Critter Cove | Full Speed Ahead

Hello everyone! It has been way, way too long since our last blog update, but rest assured we will do our best to start making this a much more regular occurrence. Since it has been a while since our last update we have quite a few things to go over so let’s just hop right into it.

First, if people are interested in more regular updates, instead of just large overviews in the form of blog posts, I highly suggest following us on TWITTER where we maintain a pretty steady stream of updates or giving our DISCORD channel a whirl. We’re very active on that channel and it is probably the best place to get updates. Plus we just like to chat in general.

Now on to what has been going on with the development of Critter Cove. Since the last update we have done a great number of things: revamped the main island, started work on building out the underwater areas, changed the character customization system, updated our wearable system, and just about a billion other little things that I can’t remember right now. So let’s just go over the biggies.

When building out the main island we knew that it would need to do a few things. It would have to have enough room to build out all the stops and homes that would become the central community for the player to build up. It would also have to be large enough to offer early game exploration. And it would need to be immediately eye-catching since it is the very first location that the player sees.

I think we managed to pull that off. The main island has a large central location, perfect for building, and two side areas that are more mountainous and out of the way for exploration. Its lush tropical environment is immediately appealing--we cannot wait to see what sort of towns players build on it.

Our underwater areas are going to be super important and therefore need to be just as interesting, if not more so, than our island environments. Players will need to dive below the surface in order to get many of the resources needed to build their community--exploring these areas will be fun and interesting, with something new to see all the time. The world of Critter Cove is built on top of the sunken ruins of the old world, so expect to find sunken ships, buildings, monuments, cars, planes, and much more.

The critters that inhabit the world are going to be extremely important and varied in appearance. We decided that if we’re going to build all these interesting creatures, why not let the player create their own look as they so desire? We revamped our character customization system; now players can be a human, critter, and can mix and match different body parts, choose new patterns, and alter color to make something completely unique. All the options are there to really let the player be as creative as they want with their avatar.

Along those same lines we changed how our wearable system (and honestly furniture and home decoration system as well) works, so that colors can easily be changed. That way, not only is the player being creative with their avatar, they also get to figure out how their clothing looks. And since clothing can be gifted to your animal friends, their appearances can be customized too.

We also did our first ever interview where we talked for a bit about Critter Cove, its current state, and the direction it is heading. It was definitely a learning experience talking about the game in that setting. Check out the full interview on My Potato Games.

There’s been lots and lots of other little things that really help bring the game together but this post has probably already gone on for long enough. We are still full speed ahead on making the playable demo and have entered into the content building phase. Hopefully we will have more news as to when everyone can get their hands on it in the near future. Until then, thank you so much reading and supporting us. Please follow us on TWITTER or join our DISCORD channel and if you get a chance, share us on social media, or tell some other people about us. We are a small team and really need all the help we can get in spreading the word about what we think is going to be an amazing game.

Until next time.

Eli