The demo has been updated with some new content as well as a completely revamped UI!
I hope you enjoy the new alternate branch to discover!
Aside from that, I'm also excited to announce another game jam project is coming to Steam on June 3rd. In it, you can experience an alternate version of Artificial Selection with Foris as the main character:
Thank you for your support, and see you again next month!
Monthly Demo Expansions!
Hey everyone, I've admittedly been neglecting to post updates here on Steam, but that changes today!
First of all...
...From now on, the Demo will be extended every month!
What this means is that the demo will join the monthly release hype and always be 6 months behind the latest content. The new monthly patch notes will be a celebration everyone can look forward to!
I hope this strikes a good balance between letting all of you finally see how the story continues, and still honoring those who support/ed me on a monthly basis. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
(Small disclaimer: The "free updates every month schedule" schedule will not be followed forever (unless I miraculously gain so many supporters where this somehow becomes a sustainable business model). As of now, the full game is still planned to be a one-time purchase. Thank you for your understanding!)
With that out of the way, here's what's new:
Demo Content
10k new words!
The continuation after the criminal record reveal!
A new character!
A new escape room!
1 new CG!
Patch Notes
15k new words. (115,000+ in total)*
A new alternate sprite for Ashor!
Every character now has something to say about every escape room item.
11 new backgrounds!
A track previously only available from buying the soundtrack finally appears in-game!* (by Zaxcess)
Two updated music tracks.* (by Zaxcess)
Added the "Page View" feature to the flowchart for improved keyboard/gamepad controls.*
Added a minor explanation to the flowchart.*
The title screen now changes based on which floor you were last on.
Added additional lighting to all sprites.
The talk icon now only wiggles when there are new hints for you to read.
Added a counter to the affection gauge in the profile menu.
Accounted for additional unique conditions in the break room.*
Added sound effects to item combination.
Stabilized saving the game during escape rooms.
Fixed the conditions of various puzzle hints.
Made the minimap more elegant by removing the border.
Changed the dimensions of the minimap.
Made transitions nicer.
Applied the "old pixel art" setting to one flowchart node.*
Minor dialogue changes.
Fixed typos.
*Beta only
More generally, Artificial Selection has finally reached a total of 100k+ words! I'm extremely proud of this milestone, and want to give heartfelt thanks to all my supporters on Ko-fi.
Working towards a new update on a monthly basis has given me such a huge surge of motivation, leading me to be more productive than I've ever been in the past 4 years of AS' development. (Granted, being done with uni also helped a lot.) Thank you for your thoughts, theories, and of course, bug reports!
Demo Expansion!
The beta testing has been a huge success, so the parts of the demo that were previously cut have now been polished and re-added, for a total of 2-3 hours of gameplay for everyone!
From now on, you can freely choose between two demo modes:
Quick (A basic introduction which can easily be played in one sitting. Contains 1 escape room and takes around 30 minutes.)
Full (The first 2-3 hours of the game, just like they will be in the full game. Has 2 escape rooms, the debate mechanics, and introduces all the characters.)
I hope you enjoy all the new content, and thanks for your support!
Once you've finished the demo and are curious for even more, you might want to check out the beta version. So far, it contains the resolution to the demo's cliffhanger, the first proper ending, a convenient (unlockable) flowchart, and much more!
Demo Expansion Coming Soon!
Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that a big update to the demo is coming in the next few weeks!
The demo will be extended (or, more accurately, restored) to its original length, spanning all the way up to the second escape room. The feedback from the beta testers helped a tremendous amount, and the corresponding parts should now be polished enough for a wider audience.
After the update, the demo will have:
2 Escape rooms (1 NEW)
35k+ Words (30k NEW)
All 14 contestants (10 NEW)
Debate gameplay (NEW)
Free time gameplay (NEW)
Affection system (NEW)
Thanks for your support, and I hope you look forward to it!
In case you want to access the extended demo content right now, along with at least 3 more hours of content, 1 more escape room, and the first proper ending - you might want to consider becoming a beta tester! Not only do you get to see parts of the game before everyone else, but you get to make suggestions and directly influence the development of the game.
You can become a beta tester by supporting me on Ko-fi. There's only a handful of testers right now, making your impact even greater!
That's all for now. See you in a few weeks!
Demo Update (0.4.0)
Hey everyone!
In preparation of the early access release later this year, I made a few changes to the demo:
Edited script: Much of the dialogue has been changed or entirely rewritten to add more depth to the plot and characters.
Updated graphics: All characters except for Saeva have new faces, and there's a new UI, title screen, and logo.
Parallax effect: The mouse cursor moves the camera around, making characters pop out from the background.
So many settings: The game can be customized just how you want it.
And more!
However, there has also been a "downgrade", in a sense:
The demo is significantly shorter now (~30 minutes)
This was done to make the demo easier to maintain. The longer the demo is, the more likely it is that I'll go back and change something - but now, I'm pretty certain what you see in the demo is how it'll be in the final game.
Since the early access launch is still a few months away, I've worked out a compromise for those who are curious about the new screenshots: Insider supporters on Ko-fi or BMAC can play a Beta Version containing the first 3 hours of the game, and tons of new content!
I'll keep working hard to make the early access release happen.
Thank you for your continued support and patience!
Demo Update
A few changes were made to the demo, bringing it up to date with how the final game will look. In terms of content, there isn't anything new, so if you already played the previous version, you don't have to check this one out. But if you haven't, then now is a better time than ever to give it a shot!
List of changes:
tweaked the UI (hot pink accent, glowing borders, text box redesign)
added option to change text box opacity
changed the main menu layout (bye, Saeva!)
changed the game menu layout
at last, a functional custom cursor
added new sound effects
optimized image loading; skipping should be much smoother now
integrated Discord Rich Presence
I hope you'll enjoy these subtle improvements, and thank you for your support!
