Sorry everyone! Yesterday evening, I meant to submit a small update. Instead, I accidently uploaded a much older build of Absinthia that caused all sorts of problems!
I reverted back to the release build a few hours ago, and just now submitted an update with the *correct* build this time:
In Story Mode, you're now prompted with a dialogue box when a puzzle is solved automatically
Updated difficulty options with a new "easy" mode that is between Normal and Casual
Clarified for Story Mode that this difficulty automatically solves puzzles for you
Once again, my apologies for yesterday's faulty update! Everything should be as intended now--but if you run into any other problems, feel free to contact me here or via Jkweath (@) gmail.com.
3-20-2023 Update
Hello!
A small difficulty update was released today:
In Story Mode, you're now prompted with a dialogue box when a puzzle is solved automatically
Clarified in the difficulty selection text that Story Mode solves certain puzzles for you
Added a new Easy Mode that is slightly easier than Normal (but not as easy as Story Mode), and does not automatically solve puzzles
If you encounter any problems with this update, don't hesitate to comment here or contact me: Jkweath (@) gmail.com.
If you enjoyed Absinthia, don't forget to leave a review! Have a great day!
Absinthia is available now!
Absinthia is available for purchase on Steam and Itch.io!
There's also a 10% launch discount, and it's available in the Bewitched Bundle with another discount!
If you enjoy the game, don't forget to leave a review! Reviews help indie devs like myself with Steam's algorithm. Hitting the 10 review mark helps a ton!
I don't monitor the Steam discussion boards, so if you have any feedback or bug reports, please report them directly to me either via Twitter or our Discord server.
Thank you all for helping Absinthia become a reality. I'll see you soon! 😁
Three days until release!
Hello everyone!
Absinthia will be available on Steam and Itch.io on March 13 at 8 AM CST!
The price adjustments should go live just in time for the spring sales. Absinthia will be available in the Bewitched Bundle and my full games bundle as well.
Anyway, that's all for today! See you soon 😁
1-18-23 Demo bugfix
Hello!
I went ahead and disabled the minimap in the demo build as it was causing a crash in Northwood. The minimap will be restored in the full version once it's fixed.
In addition, a bug from a previous build preventing the player from finishing the Eastport Catacombs was fixed earlier this week.
Have a great week and stay safe!
Release date and Upcoming demo update
Hello again! Long time no see!
Absinthia's just about all finished up! Beta testing is starting within the next few days, and I plan on releasing an updated demo to coincide with the February Steam Next Fest before officially releasing the game on Steam and Itch.io in March.
The tentative release date for PC is March 13. Until then, have some new screenshots!
(fun fact: the clouds in the back layer are animated, but the GIF was too large to upload) The original forest backdrop has a new look!
I also recently updated Absinthia's Steam page with a new tagline and a better selection of screenshots.
And that's all for now! Indie games--especially low-budget games like the kind you see around here--need wishlists to feed Steam's algorithm after release. So as usual, if you're interested in Absinthia, I encourage you to add it to your wishlist!
October Update
Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well!
Absinthia's development is going smoothly! Most of September was spent fulfilling Kickstarter backers with in-game rewards and finishing up content:
Katti Town's mayor Griswold has retired and been replaced with mayor Grace!
Ibuki's treasure is yours to have, but only if you can defeat her in combat. Good luck!
An enemy requested by a Kickstarter backer. He was a blast to design. You'll hate fighting him, though.😁
Crafty Coyote will sell equipment and give valuable hints on where to find hidden areas (alternatively, coyote trivia).
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Going into October, Absinthia is officially content-complete! There's still plenty of work to be done, though - lots and lots of testing to be done and assets to be finished. Assuming no delays, Absinthia will be almost completely finished by early December. Once all the testing and assets are done, I'll begin sending out surveys to the remaining KS backers and distributing pre-release keys.
Expanded Demo
In the next few weeks or so, I'll be updating Absinthia's demo with lots of various small changes and, most importantly, new content! The city of Eastport, home to the Eastport Pirates--as well as many Kickstarter backer NPCs--will be available alongside a new dungeon and two new mini-dungeons.
That's all for this month. Don't forget to add Absinthia to your wishlist! Wishlists help indie games such as mine gain visibility and traction on Steam - they're essential for a strong release day!
This announcement's long overdue - the Absinthia Kickstarter was a success! It was a narrow victory as we just managed to pass 100% in the last day of funding.
Unfortunately the victory wasn't without its drawbacks:
While it's common for campaigns to lose 2-5% from bad payment information, two of our biggest contributions got dropped, meaning we lost more than 10% of our funding goal after the campaign ended. The good news is that Absinthia is still being developed on schedule; the bad news is that I had to make a few budget cuts.
Kickstarter backer surveys
In the next couple months or so (probably September), I'll start sending Kickstarter backer surveys. Backers who pledged for in-game rewards will get their surveys first, and we'll begin working on their rewards ASAP after surveys are sent out.
Anyway, here's a few screenshots with some new stuff and two new music tracks!
A ship! It's practically a custom for most of my games to have a ship. This time around, you'll have the option to move around the ship and chat while you're sailing!
New enemies! Enemy sprite art is being done by artist Jamie Brownhill.
I've shown off the Eastport Catacombs before, but there's some new enemy overworld sprites here as well as an animated sewer pipe.
And here's two new music tracks by Absinthia's composer Jazz Stewart:
And that's all for for now! If you'd like more frequent updates, you can:
We're entering the final 3 days of Absinthia's Kickstarter. While it might look like we're a shoe-in for last-day funding, the reality is that we're still 19% short of the base goal (about $3,700 as of this writing). We have a long way to go.
If you haven't pledged already, now is the time to do so. If you don't want to or can't afford to pledge, you can still help support the project by following and/or retweeting my Kickstarter links.
If you're interested in making a pledge, here's an overview of the rewards:
$15: Digital Key
$25: Digital Key, OST & Desktop Wallpapers
$35: Bewitched Bundle (digital keys for Knight Bewitched: Enhanced Edition and Celestial Hearts)
$50: Early Access (all above rewards + access to the game 1-2 months in advance)
$75: Leave a Message! (on a poster, grave, book or TV)
$125: Become an NPC!
$150: Design an Enemy!
$300: Design a Boss! (3 slots available)
$500: Become a quest-giver! (design an NPC, quest and quest reward--3 slots left)
As a reminder: If you plan on purchasing Absinthia on launch, please consider making a $15 pledge instead. The project gets more of your money that way (instead of Steam taking a 30% cut), and you'll be helping the project come to life.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to comment here or email me: Jkweath (@) gmail.com.
Have a great week and stay safe!
6-19-22 Kickstarter Update
Hello again!
Thanks to an influx of new pledges, we went from 58% to 75% in the span of a single week! That's a huge boost considering that came from the "slow" portion of the campaign.
We're entering the last 10-day stretch and, at 77% funding as of this update, our funding goal is looking closer than ever. With a boost toward the end of the campaign, we're sure to hit the goal and maybe a stretch goal or two! I'll share some more info on the stretch goals as we get closer to the base goal.
So far I've only shared character cards for the four playable characters of Absinthia. Now we have new cards featuring two more main characters!
Steam Next Fest
Absinthia's demo was featured in the Steam Next Fest. We received thousands of downloads and hundreds of extra wishlists! Thank you to everyone who took the time to play through the demo and leave feedback!
That's all for now - as always, if you have any feedback on Absinthia or the Kickstarter, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at Jkweath (@) gmail.com.
