Solar Explorer: New Dawn cover
Solar Explorer: New Dawn screenshot
PC Steam
Genre: Simulator, Indie

Solar Explorer: New Dawn

Price Reduction and Update 1.3 Info
Hi all,

Solar Explorer: New Dawn is now available for pre-order on iOS AppStore and will be launching (no pun intended) on May 20th. In order to keep the pricing consistent on both platforms, the price of the game on Steam PC will be permanently lowered to $4.99 as of today.

As you will no doubt notice, the game looks a little different on iOS and has some useful and great updates when compared to the PC version. This is thanks to the great feedback I have received from the PC version. I want to let you know that update 1.3 is now in the works for the PC version to implement all of the improvements from the iOS version here as well so that PC players can enjoy the game equally.

Please keep in mind that it is just a single person behind the development and marketing of this game. I will try my best to get the update ready as soon as possible, and hopefully, it will happen sometime in early June. I'd rather launch something late but thoroughly tested, then early and buggy.

Thanks for understanding, and do go check out the games updated website and the official game YouTube channel!

https://www.dwarfcavern.com/solar-explorer

https://www.youtube.com/c/SolarExplorerNewDawnGameOfficialChannel

Official Game Soundtrack release on December 2nd!

Very important part of any game is it's music score and I am happy and proud to announce that the Solar Explorer: New Dawn (Official Soundtrack) will be available on all platforms from December 2nd! Official soundtrack for the video game "Solar Explorer: New Dawn" contains 4 tracks exclusively arranged and made for the album.

Look for it on any of the major music distributor / streaming sites or if you don't want to wait for December 2nd, get it on Bandcamp!

Hope you enjoy the music, I certainly enjoyed making it :)

Update v1.0.3 is up!
First official update is up, bringing the build version to v1.0.3. This update addresses a couple of issues and bug fixes:

  • Controllers should now function as expected in both Keyboard and Gamepad input modes set in the game.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the game not to detect successful landing in very specific case scenarios. Note that the fix dramatically reduces the likelihood of this issue occurring again, however it is still theoretically possible, in some extremely strange and specific situations.
  • World Map mission briefing text would not scroll. This is now fixed.
  • Various small improvements and fixes.

Thanks to users who caught the issues and to SpaceGameJunkie for exposing 2 of the issues from this list. Next on the list is to add the option of having V-Sync on or off, to take unnecessary load off the GPU for users who don't care about having 1200+ fps ;)

Controller Issue, Fix In Progress
It came to my attention that if the user switches to the "Controller" input method inside of the game that the controller will not respond. Upon investigation it has been discovered that Steam controller management overrides game internal input methods when it comes to controllers.

This issue is now being addressed as we speak, as well as a handful of other little fixes and tweaks. Fix will be in place in the next weeks update.

Until then, you can use the "Keyboard" input method within the game and the controller should work as expected.

Making Of The Main Menu Theme
Creating this game single-handed was a great challenge and majority of time was pretty much coding, problem solving, etc. But after a while that can become tiring.

This is one of the reasons why music soundtrack on this game is very dear to me, because aside from being a lot of fun to make, it was a much needed breath of fresh air and additional inspiration to continue on with the project and pushing forward to completion.

In this video I do a breakdown of the Main Menu theme, how it was made, what synths were used and what the process was like. Check it out if interested ːsteamhappyː

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjJwSIFg7a0&

Tutorials Update
Game has been updated with a small change made to the tutorials, so that new users don't have issues with understanding progression or controls.

"Solar Explorer: New Dawn" is Live!
The moment has finally came! After 6 months of dedication, my very first game ever is live on Steam!

Pushing that "Release App" felt a little bit like a bungee jump What's the game about you ask? Read on traveler!

"Solar Explorer: New Dawn" is a modern take on a classic physics based Lunar Lander genre. Visit 6 worlds of the inner Solar System and experience the reality of their harsh environments while helping humanity become a space-faring species.

Get it now while it's hot off the... "Release App button" press! 15% discount valid until September 24th, so be sure to use it ːsteamhappyː

"Deadly" Difficulty = Elevated Heart Rate & Fun!
With 6 hours to go until the game is launched, I was testing out the latest song "Spartacus" how it works in the game and some tweaks to the "Deadly" difficulty mode.

Ended up having a lot of fun ːsteamhappyː

Be sure to check back tonight and buy it, there is a launch discount of 15%! Also if you know someone who might like this kind of game, please do share. Any and all help in spreading the word is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!


https://youtu.be/NoiFMP4u8Hs

24 Hours To Go!
With 24 hours to go, final song "Spartacus" has just been finished, mastered and implemented into the game.

All is complete now, tomorrow comes the final round of constant testing and then the long awaited moment of pressing that "Release App" button on Steam! ːsteamhappyː

For now, I am sharing a short video about the project where you can see and hear a little bit more about the game itself, and maybe share it with your friends that might like this type of game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3yZLp4sGB4