Tower Unite cover
Tower Unite screenshot
Genre: Racing, Adventure, Indie, Arcade

Tower Unite

February 2024 Dev Update!



Thank you to every one of you who bought the supporter pack! It’s already been a tremendous help! The support we’ve gotten will go directly into Tower’s future. And thank you to those who have pitched in to support development in other ways!

Some updates:
  • As requested by our backers, Supporter Speed Shoes now stack with Backer Speed Shoes
  • As requested, we updated the “No DLC” statement on our store page to reduce confusion. We are still committed to keeping every content update free
  • We reached out to Steam about the supporter pack not being visible on the main store page, and have now resolved the issue and the pack should now be visible
  • We also wrapped up the last two gifts we wanted to give in the supporter pack, which are a hat and a placeable plushy. We’ll let you know when those are available to all supporters


PATREON SUPPORTERS UPDATE


When we first brought up the supporter pack, we said we’d give our Patreon supporters a similar gift, since patrons haven’t gotten a physical gift in the game aside from the Patron tag. Our Patrons also have been asking us for updates on this.

We’ve been making progress on this, and the main holdup is the backend work. Our current idea is that Patrons will get a different color version of the placeable plushy that we will be giving to supporters. We also will be looking into other gifts in the future, based on suggestions from our Patrons.

Some notes about the proposed gift:
  • We want this gift to be something the patrons will get to keep forever, even if they aren’t a patron anymore
  • We are planning to connect the gift to the Patron Extraordinaire tier level
  • Again, we’re still figuring out how it’ll function, but if you’re already supporting us or have supported us in the past at that tier level, you will get the gift as well!


FEBRUARY 2024 STATE OF THE GAME PROGRESS


We wanted to give you a quick update on the game’s progress!

Last month, we released Minigolf: Nostalgia and the Alpha release of Workshop Level SDK for Virus, Little Crusaders, and SDNL.

We also implemented and made progress on more in-game EXP / Unit bonus events. Look forward to Ball Race, Virus, Arcade, and Fishing events this month, as well as a desert-themed map event to celebrate the upcoming Minigolf: Haven release!

Speaking of which, we’re currently in the testing/wrap up stage for Minigolf: Haven, which should be out early this month.

As you know, optimization is a constant must for this project, and we’re working on improvements to the Plaza optimization and also Condos. We have a few updates that will be focused directly on optimization, with the first one being towards Arcade physics.

We’re making progress on level SDK improvements, such as better playtesting tools, new features such as custom sounds, moving platforms, and various bug fixes and improvements such as more interactions with IO systems.

We’ve made great progress with Dedicated Condos as well in the past week. Currently, we have a working Dedicated Condo on Linux and Windows that loads in Condo data! We’re working on getting it to connect to our server list backend and working on Workshop mod handling. We plan to get Dedicated Condos out as soon as we can, but it may not have shared inventory support initially.

For Bumper Cars, we’re still working on getting this minigame out. We’ve been touching up some artwork and adjusting gameplay. We also have been in the early stages of an Arcade update with new games.

Progress is being made on the Workshop SDK for Ball Race and Minigolf, including modular course pieces for Minigolf, which we’ll post more in our developer logs.

In other sections of development, we also have been making progress on the new Workshop player model rig, Ball Race: Eruption, and upgrading the engine to 4.22, of which we have a working build.

Also, we are doing a small pass on Minigolf: Nostalgia to fix issues reported by our players, as well as some art polish.

Thanks once again to everyone. Be sure to check our Trello and Weekly Dev Logs to get the most info on the game.

Tl;dr: thank you and we’re cookin’

<3 PixelTail Games



Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
https://discord.gg/pixeltail
We love awesome people like you!

Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

Hot Fix 0.17.7.1

This update improves SDK tools and fixes bugs from the last update.

SDK Improvements


We've fixed lots of issues with spawn points, CTF flags, weapon pickups, and fixes for team-based games in SDNL.

We're still improving the Play test feature. In this update we've improved spawn point testing. You can quickly test spawn points by pressing the respawn key (default K) and you can now switch player modes (such as becoming Infected or becoming the Dragon with the L key). More testing tools are being developed to make the process better.

SDK Maps Easier To Access


You can now access workshop maps in the Game World menu when you create a game in the map list. Workshop maps now work in Game World ports, previously they were not loading properly.

