{"id":7879,"date":"2025-12-20T12:58:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T11:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/?p=7879"},"modified":"2025-12-20T12:58:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T11:58:58","slug":"2025-wrap-up-introducing-a-new-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/?p=7879","title":{"rendered":"2025 Wrap-Up &#038; Introducing a New Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"<a href=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rogue-mode-header.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7918\" src=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rogue-mode-header-600x338.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rogue-mode-header-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rogue-mode-header-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rogue-mode-header-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a> Artwork by <a href=\"https:\/\/yuikannon.carrd.co\/\">YuiKannon<\/a>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Greetings everyball, -fish and\u2026 -baster? Dawn? Take a pick!<\/p>\n<p>With 2025 another year is coming to a close! And what a year it has been, right? Certainly one of all time.<\/p>\n<p>For us, we were able to push development through some crucial tasks and reached important milestones, most notably, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/?p=7782\">the release of our first public demo in September<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>But we also want to tell you about <em>the future<\/em>, namely our plans for 2026, the upcoming <em>Alabaster Dawn<\/em> Early Access release and some of the exciting new content and features that it will include!<\/p>\n<h2>Demo Reception<\/h2>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/widget\/3900710\/\" width=\"646\" height=\"190\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The <b>demo release<\/b> has been just about 3 months ago and the feedback has been <b>overwhelmingly positive<\/b> so far! And currently we&#8217;re getting close to <b>250,000 Wishlists<\/b>. Lots of good signs!<\/p>\n<p>Of course with a large amount of players experiencing the game, more bugs and technical issues came to light that slipped through our internal tests, so we had our hands full with fixing those and tweaking some other minor aspects.<\/p>\n<p>In response to feedback we are also still looking into ways to <b>optimize the game<\/b> to make it run better with low-end hardware and integrated graphics, such as rendering the game in a lower resolution:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Alabaster Dawn at low resolution\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pYLZq_WdBuM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We also plan to release an <strong>updated demo version<\/strong> in early 2026, in time for the <strong>Steam Next Fest<\/strong> in <strong>February.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Next Step: Early Access in 2026<\/h2>\n<p>As previously announced, we plan to release Alabaster Dawn on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/help.steampowered.com\/de\/faqs\/view\/6554-ED29-FBDB-1612\">Steam Early Access<\/a><\/strong> in the <b>first half of 2026<\/b> featuring all the content finished at that point! This would include the complete first area and dungeon, which can already be partially played in the demo, plus a new area and more story we&#8217;re currently working on. Here are some impressions:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7904\" src=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-grass-600x338.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-grass-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-grass-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-grass-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-grass.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><br \/>\nLost Lands with lots of tall growing grass.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7905\" src=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-hazards-600x338.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-hazards-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-hazards-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-hazards-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-area-hazards.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><br \/>\nHot Hazards await!<\/p>\n<p>We want to handle the <b>Early Access updates<\/b> in a similar way as we did with our previous game, <em>CrossCode<\/em> (the elder fans may remember!). This means that, after the initial release featuring a part of the overall content and story, we will update it with a new batch of finished content whenever it&#8217;s ready.<\/p>\n<p>Some of those future updates may include <strong>new areas and dungeons without the story being fully finished<\/strong> as far. In that case you will be able to already explore the area, fight new enemies and potentially even solve the dungeon, but without experiencing the actual story. There will of course be a <strong>warning once the story-less section starts<\/strong> and, as we did with CrossCode, players will be able to <strong>\u201creset\u201d the story progress<\/strong> of their saves in later versions to replay story-relevant parts while <strong>still retaining their gameplay progress<\/strong>, like level, items and solved puzzles.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, we are aware that Early Access is not a typical match for a story-driven Action-RPG. However, it does help us to secure necessary funding during development while still staying independent, allowing us to develop the game to its full potential!<\/p>\n<p>Also, to add more <b>replayability<\/b> to the game, even in an unfinished state, we&#8217;ve been working on some quite substantial <strong>side content<\/strong>. Behold:<\/p>\n<h2>Introducing the Dreamer<\/h2>\n<p>Early in your adventures on Tiran Sol you will come across a strange entity calling themselves <strong>Somu, The Dreamer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7886 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu-600x979.png\" alt=\"Somu the Dreamer\" width=\"600\" height=\"979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu-600x979.png 600w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu-184x300.png 184w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu-768x1254.png 768w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu-245x400.png 245w, https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/somu.png 1156w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a> Original concept by <a href=\"https:\/\/hynori.carrd.co\/\">hynori<\/a>, artwork by <a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/nomnomroko\">Nomnomroko<\/a>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Somu can\u2019t really remember anything about themselves but has the unique ability to let others <strong>enter their dream<\/strong> and thus request Juno to <strong>help them uncover their past<\/strong> by doing just that!