decided to add 6 new homeworlds to the road of Hyperion. These places are easy to spot and give a sense of casual social life. They contain new dialogue and are affected by the distortion happening in Hyperion. If things are starting to go wild, make sure to give them a visit and get the new Achievement: Lonely Dancer!

New Ability

With the patch comes a new ability: Dropdown. A downwards jump with infinite charges to navigate through the air like a sea lion through water. This video shows the new ability in action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsUMMGJeFp4

New Menu

The main menu received a major overhaul and now supports savegames. This removes the necessity of handling the menu through shortcuts. What I thought would be an interesting and quirky approach to a menu turned out to be clunky and unfamiliar. I can understand if players don't want to rethink how to navigate a menu, so I made it more streamlined.
The savegame menu is especially helpful. The game will still auto save your progress in the 3 savegame channels available, but you'll be able to create your own savegames and safely travel between them. Each time you load a level, the game will create a backup savegame from the place you were coming from. Each major chapter automatically creates a savegame for you. Much convenience.

Player experience

Felt frustrated with the game in the past? I've taken a look at every level and made it a better experience for everyone. The first levels received quite some rework, giving new players and the ones unfamiliar with the 3D platforming better hints. Some mechanics needed better explanation, some levels further guidance. Many jumping puzzles received more platforms to land on or alternative ways to reach the goal. Players will learn Multijump and even Endless Jumping earlier in the game. This enhances the focus on exploration instead of giving the false impression that Fumiko! would be all about precision jumping. The I.M. Server is no longer invisible and should be a lot clearer now.

Conclusion

This patch makes Fumiko! easier to explore but doesn't take away from the challenge to figure some stuff out. In the end, it all comes down to giving just the right amount of hints to point to a general direction. Many small and broader changes were implemented to achieve that. Some of it is subtle, some things were completely rewired. I thank everyone interested in the game for your time and I hope Fumiko! will be able to reach more players in the future. Without your support few indie developers would be able to make games. Thank you for sticking around. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-06-01 07:15:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Community! Another update to show you some things that'll be part of the game very soon. I'm trying my best to iron out all the little things that are left. Many things have changed and there is some new content in the game. A part of that content are the new homeworlds in Hyperion.

New Homeworlds in Hyperion

The new homeworlds in Hyperion are an addition to the existing 5 homeworlds. A homeworld is something the NPCs in Fumiko! are renting - They are acting kind of like a player home. The owners are able to buy virtual furniture and place it in their homeworld. The existing homeworlds are giving you an interesting optional experience that you shouldn't miss out during your time in Hyperion. To give Hyperion a more social aspect, there'll 6 new homeworlds representing casual social life to give Hyperion even more depth. With the new map you'll be able to find them all and get a good look on what the network has to offer.
I am really happy with how the homeworlds turned out to look like. They're great at expanding on the mood I wanted to set with the game. Since I'm going to place them at obvious locations where you can't miss them, everyone will be able to enjoy them.
I paid attention to detail and added new animations for the NPCs. This one is playing games on his virtual virtual reality headset.
Some of the new homeworlds are also affected by the distortion that is caused in Hyperion during the story. So make sure to keep your eyes open for anomalies.

Thank you!

For following this game and your patience if you're waiting for the new update. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-05-09 13:03:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Community! Another update to show you some things that'll be part of the game very soon. I'm trying my best to iron out all the little things that are left. Many things have changed and there is some new content in the game. A part of that content are the new homeworlds in Hyperion.

New Homeworlds in Hyperion

The new homeworlds in Hyperion are an addition to the existing 5 homeworlds. A homeworld is something the NPCs in Fumiko! are renting - They are acting kind of like a player home. The owners are able to buy virtual furniture and place it in their homeworld. The existing homeworlds are giving you an interesting optional experience that you shouldn't miss out during your time in Hyperion. To give Hyperion a more social aspect, there'll 6 new homeworlds representing casual social life to give Hyperion even more depth. With the new map you'll be able to find them all and get a good look on what the network has to offer.
I am really happy with how the homeworlds turned out to look like. They're great at expanding on the mood I wanted to set with the game. Since I'm going to place them at obvious locations where you can't miss them, everyone will be able to enjoy them.
I paid attention to detail and added new animations for the NPCs. This one is playing games on his virtual virtual reality headset.
Some of the new homeworlds are also affected by the distortion that is caused in Hyperion during the story. So make sure to keep your eyes open for anomalies.

