Beta 1 OUT NOW! Level Builder, Achievements & more!
Please restart Steam if the update does not automatically show up for you.
Hello all! Today is a big day - Vibrant Venture is no longer in the alpha phase!! We've finally entered the beta phase of the game, meaning it's getting closer to a completed state!
When the game first launched back in July 2020, it only featured 6 levels and the first World Map. Now, there's more than three times as many levels, plus a ton of extra features like the shop, Pet Maker, and... the Level Builder!
That's right, this update features the first version of the Level Builder, something I know you guys have wanted for a long time now. This, combined with all the other features in this update, means that this is hands down the largest update thus far.
Note that this is the first public release of the Level Builder, so some things are likely to change, and new features will be added later! So keep that in mind if your favorite enemy or level object isn't usable in the Level Builder yet, as it may be added in the future.
This update also features Juniper, a character created for a contest in our Discord server by ZeraZero, and you can find her hidden in all the main levels of the game. Once you do, she will have some unique dialog about the level, and reward you with a sneak peek of the painting she's working on! If you find her in all levels, there's even a special completion bonus that will unlock!
We have also added 15 new unlockable achievements, all with unique artwork of the game! Some of these achievements require a lot of thought to figure out and are quite well-hidden, but they should give you a good laugh. We had a lot of fun creating one particular secret achievement, and even made a new area just for this one achievement!
These are just the primary new features, but make sure to check out the changelog below for all the details.
Please be aware that this update is highly ambitious for us, with the Level Builder being the biggest new feature. As such, there are probably going to be some bugs and issues when it first comes out, but I will do my very best to fix these as fast as possible, and continue putting patches out until all the bugs have been fixed.
Should you run into any problems yourself, you can file a bug report via the #bug-reports channel in our Discord server.
Don't forget to also check out the new devlog for all the details, and maybe even consider watching the brand-new trailer for the game!
Changelog
Added the first version of the Level Builder
Accessible through the Title Screen and Pause Menu
Share your creations on the Steam Workshop
Download and play community-made levels on the Steam Workshop
Added a new side-quest: Juniper
Can be found in 12 different levels
An indicator in the Totals UI and World Map UI will help you keep track of your progress
A completion reward can be earned by returning to the town after finding and talking to Juniper in all levels
Added 15 achievements
Added new Secret Walls in several different levels
Added some new secret areas and tweaked existing areas
Added controller vibration when taking damage/dying
Can be turned off in Options
Added a new unique level intro to 2-4
Added an option to make the Vine Stab toggleable
Added a new cutscene in 3-2 for the train starting
Added a new off-screen environment in the beginning of the World 2 Map
Implemented a new default control layout for both keyboard and controller
Added a control layout selector menu accessible through the control mapper where you can choose to reset your controls to the new or classic control layout
Implemented a new lighting engine
Updated and tweaked the lighting and rendering in different areas
Tweaked 2-Bonus slightly
Added a short hint at the start of the level explaining how to attack
Made it easier to achieve the S+ rank
Nerfed Pistachio - her attack is now less accurate
Rewrote Maestro's cheeseball trajectory physics
Updated the Seedle enemy sprites and animations
Updated the Pause Menu layout and visuals
Updated the first cutscene in 1-4's Ball Roller
Updated control mapper UI
Improved UI navigation on controllers
Improved flying pet sprite rendering in water
The Level Timer now resets if you die in a level without having reached a checkpoint
Fixed bugs
Enjoy!
- Pattrigue
Beta 1 Releasing September 30th!
Hey everyone! We are happy to announce that Vibrant Venture Beta 1.0 will launch on September 30th!
We have spent the past few weeks working on all the finishing touches for the Beta 1.0 update, and it is nearly finished. Because this update is so big, I have also been spending a lot of time fixing bugs--almost 200 bugs have been found and fixed at time of writing! The majority of them were easy fixes, but there have also been some really tough ones, and existing bugs in Alpha 7 that were never discovered until recently.
Our goal is for this update to be the biggest and best one yet, so we are dedicating a lot of time to testing, fixing, and polishing. The testers have done a great job finding and reporting problems over the past few weeks. They have also provided valuable feedback, which has resulted in a more user-friendly and intuitive Level Builder!
Recently, we also published a remaster of the original Kickstarter trailer, which you can check out here:
We look forward to releasing the update and sharing the Level Builder with you all! Stay tuned!
- Pattrigue
Level Builder status + Alpha 8 features; achievements, a new side-quest, & more!
