13 - Endlight FINALLY RELEASES Friday July 28, 2023!!!
You knew this day would come. But this isn't about you. It's about Friday July 28, 2023. The day Endlight, after several false starts, finally releases. You're incredibly self centered.
I think we all know you're going to buy Endlight. Proof: You're reading this. The problem isn't you. The problem is all of your friends who don't know about Endlight, and are upset with you for not telling them.
What's new? Only EVERYTHING Forget the Endlight you knew and loved, it's dead. It's been replaced by Endlight.
Real time lighting - check out those annoying GIFs!
Volumetric fog
Optimized for SteamDeck (it's SWEET)
16 FREE DLC Seasons (400+ levels)
Improved post-processing colour (LUTs)
Improved framerate, somehow still 60fps+ in 4K (120fps+ at 1080p)
Improved collisions
More particles, plus more particles, and some more particles
More user controlled configurations
Extra spectacular Outside levels
Redesigned the "Yearly Challenge", now titled "Earn The Right To Replay"
This is great news for you! But for me... FOR ME it means redoing the video and screenshots for both the Steam page and the website. The trailer also needs to be recreated, but since it confused people perhaps god is telling me something.
"What about the demo? Do you need to build a new one?" Yes and No. Yes I need to build a new one. No because I removed it.
Anything else? Only EVERYTHING
Steam Keys You want one? I've got 400 for people who can spread the word. aka. reviewers, press, streamers, influencers, people of great moral fibre Are you that people? E-mail jim@bigpants.ca before we e-mail you (and you know we'll find you). Note: No natzis.
Day Of The Devs - 10th Anniversary After years of submitting, in Nov. 2022 Endlight made the DOTD cut (and that version had no real time lighting!). On Nov. 5 2022 DOTD displayed Endlight at the San Francisco midway! A day before flying out I got sick and couldn't attend. They wouldn't cancel my hotel, but they did give me a credit. So looks like I'll be visiting the midway this year to ... I'm not sure.
Tik Tok Last year, in a desperate effort to reach the kids, I created 30 hilarious TikTok videos. I consider the experiment a success. If you don't find them hilarious, don't worry .... I only did most of the work on Endlight.
Steam Deck Did I mention we optimized Endlight for the Steam deck? It's a lovely device. I was shocked at how user friendly it is, and how good Endlight looked and played on the small screen. Tiny Endlight is a different experience, yet somehow still awesome. I tip my hat to those Steam goofballs. Worth noting we've created a native Linux build for Steam Deck. Proton is for fools.
Amazing Let's Play ZeroFrameGaming plays the now-outdated Endlight demo and it's my FAVOURITE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y_a9P6A6gI
Real Time Lighting and Volumetric Fog Learnings After a lot of work to enable these, It turns out that some Endlight levels look TERRIBLE with real time lighting and volumetric fog. So we needed to let each level decide whether to turn them on or off. Dynamically swapping between Endlight's original ultra-optimized shaders and Unity's PBR surface shaders was hard, but ensuring the two sets of shaders produced the same overall look (lighting, lit textures, colouring, bloom) was even harder. And we're charging what, 15 bucks?!
Post Processing Colour Endlight's secret has always been post processed colour via look-up textures (LUTs). Last year we bought 200 more, tweaked them, and sprinkled them liberally across the levels. If you like your dish without salt, Endlight is not for you.
Remember when you said we'd never make it? You're looking pretty stupid right now. I wish I was a mirror so you could see the look on your beautiful face.
WASN'T ENDLIGHT SUPPOSED TO RELEASE JULY 2022 Wasn't it Miyamoto who said, "a great game never releases."
12 - Games From Ontario 2022 - LiveStreamin'
GAMES FROM ONTARIO Who's from Ontario? WE ARE. Ontario is located between China and Iceland. It's a beautiful place, full of long roads and short mountains. Many visit. Many leave after visiting. Some stay. Some return after leaving. Truly a mysterious place.
Are there more game studios located "from Toronto and Ottawa, to London, Sudbury and everywhere in-between". Who cares! Even if we were the only game studio located in Ontario we would be proud to be part of this awesome event (Sept. 7 - 14). Did you see the banner on our page? Click and be A M A Z E D. You can also click here although that lacks mystery.
What does it mean to be a developer in Ontario? It means parking your car, locking it and never returning. It means continuing the lie that beavers exist. It means sitting at a computer 24 7 364 x 10 cranking out the best pixels possible while keeping an ear on audio (see what I eared there?). It means never saying "Can you pass the golden syrup?"
