Aquamarine
Aquamarine v2.1.0 Update
Most importantly, Aquamarine has been getting ready for a big release on all major consoles, which is tentatively scheduled for early 2024. Part of our preparations for that release has been continued testing for balance issues, bugs, and other quality of life improvements.
We aren't finished just yet, but we have a sizable update here in v2.1.0 that we couldn't wait to share. Keep your eyes peeled for more to come in the following months...
Aquamarine: Explorer's Edition is here!!
We've spent the better part of 2022 working on this game-changing update for all the players that have stuck with us from the beginning and for those who haven't yet discovered our hand-drawn alien ocean. Since the game first released, you've all given us a lot feedback, reported a ton of bugs, and shared some amazing suggestions and requests, and we've been listening and taking notes the whole time. Aquamarine: Explorer's Edition is the result of that process.
We like to think of this as Aquamarine v2.0: We took all of your favorite parts from the game and made them better, improved the aspects that were lacking, and also added in a ton of new features and accessibility options that we've wanted to have from the start. You can check out more about the updates here, or just download the game and see for yourself. :)
And here's a list of a few accessibility features and options now in Aquamarine.
- All game controls are accessible on screen during gameplay
- Playable entirely via mouse or gamepad
- Extensive, replayable tutorial w/ option to repeat instructions
- Visual indicator for interactable objects
- Tool-tips for in-game controls
- HUD size options
- Multiple difficulty options, including a "story mode" that removes death and enemy damage
- Supports windowed mode
- Particle amount options
- Screen shake toggle
- Grid shape toggle
- Cursor speed controls for gamepad
- Music & sound FX volume controls
- All options settings carry over between saves
- Distinct sound & music cues for objects and events
- Controls & UI elements are large and well spaced out
- No information is conveyed only through color
That just about covers everything. We're so thrilled for you to dive into this new version of Aquamarine, and we really hope you enjoy what we've done.
Please take a second to give us a review (or update your review) once you've spent some time with the Explorer's Edition. We always love hearing your comments and feedback!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
Aquamarine: Explorer's Edition arrives November 22!
Some of you may remember last month when we detailed what Aquamarine: Explorer's Edition will bring to the game, and you can read all about those upcoming features here. Some of the biggest changes you can expect include:
- Overall difficulty has been refined and balanced for multiple game modes, including NORMAL, RELAXED, EXPLORE, and EXPERT
- New game mode EXPLORE introduces the option to safely experience the world & story without consequences
- New game mode EXPERT introduces a "hardcore" difficulty option for those looking for a serious test of their survival skills and knowledge of the planet's ecosystem
- A brand-new save system has been added, giving players three individual save slots to load and reset as they wish
- Multiple accessibility options have been added, including an optional tool-tip system that explains the functions of each of control
- New environment art and creature animations have been added to each exploration area
- Localization has been added in English, French, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), and Thai
- Full gamepad support has been added
- Plus tons of bug fixes, polish updates, performance optimizations, and much more...
We'll be celebrating this new version of Aquamarine with a big sale, so make sure to check back here next week and discover what the Explorer's Edition is all about!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
The Future of Aquamarine is Just Around the Corner...
It's been a long and eventful summer for everyone at Moebial Studios, as we've been balancing big life changes with our non-stop work on updating Aquamarine and getting it ready for consoles. So much has happened over here, I figured it was time to finally let everyone know what we've got cooking!
After my partner and I settled into our new life with our adorable baby boy (he's 6 months old now!), I got straight to work on a brand-new, "enhanced" version of Aquamarine. This comprehensive revamp will be the version we release on consoles, and will also be immediately available as a free update on PC. I've been looking at this as Aquamarine v2.0, because it greatly expands the game's features and addresses a huge amount of the player feedback we've received since launch.
Here's a quick rundown of what's been changed and added...
- Overall difficulty has been refined and balanced for multiple game modes, including NORMAL, RELAXED, EXPLORE, and EXPERT
- New game mode EXPLORE introduces the option to safely experience Aquamarine's world & story without consequences
- New game mode EXPERT introduces a "hardcore" difficulty option for those looking for a serious test of their survival skills and knowledge of the planet's ecosystem
- A brand-new save system has been added, giving players three individual save slots to load and reset as they wish
- Multiple new features have been added to the underwater survival pod, including an optional tool-tip system that explains the functions of each of control when you hover over it
- The system behind all story events, visions, and dreams has been recalibrated for continuity, clarity, and consistency
- New environment art and creature animations have been added to each exploration area
- New rare gem power-ups can now be found hidden through each exploration area
- Day/night cycle system has been reworked mechanically and visually
- Multiple creature AI have been updated across all game modes
- New functionality has been added to the island camp and garden, including the ability to use your tools by selecting them directly on screen
- New functionality has been added to the controls, including the ability to cancel out of any action with a single button press
- Game options now include windowed/fullscreen view toggle, three bespoke resolutions, HUD size options, and more
- Game is fully localized for all platforms in English, French, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), and Thai
- A new pod color scheme and EXPERT mode are unlocked after finishing the game
And that's not to mention the countless bug fixes and bits of visual/mechanical polish that's been done along the way. Suffice it to say that this next update for Aquamarine changes the game in a major way, and I am thrilled to be able to share it with you.
In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more announcements and release dates...
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
v1.2.0 Adds Four New Language Options
It's been a little bit since you've last heard from Team Moebial, and to be honest, it will be a little bit longer until we can share our BIIIG announcements. (Lots of secret stuff in the works...) But for now, it felt important to point out that Aquamarine is now fully playable in four new languages!
