It's already been 6 months and time flies.

Version 1.4 is the update in charge of celebrate this milestone with 2 significant changes.

The first one is GAME MODES:

Now, first and foremost game modes will not change the puzzle mechanic of the game or the overall gameplay of Hoping Forest. Game modes change the speed and pace of the game for those who are looking for a more quick and expedited experience for the game.

The first game mode is Fast Paced: In this mode, the frog movement, camera transitions, and score screen animations are up to twice as fast. This option is aimed at those who would like a bit faster transition between levels but don't want to miss anything. The speed will still let you appreciate the path you create and will show you your result and score, but will reduce significantly in the long run the time needed to complete the game.

The second one is Speed Run: This mode removes completely the score screen, causing instant transition or reset of levels in addition to up to three times faster camera transition and frog movement.
This option is aimed at those who just want to focus on solutions to the puzzles and don't care about anything else. You won't get feedback on your result and score and you might not be able to appreciate the path you create, but since completing levels is your main goal, it could not be a big loss for you. This mode also enables the Start run button on level selection. This option lets you start from level 1 of zone 1 without the need to finish the tutorial. If someone actually wants to try doing a speedrun of Hoping Forest this button could be what you are looking for.


The second big change is a price update:

First I would like to say a few things. Pricing a game is hard, is not easy to put a price tag on your work and effort, and that's not different when we are talking about indie games, specially on Steam.
Originally I thought 5 USD could be a fair price for the game, but ended up convincing myself to increasing it up to 9 USD after doing some research on similar games and adding more levels, at first the game consisted of 40 levels and I ended up developing 60.
If I'm being honest I still believe 9 USD is not a bad price when contrasted with overall pricing of things (is around the same cost as a fast food meal or a movie ticket), but I agree it feels expensive for an indie game, and when compared to Steam prices of indie games even more. And the fact that is the first published game of a random solo indie developer doesn't help.
Almost every feedback and criticism of the game mentions the fact that the price felt a bit too much and with time I came to agree with that. And that's why I moving the price back to what I originally thought and setting it at 4.99$. I doubt I will change the price again in the future and will only rely on Steam sales and discounts. But who knows, in a few years that might change.

For now, I hope the new price convinces a few folks who had it on their wishlist to pick it up or just wait for the next Steam sale and grab it even cheaper. As long as people can enjoy my game I don't really care that much what they pay for it.


And that's all for now. I mentioned some time ago that there are a few things cooking in the back and that's still up, but it will take a bit more time, I hope I can share more before the end of the year.

SO... tldr: New game modes for those who are looking for a faster experience and a new price. Don't miss this chance to play Hoping Forest and enjoy this relaxing but challenging experience.