Thank you!

For following this game and your if your waiting for the new update. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-05-09 13:03:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks! I just wanted to give another quick status update before the patch finally hits. I am currently in a phase where I am almost finished but here and there small things come to my attention that I want to adress now rather than later. One of these things happened to be the menu, so.. well. That took a few days. I am really proud of the iterations I had with the menu. From the floating menu in the old days, as seen in this video: Old menu To the new one: New Menu You can now properly change the settings without having to carefully read the hotkeys. The main goal was to align the menu more with video game conventions, reducing the amount of weird mechanics I introduced in the old one. In addition to that, the game will now feature a simple but reliable savegame menu, allowing you to quickly visit the past:

Thank you!

For the patience and interest in the game. I'll be back shortly. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-05-04 08:53:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks! I just wanted to give another quick status update before the patch finally hits. I am currently in a phase where I am almost finished but here and there small things come to my attention that I want to adress now rather than later. One of these things happened to be the menu, so.. well. That took a few days. I am really proud of the iterations I had with the menu. From the floating menu in the old days, as seen in this video: Old menu To the new one: New Menu You can now properly change the settings without having to carefully read the hotkeys. The main goal was to align the menu more with video game conventions, reducing the amount of weird mechanics I introduced in the old one. In addition to that, the game will now feature a simple but reliable savegame menu, allowing you to quickly visit the past:

Thank you!

For the patience and interest in the game. I'll be back shortly. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-05-04 08:53:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Full version on youtube

Memory fragments in main menu

If you're already playing Fumiko, you'll be familiar with the memory fragments. These well hidden pieces of story are scattered throughout the game and will shine a lot of light on the lore. With the upcoming update, the main menu will now display all memory pieces you found (shared between savegames) during your time playing the game. Feel the progress you've made and more importantly - read all of them taking as much time as you want without having to pause your gameplay.

New intro for the I.M. Server + 1000 jumps

As mentioned earlier, the I.M. Server needed some shakeup. It'll now feature a structure giving you general directions on where to go. It'll still be a puzzle, but you won't be stuck alone in the void without any help. In addition to that, I thought it would be a good idea to move "endless" jumping to this level, enabling it a bit earlier than it was. This way, players will be able to concentrate on solving the puzzle instead on counting their jumps. You can see the new intro containing the structures in the video below!
Watch the full intro on youtube!

Mac version in testing

I'm currently testing Fumiko! on a macbook air and so far everything's going well. There might be some rare cases where you have to turn off the Steam Overlay to make it work, but I'm generally pleased by performance and stability. The mac version will probably release after the patch comes out, but not too far away. So watch out mac players!

Shenanigans with A.I.

Don't miss out on this interesting clip of me running away from A.I. while watching from the distance. The A.I. in Fumiko can paint some beautiful stuff!
Watch the full video on youtube!

Thank you!

For your interest in the game and I'll be back with more news soon! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-04-19 14:06:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Now that I have your attention with the newly implemented dropdown ability, there's something I want to talk to you about.

Planned price drop

The game is now out for 2 months and I am not happy with the price I have chosen for the game. I missed the chance of appearing in games under $10 and not many of you were willing to try out Fumiko! at its current price. I chose something that I felt resembled the worth of it well, but I didn't hit many people's pricing expectations. Being new to Steam with only this game to show off and having chosen a particularly unusual genre/style combination, many people have chosen to put Fumiko! on their wishlist to wait for a sale. That's what we all do and I can understand that. However, I want more people to be able to try out this game and give some meaningful feedback. If a lower price can achieve that, I'm willing to give it a try and adjust the pricing. I think in the current world with a collection of games as big as Steam has, people are having a hard time deciding on which game to spend their cash on. With that in mind, a price has to reflect what people are willing to spend on a game when they want to be able to play as many games Steam has to offer. For this reason, I'll set a new price in the next days. It'll be something between $6.99 and $9.99. If you have bought the game for $12.99 recently and you feel treated unfairly, please use the e-mail listed on the support page with a proof of purchase and your bank account and I'll refund you the difference as soon as the new price applies.

