Devblogs/2023

In 2023, DevBlogs #4–28 followed WalkScape from early worldbuilding and system design into a playable closed beta candidate. The year introduced major lore for Arenum and the Western Continent, then detailed core systems including skills, crafting, inventory, tools, treasure chests, character customization, achievements, exploration, NPC shops, saved steps, leaderboards, and the WalkScape Portal. Development expanded from feature planning into closed alpha testing, content creation, platform support for Android and iOS, community events, localization, supporter account linking, and convention appearances. By the end of the year, the team had moved from broad feature showcases to closed beta preparation, announced a 18 January 2024 closed beta release date, and confirmed that remaining work before launch was mainly polishing and additional content.

DevBlog #28: Closed Beta Release Date

Posted on December 21, 2023.

• Announced that the WalkScape closed beta would release on 18 January 2024.
• Stated that the initial closed beta was ready for publishing but not yet complete.
• Remaining work before release was described as mainly polishing and adding more content.
• Announced that no further regular DevBlogs would be posted before release.
• Stated that Floursifter would post weekly closed beta feature deep dives and a starter guide before release.

Closed beta

• A more detailed closed beta overview and retrospective was planned to release alongside the closed beta.
• A roadmap for the months after the initial closed beta release was planned.
• New features and content were planned to be added rapidly during the closed beta phase.
• A current closed beta to-do image was included in the post.

Closed beta access

• A closed beta sign-up form was planned to open on the WalkScape Portal.
• Players without supporter access would be able to sign up for future closed beta invitations.
• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters would continue to receive guaranteed access in upcoming invite waves.
• The r/WalkScape subreddit was planned to open for public posting.
• A Twitch Q&A session was planned before the closed beta release.

Jagex license agreement

• Announced an official license agreement with Jagex to use the RuneScape trademark in marketing.
• Clarified that Jagex was not connected to WalkScape.
• Clarified that the agreement did not allow use of other RuneScape intellectual property such as Gielinor, characters, or bosses.
• Stated that the agreement included permission to share the news publicly and answer community questions.

Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024

• Not a Cult received free tickets to Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 after winning a prize at a previous Pocket Gamer Connects pitching event.
• Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 was scheduled for 22–23 January 2024.
• The developer planned to be in London from 21–26 January, shortly after the closed beta release.
• The post warned that responses to early closed beta issues could be delayed during the convention trip.
• A possible London community meetup was mentioned.

Added

• Leaderboards were added to the initial closed beta release.
• Leaderboards had originally been planned for shortly after release, but were moved earlier so the game would feel less single-player.
• The first leaderboard implementation was described as simple, without the planned league system.
• A submitter comment stated that anti-cheat work was ongoing and that the team planned to work with the community to make pedometer abuse harder.

DevBlog #27: iOS support completed, shops & stats and announcements

Posted on November 30, 2023.

• Announced that iOS support was complete and that WalkScape was working on iOS as well as Android.
• Stated that the game should be able to release on both iOS and Android on the same day.
• Announced that NPC shops were completed.
• Renamed the steps bank feature to saved steps.
• Confirmed that the closed beta release date would be announced in the next DevBlog on 21 December 2023.
• Stated that the closed beta release was expected in January.

Closed beta progress

• Remaining closed beta work included more content, item attributes, item banking, temporary buffs, polishing, and final testing.
• The Google Play and App Store release pipeline was being prepared.
• Alpha testing was expanded and intensified to find bugs and exploits before closed beta.
• Alpha tester feedback was broadly positive about the game, UI, and overall feel, while noting missing item stats and content.
• The developer noted that the initial beta should still be expected to contain some bugs.

iOS support

• iOS support was built and tested during the previous week.
• Hardware-related issues, especially around pedometer data, were fixed.
• A TestFlight pipeline was prepared for iOS testing.
• A video was shared showing the game running on iOS.

Saved steps

• The steps bank was renamed to saved steps to avoid misunderstandings.
• Saved steps are generated when steps would otherwise be wasted during limited activities, such as crafting after materials run out or travelling after reaching a destination.
• When saved steps are available, each new step counts as two while one saved step is consumed.
• A saved steps UI was shown.

NPC shops

• NPC shops were completed.
• Shops use a trading system where buying and selling can be handled in a single transaction.
• Players can switch between buying and selling by swiping left or right.
• The shop interface includes a trade preview similar to a shopping cart.
• Shops have limited stocks that are personal to each player.
• Shop stocks refresh at 12:00 UTC.
• Future shops may refresh on different schedules, such as weekly.
• New shop and building art was shown, including JarvoJoy, Bilgemont Castle, Bogside Bank of Prosperity, and Bureau of Moss.

Added

• A travelling details page was added, showing activities, services, and buildings in explored locations.
• Dynamic backgrounds were added for character profile pictures, changing based on the character's current location.
• New content was added, with more content planned once the remaining features were complete.
• Sorgo created splash and concept art for a halfling camp in the Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise.
• Portal login in Firefox was fixed.

Closed beta access

• A submitter comment clarified that the second wave of closed beta invitations was planned to start a few weeks after the first wave.
• Supporters and future invite forms were both described as ways to enter later beta waves.

Step tracking

• A submitter comment clarified that running works in the game.
• Running was stated to count slightly more progress because running usually has a higher cadence than walking.

Schedule

• The next DevBlog was delayed by one week to 21 December 2023.
• The release date announcement was moved to allow the team to avoid releasing during the holidays.
• Extra time before release was planned to be used for polishing and final testing.
• A small feature not originally planned for the initial beta was teased for the next DevBlog.

DevBlog #26: Plenty of progress

Posted on November 16, 2023.

• Reported major progress toward closed beta, including completed cloud saving, character creation, multiple character support, the main menu, authentication, exploration, and the new game server.
• Stated that content work, NPC shops, item attributes, item banking, temporary buffs, the steps bank, and final polishing still remained before closed beta.
• Planned to begin Google Play and App Store approval work within the next two weeks, with the app downloadable by everyone but closed beta access limited to invited accounts.
• Expected the next DevBlog to include more completed content, item banking, NPC shops, and progress on smaller remaining features.
• Previewed new Jarvonia art and locations, including Azurazera and Frosthook Emporium.

Closed beta progress

• Closed beta content was still in progress, with locations nearly complete and items, item attributes, achievements, activities, and crafting recipes still being added.
• NPC buildings and shops were around 60% complete, with UI and server infrastructure finished and buying/selling in progress.
• Cloud saving, exploration, authentication and login, PFP customization, character creation, the main menu, multiple character support, and the new server were marked complete.
• The skill level-up UI was partly complete, but still needed unlock information.
• Item banking, applying item attributes, temporary consumable buffs, and the steps bank had not yet started.

NPC shops

• Money was added to the game as part of NPC shop development.
• NPC shops were planned to offer different prices for certain item types instead of using only standard rates.
• NPC shop inventories have limited supplies that are specific to each player rather than shared server-wide.
• Shops update at 12:00 UTC, requiring an online connection for online mode but not for offline mode.
• Some shops were planned to offer discounts or special items at certain times, such as seasonal goods in farming shops.

Added

• Improved world map pathing was added, allowing routes to follow more natural roads and paths instead of only straight lines.
• The character follows these routes visually on the world map while travelling.
• Development tools gained sorting, filtering, search, and copying features to speed up content creation and balancing.
• A new server was set up to better support cloud saving, NPC shops, and future server-side features.
• Dozens of new items, crafting recipes, activities, and some new locations were added.
• Cloud saving was implemented.
• Multiple character support was added for the initial closed beta version.

Multiple characters

• Multiple characters were added after cloud saving made the feature easier to support.
• The system was intended to support different play modes, such as ironman, online play, challenge characters, and region-limited characters.
• The post stated that players would not need multiple subscriptions for more than one online character.

