- Update notes (19th December 2025) - 19 December 2025
Hello, PC & PCVR players, you haven’t been forgotten! The VR experience has gotten a complete graphics overhaul. The new version of VR mode on PC is now much more performant so if you’ve had any issues running it before, now is a good time to give it a new try. On flatscreen mode we decided to roll back to using Unity’s own SSGI instead of the previously implemented GI solution. This leads to the lighting looking a bit different in some areas. The decision was made because of unsolved compatibility issues on some systems and to make the project easier to maintain. If any of you prefer the look or feel of the earlier version of POOLS either in flatscreen or VR, we will leave it up to be downloaded from Steam (instructions at the end of this message). Personally we prefer the look and performance of the latest update though! Along with this update we want to wish happy holidays and new ye…
- POOLS joins the World Ocean Day Charity Steam Sale - 6 June 2025
Hello everyone,We’re proud to share that POOLS is taking part in the WDC World Ocean Day Charity Steam Sale, which runs from June 5 to June 12.This special event supports the wonderful folks at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the leading global charity dedicated to protecting whales, dolphins, and the oceans they call home. Proceeds from the sale will help fund critical global conservation work, including missions to remove deadly ghost fishing gear from the sea, and operations where divers clear lethal entanglement hazards from reefs, the seabed, and shipwrecks in UK waters - protecting both marine life and scuba divers.By picking up POOLS (or grabbing a copy for a friend), you’re not just diving into liminal spaces, you’re helping protect the real world too.If you want to read more about WDC, you can do so here: https://whales.org/ The charity sale goes live June 5 at 10 am PDT…
- VR mode available in Demo version - 5 June 2025
PC VR mode is now available for free in the Demo version of the game (Windows only). Thank you for your patience & keep your feedback coming so we can keep improving the VR mode to be as enjoyable as possible! ːfancyduckː
- Update notes (4th June 2025) - 3 June 2025
Full changelog: Chapter 0: Fixed hotel doors sometimes opening to wrong directions Added "deletePlayerPref" command to the developer console - Example: "deletePlayerPref vr-tracking-origin-mode" command restores the VR tracking mode back to seated mode (VR) Improved standing / roomscale VR tracking mode - reduces the chances of camera getting stuck on the floor when enabling the setting (VR) Fixed bugs related to water slide entering: players could get stuck inside the environment, players wouldn't be teleported to the exit position when the "skip water slides" setting was enabled (VR) Added a tiny bit of smoothing to free movement to help eliminate judder (VR) Optimized some volumetric effects in Chapter 0 (VR) Added "haptics intensity" slider to gameplay setting (VR) Disabled transparent material screen space reflections because of compatibility issue with water surface shader We are…
- PC VR is here - 30 May 2025
PC VR mode is out now as a free update! Full changelog Windows: Add PC VR support Add view distance setting Chapter 2: restored "Look At" event functionality to the statue surrounded by plastic chairs Chapter 2: possibly make Anatidaephobia easier to trigger Linux: Fix crash at the end of chapter 6 which caused ch0 to not unlock Note: For Linux and Mac users; the VR is not officially supported, but might work. Feedback appreciated
- Hotfix (26th Apr 2025) - 26 April 2025
Full changelog: Chapter 0: improved audio stability and performance - should fix most audio crackling issues Chapter 0: fixed missing audio clip variant for "Laminate" surface type footstep Patch is now out on Windows and Linux. Mac version will be updated as soon as we can.
