Ice Lakes was released exactly one year ago, April 19th. The past year has been awesome and a big thanks belongs to the community who have played the game, who have given lots of constructive feedback and suggestions how to improve the game, to those who have made videos and streams to all social channels and finally to all others who have been involved in the Ice Lakes community. It has been a privilege to see how much joy our game has given to so many people. Thank you!
Year of Ice Lakes
During the past year the game has evolved in many ways. Almost each update have included new content or feature that have expanded the game. Five new maps, new jig types, almost ten new fish species and fish fights are some of the most distinguishable features that were added in the content updates to mention a few.
Then another major feature we added was a full VR support for VIVE and Oculus Touch. This was not a small task, because it required rethinking game mechanics to work with the VR controllers. It also required rebuilding big parts of the game and remaking the graphics to work with the VR. We are very happy that adding VR version to the game has increased the dedicated playerbase. Furthermore, VR also made the game available to completely new audiences. For example, the game is now playable in multiple VR arcades around the world so that people without access to VR or even frozen lakes can go and experience ice fishing.
Update Announcement
Even though we have new projects in development, we want to improve and expand Ice Lakes further. We have a new updates coming in the future and now let us introduce some of the features we are going to release this year. First there will be some smaller updates that will take care of some of the minor issues and bugs that have been found from the game. After that we have a bigger new content update coming, which will be something little bit different.
Even though winter never ends in Ice Lakes, we thought that something different (and little bit crazy) might cheer up the dark winter theme in the game. Two new maps that are currently coming to the game are Tropical Freeze and Polar Storm (names may change).
In Tropical Freeze players are thrown into sunny paradise islands where, because of drastic climate change phenomenon, a sudden cold atmosphere has frozen all waters. The fishermen around the world are gathering to experience ice fishing in the tropical paradise. This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to go ice fishing in the middle of calmly waving palm trees.
Polar Storm, on the other hand, is from the other end of the spectrum. This map is located to polar region, where the bravest fishermen are exercising their passion on small ice rafts. There might be occasional whales and nuclear submarines you might encounter as well.
When there are new environments, there will be new fish. New fish species will be added to new environments, but maybe also to the old ones.
VR fish fights will be improved. Currently the VR fish fighting is not as complex as in the standard version of the game. We are trying to make it similar to the standard version without handicapping the gameplay.
Night mode is also one big feature we have been thinking. Fishing during nighttime is not as easy in real life and usually you get even less fish than during other times of the day. It would be a hardcore mode so to speak.Therefore this should also be the hardest difficulty in the game. This would affect also the old levels and the entire appearance of the game.
These are couple of things we have in store for the future of the game. Give us a feedback what you think and keep on fishing!
With these notes we end this announcement and congratulate our one year old game that we are very proud of. Happy birthday Ice Lakes!
Ice Lakes Oculus Touch
The VR is expanding. With this update the game gets full Oculus support with the Touch controllers. The game can be played exactly the same way as with the Vive system.
Currently we are working to improve the VR experience further. For example, we are exploring new mechanics for VR fish fights and hope to developed it more similar to the standard version of the game. This and other improvements will improve the game and increase the authentic feeling of ice fishing and feeling of being there in the wild that can be only achieved with VR systems.
Ice Lakes Leaderboards Update
Leaderboards
In the main menu of the game you can see a new button on the lower right corner saying "Leaderboards". This is a new feature where all players can compare their biggest fish against other players worldwide.
In the global tab you can see the global leaderboard starting from the biggest fish. On the other hand, in the "you" tab it shows your ranking in the global leaderboard. Finally there is a separate tab where the game only shows you and your friends.
On the left side of the leaderboards menu there are several options where to choose from. The first one shows all species in one list and below that there are each species shown separately.
Note that only one fish per species per player is shown in this leaderboard.
Other
- AI system has been redone. AI players can choose their equipment more wisely based on the conditions and the species they want to catch.
- Support for external camera with third controller (VR).
- Manual drilling is now easier on VR.
- VR physic improvements.
- Equipment balances.
- Localization improvements.
- Bug fixes.
Ice Lakes Fish Fight Update
More content, improved VR features, fish fights and more. This update has so many new things and improvements to the game that it is safe to say this being the biggest update ever. Without further due let's go through all the things it has to offer.
FISH FIGHTS
Fish fight is one of the biggest game mechanical additions to the game since the release. First of all, this is an optional feature, which can be turned on or off from the map selection screen before every game. This applies for both single and multiplayer. In multiplayer game host can turn on fish fights similarly to all other map settings before every game. Fish fights also works both, with desktop and VR versions.