Portal

• Polls were planned for the WalkScape Portal and in-game voting.
• Polls were intended to help decide difficult design choices and future development priorities.
• The first planned use of polls was to prioritise features after closed beta release.

Monetisation

• A submitter comment clarified that offline mode was planned as a one-time purchase.
• Online play was planned as an affordable subscription.
• Both online and offline play were planned to have free limited versions with access to Jarvonia and the Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise.
• The subscription model was described as supporting server costs and avoiding microtransactions or predatory monetisation.

Known issues

• Portal login in Firefox had an ongoing issue at the time of the post, with other browsers suggested as a workaround.

DevBlog #25: Update on Closed Beta progress, WalkScape team grows, and content work!

Posted on November 2, 2023.

• Updated the closed beta progress and explained the remaining work needed before release.
• Described the closed beta as focused on the core gameplay loop of selecting activities, walking to progress, banking or selling items, crafting upgrades, travelling, exploring, and completing achievements.
• Stated that the team remained optimistic that closed beta would release before the end of 2023.
• Announced Sorgo as a new 2D art intern at Not a Cult Oy.
• Announced the establishment of the WalkScape community team.

Closed beta progress

• Closed beta content work was still incomplete, with locations mostly done but items, item attributes, activities, and crafting recipes still requiring significant work.
• Achievements were mostly complete, while item banking had not yet started.
• NPC buildings and shops were partly complete, with UI finished but buying and selling still missing.
• Applying item attributes in-game had not yet started.
• Cloud saving and the skill level-up UI were partially complete.
• Exploration, authentication and login, and the main menu were complete.
• PFP customization and character creation were close to complete.
• The launch date was planned to be announced once the remaining closed beta features were finished, followed by a short final polishing period.

Team

• Sorgo joined Not a Cult Oy as an art intern for the coming months.
• Sorgo's areas included digital illustration, video editing, animation, publication design, game design studies, and early pixel art work.
• The team expected Sorgo to increase art output and support non-pixel art elements, especially for lore-related content.
• Hexalyse was listed as working on the Portal and backend.
• floursifter was listed as community manager and as helping in several other roles.
• The developer stated that programming remained the main bottleneck, but hiring a full-time programmer before closed beta would likely create further delays.

Content

• More content was described as the largest missing piece before closed beta release.
• Additional content was needed to make the initial version more enjoyable, give the team time to develop later updates, and make the world feel less empty.
• The initial closed beta was still expected to feel somewhat empty due to limited NPCs, quests, activity variety, and online features.
• New content shown included mountain mining activities, mountain foraging, city litter looting, and additional crafting recipes.
• Content work was expected to continue until the next DevBlog.

Portal and supporter access

• The WalkScape Portal received a new feed feature showing new posts and posts with new comments.
• Portal sorting was improved and minor UI fixes were added.
• Immediate closed beta access for supporters was cut off on 1 November 2023 at 00:00 UTC.
• Previous supporters who had not linked their Portal account to Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee were still expected to receive the correct invitation based on their support start date.
• New supporters after the cutoff were planned to receive access in the second wave of beta invites.

World map

• The world map rework was described as "completed" in the sense that basic structures and vegetation had been filled in.
• The world map was planned to remain an ongoing art and content project.
• Future map work included more unique details, polishing specific areas, increasing variety, adding unique locations, adding lore, and eventually adding new continents or islands.
• Community suggestions for unique locations and other map ideas were requested.

DevBlog #24: Exploration mechanic, WLG post-mortem and live streams!

Posted on November 2, 2023.

• Introduced the exploration mechanic planned for closed beta.
• Shared world map UI and performance improvements based on feedback from the We Love Games conference livestream.
• Announced regular WalkScape Twitch streams.
• Recapped the main feature set planned for closed beta.
• Confirmed that supporters who joined Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee before 1 November 2023 would receive closed beta access at launch.

Exploration

• Exploration was the most requested feature to add before closed beta release in the closed beta feature survey.
• At the start of the game, only Kallaheim and Disenchanted Forest are visible on the map.
• Nearby unexplored locations appear as question marks.
• Information about hidden locations remains unavailable until the player explores them.

World map

• The world map code was rewritten to improve performance, including smoother operation on older phones.
• Location labels and other visual elements were improved.
• The map can show how locations connect to each other.
• Selecting a travel destination shows the route the character will take.
• The player's character is visible on the map and moves between locations based on real-life steps while travelling.
• UI improvements included location information, route information, filtering, and search.

Live streams

• Maxchill and schamppu tested livestreaming during the We Love Games conference.
• The WalkScape Twitch channel was introduced.
• Maxchill planned weekly art streams on Tuesdays from 12:00 to 16:00 UTC+3.
• Occasional Tuesday evening streams were planned for North American viewers.
• Development streams and possible Q&A sessions were also planned.

We Love Games

• The team attended the We Love Games online conference.
• The Discord side of the event had limited organiser activity, but the team still engaged with the existing community.
• The developer noted that people were interested in WalkScape and how it stands out in the mobile market.
• The event highlighted the value of livestreaming development work and communicating with the community through streams.

Closed beta recap

• Closed beta was planned to include exploration and travelling in Jarvonia and the Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise.
• Travelling uses pathfinding, with the player character physically moving between locations.
• Cancelling travel returns the player to the most recently reached location.
• Closed beta features included nine skills, crafting, gear and items, treasure chests, NPC shops, banks, achievements, and minor community or MMO features.
• Crafted items can have six tiers of outcomes based on rare materials, skill level, and gear.
• Gear and items can reduce step requirements, provide buffs, and later affect combat.
• The initial closed beta was planned to have limited multiplayer features, with WalkScape Portal integration available from the start.
• A new tavern was previewed.

Supporters

• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee memberships increased after supporter beta access changes were announced.
• Supporters who were members before 1 November 2023 were guaranteed closed beta access at launch.
• Memberships started after 1 November 2023 were planned to receive access later.
• Free ways to receive closed beta access were still planned to be announced later.

DevBlog #23: Important changes for Supporters, in-game Character Creation, Character View with stats and awesome NPC shops!

Posted on October 19, 2023.

• Announced new supporter account-linking features through the WalkScape Portal.
• Previewed in-game character creation, NPC shops, and the Character View.
• Stated that the alpha build had become stable after weeks of testing without major issues.
• Noted that engine work was nearly complete, allowing more work on smaller closed beta features.
• Announced that WalkScape would have a virtual booth at W Love Games 2023.

Supporter changes

• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters could now link their accounts to their WalkScape Portal accounts.
• Supporters who had held a membership before 1 November 2023 would receive closed beta access when closed beta released.
• Cancelled memberships before the deadline were also included.
• New memberships after 1 November 2023 were planned to receive beta access later.
• A submitter comment clarified that supporter beta access meant an invitation for day-one access when closed beta released, not immediate access at the time of the DevBlog.
• A submitter comment clarified that the date format used was European, meaning the supporter deadline was 1 November 2023.
• Supporter perks included special Portal and in-game icons, nickname colour, and an exclusive "Closed Beta Supporter" title.
• More supporter perks were planned for the future.

Character creation

• In-game character creation was being implemented after the earlier standalone PFP tool.
• Players could choose a home region from Jarvonia, Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise, Wallisia, Galeforge, or Wrentmark.
• Home region choice was planned to affect starting items and possibly special dialogue options.
• Race selection was included, with humans supported first and halflings, elves, dwarves, and other races planned later.
• Background selection was planned to affect starting items, tutorial content, and possibly dialogue options.
• The character creation UI and UX had received multiple refinements.

