In a couple of weeks, an extended soundtrack will be released with all of the game's music, as well as bonus tracks that didn't make it into the game. Track listing: 1. CC Title [1:41] 2. Win [0:53] 3. Not Powerful Enough (PD track by Spring Spring) [1:23] 4. Cave Loop (PD track by Gichco) [0:48] 5. Jovial Medieval Theme (bonus variant of CC Title) [1:18] 6. Epic (bonus) [1:10] 7. ticktock (bonus) [1:06] 8. Arab Dance (bonus) [1:17] 9. Caveman (bonus) [0:50] 10. Red Hood (bonus) [0:36] 11. Badass (bonus) [1:02] 12. -Outro- [0:51] Total: 12:55 You can wishlist it here in advance of launch.

[ 2023-08-22 23:49:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Welcome to version 0.7.11. Like a convenience store, it feels like this project never closes. What changed in this release:

• Added a playable goat
• Fixed some game-breaking bugs in the menu system

Enjoy!

[ 2022-07-07 06:03:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This patch release focuses on improving the VN system, and it may be Cave Confectioner's last release for a while. Notice the version number is 0.7.10. I thought a lot about that decimal, and it seems a small patch - yes I said it - a patch is better than waiting for a new major release with new content. Because the existing content still needed fixing. VN system changes:

• ADV-style dialogue advance
• Reskinned the UI
• Switched interaction to mouse-up
• Bug fixes

Enjoy!

[ 2022-05-11 11:41:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fixed some deficiencies on the main menu.

[ 2022-04-01 21:28:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patch time! There are no new caves to explore yet, but we can certainly plunge into that next go-around. What changed in this release:

• Rewrote the VN engine to support crisper graphics and image buttons (as seen on the English main menu)
• The right joystick now moves the mouse cursor, allowing any in-game action to be performed with a controller (except text input)
• As a consequence of the above, there is no longer a key or button to switch to in-front-of-your-face selection mode (left joystick movement does that)
• Fixed a multiple selection bug on the trading screen

[ 2022-03-30 22:25:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

First of all, way to go Valve for making us independent partners do your marketing for you. I personally think the Deck is overpriced garbage and a mere incremental step towards a standalone VR PC, but I'll take any chance I get to talk about mobile development, since that was where I got my start in commercial games. Cave Confectioner cannot currently support the Deck because it cannot be played entirely with a controller. There are two things that need to happen for that to change: 1. An on-screen keyboard needs to be implemented (Crockford keyboard, preferably) 2. The right joystick must be able to move the mouse cursor so the [admittedly complex] interaction system will still work I'm not planning on an Android port, but any discussion about that "special" platform is always interesting. I like to keep my Android games smaller and simpler than my PC games, for both technical and ergonomic reasons. Also, I am building RSOD from the ground up with full controller support in mind. Knowing what a pain in the ass it is to switch between keyboard and controller, I am making every effort to eliminate the need for a keyboard entirely. If you have any thoughts on any of this, please post them in the comment section of this post. Some people swear by their game controllers, and I don't want to leave those most obsessive users behind.

[ 2022-03-05 11:46:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

This isn't an actual update. Just streamlining the build process. Holler if your build suddenly breaks.

[ 2022-02-13 03:11:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This is a patch to fix some things. Nothing major. Just to look like a "good developer" and update for you lot. What changed in this release:

• The rock border now extends all the way around the minimap
• The ambient light is now tinted yellow when raining
• Moved the crystal
• Improved scripting to allow sequence-breaking in game objectives
• Localized "Get closer" text

[ 2022-01-31 03:40:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update is all about the text. What changed:

• [Almost] full Greek translation! (Thanks again DarkQuantum for all you have done in that area.)
• Added a system to translate in-inventory items to other languages (check out game/items.json; only Feather, Wood, Flour, and Grain translated for now)
• Changed trading string "You gain:" to "You will be payed:"

[ 2021-12-18 04:41:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Here is a midweek update to catch everyone up to the development version. What changed:

• Preliminary Greek dialogue for the entire game, courtesy of DarkQuantum. We will probably give it the "all clear" by this weekend.
• Increased stack limit for all "horn" items to 9
• Updated game controller DB

[ 2021-12-14 14:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Here is yet another small patch release. What changed:

