In the past few weeks we've made some major progress on Sunshine Manor and now have the dialog system, mission system and plot pretty much nailed.
Looking back on the comments and reviews that Camp Sunshine received it was obvious that we included way too many fetch quests, not enough action and that damned Bear could sneak up on you at any point ... Sunshine Manor changes this.
Sunshine Manor features a really nice twist on the survival horror game, and we won't outright spoil it yet but this little screenshot should give you a hint!
We're very much hoping that we will be able to launch on Kickstarter later this year to help us to gather the funds needed to concentrate on the game full time (as we both work full time jobs at the moment too). So your help would be greatly appreciated!
We're now on Patreon
Over the years we've been asked "Why aren't you two on Patreon?" quite a lot. We always thought that Patreon was a place for people making regular content until one recent camper explained the whole thing to us and even helped us to set it up!
We're offering a load of unreleased stuff, music, behind the scenes looks at Sunshine Manor and even the chance to participate in the beta testing too!
See you there!
Sunshine Manor - Dev Diary - November 2019
We are hard at work on Sunshine Manor, and wanted to give you a sneak peek of the graphics direction we're taking with this second (or should that be first) chapter of the Sunshine Saga.
That's right, we're going full 8 bit with our graphics! Hopefully by now you know that we're two old school gamers and the thought of doing a full 8 bit title (with exception for maybe the music) is too fun to pass up. In our early tests a while back, we found that they gave off a far more creepy vibe and we're definitely playing around with this at the moment to give you a truly tense and terrifying experience.
Gone is the huge map of Camp Sunshine (complete with all of it's pre-loading issues) and you'll find yourself trapped in the titular Sunshine Manor and will be subjected to every twist and turn of the changing rooms and corridors as you power up the daemon engine ... oops might have said too much there!
Thank you for your continued love and support for this new chapter, and also for Camp Sunshine too.
Introducing : Sunshine Manor
Hello Campers ... it's been a while!
We haven't been idle though, far from it ... we have a little surprise for you coming late 2020.
Over the past few years we've spent time working on other titles, but none have captured our imaginations as much as the Sunshine Universe and the story of how it all began.
All we can tell you is that this story takes place at the same time as Camp Sunshine but features an entirely new group of teenagers who spend the night in Sunshine Manor, the home of Clement Atkins, former children's television presenter in the 1950s.
The game will feature an entirely new story, brand new soundtrack and we will be working as hard as possible to make this the most tense game we can possibly envisage. We would love to hear your suggestions, your story ideas and more!
This will be launching on Kickstarter later this year / early next year where we will show off the full trailer that showcases all of the goodies. In the meantime we will post here regularly with updates, announcements and also some very exciting news that's currently in the works!
Update 1.3 - Egg-Cellent
So Winter is well and truly over, and whilst we've been hard at work on our follow up game, we wanted to continue to support Camp Sunshine and we think you'll really like this little update. Here's what has changed ...
Crashing Bug
We're delighted that this bug seems to be fixed now. It was happening thanks to a run away preloading system we had in place. This has now been removed and a more bespoke version has been added, we'd like to thank steam user Spike for testing this alongside us ...
Twigs
Be careful around camp, we've moved the twigs and changed the way they work slightly. Step on one and Sunshine Bear will come running double-time!
Easter Fun
A public holiday wouldn't be the same without a little update to Camp Sunshine, and the camp has had a new delivery. Now, the Easter Bunny has dropped it off somewhere around camp so get hunting and be prepared for some seriously annoying music and colour!
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So there we go, as always if you have any problems with the game at all please e-mail us at hello@fossilgames.com and we'll help out as much as humanly possible!
Thank you all for the continued support ... we love each and every one of you :)
1.21 - Winter is Over & Minor Fixes
So our first Winter special event has now come to an end and to those that found the surprise, we hope it made you chuckle!
We've also updated a number of smaller things which should free up resources and make the game a little easier on the eye too!