NPC shops

• NPC shops were moved earlier in development because in-game currency and some achievements needed shop functionality.
• Shop owners were planned to greet the player when visiting shops.
• Banks and other buildings were also planned to use the same shop-style interaction system.
• Bank art was shown as part of the shop and building system.
• Modular shop assets were designed with possible future player housing in mind.
• Player housing was described as a later feature that could increase the usefulness of Carpentry.

Character View

• Introduced Character View as a progress overview screen.
• The view showed a breakdown of skill levels.
• The view was planned to expand with lifetime character statistics and fitness information.
• Daily step statistics had already been included.
• The developer requested suggestions for additional fitness statistics and Character View improvements.

W Love Games 2023

• WalkScape received a virtual booth space for W Love Games 2023.
• The conference was scheduled for 12–13 October 2023.
• The event was free to attend online.
• The virtual booth was planned to run through the conference Discord server, where the team would showcase the game and answer questions.

Development

• The post showed progress on remaining closed beta tasks since the previous task list.
• The developer stated that the alpha build had reached a very stable state.
• No major issues had been encountered during several weeks of internal alpha play.
• The developer said the game was beginning to feel ready for closed beta testers.

DevBlog #22: Convention Post-Mortem, world map rework, main menu and more!

Posted on September 21, 2023.

• Reported on WalkScape being demoed at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki.
• Announced that WalkScape won third prize at the Very Big Indie Pitch.
• Stated that the team planned to attend PGC London 2024 on 22–23 January 2024.
• Shared positive feedback from convention attendees, judges, publishers, and investors.
• Reiterated that preserving creative freedom remained important, making publisher or investor offers unlikely to be accepted.
• Noted that the list of must-have closed beta features was continuing to shrink.
• Mentioned that the game had passed 100,000 lines of code.

Convention

• The team demoed the alpha version of WalkScape at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki.
• The booth included two tables and a "Walkdalf" display to attract attention.
• Feedback praised the focus on mental and physical health, passive progress while walking, lack of ads and predatory monetisation, and polished presentation.
• Multiple publishers showed interest in the project, but the developer stated that independent decision-making remained a priority.
• One criticism from the convention was that the older world map no longer matched the rest of the game's visual style.

World map rework

• The world map was reworked into a pixel art style to better match the overall art direction.
• maxchill created an initial redesigned version of Jarvonia.
• The new map was increased by 25% in size to allow more world detail.
• The pixel art map supports landmarks, clearer location connections, visible travel routes, stronger biome presentation, and easier editing through a tileset.
• Map layers were planned, including a possible mode showing the borders of each in-game realm.
• During closed beta, only Jarvonia and the Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise were planned to be fully completed on the map.
• Most closed beta locations had already been added to the game.
• A submitter comment stated that pixel-art fonts had been tested, but were rejected because of readability concerns.

Main menu and authentication

• The main menu was described as mostly complete in functionality, though its art and appearance could still change.
• Authentication had been implemented for accounts created through either the WalkScape Portal or the game itself.
• Login and loading were made smoother through the completed main menu and authentication flow.
• Logged-in players with an existing character were planned to be taken directly to that character without extra launch steps.
• Small online features were being added for the initial closed beta, with broader online functionality planned during beta testing.

Monetisation and design principles

• The convention response reinforced the value of the game's non-intrusive design and lack of ads or in-app purchases.
• A submitter comment reiterated that the game was designed to add to walking rather than distract from exercise.
• A submitter comment restated the planned monetisation model as a subscription for online play and a one-time purchase for offline mode.
• The developer contrasted this with in-app purchases, which were described as more predatory and risky for pay-to-win design.

DevBlog #21: Back from vacation! New Portal, a merch store, and preparing for the convention!

Posted on September 7, 2023.

• Announced a rewritten WalkScape Portal, a new merch store, and the end of the Summer Walkdown event.
• Stated that the developer had taken time off from direct game development, while still handling marketing and management work.
• Noted that convention preparation had caused a slight development delay.
• Stated that the next DevBlog was planned for 21 September 2023, with more game-focused news expected.

Portal

• Hexalyse rewrote the Portal frontend after offering to help with development.
• The new Portal replaced the previous Flutter web frontend with a React and Next.js frontend.
• Existing Portal data remained intact, so users did not need to register again.
• New Portal features included improved browser support, accessibility features, avatar uploading, user profiles, faster performance, improved security, and post search.
• Players could upload a custom avatar or a profile picture made with the PFP tool.
• Feedback and bug reports for the new Portal were requested through the Suggestions & Feedback category.

WalkScape Store

• Announced the launch of the WalkScape merch store at store.walkscape.app.
• The store was created partly in response to interest from Summer Walkdown participants.
• Buying store items was described as a way to support development.
• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee were noted as giving the team a larger share of support funds than merch sales.
• Product and design requests were requested through comments, Discord, or e-mail.

Summer Walkdown

• Announced that the Summer Walkdown event had ended.
• The event counted 102 million total steps from 500 participants.
• The average participant step count was 7,325 steps per day.
• The final batch of closed beta keys from the event was planned to be distributed on Discord.
• A similar event was planned to be implemented directly into the game.
• The event influenced the decision to let players choose their character's home region during character creation.
• Event statistics showed strong player attachment to the realms of the Western Continent.

Convention

• Not a Cult planned to attend Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki the following week.
• The developer planned to share images and insights from the convention with supporters.
• maxchill worked on banners, business cards, and other marketing materials for the convention.
• A short game demo was being prepared for the event.
• The team's convention goals were to learn how to run a booth, prepare for future consumer conventions, spread awareness, and speak with journalists.
• The developer stated that the team was not planning to sell the game or company despite investor meeting requests.

Development

• Game development focus was planned to return fully after the convention.
• Convention preparation was stated to have caused a slight delay.
• Supporters on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee were credited with helping fund the convention presence and ongoing business costs.

DevBlog #20: One Year Anniversary and Teaser Video

Posted on September 7, 2023.

• Marked the one-year anniversary of WalkScape, with development beginning from the first git commit on 17 August 2022.
• Reviewed the project's growth from a personal hobby into a full-time project with maxchill.
• Shared a new closed beta teaser video made for the anniversary and upcoming convention use.
• Confirmed that the game would not be finished during summer 2023, with closed beta now expected during fall 2023.
• Stated that most alpha bugs had been fixed, with remaining issues mainly related to saving and step counting.

Development progress

• Alpha testing had been running for a few weeks.
• Saving and step counting issues were described as mostly fixed.
• Technical debt had been reduced while work continued on development tools and engine improvements.
• Most development tools were complete, with only the tool for adding item attributes still missing.
• The main menu artwork was complete, but the full main menu still needed finishing.

Remaining closed beta work

• Remaining tasks included some content, bug fixes, authentication and login, exploration, item banking, cloud saving, and minor features.
• The game still needed a skill level-up UI showing unlocked content.
• PFP customization still needed to be integrated into the game.
• The developer stated that the remaining list should shrink faster now that most technical debt and major bugs had been addressed.

Teaser video

• A closed beta teaser video was created for the one-year anniversary.
• The video was made with no budget and help from friends.
• The teaser was planned to be played on loop at an upcoming convention.
• The video was intended to showcase the game's unique features and overall feel.

General announcements

• DevBlogs were moved from Monday releases to Thursday releases.
• The schedule remained every other week.
• The next DevBlog was planned for 7 September 2023.
• The Summer Walkdown event was still ongoing and players could still join.
• Positive feedback from the event led to plans to include similar events directly in the game during closed beta.
• In-game events were described as a useful multiplayer-style feature while larger multiplayer systems were still early in development.

DevBlog #19: Summer Event, survey retrospective and attending a con

Posted on August 7, 2023.

