- Gem Worlds v1.2.1 Released: Better Gamepad Support - 12 March 2023
Gem Worlds v1.2.1 ships today (demo and full version), which a bevvy of gamepad-related improvements and bugfixes. This should significantly improve the player experience if you use a gamepad, or if you play on Deck. If you're on a gamepad and past the tutorial, you can always start a new game to see the tutorial dialog again. If not, the controls are pretty simple: d-pad to move bottom button (A in XBox controllers) to skip a turn right button (B in XBox controllers) to cancel selection trigger/shoulder buttons to switch between items and skills start to get to options R3 to toggle the UI The full list of changes include: The ability to pass turns via the gamepad The tutorial level tells you gamepad controls if it detects a gamepad Gamepad buttons can be rebound The full list of bug-fixes includes: Fix: you can now skip dialog with the gamepad Fix: skill upgrade/navigation breaks with…
- Need More Reviews - 21 February 2023
Dear gamers, At ten reviews, Steam no longer flags the game as shovelware/asset-flip, and opens the floodgates of traffic. This usually results in more sales, more happy players, and a bigger game community. Gem Worlds reached seven reviews today, which is an amazing milestone for me. We're three reviews short. If you played the game for any duration at all, please leave a review, and let others know about the game! Feel free to be honest about your likes and dislikes. If you want to reach me, I'm around on the forums, Discord, Twitter, etc. as usual. P.S. please let me know how the experience is if you play Gem Worlds on Steam Deck; I don't own a Deck, so I can't test it myself.
- Gem Worlds v1.2.0 released - 13 February 2023
Gem Worlds v1.2.0 ships later today (both the full game and the demo). This version includes gamepad and keyboard support everywhere - in game, options, and menus - as well as some fixes: Fix: in rare cases, a room-based level may have inaccessible areas Fix: level selection menu correctly appears post-game Please note that the controls rebinding menu shows all controls (keyboard and gamepad), but rebinding gamepad controls currently doesn't work (and I can't figure out why). If this is an issue for you, please contact me and let me know.
- Inspired by Boulder Dash and Supaplex, Gem Worlds is out now - 31 January 2023
Oh the nostalgia is heavy with this one! Gem Worlds is inspired directly by the likes of Boulder Dash and Supaplex. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/01/inspired-by-boulder-dash-and-supaplex-gem-worlds-is-out-now
- Gem Worlds v1.1.0 released - 20 January 2023
I released Gem Worlds v1.1.0 today (both the full game and the demo). This patch includes a few important changes: (Full game only) Fixes Steam achievements not triggering. For the world completion achievements, you can complete any level to collect the old ones (e.g. completing W3L1 will collect the World 1 and World 2 achievements) I revamped the options menu completely; it now includes sections, and more importantly, is fully usable by keyboard and gamepad (with some minor visual bugs). Fixed a bug where, in a rare case in World 3, the bottom-right corner of the map appears dark gray. Gamepad support is still a work-in-progress, and I intend to get back to it next month (after my break from game development).
- Gem Worlds v1.0.1 Launches on January 16, 2023 - 14 January 2023
As announced in December last year, Gem Worlds ships on January 16, 2023 (in just three days). This version matches the corresponding v1.0.1 demo, which includes a number of bug-fixes. Unfortunately, adding gamepad (and full keyboard) support took a lot longer than anticipated. While I made major strides in updating and modernizing the main menu, I didn't fully finish the changes, and it's buggy enough that I'm going to hold off on releasing an update. The plan for the next release, v1.1.0, still includes full gamepad, keyboard, and mouse support for the entire game. I'm quite burned out from working on the game for 18 months, but I'll see how much farther I can go with it. Thanks for your support, and see you at release!
- Gem Worlds v1.0.1 Demo Release - 19 December 2022
v1.0.1 of the demo ships today. This build primarily includes bug-fixes, including: Fixed a rare case where you spawn under a lock Fixed a rare case where boulders slide over a one-tile gap Newly-learned skills sometimes appear at level 2 Light crystals run out of turns but light doesn't dim A few UI bugs related to skills If you enjoy the game, please subscribe to my newsletter to get updates. Finally, due to an unexpected issue with Steam, the game will ship on January 16, 2023.
- Gem Worlds v1.0 demo - 12 November 2022
v1.0 includes a major change in how skills work. Instead of saving up gems across multiple levels and buying skills from the shop, you now learn a new skill every other level. You get to pick between upgrading two previously learned skills, or learning one new skill. You also get to change your equipped skills. I hope this will encourage more experimentation with skills. This version also includes several smaller changes; You can choose between multiple save slots. All your existing progress is placed in the first slot. You have unlimited lives and no longer can get game over Each world generates only two types of levels Removed background music and options Options scroll vertically (Accessibility) you can disable the gradient shader for tiles, which makes it much easier to see what's going on This release also includes a slew of bug fixes. The most important ones are listed below. Fixe…
- Gem Worlds: What to Expect in v1.0 and Beyond - 1 November 2022
When I prototyped Gem Worlds in August of 2021, I thought it would take me maybe another month or two (at most) to finish the game. Here we are, after 15 months of evenings and weekends, with the end in sight! I finished all the content for Gem Worlds as of a few minutes ago; all that remains is to play the game through and fix any bugs that show up. There are probably a lot. Here's what you can expect for the next few weeks (in order): An updated v1.0 version of the demo The full game release Critical bugs that inevitably appear in the days after the release Some new features: Steam cloud save, and new accessibility options Above all, I hope the game picks up a strong user base, so that I can get actual feedback to further improve the game. I hope you will give the game a shot, and let me know what you genuinely think of it!