Hey all!
Alpha 8 is shaping up, and we're quite happy with the progress we've made so far. I've also made a lot of progress on the Level Builder! Let's talk about it.
Achievements
Alpha 8 will feature a ton of Steam Achievements to unlock! There will be many types of different achievements - some will be unlockable by simply completing levels in campaign mode while others will require a lot more thinking and exploring. Our plan is to add more achievements once the base game campaign mode is finished (like completionist achievements) so expect to see more in the future! And let us know if you have any ideas for achievements!
Where's Juniper?
Last year, we held a contest on our Discord server where participants had to create an original character, and the prize was a free Steam game, HD art of the character by Jur as well as that NPC being added to the game. The winner was Juniper created by the user ZeraZero; check out the artwork of her that Jur created below.
Over the past few weeks, we've been working on implementing Juniper into the game.
Here's how she's going to work:
You will be able to find Juniper somewhere in each of the main four levels in every world (for example 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and 1-4 in World 1).
Juniper will be well-hidden - it will take some serious effort to find her in most levels.
Finding her rewards the player with some unique dialogue, and a painting of the level. It also counts towards the total completion of a save file.
Finding her in all levels rewards you with a completion bonus (which you'll have to find out for yourself once the update is released!).
A few days ago, we asked the community on Discord to help find hiding spots for her in each of the levels. As of writing this, we just finished implementing those hiding spots a few hours ago, and we're really pleased with the result. If you're in our Discord server and posted your suggestions, thank you! There were some seriously good ones.
The idea with this feature is to increase replay value and emphasize exploration. Juniper will also be easy to find in the first level of the game, increasing the odds of most players discovering her existence early on. In addition, the various stat UIs have also been updated to display whether you have found her in a level or not.
The Level Builder
As previously mentioned, I've also been making a lot of progress on the Level Builder. You can check out the devlog below for a detailed video in which I showcase what I've been working on, and talk about what I plan on adding next.
I have also been working on advanced object editors that allow you to edit the unique properties of each object. These properties include things like movement speed, movement direction, attack range, waypoints, and much, much more. The video below shows a preview of the waypoint editor in action!
The Level Builder is getting closer to a state where I feel comfortable hosting a public testing session. The plan is to grant players access to a build featuring the first version of the Level Builder to gather feedback and find bugs. This will take place after the release of Alpha 8, which, by the way, will be the final alpha update. That's right; after Alpha 8, the next update will be Beta 1! How exhilarating!
The rest
There's a handful of other features we've been working on for Alpha 8 that I feel are also worth mentioning.
A new lighting system has been implemented, allowing us to add better lighting to many different areas in the game (which we've already been taking advantage of in levels like 1-3 and 2-3).
Controllers will now vibrate when you take damage (I really don't know why I've only just gotten around to adding that, the game feels much more responsive now!).
The Maestro's throwing behavior has been rewritten to use Newtonian physics rather than a quadratic equation solver which resulted in a strangely unpredictable and unnatural-looking arc. In layman's terms, this means the Maestro is slightly less annoying (but still annoying!).
The next and near-final level in World 3 is going to be quite special, and we've made a great amount of progress on it, however, we do not have any previews to share just yet (stay tuned, because we might have soon!).
There's still a lot of work to be done on Alpha 8 before it's ready for release, but we've made a huge amount of progress during the last 5-6 weeks. However, progress will inevitably slow down for a few weeks from mid-May to mid-June due to exams. As such, the plan is to ship Alpha 8 sometime between July to September. Once we know exactly when the update will release, we will share this information with you.
Thanks for reading!
- Pattrigue
Alpha Patch 7.1.2
A new patch has been released for Vibrant Venture. Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update!
See the changelog below for details
Fixed certain Beam Tech not starting in the correct active state
Fixed the master volume setting not working unless you had changed the Joystick Deadzone
Fixed the social media links in the Title Screen not being visible on certain screen resolutions
Fixed the input labels in the World Map UI not being visible on certain screen resolutions
Alpha Patch 7.1.1
A new patch has been released for Vibrant Venture. Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update!
