Hello everyone!

After reviewing all the feedback from the previous demo, we’ve put together an improved version of the game. Let us share what's new and why you should play it!

Being a monster-hunting roguelite deckbuilder means facing multiple bosses.
If you played our previous demo, you fought Silverfangs! But now, we’re introducing "The Warlord"! (Defeat him if you can...)
Based on your feedback, we noticed some routes felt repetitive and unexciting. We've redesigned the map, adding new event types and visual upgrades to make each run more engaging!

Many players found certain mechanics confusing, like Rampage, so we've renamed it to Countdown and added clearer animations when it triggers. We've also improved feedback for when monsters add Curse cards, so you’ll always know how they entered your deck!

We heard you—the game felt too slow for experienced players! This update introduces Speed Mode and Hazard Levels to increase difficulty for those looking for more challenge!

Thai is now available! Other languages will follow soon!
Once the demo goes public, we'll be sharing some files for localization as well as wiki!
Join our Discord[discord.gg] if you'd like to help us with localization! 🌍✨

You’ll notice new cards, removed/adjusted relics, and overall balancing improvements.

With our Early Access launch getting closer, we’re now opening Beta Test Registration!
Want to try PyroTech before anyone else? CLICK THE BANNER TO REGISTER!👇👇👇

[forms.gle]📢 Let us know what you think about our demo! Help us make Northwind better!
📝 Feedback Survey: Link[forms.gle]
💬 Join our Discord: Link[discord.gg]

If you like the game don't forget to leave the Demo a review and wishlist Northwind!ːsteamhappyː
https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/1476400/Northwind/

🎮 Thank you so much for your support! We hope you love our new demo! Good luck & have fun! 🎉🔥
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone!

Have you noticed the updates to our screenshots and GIFs?! We’re getting ready for our new demo!
A brand-new trailer is coming soon!

Our community on Discord has begun playtesting today!
The purpose of this playtest is to help us identify bugs, report any issues, and provide feedback on game balance and design.

We've prepared extra keys for late registrants! (Round 2 Steam key delivery: Feb 13-14)
⚠️ However, keys are limited! We’ll notify you once they run out!
📝Register here: https://forms.gle/hfYia4vi9myPtBsN9


You can report any issues using the bug report form in the top-right corner! 🐞
Our team will review the reports and work on fixes.
⚡ Speed Mode – Now available in "Very Fast" for experienced players.
🔥 Hazard Mode – Increase difficulty if you're up for a challenge!
Thai is now available! Other languages will follow soon!
Once the demo goes public, we'll be sharing some files for localization as well as wiki!
Join our Discord if you'd like to help us with localization! 🌍✨
Share your thoughts here!
Northwind Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rMEqbNhkha


😭 We sincerely apologize for the wait, and thank you so much for your patience and support!

https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/1476400/Northwind/

The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! 👋

We’re honored to announce that we’ve been selected for the Turnbased Carnival! 🎉If you enjoy turn-based games, check out the other incredible games featured there!

[url=https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/developer/Acram/sale/turn-basedcarnival2024
][/url]
We’d also like to take this opportunity to update you on our progress and share some of the exciting features we’ve been working on. Here are some highlights:

Yes! We’ve implemented a cleaner, more intuitive UI to make combat easier to understand.
Look forward to a brand new tutorial!

As for Rampage: Many players were confused about when Rampage would trigger...
Was it immediate or on the next turn??? We’ve replaced Rampage with a Countdown token, which triggers the special move once it reaches 0. (Not the official icon design)

Use certain cards, relics, and perks to alter or delay enemy special moves. Plan your moves carefully!
(Fun Fact: The card Taming Technique was designed by one of our interns!)

We’ve revamped the Blacksmith to make navigating Merge, Forge, and Fuse services easier for players.

This includes adding blueprints to craft certain cards, so players have more clarity and control when upgrading their decks. We hope this helps you optimize your strategy seamlessly.

The pygmy hippo will be part of the perks in the game! 🎉
(In case you haven’t heard of Moo Deng, she’s a global sensation—a pygmy hippo from Thailand!)