Playing the fish is simple. A separate fish fighting mode is activated after fish takes a bait. However, also the size of the fish and the rod type affects if the fish fight is activated. The smallest fish do not require playing so every fish does not activate the fish fight. The important thing is not to let the line tension rise too high or let the line get too loose. While playing the fish the tension meter should be kept approximately at the center (green region). If the tension goes too up or too low, the fish will get away or the line will break. This is adjusted by reeling and pulling the rod, or letting the line loose.
While playing on VR you need to make countermoves with your controller when the game tells to do so. The fish will get away, if you wait too long without making a countermove.
IMPROVED VR
In addition to the new fish fight feature there are many new visual and game mechanical changes to VR version.
First of all fishing scenes have now a changing scenery on the horizon. So in the middle of the fog there are also some objects and not just a foggy horizon to look at. Secondly, we added interactivity by placing a bucket into the fishing scene. All fish can be thrown into the bucket which is pretty fun when trying to fit too many big fish into one small bucket. There is also a fishing stool, which really has no real function other than just be there to make the scene look pretty and give an impression of sitting on something if playing seated :)
There are also a few more serious game mechanical changes to VR. There were the fish fight features, but also the slush scoop is now used manually while playing on VR. Also the drilling can be done manually by grapping the handles with both hands and then doing the actual drilling by rotating the auger. However, manual drilling is optional and it can be set back to automatic from the game settings.
In general the VR has been improved in many ways from the interface and and user experience point of view. If you own a Vive system, this update is really worthwhile to check out.
NEW SPECIES
Three new fish species are introduced. There have been so many requests about having more North American species, so we wanted to add probably two of the most famous angling fish into Ice Lakes. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are both very popular game fish and therefore deserve a place also in our game.
The surprise addition is sturgeon. Note that in real life most sturgeon species are endangered and protected and are on the brink of extinction. We do not encourage to catch them outside this game and we hope that we can spread a word of protecting this ancient species and help stopping the illegal fishing. Therefore, enjoy the this fish in our game, so you don't need to do it in real life.
NEW MAP - GOLD RUSH
Gold Rush is the 15th map in Ice Lakes. It is located around an old abandoned gold mine where no fisherman has visited in a long time. The deeb abysses in this map are great places to catch even the biggest beasts in the game.
OTHER
New competition modes, new achievements, gameplay balances, updates to sound effects and multiplayer are just a few smaller things there are in this game.
This has been a great update to work with and finally it is out!
Ice Lakes VR Update
This update adds a support for HTC Vive VR system. This makes Ice Lakes a really unique ice fishing experience on the home systems. Use Vive controller like a real fishing rod and roam around the beautifull landscapes like in the real life.
The game also experiences a revamp regarding the graphics and menus. All new features and content will also work in the standard version of the game except the VR specific ones.
The first new map in this update is Emperor's Garden. This introduces a completely new far eastern themed environment and is also a good place to fish smelt.
Another new maps is the Ice Lakes, which is a wilderness map with beautifull waterfalls and lots of small ponds and connecting rivers where you can fish in this diverse environment.
New fish species introduced in this update are smelt and a catfish black bullhead. Smelts are new type that can be caught from almost every map and they are found schooling little under the ice. Black bullheads on the other hand are more rare and can be found from little deeper.
Two new tournaments are introduced in this update, in which these new fish species and maps are put to the test. The first one concentrates on the far eastern theme and the second tournament is a series of quick competitions finally adding a shorter option for tournament players!
Other things
Finally there are of course bug fixes, gameplay balances. Also the multiplayer reward system has been adjusted so that the reward will scale depending on how many players there are playing on the server.
Coming next
In the next update we will introduce a fish fight mechanic that is currently in the testing. At first it might be only an option and can be turned on/off and we'll see how it goes since it is so drastic change to gameplay mechanics. More information about that later ;)
Ice Lakes Update 1.53
In this update we concentrate on improving the existing content and make some groundwork to prepare the next bigger content update.
- Game guide is finally here! It can be accessed by pressing the question mark in the main menu. Almost 50 page long guide explains about game mechanics, equipment and fish species in the game.
- All jig types have now improved and more balanced fishing models
- New localization: Germany
- Linux version of dedicated server is now available
- Missing ambient sounds are now fixed
- Game engine updated to the latest version
- Graphic updates to some objects
- Option to listen the menu music also during the game
- Finally it is now possible to observe caught fish on the ice with information about species and weight. You can also jiggle them around :)
We are also working with the next content update. It will include a new fish species, night fishing, new maps and more.