- Gem Worlds v0.7.1 Patch - 25 August 2022
In this patch: The exit portal no longer appears immediately after the level starts The title screen correctly states the game version as v0.7.1
- Gem Worlds v0.7.0 Update - 24 August 2022
Today, I released Gem Worlds v0.7.0 (demo). This version includes: The ability to rebind any and all in-game controls. The tutorial also mentions the correct keys. Some new sound-effects (e.g. player melee sound, Nana's shop sounds) Chests now visually show what you got from inside The tutorial now suggests keyboard keys for skills All items more clearly state what effect they have when used Buffed light crystals (brighter, longer duration, brightness and duration both stack) You now get a tutorial/hint when you first hit 150 gems, that you can buy some skills from Nana's shop. I also fixed around 12 bugs, including: Bees no longer co-occupy spots with other bees, boulders, and other things Pressing space while hovering your mouse over an item button should no longer randomly consume that item Fixed rare cases where key maps generate without any keys You can no longer use items after ex…
- Gem Worlds v0.6.0 Demo Update - 4 August 2022
Today marks the release of the v0.6.0 demo version of Gem Worlds. This version includes one major change: everything (including you) now moves at the same time. This resulted in many subtle changes, including: Monsters no longer attack you when you move next to them; they do when you're adjacent to them, and then move away One-heart monsters are generally not able to hurt you significantly Lots and lots (and lots) of timing (race-condition) bugs no longer exist, since everything moves at the same time I think these changes make the game more interesting, and more forgiving of bad moves; plus, you can plan your reaction better. I made a significant change to how the game looks: Overall, it looks more stylish, but individual elements "pop" less. If you have any trouble distinguishing important elements, let me know, so I can make adjustments. Some other small changes: You can trigger skil…
- Gem Worlds v0.5.1 Patch: Better 10th Level Key Positions - 17 July 2022
Hey all, just shipped a small patched version of Gem Worlds (v0.5.1) with a minor fix. In the tenth level, you are much more likely to get a "good" generated level (with keys far from the lock and the player start position). While you may still end up appearing close to the keys, which might also be close to the exit, the prevalence of this is much, much less now in the v0.5.1 patch. Enjoy!
- Gem Worlds v0.5.0 Demo: Now with Terrain, Teleporters, and Locks/Keys! - 17 July 2022
Hi all, I released a new version of the Gem Worlds demo today. This includes a couple of major changes, namely, terrain. Every level includes: - Teleporters! - Light Stars: they eat dirt and move in a pattern) - Receding walls that spring up once you walk over them, blocking things, and then reset after a few turns My hope is that these few elements will add more interesting interactions between things in-game. Also, the fifth and tenth level now include locks and keys. While the exit is immediately available without collecting any gems, you need to find 1 or 3 keys to unlock the exit. Finally, I fixed a ton of bugs, including some nasty performance bugs that caused ~10 frames to drop every time you move. As always, let me know if you have any feedback! I made these changes in direct response to player feedback, and I hope they are fun; let me know what you think.
- Gem Worlds v0.4.0 Demo, with proper MacOS support - 14 May 2022
Hi all, I released a new version of the Gem Worlds demo a few minutes ago. This includes a few changes: The MacOS version now launches correctly You can pause or quit the game to the skill shop at any time, then resume from the same level. I hope this change will encourage more players to buy and try different skills. Fixed a crash in the options menu Made it clearer what area explosions affect Fixed a bug where picking up an item wouldn't show it in your inventory, if you already had that item, but used up all of it from your inventory. Space out treasure chests a bit farther from each other Prevent freezing on level generation if there's no space for treasure chests Fix: item audio doesn't play when you use the last one from your inventory Fix: in some cases, you can see multiple buttons for the same item Please let me know your feedback, especially around the skills changes; did you…
- Gem Worlds v0.3.1 demo update - 7 May 2022
Today marks the release of the v0.3.1 version of the demo. The previous version was 0.3.0 (incorrectly labelled as 0.1.0). Changes include lots of quality-of-life improvements, as well as a crash fix: Fix: the game crashed for some players Fix: players with corrupt save games now have the hammer skill Fix: the right side of buttons on the title-screen weren't clickable Fix: tooltips/hints for skill buttons and items now correctly appear again Fixed several bugs around changing skills (e.g. click hammer, then fireball, then something else) incorrectly showing aimer arrows Added the keyboard binding to tooltips for skills and items Rebound skills to ZXCVB and items to 1234; this is also one-handed friendly (accessibility) Nerfed fireballs. They're now shorter-range (more dangerous to use), have a longer cooldown, and no longer destroy destructible walls Skill buttons now appear disabled/g…
- Gem Worlds Demo now available - 3 May 2022
Today, as part of the Roguelike festival on Steam, you can try out the Gem Worlds demo. It contains an entire slice of the game: one biome with ten levels, three monsters, five skills, and mines. If you have any feedback on the game, or if you would like to report bugs, the best way to reach me is to post something in the demo discussion forum on Steam, or to reach out on the Deen Games Discord. I'm really excited to hear what you think!
