Alpha Progress Update and Looking Forward
A lot has been happening on Hideaway and we've got so much for you to catch up on. Buckle up - this update is a big one!
Hey there, it's been a while!
Hideaway has been in various phases of Alpha testing for about three months now. While it might have felt a little quiet on the blog and updates front, that's mostly because we've been working hard behind-the-scenes to prepare the game for public release. We thought it was finally time to give you an update on the state of the project.
From Closed Alpha to Early Access Alpha
We started our testing adventure in Closed Alpha, where testers could only access the server via application. This was our first chance to show the server to people outside of the team and get feedback and reports from a private testing group. Huge improvements, fixes, and features were implemented over this period and eventually, with applications overflowing and larger numbers required to stress test the server, we were ready to open the game up to a more public audience. Transitioning to Early Access was a big moment - with tickets on the store selling out in under two minutes! While this was an exciting moment, it also meant we started to feel the pressure to make sure we could create something that lived up to people's expectations.
We'll be putting out a Community Survey to ask testers their thoughts on the game - what they like and don't like, what they'd like to see changed or improved, and any new features or content they think would make the game even better. The survey will be totally anonymous so testers can speak freely and honestly - we want to hear it all!
We're currently in our final Alpha play test ahead of a public launch and with so much going on, we thought we'd throw a massive blog post in the mix, just to keep us on our toes!
Features in Detail
If you're a tester or are in our Discord - you might already be aware of some of these features. For everyone else, we thought we'd take the opportunity to show some of our amazing gameplay elements in detail.
Jet Ski Race Activity
Different Island Activities happen periodically throughout the day on Hideaway. While some of them are more role-play focused, like our morning Breakfast activity, others are fun and competitive mini-game style activities, like the Jet Ski Race.
Players receive a notification when the race is about to start and can join other vacationers for an exciting race around the island. It's a great way to take a scenic adventure around the beaches, islands, ships, and caves of Hideaway - all while jumping off ramps and zipping through speed rings. Everyone is rewarded at the end of the race, regardless of whether you win or not!
Volleyball Activity
When you get that Volleyball notification - it's time to play! You'll start on a randomly selected court somewhere on the island. We've got courts on the beach, near the pool, inside our sport center, and even under a giant banana! Other vacationers will be able to see these games going on and support their friends from the sidelines. Work with your partner or face your opponent alone and make sure to serve, volley, and slam your way through the game!
Room Decorating & New Room Templates
Room decorating will be one of Hideaway's most custom and unique features - and we've been working really hard to ensure that your options as a player feel limitless! We've got multiple unique tools to cater to all kinds of players - from newbies who want to learn basic building and item placement, to more advanced players that want to tweak and perfect every small aspect of their design. A lot of us on the team are big fans of games like The Sims and want to translate that level of customization and creativity into Hideaway.
The first thing you'll need to do when you enter your Room is open the Room Editor Panel on the wall - this is where you control the Room settings and can switch your Room to "Editor Mode" to start decorating and building.
Room decorating can feel a little overwhelming when you're starting out, so here's the basics:
- Start with picking up the Blueprints, Hammer, Paintbrush, and Block Tool at The Island Emporium
- Head to your Room via the elevator or through the Explore button in your PALM Plate
- Open your Room Editor Panel and switch your Room to "Editor Mode"
- Start decorating - remember, each tool has special instructions in the hover text if you get stuck
Everyone will begin with the Studio Starter Room, a basic and cozy hotel room. This room isn't too big or overwhelming but gives you the freedom to practice building and start placing items you collect on your adventures. Once you're feeling ready to upgrade, we have lots of different Room sizes, styles, and even locations for you to choose from!
Alpha Exclusive Rewards
We are now in the final stretch of Alpha testing. As a thank you to all of our testers for their contribution to the game's development, Early Supporters will receive exclusive cosmetics at launch.
As an additional incentive during the final phase of Alpha testing, and to help us test leveling up and gameplay experience, we will be rewarding exclusive cosmetics and furniture items to players who reach certain levels during this final play test.
These items will be rewarded at public launch and be yours to keep forever!
Community Competitions
Hideaway is a community-focused game and we've already built up a welcoming and wholesome group over on our Discord server. We've been seeing players creating and hosting their own mini-games, starting trading discussions, and even had our first player-led Costume Competition recently!
And for the remainder of the Alpha Testing period, we will be hosting a Room Competition:
Vacation Club
Harkening back to retro summer days spent socializing at the beach club and working up a light sweat at the tennis courts, Vacation Club is our subscription offer for players to support the server and gain exclusive benefits in return.
Being a member of our Vacation Club comes with a bunch of perks, including:
- Access to exclusive Vacation Club channels with events, news, and sneak peeks in Discord
- Unique Vacation Club role and tag both in Discord and in game
- Ability to fly
- Additional Friend slots in game
- Additional Room slots in game
- Additional Friend Gifts that can be sent and received per day
- Access to special items, colors, block textures, and more
- An exclusive pinned Badge on your Player Profile
- Exclusive Vacation Club cosmetics sent to your mailbox upon purchase
Vacation Club is a way to show your support for the server during Open Beta and beyond. These perks are just the beginning and more benefits for members are on the way.
In the meantime, players can now see and speak to Vacation Club staff as they set up booths across the island and prepare to welcome new members.
It's early beginnings for Vacation Club, with a lot of plans for the future. Our premium tier called Vacation Club: Leisure Lovers includes additional perks and benefits - but more news on that later!
Looking Ahead
The Alpha Testing Server is now online for our final play test before it closes on September 3. We're working hard behind the scenes to implement feedback and requests, update and add more content and features, and prepare for public release...
Speaking of public release, Open Beta is set to go live on September 9th. If all goes well with the final play test, we'll be ready to welcome everyone to Hideaway very soon!
And that's everything for now! We're really excited to be this close to release and we hope you enjoyed this update. Now, we better get back to work!