• Announced the Summer Walkdown community walking event.
• Shared results and development decisions from the closed beta feature survey.
• Announced that Not a Cult would attend Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki.
• Reported ongoing engine, activity, loot table, development tool, and save-system improvements.
• Previewed new profile-picture customization options and item content.

Summer Walkdown

• Summer Walkdown was scheduled to run from 8 August 2023 at 00:00 UTC to 5 September 2023 at 23:59 UTC.
• Participants were randomly assigned to one of five teams: Jarvonia, GDTE, Wallisia, Wrentmark, or Galeforge.
• Each team contributed steps toward shared goals, beginning with 1,000,000 steps per team.
• Event rewards were planned to unlock new in-game content for everyone.
• Every 500,000 steps toward the shared event goal would award a closed beta invite to one random participant, with the threshold subject to adjustment.
• New participants joining during the event would be assigned to the team furthest behind.
• The event used the Outwalk app for step tracking.
• Participants were asked to add maxchill, Necria, and floursifter in Outwalk so community moderators could track event progress.
• Event statistics were planned to be shared publicly, so players were advised to use a username instead of their real name if preferred.

Survey retrospective

• The closed beta feature survey led to a reduced initial feature scope.
• Exploration and a small tutorial were the only new features planned in addition to must-have systems.
• Enough content was planned for at least a couple of months of play, with more content to be added during closed beta.
• Leaderboards were likely moved out of the initial closed beta release and planned for addition during closed beta.
• Development focus shifted from new features to game-engine improvements and stability.
• Remaining must-have systems included in-game character customization, authentication, login, main menu, level-up popups with unlock information, skill level breakdowns, and character statistics.

Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki

• Not a Cult planned to attend Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki on 12–13 September 2023.
• The team planned to demo WalkScape at the conference and make industry contacts.
• Support from Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee helped fund the booth and company setup.
• Conference updates were planned for public channels, with additional updates for supporters on Discord.

Development

• Activity and loot table systems were improved following closed alpha testing.
• Fishing and foraging issues found during alpha testing required a significant overhaul.
• Development tools were being made more dynamic to support more varied future content.
• The save system required a full rework after moving to a more dynamic and flexible structure.
• The new save system was intended to reduce the chance of unwanted progress resets during beta.
• New content shown included profile-picture customization options, Grippy gloves, and Cargo pants.
• Submitter comments noted that high Portal registration volume caused e-mail delivery issues, which were later addressed by upgrading the mail plan.

DevBlog #18: Closed Alpha is Ready!

Posted on July 24, 2023.

• Announced that the closed alpha version of WalkScape was ready.
• Stated that the alpha was the first playable version, but still needed testing and improvements before closed beta.
• Explained that development tools were almost complete, with only tools for adding PFP options and crafting recipes still missing.
• Noted that the next phase of work was mainly adding content and improving existing systems.
• Mentioned that the next DevBlog was expected to have fewer major feature reveals.

Development tools

• Showed videos demonstrating adding a new fish and adding a new loot table for sea fishing.
• Explained that the tools allow content to be created without coding knowledge.
• The tools were described as rough in UI and not intended for public use yet.
• The developer stated that tool development took longer than expected, but made future content creation easier and less error-prone.

Localization

• Localization was described as more complex than expected.
• The crowd-sourced localization effort involved more than 50 people across over 20 languages.
• Many languages had already been fully translated for the text currently added to the localization tool.
• The localization team and English proofreaders were credited with improving the quality of the game text.
• Most major languages were expected to be fully translated before release.

Changed

• Several existing features were reworked to make the game more scalable and stable for alpha and closed beta.
• Loot tables were reworked because the original design had major oversights.
• The developer increased work time on WalkScape to 56 hours per week, including weekends, to try to reach closed beta.

Closed beta

• Closed beta timing remained uncertain because of the expanded initial feature scope and solo-development workload.
• A community survey was opened to ask which features should be included in the first beta release and which could wait until later.
• The post explained that cutting features would allow a faster beta release, but could slow later development after launch.
• Based on the current plan before survey results, closed beta was expected near the end of summer 2023 or, in a worst-case scenario, during fall.
• If closed beta was delayed into fall, the developer promised to make the remaining development tasks and changelog public for transparency.

Support

• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters were credited with helping keep development going before monetisation.
• Supporter funding helped the developer set up a company and spend more time on development.

DevBlog #17: Achievements & Sneak Peeks!

Posted on July 10, 2023.

• Introduced the achievement system for WalkScape.
• Stated that closed beta would include 50 achievements, all completable within Jarvonia and the initial closed beta content.
• Announced progress on localization and the setup of a crowd-sourced translation platform.
• Shared multiple recent sneak peeks from Discord and Twitter.
• Recommended the unofficial community wiki and thanked contributors.

Achievements

• Achievements were designed to provide unusual challenges, flavourful names, artwork, descriptions, and rewards.
• Closed beta achievements were divided into easy, normal, hard, and extreme categories.
• The first 50 achievements were planned as about 20 easy, 15 normal, 10 hard, and 5 extreme achievements.
• Hard and extreme achievements were expected to take a long time to complete.
• Achievements are shared across all characters on an account, including offline and online characters.
• Achievement rewards can be claimed by all characters on the account.
• Achievements are accessed from the Profile view.
• The Profile view was updated so that the character image replaced the previous large character level display.
• The achievement list can hide completed achievements.
• Sorting options and tracking up to three achievements at a time were planned.
• Tracked achievements were planned to appear in the character section of the main navigation.

Achievement rewards

• Achievements give reward points based on difficulty: 1 for easy, 3 for normal, 5 for hard, and 10 for extreme.
• Every 10 reward points unlocks a special reward.
• Reward point rewards were planned to include mostly cosmetics, with some chests and titles.
• Some achievements, especially hard and extreme achievements, also give direct rewards when completed.
• The Cape of Half-Achiever is unlocked at 50% of total achievement reward points.
• The Cape of Achiever is unlocked by completing every achievement.
• The achievement capes were described as strong items.
• Players may lose achievement capes when new achievements are added if they no longer meet the required point or completion threshold.

Localization

• Localization files were being filled as more content was added to the game.
• A crowd-sourced translation platform was being tested at translate.walkscape.app.
• Players interested in translation were asked to request an invite link.
• A submitter comment clarified that Tolgee invite links appeared to expire after one use, so players should DM the developer if they wanted to help translate.
• Contributors who help significantly with localization were planned to be credited in-game.
• The localization files were noted to contain achievement spoilers.

Sneak peeks

• Previewed the Vegetable soup recipe and Carrot cake.
• Previewed items including Rooted Ring, Warm Jacket, Crafting Guidebook, Pathfinder, Pants of Haste, and Halfling's Feet Slippers.
• Previewed information about Jarvonia.
• Showed that crafting full armour sets can unlock new profile-picture outfit options.

DevBlog #16: Current Roadmap, Leaderboards, Health Problems

Posted on June 26, 2023.

• Replaced the originally planned achievements topic with a roadmap and leaderboard update due to the developer's health issue.
• Stated that the closed beta was still hoped for summer 2023, but had received a slight delay.
• Explained that the initial closed beta would begin with a small group of players, then invite more players after major issues were fixed.
• Stated that leaderboards were planned to be included from the start of closed beta.
• Mentioned that company founding was nearly complete and that alpha work had progressed significantly before the delay.

