Hello again!

To commemorate being part of the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase event, I built a new demo version of EMUUROM! It's version 0.8.2.1, and it contains many quality of life updates, and even some new content as well. See, during some playtests I've noticed people are starting to doze off during the intro cutscene. I had to do something about it! And eventually, I did. I did have a nagging feeling that besides being rambling and technical in nature, the intro didn't really serve its main purpose, that is, give a clear goal for the player. I liked the general geeking-outery in the old intro, but after all, I had written much, but said a little. I had to think about how to approach overhauling the intro. I didn't like the thought of rewriting everything, but it seemed more and more inevitable by the minute... Then, one day, when I was taking a shower (somehow, that's where these kind of ideas usually come to me), everything just clicked. I understood immediately what the intro needed! It was dialogue - and not just any dialogue, but dialogue with... Oops, let's not spoil everything! You get to experience it yourself!

Changelog

• New intro cutscene with all-new dialogue!
• Multiple new & revised EMUUDEX entries
• Kaakana is a long boi now. They're fun and bouncy, and most importantly, easier to jump on!
• Once again, boss is easier (and has a new phase) (and the phases are signposted better)
• Stones are not scannable after the first scan
• Level design changes
• Numerous bugfixes

Ungh, I'm getting lazier and lazier with these changelogs.... but not with the game, mind you! Now that I'm done with the demo updates, I can once again try to stop procrastinating with my main quest - finishing the god damn endgame. I want to finish EMUUROM during this century, after all!

[ 2023-08-06 13:25:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

After a long period of radio silence, it's time for a new demo!

Last autumn, I was stuck in a "just effing get it released" rut, which ultimately didn't get the game any more done than what it was. Thanks to the power of constructive feedback (and friends, mostly friends), I'm back! And now I'm in a productive "I want this game to be its best version / but let's also get this done someday" mood! I've quietly been busy working on two major areas: crafting a new, more consistent UI, and making many long overdue bugfixes.
Now those two checkboxes are ticked, and it's time for a new demo! To commemorate a new release, I've even updated the Steam page. New gifs, new descriptions... do you like it? Oh, and here's the changelog for aaaall the things I got done for 0.7.0!

Changelog

UI

• Overhaul map UI, make it fullscreen.
• Map now opens in the room player is in
• Show found & scanned constellations in map
• Fine-tune dex UI as well
• Use same button for exiting dex & map
• Add new unintrusive popup UI for scanning EMUUROM you have previously found
• Also show the popup when scanning the constellation
• Make new EMUUROM scan entry full screen with black background for added clarity
• All UI elements now have a 1pixel wide outline
• Add fadeout: UI elements now disappear smoothly
• Config screen: Simpler graphics, hold any key to continue, both input methods deactivated by default
• Title screen: Add progress bar for deleting your save
• Edit boss intro screen appearance. After the boss is beaten, its text is blue.

Gameplay

• Only DOWN can be used for swimming down, JUMP now swims up
• Kotiloma can be moved when they're scanned
• Kuru Otukka return to sleep in their original location (makes first room easier)
• Don't show sign runes when scanning the sign
• Edit sign entry texts: add runes, add title pages with graphics, add more hints.
• Fine-tune level design in multiple rooms.
• Make 3-5 part of KURU biome
• Choose scanned EMUUROM based on how many scanlines are scanning them
• Edit background tiles to make them appear less solid
• Add short slowmo scene after beating boss, feels better!
• Add tall rune signposts

Fixes

• Fix missing graphics in the intro cutscene
• Fix OOB crash
• Fix constellation being scanned even if rays don't touch the comet
• Speedrun mode toggle is now saved properly
• Fix spoilery OOB stuff
• Other minor fixes

[ 2023-02-21 23:00:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Oops, new update!?

Surprise! I've updated the demo a few times now, so it's time for a new changelog devlog thingy! These updates pack mostly some new visuals, let's start with the biggest one: runes!
I had a busy weekend and created a runic alphabet system from scratch. I've dreamed of having one in EMUUROM for a long time, and last Friday everything just started pouring out of me... I guess the time was ripe! The runes represent letters arranged into syllable units, and it's designed for writing my mother's tongue: the Savonian dialect of Finnish. By a friend's suggestion, I call them EMUURIIMUU ('riimu' means rune in Finnish). I'd like to talk about the system in detail, so I'm gonna write a longer devlog in the future - stay tuned!
Runes are not the only change, though - for example, I also added some new graphics to the intro cutscene. It felt a bit too barren and text-heavy, so at least there are now some images to look at :D And I was going to work on the final boss.... Oh well, I think these additions are important - and this is my game, so I get to choose what I'll procrastinate on!

Changelog

0.6.3

• new intro cutscene graphics!
• new constellation animation
• controls test screen colours are now clearer
• optimize rune drawing routine
• small graphics fixes

0.6.2.1

• sleeping ahavena cannot be awoken anymore
• small graphics fixes

0.6.2

• add EMUURUNES
• appear in signposts
• appear in various screens
• redesign area intro screen, does not block input
• fix title screen fadout
• remove too easy exit from boss

[ 2022-09-29 22:01:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello again!

EMUUROM development is going smoothly. We're nearing the finish line - there's only two bosses & ending cutscene left to implement... and then the game is done! Can you believe it?! Maybe the game WILL be released this year, after all! As late game development has progressed, there have been some changes on the early areas as well. I had a playtesting session last month that resulted in a few important UI fixes. I wanted to incorporate those fixes into the demo as well - it makes the beginning of the game just a little smoother. Sooo, the rumours about 0.5.4 being the final demo were greatly exaggerated...

