Before I get into the meat of this update with a bump, I have now gotten my game updates working with the Itch.io App! Updates are now automatic so you can make sure that you stay on top of Midnight Monitor's development at all times. Also the game NOW HAS A DEMO!
A Big Update
Thank you for everyone who has tried Midnight Monitor! The game since launch has been updated to version 0.9.7.5 and with this comes a HUGE update to two areas of the Modern House level:
The Garden Update
Previously on launch the game had a button for "External" anomalies, however there was no external camera and this only applied to two specific anomalies that could appear outside of the Kids Room and Living Room windows.
This has now changed with the introduction of a completely handbuilt Garden area + Camera:
This garden of course features its own slew of strange happenings, with more to be added in an upcoming update! I've spent a lot of time trying to make the garden attractive and realistic, and just scary enough to keep you on your toes. Let me know what you think when you play it!
If the addition of a whole new camera isn't enough for you, you might want to look into...
The Basement Update
Previously when players would flick through the cameras, it was clear that the Basement was very easily skipped (because it was admittedly almost completely empty!)
However with this new update the basement has gone from this, to this:
The basement is now full of junk and visual noise, so you will need to look closely to see if that picture has moved, or if that radio disappears! Or maybe even if something is lurking way back in the shadows...
As is the ongoing promise with Midnight Monitor, these levels along with the rest of the game will continue to be refined and worked on based on my vision and the community's feedback.
Full patchnotes for 0.9.7.5 (from 0.9.7.1):
- Added Neighbourhood Watch Concept test/demo house
- Major refactor of game code to allow for additional levels / scenarios in the future
- Changed stat storage method to bypass reliance on .NET dependencies (this will reset stats, apologies)
- Added some rudimentary anomalies to Neighbourhood Watch Concept house (these are currently considered nonfunctional)
- Neighbourhood Watch Concept house performance optimisation (ongoing)
- Added Garden camera + Garden area
- Added anomalies to outdoor area
- Added some outdoor anomalies to demo mode
- Extended range of "Dark Mode" flashlight to account for length of Garden
- Slightly balanced default game difficulty (too many people were winning on their first playthrough!)
- Added objects (and anomalies) to basement
- Slightly altered position of Basement Camera
- Updated demo version of the game to match 0.9.7.5
- Increased demo anomalies from 40 -> 50 to account for the added content in Garden + Basement
YouTube Content
The funny thing about being a solo/first time Dev is that nothing makes you happier than seeing someone else playing and enjoying your game, so for those who have played it so far, thank you so much!
Doubly thank you if you have played the game and posted it to your YouTube channel, too! It has been truly amazing being able to see this game come to life with videos and YouTube shorts being posted about it. I've had a ton of fun sitting in on YouTube videos and others playing the game. It has also given me some extra ideas about how the game is being played and what people are enjoying about it.
I want to especially highlight these two videos as they showcase the game very well (one with commentary, and one without):
As I say often, I am always looking for more videos of people playing Midnight Monitor, so if you make one please do post it to the comments on the game's store page!
Thank you again for your support as I work through this launch 😁