OOLO news & patch notes

- Adjusted volume levels in certain areas. - Minor bugfixes.

- Added missing compass markers for three upgrades. - Tweaked timing of steam vent danger zone. - Fixed bug where you could get an immediate second mid-air dash under certain circumstances. - Miscellaneous lighting and bugfixes.

- Minor hotfix for on-screen play clock not displaying properly.

- Updated input config to enable use of WASD, and left or right ALT and CTRL keys - Added "Controller Recommended" splash screen - Adjusted contrast of teleporter pools - Added support for Vulkan graphics API - Tweaked collision in certain rooms to make jumps easier - Removed extraneous potion - Fixed a bug where the UI would not display properly when reloading after completing the game - Fixed a bug where certain rooms would appear on the map before you had visited them

- Game Over sequence lets you reload significantly faster than before. - Difficulty adjustments to several rooms. - Fixed a bug with UI toggle animations. - Fixed a bug with on-screen play timer setting not working properly. - Miscellaneous minor polish.

As we get closer to OOLO's official launch date (TBA: 2025), it felt like it was time for a refreshed demo. This brings the older demo experience more in line with the state of the final game, both from a design and polish perspective. We hope you enjoy this completely revamped demo experience! Don't hesitate to share your feedback! You can download the demo on the OOLO store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2819920/OOLO/ Demo Version 2.0 Patch Notes

• Updated entire demo scenario to align with the start of the full game.
• Addition of difficulty settings upon starting a new game.
• Added two complete zones: the Catacombs of Despair and the Forge of Misery.
• Two boss battles: the Ancient Lich and the Megaspark.
• Added a new artifact, the Everember.
• Added "silhouetting" feature to keep the player visible when behind certain parts of the environment.
• Updated art for the Lost Forest and the Catacombs of Despair.
• More polish items than can be listed here.

Enjoy the updated demo, and let us know your thoughts!

First a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has played the OOLO demo to date. And an extra special THANKS to all the playtesters who devoted significant amounts of time to give their feedback and help shape this game for the better. OOLO underwent several major changes after the original short demo launched late last year, and as the game gets close to its final release I wanted to give you a chance to play with a lot of the updated changes. First, immediately off the bat, you'll notice the graphics have undergone a significant upgrade. Gone are the plain textures, the out-of-place pushable blocks, and the flat lighting in many areas. Everything's been carefully reworked to be more detailed while still maintaining that retro vibe. Second, you'll notice there are now gameplay modes when you go to start a new game. These modes are Classic and Casual. In Classic, you get the original OOLO experience: three lives, refill lives at cauldrons, lose them all and it's game over--reload your save. In Casual mode, however, things are a bit different. You never get a game over--you simply restart the room from whatever entrance you came in at. Cauldrons serve as save points still, so make sure you visit one before shutting the game off. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/bb172d9eb801649f1a4054050f5597471748f425.png Another massive change is the content of the demo itself. The original demo was a tiny curated slice of OOLO's gameplay, with significant changes to some rooms and the overall map layout. The updated "Demo 2.0" contains the entirety of the Catacombs of Despair and the Forge of Misery--including both epic boss battles--as well as a significant part of the Lost Forest--OOLO's hub area. The only major difference between the full version of the game as it currently stands in development? Three doors are blocked from the central Portal room. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/1cb94099a8ba103d080c28629e035d8ec75fb801.gif {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/1f75b880d2ab15731e1bad5ee70bd8bec724e24b.gif You'll even get to experience the story of OOLO--at least the opening few beats! And on top of all of that are the various bug fixes, gameplay tweaks, audio updates, and more that have gone into the game since last year. This revamped demo release leads directly into Steam Next Fest, which leads directly into the Summer of 2025, which leads directly to the push for launch. While there's no release date to announce just yet, an announcement *is* imminent. You won't have to wait *too* much longer to get your hands on the full game. Thanks for coming along on this journey! Hope you enjoy the updated demo!