New Canvas Primitives


We have new Canvas Primitives that should really help with more unique geometry.

Canvas Elbow



One-Way Canvas
Useful for one-way walls and platforms that you only want players to see or go through in one direction.

Canvas Statue - New Standing Sprite Mode
In the past Canvas Statue had a Face Camera mode which would make the canvas face the camera, just like a sprite. Now with the new Standing option, you can get the sprite to face your camera but lock upwards, so it doesn't change vertical directions. This is very useful for certain effects like fires, sprite characters, or sprites from 3D games of the 90s.


Changes
  • Added Browse for Workshop Map to the Game World map list menu
  • Added One-Way Canvas Wall, Canvas Elbow to D.I.Y. store
  • SDK - LC: Added gameplay support for damage volumes (both Knights and Dragon)
  • SDK: Volumes now have two new filter types - TeamA and TeamB, which can be used to filter out players based on their team
  • SDK - LC: Added spawn protection to Knights for SDK purposes
  • SDK - SDNL: Intro animation is now skipped in Play test mode
  • SDK - SDNL: Added Respawn (default "K") hot key to respawn player to a random spawn point during Play test mode
  • SDK - Virus: Added Respawn (default "K") hot key to respawn player to a random spawn point during Play test mode
  • SDK - Virus: Added "L" hot key that toggles infected state
  • SDK - LC: Added Respawn (default "K") hot key to respawn player to a random spawn point during Play test mode
  • SDK - LC: Added "L" hot key that toggles between being the Dragon or Knight
  • Condo: Added item drag slots to Floating Text, allowing you to place it on surfaces more easily
  • Condo/SDK: New Canvas Statue setting - Keep Upright (w/ Follow Camera/sprite mode). When Canvas Statue is in Follow Camera/sprite mode & Keep Upright is on, the sprite will follow your camera but stay locked on the Z axis
  • SDK: Workshop map tutorial popup no longer pops up after returning from a play test session


Bug Fixes
  • Fixed workshop maps not loading properly when selected in Game World ports
  • SDNL: Fixed crash related to teleporters when teleporting projectiles through teleporters
  • SDK: Fixed playing a workshop map not working if you click on Play on the thumbnail (instead of the popup)
  • SDK: Fixed updating existing workshop maps dialogue not showing your workshop maps if you don't have a condo uploaded
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed CTF flags not spawning in custom levels
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed Weapon Pickups not spawning correctly in custom levels and not showing the weapon previews properly
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed super Weapon Pickups not spawning correctly in the correct game types
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed Weapon Pickup pedestal not updating to look like a super weapon pedestal when you set it as a super weapon
  • SDNL: Fixed players not being able to damage themselves (from explosives) in team-based games
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed issues where spawn points would fail on round 2
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed Dino Battle not spawning in dinosaurs properly
  • SDK - SDNL: Fixed music not playing on custom maps
  • SDK - LC: Fixed Knights not being able to walk up angles
  • SDK - LC: Fixed Knights being able to walk through blocking volumes
  • SDK - LC: Fixed Damage Volumes still causing damage when hidden
  • SDK - Virus: Fixed damage volumes not properly infecting survivors
  • SDK: Fixed Weapon Pickups being pickupable while in noclip
  • SDK: Fixed Game World events such as (IsSDNL) not firing off
  • Workshop Condo: Fixed workshop information intro description not having a scroll bar
  • Workshop Condo: Fixed workshop information intro description not parsing BBCode to rich text properly
  • Fixed accidentally closing workshop condo/map info when clicking inside the workshop info box
  • Condo: Fixed FX Light Beam item not syncing with clients properly
  • Condo: Fixed Lightbox items cone angles changing when condo is reloaded
  • Condo: Fixed Light Panel light angles/cone changing when condo is reloaded
  • Condo: Fixed the default light Radii for the Spacelight and fixed Spacelight radii changing incorrect on condo reload or duplication
  • Libretro: Fixed game list not restoring scroll position under certain circumstances
  • LC: Fixed upgrade customization UI not closing the tooltips properly
  • Optimized Outdoor Light item





Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
https://discord.gg/pixeltail
We love awesome people like you!

Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

<3 PixelTail Games

Weekly Dev Log for January 29th, 2024

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Weekly Dev Log for January 29th, 2024, detailing all the changes that have happened since January 22nd, 2024. Note: Devs that don't appear in the weekly log are not necessarily away or not doing work, but may be working on things currently not announced or backend work that doesn't need to be detailed.

Supporter Pack





We've released the Supporter Pack for Tower Unite!

If you're like us and you love Tower Unite, please consider supporting us through this supporter pack!

We're a small team that relies on fan support to keep this project alive! Buying this supporter pack will directly help us cover development costs as we work to make Tower Unite the best it can be.

The supporter pack comes with a few gifts to show our appreciation! We tried to keep them similar to other rewards we've given in the past to those who have helped to fund the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2792910/Tower_Unite__Supporter_Pack/

February 2024 Condo Contest (Kitchen)





Hey everyone!

The theme of this month’s contest is Kitchen!

Make or decorate a kitchen! The submission should be something that was made after the contest was announced.

Your submission can be a regular Condo or a Workshop Game World Map.

The submission period ends on February 21st, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

Be sure to look at the prizes and follow the rules here!

Minigolf: Haven



Lifeless continued working on Minigolf: Haven, getting it ready for release.

Minigolf: Haven WIP






Workshop Game World Map SDK Progress



macdguy continued working on the Workshop Map SDK, fixing a bunch of issues.

Johanna started working on standardizing the snappable pieces used for assembling Minigolf holes.

SDK: Minigolf Course Pieces WIP









Miscellany



Johanna worked on Minigolf: Nostalgia, getting it ready for release, and also worked a bit on Bumper Cars.

Joshua continued working on the new Workshop Skeleton.

macdguy worked on getting Minigolf: Nostalgia released.

Madmijk worked on implementing sounds for the guitar.

Wheezwer worked on logos for the new weekend events.

Sketchman continued working on the engine upgrade and CPU optimizations for the Arcade.

Will worked on music for Eruption.

Wrap It Up


That about covers everything that happened since January 22nd, 2024 at PixelTail Games.

---

Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
https://discord.gg/pixeltail
We love awesome people like you!

Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

<3 PixelTail Games

Supporter Pack!

We've released the Supporter Pack for Tower Unite!

If you're like us and you love Tower Unite, please consider supporting us through this supporter pack!

We're a small team that relies on fan support to keep this project alive! Buying this supporter pack will directly help us cover development costs as we work to make Tower Unite the best it can be.

The supporter pack comes with a few gifts to show our appreciation! We tried to keep them similar to other rewards we’ve given in the past to those who have helped to fund the game!

You can grab the Supporter Pack here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2792910/Tower_Unite__Supporter_Pack/


Stay tuned for our Weekly Dev Log!

Hot Fix 0.17.7.0

This update addresses several bugs from the new update.

Changes

  • Condo: Removed large AFK notice while in Condos, now only shows a small AFK icon at the bottom left. This should help remove the AFK status from blocking media you are actively watching
  • Condo: New VR Grid material
  • Condo: New material variants to Basic Doorframe
  • Updated dialogue UI. Now has better support for longer sentences (no longer resizes the text)
  • SDK: Added Play testing button to SDK scoreboard, allowing you to quickly play test an SDK map in the Game World it's being made for
  • SDK: Updated walkable angles for Virus maps
  • SDK: Added Game World IO module that has outputs when a Game World / Game Type is currently active on the level, along with other gameplay events
  • SDK: Workshop map title now displays on the waiting for players screen, instead of just "workshop map"
  • SDK: Added checks to prevent players from entering into seats
  • Condo IO/SDK: Added IO events for CTF flag (OnPickedUp), Oddball (OnPickedUp), Weapon Pickup (OnPickedUp, OnRespawned), Health/Ammo/Armor Pickup (OnPickedUp, OnRespawned)
  • SDK: Removed use prompt for Libretro items
  • SDK: Disabled media players in workshop maps
  • SDK: You can now eat food in Game Worlds
  • Condo IO/SDK: Damage/Heal Volume now can damage/heal up to 10,000 HP


Bug Fixes

  • SDK: Fixed certain Workshop tags not being selectable
  • SDK: Fixed CTF and Oddball items showing up in Virus maps
  • Minigolf - Nostalgia: Hole 13 fixed circling for a long time in the first tube hole
  • Minigolf - Nostalgia: Fixed not going out of bounds on the floor in Hole 15, 16, 17


Known Bugs
Selecting a Workshop Game World map from the Game World Ports doesn’t work currently


Toy Time Weekend Event!


