In recent weeks we've continued polishing the levels that will be included in the demo. One of these is vent control, which we briefly showed in the last announcement. Since then it received an extensive rework as well as added details by means of decals and lights. See the current state of the level below.
Another level we can't wait to show you is the server room, which will allow you to parkour in many unique ways. Can you best the most efficient path?
Other levels have also been updated such as the coffee break level, which now has a secret room. We're interested to hear how many of you will manage to find this hidden place once the demo releases. The images below are in-game footage of this new room as well as other minor updates to levels such as the pantry and intersection levels.
Now that the demo is coming closer we can give you some more details about it. The demo will contain 6 fully worked out levels of the game to give you an idea of what to expect with the full version. This new demo will also have full steam integration with leaderboards so you can test your speedrunning skills. Our goal is to release the demo in early December. We'll let you know when we have a more precise release date.
Level design, UI updates, and technical fixes
Since the last announcement we've continued working on level design, UI updates, and technical fixes. A few of the new levels that we've been working on are called vent control and a new parkour level and can be seen below.
Part of the recent progress also concerns updates to already existing levels such as food processing and greenhouse. This includes more extensive artwork and details such as dirt patches. The levels also contain more interactable items such as lights and effects that only activate once the puzzle is solved. These levels are now in the final stages of completion in preparation for a new official demo for Invertigo that we'll release soon. More about that in the upcoming announcement.
In preparation for the demo a lot of time was spent to solve bugs and to improve UI elements. This includes mantling and movement issues such as getting stuck on ledges, gravity tool errors, glitching blocks and more. Another big update regards the data log framework. The data logs, story elements which can be collected throughout the level, are now stored in a separate UI system as shown below.
Finally, a new speedrunning system has been introduced including a leaderboard which can be accessed from within the game. Both the time as well as the number of gravity moves are saved. This not only allows you to look up your own personal best stats, but also makes it possible to compare them with other players as you can see here (player names have been removed from this screenshot).
Progress update
Since our last announcement we've continued to work on the detailed design of multiple of our total of 25 levels. Two levels which we'd like to share with you are called 'coffee break' and 'equipment bay'. Coffee break is one of the earliest levels in the game as is intended as a place for staff on the station to relax. It is connected to a lot of other elements of the ship and as such it has a maze-like aesthetic to it. Here below are a few screenshots of the level.
The second level comes along quite a bit later into the game and is called the equipment bay. As the name suggests it is used to store parts of the station and contains tools to fix any damage to the facility.
Finally, we'd like to mention a few technical fixes and developments. The movement-related mechanics have received a full overhaul to make it feel more natural and to fix issues such as the ability to slide over steep slopes. Similarly, the gravity tool mechanics have been updated. One example is the gravity plane change move, which used to position the player slightly to the side of where they wanted to go. However, with these fixes this problem has been resolved.
Progress update
It's been a while since the last announcement and we've made a lot of progress since then that we'd like to share with you. Firstly, we've been working on some new levels. One of these is currently known as the 'pantry level'. A blockout with basic lighting has been made, which you can see below. The level starts in a reddish industrial area and eventually ends with a puzzle based on the concept art from the previous announcement.
Secondly, the pillars shown in the previous announcement have now been implemented and can extend based on triggers in the level such as pressure plates or timers. The pillars themselves have also received slight upgrades to their design and panels have been made to surround and encase the pillars.
Finally, the game now also supports triggerable force fields. These can for example be used to activate a stream of particles with a lever as can be seen below. These particles can also induce a force to push the player into a specific direction.
Progress update
We've continued working on Invertigo the last few weeks and here's some of our progress. Firstly, we've made a few more assets for the game. This includes foliage models for the greenhouse level. You can see some of the new plants models below. We've also expanded tweaked the pillar models and added versions with broken glass.
Secondly, we also have some new concept art to share. Specifically, we've been working on concept art for the pantry/kitchen level. The eventual version of the level will contain conveyor belts and many different food items, but even without that the current concept art should already give you a good idea of the kind of gravity bending puzzles we want to implement.
Thirdly, we'd like to mention a few other additions and bug fixes. The system to implement data logs into the game, shown with the concept art a few announcements ago, has now been implemented into the game. The data logs can be accessed by interacting with control panels throughout the levels. Furthermore, we've fixed the bug that caused batteries and other objects to glitch through the walls of the level and disappear. A bug that prevented players from jumping when standing on the edge of a platform has also been resolved.
Progress Update
Here's an overview of our work on Invertigo since the last announcement. Firstly, we're very happy to tell you that we've now completed the block-out of level 3, the large storage room. You can see some screenshots of the level below. The only things we still need to add are a few story-related elements, material textures, and VFX such as fog particles. But in principle the level is now playable from beginning to end with our intended final assets. Let us know what you think.
We've also been working on new assets that will be needed for some of the upcoming levels. This includes new see-through pillars which you can see below. The spawn airlock has also been upgraded with improved lighting and a redesign of the model to fit better with the rest of our assets.
Furthermore, we've also started work on a new level. This level is called 'big vent' as its working title and will require the player to interact with moving pillars and also to use the fan mechanics in order to get to the exit door. You can see a Blender model and early block-out of the level below.