In the last Environment Focus we took a look at the OOLO's hub region, the Lost Forest. This time we're going to take a look at one of the earlier regions you can fully explore, the Catacombs of Despair. The entrance to the Catacombs is tucked away in a corner of the Lost Forest. You'll know you're getting close when you see the undead roaming about. (Don't touch, they're dangerous!) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/f79f42266dce49a0721cf252aad15b1f1389fc72.gif Where the Lost Forest serves as a sort of training ground for the basic controls and activities in OOLO like navigating rooms, jumping gaps, and avoiding hazards, the Catacombs of Despair are all about solving puzzles. First and foremost, puzzles with switches and gates. Some rooms have a single switch. Some rooms have multiple switches. No matter how many there are, though, you'll need to hold them all down to open the gates and move forward. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/9daff8e0558c8a754f907ac6e29b18926f08516b.gif There are also new types of spikes here--touching them from any direction is lethal. And to make matters worse, some of them move. There are enchanted spikes that hover up and down, and also enchanted spikes that can sense intruders--and fly directly at them! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/d06884542b7a4162451ac4bc4d23167c97c9bc39.gif Deep within the Catacombs you'll find the second most important artifact in the game--the Bag of Holding. This allows you to stash a single block you're standing on and drop it back under you anywhere else in the room. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/0f7559ff61b7ad2bf21e6d4a2107891899ca01eb.gif It's a key ability that will enable you to solve even more of the Catacomb's puzzles by taking blocks to new places you couldn't simply push them, for example. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/7262ae8e6af892080c19bfd227934de5069d987e.gif And after you've mastered dodging ghosts, block-jumping across spike-filled chasms, and pushing absolutely every button in sight, you'll be faced with the first of OOLO's boss battles--the Eldritch Lich! You'll need to use every skill you've learned so far to defeat this ancient menace and find out what's on the other side of his chamber. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/1cb94099a8ba103d080c28629e035d8ec75fb801.gif But... who is the Eldritch Lich? Why is he down here in the Catacombs? How did they get their nickname? And whose spirits and skeletons are scattered all over this dark abode? That's a mystery for another time... {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/b5c3cb0384c1c635a33ac9c1437e4dfa0afb83c0.png

OOLO covers a broad range of environments across its interconnected world map. Over 400 rooms await the intrepid adventurer. I wanted to make sure I captured the sense of wonder and charting the unknown that I felt growing up with games like Solstice and Metroid. "What's around that corner? What's through that hole in the wall? How do I even get up there? Wait, there's an entire region I didn't know existed?" {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/5e808af8465f41ddca361b4d4b64432a7fd1ced1.gif The overall setting of OOLO is the Isle of Souls. It's the island in this world that lies in the middle of a vast ocean, directly beneath the glowing ball of fire known as the World Flame. Through this flame the world experiences light and warmth, and without it all would freeze in utter darkness. The flame continually burns down over a thousand years, and every thousand years an intrepid individual is chosen to go rekindle the World Flame. This cycle that individual is you--OOLO! Today we'll take a look at the first region you encounter on your adventure, and the region most prominently featured in the demo--the Lost Forest. The opening rooms of the Lost Forest teach you the basic controls--moving, jumping, navigating obstacles, and avoiding the occasional pit of spikes. It's a (mostly) peaceful place you'll revisit time and time again as it is also at the heart of OOLO's map. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/d5eba5e2b18bfc59359eda664a74415b170cd10b.gif It also introduces players to core Metroidvania concepts--the unreachable ledge, the way the map circles back on itself, and, most importantly, how new upgrades you discover change the way you explore previous rooms. In the Lost Forest, you'll find the Gloves of Strength. These allow you to push around the mono-colored boxes you see. Position them just right to gain access to new areas, or block enemies off to make a safe path. They open up the world just a little bit more, as does each subsequent upgrade you find. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/b846c1da7a8f1bac4f115c8194aa2ceb782dcd6a.gif "Enemies?" Oh yes. While the people who used to inhabit the Isle of Souls mysteriously vanished millennia ago, there are still creatures roaming about the place. Among the foes you'll encounter in the Lost Forest are the aimlessly-wandering Slimeballs and the path-patrolling giggling Pixies. One touch from any enemy in OOLO is deadly--tread carefully! Watch for patterns and ways you can alter those patterns with a well-pushed block. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/63b4bcac330eabab49c2b332a856d0627eb12367.gif At the center of the Lost Forest stands a mysterious temple, and in the center of the temple sits the Portal to the World Flame. Except... it's locked. You'll have to find six keys--one representing each element of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light, and Darkness--to reopen it and make your way to the heart of the flame itself. But that's the end of your quest, and we've got a lot more ground to cover before we talk about what awaits you there. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/de408a74e7f74734d940cb554a657657ebb55f5a.png Next time we'll be looking at the Catacombs of Despair. It's a secret area in the demo (have you found it yet?), but a rather prominent early area in the full game. If you've played through the slice in the demo you'll know a bit about what's in store for you there, but there's so much more. I can't wait to share it with you next time! Until then, how about heading over to Wishlist OOLO and share it with your friends! Let's share the love of exploration inherent in isometric adventures like OOLO with everyone! Ever grateful, Ben "dariakus" Brooks

