Hello everyone! Happy Timespinner Anniversary! It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since the game came out. To celebrate the occasion, I have some exciting news to share with you...

Introducing Timespinner 2: Unwoven Dream

That's right! After releasing Timespinner on all major platforms, I started working on the sequel to the game full-time. While I have been keeping a low-profile, I feel that I am now ready to show it to the world; I'm so excited to share it with you all! [previewyoutube=GFs4JRB-FC0;full][/previewyoutube]

Travel to the Tower in the Sea

Auria, a retired war hero, awakens to the ominous stirrings of the catastrophic Unwoven Dream. Amidst the turmoil, her son runs away to prove that he is the destined hero who can forestall the impending collapse of reality. Driven by a mother's love, Auria embarks on a quest to safeguard her son, only to unveil the undeniable truths behind the prophecies and her pivotal role in staving off an irreversible cataclysm.
During Auria's adventure on planet Surflynd, she'll travel through eerie woodlands, under the sea, up the Tower of the Apocalypse, and even into the Realm of Dreams. Using her magical orbs, she'll defeat strange and fearsome foes. She'll even find new abilities to help her nimbly explore the treacherous world. Even should she fall during battle, Auria will rise once more- thanks to the blessing of the Eternal Mother herself!
As the game takes place after the events of Timespinner, expect to see some old familiar faces, as well as many new ones. We're not on Lachiem anymore!

Wishlist the game on Steam!

Check out the game's Coming Soon page! Timespinner 2: Unwoven Dream on Steam Timespinner 2: Unwoven Dream is still in development and will probably need a couple more years before it is finished. I hope to bring the game to consoles, too!

Follow along with development!

I do development live-streams on Twitch every other week. Tune in on Tuesdays from 1-4pm PDT at Twitch.tv/LunarRayGames to watch me make the game!
Thanks for all of your support in making my dreams come true! May the Eternal Mother smile upon your memories!

[ 2023-09-25 17:27:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello! I've been busy working on Timespinner 2, but took some time to push this small update. The purpose of this update is primarily to restore MacOS functionality to the game, in addition to some quality of life changes to Speedrun mode. After pushing this update to Humble and GOG, I'll get back to working on the sequel! :D I've resumed my development livestreams, which are now every other week on Tuesdays, from 1-4pm PST. Hope to see you then!

1.033

• Updated FNA framework version to 21.08 from 19.05
• MacOS now launches! No longer uses OpenGL, which Apple discontinued support for.
• Fixed a softlock in the Main Menu after setting duplicate keys to the Menu Controls for Secondary and Accept.
• Adjusted SpeedrunA monster drop logic so that quest items always drop if available.
• Adjusted SpeedrunA Gyre final chest logic so that Familiars always drop if needed.
• Adjusted screensize logic for windowed mode, allowing for resolutions that are slightly larger than window size. For example, when maximizing on a 1920 screen, 1920 resolution wouldn't be picked because the window borders made the window a little too small!
• Adjusted platforms in a room in the Caves before the boss, which allow for reaching the boss without any movement abilities (for Randomizer community)
• Changed a couple of names in the Backer Credits section.
• Fixed a bug where defeating a certain boss perfectly would forever prevent unlocking the secret item rewarded for defeating all bosses perfectly.

[ 2021-09-01 18:47:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone. Bodie here! Can you believe its nearly been 2 years since Timespinner first launched on Steam? To celebrate, Timespinner will be 50% in the Steam Daily Deals section, from today (Friday September 4th) right through to Monday September 7th! Timespinner has come a long way since I started creating the story world as a kid, and made my first game prototype as a project back in college. Theres been so much love and support for Timespinner over the years, from generous Kickstarter backers, to the awesome Timespinner Discord members and the lovely speedrunning community, and I cant wait to show you what Ive got in store for my next project Ill be continuing to stream my development work live on Twitch, on Tuesdays every other week (just like old times!), so be sure to follow the Lunar Ray Games channel and tune in if you want to see whats cooking! Thats it for now. For those of you whove already played the game - thank you so much! And to everyone else who may be discovering it for the first time, I hope you enjoy your time exploring Lachiem! -Bodie, Lunar Ray Games. https://store.steampowered.com/app/368620/Timespinner/

[ 2020-09-04 17:03:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since the last update! I hope you've all been doing well. To commemorate the release of Timespinner on consoles in Japan today (Switch) and tomorrow (PS4 + PS Vita), I've release a very small update to the game. The changes in the update where made when preparing for the Japanese console release. You will only notice changes if you play the game in Japanese! I also wanted to thank everyone for their support! Because of the game's success, I've been able to work full-time on making the game's sequel. As the game is still in early development, I don't have too much to show. However, I hope to make a full announcement (with a trailer!) in the future. I'm excited to show it to you someday! Until then, take care everyone!