• New item: Gyro (Cooked Fillet + Frost Tack = Uncooked Gyro, Uncooked Gyro + Campfire = Gyro)
• The game pauses when the window loses focus
• The minimap no longer shows at the wrong times
• Bug fixes

[ 2021-12-12 07:08:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This patch fixes some presentational issues. Think of it as cleaning up in case of guests. What changed:

• Eliminated pixel swimming in the minimap
• Bug fixes

[ 2021-12-06 12:31:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Thanks to the recent and unexpected help of DarkQuantum, there is a little bit of renewed interest in this game as well as a couple new enemies in the works. For the time being, this patch release mainly just brings an important feature that has been requested a few times: the minimap. For those who don't know, a minimap is a little radar display in a video game that acts like a GPS. This game's implementation uses tile instancing to draw the bottom 2 layers of the map in a small framebuffer. (If this lags the game for you, it may be time to upgrade to a new computer. I am continually benchmarking and hope these features aren't a problem.) What changed:

• Minimap!
• Replaced the old crafting sound with the softer pick-up-item sound
• New items that currently do nothing: Stone Axe (Stone Axehead + Wood), Spear (Wood + Knife = Wood Rod, Wood Rod + Knife = Spear)
• Fixed a bug that caused special items to increase in number when trading
• Other bug fixes

[ 2021-12-05 16:57:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

In the bowels of Steam, Lord Gaben forged a button, and into that button he poured his cakes, his malice, and his will to dominate all controls. One button to rule them all.

E

What changed:

• The interact button (usually the 'E' key) drops items, picks up items, interacts with what's in front of your character, interacts with menus, and more.
• New character: Mason, found in the brown region northwest of the ice cave entrance (only visible after you start a new game)
• Put multiple languages into one manual PDF

[ 2021-12-02 12:22:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This is a patch release. What changed:

• Improved Greek translations (Thanks DarkQuantum!)
• Added a PDF manual, accessible from your Steam library (currently English and Greek)

There is still no strategy guide, as that would spoil the surprises. Enough players have reached the Frost World that I should probably start dropping hints about the next major content area: the Crystal Cave.

[ 2021-11-29 10:17:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update is the culmination of a few weeks of post-relaunch patches. While there are no major gameplay changes, this release is the first I would call "polished". Greece is certainly a smaller market than CC's mains (currently the US, China, and Russia) but I guess it doesn't hurt to support Greek aside from time spent. The Greek font will not replace the current sans-serif font for English text.

What changed in this release:

• Adjustments to sprites
• Added a conspicuous message to indicate when you eat something poisonous
• Added functional function functionality, almost doubling the size of the script parser
• Translated the tutorial to Greek

People keep telling me that this pixel art stuff won't keep a studio afloat, so let's get right to it, a super secret unofficial game announcement: RSOD, coming "when it's done". If you like shooting, you like POSIX terminals, or you want to shoot a terminal in the face, check it out! Of course, Cave Confectioner will not be abandoned in the meanwhile.

[ 2021-11-28 08:37:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

There is something like a full moon out tonight, and in the darkest corners of the world, the moon's light reflects off of human skin [strike]and produces werewolves[/strike]. This is a new patch release with a layer of graphical polish. Tiles look better, and on the grain and the fenceposts at sunrise you can see a very natural-looking light creeping in. Rim lighting at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight (off):
What changed

• Sprites now have specular rim lighting
• The sun angle now affects the light on particles
• Fixed a tile edge rendering problem that had haunted the code since 2018
• Improved tree shadows
• Item bug fixes
• Started work on Greek translation (change language_code to el in the settings)

[ 2021-11-20 04:18:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Here is another patch release. What changed

• (Hopefully) fixed a locale bug that caused saved games to fail in some regions
• Added console command: /fps
• Other bug fixes

[ 2021-11-17 11:43:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Saving issues that some users may have experienced are probably fixed. Also, the buggy multiplayer mode has been removed. If you are unable to save your game after this update, add the launch option: --savehere Supporting 3 different OS families whose vendors have completely different ideas about how standard features should work leads to 1 in 10 users having issues. Let's solve those issues. The support contact email is support@microsm.space. If you have any trouble, use it!