We're running a new Weekend event this weekend! All toy-themed maps will have a 1.5x unit boost, which includes Cardboard Castle, Toy Room, Bedzoom, Hallway Raceway, and Nostalgia!









Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
https://discord.gg/pixeltail
We love awesome people like you!

Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

<3 PixelTail Games

Minigolf: Nostalgia & Workshop Map SDK Update (0.17.7.0)



Minigolf: Nostalgia



A new minigolf map is here! Feel the nostalgia as you putt from courses of colorful toys into a mysterious world inside of an old computer!







Workshop Game World Maps (Alpha)



Players can now create playable maps for SDNL, Virus, and Little Crusaders!

This update includes the official Alpha release of the Workshop Map SDK.



Simply open the Workshop Editor, select the Map Editor, set up the map, test it out, and share it to the world!





Once a player uploads a map, they can play it by downloading it from the User Creations menu!

You can start a Game World server by opening any maps you have downloaded from the User Creations menu or by selecting them in the end-of-match map selection screen.

SDK maps support a wide range of features that Condos support, such as Condo IO, Canvases, and Workshop models. Certain Volumes work, such as Damage Volumes which affect gameplay (in Virus it will infect a survivor or damage an infected, in Little Crusaders it'll set Knights on fire, etc.), Teleporter Volumes, and Trigger Volumes. Size Volumes are disabled.

You can also import Condo maps to the SDK directly, by using the Load button in the SDK's scoreboard menu. You'll just need to rename the CondoData file to have a .map file extension.

A guide on our SDK website is being written up and should be out by this weekend, which will give more information on how to use the SDK.

We'll be adding SDK support to additional Game Worlds over the next month, along with Custom Workshop Sounds support, and more SDK items.

User Creations Menu



All Workshop Maps (both for Condos and Game Worlds) are now available to browse and download through the User Creations menu on the Main Menu.



In addition, there were several changes to clean up the tag system and allow for tags for some specific Game World criteria.



Workshop map descriptions also now allow for more text formatting options (such as heading

</> and bold </>) and should be more visible than before!



Virus Crash Fix



We made a temporary change to Virus in an attempt to fix a crash that happens when a player dies. If this change solves or does not solve your crashing issues, please let us know!


Changes
  • New Minigolf Map: Nostalgia!
  • Workshop Map SDK for SDNL, Virus, and Little Crusaders (Alpha release)
  • Main Menu: Added new "Creations" menu option, which will be home to all Workshop Condos and Game World Maps
  • Main Menu: Updated "Condo List" option to be "Player Condos"
  • Main Menu: Updated Workshop browser top navigation tabs and removed the sidebar on the left. Favorites/Subscribed/Uploads is now on the top
  • Main Menu: Fixed Workshop browser tags being on multiple lines for most widescreen resolutions
  • Main Menu: Moved Workshop Condos outside of the Condos section, now in the "Creations" section
  • Main Menu: Condo image content warning now only displays once per game launch
  • Main Menu: Improved Workshop browser tags for Condo browsing
  • Main Menu: Improved sizing of the Workshop Condo browser thumbnails (now widescreen)
  • Main Menu: Workshop Condo descriptions now support bold and h1 text formatting
  • Main Menu: Improved how the Workshop Condo description text looks, allowing for more of it to be visible and readable
  • Main Menu: Fixed Workshop Condo descriptions text getting cut off - now will show the entire description
  • Accelerate: Melons now have more boost (single and triple, but not gold)
  • Accelerate: Pin Shield now shows up more often (lowered player count requirement)
  • Accelerate: Flux shows up less often now
  • Accelerate: Added boost speed lines for better boost feedback
  • Libretro: Adjusted standing positions for certain cabinets (moved them towards screen)
  • Condo: Fish can now swim in Water Volumes
  • Condo IO: Improved connection tool UI. It will now display the output and the input your connection is about to make
  • Condo IO: You can now set the output with scroll up/down while highlighting over the first actor of the connection with the connection tool
  • Condo IO: Optimized wires being drawn when connected actors are nearby
  • Condo IO: Made persistent connections more clear with the connection tool
  • Minigolf: Waterhole - Expanded the area on Hole 1 so players can bounce off a log without going out of bounds
  • Condo: Added rich text formatting to Notebooks. Examples: bold</>, underline</>, italic</>,