Closed beta roadmap

• Missing closed beta work included loot table tools, recipe tools, leaderboards, authentication, login, the initial game starting pipeline, main menu, achievements, polishing, steps bank, banking, and additional content.
• Existing closed beta features included most development tools, items, modifiers, attributes, crafting, recipes, skills, inventory, tools, treasury, world map, travelling, activities, and the location view.
• The closed beta skill list included Crafting, Agility, Fishing, Cooking, Smithing, Mining, Woodcutting, Carpentry, and Foraging.
• Jarvonia was planned as the starting region, with around 30 locations.
• Exploration was planned so that players initially only see locations near the starting location.
• More content was planned to be added during closed beta.

Beta plans

• The first two weeks after closed beta release were expected to focus on fixing major issues.
• Device-specific problems were expected, so the first tester group was planned to include a diverse range of devices.
• More players were planned to be invited periodically after the game became stable.
• Closed beta development was planned to add more content and features while working toward open beta.
• Open beta was planned to add quests, dialogue, random encounters, NPC shops, and combat.
• Online features planned during closed beta included a player-to-player marketplace and a party system.
• Beta sign-ups were planned to open on the WalkScape Portal shortly before closed beta launch.

Future development

• The game was described as something that would continue receiving content after full release rather than becoming complete at launch.
• Long-term plans included one or two larger expansions each year, with multiple smaller updates between them.
• Future updates were planned to add more skills, content, variety, and community-suggested features.
• Systems were being built to be scalable and future-proof, even though this made implementation more complex.

Leaderboards

• Permanent leaderboards were planned to show skill levels, total level, total experience, and possibly step counts.
• Permanent leaderboards were described as highly competitive and more favourable to players who can walk the most.
• Resetting leaderboards were introduced as a more balanced competitive option.
• Resetting leaderboards were planned to count steps only and reset monthly.
• Players would be placed into leagues based on average weekly step count, ranging from low-step leagues to 25,000+ steps per day.
• League competition was intended to match players with similar activity levels.
• Resetting leaderboard rewards were planned to include chests and treasure based on ranking and effort.
• Players could move to higher or lower leagues depending on their activity over time.
• Leaderboards were intended to be optional for players who do not want competitive play.

DevBlog #15: WalkScape Portal

Posted on June 12, 2023.

• Announced the launch of the WalkScape Portal at portal.walkscape.app.
• Explained that the Portal was created to provide a dedicated platform beyond Reddit and Discord.
• Stated that work on the Portal took priority over game development for the previous two weeks, but also improved the game's backend and server infrastructure.
• Described the Portal as a future companion platform for community features, account management, bug reports, feedback, and game-related tools.
• Stated that the next development focus would return to the alpha and remaining development tools.

Portal reasons

• Reddit had been the main community hub, but recent Reddit changes led the team to want their own platform.
• Discord remained active, but was not considered suitable for every community need.
• The Portal was intended to provide a structured space for bug reports, suggestions, and feedback.
• The Portal was planned as a central platform for MMO-style features and desktop-friendly systems.
• Closed beta player management and sign-ups were planned to be handled through the Portal.
• Sharing characters, progress, and steps through browser links was planned as a Portal feature.

Current features

• Portal account registration and authentication were available.
• Portal accounts were stated to be the same accounts used for the game.
• Posts could be upvoted, edited, and deleted.
• Posts supported categories, including a development category intended for developer posts only.
• Markdown support was included for posts and comments.
• Some account management was available, such as changing username.
• The Portal used the same backend and server as the game.

Planned near-term features

• Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee account linking was planned for Portal accounts and future in-game use.
• Supporters were planned to receive a visible supporter chip next to their usernames.
• Account deletion, comment upvoting, comment and post filtering, caching improvements, post statuses, flairs, moderators, and custom avatar pictures were planned.
• Bug report statuses such as unresolved and resolved were planned.
• Feedback and idea statuses, such as approved, were also planned.
• A submitter comment noted that the login and registration process still needed polishing and would be improved after major bugs were fixed.

Future features

• Marketplace management was planned, including viewing, browsing, and listing items through the browser.
• Clan management was planned, including member management and clan posts.
• Character, bank, and progress viewing were planned through Portal integration with game data.
• Character sharing by link was planned.
• Subscriptions and offline mode purchases through the Portal were being considered as a way to reduce app-store fees.
• Guide categories were planned as a possible community content area, with potential in-game integration.
• Additional supporter features were planned through Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee account linking.
• Leaderboards were planned for the Portal.
• Open API endpoints were planned as a possibility for the unofficial wiki and third-party companion tools.

Security

• Passwords were stated to be encrypted.
• The Portal was described as not handling other personal data at launch.
• The team stated that any future personal data would be handled with security in mind.

Community

• Feedback, suggestions, ideas, and bug reports for the Portal were requested.
• A submitter comment stated that updates toward closed beta would continue to be posted both on Reddit and on the Portal.

DevBlog #14: Development of WalkScape, Closed Beta roadmap, anti-cheat and the release of character customization

Posted on May 29, 2023.

• Focused on the technical development of WalkScape, the closed beta roadmap, anti-cheat plans, and the release of the standalone character customization tool.
• Showed the evolution of the game from the first Unity prototype through early Flutter versions to the current version.
• Previewed a work-in-progress logo for the company Not a Cult.
• Stated that development had shifted toward tools, content creation, stability, and closed beta preparation.

Development

• The first Unity prototype was abandoned after about a week because Unity was not well suited to the battery, mobile integration, and UI needs of the game.
• Development moved to Flutter, with Dart making up almost all of the codebase.
• Xcode and Kotlin were used for platform-specific mobile functionality.
• The game used a custom-built engine rather than Flutter's Flame engine.
• The codebase was described as nearly 40,000 lines of code.
• Game data was organised through managers for systems such as skills, items, characters, crafting recipes, and locations.

Development tools

• Development tools were being built to allow content to be added and tested dynamically while the game is running.
• Tools were connected to the game's data managers, allowing new locations, activities, items, and other content to be added without writing code or restarting the game.
• Added or modified data could be exported for permanent inclusion in the game.
• The tools could generate local JSON data that overrides regular game files and can be reset easily.
• The developer added nearly all Jarvonia locations in about an hour using the tools.
• The tools also helped with balancing by showing step requirements, skill progression, loot table statistics, and item effects.
• Public access to development tools was mentioned as a possible future offline-mode modding feature.

Closed alpha and closed beta

• A closed alpha was planned as the first fully playable release, with limited content and some features still missing.
• The closed alpha was planned for internal testing with friends and family before closed beta.
• Closed beta was no longer expected to release in June, with July or August described as more likely within the June-August window.
• The first closed beta release was planned to start with a small number of players to manage feedback and bug reports.
• More players were planned to be invited gradually as major issues were resolved.
• Closed beta was expected to continue until open beta.
• A beta sign-up form was planned to open a few weeks before closed beta release.

Character customization tool

• The character customization feature was released as a separate Flutter web application.
• The tool allowed players to plan their character appearance before the game release.
• Characters created with the tool could be exported as PNG images for use as profile pictures.
• The tool was planned to receive new customization options as game assets were added.
• Suggestions for clothing, facial hair, hairstyles, and back accessories were requested.
• The tool was released at pfp.walkscape.app.
• The character customization tool was also released as open source on GitHub.

Anti-cheat

• Anti-cheat development was planned as a key focus during closed beta.
• The game planned to detect suspicious step patterns by checking the realism of walking behaviour.
• A background process could timestamp steps if needed, allowing the system to identify breaks, sleep, or suspicious activity.
• Google and Apple APIs were mentioned as possible future options for detecting spoofed steps.
• As a fallback, the game could calculate steps directly using accelerometer and gyroscope data.
• The developer stated that cheating would be less harmful if it did not affect competition or the in-game economy.

DevBlog #13: Character Customization, a fan-made wiki, unlockables, and more!

Posted on May 15, 2023.

