A new major update for the Fearwoods Demo is now live!
This update introduces two important additions I've been working on for quite some time: a fully playable tutorial level and the first chapter of Aveline's story.
I've also introduced difficulty options, improved the Steam friends list and continued working on several gameplay and UI improvements.
Here's what's new and what's coming next!
I've added a dedicated tutorial level to help new players understand the core gameplay mechanics and progression of Fearwoods.
The tutorial introduces players to navigation, equipment usage, GPS fragment collection and the mechanics needed to survive encounters with Aveline.
My goal is to make the learning experience clearer and more intuitive while keeping the tension and atmosphere of the game.
I'm currently continuing to polish the tutorial, making smaller adjustments to its gameplay flow and presentation.
I'm also considering bringing back the original tutorial as an additional playable experience. I haven't decided where it would fit best yet, but I'd like to make it accessible to players in some form.
The first part of Aveline's story has officially been added to the Fearwoods Demo!
Players can now discover hidden story collectibles during gameplay and gradually unlock entries in Aveline's journal.
The narrative is designed to unfold through exploration, allowing players to piece together the events behind Aveline's mysterious past.
The Demo currently includes:
An introduction to Aveline's story
1 story fragment in the tutorial
10 story fragments on the first map
The remaining parts of her story will become available in the full version of Fearwoods, with additional content gradually introduced throughout Early Access development.
I'm also continuing to improve the in-game presentation of the objects and collectibles connected to these story fragments.
The Fearwoods Demo now offers two difficulty settings:
🟢 Easy
🟡 Normal
These difficulties differ in two important ways:
The number of GPS fragments players must collect to complete the evacuation
The number of Aveline's story fragments players must discover to unlock journal entries
This allows players to choose between different progression requirements while exploring the forest and uncovering its secrets.
I'm also working on making encounters with Aveline easier to understand from a gameplay perspective.
The goal is to improve the visual clarity and feedback of the flashlight combat mechanics, helping players better recognize how their actions affect the demon.
I want these encounters to remain frightening and intense, but also feel more readable and consistent.
I've improved the refresh behavior of the Steam friends list, making it more reliable when checking which friends are available.
I'm also working on further improvements to the Steam Overlay integration, particularly the process of inviting friends into multiplayer lobbies.
Looking further ahead, I'm hoping to introduce a public hosted-game list by the Early Access release.
This would allow players to browse available multiplayer sessions and join games directly through the Join option, rather than relying exclusively on Steam friend invitations.
This feature is still being worked on, so I can't confirm its availability for Early Access just yet.
Alongside the newly released content, I'm continuing to focus on:
Further polishing the new tutorial level
Improving the in-game presentation of story collectibles
Making flashlight combat against Aveline clearer and more intuitive
Additional adjustments to tutorial progression
Exploring how to make the original tutorial accessible again
Improving Steam Overlay invitations and multiplayer lobby functionality
Working toward a public hosted-game browser for Early Access
With the tutorial and the first chapter of Aveline's story now available, Fearwoods is taking another important step forward.
I'm continuing to refine these systems based on testing and player feedback while preparing the next improvements on the road to Early Access.
As always, thank you for playing the Demo, reporting bugs and sharing your thoughts. Every bit of feedback helps me identify what needs improvement and where development should focus next.
More updates coming soon!
See you in the forest 🌲
Mike