    header 1</>,

    header 2</>, highlight</>

  • Updated Bert Gun arcade item to be more like the SDNL version
  • SDNL: Increased damage dealt by the Toy Hammer (from 24 to 30)
  • SDNL: Increased damage dealt by the Bert Gun (from 18 to 20)
  • SDNL: Increased damage dealt by the Flamethrower (from 5 to 7)
  • SDNL: Increased damage dealt by the Crossbow (from 50 to 60)
  • SDNL: Increased damage dealt by the Minigun (from 9 to 15), reduced spread, reduced clip size from 150 to 100
  • Ball Race: Melons collected in singleplayer now award Units


  • Bug Fixes
    • Fixed individual voice volume settings not applying to Game World voice chat
    • Condo: Fixed Push Volume causing network desyncs with physics items when physics items are pushed by it
    • Minigolf: Waterhole - Attempted to fix desync for Hole 18
    • Condo: Fixed Floating Text glowing with volumetric fog enabled
    • Libretro: Fixed arcade idle screens not animating for clients
    • Fixed crash issue with Diamond Trophies/Diamond Jetpacks
    • SDNL: Fixed Gun Game not switching to the proper weapon and staying on Toy Hammer
    • Condo: Optimized Push Volume
    • Condo: Fixed Transformer Tool not working in co-op Condos
    • Libretro: File list selector now restores scroll position to what it was after it was closed
    • Libretro: Fixed bar stools being created for racing cabinets
    • Fixed traveling to an SDNL workshop map from the Game World ports not working
    • Fixed rolling pets staying attached to players after players sit down in seats
    • Condo: Fixed Workshop items not displaying again if they are placed down and not set and the condo is saved then reloaded


    Known Bugs
    Selecting a Workshop Game World map from the Game World Ports doesn’t work currently
    There are dark shadows in small areas of the Plaza
    Using the underline </> rich text formatting in the Workshop description highlights it









    Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
    https://discord.gg/pixeltail
    We love awesome people like you!

    Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
    https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

    Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
    http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

    Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
    For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
    For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

    <3 PixelTail Games

    Weekly Dev Log for January 22nd, 2024

    Hello everyone, and welcome to the Weekly Dev Log for January 22nd, 2024, detailing all the changes that have happened since January 16th, 2024. Note: Devs that don't appear in the weekly log are not necessarily away or not doing work, but may be working on things currently not announced or backend work that doesn't need to be detailed.

    Minigolf: Haven



    Lifeless continued working on Minigolf: Haven, finishing all 18 holes, and now starting on art for the remaining holes.

    Minigolf: Nostalgia



    Johanna worked on setting up all of the collisions and worked on getting the map ready for release.

    macdguy setup all of the cameras, added achievements, stats, and leaderboards.

    Nuclearxpotato continued working on holes for the "toy room" area.

    Sketchman worked on achievement icons.

    Wheezwer worked on some graphics for props used in the maps.

    Minigolf: Nostalgia Achievement Icons WIP





    Workshop Game World Map SDK Progress



    macdguy continued working on the Workshop Map SDK, creating a weapon pickup system (for spawning weapons in SDNL and Condo).

    SDK: Ball Race SDK WIP





    Miscellany



    Johanna finished the optimizations for the Game World Ports interior.

    Joshua continued working on the new Workshop Skeleton.

    macdguy made a new Minigolf camera system.

    Sketchman continued working on the engine upgrade and CPU optimizations for the Arcade.

    Wrap It Up


    That about covers everything that happened since January 16th, 2024 at PixelTail Games.

    ---

    Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
    https://discord.gg/pixeltail
    We love awesome people like you!

    Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
    https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

    Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
    https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

    Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
    For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
    For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

    <3 PixelTail Games

    Weekly Dev Log for January 16th, 2024

    Hello everyone, and welcome to the Weekly Dev Log for January 16th, 2024, detailing all the changes that have happened since January 8th, 2024. Note: Devs that don't appear in the weekly log are not necessarily away or not doing work, but may be working on things currently not announced or backend work that doesn't need to be detailed.