Hi Rekindlers of the Flame, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you: OOLO has been featured on Rock Paper Shotgun, one of the biggest PC gaming sites out there! In the article, Nic Reuben of Rock Paper Shotgun highlights what makes OOLO special, from its nostalgic isometric gameplay to its whimsical, puzzle-filled adventure. He describes it as a 'labour of love,' comparing its classic Zelda-like mechanics and metroidvania-inspired design to the golden age of isometric games. The article also praises the evocative soundtrack and the satisfying simplicity of the demo’s goal: finding a shiny green key while hopping through beautifully crafted rooms and solving puzzles. If you’re curious, you can read the full feature and try the demo yourself! 👉 Read the full article here! This is a huge milestone for me as a solo developer, and it’s all thanks to your incredible support. The demo has already reached so many players, and this coverage will help even more people discover OOLO. If you haven’t tried the demo yet, now’s the perfect time to join the adventure: 👉 Play the demo on Steam! Every wishlist, every download, and every kind word from you all has made this journey possible. Please share your thoughts, feedback, or just drop a comment to celebrate this moment with me! And if you like what you see, please share it with your friends! Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to launch. There’s a lot of exciting content in the works, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Thank you! Ben "dariakus" Brooks Solo Developer of OOLO Riddle Master Productions

A small but important update today:

• "Blocks" room tweaked to allow more flexibility in jump timing.
• ESC key now brings up the menu on Keyboard controls.

- Minor update to credits and attributions.

The first update of the OOLO Demo is here! This is primarily a bugfix patch to make your demo-playing experience even more polished! Client updates: - Map controls now display properly in the button bar along the bottom of the screen when viewing the full map. Bugs addressed: - Crash with no gamepad connected in certain situations. - Player would warp to undefined location when saying No to the initial input confirmation popup. - Map state would not properly reset in certain situations. - Collected artifacts would not properly reset between loading games in certain situations. - Vanishing floors would not trigger in certain situations. - Assorted text alignment and typos. Thank you for your patience while we worked to address these issues!

Last time we looked at what, exactly OOLO is. This time let's take a look at some of the quality of life improvements OOLO is making to the classic isometric adventure genre.

Controls

First is the control scheme. The classic isometric adventure games were played with digital gamepads or keyboards, meaning you were generally restricted to pushing up, down, left, or right. But with the isometric perspective, that required you to get used to "up" not necessarily going straight up the screen, but instead at some developer-determined diagonal. OOLO is still an isometric game at heart, and supports this classic controller scheme by default, but the first choice you're presented with (both in the upcoming demo and the final game) is what direction you want up to go. And there's a very quick, easy way to test it out: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/c226f8e2fee614999a93a91252b9f796385fa439.png Here you can toggle the movement in real time and see what feels right to you before setting off on your journey. You can also go into the options screen and adjust this at any time if it doesn't feel right.