Remember to follow us on Twitter for more updates on what happens next ... @Fossil_Games
Remember, if you have any problems then don't hesitate to e-mail us directly at hello@fossilgames.com, we respond to every e-mail we receive.
1.2 Winter Update
Winter is coming ... where have we heard that before? Oh well, the Camp Sunshine winter update is now upon us! Here's what's been changed or updated ...
Winter Theme Updates
You'll notice the first time you step outside during the winter update that it's now snowing around camp. But that's not all ... make sure you're nice to the snowmen that have suddenly appeared, you wouldn't want to be put on the 'naughty' list now would you?
Energy Drinks & Sunshine Bear
We've also spent a great amount of time working on Sunshine Bear around the camp. You will run into him a little more often now, but you do have a new tool in your arsenal, and those are the Energy Drinks you've been collecting.
Now they don't just give you a little Stamina, they also speed Jez up to almost superhuman proportions for a few seconds so you can make a quick getaway should Sunshine Bear spot you, and give chase!
Quest Changes
Not content with adding some cool new stuff, we also took a lookat some of the quests within the game and have made some cool little adjustments which makes the experience a little more tense and scary. We hope you enjoy them ...
Cabin Changes
After watching quite a few videos and reading comments it became clear that a lot of the cabins weren't needed or didn't add anything more to the game. So we have took the steps to clean some of them up and even make other cabins bigger. Going upstairs in most cabins is also now a connected experience which means Sunshine Bear can chase you upstairs now too! Sorry about that! ːsteamhappyː
Boring Technical Stuffs
We've also been tidying up the game and making things run a little smoother too, it's all boring technical stuff but rest assured it's better and doesn't give us nearly as many heart palpitations when we look at the code ːsteammockingː
So there we have it, we hope you enjoy this Winter Update as the Winter theme won't be around for too long! Remember, leave those Snowmen alone!
Winter is Coming! Version 1.2 coming soon!
We're really excited by this update! Not only have we improved quite a bunch of stuff ... but we've added something ... it just depends if you've been naughty or nice!?!
Oh, and remember to vote for us under the 'Villain most in need of a hug' category of the Steam awards! We know Sunshine Bear wants to hug you all!
Update 1.1 - Everything Happens for a Reason
We’re delighted to bring you this new update which significantly changes the mechanics of some core elements of the game. We’re going to run down them all in this announcement …
PLEASE NOTE that some people may receive an error message when they update the game and try to load an older save. Unfortunately this is due to the new mechanics in every single cabin around camp and as such will cause some problems and as such may require a new save / play file. If you are having trouble please e-mail hello@fossilgames.com and we will do as much as humanly possible to assist you.
IT’S NOW BEAR-ABLE AROUND CAMP
One of the largest bug-bears (are you bored of the bear puns yet?) we heard was that it felt far too random when Sunshine Bear decided to spawn and attack, and you were absolutely right! We took him back to the drawing board and worked every hour we could to give you a set of mechanics that would make Camp Sunshine even more enjoyable to play!
While Jez is outside of the Camp you will now be watched as to how you play. Take your time and Sunshine Bear will begin to learn where you are and could well pop-up and begin patrolling the area where you are. If he see’s you, he’ll give chase!
You’ll be able to hear where he we have given him some padded footsteps in 3d audio so if you listen closely you’ll be able to tell which direction he’s coming from. He’ll also tell you when he’s found you, as he likes to brag about his hide and seek skills!
But don’t fear … all you need to do is get out of his line of sight or hide and if he loses your scent he’ll carry on looking for other campers to slaughter. Be warned, we’ve been a little more evil here and have placed some twigs and branches on the floor. Snap one of these when Sunshine Bear is nearby, and he will come-a-running!
WE PAWS-ED FOR THOUGHT ON THE INTERIORS TOO
Ok ok ok, we’ll stop with the Bear puns now!
Not content with re-working Sunshine Bear’s M.O around camp. We’ve also added a whole host of stuff when you are busy looting cabins.
Stay too long or make enough noise and Sunshine Bear could well arrive where you are. He will then begin patrolling the area looking for unwilling victims! Get into his Line of Sight and you could well be toast.
