Monthly Update #45 🎉

Okay, Sleepyheads… this is it, the last monthly update before the PC release (but not the last one ever, more to come for sure)! I’m gonna keep this one brief because I’m pretty swamped, but I want to make sure you’re all prepared for release and understand the state of the various backer rewards and everything beyond just the game being released on Steam and itch.io.

Thank you 🙌

First off, I just want to thank you all. We wouldn’t have made it here without your support. Your name will appear in the Credits exactly as you specified when you filled everything out in Pledge Manager, and I hope you take a moment to peek the credits and appreciate what you helped make.

But I’m going to ask for one more big show of support: please help share the news of release with friends that you think might be interested. And if you are going to be playing on Steam and not waiting for the Switch release, please make sure to leave an honest review once you’ve had some time with the game. Most people don’t bother with writing reviews, but they can make a world of difference for getting the game in front of more players.

And I also just want to say, this isn’t the end of the road. As you’ll see below, there are still some promises that need to be fulfilled, least of all the Switch release, so I’ll be continuing to update you all on the game’s progress!

How do I get my Copy?!

I imagine a lot of you are probably eager to get your keys and play through the game, so I’ll start with that. If you selected Steam as your release platform, you can collect your key right now via Pledge Manager. If you selected itch.io, I will launch on that platform shortly after launching on Steam and will make the keys available to you on Pledge Manager at that time. You can claim your Steam keys now, but you won’t be able to play until the game releases at 11am EDT on Tuesday, March 31.

Here’s what you’re looking for when you log into Pledge Manager

What’s the State of All the Other Rewards?

✅ Instruction Manual and Wallpaper Pack

These are available right now for every backer on Pledge Manager. Please go give them a look and let me know what you think! I tried to keep the Instruction Manual relatively short and to the point while covering the most important bits. It’s all very inspired by NES manuals, and the PDF is formatted double wide (two pages on each page, side-by-side). I hope for those of you waiting for the Switch release, this is a fun little something to dig into and get excited about.

✅ Backer Exclusive Items

If you selected Steam, in addition to your product key, you’ll be able to claim a key for these rewards. Make sure to redeem that the same way you redeem the key for the game itself. You’ll automatically see the Kickstarter Plaque on the wall, any new games will start with the Master of Dreams PJs, and the Golden B.O.B. Skin will be automatically enabled (but you still have to find BOB in-game) with an option to toggle it off in the Gameplay settings.

For itch.io users, there will be a delay getting you these rewards. Unfortunately there’s not a built-in platform solution on itch.io I can leverage as with Steam, so this is likely going to need the same solution that I end up using for the Switch release, which will ultimately mean some kind of in-game code redemption system. So please be patient as I get that sorted for those of you on itch.io.

⌛Digital Deluxe Tier: Soundtrack & Artbook

For backers at the Digital Deluxe tiers, please bear with me as we finish up the soundtrack and the artbook. While the music is all set in the game, it takes a lot more work to actually turn that into a soundtrack that can be enjoyed from start to finish. The Artbook has also been getting planned out, but there have also been loads of new art added and changed so late, that I wanted to make sure this best represented what we have in there now, so I didn’t dive into beyond the planning phases just yet. So no date on either of these just yet, but I will keep you all updated as these two items progress!

✅ Sleepwalker Tier: Statues, Constellations, and Toys

For Sleepwalker tier backers, your Backer Status, Pet Statues, Pet Constellations, and Bedroom Toys are all available and in the game ready for you to find!

Toys: You’ll see bedroom toys as soon as you start the game, sitting there on Nemo’s floor, as well as any time you return to the bedroom.

Pet Constellations and Pet Statues: Can be found in the Observatory of the Palace. I’ve added a secret entrance so that you can get here more quickly. Once you get to Gumdrop Gardens (likely the second domain you’ll visit), when you reach a bed in an area called “Jules’ Attic”, look for a secret pneumatic tube here that you can enter to head to the Observatory!

The secret pneumatic tube can be found right here. Just jump up there while holding UP to enter

Backer Statues: Can be found in the Grand Palace Foyer. Unfortunately I can’t take you here early without giving you access to a late-game area, so you’ll need to play through the game to find your statue here.