3 LIVE STREAMS We own your lunch hour. Tomorrow (Sept. 8) and Friday (Sept. 9) 12pm - 1pm we steal your sandwich. Then, on Sept. 13, the last day of "Games From Ontario" streaming, we return at noon to take your dessert. Wait... what's this? An APPLE?! GOOD LORD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWrRfFUkB-4
WASN'T ENDLIGHT SUPPOSED TO RELEASE JULY 2022 We were fools to think we could outsmart you, my detail oriented friend. I guess we owe you the truth. The truth is we didn't think you could handle the real date (your loose lips are legendary). No. That's not the truth. But the REAL truth would be to much for those hips to bear, so we shall continue to carry it for you.
11 - Next Fest 2022 - New Video! New Demo!
STEAM NEXT FEST 2022 We're next festing it up all this week (June 13 - June 20)! We bought a new suit, polished our shoes, and we're ready to go. Mom says we're not old enough to drink, so she said she's doing the drinking for us. Thanks Mom!
NEW VIDEO Conveniently located right on the Steam page. You can't find it? But... it's the only video on the page. Oh, you found it ... GREAT! Does it make you want to buy Endlight? Don't answer that! All new mind blowing footage featuring new levels, more particles, and death defying feats of strength! Less a trailer and more a living will. If you like the video you will LOVE Endlight. If you LOVE the video you will also LOVE Endlight. If you don't like the video you will also LOVE Endlight. Mom's demolished 2 Lime Budweisers.
NEW DEMO Do you remember the old demo? WELL FORGET ABOUT IT. This... THIS IS THE REAL DEMO. Featuring new, spectacular levels (in addition to improved favourites from earlier). Brace yourself, because there's even more stuff flying around. Can you replay the demo this time? Still NO!
You can FINALLY configure the chaos to match what you're comfortable with. Getting a headache? Hit F1 and change 'Chaos' to 'Adequate' or 'Boring'. Not enough? There's tons of options to reduce camera movement, particle count, etc. I guarantee you will find a blissful state.
Is Endlight choppy? Hit F1 and change 'Graphics' to 'Good' or 'Bad/Fast'. If that doesn't do the trick there are many options to tweak performance further. Note: The framerate displays (per CPU) in the lower left corner, so you can immediately see the impact changes make. Go forth and find 120fps.
Need instructions/help playing the demo? Read my forum thread (many have found it life changing) https://steamcommunity.com/app/1299860/discussions/0/2981907749287143791/
LIVE STREAMS We're doing TWO! The greatest Endlight player in the world (currently me) is showcasing new levels while chatting incessantly. Be warned, you might buy the game based on his beautiful face alone. Mom's lying naked on the floor (illusions never changed, into something real).
Tonight (Monday June 13) 6pm EDT (set reminder here) https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1299860/view/4741736326654012953
Tuesday June 14 9pm EDT (we'll correct all of Monday's mistakes) https://steamcommunity.com/games/1299860/announcements/detail/4741736326654062225
THANKYOU Can I just give a big thankyou to you for reading and to me for writing? But ... there were no spelling mistakes. Favourite has a U. I'm serious.
10 - Next Fest 2022 - Livestream2
Tuesday June 14 9pm EDT We streamed before, we're streaming again. You'll see things you've never seen before. Things you will never see again. Things you should never see ever.
08 - Working Hard in 2022!
Sorry for the delay in posting, but rest assured we are WORKING HARD on finishing Endlight. IT'S SO GOOD! The demo has produced much feedback (thanks everyone!), and we've almost finished addressing every single concern. If it's something we can fix, WE WILL FIX. The Steam demo will be updated shortly, so you can see our hard earned fruits. Endlight will release April 2022 (this time likely for REALZ!)
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Configuration Menu You Steamies LOVE to tweak knobs, so we have provided MANY! Some examples:
Performance: Draw Distance, Level of Detail, Threads, etc.
Motion Sickness: FOV, Camera Rotation, Screenshake, Less/More Particles, Reduce Flashing, etc.
Difficulty: Easy/Normal/Hard, Game Speed, Hoop Probability, etc.
These can be adjusted at a macro or micro level. Use our presets, then tweak until you find your own private Idaho. You can turn off anything that annoys you or gives you headaches. Additionally, we've tried to make Endlight as accessible as possible (hopefully we've succeeded). I'm also happy to report that the mouse is now properly supported (inside and outside, sensitivity settings). Checkout this fun thread about building the configuration menu: https://twitter.com/misterbigpants/status/1482418815048814593
All Options
Note: Some players find Endlight too easy (!?). Increase the speed, lower the max shields, and decrease hoop probability - problem solved yet still fun.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... EGX 2021 - The LeftField Collection https://twitter.com/misterbigpants/status/1451251534679977987 Endlight was chosen for the EGX 2021 LeftField Collection! LeftField is a the "ultra-indie" area of EGX (previously named Eurogamer Expo) - a GIANT videogame expo open to the public. CovId prevented us from attending, so Endlight was on its own. It faired well!