1.032

• Minor update to Japanese localization to have parity with the game's console release in Japan!
• Changed the Japanese Font to be smaller, resulting in less cluttered menus and dialogue.
• Improved the Japanese localization in several instances (fixed typos and mistranslations).
• Fixed a bug where the area name reveal for "Emperor's Tower" was incorrect in Japanese.
• Added a new contributor name to the Japanese localization in the credits.

[ 2020-06-03 18:37:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to announce that Timespinner is releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan on June 4th! If you're eager to pre-order the game on Switch you can order your digital copy through the eShop on May 28. To the Japanese fans of Timespinner, thank you so much for your support! I wish you the best in helping Lunais take revenge against the Lachiem Empire on your console of choice! 64TimespinnerNintendo SwitchPlayStation 4PlayStation VitaSwitch528e Timespinner

[ 2020-05-19 04:10:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Today's small update makes the game have parity with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One builds (which come out on June 4th!). The biggest new feature is dynamic resizing of the game screen, a feature that needed to be implemented for the above ports. Hopefully this fixes the dreaded "black full screen" bug that some people have seen, too! Enjoy!

Update 1.031

• The game window is now freely resizeable, picking the closest integer resolution based on size (up to 4K)
• Switching to fullscreen now attempts to pick the closest resolution to your screen size.
• Fixed a bug where the Demon Boss saw sfx could play forever.
• Fixed a softlock after triggering a cutscene in the city and instantly zoning.
• Fixed a bug where text prompts could be drawn off screen (only seen in locales such as German).
• Fixed a bug where the controller could vibrate forever with certain controllers.
• Fixed a crash that happened if you disabled your Audio Driver during the game. (/shrug)
• Adjusted L3/R3 button glyphs for 4th button glyph style.
• Upgraded FNA framework to version 19.05 from 18.03. (General engine upgrade, minor fixes)

[ 2019-05-30 19:28:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Great news today, Timespinner is now playable in 7 new languages! Yayy!

Update 1.03

• Added 7 new language locales to the game! (French, Spanish, German, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese).
• Added a new Language Settings screen to the Title Screen (auto shown if never seen before).
• Added horizontal text scrolling to several menus.
• Fixed a bug where healing from items used before using a Warp Shard would not be applied.
• Adjusted UI spacing of wide buttons glyphs in text.
• Updated the credits to include the Localization team.
• Added a new "Dropped Item" for a quest item, in addition to the original method to get it.
• The game now will assume you want to see Keyboard Control Glyphs (instead of Gamepad) if you have no controllers attached the first time you play.
• Fixed a bug where certain SFX would continue playing indefinitely after the Demon Boss.

Enjoy! :D

[ 2019-02-05 16:38:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Today's update brings a small bug fix and two new Passwords for two new Speedrun Modes!

1.026

• Fixed a bug where "Quick Exiting" out of the Use Item menu did not apply the health/aura restoration after using a healing item under the following conditions: a) did not cap your health, b) you had more items remaining, and c) you remained in the Yes/No prompt.
• Added 2 new Passwords to the game to allow improved Speed Running experiences.

The two Speedrun modes are:

• Speedrun Alpha (PW: SPEEDRUNALPH) Skip the tutorial, all chests are rare chests, and all enemies that have a 2nd equipable drop will always drop that item.
• Speedrun Beta (PW: SPEEDRUNBETA) Skip the tutorial, capped levels (Lunais, Familiars, and Orbs), cleared Use Item Inventory, full stock of (Warp Shards, Hi-Ethers, and 1 Lachiemi Star), and "Lost Items" have been removed. Keep in mind that this mode will not unlock new items and instead will use the save file's obtained items and equipped loadouts instead.

In order to activate a Speed Run, do the following:

• Load the save file that you wish to convert to a Speed Run file.
• Open the Password menu and enter the desired Password
• Save the game
• Return to the Save Select screen in the Main Menu
• Start a New Game+ with that save file (a special 'A' or 'B' indicator will be on the save file)

WARNING!!!

Please note that activating any Speedrun mode will disable all future Feats/Achievements for that Save File!! PS: Sorry to the DRM free crowd! I promise that if this build is stable I'll push this build to Humble/GOG! XD

[ 2018-11-13 20:13:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Keyboard players rejoice! Today's update is for you! I've added ways to customize how you control menus and added options to display keyboard keys instead of gamepad buttons.