    Winter 2023 Condo Contest (Winter/Festivity) - RESULTS





    The Community Vote is over, and the results are in!

    Thanks to everyone who participated in the vote! There were 63 responses this time!

    Since there were only 7 entries, I expanded the placements and changed some of the prize amounts.

    The winners of the community vote are:

    1st Place - 2,000,000 Units - @Cayla
    2nd Place - 1,000,000 Units - @TrashPlus
    3rd Place - 800,000 Units - @OuTSMoKE
    4th Place - 600,000 Units - @galaxycat
    5th Place - 450,000 Units - @haze
    6th Place - 300,000 Units - @Kirbyrocket
    7th Place - 200,000 Units - @grandwhizbang

    Thank you all so much for participating in the contest and vote!

    And keep an eye out for the next contests! Another Contest will open for submissions later this month.

    Minigolf: Haven



    Lifeless has started working on a new Minigolf map, named Haven.

    Minigolf: Haven WIP






    Minigolf: Nostalgia



    macdguy continued working on "Nostalgia", adding more holes to the "vaporwave" section.

    Nuclearxpotato worked on adding holes to the "toy room" section.

    Minigolf: Nostalgia WIP






    Workshop Game World Map SDK Progress



    macdguy worked on more tools for the future Workshop Map SDK, working on tools for SDNL and Ball Race. The tools will also integrate with Condo I/O.

    SDK: Ball Race Tools





    SDK: SDNL Tools






    SDK: New IO Connection Tool UI





    Miscellany



    Johanna worked on the optimizations for the Game World Ports interior.

    Joshua continued working on the new Workshop Skeleton.

    Lifeless edited the power levels of various SDNL weapons.

    macdguy worked on Dedicated Condos and VR.

    Madmijk fixed a few crashes relating to the MIDI instruments.

    Sketchman continued working on the engine upgrade.

    Wheezwer continued working with Makeship on the Little Crusaders Dragon plush.

    Will worked on music for the Ball Race map, "Eruption".

    Wrap It Up


    That about covers everything that happened since January 8th, 2024 at PixelTail Games.

    ---

    Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
    https://discord.gg/pixeltail
    We love awesome people like you!

    Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
    https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

    Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
    https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

    Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
    For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
    For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

    <3 PixelTail Games

    State of the Game 2024!



    Hello and welcome to the 2024 State of the Game for Tower Unite!

    This State of the Game post will include some of our plans for the game in 2024 as well as an overview of what developments were made in 2023.

    STATE OF THE GAME



    We want to get to the fun parts, but it’s important to mention that we are in need of financial support to keep the game going!

    We’ve made a post about financial support as well as an upcoming increase to the price of the game.

    This post can be found here.



    That being said, we have some fun stuff on the road ahead for 2024!

    This year we want to hone in on some areas that will keep Tower Unite around for years to come, and we want get to work on the next long-awaited projects!

    So this year, there’s a focus on some popular favorites, user generated content, and other goals we’ve been working towards.

    Some of the areas of the game that are at the forefront of our minds as we start this year are:
    • Minigolf Maps
    • Workshop & Modding Tools
    • Bumper Cars
    • Arcade Games
    • Weekend Events
    • VR Support
    • Dedicated Condo Servers
    • Horror Hill Development
    • In-Development Projects

    Note: We’ll be linking to our Trello pages which will be updated with more accurate information in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

    Some more information on where we are with some of these:

    New Minigolf Maps!


    Minigolf is a favorite of Tower Unite players and we have been wanting to get back to developing maps for it for a while. Based on the positive player responses from the survey, the 18-hole release of Mushroom Wood was an awesome start last year!

    With the new year ahead, we’ve buckled down and started development on a new Minigolf map, Minigolf: Nostalgia. There’s already been substantial progress on the map, and you can follow along with development here.



    Any further map ideas are still behind the scenes!

    Workshop & Modding Support


    This includes:
    • Workshop maps for Game Worlds
    • Workshop Custom Sounds
    • Custom Workshop Items (colorables, media player, Libretro support)

    With SDNL’s release last year, we tested the waters for user-generated Game World Maps by giving players access to the Workshop Map SDK.

    We were not surprised to see the awesome, creative content that popped up from it! Any participation helped us figure out how this feature can be feasible.