See the changelog below for details
Fixed the clouds in 1-1 rendering too far down
Fixed the clouds in the end credits screen rendering too far down
Fixed a bug in 3-C where a conveyor belt would suddenly stop working
Fixed the timing laser in 3-3's train section remaining disabled upon exiting the section immediately after the crate has touched the sensor
Fixed kicking the crate in the area in 3-3 with the timing laser while it's moving resulting in the crate respawning on the sensor after exiting and reentering the section
Fixed the final laser in 3-3 activating again after dying
Fixed shattering the Senior Rockly in 3-3 causing its hat to float in mid air
Tweaked the design of the train roof section in 3-3
Alpha Update 7.1.0
A new minor update has been released for Vibrant Venture with a couple of bug fixes and a new controller joystick deadzone option! Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update.
See the changelog below for details.
Added a new joystick deadzone option for controllers
Overhauled Centeel collision generation to prevent getting stuck between segments
Fixed a tile error in 3-3
Fixed the walking animation playing too fast while entering the Conductor fight in 3-2
Alpha Patch 7.0.3
A new patch has been released for Vibrant Venture. Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update!
See the changelog below for details.
Fixed being able to clip through walls when using the Quantum Heart
Fixed notification box rendering issues when using Brazilian Portuguese
Fixed the Loyal Fairies upgrade starting you with a fairy in boss levels
Fixed the moon in 1-3 not being visible
Fixed the clouds in 1-3 not rendering properly
Fixed using the dash at max speed slowing you down when it ends when moving right
Fixed the log in 1-Boss not falling if slammed while moving at a high speed
Fixed the Pause Menu buttons playing sound effects on mouse over while transitioning out of a level
Fixed performing an Air Kick on an enemy close to the ground causing the landing animation to play followed by the fall animation while continuing to Air Kick
Fixed crawling near the water surface causing the player's sprite to not be rotated
Fixed Air Kicking into water causing the player's sprite to not be rotated for one frame
Fixed gliding at the top of an anti-gravity field causing the player to begin rapidly spinning from constantly entering and exiting the field
Fixed crawling into water causing the player's hitbox to remain small
Tweaked momentum physics
Alpha Patch 7.0.2
A new patch has been released for Vibrant Venture. Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update!
See the changelog below for details.
Tweaked the animation for crates when they enter a beam
Fixed some Brazilian Portuguese localization errors in the Shop UI
Alpha Patch 7.0.1
A new patch has been released for Vibrant Venture. Don't forget to restart Steam if the game does not automatically prompt you to update!
See the changelog below for details.
Fixed the lock for 3-C rendering in front of the player in the World Map
Fixed having the OS locale set to Spanish causing the game text to render incorrectly
Fixed Brazilian Portuguese locale not being selectable in the Options Menu
Fixed a few instances where the text cut off when the locale was set to Brazilian Portuguese
Fixed the controller selection sound playing for dropdowns
Alpha 7 OUT NOW!
Please restart Steam if the update does not automatically show up for you.
Hey gamers! Vibrant Venture's Alpha 7 update is now out!
This update focuses primarily on user experience improvements and updating existing features - but it does also feature a super fun new level: 3-C! This is the hardest level in the game so far, and will likely remain the most difficult level for quite some time.
Despite this, the level is actually super fun, and we're proud of how the design turned out. Jur and I put a lot of effort into mixing all the mechanics and gimmicks in World 3, and we can't wait to hear what you guys think of it. Personally, it's my favorite level so far; there's so much fun movement and combos you can do. Also, the ending of the level is really something else, and I'm sure it'll catch you guys off guard!
The update also features localization support, meaning we now have the ability to translate the game into whatever language we want! I have created an open-source GitHub repository containing all the game's localization files, and anyone can contribute!
For this update, I've gone ahead and translated the entire game to my native language, Danish, since I needed some second language for testing purposes. We plan on supporting way more languages in the future, and thankfully this is now possible without making any changes to the game's code!
Don't forget to check out the devlog for all the details - there's quite a lot this time, and I would love to hear what you guys think about these changes! [previewyoutube="GQpgYVjxBW0;full"]
Changelog
Added a new level: 3-C
Added localization support - the game can now support different languages!
Added a new language option: Danish
Added Steam Rich Presence support
Added controller glyph icon support for the control mapper
Added a new upgrade: Longer Invincibility
Added a new upgrade: Loyal Fairies
Added a new upgrade: Fairy Bargain
Added controller support for the Pet Maker
Added an input prompt to the Intro Cutscene
Tweaked fairies - they now escape after taking damage, making it possible to catch them again
Improved controller menu navigation
Reworked Tutorial Boards
Reworked the Town interiors
Updated 1-1 cave lighting
Updated the End Card: Added an input prompt and updated the grade animation