1.025

• Added a menu for customizing Menu Controls. (As opposed to Player Controls).
• Added the option to change the default display for gameplay buttons (controller vs keyboard keys).
• Adjusted default controller settings slightly.
• All menu and UI button prompts now show the correct button to press, matching your controller settings.
• Fixed a bug where PS4 L2/R2 buttons were being displayed improperly when drawn alongside text.
• Fixed a bug where the Spotlight SFX sound could continue to play after defeating the Demon Boss.

Please note that this build will be coming to DRM-Free websites (Humble, GOG) when I'm confident that it's stable. Thanks!

[ 2018-11-08 22:51:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! Today's update is quite small and is more of a small brick in a larger project: Improving quality of life for Keyboard users.
There is also a fix for a very rare bug where save files have become corrupted or disappear altogether. Please let me know in the discussion forums if you run into any trouble saving the game! Enjoy!

1.024

• Fixed a rare bug where a save file could be lost.
• Added Keyboard Key Glyphs to the Input Settings screen when entering Keyboard Keys.
• Changed the Map Menu, Warp Menu, and Bestiary menu to show Button Glyphs for how the menu can be controlled with your control scheme, including Keyboard keys.

[ 2018-11-01 21:22:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here's some minor changes to address the difficulty in leveling familiars, the awkwardness of the START button not exiting to gameplay, and a way to customize how button glyphs are displayed. More patches to come soon :)

1.023

• Fixed an issue where you could lock the Demon Boss out of its first usage of its critical attack.
• Fixed a bug where opening a Max HP/Aura/Sand chest could reset your HP/Aura/Sand to a previous state.
• Changed the START button to now completely exit from menus.
• Added the option to change the console display style of button glyphs.
• Added a new item to the Merchant Crow shop under certain circumstances.
• Added new items that increase Familiar experience and experience gain.
• Lowered Familiar level up exp requirements.

[ 2018-10-24 21:45:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! I've been busing patching up the game for PS4+Vita. Here's a small update that includes the things I've fixed since the last Steam update. My next task will be to work on a large functionality update for controls, like I've mentioned before. Enjoy!

Timespinner Version 1.022

• Fixed a bug where Junk Crushers would be invisible if unseen before frozen.
• Fixed a bug where Reinforcing an Orb would reset your HP/MP to the values you had the last time you Paused.
• Fixed a bug where level 1 clears weren't being saved properly.
• Buffed a few named healing items.
• Added a cutscene to remind players to use the Timespinner.
• Refactored code to improve performance.
• Adjusted text in a collectible letter.

[ 2018-10-16 19:54:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Tiny update today, mainly to fix a crash!

• Fixed a crash caused the Mushroom Towers being hit by friendly fire.
• Fixed an issue where switching out a specific Orb mid-attack left behind a damage area briefly.
• Added a Yellow Dot to the Map in a specific room.
• Added color fade oscillation for Map Markers in the Map Screen (helps with Markers covering map)
• Optimized Conveyor Belt objects to be more efficient (improves frame-rate on some processors)
• Lowered experience gained from a specific enemy.

[ 2018-10-02 21:30:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! I've just uploaded version 1.02 of Timespinner! (Version 1.01 was the "initial release" of the game on 9/25, whereas Version 1.00 was released to Kickstarter backers 2 weeks before that!) I've listened to your feedback and have made several small changes to the game:

• Fixed a crash caused by raising Orb Level too high. It is now capped at 999.
• Entering a NG+ game no longer clears the "Game Cleared" flag- allowing for infinite NG+ resets.
• Adjusted the Fire Passive to be capable of killing enemies (it would not reduce them past 1 HP before).
• Added an additional costume for Lunais.
• Reduced the power of several healing items.
• Adjusted stats on a few enemies.
• Adjusted a certain Keycard door to appear to be broken.
• Adjusted the location of a certain skeleton.
• Added glowing floor prompts to two story interactable objects.
• Fixed a parralax bug in a penthouse room in the city
• Fixed a floating tile bug in a save room in the forest
• Added a "Dropped Item" to a ledge in Lake Serene
• Adjusted a "Map Download" to add 1 additional room to Lake Desolation
• Fixed a visual bug in the Orb Shop where the "Better Arrow" would overlap the Orb level
• Adjusted the Orb Shop's Reinforce display stats to always show improvement, even if numbers did not visibly change.

My next updates will focus on keyboard/controller quality of life, display fixes, and performance fixes. Enjoy!

[ 2018-10-01 22:17:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Surprise! Hey everyone, I know it's not a solstice or equinox, but I have great news for you all!

