The Chilly, Cheery Update arrives on December 19th!
đ Ho-ho-hope you're ready for some good news: there's an official date for the next major Cat Lady update! Chilly, cheery... and with a brand new area of the mansion for you to explore, the Chilly, Cheery Update will arrive on Steam on December 19th, 2019! đ
With this update, you'll find some delicious new foes to fight, in addition to a brand-new boss! Of course, Grandma would be upset if we missed any excuse to decorate over the holidays, so expect a few other festive embellishments in the mansion.
If youâve been enjoying Cat Lady thus far, please consider leaving a review! Not only does it make us feel happy (it does!) but it also helps us in the Steam algorithms, allowing folks to find our game more readily (and get a stronger sense of if the game is a good fit for them).
And if you have any feedback, please leave it here in the Steam forums or in our Discord!
Talk soon!
Jenny + the RCG Team
This Week in Cat Lady
Happy Friday! Weâve been prepping the next content pack for you all ~ and my goodness are we excited about it! Thereâs a whole new area to explore in Grandmaâs mansion, and this week weâve all been testing and finessing it for you. Expect an announcement soon on when thatâll drop⊠and what area youâll officially be exploring next! ;)
In addition to working on finessing this update (balancing and tuning new enemies and area layout, and making sure all the holiday decor is hung properly) we've been working AHEAD! What?! YUP!
Whatâs been keeping us busy this week?
- Remember those vibrating corpses? We've made sure once you've knocked 'em out, they'll stay still. No double-tap necessary!
- Christian finalized his pass on the rooms of all the areas, making sure theyâre cleaned up and ready to go for the holidays! Weâve kept only the things that spark joy. ;)
- Finessed the music looping so youâre not left hanging once a track ends! Seamless audio experiences up ahead! (Also, want a preview of the new areaâs track? Be sure to stop by our Discord!)
- MORE POWERUPS! Dum Dumâs shop is stocked up for the holidays! What synergies will you create next? One of the newest items in stock? A familiar-looking mask from the world next doorâŠ
- Weâve perked up the Foul Owl to put up a bit more of a fight. Hopefully no more aimless wandering there - thanks for the bug catch, everyone!
- We cleaned up where and how enemies can get hit and hit you with their dastardly energies. Collisions should be improved coming soon!
- Finalizing the script up for the remainder of the story! Who (or what!) is responsible for this haunting? And will Billy ever tire of cat puns?
- Aim Assist! Didja know we have it? Well, if you didnât, now you know! And if you did: know that weâve been finessing it even further. As Grandma always says: No shame in gettinâ help with your aim.
- Remember that âWin Screenâ prototype we showed off last week? It was full of Nicâs no-so-secret desire for chili dogs (wonder if he ever got âem?) This week? Weâve started testing out to see how the screen works⊠and despite the lack of food-related achievements, weâre feeling really good about how itâs looking!
Finally, with this monthâs update, weâll be doing another feedback giveaway! So keep your eyes out, because when we launch the update, weâll also provide a feedback form here and in our Discord in case youâd like a chance to enter for a free prize pack of VIZ Media and Rose City gear.
Talk soon!
Jenny and the RCG Team
This Week in Cat Lady Development
Wow, how is it December already? On the heels of our November update, we've already been busy getting ready for what's next. The biggest task weâve been working on this week? THE NEW AREA. Thatâs right: the next mansion update will include a totally new area as well as brand new enemies and a new boss for you to face. Where do you think weâll journey next?
Healing got a visual boost! To help make it even more clear when healing occurs, youâll get an audio cue AND a peppy new visual. Plus signs, ftw!
⊠And Ally was so excited about these new effects, she had to be provided with some new emotes to express it! Weâve got some fun ones, like âPeaceâ and, of course, âVictory Selfieâ.
Speaking of victory: Weâve been working on tweaks to the win screen, whichâll continue to let you know all the details of each mansion run. Please excuse the prolific mention of chili dogs here. Nic was just hungry when he made this (or maybe this is a 90s Sonic reference? The world may never know⊠)
How many cats are too many cats? Thereâs no such thing! We decided to add a few more buddies to the hub. Fun fact: weâve got a bot thatâll generate the appearance of new kitties, like these three silly goofs. Youâll learn the names of these fellows soon. ;)
With a new area of the mansion opening up, that also means weâve been sprucing up the script. Not only have we added small edits to the story youâve already experienced, but weâre getting very close to finalizing the entire script! Weâre dotting our iâs, crossing our tâs, and definitely using the oxford comma.
