The Garden Path
Update notes for 1.0.0.32
Fixes
+ Fixed a crash when picking flowers.
+ Fixed flora that could be recorded but not harvested.
+ Fixed darned trousers.
+ Fixed missing designer outline for dandelions.
+ Fixed jar items not unlocked in encyclopedia.
Tweaks
+ Added additional wild flora entries to the encyclopaedia: bramble, docks, fog grass, foxtails, nightlights and twayblade.
Features
+ Map reticle now maps to mouse cursor.
~Louis
Patch notes for 1.0.0.31
Fixes
+ Fixed a crash if removing two map pins quickly in succession.
+ Fixed blueprint projects resetting after completion.
+ Fixed incorrect readings for soil.
+ Fixed an issue causing false negatives for fish targeting certain props.
+ Fixed a number of visual flower glitches.
+ Fixed marigolds not blooming.
Tweaks
+ Esc now exits the in-game option menu.
+ System card options are now clickable.
+ List selection UI now uses a dark theme.
+ Inventory arrows now clickable.
Features
+ Added 'dot' icon for map pin icons.
+ Added mouse controls to list selections (map pins, board projects).
+ Added mouse controls for the community board.
+ Added mouse controls for focus bubbles
πΏ Chatting with Louis, a Solo Dev Interview π·π¦β
The Garden Path is developed by one person - Louis Durrant! From creating art to composing the soundtrack, he's spent many years crafting the mysterious, beautiful Garden. It's an incredible labor of love, and the community team sat down with him for a chat to learn more about his inspirations and thoughts in bringing The Garden Path to life.
Who are you?
I'm Louis Durrant, I'm an illustrator based in the UK. I've had an interest in making games since I can remember, and started releasing my own in 2017, beginning with 'Crossing the Cold Valley', and then 'Kingdom Ka' in 2018, both short, linear adventure games. I've been working on The Garden Path since.
What is The Garden Path?
It's a game about gardening! Really I think of The Garden Path is a game you come back to, that you check in with from time to time. It's about the Garden at heart, and being in that space, and shaping the space in your own small way.
What were your inspirations?
I've always loved the sense of being lost in those early MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI, and I wondered if I could capture a little bit of that, but without the pressure of combat or levelling up.
But the game is also inspired partly by my time as a boyscout. As I developed the game I realized there was so much inspiration that could be taken directly from the natural world. I really wanted to make a game where the flora and foliage isn't just there to fill the space, but where each plant is its own entity that you can harvest and analyze - from large maturing oaks down to the smallest clover you might not even notice.
What tree or plant is your favorite in The Garden Path?
I think I'd have to go for the Scots Pine. They really help define the area they're in because of their size, and I love their warm bark and the deep bluey-greens in their foliage. They also offer some interesting things to harvest, if you have your wits about you.
Who's your favourite character?
If I can pick a duo, I'd have to pick Weyley & Terracotta! They were a later addition to the game, but they arrived as I'd spent more time thinking about the history and story of the Garden, and so they really had that at the core of their design. I have the most fun writing the interactions between them, as it was a new challenge writing a duo that interacted amongst themselves as well as the player. The caravan itself has a real visual presence in the game too, and makes me smile whenever I stumble upon it in testing.
What's been the most challenging/rewarding part of developing a game solo?
I've always enjoyed figuring things out, and there's nothing quite as satisfying as every piece of the puzzle coming together and seeing it come alive.
It can be isolating at times, though. There's a great deal of pressure when you're the only person who knows the answer to something, or the only person who can fix something. Fixing bugs is fun (usually), but there's also the weight of knowing that a bug might have ruined someone else's fun, and you're the only one responsible. Thatβs something Iβm constantly working through.
The Garden Path was surely no solo effort, and wouldn't be where it is today without so much hard work from the people who have come and gone, and helped along the way.
Any dreams for the future of carrotcake?
If the money and the interest is there, I'd love to bring some people on-board! carrotcake was never intended to be some solo crusade, and if I can find some like-minded people then Iβd love to pick their brains.
We've all got ideas of video games we'd like to see be made, and I'm still no exception. But The Garden Path remains my priority so long as people enjoy playing it and I enjoy working on it.