Ice Lakes Update 1.53
In this update we concentrate on improving the existing content and make some groundwork to prepare the next bigger content update.
- Game guide is finally here! It can be accessed by pressing the question mark in the main menu. Almost 50 page long guide explains about game mechanics, equipment and fish species in the game.
- All jig types have now improved and more balanced fishing models
- New localization: Germany
- Linux version of dedicated server is now available
- Missing ambient sounds are now fixed
- Game engine updated to the latest version
- Graphic updates to some objects
- Option to listen the menu music also during the game
- Finally it is now possible to observe caught fish on the ice with information about species and weight. You can also jiggle them around :)
We are also working with the next content update. It will include a new fish species, night fishing, new maps and more.
News About Future Updates
Hello all! We wanted to give you a heads up what is coming in the future. Because where is the harm to show next big things in advance, right?
Konichiwa Japan!
The first update, which we hopefully can release as soon as next week, will improve the current content and make the experience deeper. At least there will be the following contents
- Game guide is finally here! It can be accessed by pressing the question mark in the main menu. Almost 50 page long guide explains about game mechanics, equipment and fish species in the game.
- Linux version of dedicated server is now available
- Missing ambient sounds are now fixed
- Game engine updated to the latest version
We are not sure whether or not these will be ready for the next update:
- Observing caught fish on the ice with information about species and weight. You can also jiggle them around :)
- Improved fishing models for different jig types.
For the next update we have considered something like this:
- Night mode for all maps
- At least two new fish species: catfish and smelt
- New map with Japanese inspired environment and other themes
- Fish fights (still under consideration)
- And other things...
And finally something that makes this game really unique. Ice Lakes is going to have a VR support!!! The a picture about this funny thing can be found from our facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/iceflakestudios/
Ice Lakes 1.5 - Midsummer Mega Update
Midsummer parties are closing in, but in Ice Lakes winter never ends. Let's make fishing great again!
New features
- Ice fishing cabins
- 2 new maps
- 3 new fish species: Bluegill, crappie and flounder
- 2 new tournaments
- 2 new jig types: Spinners and spoons
- 40 new jigs
- 5 new bait types
- 2 new characters
- New achievements
- Lure colors now match bait colors
- Multiplayer host can kick players by typing to game chat "/kick playernick"
- Lots of known bugs fixed
- Balances and improvements to gameplay
- Dedicated servers (alpha release)
Fish cabins can be found from the two new maps. Players can go inside the warmth of a cabin where the freezing winds and cold weather does not distract the fisherman by freezing the hole. You don't have to worry about slush preventing the fishing. Another great thing about these cabins is that occasionally some species may find a good spot under or near them.
Two new maps are concentrated on environments taking their inspiration from the North American continent. Also the species you can get from these maps are more typical to that region, including the new fish species.
Species from the New World are swimming to Ice Lakes. Bluegill and Black Crappie make the fishing even more diverse. Flounder on the other hand, is an interesting fellow. They can lay on the bottom from very shallow to very deep waters. Catching flounders gives a whole dimension to the game.
Two completely new tournaments increase the total number of tournaments to 14! New tournaments continues the theme of the North American ice fishing and concentrates on the new maps and species.
A whole new wave of different jigs and baits are added to equipment selection. In total there are 40 new jigs and 5 new bait types. They will also introduce two completely new jig types; Spinners and spoons. Moreover the 20 new mormyshka and balanced jigs are special type of jigs that can be used in more focused way since they are at their best only for one species each.
Select one of these two new characters, the dark knights of ice fishing, and show how the fishing is done!
Finally there are also dozens of new achievements. Take your goal and go for it!
DEDICATED SERVERS
The first version of dedicated servers are released alongside with this update. However, it is still in alpha stage and has not been properly tested at this point.
FUTURE
What lies ahead? This update also makes a groundwork for new things to come. Dedicated servers will be improved, night mode and some new game modes are new features we are planning to release in the next updates.
The First Details of the upcoming Mega Update!
Hello everyone! As you might have noticed in the previous patch note we are preparing a huge content update, which will be released in June.
Here are some details of the upcoming MEGA UPDATE!
- Ice fishing cabins
- 3 new fish species: Bluegill, crappie and flounder
- 2 new maps
- 2 new jig types: Spinners and spoons
- 2 new characters
- 40 new jigs
- 5 new bait types
- New achievements
And then some. Of course we are also fixing known bugs and even more improving the gameplay.
Lastly, here are couple of new screenshots from the new features.