And, of course, weâve been working gathering and taking your feedback! One of the recurring points is that rooms still feel a bit cramped ~ particularly in the basement. Grandma just keeps too much stuff around! So, weâve taken one more pass and hopefully helped her (and you!) out for when you explore.
Finally, we've also had a busy week from the Steam sale! If you picked up the game during that time, welcome! Weâre excited for you to join our journey to save Grandma and the mansion. If youâve played the game and feel so inclined, please consider leaving us feedback in the forums or our Discord! Next week weâll have more peeks at what you can expect from the next area of the mansion. ;)
Cheers!
Jenny
ICYMI: Cat Lady's Super Chonky Update + Giveaway are Live!
Last night, we pushed out the first of our monthly updates to Cat Lady!
This first content pack is called the Super Chonky Update, and not just because we've added a whopping SEVEN cats to the game! New enemy variants, adjustments to progression, balance, and lots of fixes based on ~ your feedback ~ were all implemented. For those interested, the detailed update notes can be found here.
We also have a list of known issues that we're tracking, so be sure to check those out here ~ and please reach out if you're experiencing any issues and we'll be sure to help (or, again, feel free to jump into our Discord -- https://discord.gg/rosecitygames).
THANK YOU to everyone who has played and provided feedback so far! As we've mentioned, it's been our first Early Access experience, and you've all made it a fun one.
Yes! We wanted to make sure that you all know we have a giveaway happening this first week of the content pack's release!
Similar to our Beta Weekend Giveaway, we're hoping to get lots of feedback for the updates we've made to the game, so we'll be giving away THREE (super chonky) VIZ Media prize packs filled with anime, manga, and Rose City swag.
How to enter? Play Cat Lady and provide feedback to us in our survey before 5 PM PST on December 1st! (Read our blog post for giveaway details)
We hope you enjoy this latest iteration of Cat Lady ~ we're definitely proud of how far it's come along and are even more excited to see how it continues to evolve based on what we see you enjoying!
Cheers!
Jenny + The Rose City Team
The Super Chonky Update is LIVE!
We spent this month addressing the feedback you all provided in the Steam forums and Discord, and are really looking forward to hearing what you all think! In addition to lots of quality of life fixes, so you can more easily explore the mansion and recognize the action taking place on the screen, youâve got SEVEN new cats to befriend!
Astute observers may note only five new cats are shown above ⊠đ Weâre hoping YOU can find the last two secret additions (and let us know on Twitter or Discord when you do!)
In addition to new cats, some updates yâall can keep an eye out for:
Data clearing! To ensure optimal cat herding, note that your data has been cleared since the last time you played.
Some cats who had to be purchased from Dum Dumâs shop now come ready to play⊠and others are unlockable by completing in-game challenges. Gotta catch âem all, amirite?
BUG BOUNTY ALERT: There is a known crash that we simply canât replicate related to data clearing, so this is where weâll need your help! If you turn on Cat Lady and the game doesnât start properly, please follow these instructions to a) send info to us to be able to figure it out and b) clear your save so you can play!
- On PC: In File Explorer, go to C:/ â Users â [YourUserName] â AppData â LocalLow â Rose City Games â CatLady â Save.txt
- On Mac: Open Finder > Go + hold Option > Library > Application Support > com.rosecitygames.catlady
- Please send us the Save.txt file by emailing us at hello@rosecitygames.com thenâŠ.
- DELETE THAT FILE! That should fix the issue and youâll be able to jump into the updated game!
Areas will unlock in a different order! Based on feedback and the style of gameplay each area requires, we ended up switching two of the mansionâs areas. Happy exploring!
Get those headphones ready: new tunes have been added.
Weâve added a brand new enemy and lots of enemy variants to each area of the mansion. New looks, same goal: take âem down!
If you get knocked out, donât fret! Youâll unlock rewards if youâve completed various challenges during your run. Success!
Feelinâ chatty? Cool! You can now walk up to NPCs and talk with them by pressing a button! Wanna speed the convo along? Hold that button down. Donât wanna talk? FINE, THEY WERE BUSY ANYWAYS!
Ally has new expressions as she interacts with cats! Look out for our fave: the victory selfie!
More cat swap rooms! Weâve had so much fun with our new feline friends, we wanted to make sure you had more cat swap opportunities to really figure out your favorite play-style. Cats for everyone!
Pew pew pew! Hear that? Thatâs the sound of new SFX!
In the meantime, the Meow button will be taking a break while we record more cat sounds. Please stand by!
We continued to give those bosses tweaks and twists, finessing them to be the best selves! Expect adjusted health and streamlined attack behaviors to really give you a run for your money.
More power-ups have been added, and familiar power-ups fine tuned. We wanna see your wackiest combinations!