[ 2021-11-16 03:40:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This devlog was just going to be a patch update, but looking at the changelog, I feel that v0.6.2 has a lot to put in your brain-hole. The special items that were previously given by timed drops are now given by characters. There are also improvements to particles, and other tweaks. What changed

• Special items granted by characters
• Improved rain and blood (3D lighting, particle-world collisions, increased particle count)
• For the sake of atmosphere, new games start off raining
• Darker nights
• Changed the title music
• Chinese language fixes
• Other dialogue changes
• Bug fixes

[ 2021-11-14 01:33:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This is a quick patch release that addresses issues in v0.6.0. What changed * Some characters now reliably tell the player what to do next. Tell them "I'm stuck. Got any hints?" (Must start a new game for this to work properly.) * Bug fixes

[ 2021-11-09 00:33:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! It's been a while since the last update. The game was removed from Steam for a while, and now it's back. The changes are too numerous to list concisely, but here are the essentials: New game content

• Almost-full-screen animations (think FMV games but less lame)
• Changes to the dialogue of several characters
• Controller rumble in combat (feel the difference between a goat kick and a yeti punch)
• Camera now subtly zooms in and out depending on player health and dialogue state

Other changes

• Steam builds are now the same builds as on other platforms, meaning no more Steam Inventory or achievements
• Bug fixes

As always, start a new game if you want to see the new stuff. Saves persist old stuff and may break without warning. I won't speculate on the future or tease you with anything that may or may not happen. Let's just say that Cave Confectioner is not the end.

[ 2021-11-05 03:15:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Cave Confectioner is now an itch.io exclusive. itch.io offers more store page customization options and control over messaging. Until Valve and I can reach an agreement, itch.io is where you will find all Motor Strip Entertainment products in the future. File a support request through Steam for a key to access Cave Confectioner on the new platform. You do not need a client to play.

[ 2021-06-02 05:03:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks! Here is a timely update to address some concerns you may have. New stuff * Early alpha support for modding (more on this below) Fixes * Added an additional hint to the tutorial The modding system (which will be augmented by the ISteamUGC API in a future update) currently requires passing command-line parameters ("launch options"). The syntax is as follows: -mFirstModFolderPath -mSecondModFolderPath etc. Everything following the "-m", without any spaces, is the absolute or relative path to a mod data folder. The folder should contain files that overwrite files in the game's "data" folder when the mod is used. For example, I could save an edited copy of the world map in a folder called "MyMod", then launch Cave Confectioner with the option "-mMyMod". As long as the map has the same file name, the game will load the modded version instead of the original version. This works for graphics, sounds, dialogue, everything except fonts.

[ 2021-05-30 04:15:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Welcome, seasoned confectioners and newcomers alike! Today's update is baked to perfection. Not only is there a game update, but also the Steam Open World Sale starts now. It's a delicious time to make a dent in those wishlists. v0.4.3 New stuff * Added winnerberry as a Frost World random drop (more on this in future updates) Fixes * Wake player when hit * Lowered the volume of splat sounds slightly * Updated Boost dependency As always, if you have anything to say, sweet or salty, sprinkle it in the review section or the community hub.

[ 2021-05-27 18:46:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

This software is not blessed or endorsed by Saint Ignucius. Confectioner Engine, which powers Cave Confectioner, is now free and open source software. The engine is licensed GPLv2 instead of GPLv3 because of the additional restrictions GPLv3 imposes. If you know what you're doing, you can pull the source tree with the following line: git clone https://rocketgit.com/user/mse/ConfectionerEngine The game contents in the "data" folder remain proprietary. You can simply copy the data into the Confectioner Engine folder. A way to get the data folder without Steam will be forthcoming, though I cannot release that for free. Why am I doing this? If people want to mod the game, it's good to own the source code as well. Releasing the code should have no immediate impact on sales either way, but it makes everything more fun since those inclined can see how it works and improve it.