Camera

Another thing that could sometimes vex players in the classic isometric adventures is understanding exactly where in the world a platform was. Due partly to a lack of dynamic lighting and partly to the forced orthographic projection, platforms that looked like they were just one step ahead of you could actually be far above or below, leading you to an untimely demise. While the perspective is definitely a big part of the charm of these games, OOLO allows you to rotate the camera--within certain limits--to enable you to check perspective any time you want. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/231a8cc002cb53e2ba99e0c49572c592a36cd5d8.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/cb8a8bdd8131dc7ed0a64c208002d1f2ca9b0dda.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/34a975c555b386704b113d0c71646e4b8c0623e0.png In addition there are shadows--the player has a shadow that's always directly down, as do most enemies and moving objects. This is in addition to the normal lighting, to ensure you always know precisely what is directly beneath you. Use this to your advantage in tricky situations! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/f36463043c8cb0dc1521eaf1cc550707d79f33cc.png

Minimap

While many isometric adventure games had maps, they generally required you to go to a separate screen to see them. While OOLO does have a full screen map, there's also a minimap displayed at all times showing where you are in the room, as well as the rooms in your local vicinity. The colors of the walls are important, too. Green rooms have Soul Fonts where you can save and refresh your lives. Cyan rooms indicate where you can go up or down to a different "floor" of the map. And the blue rooms... well, you'll have to figure that one out on your own! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/933ff9fbc84d4a2b1df08bf7b143e08044e072de.png The map can also display indicators showing where important items are--think of them like a compass leading you to new abilities!

What's next?

Next time we'll take a look at some of the many varied environments of OOLO and the sorts of hazards and puzzles they contain, as well as look a bit at the lore of this game and the world it's set in. For now, be sure to wishlist OOLO to be notified as soon as the Demo is available! Ben "dariakus" Brooks

In just under two weeks you'll have your chance to get your hands on the OOLO DEMO! This slice of OOLO has been carefully curated and customized to give you a complete, compelling mini-adventure! There are artifacts to discover which give you new powers, a forest to explore filled with puzzles, traps, and eerie creatures, and secrets galore. There are so many secrets that the secrets have secrets! There's even a rumored secret ending--for a demo! Riddle Master Productions is excited to share this game with you publicly, and we can't wait to show you the full game next year,

This is the first in a series of writeups about what, exactly, OOLO is all about. If you grew up with video games in the 80s and 90s, chances are you ran across at least one isometric adventure game. In an age where most games were single screen 2D platformers, these games gave players a 3D world to explore from a fixed isometric camera angle. The games had vast worlds to traverse, maps to draw, artifacts to collect, and even powerups to change how you interacted with and moved through that world. Instead of a panning camera, you could see the entirety of any one map room on the screen at once, and frequently each of these rooms became a sort of puzzle--how do I get to that door? How do I get to that potion? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/3cd4b112b660695cc666f49833faa62a1fcef293.png It's a genre that has a dedicated fanbase, but not one that gets a tremendous amount of attention. Those games made the biggest impression on me as a young gamer, and that's why my own take on this is Riddle Master Production's first major game release! Like several of the great isometric adventures from the 8-bit days, one of the guiding principles with OOLO was that the titular character wasn't a fighter or a powerful wizard, but more of someone who finds creative ways around his foes--or creative ways to use them to get to where he wants to go. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/9299ffc41301339c1c1a3f724a816bd238722db3.png Also like those games there's a wide world to explore. The map stretches across over 400 rooms, filled with multiple wondrous environments. Here's just a glimpse of some of it: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/5b814b79b44006c256368c59f08f97aadf95b7b2.png As for when you can get your hands on it, the release is currently on track for early 2025. In addition, I'm preparing a free demo for you to try out that will be released this fall! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45110772/24bae5e1d71b01be23f1d6c54327ede13d9d7322.png Next time we'll take a look at some of the "Quality of Life" features going into OOLO that make the genre more accessible to modern audiences. Until next time! Ben "dariakus" Brooks