Collision tuning so itâll be easier to run around the mansion. Spring cleaning happened early for Grandma!
Your Minimap disappears in combat now -- looks like those Wisps will have to find a new hiding spot!
Lots of little misc bug fixes and adjustments to the difficulty to make sure everything feels great!
As you play, remember thereâs a prize opportunity for providing feedback! All youâve gotta do is fill out a short questionnaire (available here or in our Discord).
And, as weâre already preparing for next monthâs update, if you do have feedback or bugs you come across, capturing screenshots and/or clips really helps us see whatâs going on so we can figure out whatâs happening and how to potentially replicate it.
Thanks again for playing!
Cheers,
Jenny and the Rose City Games team
This Week in Cat Lady Development
We're just 1 week away from our first major update for Cat Lady! On Thursday, November 21st, we'll be pushing a new build featuring new cats, enemies, Powerups, and lots of polish and bug fixes based on feedback from our Early Access players. This week's post will be a bit shorter, as the team is putting all our focus on the game.
We're calling it The Super Chonky Update, and you'll soon be able to team up with 18 different cats in Grandma's Mansion. Ernesta is one of those cats - she carries a magical ball of yarn which bounces around the when she bats it at enemies. If you enjoyed bouncing attacks before, Ernesta might be your new favorite feline.
One thing we wanted to prepare everyone for: when you update Cat Lady on Steam to get The Super Chonky Update, your current save data will be cleared. This will ensure the least amount of funkiness between our monthly content pack updates, and will also provide us with the best feedback for pacing and progression, having everyone start back from the top. Thanks for understanding!
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Lastly, we put together a quick Dev Log video talking about the feels leading up to our first big update. Give it a watch, and we'll be back here next week with a fresh build!
- Corey
This Week in Cat Lady Development
MOAR CATS! Introducing Mr. Puddles: this little buddy has been hanging out with us outside-of-engine since the early pre-production days of Cat Lady. He was one of the first cats Jake came up with, but it took us a while to land on the right action for him.
Mr. Puddles is a secondary cat who leaves goopy gunk trails as he moves around, which you can use strategically to set traps and control areas for Ally! A cat who actually likes water... who'd a'thought? Mr. Puddles joins Ally and the gang for Novemberâs content up update.
Some of the new cats weâve been adding will be found in Dum Dumâs Unlock Shop. So youâll need to collect lots of Essence to recruit them into your list-o-cats. Weâve got some shiny new portraits in the shop UI, which look much nicer than the placeholder assets in right now. ;)
A while back, we asked players who their favorite and least favorite cats were. Based on that feedback, we spent some time tweaking Marshmallow, Scrappy, and Nelly to feel a bit better.
Scrappy is now more of a heavy hitter - heâll need to wind his punches back a little longer, but sends enemies further with his knockback!
Nelly's smooches are more plentiful for a wider spread of lovâem attacks.
Marshmallow's attack is a little bit more accurate to his form... We think it's more fun to hit enemies with his big poofy head!
Another big game-feel topic we focused on was geometry stickiness - mostly that players could get stuck on little corners and colliders in certain places and accidently drag themselves against walls. This one is kinda hard to show in a GIF, but youâll really be able to feel it in the next update!
Something youâll definitely notice is that the mini-map closes when you enter rooms with enemies. Now Ally and enemies wonât be able to hide behind this during combat, which should reduce the number of controller-throwing moments in tough rooms.
A big question weâve heard over the past few weeks was whether or not Powerups stacked. For example, if grabbing 2 Frenzy Kibble would make you shoot faster than if you had 1. The icons werenât stacking in the top right when you picked up more than 1, and we can now confirm that Powerups have NOT been stacking. This wasnât intended, so in the next update, youâll be able to stack those Powerups and know itâs happening with multiple icons in the corner!
You may be wondering: but when will we get to experience all of these updates? Well, itâs time to announce when Content Pack 1 is scheduled to arrive! Weâve marked November 21st on our calendars, and you can too!
Thanks so much for all your feedback and patience over the past few weeks; weâre excited for yâall to get your claws on the latest iterations and let us know what you think!
-Corey
This Week In Cat Lady Development
Happy November! Weâre back this week with a quick update on whatâs new in Cat Lady development.
Letâs start with, yet again, a new cat! His name is Maximus, and heâs a very big boy.
Ally can chuck him at groups of enemies to deal massive damage with a heavy sword slam. Maximus will be available to play with during the upcoming November update.
Something we heard from a lot of early players was that they werenât enjoying taking hits right when they enter certain rooms. Christian has been revisiting all of the worst offenders and repositioning enemies to keep this from happening. Cheap shots are no fun!
