This update is the first to focus on massive performance improvements for systems with limited resources.
[p]To accommodate everyone I have been working on the compatibility, readability and further improving controller support. We tested this on the Steamdeck with incredible results we nearly doubled the FPS![/p][p]Below I will go a little more in depth about the technicalities for anyone interested:[/p][p][/p][p]When looking for optimisations we started by comparing areas that performed better and those that performed worse. The worst performing area we found was the initial house, so we started investigating and lo and behold we found a culprit:[/p][p][/p][carousel autoadvance="true"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/6eb2dfb304151c880bdf3bd9233a78a1ba007efa.jpg"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/b2f73c83ed58ac39bc7692a8fe891fe08d3f370c.jpg"][TAG-20][p]When turning off the light in Mia's bedroom the framerate increased more than expected.[/p][p][/p][p]Using this new knowledge we experimented with the different settings and found that the performance was mostly tied to the shadows. The difference between having them on, even at the lowest settings, and turning them off far outweighted the other settings we tweaked. [/p][p][/p][p]Now I was quite sure that the performance issues were lighting related. We started profiling and looking for all the potential improvements. The most promising:[/p]
[p]Tweaking light attenuation; the lights on one floor lit walls that extended to the next floor, this required unnecessary computation in the lighting pass and shadow depth maps.[/p]
[p]Occlusion culling; Ethan's home is one of the few locations in the game where multiple objects are stacked on different floors and surfaces some of which are dynamic like the drawers in the desk. This created occlusion overhead and overdraw inefficiencies as the engine had to consider the status of obscured objects and their indirect effect on the scene's lighting. With some tweaks I was able to reduce the load in strategic points in the game.[/p]
[p]Dynamic lighting; my scenes used dynamic lights when they were likely to cast shadows. Some of these could be converted to stationary or even static lighting. This explained the strong performance hit from the desk light in Mia's room. The biggest problem I found was caused by the moon, set as a movable (dynamic) light. Normally instancing objects helps tremendously in optimising games. Instead of your processor individually requesting the data for each tree in the forest it groups a request for all similar objects and it iterates as it is told to. This allows the processor to condense thousands of computation requests into a couple dozen. Faithfully I had employed this tactic. However, because the lighting from the moon hit all trees, the depth pass had to individually consider each tree.[/p][p][/p][p]The following screenshots show a before and after the optimisation. The goal was for the visual differences to be minimal while increasing the framerates. This first comparison shows Mia's Room, one of the "worst case scenarios". Before 26FPS, after 54FPS on otherwise identical settings.[/p][carousel autoadvance="true"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/bbc92b72cc8a0853da25f4909e57099c72987367.jpg"][TAG-50][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/85f8b3d7070da3ab180b9abfee9100f67ffaaafc.jpg"][p]This second screenshot shows a before and after of a less impacted but more typical area in the game, the patch of forest right outside the visitor centre. The framerate increased from 51FPS to 60FPS.[/p][carousel autoadvance="true"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/d4b35523c46c5b008106eac379d9757526d149d9.jpg"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/91706f5f85475bc1a9b593644f19dc0318471274.jpg"][TAG-60][p][/p]
[p]I am looking forward to keep you updated in the new year. Best wishes and see you out there,[/p][p]Krystof[/p][p][/p][p]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [/p][p][/p][p]Radiolight[/p]
I’m coming to you from the snowy peaks of Ashwood Creek National Park to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
[p]As you can probably imagine, 2025 was pretty special for me. After years of tireless work, I got to finally welcome you into the world I’ve crafted – and have its darkness envelop you. The year had its ups and downs, of course. Any creative journey will evidently be littered with obstacles: Self-doubt, technical hurdles, creative blocks. But getting past those is what makes it all worth it in the end.
In the end, I got to tell a story I’m proud of and build a community of players who are as excited about it as I am. I can’t thank you enough for your support on this journey. Radiolight came from the heart, and the fact that it resonated with so many of you is truly incredible.
As the year winds down, I’ll be taking some well-needed rest! But don’t worry: that doesn’t mean the trail ends here. Early next year I’ll be getting back to work on a round of polish and improvements, with a strong focus on performance and stability. The goal is simple: make the experience smoother across the board, especially for those of you playing on handheld devices. I can’t wait to share more very soon.
