Skywatch #26 - Development Update

Welcome to Skywatch 26! 

Greetings Awoken! It’s been a while since our last Skywatch, that’s because we’ve been fully focused on preparing for the Lost Skies demo for Steam Next Fest! We’re excited for you to experience the world we’ve been crafting and share your feedback. Let’s glide into what’s new!

>PLAY THE MULTIPLAYER DEMO<

Outfit & Tool Concepts ?

Some of our team attended the Unite conference, where we demoed Lost Skies to other developers! We had tons of new players test the game, and the response was overwhelmingly positive but also gave us clear pointers for which areas of the game to improve.

Our art team has been hard at work creating fresh outfit concepts.

Scrap Armor Set – This will be a low-tier outfit crafted throughout your adventure on the tutorial island, rather than something you find in chests. It’s designed to be a rugged, scavenged look that reflects the resourceful nature of new explorers.

Saborian High Tier – A late-game outfit that moves away from bulky armor designs. Instead, it embraces the refined aesthetic of Saborian culture, with intricate details and flowing fabric. FABULOUS!

Fuel Extractor Concept – Later in the game, as you unlock fuel-powered engines, you’ll need a way to gather resources. The Fuel Extractor will allow you to harvest fuel directly from islands, making ship travel and exploration even more dynamic.

Research Table Redesign – Jon revisited the research table and created a new concept that aligns better with the visual language of the game. If you look closely, you might spot some familiar props hidden within the design!

Ark Updates ?

John has been making steady progress on the Ark, one of the largest structures in the game. The exterior is nearly complete, and the revival pods inside are the final pieces being fine-tuned. Once finished, the Ark will play a critical role in your journey.

UI Overhaul ?

Ellen has been leading a major UI overhaul, including a font and size pass across all screens. The goal? Better readability, cleaner visuals, and a UI that seamlessly integrates with the rest of the game’s aesthetic. We love how it’s shaping up, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

One of the most requested features from Discord and survey feedback was better item interaction visibility. Andy has now added a shader highlight to indicate which item you’re selecting. This is an early pass, but we hope it makes item selection smoother. Let us know what you think!

Discord Feedback & Quality of Life Improvements ??

We’re always listening to your feedback, and two highly requested ship-related improvements have now been implemented:

Anchor Feature – Holding Shift while at the helm closes all sails and turns off the throttle, allowing for quick and easy ship parking.

Teleport System – A beam of light now extends from the ship’s core, allowing you to instantly teleport back to your ship’s core when interacting with it. Perfect for when you’re grappling or mid-air!

In response to survey feedback, we’ve also improved early shipbuilding:

Luke updated the default starting ship shape to be more boatlike also increasing the number of sections available at Level 1 Shipyard from 6 to 10.

Klaudia has introduced new ship assets to unlock later in progression, giving more creative freedom in shipbuilding.

Ship & Skytravel ??

As mentioned in previous Skywatches, our current milestone is largely focused on ships, stability, and polish. We also wanted to make the sky feel more alive without making encounters feel frustrating or overwhelming.

Matt has implemented sky encounters using clusters of floating rock formations. Some contain resources and hidden chests, while others serve as anchor points for AI spawns. This approach gives players more agency—you can choose to engage or avoid certain encounters instead of being ambushed unexpectedly.

How Your Feedback Makes a Difference ?

We love seeing how your feedback shapes the game. Here’s an example of how we incorporate it into development!

Over the holidays, Oli gathered community feedback on cave bugs (Motus Beetles). He then parsed and prioritized the suggestions, creating a design change list.

Based on your input, we’ve added multiple tweaks to make these creatures more interesting and engaging to fight.

This process applies across all aspects of development. Your feedback matters, and we’re always looking at ways to improve the experience based on your insights.

Introducing… Fishsquito!???!!! 

Jon has also been working on a new flying creature that we’re calling Fishsquito (internally, at least!). While we’re not sharing too many details just yet, this unusual airborne predator will be one to watch out for!

That’s a Wrap!

By the time you’re reading this, the Lost Skies demo will be live! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, so be sure to join the conversation on Discord and share your experiences.

Join the Lost Skies Discord!

See you in the skies!

Adam