- Feb 2023 Additional Small Patch - 28 February 2023
Fixed rare Owner navigation bug Shortened Owner Hunt Sequence in Chapter 5.
- Feb 2023 Patch - 27 February 2023
Main Change After digging through every aspect I could possibly think of, the cause for the "Chase Squirrels" crash should be completely resolved. This was a very difficult issue to find because it only occurs on certain hardware. Now (thankfully), I believe I have located (and removed) the cause. I cannot be 100% sure though, since I have been unable to recreate the issue on my own hardware. If you still encounter the issue after this update, please let me know! Other Changes Fixed neighbor's dog not hunting when loading from a checkpoint in Chapter 5. Significantly shortened sequences in Chapters 3, 6, and 7. Significantly increased the time your exploration in Chapter 7 will go unaffected by surrounding threats. Added clarification to commonly confusing points in Chapter 7. I am aware that this update may not address all the issues that players have noted while playing the game, but…
- BARK 1.6.4 (Chapter 6 Back Bathroom Patch) - 4 December 2022
Fixed a bug that prevents the back bathroom door from opening when loading the last checkpoint in chapter 6.
- BARK 1.6.3 (Chase Squirrels Crash Fix) - 15 October 2022
There have been many instances of the game crashing upon the "Chase Squirrels" objective appearing in Chapter 5. This stumped me for a while since the game never once crashed for me or any of my play-testers. Now, after digging through what I thought was functioning properly, the issue has been (at least in speculation) solved! If your game still crashes (or crashes at any other points), please reply to this post so I can do some more investigation!
- BARK 1.6.2 - 7 October 2022
Fixed final checkpoint in Chapter 6 not opening the door to the back bathroom. Added a hint in Chapter 6 explaining how to better stay hidden from your owner.
- BARK 1.6.1 (Main Menu Fix) - 7 October 2022
I apparently didn't remove the "All Hallows' Eve DLC" test button after exporting the 1.6 build. My apologies to anyone who tried to press that button and was greeted with the extras menu, that button was not supposed to be there still! It's been fixed now though, so everything should be working as intended again!
- BARK 1.6 (Various Bug Fixes) - 2 October 2022
The way that points are collected during a chase have been updated to decrease the chances of crashing the game. Chapter 4 checkpoint not allowing the chapter to progress has been fixed. Added a hint during Chapter 1 to inform the player that you can cancel Sense Mode. Added a hint to Chapter 6 to inform the player that the neighbor's dog will only bark at you if you are in the backyard. Re-made the function that cancels the owner's navigation after a certain amount of time has passed, forcing him to navigate to required points. This reduces the risk of him disappearing without completing his navigation sequence. Increased the amount of time you have to scare the first hallucination away before your owner comes out of his room in Chapter 3. Decreased how close your owner has to be to you before he can grab you. Fixed chase music starting even if a dog (who is trying to start a chase wit…
- Coming Bug Fixes and Updates - 2 October 2022
I wanted to provide an update regarding the known issues with BARK and what you can expect in the coming updates. Chapter 4 checkpoints not working (garage door trigger did not work and first radio broadcast plays despite having completed that segment already). This is also often followed by your owner being unable to open the door to the garage. This checkpoint currently requires a restart of the chapter. Your owner will occasionally get stuck in doorways while searching for you. This will sometimes result in him de-spawning. Know that this is not intended, and whenever your owner searches for you, he is intended to eventually return to one of two rooms and close the door behind him. If a dog in the neighborhood is too far away but is trying to start a chase, the chase music will start despite not actually chasing you. The game occasionally crashes (most often during Chapter 5 (the bac…
- DLC Development Live! - 26 September 2022
Developing BARK DLC Live! Come watch and give me your suggestions!
- BARK 1.5 (Difficulty and Sequence Length Patch) - 26 September 2022
Displayed all 3 stars when completing the game instead of revealing them upon completing each ending. Now, each star will become opaque upon completing each ending to make the fact that there are multiple endings more clear. Added a hint that explains what classifies as a toy in Chapter 2. Lessened the amount of locations your owner will navigate to when agitated. Lessened the amount of time your owner will stop to listen for you when you make noise. Removed the ability to agitate your owner when hallucinating during Chapter 5. Fixed checkpoints not showing objective in Chapter 6. Lessened the length of the hide sequences in chapters 3, 5, 6, and 7. Toggled chase music after the neighboring dog gives up a chase in Chapter 7.
- BARK 1.4.1 (Hint and Tutorial Display Toggle Fix) - 24 September 2022
Fixed the settings for toggling the display of Hints and Tutorials not showing up if a save file already exists for the game.