[ 2021-05-22 05:37:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This release brings lots of little nitpicky fixes while I work on tools to support Steam Workshop. Now that the most glaring issues are out of the way, mods should have a more solid foundation to build on. New stuff * Added items: Raw Fillet (Raw Meat + Knife), Lard (byproduct of making Raw Fillet), Cooked Fillet (Raw Fillet + Campfire), Pastry Crust (Flour + Lard) * Added an achievement for eating cooked meat Fixes * Fixed autosaves when exiting caves * Because turning merchants to meat is an item sink, horns and dragonglass now regrow (you must start a new game to see this) * Added a margin to the left of the chat log * Increased the Steam Inventory drop interval to 48 hours (it was annoying before) Any feedback is welcome on the forum! If you like the game, please leave a positive review on the store page! Not trying to game the algorithm, but the experiences people have shared so far abbreviate what it's like to play, and it's hard for people to get a sense of a game as esoteric and fiddly as this, especially in light of how much it has changed since launch. If you're having trouble figuring out what to do, please email support@microsm.space so I can figure out how to make the game better. Also, stay tuned for Steam's Open World Sale, starting May 27th.

[ 2021-05-17 02:33:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

v0.4.0 was missing a Linux build. Whoops! In correcting that, I felt like adding something for other players so this isn't a pointless update for them. What I added... Gib corpses and take the meat! Whack 'em! You can cook it, eat it, and sell it.

[ 2021-05-10 18:03:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Photo credit: Matthew Yohe Version 0.4.0 If you're a Mac user, today is your lucky day! Cave Confectioner should run without emulation on MacOS 10.11 and above on x86-64 architecture. (Apple Silicon/ARM users need to run the Mac build through Rosetta 2, which should happen behind the scenes transparently after Rosetta 2 is set up.) There are also shader optimizations. You no longer need a badass graphics card to run the game! This is a necessary change for older Macs, but performance should increase for everyone. (Check out data/glsl/postfx.frag if you're curious.)

[ 2021-05-06 03:17:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Here is a hotfix that hopefully helps people finish the tutorial. Fixes * Improved the tutorial * Added Chinese translation for "New recipe"

[ 2021-04-12 12:49:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update contains the first version of the long-awaited tutorial. It may not cover everything, but I hope it points players in the right direction. New stuff * Added a tutorial. Just start a new game and select that option. Fixes * Updated internal dependencies * Fixed a bug that prevented some Chinese translations from displaying If you have any questions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below. The community forum is another great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-04-04 09:02:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

I was told early on that people would like Cave Confectioner because it is rather conservative in its feature set. It doesn't do the things that other games do. However, what I have found is that the play experience does not stick in the first 15 minutes or so. This is what I'm talking about:
People start playing and drop off really early. The 30-minute mark is the dividing point. Half of players pick it up and put it down real fast. (But everybody plays it for at least 10 minutes so that's something right...) For games in my Steam library that I have played for similar lengths of time, I would summarize the reasons as "I didn't learn how to play fast enough". quick player dropoff = they don't know how to play So, how does one play Cave Confectioner? I'll have to figure that out myself. "Maybe a tutorial..." Yeah, I hear you. Apparently the mini-tutorial in the cave isn't enough. I'm working on a better tutorial.

[ 2021-03-20 13:44:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Chinese is just like English. Easy to learn, hard to read. New stuff * Everything is mostly translated to Mandarin, sorta! Good enough to mark it as Chinese. Fixes * Updated the game controller database If you want Chinese you can change language_code to zh in Misc. Settings. Otherwise, your Steam language preferences determine the language.

[ 2021-03-19 13:19:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! A blood drop is like a raindrop but red. New stuff * Blood, as seen in the trailer! Fixes * Fixed a regression that caused target circles to not render If you have any suggestions or

[ 2021-03-18 21:39:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

What a ride! After a little over 2 months in Early Access, the love and support of the community has thoroughly convinced me that gamers are ready for Cave Confectioner. This will be the year of the caveman indeed. What does this mean for you, the players? Well, updates are no longer my responsibility, so expect none and you shall receive none. Thanks for playing along, gamers of the world, and for new players, enjoy the 15% launch discount!

