Online Co-op - BFF or Die with Steam's New Feature!
You can now play BFF or Die online with your friends directly in Steam! Previously we told you that you can do that using Parsec's free service and now you can do the same using Steam's new "Remote Play Together" service. It's still in Beta so here's how you opt-in:
1. Go to your Steam settings and enable "Steam Beta Update", which will update and download a new version of Steam.
2. Launch BFF or Die, open your friends list (press shift and tab together on Windows), and invite a friend to play with you by selecting "Remote Play Together". Your friend must also have Steam Beta enabled.
3. Your friend then clicks "Play Game" and they will join the game with you.
We tested with 2 players in different regions of the UK and it was a good experience, there was some minor lag but not enough to affect the gameplay too much. We used Steam's in-built voice chat too and for the most part it worked well. Of course it's not the same as being in the same room and playing on the same PC, but it's the next best thing.
Which ever of your friends has the fastest PC and the best internet connection should host the game. Only the person hosting needs have the game downloaded and installed.
Have Fun! Cheers, Shaz (the game designer)
Fix For Menu/Resolution Issue
Merry Summer!
I just uploaded a quick fix to address the following issue some people were having: Changing resolution was not working as expected, and pressing escape was resetting the settings.
Here's how it now works:
- No options at bootup, the game auto starts in full screen with "80%" graphics quality.
- While playing, press escape to change settings.
- The settings you selected will now be saved locally. Next time you play those same settings will be loaded.
Hope that clears up the issue for those who had it. Let me know if something still doesn't seem right.
Cheers,
Shaz
On Sale This Week + Recent Changes
Merry 2019 :)
We updated the game a few times recently and are now much happier with it and hope you are too. I mean, we liked the release version of course (which had come after 4+ years of development and countless adjustments a lot of testing) but these recent small tweaks to the difficulty curve and other things have added a lot of fun factor.
Sale
To celebrate feeling good about the updates, it's on sale at a discount of 25% this week. If you know friends who love a bit of co-op action-puzzlin' then let them know it's super-not-expensive right now.
1%
Only about 1% of people leave a Steam review. If you have fun playing BFF or Die and appreciate that we wanted to create a purely co-operative experience then please be one of those people and write that review. The automated overlord that we know as THE ALGORITHM will only smile down upon our couch co-op if you leave a sacred sacrifice of one Steam review.
To say thanks we're adding quotes from our favourite reviews (in English) to the main store page :) So get creative with your words..!
Parsec
Another reminder that you can play BFF or Die (or any other game) as if it has online multiplayer by using Parsec. More details in this post.
Cheers,
Alex, Shaz, Anj
ASA Studio
Update 4: Camera Viewpoint
It's midnight here in the UK, so obvioulsy it's... the perfect time to upload a new build to Steam!
Main View
The main gameplay viewpoint has been adjusted. People playing on a small screen or while sitting far back from a TV should find everything easier to see now, especially on the busier/harder levels.
Someone had emailed us to let us know that they found it hard to see what was going on at the top of the screen on their setup and we we glad to receive that feedback so we could adjust things and (hopefully) fix the issue they and others may have had. So thanks to that Steam gamer who emailed us!
After you complete story mode, the “Infinite Trials” will unlock. This is a rogue-like-ish mode that really tests out your co-op skills. Every level is randomised with a mix of procedural and preset content. You only get one chance each time you try - If you die you go back to the home scene. See how many trials you can complete in a row without dying..! Spoiler: it’s *hard*. In this update we added a lot of new configurations to infinite mode so it should keep you challenged for quite a while...
Music
We’ve doubled the length of the main gameplay music and added more variety to the atmosphere. Hope you enjoy it :)
Sounds
We’ve added a range of new sound effects to make the Time-Tech even more enjoyable to use and the game-world that little bit more alive.