Changelog:

• Add flashing lights warning
• Make Dex UI make more sense
• Add page indicator to dex view
• Clearer boss progression
• Make scanner rotation a bit slower
• Fix some text entries
• Refactor Save format (breaks old saves.)
• Fix palette bug with controller
• Fix scanner collision
• Fix: Do not show big text before acquiring scanner
• Fix music staying on after leaving room 24
• Other tiny bugfixes

[ 2022-09-13 12:37:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've updated the EMUUROM beta and now the demo catches the beta, going from 0.5.1 straight to the most recent version: 0.5.4! The most striking change is visible right after running the game, but there's also more.... Changelog: - a new cinematic intro! - new flavor text in forms of poems! This means many signposts were rewritten completely. - many EMUUROM descriptions updated as well - an updated HATTU room (secret) - level design fixes for a smoother experience

[ 2022-07-23 19:42:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

A new update already? And it's not bugfixes???
As per popular request, EMUUROM now has a SPEEDRUN MODE. For the time being, it can only be toggled with keyboard by pressing SHIFT+R. When I update EMUUROM to use the TIC-80 version 1.0, speedrun mode will be available for toggling in the pause menu.

Changelog

• Speedrun mode! Press SHIFT+R to toggle.
  • Faster soft resetting in title screen
  • faster config mode skip
  • Speedrun timer tied to real time instead of game time: soft resetting adds up to the timer now!
• For version 0.5.0 players: Save format changed a bit to accommodate the new mode, so you will see a "Save data compatible" message which means your old save was converted to the new format successfully.

[ 2022-06-16 10:38:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've been quietly working on Harju, the second-to-last area, which is now finally done - only one area left! Development of Harju has introduced many tweaks to tutorial area as well, so I decided to upload a new demo build to itch.io and Steam. There's nothing critical, but the overall experience is all the more smoother for the tiny changes.

0.5.0 changelog

• Intro cutscene dialogue changes
• Intro cutscene: Maire has a cartridge now
• Easier to ride on Kaakanas
• Shorter bossfight
• Changes in signpost texts
• Minor changes in level design
• A new Hattu design
• Some other stuff I forgot

[ 2022-06-14 12:30:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Another week, another update! ^^
Or, actually, two. I didn't write a dedicated changelog for the previous version 0.4.0.5 as I was anyway about to release a new version soon enough. And here it is!

0.4.0.5 changelog

• balance tutorial boss
• make tutorial boss phases faster
• visual aids for tutorial boss Kaakanas
• bugix: rare kaakana bug where its speed can change drastically

0.4.1.0 changelog

• balance tutorial boss more, it feels pretty much done now
• implement two-page entry texts
• update many signpost and Emuurom entries
• show biome sprites in entry texts
• bugfix: prevent UIs from overlapping
• bugfix: fix intro cutscene if plugging in controller during cutscene

Happy holidays and (this might as well been the last update of this year, and if that's the case then also) happy new year 2022, everyone!

[ 2021-12-26 20:49:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fixing some minor bugs from 0.4.0.1.

CHANGELOG

• fix boss resetting too easily
• fix boss bridge not opening under certain conditions
• fix intro cutscene when using a controller
• map polish & other small fixes

That's it. Happy scanning!

[ 2021-12-22 15:08:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

The new, probably-very-final demo version 0.4.0.1 - SQUADRON GOALS is here! The bad news is that it breaks old saves once again. The good news is that you can now play the demo again from the beginning! :---D

NEW FEATURES

• A new boss!
• A new form for an old EMUUROM
• "Control test" screen that shows game controls on keyboard & controller
• New title screen with included subtitle
• Level design tweaks

SILLY LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS

• Easier way to skip intro cutscene
• Area intro text splash is a bit smaller for better readability
• KANGAS biome is renamed back to LEHTO. oh well
• Some sfx volumes adjusted
• Many undocumented under-the-hood changes I can't remember
• Making things ready for an eventual Japanese translation

KNOWN BUGS

• Sometimes Maire doesn't pick up the scanner during the intro cutscene and I have no idea why this happens.

[ 2021-12-18 15:28:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've recently uploaded three new bugfix releases - 0.3.6.1 to 0.3.6.3. There's also an important new feature - taking a nap! Here's the full list of changes:

0.3.6.1

• BUGFIX (failed): map screen sometimes appears when pressing the scan button.

0.3.6.2

• BUGFIX (actually fix it for real this time): map screen sometimes appears when pressing the scan button

0.3.6.3

• BUGFIX: Save corruption bug (should be fixed now!)
• BUGFIX: Kaakana not always turning when scanning
• Speedrun timer now only starts when Maire is able to move.
• You can now take a nap. (Press and hold Down button)
• The "PUIJJO PLATEAU" place introduction text now has a black background to make it clearer.

If there's any bugs persisting that you've found, leave a comment!

[ 2021-10-07 09:20:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Borb plays the EMUUROM demo through and discusses its silent tutorial, level design and worldbuilding. Come say hi & ask anything! If there's time, speedrunning tech will be showcased as well.

[ 2021-09-30 23:32:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Borb plays the EMUUROM demo through and discusses its silent tutorial, level design and worldbuilding. Come say hi & ask anything! If there's time, speedrunning tech is showcased as well.

[ 2021-09-30 23:10:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Really, I'll just need to test my streaming equipment prior to the real deal - the Steam Next Fest stream!

[ 2021-09-29 20:33:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

The EMUUROM demo includes the first area of the game, PUIJJO PLATEAU. It has playable content for about an hour, and gives a good idea on what to expect from the rest of the game. Overcome the obstacles, comprehend the creatures, SAVE THE SPECIES. Try it out!

[ 2021-09-21 19:52:54 CET ] [ Original post ]