- Update notes (25th Apr 2025) - 25 April 2025
Full changelog: Chapter 0: Prevent getting stuck on concrete thing on water Chapter 0: Add clock to one certain room Chapter 0: Fixed missing ceilings Chapter 0: improved audio stability and performance Remove small imperfections from shallow water footsteps such as metallic noise and hard wind noises Add subtle underwater ladder sounds Add more barefoot sounds Chapter 2: Added autosave support for Art Connoisseur achievement progress Applied a potential fix for Steam achievements not unlocking
- Chapter 0 is Here – A Free New Level - 21 April 2025
Hello everyone, The waters of POOLS just got deeper. Chapter 0 - a brand-new free level, is now available! https://i.imgur.com/UI67XaJ.jpeg This free content update is our way of saying “thank you” to all of you here. Over the past year, POOLS has grown beyond our wildest dreams, with over 4,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews. Thanks to you, our small team has been able to work on POOLS as a real job. We are a fully-fledged, real studio. So thank you for making our dreams come true. Your support means everything, and Chapter 0 is our way of saying thanks. But that’s not all. A free PC VR update is coming May 30, 2025, letting you experience POOLS in an entirely new way. Plus, App Store and PS5 releases, along with PS VR2 support, are also planned for later this year. So whether you're returning to the water or diving in for the first time, POOLS: Chapter 0 is waiting for you to e…
- Chapter 0 Beta update - 25 March 2025
The Chapter 0 Beta version is now updated! Latest update includes new hidden areas and small changes to some old ones. The chapter is now also playable with the 'minimal' lighting setting. Feel free to give feedback and report all the remaining bugs as the beta testing will be extended until the official release on 21st of April! 🙏 How to access the Chapter 0 beta: (Currently available for owners of the game here on Steam - Window or Linux - no VR support yet.) 1. Right click the game in Steam and open the Properties window 2. Open Betas-tab 3. Type "chapter0beta" without the quotes into the text field and click the button next to it 4. Click “opt into chapter0beta” 5. Steam should then download the beta build of the game for you 6. You can opt in & out of the beta version from the “Beta participation” drop down menu whenever you like
- Release dates for Chapter 0 and PC VR locked in! - 21 March 2025
Chapter 0 21st April 2025 15:00 CEST / 13:00 UTC PC VR 30th May 2025 15:00 CEST / 13:00 UTC Countdowns at poolsthegame.com Both will be released as free updates to the main game. Final phase of beta-testing will start next week and last all the way until the release. Thank you everyone for your continuing support!
- POOLS Chapter 0 Beta test is now LIVE! - 3 February 2025
POOLS Chapter 0 will be released soon, we want to fix all critical issues and re-work/introduce couple of areas. Currently for owners of the game here on Steam - Window or Linux - no VR support yet. How to access the Chapter 0 beta 1. Right click the game in Steam and open the Properties window 2. Open Betas-tab 3. Type "chapter0beta" without the quotes into the text field and click the button next to it 4. Click “opt into chapter0beta” 5. Steam should then download the beta build of the game for you 6. You can opt in & out of the beta version from the “Beta participation” drop down menu whenever you like
- Update notes (16th Dec 2024) - Fixes, settings and holidays - 16 December 2024
Hello everyone, With Christmas just around the corner, it seems that someone inside POOLS has been feeling the holiday spirit. Apart from decorations, it seems that the certain someone has also left a few gift boxes scattered around the levels. What’s inside? That we do not know (or maybe we don’t want to tell). You’ll need to go down and see what’s been left behind. Enjoy the festive season in POOLS and we’ll see you all next year. Full changelog: Fix rare bug in chapter 3 where it was possible to get stuck to toilet Fix light leaking at tunnel at the end of chapter 2 Add right shift and right control as alternative keys for running / crouching Chapter 2: adjusted the position of one missing art piece for better visibility Add input rebindings setting menu Add optional winter holiday mode, available during december (only if game has been completed)
- VR Beta update - all chapters now available for owners of the game - 5 December 2024
We're pleased to report that owners of the game now have access to every chapter in VR Beta! The full release of PC VR mode is scheduled for early 2025. If you want to jump in early, you can do so through our special VR testing branch on Steam. Thanks to everyone who has already tried the VR Beta and left us immensely valuable feedback. How to access the VR beta in Steam Right click the game in Steam and open the Properties window Open Betas-tab Type "poolsvrpublicbeta" without the quotes into the text field and click the button next to it Click “opt into vr-beta-public” Steam should then download the VR beta build of the game for you You can opt in & out of the beta version from the “Beta participation” drop down menu whenever you like Note: VR is only available for Windows version at the moment. Unfortunately Unity game engine doesn't support building with OpenXR on Linux. VR Beta fee…