Timespinner is coming out on 9/25!

You read that right! The game is coming out on PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and PS Vita in just two short weeks! How exciting is that? I'm dying from anxiety, it's fine, everything will be fine! Here's the game's page on Sony's website! :D https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/timespinner-ps4/

Chucklefish Joins the Team!

Yep, you also read that right! I've partnered up with the Chucklefish, who has been helping for the last few months with the final steps of releasing the game. As such, Chucklefish is the official "Publisher" of Timespinner and I am the "Developer".
Now, this may seem very strange- especially considering that development has been mostly done- why get a Publisher this late in the game? Well, it boils down to what I'm good at and what I'm not! Throughout the development of the game I've tried to juggle a lot of roles at once- art, programming, design, marketing, writing, etc. I've found that there's just certain aspects of gamedev that I simply don't enjoy and am not particularly good at anyway! Whenever I've hired talented individuals to take care of these roles, I've had great success- I mean, the writing, music, sound design, and character art in Timespinner is so much better because I worked with other people! Chucklefish has been no exception. They've been expertly helping to craft the marketing plan for the game, work seamlessly with Sony, guided me through the Ratings process, made a beautiful new website, and more! I'm so glad I've joined up with Chucklefish to help show Timespinner to the world <3 And don't worry, I still have complete control of my IP ;)

Timespinner Released to Alpha/Beta Backers

Another big announcement! As of now, all Alpha/Beta backers of Timespinner have access to a full build of the game on Steam! Wow!
Now, some things to note: As these backers are sharing a private full-version of the game with the Press, we ask that you follow the same embargo that they are: Please do not Stream or upload videos of the game until the 21st! You may however, talk about the game on social media, but please avoid talking about plot and spoilers! <3 If you find any bugs or have feedback, you can leave it on the official Discord in the "bugs-n-feedback" channel, or on the new forums at https://community.playstarbound.com/forums/timespinner-support/ Please note: currently the Steam build for Mac and Linux doesn't support Steam integration (Achievements, Trading Cards, CloudSave), whereas Windows does. I'll try to get this working before full release! As for "Early Access" Backers ($25 tier), I still need to sort out the distribution of your keys- this may take a few days, but expect a HumbleBundle email soon!

In Conclusion

That's about it for now- short and sweet! Talk to you all soon! Excitiiiiiing!

[ 2018-09-12 22:25:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Happy Summer everyone! Well, for me, it's felt like it's been summer for a month already, as the weather has been unseasonably warm. Nothing wrong with a little extra, sun, eh? I hope you've all been doing well, too! :D Let's talk about the state of Timespinner!

Recap of Spring

The Spring season went by so quickly, it's scary to think that it's already the end of June! Here's what happened since the last update:

• OSX and Linux ports were finished!
• PS4 and PS Vita ports were finished!
• The last Alpha Build and a new Beta build were released!

A video of Beta gameplay! The Kickstarter Backer Beta build was particularly scary for me to release, as it meant that over 1100 people could play the game! On the bright side, taking that big step meant that I was able to find some particularly bad game breaking bugs (like the game not working at all in Europe! Oooops...) With everyone's help, I've been able to make the game much more stable and more enjoyable. Thanks Alpha and Beta backers! (If you are a Beta Backer, but have not received your key, please go to this page and enter your Kickstarter Email address! https://www.humblebundle.com/resender)

What's Next

While the game is nearly done, there's a few things that need to happen before the game can be released. First, the game needs to be rated to be digitally released on consoles in Europe and America. Thankfully, I've already gotten the game rated for America via the ESRB: the game is rated T for Teen!
Unfortunately, the ratings process for Europe is a little more time consuming: I've submitted the game to be rated for PEGI (for most of Europe) as well as the Classification Board (for Australia). Unfortunately, these ratings can take up to a month to finish! After I've received all ratings, I can then submit the game to Sony for Certification. The certification process is rumored to take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months! It's also possible to fail it, which can delay the game's release even longer! Because of these variable delays that are out of my control, I'm still unable to give a solid release date. If all goes well, we may be able to have a late Summer or early Fall release. We shall see what happens! In the meantime, I'm working hard on polishing the game more, and so are Jeff Ball and Power Up Audio! The game is going to be so sparkly!

In Conclusion

The next few months will be exciting! I'll be breaking from the regular update schedule (four times a year) and instead will be updating you all to important information when it becomes available! I also have some other exciting news that I can't share quite yet. Expect to hear from me soon! ;D In the meantime, feel free to stop by and chat with me during my weekly livestreams on Twitch (every Tuesday from 1-4pm PST at https://www.twitch.tv/lunarraygames). Take care, everyone!