• Previewed the character customization system.
• Showed work-in-progress customization UI, expression options, character examples, and Earth Day Event profile-picture rewards.
• Introduced titles as an additional way to personalize characters.
• Announced an unofficial fan-made WalkScape wiki created by KasiGen.
• Stated that development tools were being improved to speed up content creation.

Character customization

• Customizable features included background image, body type, clothing, face, nose, expression, hair style, face accessory, and background accessory.
• Hair, skin, and eye colour were planned to use selectable colour options rather than sliders.
• Expressions included neutral, smile, smiling with teeth, laughing, surprised, angry, angry with mouth open, and sad.
• Expressions were planned for both player characters and NPC dialogue.
• Closed beta customization targets included 30 hairstyles, 10 faces, 10 noses, 10 face or back accessories, about 30 outfit options, and location-based backgrounds.
• Humans were planned as the only playable race for closed beta, with elves, dwarves, halflings, and other races intended for later expansion.

Titles and backstories

• Titles were planned to appear with character names when shown to other players.
• Some titles were planned to be difficult to earn.
• Character backstories were being considered as an option for changing the tutorial quest and starting equipment.
• Backstories were not planned to give permanent buffs or affect long-term character builds.
• Other customization ideas, such as player name colour and coats of arms, were mentioned but not expected for closed beta.

Unlockables

• Achievements were planned to unlock some outfits and titles.
• Reaching level 99 in a skill was planned to unlock a unique title and outfit.
• Crafting or looting a full gear set for the first time was planned to unlock that set as a profile-picture outfit.
• Main quests were planned to unlock additional customization options after quests are added during closed beta.
• Players were planned to be able to freely change profile-picture outfits and titles.
• Larger appearance changes may require a special item in the future.

Community wiki

• Announced an unofficial community wiki at wiki.walkscape.app.
• The wiki was created by KasiGen, a Discord community member.
• The development team stated that they would not directly moderate the wiki, but would provide the domain and possibly hosting in the future.
• Community members were invited to contribute articles.

Development

• Development tools were being worked on alongside character customization.
• The game's data structures had been converted into a format that could be dynamically added to the game.
• Tools for locations and activities had been added.
• The location tool allowed almost every Jarvonia location to be added in less than an hour.
• The team was preparing to officially start a company ahead of closed beta.

DevBlog #12: Art of WalkScape

Posted on May 1, 2023.

• Focused on the art direction and production process for WalkScape.
• Written primarily by maxchill, the artist for WalkScape.
• Thanked players for the Earth Day Event, where almost 20,000 litres of trash were gathered.
• Covered item sprites, location art, UI icons, achievement art, and character profile pictures.
• Stated that development tools and character portrait customization were being worked on next.

Item sprites

• Item and resource sprites were standardised at 32x32 pixels.
• Early log sprites were shown as the first artwork made for WalkScape.
• Different materials were designed to be visually distinct through more than simple recolouring where practical.
• Some lower-level items and resources may still use recolours to balance quality with production speed.
• The game already had more than 300 items and resources, including tools, skilling gear, plants, seeds, weapons, and treasure chests.
• Crafted armour sets were previewed.

Location art

• Location artwork was designed to provide a sense of exploration and discovery when reaching places in the world.
• The game had 30 unique locations, each with its own artwork.
• Location art was made with the help of Midjourney and retouched by maxchill.
• Location images were split into layers so they could be animated with a parallax effect.
• The post explained that AI-assisted location art was used because of time and budget limits for the small development team.

User interface

• The UI layout and UX were credited to schamppu, with pixel art used throughout the interface.
• UI icons were created at 20x20 pixels, smaller than the 32x32 item sprites.
• Some sprites were created in both 32x32 and 20x20 sizes for use in WalkPedia links and other UI elements.
• The default UI colour palette was selected with community feedback through Discord polls.
• The UI was planned to be customizable.

Achievement art

• Achievement artwork used a distinct card-like style inspired by tarot cards.
• Achievement images were created at 48x64 pixels with simpler artwork, thicker lines, and less detail than item sprites.
• Achievements were planned to include reveal animations such as card flips.
• Some achievements were planned to unlock outfits and other cosmetic rewards.

Character profile pictures

• Character profile pictures were designed to make the player character more than just a name and stats.
• The first 48x48 portrait concept was scrapped because it limited detail and background options.
• A new 64x64 portrait style was created using a three-quarter turn.
• Character creation was planned to include hairstyles, facial features, and a few simple starting outfits.
• Additional outfits, hats, eyewear, weapons, and backgrounds were planned as unlockable cosmetics through crafting, achievements, quests, and other gameplay.
• Completing crafted gear sets, such as bronze armour, was planned to unlock matching profile-picture cosmetics.
• Character profile pictures were planned to be exportable for use outside the game.

DevBlog #11: Treasury, tools and more!

Posted on April 17, 2023.

• Continued the inventory system overview, focusing on the Treasury, tools, and item comparison.
• Announced an event planned for 22 April 2023.
• Stated that crafting and inventory were now complete, leaving smaller features before closed beta.
• Noted that development tools would be worked on next to help create content more quickly.

Treasury

• Treasure chests can be found while training skills such as Woodcutting, Agility, and Fishing.
• Treasure chests do not use inventory space and are opened from the Treasury when the player has enough free inventory space.
• Opening chests does not require paid keys or real-money payments.
• Chest-opening includes an animation, with items released in rarity order and the best rewards saved for last.
• Players can open all chests of the same type at once.
• Skill-related chests can contain exclusive skilling gear, such as fishing rods, fishing boots, netsuits, and special tools.
• Skilling gear from chests is treated as loot and cannot be crafted.

Tools

• Introduced the toolbelt as the tool-focused inventory view.
• Tools are used for skills such as Woodcutting, Carpentry, Cooking, and Fishing.
• Toolbelt items do not use normal inventory space.
• Only one tool for each skill can be equipped at a time, because all toolbelt buffs are active.
• Players start with three tool slots and can unlock three more at character levels 20, 50, and 80.
• Character level gains one experience point per real-life step and unlocks general features.
• Most skills require the correct tool type to perform related activities.
• The toolbelt allows the game to automatically use the relevant equipped tool without a separate tool-selection UI.
• Miscellaneous toolbelt items, such as fishing lures and bait, were suggested as possible future additions.

Item comparison

• Introduced an item comparison screen for comparing equipped gear with inventory items.
• The comparison screen has two tabs, showing the currently equipped item and the selected replacement.
• Suitable replacement items can be selected from a list at the bottom of the screen.
• Green arrows show stat improvements, red arrows show downgrades, and missing arrows show stats that cannot be directly compared.
• Important stats are highlighted separately, with minor stats listed below.
• The comparison system was designed to support both quick upgrades and detailed min-maxing.

Closed beta development

• Remaining planned features before the first closed beta version included character customization, achievements, leaderboards, skill level breakdowns, profile statistics, development tools, main menu and login screens, and the final location view.
• The developer expected later DevBlogs to possibly become less feature-focused as development moved closer to polishing and closed beta preparation.
• A submitter comment stated that multiplayer features were planned to expand during closed and open beta.
• A submitter comment stated that a global marketplace similar to the Grand Exchange was planned during closed beta, but not for the first closed beta version.
• A submitter comment stated that WalkScape used the same experience curve as RuneScape.
• Submitter comments reiterated that step-based play was preferred over GPS-based play because GPS can restrict walking routes, demand more attention, drain battery faster, and require trust with location data.
• A submitter comment described the planned monetisation as an affordable subscription for full online world access, a limited free-to-play online option, and a one-time purchase offline mode.

DevBlog #10: Inventory System (finally)

Posted on April 3, 2023.