- Vote for POOLS in the Steam Awards - 27 November 2024
Hello everyone! Thank you some much for all the incredible support. To see that our game has over 3,000 reviews, with a 94% positive rating is mind-blowing. If you enjoyed POOLS, it would be a blast if you could nominate it for a Steam Award in the Outstanding Visual Style category. Once again, thank you for all the support. Until next time, Your Tensori team
- Update notes (14th Nov 2024) - Fixes, tweaks and Steam Community Items - 15 November 2024
Full changelog: Fix issue with the lighting, where lighting looked bad especially from the distance Fix falling / ground hit sound constantly playing on stairs with high movement speed Add missing electric/buzzing sounds to some lights Added Steam Community Items (collect trading cards by playing, combine cards for profile images etc)
- PC VR Beta testing has begun - 25 October 2024
The beta version includes Chapter #1 of the game and is available in the Windows version for all owners of the full game on Steam. The beta testing will also be available for the Demo version of the game later today or tomorrow so everyone interested has an opportunity to dive in. We’ll post an update and edit this post when the Open Beta can be accessed through the Demo version. How to access the VR beta in Steam Right click the game in Steam and open the Properties window Open Betas-tab Type "poolsvrpublicbeta" without the quotes into the text field and click the button next to it Click “opt into vr-beta-public” Steam should then download the VR beta build of the game for you You can opt in & out of the beta version from the “Beta participation” drop down menu whenever you like Note: VR is only available for Windows version at the moment. Unfortunately Unity game engine doesn't suppor…
- Update notes (23rd Oct 2024) - Going underwater - 23 October 2024
Apart from new settings and features, this update includes a lot of internal changes for VR, such as improving on how the game looks on lowest graphics settings and adding underwater effects for every pool. There's now crouching (control key) so feel free to dive underwater where ever you see fit! VR-beta will begin later this week (hopefully) on our Discord server. Full changelog: Ensure cursor is always visible when its moved Add bubbles effect when going underwater Add lens wet effects after exiting underwater Mac: Fix issue with Steam achievements Fix issue with alt-tab sometimes crashing the game Add new audio setting called footstep panning, to adjust distance of left/right footsteps from player Add console commands for manual saving: "save" and "load" Automatically lower resolution and graphics quality if poor performance (for new installs only) Update translations Add language s…
- POOLS is coming to PC VR - 12 September 2024
Hello everyone, Yes, you’ve read the heading right - POOLS is coming to your PC VR headset. This has been something that a lot of you have requested from us, ever since we released our demo. Being able to bring this to you is a blast and an honour. So, let’s make it official. Watch our POOLS VR trailer below: Our work on this mode is all possible thanks to your support. We never dreamt that our little experience would be so well received by you all. So this VR update that’s coming, is a gift from us to you. It’ll be available for free to everyone who already has, or will buy POOLS in the future. We hope you’ll enjoy it. And for those of you without a VR headset - don't worry. We haven't forgotten about you either. We'll tell you more in our next updates. Thanks so much for all your support and we’ll give you all the details on when the update is coming real soon. Until next time, - Team…
- Jump in and grab a deal. POOLS is now 20% off! - 22 July 2024
Hello there, The POOLS Weeklong Steam Sale has just kicked off! Dive in and grab the game at a 20% discount. The sale ends on July 29th. See you next time and don’t get lost Your Tensori Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/2663530/POOLS/
- Update notes (14th Jun 2024) - the Steam Deck update - 14 June 2024
Another batch of bug fixes and improvements is here! We recently got our hands on a Steam Deck and we have been testing and improving the play experience on the device. Collaboration with UNIKAT Added UNIKAT label as co-publisher to Steam page. UNIKAT is a collection of independent, unique, and minimal games. It's brand new venture from Michal Napora who has helped us in marketing. No changes to relationship, we will still operate as an indie company. General changes Added graphical presets dropdown to settings menu Fixed a bug where chapter 6 autosave would not get deleted when finishing the chapter Adjusted glass material Updated localizations Changed controller trigger inputs from sprint action to camera zoom in/out actions Added camera look sensitivity multiplier to zoom action. Zooming in reduces the look sensitivity linearly depending on the level of zoom. Fixed a bug where settin…