Bug Fix
In certain conditions, after the “Infinite Trials” mode was unlocked, it could become inaccessible. We’ve now fixed it so that never happens. After you complete zone 30 you should see “Zone ∞/∞” like in the image above. If you don’t see that, please complete zone 30 again to properly unlock infinite mode.
Small tweaks
As always, we’ve been watching the Youtube videos and Twitch streams of BFF or Die and made some tweaks to particular levels to make the difficulty curve even more satisfying.
Online Multiplayer with Parsec
We always encourage people to play BFF or Die in co-op mode as this is what the game was built for. If you didn’t already hear, you can now play as if it were an online multiplayer by using Parsec. Read our previous community post to find out how to do that.
1%
Only about 1% of people leave a Steam review. If you have fun playing BFF or Die and appreciate that we wanted to create a purely co-operative experience then please be one of those people and write that review. The automated overlord that we know as THE ALGORITHM will only smile down upon our couch co-op if you show us some literary love.
Cheers,
Alex, Shaz, Anj
ASA Studio
The Second Update: Boosted Challenge!
The second update to BFF or Die is now live on Steam. We’ve been listening to people’s feedback and watching all the playthroughs on Youtube and Twitch. (Here’s a fun fact - the video that Logitech G made is now the most viewed video of a single game on their channel with over half a million views so far!)
From what we can tell, people on Steam really do love a challenge. In this update we’ve changed various aspects of the story game in 1, 2, 3 and 4 player modes so that the excitement kicks in sooner and the challenge gets ramped up.
We always encourage people to play BFF or Die in co-op mode as this is what the game was built for. If you didn’t already hear, you can now play as if it were an online multiplayer by using Parsec. Read our previous community post to find out how to do that.
We’ve also started adding our favourite quotes from Steam reviews to the main store page, so if you write something interesting/insightful/funny/heart-warming in your review then we may add a quote!
We’ll be continuing to listen to feedback to help us figure out what updates to make in the future in addition to the things we already have planned. Have fun!
Cheers,
Alex, Shaz, Anj (ASA Studio)
Online Multiplayer Using Parsec!
For a time we had plans to make BFF or Die work as an online multiplayer game. After further discussion and some early tests we came to the conclusion that it would add an unachievable workload to our small team of three, who at that time were totally self funded and working on the game in our spare time only.
People still do ask us if BFF or Die will ever be playable as an online multiplayer. We’re very glad to say that… it is *now* thanks to some magic software called Parsec! After someone on the community page (thank you to a prolific Steam reviewer called Darkness!) told us about Parsec we were intrigued and started testing it out.
Here’s how it works: you decide which game a friend can access, run it and then stream your screen to them. You also give your friend permission to access your control pad and/or keyboard. That friend can then play any game with you as if it has native online multiplayer support. Magic!
A few tests later and we were impressed enough to get in touch with the people who make Parsec and have a call with them so now BFF or Die is on their list of curated games :) It really does work well, especially if you have a good internet connection and a fast enough PC.
Here’s how to get started:
First use whichever voice chat you normally use and start a call with your friend. Parsec doesn’t require this, but BFF or Die is *all about the communication* so you need to be able to speak and listen to your teammate to have fun playing it together.
Download the Parsec application from: http://parsecgaming.com (it’s free)
Open it and create an account.
Ask your friend to download Parsec and create an account.
Open Steam and Run BFF or Die, leave it running and go back to Parsec.
In the Parsec hosting settings select the apps on your machine that can be accessed by other people - choose BFF or Die.
Add your friend to your friend list and choose which controllers they can ‘take over’- choose keyboard and/or control pad.
Your friend will see a “play” button which let’s them join your session if they click it.
Now when you go back to BFF or Die your friend will see and hear it and they can control a character so you can play together!
Once you beat the story mode in 2-player mode get another friend to play with you in 3-player and then another in 4-player. You’ll notice the levels change around and feel different depending on how many people are playing! Each mode has separate trophies too for those who love a challenge. Then after story mode you can try random/procedural challenges in “The Infinite Trials which is *really* hard”.
