Welcome to the first devlog and thank you for joining me! I'm Jared the lead developer on Tonalities and on this site, I'll be sharing monthly updates about the state of the game. When it's time to discuss new features and content, you'll hear about it here first!
In this first update, I'll dive into what we've been working on to polish and enhance our demo build. We're currently preparing for this summer's Steam Next Fest and the main focus has been polishing the game to ensure we make a good first impression. Let's have a look at a few of the features we're currently working on...
Adding a Flashy New Level Transition Animation
Up until recently, on completion of each puzzle you would see a fairly generic "Level Complete" message and a prompt to load the next level. The more I looked at it, the more I realised it was killing the flow of the game. To remedy this, I added a flashy (at least in my opinon) new level transition animation to seamlessly remove any existing obstacles and load in the new level. From a technical point of view, I created a new Unity scene which is in charge of managing the puzzle layout for each level and dynamically lazy-loading the next layout on completion of a level. Whilst we haven't (and won't) put out a version of the game without this animation effect, I hope you'll still appreciate the work that's happening behind the scenes in trying to make the game as good as possible for you all.
Selecting Our Favorite Music Tracks to Share in the Demo
Music plays a crucial role in Tonalities, I'm really happy to be working with the Canadian composer TVVIG for this project as he has provided a great ambient soundtrack I can only describe as "vibes". To give you a taste of the game's smooth and relaxing soundtrack, we've carefully selected some of our favorite tracks to be featured in the upcoming demo. We hope you enjoy the music!
Setting Up Steam Cloud Saves
As a new Steam Deck owner, I've come to better understand the importance of seamless gameplay across different devices. That's why I'm happy to announce that Tonalities will support Steam saves. Now you can switch between devices without worrying about losing progress. Your progress, achievements, and settings will be securely stored in the cloud, allowing you to pick up where you left off effortlessly.
Bug-Fixing Ahead of Steam Next Fest
Bug squashing has been our top priority this month as we gear up for Steam Next Fest. We've been meticulously combing through player feedback and addressing every reported issue. Thanks to our amazing play-testers, we've been able to identify and fix several bugs, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience for all players. I'm hopeful that all of the major bugs are now stored and the demo experience will only need minor tweaks.
Ramping Up Marketing with Daily Twitter Posts
I've been actively ramping up our marketing efforts to spread the word about Tonalities. Marketing is something that I don't think comes naturally to indie developers so I was very grateful to watch this amazing video by Michelle Lega the GDC 2023 on how to approach marketing with little to no budget.
I've now adopted the 1-hour a day model and so you should hopefully see this reflected across our social media channels. Starting from this month, we'll be sharing exciting game updates, behind-the-scenes peeks, and devlogs on Twitter. Make sure to follow us @gamefuldev to stay up-to-date with all the latest news and get a glimpse into the development process.
That wraps up this month's devlog for Tonalities! We're thrilled to showcase these fantastic features in the upcoming Steam Next Fest demo. Remember to mark your calendars and join us for a mesmerizing journey through enchanting melodies and mind-bending puzzles. Stay tuned for more updates, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter for a daily dose of Tonalities goodness. Until next time!