[ 2018-06-21 19:31:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey y'all, happy vernal equinox! Well, late equinox, since I just learned that equinoxes are not always on the 21st, so I'm technically a day late on this update, haha. The more you know! I hope you've all been doing well! We've been steadily working on the game, marching on towards the end- and let me tell you, the end is in sight!

Game Progress

The game is going great! Since the last update, I've finished the major in-game tasks that I told you about before (bosses, backer content, and cutscenes). Now the only tasks on my end are polish and porting. Since porting involves lots of time spent coding boring stuff, I've been spending the weekly stream days working on fun visual-type stuff. Here's a great example of that sort of polish: A brand new title screen! :D
Shiny new title screen! I'm not the only one working hard to finish the game- Power Up Audio has been expertly crafting the game's SFX and Jeff Ball has been doing stellar work on finishing the game's soundtrack! Here's a sample: the area theme for the "Caves of Banishment": Caves of Banishment Theme Isn't it wonderful? It reminds me of my favorite PlayStation 1 games, while still being unique and beautiful. Wow :O Even though the game is getting close to being finished, I still don't have a good idea of when the final release date will be. This is because it's hard to predict how long console ports and certification will take. When I have a final date, I will definitely let you all know!

Alpha and Beta Builds

Sooo, remember last update I talked about releasing a new Alpha build and soon after a new Beta build...well, time sure flies, doesn't it? Hehe...*sweats nervously* I've been so focused on finishing up the game that I let that task fall behind. I'm sorry about that! So, I've just uploaded a new Alpha build on Steam! This build contains the same 2 areas from previous builds and also contains the new prologue area. After a week or two, I'll be sending out Beta keys (via email) to all of the backers who backed at that tier ($40 or higher). The first Beta build will be similar to the current Alpha build (limited areas). As we get closer to the release date, the build's scope will include new areas!

Conclusion

Alright, that's it for today! Please send me a message on Kickstarter or stop by the weekly development livestreams (Twitch.tv/LunarRayGames (Tuesdays at 1-4pm PDT)) if you have any questions! Until next time, take care y'all! :D

[ 2018-03-21 22:22:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey y'all, happy vernal equinox! Well, late equinox, since I just learned that equinoxes are not always on the 21st, so I'm technically a day late on this update, haha. The more you know! I hope you've all been doing well! We've been steadily working on the game, marching on towards the end- and let me tell you, the end is in sight!

Game Progress

The game is going great! Since the last update, I've finished the major in-game tasks that I told you about before (bosses, backer content, and cutscenes). Now the only tasks on my end are polish and porting. Since porting involves lots of time spent coding boring stuff, I've been spending the weekly stream days working on fun visual-type stuff. Here's a great example of that sort of polish: A brand new title screen! :D
Shiny new title screen! I'm not the only one working hard to finish the game- Power Up Audio has been expertly crafting the game's SFX and Jeff Ball has been doing stellar work on finishing the game's soundtrack! Here's a sample: the area theme for the "Caves of Banishment": Caves of Banishment Theme Isn't it wonderful? It reminds me of my favorite PlayStation 1 games, while still being unique and beautiful. Wow :O Even though the game is getting close to being finished, I still don't have a good idea of when the final release date will be. This is because it's hard to predict how long console ports and certification will take. When I have a final date, I will definitely let you all know!

Alpha and Beta Builds

Sooo, remember last update I talked about releasing a new Alpha build and soon after a new Beta build...well, time sure flies, doesn't it? Hehe...*sweats nervously* I've been so focused on finishing up the game that I let that task fall behind. I'm sorry about that! So, I've just uploaded a new Alpha build on Steam! This build contains the same 2 areas from previous builds and also contains the new prologue area. After a week or two, I'll be sending out Beta keys (via email) to all of the backers who backed at that tier ($40 or higher). The first Beta build will be similar to the current Alpha build (limited areas). As we get closer to the release date, the build's scope will include new areas!

Conclusion

Alright, that's it for today! Please send me a message on Kickstarter or stop by the weekly development livestreams (Twitch.tv/LunarRayGames (Tuesdays at 1-4pm PDT)) if you have any questions! Until next time, take care y'all! :D

[ 2018-03-21 22:22:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone, welcome to Fall Season! The wonderful time of falling leaves, cool weather, and warm pumpkin spice lattes! I hope you all had a great few months. I had a pretty good summer, although it seemed to have gone by much too fast! It's hard to believe that it's almost the end of September. How time flies when you're making a game. Or maybe it just gets faster the older I get...haha! Time to get cozy and finish making Timespinner!