Until then, thank you once again for walking this path with me![/p][p] Enjoy the holidays, stay warm out there, and I’ll see you back in Ashwood Creek before you know it.[/p][p][/p][p]Krystof[/p][p] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [/p][p] Radiolight [/p]
[p]Hello hikers, [/p][p]Have you cracked the case of Elliot Laire yet? Or did you get lost in the depths of the park while following strange radio signals?[/p][p]It’s already been two weeks since I pressed the release button on Radiolight, and it still feels kind of surreal! I started working on this game as my first big project. Fast-forward five years, and it was finally out there. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey.[/p][p]But most importantly, I want to thank everyone who has picked up the game; all the reviewers, players, YouTubers, streamers, and reporters. Everyone who reported bugs and provided me with feedback. Everyone who this story has touched in some way. [/p][p]Making games is hard, especially when you’re a solo developer. Watching you all play and reading your thoughts has made it more than worth it. I felt like giving back some of the love you have given me, so here are some of my favourite YouTube videos: [/p][p][dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKbn-HB_XTA"][/p][p][dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydOj9E9x3Q"][/p][p][dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi7WwViQRwM"][/p][p][dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvjkE3ZOzbI"][/p][p][dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGE_QjGn9IM"][TAG-40][/p][p]Once again, thank you all for your love and support! I’m still working on patching things & fixing bugs, so if you encounter anything weird, make sure to report it in the Steam Discussion forum![/p][p][/p][p]See you out there,[/p][p]Krystof[/p][p] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [/p][p][/p][p]Radiolight[/p]
[p]Night owls, if you’re listening to this: you’ve come to the right place at the right time![/p]
This is KCKR, your community station for all things Ashwood Creek, and today, we’ll be giving away a state-of-the-art piece of tech to a lucky listener!
[p]That’s right, listeners, we’re holding a sweepstakes. One of you can soon be sauntering down Ashwood Creek listening to your favourite tunes in the most technologically advanced way imaginable: using a portable cassette player. [/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/39050852/80e277eb83ef2d6ce4136981c5dae060ad526f22.png"][/p][p]This thing is magical, okay!? It’s by this brand called We Are Rewind, and when I first saw it, I thought I was holding something straight out of a science fiction movie.[/p][p]It’s made from high-quality aluminium, it’s got a REALLY long battery life, it’s got stereo sound, and it comes with a handy pencil that you can use to rewind your tapes. They’ve even told me it’s got something called bl- … bluetoo..? Listen, I’m an old man. I might know all this radio gear by heart, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. [/p][p][/p][p]All I know is: this thing is high-tech. You want it. And if you call in now, it could be yours:
Join the Giveaway! [/p][p][/p][p]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [/p][p][/p][p]Radiolight[/p]
Night owls, I don’t know if I’m supposed to be furious or sad.
While you were enjoying that groovy tune, one of our park rangers called me. He told me that a bunch of no-good ruffians messed up the beautiful picnic area down near Granite Ridge.
Tonight on KCKR, your community station for all things Ashwood Creek, we’ll talk about park etiquette, and how to behave in Ashwood Creek when you DON’T want to be called out by the local radio host.
Let me set the scene: Dirty picnic bench, trash everywhere. Music blaring from an abandoned boom box. An unsupervised fire. All of the above are incredibly dangerous for our flora and fauna. And all of them were left on Granite Trail this morning. They even carved up some of our beautiful trees!
Now, I hate pointing fingers, but the mix of beer bottles, pop cans, and punk rock makes me think that the truants responsible for this mess are teenagers. This stuff has been happening for years. I remember one time, about 15 years ago, one of our park rangers complained about an eerily similar scene. History is a circle, I guess.
Folks, I’m not going to pretend I’m a saint. I was young once. I was out and about all the time, partyin’. But I’ve learned a lot since then, so lemme give you some advice. The most important thing to remember is: respect nature as much as you want it to respect you back. Think of other visitors, think of the plants, and think of the animals. You don’t want to rile those up. There’s bears roaming around in these parts…
But enough ranting. I don’t want my blood sugar to go up even more. It’s a beautiful morning in Ashwood Creek. You’re listening to KCRK, and here’s another tune!
This morning, I was driving my grandson to school, when he told me about this rumour he’d heard from a friend. Folks, get this: apparently, the radios in Ashwood Creek are… haunted!
Now this is KCKR, your community station for all things Ashwood Creek, and usually we only get ghost stories from one of our callers. But this one was too interesting to pass up for an old radio veteran like me.
Here’s how the story goes: Someone’s walking ‘round the park at night, trying to tune their radio to a good channel. Maybe KCRK, maybe they’re trying to listen to the baseball game, who knows? They finally find a frequency and everything starts goin’ crazy! The radio’s glowing red, vibrating. And all of a sudden… a creepy, distorted voice talking in riddles! E.V.P., he called it. Electronic voice phenomenon. Apparently, these things can even move things in the real world - opening doors, turning off lights, stuff like that.
Night owls, I don’t buy it. Scariest thing I’ve ever heard on the air was the Monster Mash! But I’d be curious to hear what you think. Is this bogus? And if not, what could it be? Ghosts? Extraterrestrials? Secret messages from a rogue network of spies? Have you ever experienced an EVP?