    This year we are getting to work on fleshing out Workshop Game World map creation past this very early state, expanding it to more Game Worlds, and releasing it in a more proper update.

    We are also planning on expanding the TU Workshop to offer other features such as custom sound packs and more complex item types!

    Arcade Development


    We’ve been doing some planning for the Arcade, and we’d like to get out some new games in smaller updates, rather than a full “Phase”.

    We’re still ironing out the details on what games we want to jump in to, and some planned games may get scrapped, simplified, or otherwise reworked in order to accommodate our abilities as such a small team.

    Some of the next Arcade games we’re thinking about developing include air hockey, the standalone Shooting Gallery, some of the 2D games, as well as unannounced games.

    We’ll keep you posted in the dev logs with more info!

    Dedicated Condo Servers


    We’ve started development on dedicated Condo servers!

    This means that Condo hosts will be able to leave their Condos up for others to join at any time, even if the host isn’t actively in the server.

    If other players have permissions, they will even be able to edit and decorate the Condo as though it was a normal Co-Op Condo!

    More Weekend Events


    This year, expect to see some more variety in the weekend events, such as more Game World specific events, more Plaza events, and more themed map events.

    We plan to start rolling these out as soon as we can. There are only a few more tasks that need to be done to make this happen.

    Bumper Cars & Boardwalk Games


    The 2023 Boardwalk updates have gotten us that much closer to focusing on Bumper Cars, a feature promised on the original TU Indiegogo campaign!

    And development is on-going! You can check out the Trello page for it here.

    We also have plans for several more Boardwalk Games to be added!

    VR Support Progress


    VR support has always been a hefty side project, and we won’t stop development on it!

    If you’d like to see the current progress for VR, check out our Trello here.

    Horror Hill Development


    With SDNL finally in the game, the next game world we will work on is Horror Hill.

    It’s in the planning and concept stage at this point, but, as we knock out some of these other projects, we’ll soon be at a point where it will be our main focus!

    One thing we are very excited for is our plans to have Workshop SDK support for creating your own monsters!

    If you want to see Horror Hill progress, here is its Trello page.

    Other In-Development Projects


    We know there is a lot going on in the development of Tower Unite, and we have not at all forgotten about the projects that are already in development that may not have been mentioned here.

    Although we are shifting gears to certain areas of the game at the start of this year, development will still continue on other projects.

    Still expect map updates, bug fixes, implementations of backlogged content, and all of the other usual stuff that comes with Tower Unite.

    We have a lot of stuff that we want to get into the game and are getting our bearings as we start this year, so we appreciate your patience!





    Now, let’s look back at 2023!

    In 2023, Tower Unite had 28 releases, including 15 major updates and 13 hot fixes!

    Below is a summary of the major releases over the past year! Full lists of changes can be found on the change logs for each update.

    Cardboard Castle and Condo I/O Phase Two



    To kick off the year, in January, we released a new toy-themed map for Little Crusaders, Cardboard Castle!

    We added new Condo I/O features such as:
    • the ability to activate variables
    • the toggle module
    • counters
    • timers
    • and color palettes!

    Box Selection was added to Condos, allowing players to more easily select multiple items at once.

    Tower Unite x Libretro + Lightguns & Touchscreens




    In February, we were able to release a feature we’d been keeping under wraps for a while: Libretro support for Tower Unite!

    This release added 19 gaming console items into Tower Unite, all of which have Libretro support that allows a player to emulate games within their Condo!

    The items include handheld devices, home consoles, and arcade cabinets. The arcade cabinet items have lots of Canvas capabilities so players can display images to make realistic looking arcade cabinets with custom art!



    In March, lightgun, touchscreen, and keyboard support was added for items using Libretro, as well as 6 more compatible console items and other changes!




    Mushroom Wood Update



    Also in March, we released the updated, 18-hole version of Minigolf: Mushroom Wood (formerly known as Dark)!

    More work on the very early stages of VR support, such as the VR menu and some SteamVR input support, was implemented in this update.

    Tower Unite Anniversary Events Update



    April marked the return of the Anniversary Celebrations events! New items were added along with the event festivities, and Accelerate and Little Crusaders payout increases were implemented!