[ 2021-03-16 08:54:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update brings instanced rendering, which not only improves performance but also allows for particle effects! Start a new game to see the new and updated content. New stuff * It can now rain (when you exit a cave into the main area or when you eat magic berries) * You can now start the game in windowed mode with the launch parameter: --window Fixes * Map tiles are now instanced (16% reduction in overall CPU usage) * Automatic cleanup of last zone immediately before map load (speeds up saving & loading after the Frost World) * Fixed a possible regression that sent a "joined" message prematurely If you have any questions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below. The community forum is another great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-03-15 03:03:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

v0.3.0 The time has come. The Frost World is now in fully playable form. It's just you, your unfortunate enemies, and loot baskets. The bear can show you the path... Also: * Switched recipe names to mouseover captions, leaving room for 20 on-screen * Incomplete Chinese translations for mouseover text and notifications * Added recipes: Spice Cake (Cake + Habanero Pepper), Ghost Cake (Cake + Ghost Pepper) * Misc. bug fixes If you have any questions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below. The community forum is another great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-03-09 07:14:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update is an early step towards the element of danger. You MUST start a new game to see the new and updated content. (Otherwise the map will not be updated.) New stuff * The Frost World is now accessible! To get there, give a cake to the bear and ask it to transport you. There will be more stuff in the v0.3.0 release. This is alpha. * Ostriches now drop feathers Fixes * Fixed a bug that sent a "joined" message before the player was named * Made human players 25% faster and ostriches 50% faster If you have any questions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below. The community forum is another great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-03-05 21:04:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This is a small update with QoL tweaks. New stuff * Game marked as having "Full controller support" -- Since the last update, the game is fully playable with a controller (Steam Controller confirmed, Xbox controller testers welcome) * Expanded Chinese translation. Dialogue is now 50% translated! Fixes * Fixed a bug that caused the player to drop too many items If you have any questions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below. The community forum is another great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-03-04 03:04:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! We've got some quality-of-life improvements here! New stuff * You can now click on a tile to drop the selected item there! Inventory management! * You can now sprint by pushing the controller joystick farther * Added a "Can't rest here" message to special zones * Added a few more props to the map * Added a global volume control to "Misc. Settings" * "/me" is now a valid chat command * Added "joined" and "left" messages to multiplayer Fixes * Made apples and oranges smaller when you drop them * New player name defaults to persona name when a controller is plugged in * Removed Xbox controller glyphs to avoid alienating other controller users * Sound improvements * Plant growth does not update when in a zone (helps with performance) What's a "zone"? You'll see when v0.3.0 comes out! The community forum is a great place to give feedback, especially if you have ideas for new content.

[ 2021-03-01 20:15:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This build brings engine and asset updates, so (this time) you can pick up where you left off and see the changes. New stuff * Made the engine generate world entities for all items. It can look a little funny, but it makes all items droppable (select and press E) and speeds up the content pipeline. Fixes * Fixed Linux builds for systems with glibc >= 2.25 * Changed the command entry key from backtick to slash (/) * Made Mugure's hint about the bear a little clearer * Improved goat sound As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-25 17:40:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

This update brings partial Chinese language support. (Specifically Mandarin with a mix of traditional and simplified characters, aided by machine translation. If you want to help with localization, please email support@microsm.space.) Also other features and fixes. Start a new game to see the new and updated content. New stuff * The menus are now mostly translated to Chinese * Wout now sends you on an instructional fetch quest, and you can fight him * The arid shrubbery region now plays music Fixes * Fixed a bug in saving settings that would in some cases prevent the game from starting * Fixed a few audio glitches * "Zone" music now fades out As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-20 22:32:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Start a new game to see the new and updated content. New stuff * Dev console -- Press the backtick key (`~) and try the "/help" command * Updated achievements * You can now travel to the area that will be the Frost World, but there is work to be done Several major bugs have been identified, and I will list them here for future reference. When you enter a "zone", plant growth and other irrelevant functions keep updating across the whole world, causing lag. When you rest and return to the main menu in the middle of it, the world's entities are layered on top of the main menu's tiles. The recipe screen is still an issue. When you try to start multiplayer but you are offline, the game crashes. As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-17 23:35:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Start a new game to see the new and updated content. New stuff * Changed the Frost Guardian to a bear Fixes * Made night sounds slightly quieter * Changed Steam Inventory colors As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment. P.S. Work is being done on the Frost World. Now that the realm has cake, war is soon to follow. The Frost World update should be ready at version 0.3.0.