<\/p>\n<h3>Entering the Dream<\/h3>\n<p>The dream is very much inspired by <strong>Rogue-Lites <\/strong>and as such comes with many of the expected trappings of that genre. Here\u2019s a quick overview over the gameplay features:<\/p>\n<p><b>Unique seed based runs<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Each run is segmented into \u201clayers\u201d. Each layer is inspired by areas you already visited<\/li>\n<li>The deeper you go, the better the rewards but beware, enemies will also grow stronger<\/li>\n<li>Each layer ends with a boss fight<\/li>\n<li>Your story progression determines how far you can dive before you wake up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Blessings<\/strong>: Upgrades found within the Dream<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Power-Up Juno with blessings found on each layer of the Dream<\/li>\n<li>Blessings range from simple stat-ups to wilds effects which augment attacks<\/li>\n<li>Blessings have rarities attached to them and some may only appear in special rooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Dream Shards<\/b>: The currency of the dream<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shards drop from enemies, by destroying environment objects and by completing objectives within the Dream<\/li>\n<li>Can be used to buy <b>blessings<\/b> at shops inside the Dream<\/li>\n<li>At the end of the dive, shards are converted into <b>Sleep Tokens<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Perks<\/strong>: Unlock new Possibitites<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Perks can be unlocked using <b>Sleep Tokens<\/b> outside the Dream<\/li>\n<li>Perks can make each run easier by adding new room types or making existing ones stronger<\/li>\n<li>Perks become available based on your story progression and progression within the dream<\/li>\n<li>Perks can be toggled on\/off to fit your needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Keep the progression<\/b> of the main game<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This includes your levels, gems and weapon upgrades<\/li>\n<li>Healing Bulbs and Boost are reset upon entering the dream and returned to you after you wake again (You will be able to activated boost through special rooms within the dream however)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, this is by no means a \u201ccomplete\u201d overview. Depending on how much people enjoy this feature we have some plans to expand upon this. Additionally we are also very open to making changes based on player feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Here a quick impression on how it looks ingame:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Alabaster Dawn: Somu&amp;apos;s Dream\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ehTK4R9SPlg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Note that all the stuff seen is still <b>work-in-progress<\/b>!<\/p>\n<h3>Why we wanted to do this<\/h3>\n<p><em>CrossCode<\/em> was in Early Access for a long time. One might even say it was a <strong>L<\/strong>ong <strong>E<\/strong>arly <strong>A<\/strong>ccess! :leasmug:<\/p>\n<p>Our community has been nothing short of amazing during this time and has patiently waited for each update, giving us time to polish things as much as possible. Suffice to say, we are very thankful for this and considered various options to make the wait for our next game less tenuous.<\/p>\n<p>This eventually lead to the idea to add a Rogue-Lite experience that is tightly connected to the game both in progression and story. Something you can play again and again and get a different experience from each time!<\/p>\n<p>However, we want to stress:<br \/>\n<b>Alabaster Dawn will still be a story-driven Action-RPG first<\/b>! <\/p>\n<p>Somu&#8217;s Dream is entirely <strong>optional side content<\/strong> and since it reuses a lot of assets developed for the main game, it does not take any major time away from anything else we have planned for core content!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Alright, that&#8217;s it for now!<\/p>\n<p>As always, thank you for reading our updates and for your continued support!<\/p>\n<p>We hope you all have happy holidays, a great new year. Until next time!<\/p>\n<h1>Socials<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Bluesky<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/radicalfishgames.com\">https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/radicalfishgames.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Community Discord:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/discord.gg\/radicalfish\">https:\/\/discord.gg\/radicalfish<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Instagram<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/radicalfishgames\/\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/radicalfishgames\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Steam:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/developer\/radicalfishgames\">https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/developer\/radicalfishgames<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>TikTok<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@radicalfishgames\">https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@radicalfishgames<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Twitch:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/radicalfishgames\">https:\/\/www.twitch.tv\/radicalfishgames<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Twitter<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RadicalFishGame\/\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/RadicalFishGame\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>YouTube:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@RadicalFishGames\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@RadicalFishGames<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/widget\/368340\/\" width=\"646\" height=\"190\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/widget\/3110760\/\" width=\"646\" height=\"190\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!-- notionvc: da30498d-b381-4ed8-91fa-92162961d9b7 --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Greetings everyball, -fish and\u2026 -baster? Dawn? Take a pick! With 2025 another year is coming to a close! And what a year it has been, right? Certainly one of all time. For us, we were able to push development through some crucial tasks and reached important milestones, most notably, the release of our first [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alabaster-dawn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7879"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7945,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7879\/revisions\/7945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radicalfishgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}