If you'd like to meet travellers like Weyley and Terracotta or admire the in-game Scots Pines, come wander in The Garden Path! And if you already have the game, we would appreciate a review. It's one of the best ways to help a small indie dev, as Steam reviews help boost The Garden Path's discoverability π
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1638500/The_Garden_Path/
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Update notes for 1.0.0.30
Fixes
+ Fixed a bug allowing more residents than intended.
+ Fixed community board projects sometimes not showing the correct assignees.
+ Fixed blueprint projects not clearing themselves when finished.
+ Fixed missing regions being selected for errands.
+ Fixed crash if unpacking popsticks too quickly for the first time.
+ Fixed rabbit constellation not showing artwork on unlock.
+ Game ticks are now used to calculate hours spent in Garden, rather than the Garden time, for a more accurate measurement.
π§β©Β°ο½‘ββΈ Autumnal Art Stream - Come Hang Out!π¨ποΈπ
Come hang out with Louis and Kaalin as they chat and draw, tomorrow - Tuesday, September 10 at 10 AM ET / 3 PM GMT / 4 PM CET. Louis will be working on autumnal items π π and as always, it will be a low-key, cozy art stream.
Please come hang out with us here, on Steam, or on Twitch!
Best,
carrotcake
Join our Discord server
Follow us on Twitter: @fromcarrotcake
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Find us on Instagram: @fromcarrotcake
Keep up via Mastodon: @ldurrant
Update notes for 1.0.0.29
Fixes
+ Fixed some plants growing beyond their maximum size.
+ Fixed backpack stacks not appearing on continue.
+ Fixed a bug causing date to extend beyond 28 in some cases.
+ Fixed some pickables appearing above the plant.
+ Fixed Unidentified seeds stock rate being lower than intended.
+ Fixed Unidentified seeds not always returning correct plant based on soil type
+ Fixed a bug that allowed multiple constellations to be activated.
Tweaks
+ Restored footprints and sprint dust.
+ Enter can now be used as E by default.
~Louis
Updates notes for 1.0.0.28
Fixes
+ Fixed crash related to parented props
+ Fixed Jahi not accepting vouchers
+ Fixed Nightlights not being harvestable.
+ Adjusted Japanese Hatchet position on player.
+ Adjusted Light Wash Jeans visual.
+ Fixed some invalid text showing when played with non latin characters.
+ Fixed some props loading in with child props of another prop.
Tweaks
+ Adjust shop prices for Weyley & Terracotta, and Jahi.
+ Reduced value of path furnishings.
Update notes for 1.0.0.27
Fixes
+ Fixed finding empty pages after journal is completed.
+ Adjust land load checks to prevent invisible assets.
+ Restored run_debug.bat file
Tweaks
+ Increased spawn for ground markers and guide stones.
+ Improved visibility of Dustflies.
+ Updated harvest result calculations.
~Louis
Updates notes for 1.0.0.26
Fixes
+ Fixed recently placed items appearing transparent.
+ Fixed soft lock when proposing to trade dustflies with Malakai.
+ Fixed a number of non-triggering stars.
+ Fixed missing images for Yellow Road Bike and Fireplace Bellows.
+ Fixed bug preventing player hair growth.
+ Fixed Tracker's, Cartographer's, Hunter's and Splintery equipment not generating tones.
+ Fixed second player's fishing float not disappearing after fishing.
+ Fixed crash on previewing Chaga.
+ Fixed fading text behaviour.
Features
+ Added alternative method to change language in options menu.
+ Added resident location and friendship score to social card.
Tweaks
+ Store cost rebalance.
+ Adjusted world streaming.
+ Adjusted star map.
Updates notes for 1.0.0.25
Fixes
+ Reinstated Steam achievements. Thank you for your patience on this issue.
+ Fixed some inventory slots not matching whitelist of a certain give request.
+ Fixed tool casts ignoring last queued action (ie. queuing a tool twice will now harvest twice).
+ Fixed Jahi's beak not moving during speech.
+ Fixed jar duplicating without contents when moving between inventory and storage.
+ Fixed dead flowers and flower buds adopting the colour data from the plant's flower.
+ Fixed stacking logic causing items that should stack to split.
+ Fixed items with no associated tone having a perfect drop rate.
Tweaks
+ Recorded plants now show available harvestables from that particular plant, rather than the whole family. Family harvestables can still be viewed in the Overview.
Under the hood
+ Now using an updated engine build. This contributes to the larger patch size.
~Louis