[ 2021-02-14 22:26:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! The main focus of today's update is a combat overhaul! Enemies will now come at you faster, follow you over longer distances, and attack more efficiently. Additionally, you can now pick fights with some of the characters. Start a new game to finish the fight. (Or start the fight.) New stuff * Combat overhaul -- Check your keyboard settings for the melee key. Usually 'F' * Expanded the cave mushroom tutorial to explain what the inventory is used for * When you give a cake, the recipient can change in appearance Fixes * Made Steam Inventory items automatically stack and organize themselves (Thanks for the help Tavish!) * Renamed Jade -> Jade Ore to make it more searchable on the market * Made sprinting footsteps slightly louder As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment. Leaving a review is another great way to get heard, as I will be sure to correct any major grievances! I realize that the experience is about 30 minutes right now. These changes pave the way for a (planned) combat-heavy late game, assuming that's okay with everyone.

[ 2021-02-12 08:37:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings, confectioners! This is the sweetest update yet! Remember, start a new game to see the new and updated content. Your old saves are no longer valid. Version 0.2.0 New stuff * Added recipes: Custard Horn (Milk Horn + Egg), Cake Batter Horn (Custard Horn + Flour), and CAKE! (Cake Batter Horn + Cake Pan) * Added responses to cake gift * Press Shift or the left thumbstick to sprint! Currently not documented or rebindable. Fixes * Lowered the drop time from 30 to 15 minutes for Cake Pan, since you really need it now * Fixed an old bug that deleted ingredients when the crafting target was at its stack limit A reminder about items granted as login bonuses: You don't need them. You can sell them to other Steam users. You can also buy and collect them. As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-10 01:53:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Nothing but fixes this time. * Made Wise Man's dialogue slightly more rational * Fixed a regression that triggered a full-screen effect when returning to the main menu * Added a small margin to the left of the item name text (the J in "Jade" should now look better) * Tweaked item drop rates * Updated GameControllerDB * Added OpenSSL trust store used for Windows multiplayer (forgot about it for a long time, sorry!) As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-08 03:01:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update improves the Steam Inventory meta-game. No new in-game content this time, but the experience is improved somewhat. Content * Added a daily login bonus with special items: Clay, Jade, and a secret Legendary item Engine * New recipes now trigger auto-save * Made special item mouseover less visually "loud" * Misc. bug fixes and tweaks As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-07 03:20:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! Just a small update this time. Steam Inventory is a new work in progress, and a couple other tweaks were made. Content * Updated Wise Man Engine * Added Steam Inventory support. At this point, playing for 30 minutes will yield a Cake Pan * Fixed a bug affecting display of "regrow" entity names (fruits, etc.) As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-02-03 12:20:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update mainly fixes bugs and adds a tiny amount of new content. Start a new game to see the new content. Content * Added some stuff to the eastern part of the map Engine * Cloud saving now only downloads newer versions of files than local copies (You can still see problems if you play without Steam then switch computers without re-saving, but there should be no issues under most other circumstances.) * Fixed a bug that caused trader items to display erroneously * Fixed bugs affecting looting As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-01-31 13:48:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update brings cloud saves, and more! But mainly cloud saves and related tooling. Start a new game to buy Flame Hawk's peppers. All other new content is in the engine. Long story short, it's a good idea to start a new game to avoid outdated save files. Content * Flame Hawk now sells Habanero Pepper and Ghost Pepper * Increased stacking limit by 50% for many items Engine * Saved games and settings are now stored in Steam Cloud (and your local filesystem, though cloud saves always overwrite saves made without Steam running) * Added an option to delete all saved games and settings (go to Options>Advanced>Delete all user data) * Fixed a bug that caused an erroneous network connection * Misc. fixes If you have any questions or comments, post them here. Enjoy!

[ 2021-01-28 18:06:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This new update took the most muscle of any post-launch update so far. In addition to the new content, a number of changes have been made under the hood to facilitate looting and the new main menu. Start a new game to see the new and updated content. Content * Added a fancy new main menu * Improved goats * Updated Wise Man * Balanced enemy damage * Added Flame Hawk, a character who is supposed to sell peppers but, due to time spent playing whack-a-bug, does not currently have anything in his inventory Engine * Interact with corpses to loot them (Are we Borderlands yet?) * Added controller text input via Steam Big Picture (game must be launched from Big Picture mode) * Bug fixes for trading system * Bug fixes related to displaying a map behind the main menu * Misc. bug fixes There are a lot of changes, but this is still just a patch release. With version 0.2.0, there will be cake. (Note: The "c" in the on-screen version number indicates a mini-patch. In other words, an additional bug was fixed immediately after a planned patch. In this case, the bug was preventing text input from working, and it took 3 mini-patches to debug and fix it.)

