Hello everyone!
It's been a while since the last update because I've been busy behind the scenes, working on something big. I've migrated the game to Unity 6 along with some other technical upgrades, and this has dramatically improved how Solace Creek looks.
The game now features real-time lighting and shadows! Especially the shadows have significantly enhanced the atmosphere: your flashlight now actually casts realistic shadows as you explore, and characters are dynamically lit by their environment:
While PS1-era games probably wouldn’t have featured this level of graphical fidelity, I felt it would really enhance the atmosphere of Solace Creek. My goal is to strike a good balance between atmospheric elements like these and the game's retro aesthetic. You can experience it yourself in the new demo version!
The demo still features the same elements of the previous version, so it doesn't go further than before or features any new mainline content. But there are some additions and changes (some new rooms, cutscenes are extended / changed or more polished, etc.)
Apart from that the demo is now also available in Spanish (LATAM) with thanks to the amazing Bastián Núñez ❣️
I’ve always loved Panini football sticker albums and the excitement of collecting them. Inspired by this, I've added a new mechanic to reward exploration in Solace Creek: collectible photo pieces featuring characters from the game—some of whom you've already met in the demo. You can view your collected pieces in the in-game photo album, and once you complete a full photo, there might just be a little surprise waiting for you 🤭 (currently you can't finish any photo in the demo).
The migration to Unity 6 has delayed finishing the game and working on new content a bit, but I’ve still been working hard behind the scenes on all the content beyond the demo. There’s also a bunch of organizational tasks that require time and attention, but I'm still hoping to release the full version sometime later this year.
As always, I'll keep you updated—thank you so much for your support!