Update Progress

Dropdown Ability As seen above, there is now a dropdown ability! I'll try to introduce this ability as early as possible into the game. While its use isn't required, it adds a lot mobility to fumiko and can save your life when chased by enemies. Especially in the level shown below, where your main goal is to fall down as fast as you can, this ability is extremely useful. I'm glad I implemented it and it will be a part of the next update.
Hyperion I wanted to give hyperion a bit more polish and make it easier to continue the story. I think I hit the bar correctly - it'll still surprise new players with chaos and confusion, but gives them a red line to follow. No one should get lost in the new version. I made some slight adjustments to how the distortion of hyperion looks like and added a new cutscene to the university. There is some new and some overhauled dialogue.

I am currently thinking about adding even more social interactions to hyperion to reward exploration a bit more. With the new map the existing homeworlds should now be findable, but it would be cool to have some additional smaller homeworlds. Not set in stone yet, but I think it would move hyperion even more to what I had envisioned for it. Endless Jumps earlier I've watched Ryo's awesome Let's Play of the game which you should check out now if you're looking for an in-depth playthrough that talks about the strengths and weaknesses of the game. While he has not discovered everything, it is really worth a watch and has some great suggestions for the game. One of these suggestions was to give Fumiko endless jumping earlier. This was easy to implement, so why not. After leaving the I.M. Server, you'll now get endless jumping immediately, which will help in the upcoming boss fight and some levels after it. I.M. Server I apologize for creating a level that is mostly invisible and has almost no landmarks for players to help them navigate through. The puzzle itself isn't too difficult, but finding the switches has turned out to be a timewaster for some. This is not intended and I'm going to add stuff in to make your position inside more clear and tell you at least a direction where to go. This will be one of the next things I'll mess around with.

Thank you!

For your interest in the game. I hope that the price drop is received positively. Fumiko! is a game that has a lot to offer and I want more people to be able to play it. Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-04-08 19:42:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! I didn't stop reading your feedback and there are some things I want to do to make the game an enjoyable experience for everyone. I am still in the creative process that will result in some parts of the game getting changes and improvements. The main approach I have for this update is taking a look at each level the game has to offer and check if there is something I can add or change that will make the level more accessible. Fumiko! is not about difficulty, but about engaging experiences that are changing in every level. For this to work, I need to be careful about the guidance I give. It doesn't matter if they're small visual hints, tips given by characters in the game or actual changes about the red line that leads you through the game. Some parts of the game have already received that treatment or were lucky to work perfectly from the beginning, while other parts might have some rubble lying around that can be a stumbling stone for some players. I don't have a team of UX-Designers behind my back, but with the experience I got from levels later into development, maybe I can give the game just that bit more polish it needs to truly shine. I just wanted to give you a quick update and some example screenshots of things I already touched. Feel free to leave your feedback or give me any additional requests that might improve your experience! Don't be shy - Some features might be out of reach now, but knowing what would make you happy could spark a good idea in the future. What happened so far:

Stairs made of glass

In the current version, new players are greeted by a white environment where Wilson will make contact to Fumiko. He'll tell you to run around, maybe hit a wall and then spawn a stair made of glass that you have to climb in order to continue. This stair is a relict of early development, it's the first level I made when I started to implement the story I had written for the game. Player movement and gameplay was different back then and I didn't know which route the gameplay will take in lategame. Thus, this part didn't quite resemble what Fumiko! is about. Small bunny-hops from small platform to small platform? Totally wrong. I deleted the stairs and replaced them with something that fulfills a better role in teaching how the game is meant to be played. The story will stay the same. An example for the new version:

There'll be some more finetuning, but I'm already quite confident that the new area will be a more fun way to try the first jumps. More space, bigger platforms, more ways to experience the insane jumping height of Fumiko - even with only a double jump at hand.