Finger Guns https://fingerguns.net/games/2021/10/16/egx-2021-12-exciting-indie-games-to-keep-your-eye-on/ "When I first added Endlight to this list, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the words to describe it. It’s a shifting, chaotic kaleidoscope of shapes and sound that I believe you experience rather than simply play"
LaurakBuzz https://twitter.com/LaurakBuzz/status/1446069765467000832 "A music rhythm game about flying through rings, with RIDICULOUS numbers of obstacles to dodge."
Endlight, ya did good.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... DarkZeroTV Gets Sick https://youtu.be/3RHITYxr3iM?t=443 "i actually feel sick now, i feel ... just sick" "that was special, in the worst way possible" OH MY GOODNESS! We can't have that! Now that you can adjust the chaos, we hope DarkZeroTV can play. Turn down for what? Turn down for DarkZeroTV. Fact: I actually prefer playing Endlight with the chaos turned down. VERY unexpected.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Endlight Fails IGF - AGAIN! We have submitted Endlight to IGF NINE times in NINE years. Each time we have completely failed, not even an honourable mention. IGF 2022 was the latest attempt, and once again they were not impressed by all the cubes. Our plan? Add MORE cubes and submit to IGF 2023! That should do it. On the plus side, this twitter rabbit hole keeps growing: https://twitter.com/misterbigpants/status/1479513565845504002
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Thanks for reading and KEEP THE FAITH!
07 - Fun Update - IGN, IGF, some players!
We're hard at work completing Endlight for November 2021. We had hoped to release in September, BUT few know Endlight exists. Rather than release to oblivion, we moved dates (apologies, especially to Miyazo). We've doubled down on marketing, and hopefully you'll get sick of hearing about Endlight. Ongoing detailed development updates can be found here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1299860/discussions/0/2953788788209557410/
IGN covered Endlight for Gamescom 2021! Checkout the 2 minute custom trailer we created! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSLCM16Ol2g The visuals are great, but that voiceover - TERRIBLE! I thought it was passable, but hearing it now I cringe. The voiceover was a rush job for reasons that will only bore you. I focused so much on the words explaining Endlight, I overlooked the presentation of said words. This will haunt me for the REST OF MY DAYS. That being said, I do like how the video ends :)
Today that video has 349 likes and 309 dislikes. Based on the comments (always read the comments, they're fantastic!) it appears viewers either love or hate Endlight's insanity - there is no in-between. We've potentially (and unintentionally) created the most polarizing game of 2021. I mean, we just wanted to maximize your GPU - is that so wrong?!
... Watch Cyber_Akuma BEAT the Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq1Y7T6sMH8 It takes him 22 minutes to reach the final level, then another 15 trying to beat it ... BUT BEAT IT HE DID! Proof that Endlight, despite the dizzying insanity, is the easiest game ever made.
... We will be submitting Endlight to GDC IGF 2022 This is our NINTH attempt. Multiple failed attempts have produced this amazing twitter rabbit hole: https://twitter.com/misterbigpants/status/1434246992084021249 Will this thread celebrate a 10th anniversary? Hopefully NOT!
.... Oomfielord tweets: https://twitter.com/Oomfielord/status/1431374938888450048 "Yeah man great demo but im never playing this again for the sake of my eyesight and my brain. Who tf thought this game was a good idea bruh". The entire thread is amazing. However, Oomfielord finished the demo! Despite what's written I'm pretty confident we've found OUR BIGGEST FAN!
.... Endlight - First Impressions by Indiecator https://indiecator.home.blog/2021/09/23/endlight-first-impressions/ Short story: Does NOT recommend! Long story: We'll change their mind! Indiecator's concerns are valid, BUT we can address them all and WE SHALL! Don't worry Indiecator, we'll make you PROUD YET!!! Worth noting that this is not the first time eyeball exhaustion has been mentioned, and we'll be providing configuration options to address that.
.... Miyazo tweets: https://twitter.com/Miyazo_/status/1436754818324783104 Miyazo may be our biggest fan (second only to Oomfielord), and moving Endlight's release date has let them down. Miyazo is the single largest reason we're gong to hit our November target. We cannot deal with another sad emoji.
06 - Endlight at gamescom 2021 - we have a booth!
We're at gamescom 2021! We have a booth! Truly this is the most beautiful of times.
You can enter the magical indie arena for free HERE Find us in the "Howling Gardens / Arcade Village" - on level "Action 2". We're surrounded by AI characters, and desperately lonely.
IGN featured an EXCLUSIVE Endlight video as part of gamescom "Awesome Indies". (apologies for the poor voiceover, everyone was sleeping and I had to keep quiet)
[previewyoutube="gSLCM16Ol2g;full"] "Should have been a seizure warning before this trailer"
"The voice over was clearly recorded on a toilet ten minutes before the show"
"They seriously should put a seizure warning on this preview no joke."
"A self-aware epilepsy-inducing hot pile of mess is still an epilepsy-inducing hot pile of mess"
"They improved the graphics to 4K... They call these graphics?"
