- New Shoni Island Demo Update (Update S) Launches Soon! - 1 October 2025
Get Ready for Update S!Heyo! It's Howard!The Golden Horde Studios team is proud to announce that they're so close to releasing an update to the existing demo for Shoni Island! They've been hard at work doing this and that and the other to make the game everything a god game lover needs and more.What's included? Um, well... let's see here.... Ah!Experience four different scenarios that put your god-like powers (and patience for rather dumb villagers) to the test:Feed the World: Starting with a greater population size and established food production, try to house your population before time runs out!Master Builder: Starting with an abundance of resources, build up a diverse settlement!Indoctrination: Focus on education to enlighten the minds of the next generation!Hearts & Souls: Found a religion and focus on healing to ensure your little minions make it to retirement!Additionally, experi…
- See You at NextUp_! - 30 June 2025
CHECK US OUT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF NEXTUP_ ON JULY 1!But, what's NextUp_?Directly from the creator themselves:NextUp Games is a new space for discovering and following indie games, and we will be participating on July 1!The platform acts as a discovery layer on top of places like Steam and itch.io. Each day spotlights 5–10 games on the homepage, and players can follow, upvote, and track projects they’re excited about.Upvotes help your game rise in the daily rankings and maybe even nab the extremely official, totally not made-up title of Top Game of the Day (bragging rights and internet points included). So, maybe give us an upvote or two?
- Shoni Island is Part of Indie Assemble! - 7 May 2025
Shoni Island is included in this year's Indie Assemble event on Steam! "Indie Assemble will feature over 1,000 indie games: from a wide selection of already released and discounted titles to upcoming ones arriving in the coming months, not to mention free-to-play games: all ready to be added to the digital libraries of millions of players. Whether you are into action, adventure, racing, platformers, horror, survival, card games, point-and-click, strategy, or idle games, Steam users are sure to find something for them in Indie Assemble!" The event will be available from May 5 - May 11! https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44717737/sale/IndieAssemble
- Demo Hotfix 1.2 & First Major Update: Paths and Voices - 2 April 2025
We've had an incredible few weeks learning about what everyone's thoughts on the Shoni Island demo are! Utilizing the feedback we've gotten in our community Discord server, we're rolling out another hotfix as well as the first major patch since the demo's launch: Paths and Villager Voices! Firstly, check out the notes for Demo Hotfix 1.2: Fixed building menu crash Puzzle loading/saving fix Right click destroy/slam conflict bug fix Building text info missing fixed fixed not all villagers sleeping/waking up fixed camera movement continues when pausing/autosaving etc fixed collision issues with some buildings fixed constructors not using pickups to construct fixed farmland destroyed plot not re-placeable/causing a crash on highlight fixed tree planting (loading/saving not tested) fixed not all UI hiding on demo end screen fixed demo final end screen (day 5) still showing password/continuab…
- We're Participating in the April Indie Nova Showcase - 31 March 2025
We're in! ☀️🏝️ Shoni Island is included in the April 2025 edition of the Indie Nova Showcase on YouTube! INS is a true passion project. Every trailer featured is handpicked with care and free from paid placement or sponsorships. Their only goal? To shine a spotlight on incredible indie games and give them the attention they deserve! The video we're set to be a part of airs on 15 April 2025. You can bookmark the link here: https://www.youtube.com/@IndieNovaShowcase
- Shoni Island Joins the City-Builder and Colony Sim Fest! - 24 March 2025
We couldn't be more excited to be a part of Steam's City-Builder and Colony Sim fest for 2025! If this is your first time ever hearing about Shoni Island, then welcome! The island is a rich environment that various refugees have come to inhabit after things went south where they originally came from. While the villagers have managed to carve out various resources to help them survive, there is still much about the island that they do not know about. The demo gives you a little over an hour of gameplay in a demo-specific scenario! You'll meet our wonderful narrator, Howard, and if you get far enough, you might encounter one of the four elemental faeries that also inhabit the island! The Shoni Island demo will stay up and available for players to enjoy well after the event. We really hope you enjoy it and for any feedback, we would love you to join our community Discord server!
- Demo Hotfix 1.1 - 22 March 2025
Thank you so much for playing the demo for Shoni Island! As a result of everyone's feedback within the game's community Discord server, we've made a few bug fixes. Check out Demo Hotfix 1.1: improved character launch animations. kids now switch to adult animations when coming of age. kid t-pose on grabbed fixed. farms loading yellow and turning green when sown fixed. farm selection outline in. fixed timers still running after villager death. eyes now open and close in line with sleepe state. sleeping standing up fixed. move around while sleeping fixed. abp sleep transition fixed. fixed tutorial tree not clickable. adjusted crop local z location to make it more visible. clear timers on dead to fix crashes. main menu sound settings fixed.