As we implement updates, especially the new Countdown token, we’ve decided to delay localization for some languages until these mechanics are finalized. We apologize for not reaching out to our volunteers at this time; we want to ensure the game is more stable before reconnecting with them/you.

These are just a few of the exciting changes coming your way, with much more to come.
Thank you so much for your patience and support! ːheart_eyes_yetiː

The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! 👋

Good news! We’ve been selected as a Game Devs of Color Expo Participant! 🎉
We’re incredibly humbled to be part of this event and to be featured! 🌟

Due to the many changes made in the game and several areas where we felt the need to put in extra effort, we believe it’s best to continue working hard and polishing the game before delivering it to you. 🛠️

We believe you deserve a more complete and refined version of the demo, especially after all the amazing feedback we’ve received. 🙏 The game is currently undergoing significant changes, including a tutorial revamp, addressing localization issues, and improving the UX/UI. 📝
With that, we will take our time to truly polish the game.

- The next update will be in 2025.
- The game’s Early Access launch is to be determined in 2025.

Thank you so much for all your support, and we deeply apologize for taking so much time to polish the game. You deserve the best version of our game, and we are working our hardest to deliver it.
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! 👋

We want to provide an update on the progress we are making with our game.
We're working diligently on both the Early Access version and the Demo version, but it might take a little more time than we initially anticipated. All our resources are focused on game development and we aim to provide an update by the end of this month or in October. 📅


You can now choose a very fast gameplay speed, which has been implemented in the game.
[Will be Available in the Demo]
We'll unlock a few hazard levels for players looking for more competitiveness in the game. You'll need to defeat the boss to raise your hazard level. Hazard levels are separate for each mercenary.
[Will be Available in the Demo but with limited Content]
We’ve added more features to the town progression system and fix UX Design, but we don’t want to spoil the details yet. However, we can say that it’s no longer the same as before.
[Will be Available in the Demo with limited Content]

We've made a lot of visual feedback changes in the game. We don’t have pictures to share yet since it's not final, but it won’t be the same user experience you’ve seen in some parts of the game.
[Most should be available in the Demo]

We've completed 80-90% of the content for the Early Access version. We are currently going through playtesting, balancing, and quality assurance. 🛠️ This means the Pyrotech is now complete, including all the additional events, relics, and perks in the game. 🎉
[Only the Duelist will be available in the Demo, but we'll definitely have some internal playtest for our Pyrotech]

Some parts of the visuals are still being implemented, which could affect localization. We’re waiting for everything to be finalized before starting the localization process. For those who have registered to help with translation, please stay tuned—we want to minimize changes before you jump in and assist us. However, we've been experimenting a lot with our local language, Thai.
[English and Thai should be available in the Demo.]

Lastly, we are thrilled to announce that Vulpixon732, one of our active community members, has joined us as an intern! 🎉 We are more than happy to welcome him. He has shown great passion for helping Northwind from a game design perspective. 🎮 It's amazing to have this opportunity to welcome a student who loves deckbuilders and wants to be a part of Northwind. He’ll mainly be helping out with our game designers and doing a lot of playtesting. 🕹️

We promise you won't be disappointed with the changes in the demo. We are super excited to polish it up and let you all try the game. I apologize for not being able to set a specific date, but we assure you it’s going to be much better than any version you’ve played! 🚀
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! ːsteamhappyː
It's been a while, so we want to provide you with some updates! 🌟

• Metaprogression Revamp to create more impact! 🌟
  
• Second Character Cards are complete, including all upgraded versions. 🎮
  
• Localization System/Looking for Translators!
  