Hyperion

Hyperion was and is a weird experiment. It's a big city with a lot to see that also has quite some unused space. The main story will only give you vague hints at what to do, because the continuation of the main story is meant to catch the player by surprise. Things are changing and the player is supposed to be confused by the events around him. This weird mix of optional content and confusion is a bit tricky. I like it from a storytelling point, but it's also bad in terms of game design. Being all like "oh my god what is happening" in a story is very different from "oh my god what is happening" in gameplay. I don't want this to happen anymore and my current goal is to put focus on telling players exactly where to go, while hinting at the optional homeworlds to explore before they leave. A first step in that direction is the addition of a map to the main street of Hyperion. I had to implement it to see how incredibly helpful that alone is for players who want to explore everything.

Other subtle changes

Added a small hint to the Kronos Gate that you can jump on background objects:
Added flowing data paths to the Kronos Bridge that will give a rough direction on where to go:
Increased the size and visibility of the ground marker (drop-shadow replacement) because some players didn't realize that it even existed and those who did probably couldn't see it consistently enough.

Thank you for reading!

I'll try and keep you updated about the upcoming changes. See you around! Best Regards, Odrez

[ 2017-03-25 18:17:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

The demo now contains two levels from later areas of the game that offer an atmospheric and wild experience.

Experience the vastness of the kronos bridge!

Prove your skills in a difficult boss fight with an unknown enemy.

Both levels will be encountered during the main plot of the game. I removed spoilerish story from the boss fight but left the kronos bridge level intact. Get some taste of the gameplay and storytelling of this game in the demo! You bought the game and still want to check the exclusive parts of the demo? Download the demo on itch.io!

[ 2017-03-06 18:11:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

If you're still waiting for a reason to try out Fumiko!, here it is! Just hit the Button on the right side of the store page to install the free demo. This demo contains two additional and unique levels that let you experience the core gameplay of Fumiko! without spoiling any story.

[ 2017-03-02 19:18:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch Notes From 02/20/2017

Camera

• There has been a major bug that caused the default camera speed to be at almost 0, this has now been resolved

Menu

The menu has gotten quite an overhaul. I have decided to change the floaty interface to a screen overlay. This improves readability and allows me to show the menu more reliably.

• Menu is now an overlay that dims the screen
• Menu can now be activated during text scenes with some minor exceptions
• Latest Log now scales properly when there are too many lines instead of cutting them off
• Fixed a bug that caused music and ambient volume to fall down to 20% when exiting the game when the menu is open (If you have encountered very loud sounds, that was the issue. Make sure to check the sound settings after this patch)
• Quit Game no longer requires the player to keep holding a button. Press the exit key and accept to close the game.
• Default Settings were messed up when the game was started for the first time, this has now been resolved

Text Scenes

• It is no longer possible to skip text with B or SHIFT
• You can now auto-complete text by pressing A/Space and start skipping text by holding A/Space
• Fixed some smaller typos
• Changed some sentences that were grammatically correct but sounded bad
• Added some sentences to chapter 2 that might help finding the way to continue the main plot
• It is no longer possible to select and edit the text by pressing TAB

Levels

• Added a subtle hint to the exit gate of Kronos Bridge
• Changed the size of a trigger in the second level
• Updated several levels to be conform with the new menu and skip mode

Linux

• It should now be less likely for the mouse cursor to show up, but unity can't be helped to show it once in a while. Opening the ingame menu (ESC) will hide the cursor again, should it still occur. I'll try and file a bug for Unity in the next days and maybe get them to give it a fix.

Recent Patch Notes

Also for those that haven't seen the patch notes from 02/14/17 (since I posted them in the discussions group, not in the news:

• Fumiko now needs more time to start running when using a keyboard, improving the precision of walking controls for keyboard users
• Automatic Camera rotation is now incremental in speed to avoid camera shaking when taking small steps
• Fixed a typo in the playground

[ 2017-02-20 15:38:46 CET ] [ Original post ]