Hey everyone, it's Horizon the developer. First, I would like to thank everyone for the recent engagement. We couldn't respond immediately as both the artist and I were taking a break, but we will be back to work this weekend.

This patch focuses on fixing crashes, bugs, and making small adjustments while we prepare for the major update. I'll explain what's included in the major update later, but first, here are the patch notes:

• HUD Rework: Hotbar and experience bar are now bottom-centered.
• New Viewport Size: We've changed to a 470x280 viewport size for a better visual experience.
• Crash Fix: Fixed a crash that occurred when you had too many flying book levels.
• Bug Fix: Fixed a bug where the book sprite didn't match the one displayed in the upgrade menu.
• SFX adjustment: Sound effects should now be heard correctly without needing to reduce the music in the options.
• Healing Item Buff: Increased health received from healing items based on player feedback.
• Flying Book Ability: This ability is now automatic, reducing the number of buttons to manage.
• Slime Hitbox Adjustment: Reduced slime hitbox size as requested by players.
• Dash Input: You can now use Shift to dash in addition to the Space button.
• Engine Update: Upgraded to a newer version of Godot for better web support.

Now, about the major update I mentioned earlier. This update will transform the game significantly. While the core gameplay will remain similar, there will be much more content, and the game will begin to include progression and a story system. Currently, the game feels more like a mini-game where you play and restart without any changes between runs. Here's what's coming:

• Home Realm: Nefarius will have a new area called the Flying Island, where you can relax, talk with NPCs, and upgrade locations to empower Nefarius. This area will also serve as a hub for traveling between different levels and biomes. For this update, there will be only one level available.
• Quests: At the Flying Island, Nefarius will have access to quests to earn gold and buy item upgrades. You will have a choice between different kinds of quests before each run, in addition to the story quests.
• Shop & Upgrade Fountain: In the shop, Nefarius can buy item upgrades using gold earned from quests. At the fountain, Nefarius can use magic shards to regain some of his power, making him stronger for future runs.
• NPCs: Meet Nefarius' friends on the Flying Island. You can talk with them to receive quests and learn more about the game's universe.
• New Enemies: New types of slimes and stronger slimes will be introduced to diversify the gameplay.
• Controller Support: The game will now support controllers, allowing it to be played with joysticks.
• Input Map Menu: We are adding a menu in the options to let players remap their buttons, as requested in feedback.

That's all for this update, but it's just the first part. The second part will add additional content like bosses, more weapons, co-op, and more. Here are some previews of the Flying Island:

Try the new update!