[ 2021-01-26 15:29:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This update focuses on delivering promised features. The groundwork is laid for future features like dating simulation and factional alignment. Karma is working behind the scenes. You need to start a new game to see the new and updated content. Content * Added Milk Bread recipe * Improved Wise Man * Removed ability to trade with Nataruk Engine * Display item names in inventory * Increased tile clip margin (fixes a graphical glitch) * Player now looks at interacting path-blocked entities * NPCs now eat the edibles you sell them, meaning it is now possible to poison NPCs As always, if you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment.

[ 2021-01-19 03:04:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, folks! This is the first patch release. This update focuses on clearing up confusion for new players. You will not see the new content until you start a new game. Content * Added Wise Man (he gives you advice) * Changed text in various places for clarity * Added captions to pumpkins and coconuts * Wout will now trade with the player * Grain and beets now have no cash value for balance reasons Engine * Version number displays on main menu * Steam Rich Presence Now your friends can see a blurb about what you are doing in the game, including whether or not you are playing online. (Due to a technical issue, the game does not use this feature if Steam China is running.) If you have any suggestions or issues with this build, please leave a comment below.

[ 2021-01-17 10:02:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Cave Confectioner is now available for sale in its unfinished, Early Access form! Expect less than an hour of gameplay and lots of bugs. If you see anything you want changed, let me know! I'm working the graveyard shift to answer questions and address problems. Thanks for following development so far, and look forward to lots of updates in the near future!

[ 2021-01-12 00:45:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's that spooky time of year again, and Cave Confectioner is participating with a Halloween demo that you can access for the next 3 days. There is Halloween-themed content, but as with the last demo, this one is somewhat last-minute. There is a process to access the content. The process is as follows: Start a new game and exit the starting cave. Collect any item to offer in trade. Go southwest through the ice cave, talk to Mugure, and trade the item for the black rock. Go back through the ice cave and break the rock on a grinding stone (the one by the tree will do). Now you have a knife. Walk south to a small pumpkin patch and take one or more pumpkins. Combine the knife with a pumpkin to carve it. You can then place the carved pumpkin on the ground by pressing E. If you can, please leave feedback on this blog post. It will help guide the direction of the full release this winter. P.S. The multiplayer functionality is gravely ill and does not function well if at all. This will hopefully be fixed in time for release.

[ 2020-10-30 11:50:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

A new demo has been uploaded for this month's Steam game festival. Cave Confectioner's participation in this one is somewhat last-minute, but there are small game improvements across the board. Things don't always go as planned. Sometimes a game hits snags, like when a new networking API proves too complex to integrate on short notice, or when the game's only programmer is going through an interview process shortly before the launch of a demo. Thanks for your patience. I know it's been a long wait. Much of what you will see is "under construction", but the flavor will remain true to the original vision. New technology, same great taste.

[ 2020-10-03 00:15:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Cave Confectioner will be demoing in Steam's spooky Halloween festival! Hopefully! New features include character selection and (broken) multiplayer. Don't get me started on the multiplayer. Hopefully everything will be fixed soon, and if not you'll have some bugs to laugh at.

[ 2020-09-01 16:25:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

It is worth discussing protracted development and gaming audiences. Cave Confectioner is made for two vastly different demographics: hardcore and casual. Let's break it down. Hardcore * Ages 14-40, 50/50 gender split * These people play a lot of PC games * Punch ostritches until they die Casual * Ages 50-70, mostly female * A lot of mobile and web gaming, probably not on Steam * They don't like making difficult decisions These are Cave Confectioner's demographics, not hardcore and casual demos in general. It all boils down to gaming as passive entertainment. Hardcore gamers have muscle memory for most genres after racking up thousands of hours, making gaming as passive as watching a film for them. Casual gamers go in expecting a passive experience, and they get it with casual games, so the result is the same. Cave Confectioner has something for everyone, which is why it needs more development time. If you read between the lines, you can see where this development time is going and how it will help the project. Casuals will get their casual experience where they expect to find it, and hardcore gamers hopefully tried the demo in the festival and are hopefully willing to wait for the next opportunity to play the game. Thank you for your continued patience, and be sure to join the group chat for answers to your burning questions.