Speaking of enemies, weâve got a new one weâre working on... Rats! These little boogers will be appearing in the Boiler Room to try and take a bite out of Ally.
Nic and I spent all of Wednesday focused on audio (probably my favorite thing to work on in the game!) We have multiple tracks playing in each area of the game now, fixed some bugs from Early Access launch, and popped in a bunch of SFX revisions. Nic also added some functionality to our audio manager to handle prioritizing and canceling certain sounds. This will make mixing the full game easier moving forward!
Weâre also experimenting with ways to better communicate that Ally is taking damage. Making the audio a bit more impactful helps, but we also felt it was important to add a visual element. The current idea weâre playing with is to dim or flash the environmentâs colors to make players feel the weight of each hit. We havenât got this quite dialed in yet, and we want to be mindful when considering players who are sensitive to flashing gameplay, so weâll be testing this even more over the coming weeks.
Thatâs it for this week! Stay tuned for more updates - weâll be talking about the release date for Content Pack 1 very soon!
- Corey
This Week In Cat Lady Development
Hey everyone, Corey here. Iâm the producer on Cat Lady. I wanted to share some of the work weâve been up to, sort of a snapshot to let you know whatâs coming up!
Letâs start with an exciting one⊠a new cat! Weâre testing out some abilities for this new chonky boy, who will be an unlockable primary cat for the November update. I wonder what we should call himâŠ
Weâve also been creating some enemy variants for different areas in the game. This patchwork teddy will appear in the Boiler Room, and has a tougher bite than your standard Demon Teddy. Expect to see this new baddie along with other cute-but-deadly creatures in Novemberâs update.
Weâve been wireframing and mocking up some updates to the current menus, thinking about how to show players more information about their current Powerups and active Challenges. We still have a ways to go on this, so itâs looking like these updates will be coming in December.
One point of feedback we heard from a lot of players was that they wanted to be able to press a button to progress the dialogue in-game. Iâm happy to report that weâve got that implemented! Whether you want to mash through the story and get back to blasting ghosts, or take your time reading every cat pun, weâve got you covered. This improvement should hit in our November update.
If you like these types of weekly updates, let us know and weâll keep them coming every Friday! For even more details, and to check out a preview of a new song, join our Discord!
Cat Lady: 24 Hour Patch Notes (v0.3.1 Early Access Build)
What a day! First off: THANK YOU! I could wax poetic about how yâall have already been so incredible with your feedback, live streams, videos, etc. because you have been PAWSOME, but I'm here with different news! đŸ Get ready to hear about all the things weâve been hard at work improving these last 24 hours: it's time for our first patch! đȘ
- Fixed coloring issues, causing enemies to color correctly when theyâre dead. Color us happy about that! - Fixed one scenario with sticky A / SPACE button when talking to interactive cats. Easily talk and swap your fave cats! - Adjusted some upgrade costs, removed Tooth & Claw Kibble item. - Increased Bust enemy speed, so make sure to bring your running shoes! - Reduced Mushroom enemy range. - Decreased Roscoe (Box Cat) attack shape radius. - Changed sixth heart container to cost 50 Essence instead of 100. - Modified Bird & Furnace bosses to have less health, removed iframes. - Re-added Hank (Wisp Cat). Welcome back, Hank! - Changed Teddy Headies to stay dead when killed, so no more corpse sneak attacks! - Caused Ally to have purchases auto-attach to her so that players cannot miss upgrades after purchasing. - Nelly (Kissy Cat) does more damage. MUAH! - Animated Jackal and Spike NPCs. Watch âem wiggle! - Marshmallow does more damage. THWOMP! - Collisions for small assets adjusted to allow walking through them. - Caused attack shapes to fully disappear when an enemy dies rather than continuing after death. - Updated Flame Goonlin animations. Donât stare too closely -- theyâre still dangerous! - Added more health to Courtyard Area. đ - Camera zoomed out 15% to account for offscreen enemies.
Again, capturing screenshots and/or clips really helps us see whatâs going on so we can figure out whatâs happening and how to (potentially) replicate it. And join our Discord! Thatâs probably the best place to provide us with feedback and report bugs (and share fan art, cat pics, and moređž)
If you are having any issues playing the game normally as a result of the update, please access âCLEAR DATAâ from the title screen (in Options), clear your data, and the game should function as intended. We apologize for any inconvenience a reset may cause you!
Thanks again for playing! Weâll keep tracking and taking note of your feedback, and canât wait for you to see whatâs in store for your journey through Grandmaâs mansion! đ»