The great thing here is that you can also run and hide inside too. Hide behind walls, wardrobes and bunk beds to stay out of his line of sight and you’ll be … fine?
WE COULDN’T BEAR YOU GETTING STUCK
That’s the last one … it has to be!?!
During the story of Camp Sunshine you’ll be given a helpful little piece of jewellery that when used will guide you on your quest to locate all of the items.
LET ME GET MY BEAR-INGS …
Oh jeez, they’re still happening …
Also, all of your active quests will now show on the map. Showing exactly where you need to go in order to get those diary pages!
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
* Added a note about Windowed mode to the controller diagram.
* Improved the semantics and formatting of the dialogue.
* Added more story too, thanks to your suggestions.
* Added a prize for completing a certain mini game
So there we have it … it’s a pretty big update and we hope you enjoy Camp Sunshine version 1.1. Thanks for bear-ing with us!
We have a lot more planned for Camp Sunshine, and the next update won’t be too far away! Keep ‘em peeled campers!
Update 1.1 - Everything Happens for a Reason
We’re delighted to bring you this new update which significantly changes the mechanics of some core elements of the game. We’re going to run down them all in this announcement …
Please note you might receive an error message when you boot up your save game. This is due to all of the new mechanics we have placed around the camp and they may require a new save. That said, please e-mail you save file to hello@fossilgames.com and we will do our best to assist as much as we can! ... without further ado, here's what's changed!
IT’S NOW BEAR-ABLE AROUND CAMP[
One of the largest bug-bears (are you bored of the bear puns yet?) we heard was that it felt far too random when Sunshine Bear decided to spawn and attack, and you were absolutely right! We took him back to the drawing board and worked every hour we could to give you a set of mechanics that would make Camp Sunshine even more enjoyable to play!
While Jez is outside of the Camp you will now be watched as to how you play. Take your time and Sunshine Bear will begin to learn where you are and could well pop-up and begin patrolling the area where you are. If he see’s you, he’ll give chase!
You’ll be able to hear where he we have given him some padded footsteps in 3d audio so if you listen closely you’ll be able to tell which direction he’s coming from. He’ll also tell you when he’s found you, as he likes to brag about his hide and seek skills!
But don’t fear … all you need to do is get out of his line of sight or hide and if he loses your scent he’ll carry on looking for other campers to slaughter. Be warned, we’ve been a little more evil here and have placed some twigs and branches on the floor. Snap one of these when Sunshine Bear is nearby, and he will come-a-running!
WE PAWS-ED FOR THOUGHT ON THE INTERIORS TOO
Ok ok ok, we’ll stop with the Bear puns now!
Not content with re-working Sunshine Bear’s M.O around camp. We’ve also added a whole host of stuff when you are busy looting cabins.
Stay too long or make enough noise and Sunshine Bear could well arrive where you are. He will then begin patrolling the area looking for unwilling victims! Get into his Line of Sight and you could well be toast.
The great thing here is that you can also run and hide inside too. Hide behind walls, wardrobes and bunk beds to stay out of his line of sight and you’ll be … fine?
WE COULDN’T BEAR YOU GETTING STUCK
That’s the last one … it has to be!?!
During the story of Camp Sunshine you’ll be given a helpful little piece of jewellery that when used will guide you on your quest to locate all of the items.
LET ME GET MY BEAR-INGS …
Oh jeez, they’re still happening …
Also, all of your active quests will now show on the map. Showing exactly where you need to go in order to get those diary pages!
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
* You can now take a look at the map when you’re inside a cabin.
* Added a note about Windowed mode to the controller diagram.
* Improved the semantics and formatting of the dialogue.
* Added more story too, thanks to your suggestions.
* Added a prize for completing a certain mini game
So there we have it … it’s a pretty big update and we hope you enjoy Camp Sunshine version 1.1. Thanks for bear-ing with us!
We have a lot more planned for Camp Sunshine, and the next update won’t be too far away! Keep ‘em peeled campers!
