Development updates and insights on Exofactory
The timeline has shifted after what I learned from Steam Next Fest. The focus now is on building a more polished and feature-rich demo. The event brought a ton of feedback, bug reports, and lessons about accessibility and hardware diversity. Exciting times ahead.
The demo’s out on Steam for Linux and Windows. Trailer too! Packaging was rougher than expected, testing slipped, and I learned a lot. Animations and systems finally are there. Next up: better accessability, controllers, terrain rework, and mechanics. If you play the demo let me know what breaks.
This month the focus was on core systems, including belts, logistics, and performance. A private alpha is planned for September, and we are preparing a short demo for Steam Next Fest in October. The emotional core was also added, which will shape the story around how players build their factories.
Adding programmatic and cycle based animation, introducing the first resources, and implementing a custom terrain level-of-detail system.
Terrain system overhaul, character animations from Julef, and Steam screenshots captured by actually playing the game. Bonus behind the scenes for Julef.
We are now 3D, and we now have an art lead.
Working on art is interesting, new, and reveals places where learning can be done.
Porting to Bevy 0.16, refactoring legacy queries, and unveiling an accessibility‑ready build menu – all while deferring the tech preview to keep development sustainable.
Pivot week lands controller support basics and a functioning production building.
Adding basic UI elements, Exoframe movement, and game sounds - all with very basic art assets while focusing on core mechanics.