    Catzek Temple Update



    April also brought the release of the the Virus map Catzek Temple! It’s the largest map so far in Virus, and offers interesting ways to strategize against your opponents, including the addition of jump pads!

    Heavenscape Update



    Towards the end of May, Ball Race: Heavenscape released!

    The update came with with various changes, including the Condo quick-save button and updates to the server browser and server lists.

    Summer Cleanup Update



    In June, we released the Summer Cleanup update! This update brought changes and fixes to various areas of the game, including:
    • Improved Netcode and Prediction & Animation Optimizations
    • Changes to drifting, turning, and the camera in Accelerate
    • Media player connectivity
    • Custom spawn points for Condos
    • Canvas/Surface rotation
    • and more!


    SDNL (Slaughterday Night Live) Beta Release




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2AUx3LrNfY

    One of our major goals this year was to wrap up development on and release a new game world, SDNL, and it finally came out at the end of August!

    It’s a fast paced arena shooter with 12 different game types to play, each offering different gameplay.

    It released with 3 maps:

    Frostbite


    Meadows


    and Hinderance!


    With this update, there were several SDNL balancing Hot Fixes, as well as the addition of the Water Volume for Condos!


    Decommission Update



    In late September, SDNL: Decommission released! Decommission is a rework of the Virus map Corrosion designed for SDNL.

    Among other things, this update also added Condo sounds and lasers! Over 50 new sounds were added, as well as laser beams that can be activated through Condo I/O!



    Halloween 2023 Events + Boardwalk Carnival Expansion



    The Halloween 2023 events started in October with the usual festivities and some new items!

    A second update brought with it the long-awaited Boardwalk Expansion, the Haunted Catsack, more new items, and the Dark Co-Op weekend event!





    Container Ship



    In November, SDNL: Container Ship was released! On this beached freighter map, players can maneuver through (or over!) shipping containers to fight their way to the win!

    There were also some changes to achievement payouts and other fixes and optimizations in this update!


    Winter Holidays Update 2023



    December brought the Winter Holidays update for 2023! This was a huge update that expanded on the existing Winter Holiday events, added MIDI support, post processing volumes, and introduced the new boardwalk renovations, and a lot more!




    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXrwIF7JoQg



    Holly Jolly Highway Update



    The final update of the year was the Holly Jolly Highway Update! It added a new festive and snowy map to Accelerate, as well as much needed optimizations, bug fixes, and other changes.

    That concludes the State of the Game post for this year!


    Be sure to keep up with developments on our Trello, Steam, and Dev Logs!

    Weekly Dev Log for January 8th, 2024

    Hello everyone, and welcome to the Weekly Dev Log for January 8th, 2024, detailing all the changes that have happened since December 18th, 2023. Note: Devs that don't appear in the weekly log are not necessarily away or not doing work, but may be working on things currently not announced or backend work that doesn't need to be detailed.

    Winter 2023 Condo Contest (Winter/Festivity) - NOW VOTING





    Voting has begun for the Winter Condo Contest.

    You can see all of the submissions on the main forum thread here.

    You can find the voting form here.

    Voting ends on January 11th, 2024 at 11:59 PM CDT.

    We're Back!


    We're back from our winter break, we hope you all had a great time on your break, and we're excited for 2024.

    While this Dev Log will be shorter than normal, we do have a few things to show you.

    A new Minigolf map, named "Nostalgia" has been started.

    macdguy took some time over the break to look more into the Dedicated Condos and VR support. We're actively working on getting these systems working and ready to be released.

    nuclearxpotato worked on a Clipboard Note item, which is functionally equivalent to the Notebook item. Also Notebooks have had their character limit set from 999 to 4999.

    Minigolf: Nostalgia EARLY EARLY EARLY WIP






    Clipboard Note Item WIP





    Wrap It Up


    That about covers everything that happened since December 18th, 2023 at PixelTail Games.

    ---

    Join our Discord for development updates and community fun!
    https://discord.gg/pixeltail
    We love awesome people like you!

    Follow our developments on our Trello in near real-time:
    https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

    Take a peek at what's being worked on every week in our weekly dev logs! There's bound to be something interesting every week!
    https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

    Please report bugs & submit suggestions on our forums. We're active everyday & here to help.
    For bug reports: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report/18
    For suggestions: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/suggestions/7

    <3 PixelTail Games