• Introduced the inventory system, described as the final major feature needed before closed beta.
• Explained that the inventory was designed to support distraction-free gameplay and reduce the need for constant item management while walking.
• Stated that the inventory reveal would be split into two parts, with treasury, tools, and more gear planned for the next DevBlog.
• Previewed crystal and diamond combat armour sets and several inventory UI screens.

Inventory limits

• Inventory size was set at 28 slots, following RuneScape inspiration.
• Items stack within inventory slots, with material stacks planned to hold up to 25 items.
• Stack sizes were still subject to closed beta balancing, with gear mentioned as possibly stacking to 5 per slot.
• The inventory uses a soft cap: players can exceed 28 slots, but doing so applies an increasing work efficiency penalty.
• The penalty increases the number of steps needed to complete tasks while over the inventory limit.
• Players were encouraged to use banks when approaching the inventory limit.

Inventory UI

• Inventory was divided into Inventory, Gear, and Tools tabs.
• Additional space-free item views were planned for Treasury, Quest, and Collectibles.
• Quest Items and Collectibles were noted as planned for a later release.
• Tapping an item opens options such as dropping it or viewing its in-game wiki article and stat details.
• Long-press selection allows multiple item stacks to be selected and dropped or moved to a bank if one is available.
• Inventory options include condensed view, filters, search, sorting, and select all.
• The inventory remembers selected display and filtering options.

Gear

• Introduced the Gear page as a dedicated equipment management view.
• Gear slots shown included Head, Neck, Cape, Arrows, Hands, Chest, Primary, Secondary, Legs, Feet, Ring 1, and Ring 2.
• The Gear page shows a breakdown of modifiers from the currently equipped build.
• Gear choices were described as depending on the player's goals, such as skilling or combat.
• Combat items were planned for closed beta, but combat itself was planned for a later update.
• Players cannot equip the same ring in both ring slots.

Development

• maxchill was credited with creating unique art for each of the 330 closed beta items.
• Len was credited with helping design the closed beta item set.
• Closed beta items were planned to include multiple crafted gear quality variations, from normal to eternal, as well as fine material counterparts.

DevBlog #9: Crafting system completed + gameplay video!

Posted on March 20, 2023.

• Announced that the crafting system was feature complete.
• Shared a short gameplay video showing the crafting UI in action.
• Noted that only minor UI/UX work, such as sorting and filtering, remained for crafting.
• Stated that completing the inventory system next would finish the basic game loop and move the game closer to closed beta.
• Mentioned that the next DevBlog was planned for 3 April 2023.

Crafting

• Introduced the crafting activity screen as the main new addition since the previous crafting DevBlog.
• The crafting activity screen shows quick progress information, including items remaining, steps needed for the next item, total steps remaining, and overall crafting progress.
• The screen also shows remaining materials and rewards earned during the activity.
• Recipe showcases included a fishing rod crafting recipe and a pancake cooking recipe.

Treasure chests

• Treasure chests were shown as rare special rewards obtainable from any activity.
• Chests can contain rewards such as valuable resources and rare items.
• Rare rings were mentioned as a way to slightly increase the chance of finding treasure chests.
• New treasure chest art by maxchill was previewed.

Steps bank

• Introduced the steps bank as a way to prevent excess steps from being wasted.
• Extra steps from activities that do not run indefinitely, such as crafting, are stored in the steps bank after the activity ends.
• Stored steps are later recovered during new activities by making each walked step count as two while deducting one step from the bank.
• The system was described as a way to keep progress moving without requiring constant active play.

Development progress

• The next planned showcase was the inventory system and its features.
• Remaining work before public release included development tools, faster content creation tools, missing UI elements, skill level breakdowns, online leaderboards, more content, polishing, and testing.
• A new unrevealed feature was teased with a small image.

DevBlog #8: Introducing a new team member & lore!

Posted on March 6, 2023.

• Announced that the planned crafting follow-up was delayed, with crafting expected to continue in the next DevBlog.
• Shared results from the Discord "Realm Reveals" event, which previewed realms across WalkScape.
• Showed maps for the Realms of the Western Continent, the Eastern realms of WalkScape, and the wider world map.
• Introduced Len as a new member of the WalkScape development team.
• Stated that Closed Beta was expected in a few months.

Team

• Len joined the team after initially following the project as an observer.
• Len's work areas were listed as Game Design, Content Design, and Writing.
• Game Design included developing planned features and conceptualising new ones.
• Content Design included populating systems with cohesive materials, crafts, and progression content.
• Writing included lore, history, and story for Arenum.

Lore design

• Explained that WalkScape is intended to include MMO-style lore without forcing players through large lore dumps.
• Stated that story content should remain non-intrusive and optional for players focused mainly on walking and progression.
• Described Arenum as a world where each region has its own folklore, culture, economy, political intrigue, religion, and history.
• Mentioned that lore had already been written for events more than 700 years before the player enters Arenum.
• Stated that characters should feel connected either to the region where they are met or to other places the player may later visit.

Deities

• Introduced Deities as divine beings who influence Arenum from their own planes of existence.
• Explained that Deities rarely manifest directly and that the player is unlikely to meet one.
• Noted that some races, regions, or societies may worship one or more Deities, while others may reject or ignore them.
• Stated that good and evil are relative in Arenum, and no Deity has exclusive ownership of either trait.

Nerys

• Introduced Nerys as the Deity of Heaven, Dreams and Creativity.
• Described Nerys as creating Heaven after visiting Arenum and learning about the dreams of its inhabitants.
• Explained that good-natured souls judged by Farodan, but not belonging to another Deity, may be sent to Nerys.
• Noted that Nerys may appear in dreams to give hope to good people or those who have lost hope.
• Mentioned Calantha and Ceressa as Deities commonly worshipped alongside Nerys.

Rasnovaal

• Introduced Rasnovaal as the Deity of Hell, Devils and Demons.
• Described Rasnovaal as a former thrall who used binding contracts to gain power and claim Hell as his own plane.
• Explained that Rasnovaal commands Devils, Demons, and powerful Generals.
• Described Arenum as a plane of conflict for Rasnovaal and other Deities.
• Stated that Devils may offer desperate people contracts in exchange for their souls.

Art

• Included an early example of how NPC portraits were expected to look in-game.

DevBlog #7: Crafting in WalkScape - The Basics

Posted on February 20, 2023.

• Introduced the basics of the WalkScape crafting system.
• Explained that crafting depends on location services such as forges, sawmills, kitchens, and workshops.
• Stated that the crafting UI can be accessed from any location, not only from locations that provide the relevant service.
• Noted that the DevBlog was the first of two crafting posts, with the next post planned to show more UI elements.

Crafting UI

• Crafting can be opened through services or from global navigation.
• Opening a service can preselect the related crafting skill, such as Smithing from a forge.
• The crafting UI allows the player to select a crafting-related skill and view either materials or recipes.
• The material list only shows inventory materials that have recipes for the selected skill.
• Recipe view shows available recipes and can be filtered by selecting a material, such as filtering copper gear recipes by copper bars.
• Sorting, filters, and search functionality were planned to help players find recipes.

Crafting system

• Selecting a recipe shows details such as quantity, required real-life steps, experience gained, and expected skill level progress.
• Players can adjust how many items to craft before starting the activity.
• Some recipes can accept multiple material options, such as different cooked fish for fish soup.
• The game was planned to automatically choose suitable materials for crafting.
• Fine materials are not automatically used when other valid materials are available, allowing players to save them for later.
• Crafting activities can also produce rare special drops, such as crafting chests.