Game Progress

The game has been coming along smoothly since the last update and I'm finishing up the 'main path' content of the game. Prologue This last week I've been focusing on completing the game's prologue, which features the most cutscene action in the game. The prologue also has a small tutorial section to introduce the player to the game's battle mechanics. After I finish the prologue in the next week or so, I'll be sending out the final Alpha build to backers at that tier. Then, as I finish more stuff in the coming months, I'll send out the first Beta build. Exciting!
A cutscene from the prologue of the game. Off the Beaten Path With the main content of the game being wrapped up, all I need to do is to finish up extra 'optional' content. While most games have a main path to win, it's that extra stuff on the side that can really make a game shine! The stuff that I'm talking about in particular is side story quests, cutscenes, extra areas, and battles for those areas!
The chamber of a Kickstarter-Designer Boss. Kickstarter In-Game Content Progress Over the summer I spent some time working on content made for the Kickstarter Campaign (rewards and in-game stretch goals).Here's the status of that stuff:

• Finished: Alternate Meyef Familiar Skin
• Finished: Alternate Merchant Crow Familiar Skin
• Finished: Umbra Orb (Melee, Spell, and Passive ability)
• Finished: Pixel Portraits and Busts (In-game and sent to backers!)
• In Progress 80%: KS Designer Enemies
• In Progress 65%: KS Designer Orbs
• In Progress 50%: KS Designer Bosses
• Finished: Stretch Goal - Local Co-Op
• Finished: Stretch Goal - New Game+ and Alternate Lunais Costume
• Finished: Stretch Goal - Challenge Dungeon

The alternate-Meyef skin Reward for KS Backers.

Music

Now that all game areas have been drawn and designed, Jeff has been expertly writing music to fit the mood for each one. Here’s a taste of one of those tracks: the Greenwood Forest theme! I'm really excited about the game's soundtrack so far- I bet you all will love it too! Greenwood Forest Theme
The peaceful Greenwood Forest area in the past. Soooo good! :D

Release Date

As we enter the final lap of 2017, I should talk about the game's release date. For awhile now I've said that I hope to release in 2017 and it's looking like that's less likely to happen. Above I talked about how the main part of the game is nearing completion, which is true, but the extra stuff on the side is taking much longer than I had anticipated. That, combined with the fact that I still need to finish porting the game to PS4 + Vita, and go through certification for those platforms, means the likelihood of me finishing this year is slim. I'll continue working hard on the game and will definitely let you all know when a final release date is set. Thank you all for being so incredibly patient with me and giving me the time to make Timespinner the game it deserves to be :D

Conclusion

Alright, back to development for me! Thanks again for all of your support! If you have questions or would like to chat, send me a message on KS or even stop by my weekly Development Livestreams on Twitch every Tuesday from 1-4pm PDT! Take care, everyone! See you next update!

[ 2017-09-21 21:59:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone, welcome to summer! I hope you all had a wonderful spring season and are ready for the changing weather. We had a fairly mild spring here in Seattle. Let's hope the summer is mild, too! :D Development on Timespinner has been going well, although it really feels like a "Slow and steady wins the race" sort of thing. It's not really possible to rush this sort of project, so it's just a matter of putting in the time everyday to make the game better and better!

Development Progress

Last update I mentioned that the next two big tasks to complete were: putting over 100 pages of text into the game and finishing up the Kickstarter Backer content. Here's how those two things are shaping up. Cutscenes, Dialogue, and Lore Since the last update, we've finished putting all of the text into the game and making it accessible through playing the game naturally. One can now play through the game from start to finish, trigger all of the cutscenes, complete quests, and collect every readable lore item!
An enthusiastic librarian welcomes Lunais to Lachiem! The only content in this department that needs to be finished is character animations during cutscenes. It's no good when a character slides on screen without a walking animation, right?! Kickstarter Designer Backers I've also been working steadily on putting all of the Kickstarter Backer Designer content into the game. This includes new enemies, bosses, and orbs. I've nearly finished all of the Backer enemies and orbs, and just started on the 3 new bosses yesterday!
A Backer-Designer's Passive barrier ability and a new enemy! After I finish this new content, all that's left is to polish the game! Hurray!

New Music!