- BARK 1.4 (Difficulty Adjustments and Clarity Patch) - 24 September 2022
Adjusted the way the neighboring dog responds to being barked at. It will no longer chase you when barked at if it is not currently barking. This was a common misunderstanding related to how to evade the neighboring dog and has now been modified to better fit players' expectations. Increased the time between the neighboring dog stopping to scan for you in chapter 7. Increased the amount of time the neighboring dog will bark at you before chasing you in chapter 7. Added the ability to escape a chase with the neighboring dog. This was initially not intended to increase the steaks when roaming the neighborhood, but I can see how inconvenient and frustrating this can be when trying to explore. Increased the buffer period when your owner stops to listen for your movement. Added and modified various hints to better help explain certain objectives in chapters 5 and 7. Added a hint regarding ac…
- Missing Executable Bug Fixed - 22 September 2022
The executable name had changed during the previous update. This has now been fixed! Sorry for the inconvenience for anyone who tried to run the game after the most recent update! Everything should be working correctly now!
- BARK 1.3.1 (Clarity Patch) - 21 September 2022
Made Chapter 3 a little easier to complete (since it seemed to commonly be too difficult). Prevented hunger and passing out events from happening if your owner is still hunting you in Chapter 4. Improved clarity of objectives in Chapters 5 and 7. This patch is meant to help improve the clarity of objectives in specific chapters, while also fixing a few small problems / common complaints.
- Update 1.3 (Several Bug Fixes) - 21 September 2022
Fixed a bug that allowed the neighbor's dog to jump over the fence and start its sequence in Chapter 5 while your owner is hunting you due to agitation. Fixed a bug where barking at the neighbor's dog right before it is about to jump over the fence would automatically jumpscare you. Added hints to better explain how to complete Chapter 5. Lessened the radius of each point that your owner can navigate to when seeking or hunting. Fixed the front door not opening when your owner is in close proximity during the final hunt in the house in Chapter 7. Fixed your owner not opening the door to the back bathroom when successfully agitated at the beginning of Chapter 7. Fixed several issues regarding leaving the house in Chapter 7. Fixed a bug where the neighboring dog would not properly block both sides of Dexter St. after escaping the house in Chapter 7. Added a small period of time between agi…
- Updates are coming! - 19 September 2022
BARK released Friday with very few known issues, many of which have already been fixed in the patches for the game thus far. As of today, I have discovered several bugs varying from small annoying details to game-breaking errors. I am fully aware of these issues and will be continuously working on solving these issues before any new content is created for the game! Please be aware that the game is fully playable and everything (all achievements, endings, etc.) are possible and the game is not broken. There are some objectives, missions, or sequences that I will be tweaking due to their lack of clarity for the player. As a solo developer, it is easy to overlook how difficult or hard to understand a puzzle may be, so as players continue to play the game and experience these sequences, I will continue to adjust them and make the experience as a whole more enjoyable for everyone! There are…
- Day 2 Patch (The thing I forgot to patch) - 18 September 2022
Fixed the "Play: Selected Extra" button in the Extras menu not replacing "Selected Extra" with the correct name. Yes, I forgot to patch this and it was going to bother me if I didn't.
- Day 2 Patch - 17 September 2022
Prevented "Continue" button on the main menu from showing an incorrect chapter after completing the game. Fixed alignment issue regarding the high scores and stars on each extra game-mode's menu. Fixed drop-down menus in settings not displaying all options when its contents cannot fit within the current screen's display size. Fixed drop-down menus not disappearing when settings menu is closed. The music coming from the house where the party is occurring in Chapter 7 will now fade out with the rest of the audio at the end of the chapter. Shortened the potential length of time the neighboring dog can be stuck in a non-traversable area in Chapter 7. Increased the time between the neighboring dog seeking and scanning its surroundings during Chapter 7. Improved consistency when stepping up onto curbs throughout the neighborhood. Added a method that will confirm all audio fades out at the end…
- Day 1 Patch (The thing that didn't patch correctly) - 17 September 2022
Apparently, "Added a star to each extra game-mode's menu to indicate whether or not it has been completed." from the Day 1 Patch didn't actually go through. This time, it should be functioning correctly.
- Day 1 Patch - 17 September 2022
After spending today reviewing player feedback and doing some more of my own playtesting, I have made a few fixes that will enhance the experience for all players. What changed? Hints in Chapter 1 regarding how to successfully evade your owner have been modified to be more helpful and clear. Chapter 7 audio will now fade out at the end correctly. In Chapter 7, a bug regarding the neighboring dog's behavior when barked at has been fixed. The Neighborhood Run "Best Time" will now display properly on the Main Menu. Controller Feedback / Haptics will only play if a controller is detected and being used. Adjusted the way Hallucinations appear in Chapter 6. Added more time between Hallucinations appearing in Chapter 6. Fixed the dog whimpering sound not playing when being barked at by a hallucination. Fixed neighborhood cats' meow pitch bug. Fixed sirens sound not playing in Chapter 4. Added…
