Almohadin: escape from the basement · published · build 18097651
I released a new update in less than a month! This time I worked much more on small details, necessary fixes, and some optimization. BUT... I also did something very important: a new menu. We finally have a revamped interface!
Reworked the main menu with all-new buttons and graphics; the design is a thousand times better and more aesthetic—very colorful and practical, with all the necessary buttons for a complete menu. Also, the start menu and game‑mode selection have been unified into a single main menu to find everything faster and more easily.
Removed the 'restart story mode' button. Removed the 'story rush' mode. Now there are 4 game modes plus a 'LORE' mode for replaying the original visual novel. BUT... I’ll soon create more content, new stories, and a section to explain other aspects of the story. There is much more to expand here, which is why I made it an exclusive section instead of wasting it as before.
Created a new ACCESSIBILITY mode. Now, if a player finds story mode too challenging, they can opt for extra lives to make things easier. I thought about this for a long time and concluded that it’s worth giving players a bit of help, even though the original experience is with only 3 lives in most levels. I hope this addition helps those who couldn’t beat story mode.
Added a mini technical tutorial at the start of the visual novel (a few dialogues explaining the game controls). You can now pause this scene, allowing you to configure everything from the beginning.
Added an indicator on each mode button showing completed levels. For example, if you’ve cleared only 3 levels in speedrun mode, the speedrun button on the main menu will display "(3/54)".
Credits rewritten. Previously, the credits were actually an image. Now I’ve learned to generate text more efficiently and easily.
Added a button that shows the current game version and, when clicked, redirects to the latest Steam posts.
Added a mailto link button instead of the image that displayed my email. This is more direct and practical for the user.
New 'report' button for bugs or suggestions. This button opens a form and appears in main menu and pause menu.
Improved the indicator that you must finish story mode before playing other modes. It now appears as a much better-designed banner.
Enhanced ESC key navigation: you can now exit all menus, go back, and even reach the 'quit game' screen.
Complete rework of the visual novel graphics. All images now have a subtle grain/noise effect. It’s very slight but significantly reduces flatness and fixes color banding in gradients. It looks great.
Reworked the two 'cinematic' videos of the visual novel. They now weigh much less (from 800 MB to 120 MB), and the second video was remade from scratch with new content that’s far more important to the story.
Introduced progressive texture loading and new compression for much faster performance. Load times went from 10 seconds to just 1 second on my PC. Files are much smaller, and resources load more efficiently. I implemented an alternative compression method to the engine’s default, which completely transformed the game’s speed.
Removed unused resources. Thanks to this, image compression, and video rework, the game’s size dropped from 2 GB to 500 MB—a huge optimization.
New full‑screen 'loading' screen when selecting story mode. Previously, resource loading wasn’t visible at all. Now it’s much more aesthetic with a full‑screen image.
Improved proximity system: enemies now activate when they touch an invisible 'hitbox' near Almohadin instead of constant distance checks. This method is easier to implement, more reliable, and lighter on performance.
Added a global leaderboard upload restriction. After finishing a competitive mode level, a 30‑second timer prevents repeat uploads, avoiding multiple simultaneous processes.
Fixed one of the most annoying collision issues: sometimes Almohadin would get stuck on thin blocks or terrain. The wall‑contact calculation occasionally let the character keep accelerating instead of stopping, causing entrapment.
Fixed dialogue overflow in the visual novel text boxes.
Resolved a crash issue in one of the visual novel scenes (I’d say which, but that would be a spoiler).
Temporarily removed AA and Vsync options until I find a real fix for tearing. I still need to diagnose some graphical issues.
Achievements are now checked every minute. Previously, they were checked on level load, causing lag. This solution is easy and works well; it’s not perfect, but it will stay for now.
Fixed a major bug where dying would restart the scene multiple times. Now the game 'pauses', performs a fade‑out/fade‑in, and then restarts only once.
Unified the character sprite. Previously, each animation had a separate file. Now everything is in one image. This isn’t a huge performance change but greatly improves workflow and opens the door to designing skins.
Fixed code logic issues, such as enemy pupils tracking Almohadin. There were unnecessary repetitions and odd code I didn’t know how to write before; now I’m a better programmer and polished those lines.
Removed the mouse fade animation, which caused errors. The cursor now hides and shows correctly—pressing ESC no longer leaves it hidden. Several design inconsistencies were fixed.
Fixed the 'pause' button issue: changing pause input no longer resumes the game.
Removed the mechanic of taking damage from enemies jumping underneath Almohadin when he’s still. Collision is now simpler and fairer. I also fixed the exploit where Almohadin can kill jellies from below if they crush him.
Fixed a bug that kept windowed mode locked in fullscreen and wouldn’t revert.
Improved contrast on the level selection screen for game modes. I will keep making changes in future versions—I have many ideas to perfect the game’s aesthetics and color palette. There’s still a lot of work to do.
Fixed graphical inconsistencies, like the story‑mode final boss appearing behind other enemies (I simply lowered the boss’s render depth). These small tweaks are crucial to polishing the game and ensuring nothing is out of place.
Each visual novel section is divided into 'acts'. When entering an act, a banner shows the act number and title. I fixed the issue that allowed skipping the banner with any key—now only the designated key advances it.
Optimized game elements by merging them into a single object for easier readability and shared variables, reducing resource usage. For example, separate objects that triggered events on scene load are now one, avoiding multiple conditional checks and repeated lines.
New achievement: complete page 1 of no‑hit mode. I’m sorry—there should be over 200 achievements, but my app is limited. When the limit is lifted, I’ll add all of them. I promise to include many achievements: cumulative, unique, and completionist.
The game’s permanent price is now set and will not increase. The current price is the final price. Yes, that’s all.
In the future I want to build a community. As soon as it makes sense, I will focus on social media presence, creating a Discord server, etc. Right now all my efforts are purely on development, but I want you to know I’m ready to take on social initiatives. Keep it in mind—I may make a couple of important social announcements someday.
My finances don’t allow it right now, but in the future I promise big graphic surprises. I want to buy a drawing tablet and work extensively to make everything look better. I swear that once I can afford it, I will do everything possible to make the game look 101% visually polished. I also plan to create more content quickly thanks to the speed of drawing with the true pulse of my hand.
I will be preparing new patches. I believe that by version 1.4 (major patch) Early Access might be over. As I’ve said before, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop creating content. Arcade Mode will launch only after Early Access ends because I need more feedback. I’m sorry for delays; I have almost no feedback and must test everything by myself. I only ask that you trust my work—so far I’ve proven I can make major changes and that my game has high potential and persistence, as I’ve never stopped updating it with increasing quality.