✅ Guardian Tier: Alex, PJs, and Cats

Alex, if you or your dad is reading this, of course you’ll be able to find yourself as the Guardian of Haunted Hollow. You can get there pretty quickly (as early as about the third domain, although likely a bit later than that).

The Pajama Guardian PJs that were developed in-tandem with our Pajama Guardian are the Shortcake PJs. Those actually haven’t been in the playtests yet, but I’m finding the perfect spot to place them now. The backer I made these with can feel free to ask me where they are, but I don’t want to spoil their hiding spot for everyone else.

And for everyone that has their cats in the game, you can select them in the Gameplay settings. They’re all adorable and everyone I saw find that option in the demo absolutely loved all of your cats and their custom meows.

I also just want to point out, all of these Sleepwalker and Guardian tier rewards are in the game for all players. So your statues, pets, toys, cats, etc. will all be forever immortalized in the game. Thank you for your support at these higher backer tiers.

⏳ Stretch Goals and Milestones

We had some Stretch Goal and Milestone Rewards that are not ready yet. This includes the In-Game Instruction Manual, In-Game Bestiary, and In-Game Artbook. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get these all set for launch, but I kept increasing the scope of what I wanted, so the plans for their integration into the game is a bit more complicated and interesting than originally intended. I’ll keep you updated about these, but expect them in an upcoming patch to the game.

The Animated Intro Stretch Goal is however ready, and you’ll be able to watch that video by sitting on the main menu for several seconds without pressing anything. It takes the form of a classic attract mode video combining the fully-animated bits with gameplay interspersed.

⏳ Switch Release

And of course, I’ve talked about this previously, but just to reiterate: the Nintendo Switch release will be coming later this year. I don’t have a firm timeline, but I already have the Switch dev kit and have run earlier builds of the game on there and so I have a sense of the work that is needed. Getting it ready for Switch will mostly be about performance updates, but on top of that, Nintendo is notoriously strict when it comes to certifying games for release, so I expect that to take a while even after I think the game is all set. This will all take at least a few months.

I would love to do a native Switch 2 port, but I do not have a dev kit for that. If I get the opportunity to purchase a Switch 2 dev kit, then I certainly will, but the Switch 1 release is taking priority.

🎮How About the State of the Game for Release?

There are features that were not stretch goals or milestones, but which I wanted in the game but are not ready yet. There are two big features I’m trying to squeeze in for release, but at this point, there’s a good chance they won’t be there until a shortly-after in a follow-on patch: an In-Game Music Player (with tracks collected throughout the world as you play), and Steam Achievements. And there are a few ideas for things that have popped up that I haven’t shared yet, which I still hope to sneak in with post-release updates. I am also hoping to get things going with localization after release. So stay tuned for follow-ups about all of this in upcoming updates.

For those of you that are into Steam Achievements, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them. I am not an achievement hunter myself, so if you are, please join me in the Discord because I’d love to pick your brain about them 😆. I have a list that I think is pretty good, but I want to hear what you think.

So ultimately we have a really great game here with tons of characters, lore, enemies, domains, difficulty options (including an entire Ranked Up experience, which includes alternate behaviors for enemies and harder patterns for bosses, for those players that like a challenge). It’s a lot, and I hope you really enjoy it. The stuff that’s still to come is mostly just the stuff on the edges that will be nice once you’ve played through and want to get more of the game.

And for the numbers for anyone curious for themselves or friends. The game will be releasing at 20 USD (with a 10% launch discount on Steam for the first 7 days) and the playtime clocks in at about 10-15 hours to play through the bulk of the game (a bit longer if you wanna go around and do and collect everything).

Until Tuesday! 👋

You don’t need to wait until next month to hear from me because I’ll be back with another update for the launch on Tuesday, along with a reminder to tell your friends and to share a review of the game.

Thank you so much, Sleepyheads. We couldn’t have done it without your support, and I really appreciate your patience. I’m really excited to get the game into your hands and I hope you find it was worth the wait.

-Dave