Before we tune our radios back to our regularly scheduled programming, I wanted to use this opportunity to clear up a few questions that came up during Next Fest! A lot of you have been curious about the demo & game and I figured it’d make sense to have all the answers in one place. So, here goes nothing:
How long will the demo be available? Right now, the demo’s here to stay. That might still change, depending on how much the game will evolve as I keep working on it. But for now, you can enjoy the crisp night air of Ashwood Creek for as long as you want.
Will it be coming to consoles? Development-wise, my full focus is on the PC release at the moment. If the launch goes well and there’s enough demand, I’d love to bring Radiolight to as many platforms as possible!
What languages will the game be available in? We’re proud to announce that, due to popular demand, Radiolight will include Spanish localisation at launch! That means that the game will be available in 6 languages, with original audio in English, and full interface localisation and subtitles in Czech, French, German, Simplified Chinese & Spanish.
Will it have controller support? Yes! I’ll work hard to have full controller support at launch for Xbox, PlayStation and other controllers.
So does that mean Steam Deck support at launch?! While the demo is already playable on Steam Deck if you tweak your control scheme a little, I will do my utmost best to have Steam Deck Verification at launch! However, even if we don’t have the highly coveted badge, I’ll test it and report how it runs before launch. What about the music? Is it DMCA-free? Radiolight’s score is a mix of licensed music and original tracks by Matheo Ramone, a talented young composer who uses synthesizers to bring the 80s mystery vibe to life. So far, I’ve only run into copyright issues with a couple of ambient tracks, but I'll look into how to fix that!
How scary will the final game be? Radiolight leans towards psychological horror, a thrilling experience with grim undertones, though there might be a few surprises. The goal is to create an unsettling atmosphere that sticks with you. So the answer is: just a little, but enough to feel fully immersed in the dark woods of Ashwood Creek.
What’s the current focus of development? Right now, I'm focusing on the events of the full game, including writing dialog and building out the final areas of the game. I’ve been reading your feedback and I'm working on tightening the environments and detailing them with more objects to find, along with other tweaks and improvements. I'm sure this will help me bring you the best version of Radiolight!
That's it for now! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below.
Time for me to head back to Ashwood Creek, Krystof
What. A. Week! Steam Next Fest ended yesterday and having Radiolight be a part of it was an absolutely thrilling experience. I never expected that my little passion project would make such a big splash, and I’m beyond grateful!
I spent the entire week reading all of your posts & comments and watching your walkthroughs & streams. I want to thank each and every one of you for giving Radiolight a try. Thanks for playing, thanks for sharing it with others, thanks for leaving reviews, and thanks for including me in your Best-of-Next-Fest lists!
Reading your feedback was super helpful, and I'm working on addressing all the stuff that I feel like can make the game better based on your thoughts! I know Next Fest is a lot. So many games, so little time to play (and replay) your favourite demos. That’s why I decided to leave the Radiolight Demo up for now! If you haven’t had the time to play, or you’ve been meaning to show it to your friends, you can still do so.
All in all, this Next Fest was huge for Radiolight, and we’ve hit a bunch of milestones in the past week! The demo was downloaded 10.000 times and is currently sitting at a 97% positive rating on Steam. We’ve also hit 20.000 Wishlists on Radiolight, which I still have to pinch myself about a little bit. The impact of something like Next Fest for solo devs working on small games is immeasurable, and I couldn’t have done any of this without you!
I was also stoked to see so many creators cover the game on YouTube & Twitch. I tried to watch as much of your content as I could and it was an absolute pleasure to watch you play my game! There were so many fun videos out there - from speedruns to some international creators - and while I can’t share them all, here are some of my favourites:
Hollow:
Insym:
CrypticFox:
Once again: Thank you all for playing, and thank you for the support. Can’t wait to work on making Radiolight even better.
Radiolight - Second Next Fest Livestream with Iceberg Interactive
The wait is over! Steam Next Fest is in full swing, and we’re excited to be part of it!
We truly appreciate all the support so far. Your enthusiasm drives us, and we can't wait for you to experience Ashwood Creek National Park for yourself.
If you're not quite ready to set out on your own, join us today, February 28th, at 11 AM CET / 2 AM PT, as our friends at Iceberg Interactive showcase the demo live on stream.
You'll get a look at the gameplay, live commentary, and answers to any questions you have. Settle in, join the conversation, and explore Ashwood Creek with us.
Radiolight - Next Fest Livestream with Iceberg Interactive
The wait is over! Steam Next Fest is in full swing, and we’re excited to be part of it!
We truly appreciate all the support so far. Your enthusiasm drives us, and we can't wait for you to experience Ashwood Creek National Park for yourself.
If you're not quite ready to set out on your own, join us today, February 26th, at 5 PM CET / 8 AM PT, as our friends at Iceberg Interactive showcase the demo live on stream.
You'll get a look at the gameplay, live commentary, and answers to any questions you have. Settle in, join the conversation, and explore Ashwood Creek with us.
