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Launch Plans & New Demo Update

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 17:12:20 GMT

Hello Contestants!

In this blog post, I'll outline the latest demo update (our biggest yet) and give you some background on where we've been and the dreaded release date plans...

The Demo Changelog

We last updated the demo content in November last year. Aside from occasional hotfixes, it has been very very quiet.

Thankfully, we've just launched a brand new update which includes...

UI Revamp
Random Challenges (WIP)
New Animations for Baseball Bat
New Enemy and Enemy Variants
Audio Optimisation
Showcase mode video (shows after 60s in Main Menu)
General Performance Enhancements

Known Bugs:

Zombie clothing does not sync
Light in the button puzzle does not sync

We're hoping to streamline the blog posting process so we can keep you updated on development more frequently.

Be sure to join our Discord to give us feedback on what you think!

Where We've Been

It has been a while since we last updated you all on development. Happy to report that we are still alive! (i think)

Rest assured, we have still been working hard and we've got a lot of content to cover over the next few months. Hopefully this blog will shed some light on our progress.

Last year, we focused heavily on seeking funding. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful which has resulted in multiple delays and a reduction in scope. With this, we've all taken up other employment to keep our personal lives afloat.

Although this sounds really doom and gloom, we have more of an idea of what the game will look like and our plans as a team which has ultimately benefited our overarching vision.

Showcasing Shenanigans

As many of you will know, we've continued to attend multiple exhibitions across the UK. Most notably, our old friends at Insomnia have invited us back each time. I personally just wanted to thank those of you who have returned to check out development - we're really putting our all into this and it's always refreshing seeing people with smiles on their faces as they slap our abominations.

Last September, we were lucky enough to get the entire team together for the first time and showcase the latest demo updates.

It's thanks to these events that our design choices have been challenged and resulted in countless improvements. Thank you to anyone who has critiqued our work.

NEW LEVEL! Twisty Tunnels

There will be 3 spectacular levels at launch (with more conditionally planned for post-launch). Each level has a unique flair and host of ridiculousness. You've already seen the Rickety Rooftops over the past few years but we've also been hard at work putting together The Boat and the Twisty Tunnels...

The Twisty Tunnels has been an idea before Slap-It Together had even existed. It's long been my dream to make a level with moving trains . This level is a real testament to our ambition and it pulls things off that we've never tried before.

Testing has been positive and we're just doing the final tidbits for the puzzles before we're ready to show it off. Stay tuned for an exciting blog post going more in-depth into how the entire process has looked for us.

How Launch Will Look

Aside from the features you already see before you, we're currently working towards a plethora of new cosmetics, enemies and gamemodes. Some of which will potentially become available post-launch.

One aspect that won't be coming is a voiced antagonist and more story elements. As mentioned earlier, we just don't have the funds to pull something like that off.

I've saved the best for last...

When are we releasing?

Initially, we were aiming for a 2024 release but our lack of a marketing push has left our numbers too low to justify it. Assuming this improves, we will be releasing in Q1 of 2025.

Thanks for Reading

Thank you for baring with us as we wade through these obstacles and I hope you enjoyed reading this blog.

If you want to support us in any way, please do wishlist Slap-It Together on Steam and join our Discord Server .

Cheers,

Matt.

Monthly Updates 2023 - #1

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:05:48 GMT

An overview of the past month of development (January to February)

Hello Contestants!

We've been making tons of changes within the first part of the year. Read on to learn about our spectacular progress!

Slappy Socials

To begin with, we've had to revitalise our social media campaign and take it to higher level of quality. We're still figuring some things out, and we're by no means perfect but we're hoping this improvement will demonstrate our passion for Slap-It Together and our community!

Check us out on TikTok , Twitter or Instagram !

The New Pit Area

The Pit has had several iterations so far. Hopefully, this is the final one.
This hub area is perhaps the most important aspect of the game and provides the utmost significance to the gameplay flow; allowing players to beat the game and roll the credits. As such, we took extensive time to get this functioning to a high quality.