If you have any issues using Parsec they’ll be happy to help you on their Discord chat, it’s their software so they know how to use it best: https://discordapp.com/invite/cQjEGFy
We still think being in the same room with your Player 2 is the best way to experience BFF or Die but if that’s not possible because you live far away from each other, well, now you can BFF together online using Parsec.
Have fun!
Alex, Shaz, Anj (ASA Studio)
The First Update!
The first update for BFF or Die in now live on Steam. These are mostly small details that have been adjusted and you can see the details below. We've been listening to feedback and watching the Twitch streams and Youtube videos that are being made to see which aspects should be adjusted.
Launch Settings You can now select the launch settings you want (graphics quality and screen resolution) and they won’t be overridden by the settings from the last time you played.
Options Menu Console Pressing “Enter” on keyboard will now confirm selections.
Fix: “Home” button stays visible when it should.
Space Base The holo-walls in the Space Base have been extended. A few visitors to the Space Base were a bit scared when it seemed they could occasionally see the black void of space right behind them and no walls! Of course, the secure anti-vacuum tech the Orbees built was working all along so there was never any danger to anyone!
Re-Motivated Mummies On a few rare occasions Chase-Mummies were giving up and not bothering to move, even if zapped with the Drone Launcher! They have since re-discovered their work ethic and will endeavour to keep doing what they do.
Zone Settings A few adjustments ‘under the hood’.
Reviving The Revive-Tech powered by your Time Academy suits got an upgrade! Now you can revive multiple friends in quick succession!
Pause When In Background If you minimise the game and open a different window/app BFF or Die will pause and go silent.
We’re Listening We’ll continue to listen to feedback and watch the reactions we see to BFF or Die. We’ll also start adding our favorite Steam reviews to the store text..!
Once you complete the story game in 1-player mode, try it in 2, 3 or 4-player mode as the challenges will change and the overall experience will be quite different. Then try “The Infinite Trials” if you want to really challenge yourself and/or your team.
Cheers,
Alex, Shaz and Anj (ASA Studio)
Merry International "BFF or Die" Day :D
So I heard about this funky new co-op puzzle game. Apparently it’s out... *right now!*
What is it called again? B… BF… oh yeah… BFF or Die! \o/
You can enjoy it in either single player mode or in a group of 2-4 people. Whichever one you choose will change the kind of experience you have. So maybe try completing the story game in both single player *and* in local co-op mode :) If you make it that far you can really test your BFF skills in The Infinite Trials.
For us it’s a really exciting time to see our passion project out there in the wider world. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last 4+ years while we made this game :)
We hope you enjoy playing BFF or Die and have many funny, cozy, exciting and rewarding moments with the game and with whoever you play with. We’ll be listening to feedback so tell us about your experience of playing it in the reviews section and on the Steam community page. We may even add our favourite quotes about the game to the text on the store page :D
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Alex, Shaz and Anj (ASA Studio)
BFF or Die: Progress Update, 9th Sep
Hey,
Shaz here, the game designer on BFF or Die. Just writing a quick post to say that, at the moment, everything is on track for release on Thursday 13th September..! :)
We’ve been sending out test builds to people with different configurations of Windows, Mac and Linux and all is going well, the game is running smoothly and we think all the main issues have been fixed so the game can be enjoyed as intended.
We’re both excited and nervous and hope you’ll appreciate this thing we’ve been crafting for over four years now. Whether you play in single player mode or local co-op with a few friends, you can be assured we have spent *a lot* of time and effort making sure you’ll have a really engaging and enjoyable experience
You never know how things will go when you work on something intensely and then put it out there for other people to experience and judge. We’re def proud of getting this far though. We’re a small team of three who all have different obligations outside of this project and seeing our game in our respective Steam Libraries side by side with other games we’ve had great times with is a good feeling :)
Anyway, I better get back to my final checklist of things to do..!