- Shoni Island's Demo is Available Now - 17 March 2025
The demo for Shoni Island is finally here, and I'm honestly both terrified and excited to see what everyone thinks of it. Step into an immersive, hour-long demo experience that drops you right into the heart of the game! Harness the power of the god hand, shape the fate of your settlement, and uncover the secrets of survival. But the real highlight? Meeting the island’s most peculiar resident: Howard! We would also really appreciate it if you could join our community Discord server, where we update players on the game itself and even provide them with exclusive access to extra parts of the demo. Thank you so much for your support, and get ready for a hands-on adventure unlike any other! - Sean, Shoni Island Lead Dev
- Shoni Island Demo Release Date - 10 March 2025
The official date that you can start the demo for Shoni Island is: ☀️ March 17, 2025 🌴 Players will be placed in a demo-specific scenario that will teach them the game's core mechanics and show off all of the sweet features like the villagers' various skills, using the God Hand, building structures, gathering resources, and so much more! We can't wait for you all to see what we've been working on for a little over a year. See you all on the island!
- The Indie Diarist Podcast Guest: Sean Menzies - 24 February 2025
Golden Horde Studios founder Sean Menzies sat down with The Indie Diarist to talk about the indie game studio's upcoming title, Shoni Island! "In this episode, I spent some time with Sean Menzies, founder of Golden Horde Studios, who's working on a cosy sim / resource management game called Shoni Island. Our chat covered anything from the state of industry to the legacy of legendary god game Black & White, and I enjoyed every minute of it! Hope you like it! 🎒💛" Check out the full episode on Spotify!
- Devlog - Features Series Episode 4: Entetainment - 14 February 2025
Welcome to the fourth episode of Shoni Island's groundbreaking features! In this episode, Sean goes over what the villagers consider to be entertainment, including different kinds of buildings. These buildings help breathe life into the island and help give character to your village. You can even go as far as unlocking an conservatory! Look forward to more devlogs about the various features you'll be able to experience in-game when Shoni Island launches in early access on March 15, 2025.
- Devlog - Features Series Episode 3: Villager Stats - 7 February 2025
Welcome to the third episode of Shoni Island's groundbreaking features! In this one, Sean talks about the various skills that different villagers have and how they can use them to help survive the island. Villagers can also socialize with one another to be and stay happy in order to build relationships and get things done! Look forward to more devlogs about the various features you'll be able to experience in-game when Shoni Island launches in early access on March 15, 2025.
- Devlog - Features Series Episode 2: Personality, Skills, and Tasks - 29 January 2025
Welcome to the second episode of Shoni Island's groundbreaking features! This time, we go over the different personalities that the islanders can have as well as what kind of tasks they can perform based on skill. Lead Developer Sean Menzies briefly overviews the different tasks you can perform and how they can help you grow your settlements! Look forward to more devlogs about the various features you'll be able to experience in-game when Shoni Island launches in early access on March 15, 2025.
- Devlog - Features Series Episode 1: God Hand - 21 January 2025
Welcome to the launch of Shoni Island's groundbreaking features! In this debut episode, we unveil one of the most thrilling tools at your disposal: the God Hand. As the physical extension of your divine will, the God Hand lets you shape, manipulate, and control the world with unmatched power and precision. Dive in and discover the limitless possibilities that come with wielding the power of a god! Look forward to more devlogs about the various features you'll be able to experience in-game when Shoni Island launches in early access on March 15, 2025.
- $100 Keychron Giveaway - 13 January 2025
We are giving away a $100 gift card for a Keychron mechanical keyboard! What's the catch? Like & share this post!🏝️☀️ We will tally up everyone who did both across all social platforms, and the winner will be announced on 1/27 at 12 pm EST! Don't know our social handles? Check them all out on our website! GoldenHordeStudios.com
- New Early Access Release Date - 10 January 2025
Thank you so much to everyone who has wishlisted Shoni Island these last few months. We are so close to 600 wishlists, and we couldn't be more excited to see how many we end up with when the game finally launches in early access. That being said, there will be a change to the early access date. Instead, Shoni Island will launch in early access on ✨March 15, 2025✨ Why? Well, we just needed some more time to polish some things and fix a few bugs before we felt reading for Shoni Island to be ready for the world. We thank you for your patience, and we can't wait to see you in March!
- Shoni Island Playtest Starts Today!🏝️☀️ - 10 December 2024
The first Shoni Island playtest begins today! The start times are as follows: 7 AM PT 10 AM EST 3 PM GMT 4 PM CET Players are encouraged to join Shoni Island's community Discord server to communicate with other playtesters, check out our art showcase, receive real-time game updates, and so much more! The Discord server can be found at this link. We can't wait to see what sort of island you'll create!
- Shoni Island Playtest 🏝️ - 2 December 2024
Hello Shoni Islanders! In anticipation of our early access launch on January 15, 2024, we are opening up Shoni Island for playtesters! You can sign up for free on the Steam page right now and access it between December 10 - 24, 2024. We don't know your credentials, so we can only hope you won't absolutely destroy everything by the time we launch... Anyway, join our community Discord server for additional information, including when the playtest is officially live, and we hope to see you on the island! Discord Link: https://discord.gg/4h3VVqDnyM
- Early Access Release Date & Official Trailer - 20 November 2024
Hello Shoni Islanders! We've got some incredibly exciting news: A RELEASE DATE! Now, you can expect to dive into the world of Shoni Island on... *drum roll* ✨January 15, 2025✨ We have also revealed the game's second cinematic trailer, featuring the new Early Access date. You'll also get a chance to hear the incomparable Michael Everhard as Howard! You can check it out here:
- Live dev log - AI Socialising - 13 June 2024
Live on Twitch, baby!