I'm not the only one who has been busy making stuff for Timespinner. Jeff Ball, the game's composer, has also been hard at work creating the soundtrack. The past few months we've been focusing on finding a unique musical style that fits the game and is also super awesome. I believe we've found that style! Here's a song for the "village" of the game. Timespinner - Sanctuary
An abandoned temple in the past. Lunais finds allies here who are seeking refuge from war. Isn't this song absolutely wonderful? Go Jeff, go! :D

In Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to read the update! If you'd like to ask any questions, please send me a PM on here, or better yet, stop by during the Weekly Development Livestreams on Twitch (Every Tuesday from 1-4pm PST) to say hi! Alright, take care everyone! Catch you later at the Autumnal Equinox!

[ 2017-06-21 19:33:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone, happy Vernal Equinox! Or, in other words, happy first day of Spring! Here in Seattle our Spring weather is a little slow to arrive, but I'm looking forward to more sunny days and lots of flowers blooming :D I've been hard at work finishing up Timespinner. Like always, this takes longer than I expected, but that doesn't mean that I'm not making great progress on the game! I'm very happy with how everything is finally coming together. It is so satisfying to slip in a puzzle piece that completes a section of the game. There are 3 major pieces of the game left to be completed: Cutscenes, Kickstarter Content, and random polish!

Cutscenes and Dialogue

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk, have at you!" Most Metroidvania games take a 'lightweight' approach to story and lore.This is intrinsically tied to the gameplay flow of the genre, making it better to stick to fast-paced exploration than to bog down the player with slow exposition.
This prologue cutscene is much prettier than it was during the Kickstarter! This has presented an issue for Timespinner, as it has a lot going on in the story, as the plot involves multiples planets, cultures, and characters. In order to tackle this challenge, we have split the game story and lore into multiple formats. These formats fall into the following categories:

• Skippable cutscenes
• Optional character quests
• Collectible lore items that can be read at your leisure

The general idea of these exposition formats is to allow players to choose whether they want to just explore and kill things, or immerse themselves in the lore of the game as much as they'd like.
A letter found hidden in the world. Now that the writers have finished nearly 100 pages of text, my current task is importing this literary gold into the game! :D

Backer Content

As the core of the game is done, I've begun putting Kickstarter Backer content into the game. I've begun reaching out to Designers on an individual basis to get input on designs for Orbs, Bosses, and Enemies. So far this has worked out really well!
An Orb Designer's Spell + Passive in action! If you're a Designer Backer and have not yet heard from me, please feel free to send me a message on Kickstarter so that we can start putting your ideas in the game! (But also, maybe check your Junk Folder in your email Inbox, lol!)

Nintendo Switch

I've heard from several Backers and fans asking about whether or not we are bringing Timespinner to the Nintendo Switch. Here is our official response: We are not currently planning on bringing Timespinner to the Nintendo Switch. Our current goal is to bring Timespinner to all of the platforms promised by the Kickstarter Campaign (PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS Vita, and Nintendo 3DS). After we finish fulfilling these promises, we will then look into the possibility of porting to more platforms!

Release Date

Currently we do not have an update on the release date for the game. We are still on track for a 2017 release date, though!

In Conclusion

Thanks for reading, everyone! If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me on here (via a Message), or hop into the Weekly Development Livestreams on Twitch (Every Tuesday from 1-4pm PST!) to ask me in person! Take care everyone! See you at the Summer Equinox!

[ 2017-03-20 19:06:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Season's greetings, everyone! I hope this update finds you in good health and happiness. I've been doing well (thankfully!) and have been making great progress on Timespinner. While Autumn is my favorite season, this year I found my mood and motivation being strangely affected by the weather (gray Seattle rainy days would make me feel sluggish). After doing some research, I figured I might have SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and decided to try out buying a 'Happy Light'. It's basically a super bright light that mimics the light you would get from a sunny summer day! Suprisingly...It worked! My mood and motivation have improved. Yayyyy! But enough about me, let's talk about Timespinner! :D

Game Progress

Whenever a relative or friend asks how the game is coming along, I always say "slow but steady!". It's true, because although development is taking longer than anticipated, it's still making some really wonderful progress. I'm super proud of how far Timespinner has come! Here, let me gush my pride with you! Screenshots and gifs of new tilesets, UI animations, and screens!
New Tileset: An abandoned temple where friendly NPCs hang out.
New Tileset: Entrance to the Empire's Fortress!
Bestiary Screen: Gotta defeat them all!
Very fancy "Area Title" scrawl!
Very fancy popup for getting Max Stat Up items! Beyond finishing all of these pretty things, I've also managed to finish all core boss battles (ignoring polish + balancing, haha). My list of things to-do before the game can be shipped is dwindling, so I'm feeling super confident about a 2017 release of the game :D Yay!

