Greeting Settlers,
Time flies. Since the release of "Pathless Woods" on Steam on April 3, 2024, it has been one year in the blink of an eye. This year, we released more than 20 updates, some big and some small. Unfortunately, the game has not yet reached the ideal state we and everyone expected.
We hope that "Pathless Woods" will become a unique survival and construction game, a world of free exploration and creation. Therefore, we tried many unique designs and in-depth content. During the process, we inevitably take detours and encounter setbacks. Although we try our best, we fail to do our best. But we feel that this is precisely the meaning of indie games.
Since its launch, players' feedback has been enthusiastic and valuable, and we have collected many opinions and suggestions. Special thanks to those players who participated in a large number of tests - your support is the driving force behind our persistence. We deeply apologize for seeing bugs bothering settlers; seeing you find joy in the game and a strong sense of achievement makes us exclaim that everything is worth it. We are sincerely grateful to have you accompany us all the way.
We are aware that online bugs, performance optimization, and novice guidance are still the three major shortcomings of the gaming experience. These issues affect immersion and make it difficult for new players to get started quickly. We have developed a detailed solution and will move forward with full force when the time is ripe.
The story of "Pathless Woods" began in 2017, starting with the dreams of one or two people. The team expanded to more than ten people at its peak, and now it has returned to two people. From youth to middle age, we have almost devoted our entire youth. Despite the rough road, we have never given up.
Perhaps some settlers have noticed that the last update was three or four months ago. The reason is simple: by the end of last year, the studio ran out of funds, the team had to disband, and borrowed some foreign debt to pay the final salaries and severance pay of the studio partners. In order to make a living, we took on some outsourcing projects, and the income was only enough to maintain basic living and repay.At the same time, A and I have completed a major event in our lives - getting married and starting a family, and are about to welcome a baby. This makes us feel gratified and we hope it can bring good luck to the game.
We hope that no matter how difficult it is, we can do our best to solve the above three major problems and gradually move "Pathless Woods" towards the official version. Currently, we are raising funds through outsourcing and platform transplantation, and we do not rule out employment for a period of time. We will try our best to resume updates within this year. As for the official version, it may take two to three years or even longer. We also hope to bring more revenue and support to the game by transplanting to other platforms.
Independent games are always a risky path. We carry our dreams and move forward. In the wave of domestic single-player games, even if we cannot become a surging wave, at least we have been stirred up.
Finally, thank you to every settler who supports "Pathless Woods". Your understanding and companionship are our indispensable motivation. Let's look forward to future updates and official versions together!
Wishing everyone happiness and the ability to play more and more good games.
AniYa Games Studio
2025.4.3