In general, the game's text has been revamped for clarity and quality's sake, but beyond that we now have Language options! Along with English, the four new translations are in French, Spanish, Chinese, and Thai. We're very proud of this huge update, and are looking forward to having our non-English-speaking friends join us beneath the waves of our alien ocean.
More to share very soon!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
v1.1.0 Patch Notes
It's been nearly a month since our last update post, but the longer wait was only because I've been working on Aquamarine's biggest update yet. The v1.1.0 patch is the result of an extensive QA audit, months of community feedback, internal playtesting, and preparations for console porting. I think you'll find the gameplay experience more polished and immersive than ever before.
The biggest headline here is that Aquamarine now offers full gamepad support, specifically for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and other third-party gamepads. But that's far from all that's gone into this update. Check out the extensive list of what's in v1.1.0 below.
v1.1.0 Patch Notes
- Added gamepad support for PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X controllers, as well as third-party gamepads
- Balanced resource collection and spawning mechanics for each difficulty; playing on "Normal" no longer results in a large surplus of energy and food
- Balanced plant spawning mechanics to align more with the environmental cycles
- Tutorial now continues from where the player left off if the game quits during the tutorial
- Cursor now becomes unusable during cutscenes and loading screens
- Decreased time between the player turn and the creature/environment turn
- Rewrote and removed some of the pod hints
- Added another speech bubble prompt to an environmental puzzle
- Fixed a bug causing a soft-lock when the pod is attacked by a Grabber creautre
- Fixed a bug causing whirlpools to not always trigger their effects
- Fixed a bug causing clouds to not proper de-spawn in The Coral Woods
- Fixed a bug causing items to disappear off the island if the player never built the driftwood shelter
- Fixed a bug causing the pod scanner to not trigger when charged
- Fixed a bug causing creature corpses to not spawn properly
- Fixed a bug causing some items to not immediately leave the inventory when used in the island garden
- Fixed a visual glitch causing the power meter in the island mod menu to not properly update its color when overloaded
- Fixed a visual glitch causing the pod sprite to flicker with a certain upgrade enabled
- Fixed a visual glitch causing text in the game ending to be hard to read
- Made a variety of other small visual fixes and tweaks
Trust me when I say that list isn't even everything. And of course we're still always on the lookout for any more issues. The quickest way to report a bug and have it fixed is through our Discord.
Last but not least, I wanted to let everyone know that the official Aquamarine OST is now available on Steam! This incredible soundtrack was written and produced entirely by our composer Thomas Hoey, and the work he did turning the game music into these 17 ambient pieces is just gorgeous. Please give it a listen and consider picking up your own copy on Steam.
Til next time!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
v1.0.8.6 Quick Fix Patch Notes
Thanks to everyone for being patient with us during this busy time in my life. I'm now ready to resume Aquamarine's regular updates as per usual. To start off, here's a patch of quick fixes for some recent bug reports we received. Details below.
v1.0.8.6 Patch Notes
- Fixed a bug causing creatures to sometimes move onto the same tile as the player
- Fixed a bug causing some pod upgrades to not properly detect interactable objects
- Fixed a bug causing some objects to not properly highlight when interactable
- Fixed a bug causing some environment updates to not properly resolve
- Fixed a visual issue causing the player sprite to flicker
- Made other small visual updates
Please continue to share any issues you might find in our Discord, so they can be tracked down and fixed immediately. And keep your eyes out for our next big update: gamepad support!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
v1.0.8.4 Quick Fix Patch Notes
A few lingering bugs that have shown up for some players have been addressed, and one mechanical system in particular has been revamped. Details below.
v1.0.8.4 Quick Fix Patch Notes
- Fixed a bug causing clouds to not spawn and animate properly in the first area
- Fixed a bug causing a softlock after selecting the length of time for camping
- Revamped the creature corpse system, corpses now remain in their original state until dark
- Revamped the day/night cycle color transitions in the exploration areas
- Revamped mechanics and graphics for the pod scanning system
Keep an eye out for gamepad support in the near future!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
Aquamarine v1.0.8 Patch Notes
v1.0.8 Patch Notes
- Added functionality to tutorial, allowing the pod to repeat its previous instructions when needed
- Added ability to use a late game pod upgrade on the final puzzle of the last area
- Balanced item spawning in certain map sections of the first area
- Fixed a bug causing softlocks when exiting and reloading the tutorial
- Fixed a bug causing inconsistent mouse cursor changes during the tutorial
- Fixed a bug causing the pod scanner to not properly activate or remain persistent across dives
- Fixed a bug causing some creatures to move onto occupied spaces
- Fixed a bug causing the pod map menu to not update properly with a certain rare item
- Fixed a number of visual bugs & inconsistencies
- Made a number of visual & performance optimizations
As always, there's much more packed into this update, but those are the main bullet points. More coming soon!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial
Aquamarine v1.0.7 Patch Notes
v1.0.7 Patch Notes
- Added 20 Steam achievements, including 8 hidden ones
- Added an option for pod HUD size
- Added functionality for checking the health/status of plants in the garden
- Added functionality for pushing blocks created by the pod
- Added a visual hint for a puzzle in the Drowned Harbor
- Added a prompt for minimizing speech bubbles during the tutorial
- Fixed a bug causing freezes when loading dense map areas
- Fixed a bug causing softlocks when opening & closing the pod menus too quickly
- Fixed a bug interfering with selecting items in the pod inventory
- Fixed a bug causing the pod to not regenerate on the island during the tutorial
- Fixed a bug causing some scenery sprites not to spawn on the map
- Made a handful of visual tweaks & fixes
- Made a handful of loading and exploration optimizations
Those are the major bits in this update, and we already have a few planned for the next one. Gamepad support should be coming soon, at least a stripped-down version of it. Keep your eyes on this space!
🌊👁🌐
- Team Moebial