Seasonal Updates and Livestreams

My current schedule for writing Kickstarter updates is to release an update on each seasonal solstice (hence why today is the Winter Solstice (in the US, at least ;)). The reason I use this cadence is because writing a KS update tends to take at least half of a work day that I could otherwise be using to finish Timespinner. To fill in the gaps in communication, I've been doing weekly Development Livestreams on Twitch.tv where I work on the game for all of the world to see :D This also lets me keep in touch with the backers and get feedback in real-time! It's awesome!
Watch me make the game! :D If you haven't checked it out yet, please stop by and say hi! I stream every Tuesday from 1-4pm PST at my Twitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/lunarraygames. Even if you can't make the streams when they're live, you can always watch the last two weeks' streams on the Videos tab!

In Conclusion

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this update! Take care everyone, see you next year! :D

[ 2016-12-21 20:09:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying your June so far! In Seattle, we're sporting the classic gray-rainy weather, but I'm sure July will bring more sun! This update has some important announcements about a new Alpha Build, Steam Early Access, and updates on the game's development. Let's dive in!

Development Update

Since the Spring Update, Timespinner has passed the classic "Content Complete" milestone. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with that term, it simply means that the core content for the game is done. Now comes the fun part: polish! There's lots of work that still needs to be done on the game before it's ready for ship. What are those things you may ask? Well, we still need to:

• Add cutscenes and dialogue. While one small bullet-point, this means massive amounts of work! This includes adding a prologue, opening/ending scenes, and drawing FFT style animations to make characters comes to life!
• Make a seamless experience from beginning to end: Adding story locations and polishing ability progression- tying areas together perfectly!
• Balancing and Polishing Enemies: There's lots of baddies in Timespinner, and they each need extra time to make them feel challenging, fun, and pretty!
• Adding Designer Backer Content: We still need to tackle the Designer Enemies, Orbs, and Bosses. I'll be reaching out to these Designers when we're ready to start work on this content!
• Adding Kickstarter Stretch Goals: The bonus dungeon, NG+, and familiar co-op mode still don't exist in the game! We also need to spend time porting the game to other systems!

While all of these tasks aren't too daunting on their own, they take up lots of time when added together! No need to fear though, the game is coming along wonderfully :D

Looking Back On How Far We've Come

In development, it's easy to "lose the forest for the trees" so to speak, as you can spend lots of time making the game better and then forget how everything comes together and grows. Let's take a moment to remember how far we've come!
It's been quite a journey so far and it feels great to have made so much progress throughout the years.

Rethinking Steam Early Access

One of the rewards of the $25 tier for the Kickstarter was access to the game during its time in Steam Early Access™. As it was described in the campaign: "Early access to the game before it is officially released, through Steam's Early Access™ program". Early Access™ is a way to release an unfinished game to the public so that they can purchase and play it. After much thought, research, and talking with other indie developers who used Steam Early Access, I have decided that this is not a good fit for Timespinner. Instead, Backers at the $25 tier will get 'early access' to the game 1-2 weeks before the final game comes out. You may ask "why isn't Early Access™ good for Timespinner?". Well, it's because Early Access™ is great for games that have a unique play experience each time you play. Usually this is achieved through multiplayer features or random procedurally generated worlds. For example, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Darkest Dungeon, Don't Starve, and Duelyst are all perfect examples of titles that make great fits for Early Access™. Timespinner, on the other hand, is a relatively linear game, with almost no randomized content. As such, players would have less incentive to keep playing the game over and over as it grows. Because we're no longer doing Early Access™, I will be removing Timespinner's Steam Early Access™ release date of July 2016, and replacing it with a temporary full release date of March 2017. This date is based on the current production schedule, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. The game is progressing wonderfully, but it's very difficult to determine how long the rest of development will take!

Alpha Build 2 Released!

I've now released the second Alpha build on Steam to Backers who pledged at the $150 tier and higher. This build contains 2 areas: Lake Desolation and the Varndagray Metropolis. Keep in mind that there are some missing audio files, including a SFX for Leveling Up as well as an area theme song for the Metropolis.
The gate to the Metropolis! As it has been over a year since the first Alpha build, the game is much shinier than it was before! Enjoy! NOTE to Alpha Backers: Feel free stream or record yourself playing this build of the Alpha. This policy may change for future builds!

In Conclusion

Alright, back to work! As always, feel free to stop by during the weekly Development Livestreams, which happen every Tuesday from 1-4pm PDT at http://www.twitch.tv/lunarraygames! Take care everyone!

[ 2016-06-23 23:21:23 CET ] [ Original post ]