0.12 and the future

September 20, 2017 in New Version, Screenshots by Tom

Hi everyone! A new version is available today! Also included in this post is some info about future plans for Lenna’s Inception.

v0.12 update

v0.12 is now stable and available for download on itch.io and Humble. As always, you can get it by following these steps.

If you’ve been playing recently on the unstable branch on itch.io, not much will have changed. The ‘unstable’ branch is intended as a preview of the features I’m currently working on. Compared with yesterday’s unstable branch version, the only change in this new version is a handful of bugfixes.

For everyone else, here’s a quick run-down of the new features:

Local co-op

Local co-op has been completely revamped. The second player now controls Shadow Lenna, a character with all the same abilities and stats as Lenna herself.

To use local co-op, simply make sure two controllers are attached and configured, and then start using the second controller. If left alone for ten seconds, Shadow Lenna will despawn again.

Since local co-op requires more HUD space in order to display a second health bar, the UI has undergone a minor redesign, which can be seen in the GIF above.

Bosses

Four out of eight dungeon bosses have now been redesigned with improved graphics and mechanics. The new bosses are located in:

  • The first dungeon
  • The dungeon containing the bow
  • The dungeon containing the swimming shorts
  • The dungeon containing the amulet of strength

A previous update introduced side-quests with rewards that weren’t used for anything at the time. Those rewards can now be made use of in combination with the prince’s power and the new bosses, although the ultimate purpose of doing that is still not implemented. Yes, I’m being deliberately obtuse—it’s super spoilery!

Exploration and collecting

The game makes better use of the overworld now. Exploration is encouraged in order to find ventricles and atria (heart pieces), as well as meteorite chunks. Additionally, meteorite chunks can now be used for a wider variety of equipment and item storage upgrades. And finally, all caves are guaranteed to contain items that contribute towards a permanent equipment / stat / companion upgrade of some sort.

The update also includes dozens of bug fixes, smaller features and polish items.

The Future

Here’s what we’re planning for the next update and beyond:

  • Implement the remaining four dungeon bosses.
  • Implement the four final bosses, and the three story endings.
  • Complete our GBA-like graphical mode.
  • Implement Shadow Lenna’s introduction at the beginning of the game.
  • Write the modding guide!
  • Tweak the dialogue in a few places, to flow more naturally and include more jokes.
  • Add more polish and secrets!