All empty spaces within this area will be filled to the brim with fun activities and additional geometry. Stay tuned for more updates on this!

Upgraded UI

Additionally, our HUD/UI has had a complete rework. Integrating the game's branding and playfulness, we needed to create it all from scratch. We're so happy with this result and cannot wait to show off the additional updates we make to this!

Thank You

We're excited to show off the new Rooftops area, enemy improvements and the new customisation system. But you'll have to wait until next month for more details on that!

Some of this blog post had already been touched on within social media posts so we strongly suggest joining our Discord server and following us on your chosen social media platform!

A Review of 2022

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 18:11:32 GMT

Hello Contestants!

So... a year of development has passed and we're onto the next chapter . Let's go back in time and take a look at how far we've come as well as some behind the scenes looks that are usually only available via our Discord Server .

Start of the Year

We started off with very minimal direction. An idea, a ton of passion and a fractional vertical slice.

Our goal was to rival the zombie game genre and create a brand-new and engaging experience for almost anyone to play. A glaring issue was the lack of entry for new gamers and the general flow of getting into a game with your friends was not as easy as it could be.

Insomnia 68 & 69

We decided to apply for Insomnia 68, a national gaming event in the UK. We had no idea how people would perceive the title and really, this was a major turning point for us. If nobody liked the game in it's prototype-y state, we were going to pursue a different project.

A lot was riding on this...

Luckily, to our bewilderment, we were met with smiles, laughter and curiosity . Whilst I was fixing the major multiplayer bugs in the corner, you guys were slapping, throwing and whacking your way to victory (although, at this point, there was no way to win!)

Our team welcomed a brand new member, Liam, who visited the stand and was keen to work with us to help with production. His influence has helped to build up our business backbone and develop an effective production plan.

A2Z Interactive approached us shortly after and proposed a co-dev deal, allowing us to elevate the game to where it now stands today.

Steam Next Fest

Using what we'd learnt from Insomnia 69 , we decided to show our game to a wider audience. Whilst the game was nowhere near as polished as it should have been, we were met with wonderful critique, and lovely words of encouragement.

In particular, we'd like to take this time to express our gratitude towards Mattathon and PastNirvana for streaming our game!

Thank you to those of you who took a look at the game throughout the event, it has really helped to shape our game for the better.

Recreating Major POIs

That (roughly) brings us nicely to where we are now.

Over the last few months, we've been working hard to rebalance, recreate and revamp the core systems and areas.

The Pit is the most crucial area of the game.
Lore-wise, it's where contestants live and breathe. Whilst it's covered up to look homely and comfortable, the gameshow host will shortly plant you in front of an expansive audience that are yearning for any form of entertainment.
Gameplay-wise, players can customise their character, play minigames and reach the end-game .
As a result of these motives, we needed to once again recreate The Pit area to be readily explorable and exciting. (The following images are not final) .

The Rooftops (the first level) is also receiving a much-needed recreation. I won't go into details of this yet. Stay tuned on here for further details in the coming months!

Thank You

From the bottom of our slappy hearts, we're extremely grateful to have provided you with a whacky escape to a hand-crafted, love-filled world.
Regardless of where this game goes, we couldn't have asked for a more loving community. Thank you.

Taking a Short Break

This next year is going to be MASSIVE . We're rethinking our social media campaign, investigating publishing deals and looking to expand to the masses.

A week ago, we started our Christmas break. We will be returning to work at the start of January. You can expect our social media to have a lot of changes by mid-January - including a Discord redesign, general improvements to Slap-It's image and much much more.

I'll be keeping you all posted much more regularly from February with even more plentiful progress.

Make sure to sign-up to our newsletter so you don't miss it!

Have a wonderful break, and if you celebrate it, a fantastic Christmas!
- Matt, Game Director