Fine materials and quality

• Fine materials can replace regular materials to improve the chance of producing higher-quality crafted items.
• Fine materials can also affect processing recipes, such as fine copper ore increasing the chance of producing fine bronze bars.
• The chance of obtaining fine materials increases with skill level, gear, and other modifiers.
• Item quality affects crafted item performance.
• Higher-quality items can gain additional bonus modifiers beyond their base stats.
• The chance of crafting higher-quality items can be improved through skill level, gear, buffs, and fine materials.

Step bank

• A submitter comment clarified that excess steps from walking with no active activity were planned to go into a "steps bank".
• Steps from the steps bank would not be spent freely; instead, each future walked step would count as two while also reducing the banked steps.
• This system was presented as an alternative to an activity queue.

DevBlog #6: Skills of the Closed Beta

Posted on February 6, 2023.

• Previewed the nine skills planned for the closed beta.
• Stated that the closed beta was planned to launch sometime between June and August 2023.
• Explained that the shown skill flowchart was simplified and that each skill was expected to receive more depth later.
• Confirmed that the closed beta was planned to include only the Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise and Jarvonia.
• Noted that the closed beta might run until open beta, with a possible reset before open beta.
• Mentioned that the inventory system was still in development and that crafting mechanics were also being built.

Skills

• Agility was linked to travelling between locations, with higher levels allowing better travel tools such as snow shoes and grappling hooks.
• Agility travel was planned to include random events, small quests, discoveries, and materials found along the way.
• Foraging was described as gathering natural resources such as plants and seeds from forests, hills, and plains.
• Fishing was described as catching fish, with better rods and more exotic fish unlocked at higher levels.
• Mining was described as gathering ores and gems for crafting.
• Woodcutting was described as gathering logs, functioning similarly to Mining.
• Cooking was described as a crafting skill used at cooking activity locations to create meals, unlock recipes, and use better cookware.
• Smithing was described as turning ores into ingots and creating combat gear.
• Carpentry was described as turning logs into planks and later supporting farm building construction.
• Crafting was described as creating tools such as fishing rods, pickaxes, and hatchets.

Future development

• Closed beta skills were not expected to have complete level 1–99 content at launch, because some activities would require locations not yet included.
• New content was planned to be added periodically during closed beta.
• Farming was clarified as a later skill, not one of the closed beta skills.
• Combat was clarified as a later major feature planned to include multiple combat skills.
• Combat was described as planned to be turn-based and inspired by classic JRPGs such as Final Fantasy.

DevBlog #5: Unearthing the Secrets of the Item System

Posted on January 23, 2023.

• Introduced the planned item system for WalkScape.
• Explained that items are intended to support different playstyles, including combat, crafting, gathering, and exploration.
• Showed several item sprite previews by maxchill, including gear, axes, ores, logs, gems, plants, fish, food, and a treasure chest.
• Stated that the item system was intended to make progression feel rewarding and varied.

Item types

• Crafted items are equippable items made by players or bought from other players.
• Loot items are equippable items gained randomly from sources such as chests, enemies, activities, and quests.
• Material items are used to craft other items.
• Usable items include consumables such as potions and food.
• Openable items contain other items, do not use inventory space, and can be opened when convenient.
• Quest items do not use inventory space and are used to progress quests.
• Collectibles were mentioned as items that may be wanted by someone in the world of WalkScape.

Gear

• Gear was divided into crafted gear and loot gear.
• Loot gear rarity tiers were listed as common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and ethereal.
• Loot gear was described as randomly obtained, usually powerful, and often situational.
• Crafted gear also has six rarity-like quality tiers.
• Crafted item quality is determined by factors such as materials, active buffs, and crafting level.
• Higher-quality crafted items gain additional predetermined attributes rather than random attributes.
• The best highest-quality crafted gear was planned to generally be better than the rarest loot gear, but expensive to make.
• Gear crafting was planned to use multiple skills, including Carpentry, Crafting, Smithing, and Fletching.
• Magic-focused crafting was planned for later development.

Materials

• Materials were described as the basic ingredients for crafting gear.
• Fine materials were introduced as special versions of regular materials.
• Fine materials improve the chance of producing higher-quality crafted items.
• Finding fine materials was planned to depend on factors such as appropriate gear and potion use.

Usables

• Usables include potions made through Alchemy and food made through Cooking.
• Potions were planned to provide bonuses such as increased damage or improved chances when crafting.
• Food was planned to range from simple healing items to more complex dishes with stronger bonuses.
• Only one potion buff and one food buff could be active at the same time.
• Reusing the same food was planned to extend the buff rather than stacking many different food effects.
• Foraging was described as closely linked to Alchemy.
• Cooking was described as using Fishing, Foraging, and Farming for more complex dishes.
• Usable buffs were planned to last for a number of steps or combat turns rather than a timed duration.

Openables

• Openables were described as reward items similar to bird nests or clue scrolls.
• Openables were planned to avoid filling the player's inventory with random activity drops.
• Openables were explicitly stated not to be monetised as paid loot boxes or require real-money keys.
• Their purpose was described as both a quality-of-life feature and a source of surprise rewards.

DevBlog #4: History and Lore of WalkScape vol 1.

Posted on January 9, 2023.

• Introduced the first lore-focused DevBlog, beginning a planned series on the history and worldbuilding of WalkScape.
• Explained that the game world is called Arenum and that this post focuses on the Western Continent.
• Stated that each region has a main quest with multiple outcomes based on player choices.
• Clarified that quest choices may affect the story, but should not lock players out of meaningful content.
• Mentioned that special quest rewards not obtained through choices may still be obtainable through other, more difficult means.

Regions

• Jarvonia was described as the starting region for the time being, located in the north-west of the map and known for long winters, short summers, isolationism, and religious rule.
• Kallaheim was introduced as Jarvonia's capital, a large stronghold on the Winter Waves with important fish and mineral resources.
• The Norsacks were introduced as Jarvonia's former nomadic inhabitants, who were pushed from their lands as settlement expanded.
• The Grand Duchy of Trellin-Erdwise, or GDTE, was described as a diarchy made from the former duchies of Trellin and Erdwise.
• GDTE was described as a swamp region with hardy inhabitants, a significant halfling population, and tension between poorer Trellin and wealthier Erdwise.
• The Empire of Wallisia was introduced as the dominant power of the Western Continent, with Middlecrest as the continent's capital.
• Wrentmark was described as a desert-like region rich in gold and precious minerals, known for merchants and craftsmanship.
• Galeforge was described as a wealthy former independent city state and archipelago, connected to the Ethereals and the Celestial Rim.

Story

• Jarvonia's main plot was planned to connect to Wallisia's succession crisis and decisions about whether Jarvonia remains isolationist or opens to Wallisian influence.
• GDTE's main plot was planned to focus on economic disparity and rising resentment between Trellin and Erdwise.
• Wallisia's main plot was planned around the ageing Empress and a possible succession crisis involving her three sons.
• Wrentmark's main plot was planned to involve its disagreements with Wallisia and possible independence tensions.
• Galeforge's main plot was planned to explore the Ethereals and events in the Archipelago.

Worldbuilding

• The Arena in Middlecrest was described as a major historical dividing point in Arenum's timeline.
• The Arena was built after Wallisia conquered Wrentmark, Galeforge, and GDTE, and became a way to resolve conflicts without involving the wider population.
• The Western Continent was described as a familiar fantasy setting mainly populated by humans, with other fantasy races becoming important later.
• Ewerethien, the Ethereal and Immortal Circle, and Braemercia were mentioned as likely subjects for future lore posts.

Gameplay connections

• Lore was planned to be discovered through quests, visiting areas, and speaking with inhabitants.
• Collectible tomes were being considered as a way to provide additional story fragments while travelling.
• Middlecrest was described as a major gameplay hub.
• The Arena was planned to be usable for combat, with PvP tournaments suggested as a possible future feature.