[ 2020-07-02 06:03:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

The dev Q&A chat was pretty quiet. The follow-up is on Reddit, and will remain for as long as people have questions. You can ask anything, so ask!

[ 2020-06-17 07:24:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

If you want answers to your burning questions, or just want to hang out, navigate to the Cave Confectioner community in the Steam client to join the chat. If for any reason Steam chat doesn't work, as a backup you can create an account and join the group chat "room.mobilegamedev.org" here: https://chat.mobilegamedev.org:5281/conversejs You can also call the Cave Confectioner hotline (1 call at a time): (+1) 813-521-3666 This should pretty much have everyone covered. The Q&A is open (at least in spirit) at all hours, any day of the week. The listed time slot is merely a time during which I plan to be online, and therefore a perfect time to reach out.

[ 2020-06-16 11:45:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Cave Confectioner's launch is delayed by a week to line up with the new festival dates. Let's be real here, nobody wanted to play Cave Confectioner right now so much that they would forget about everything else. I think Valve's rescheduling is probably a sound business move, especially if the delay is only a week. See you on June 16th for the start of the festival.

[ 2020-06-07 23:00:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Cave Confectioner festival trailer is now live! You can check it out on the store page. I am also announcing something to augment the Steam Game Festival in these uncertain times: the 24/7 Cave Confectioner hotline! From now until June 30th, you can call a special Cave Confectioner phone number for...whatever. This is a United States number (country code +1): 813-521-3666 I personally am looking forward to the festival, when everyone will get a chance to play an early demo. Much time will be needed for the game to evolve into its ultimate form, and earlier-than-early-access feedback will help make that happen.

[ 2020-05-31 01:24:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

As some of you may know, Valve will soon be hosting a festival of summer gaming, which is to feature demos of games that will be released after June 15th, 2020 and before the summer of 2021. Remember when Steam simulcast the Video Game Awards and put up a bunch of demos for unreleased games? It's probably going to be something like that. After much deliberation, I have decided to push back Cave Confectioner's Early Access release date from late May to June 16th. The game does not really need the extra 3 weeks of development time, but it does need the exposure. Because of this and prior push-backs, I am also reducing the Early Access period from 12 months to a sliding scale of 6-12 months. In the end, the game will undergo just as much development as was originally planned, but more of that time will have been behind closed doors. I hope that a better initial product will result. This means a Cave Confectioner demo may be featured in the festival, so keep an eye out! I will also try to figure out my availability for chatting with players, which is supposed to be a big part of the event, so I will announce that in June.

[ 2020-04-20 00:35:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

What a ride! Gamers are very supportive, even when they're being bastards to each other in PvP. It has been a pleasure interacting with you guys on Steam and elsewhere. It will be a challenge to give you what you want. Early in development, I imagined a feature-rich sandbox experience that would be playable solo and with a community of strangers. Through inspiration and long hours, I expected to deliver a massive feature set in the time I had. I had help from people who gave guidance and connected me with pixel artists. I even had a month of silence when the unit next to my home office was vacant. Two months from soft launch, the state of the upcoming game is uncertain. But not to fear! Like anything else, video games are a medium of expression. Though C++ is less expressive than a ready-made system like Unity, I have built an engine that supports a robust crafting system, branching conversations, quick saves, and even some 3D elements. As I expand on the engine, I am adding stuff to do that has emotional significance. Below are GIFs that highlight key features that are in place so far.


There are more features to come, and more that have not been revealed. I'm sure you're all anxious to go watch Westworld or play the latest FPS or whatever, so thanks for tuning in and I'll try to make another one of these posts in a month.

[ 2020-03-23 02:40:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

To the 8 people or so who are in this group at this point, welcome! It has been said that Steam communities should be used "like Twitter", and while that might be a bit extreme, I hope to post semi-monthly updates here. Cave Confectioner is a product of myself, a couple of freelance artists, and my testers. It will soft launch in May regardless of weather. While some rough edges are to be expected, the breadth of content should showcase what the game is and will become through the Early Access period. I am the programmer and community manager. If you have any questions, you can post them here or on the subreddit. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

[ 2019-12-15 09:19:56 CET ] [ Original post ]