• We are in Chinajoy x Game Connection Event! 🎉

Based on feedback, we’ve decided to remove the upgrade tree. Players didn't find it engaging, and we couldn't agree more. Our new progression system will focus on impactful progression rather than getting access to discounts and gem slots. The new system will feature character upgrades that provide new sets of cards rather than just one, and more town-impact strategy, enhancing the "one more run" vibe. 🔄


The second character cards are complete, including all upgraded Smelted card versions.
New monsters will appear in late ascension games as part of our hazard progression. More handicaps will also be introduced to increase the difficulty levels for those pro players out there! 👹
Balancing and bug fixing are currently our main focus. Once we have a stable version, we’ll need your input! Expect this around September. 🛠️


We invite players who are interested in helping out with translation. Currently, we are working on our demo translation to start. Languages we are interested in include Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Russian, Japanese, and Korean. If you speak another language or would like to let us know, or wish for it to be translated, please let us know! 🌏

We’re thrilled to be part of this event! Make sure to check out other amazing games there.
https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/1476400/Northwind/
(We’ll likely include a playtest registration form for you to join in!)
Thank you for your kind support! We pour our heart and soul into this game, and we appreciate you sticking with us. We hope you are looking forward to our game! 💖

Have an amazing day!
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive 🐾

Hello everyone! 🎮

As we continue working on our Demo 1.0, we've realized that the current demo no longer reflects the true quality of the game.

Not reflecting the true quality of the game includes:

• Gameplay
  
• Visuals and UX
  
• Both progression and metaprogression
  
• Balancing
  
• And so on...

We expect to provide you with an update again around August-September. 📅 We hope you look forward to our new Demo 1.0! Thank you so much for your patience and support along the way. Some of you have just joined us, and some have been with us for years—this means so much to us! 🌟

Thank you! Have a nice day, and feel free to revisit the game until we remove it from Steam! 💬
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello everyone!

- Community Localization
- Spoilers!
- We are in Best Indie Games: Summer Showcase 2024! 🌞

Community Localization

We're about to implement a system where the community can lend us a hand with localization. Since this is our first time, we'll be testing it along the way with the new demo version. Once we have all the systems settled, we'll make another official announcement. For anyone interested, please join us!

Also, a huge thank you to our community for assisting with the translation of our store page!
- Thank you, Huang "Shuyuan" Teng, for the Simplified Chinese localization ❤️

Spoilers!🤫

When we talk about monster hunting, you can't forget about those tails!
We won't tell you the ability though, but just look at those tails!!

New Keywords for our second character:
(There are actually a lot more, but we'll be spoiling you with one for now)

Beneath: Triggers when the number of cards in your hand is equal to or less than required.
You can see we're now playing with hand sizes combos. That's all I'm going to say; there's so much more, with over 70 cards, that's a lot of testing! We'll let you know when you can step in to help us out!

Lastly, we're in Best Indie Games: Summer Showcase 2024! 🌞

We're honored to be a part of this showcase! Make sure to check out other amazing fellow indie games!
That's it for now. Thank you for your support!
The Northwind Team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello everyone! 👋

After launching our demo, we have been collecting a lot of feedback, both through in-game data and feedback surveys. Some of you have also messaged us directly, and we really appreciate all the feedback we've received. We received over 100+ pieces of feedback from all channels, so it took us a while to bring everything together. We value your opinion, and since you took the time to write it, we should also take our time to read it! 📖

Before I share the insights we've received, a little shoutout:
This time around, Preparation has won 1st place. However, Eager Punch still holds a very good position and will always be the go-to card when it comes to winning the game! If you haven't won the game yet, try giving these cards and relics a shot!

It's interesting to note that we've seen people picking a lot of Shadow Blade?? We launched our demo at the time when the Solo Leveling Sung-Jinwoo anime was released; could it be the effect of the anime?!
So far, compared to our pre-demo stats, we've improved in terms of difficulty level.
It seems like you guys enjoy it more than before. Yay! ːsteamhappyː

• We have noticed issues regarding gameplay speed settings.
  
• The impact of roguelite progression is not strong enough.
  
• Events are boring.
  
• Many other notes mentioned performance issues and varying difficulty levels; some players are seeking more challenges!
  
• Improvements can still be made in some UX areas, like card smelting where recipes aren't clear.
  
• And many more...

We've also heard some might feel uncomfortable sharing information, so in the future, we'll now have an option for players to opt-out. Sorry if this causes you inconvenience and stops you from playing the game. ːcrying_yetiː

With our small team, instead of fixing the current demo, we've decided to put our resources into early access, doing the fixes from the demo in a potentially beta testing branch in the future. There will definitely be a playtest before launching, so if you want to join our playtest, don't forget to join our Discord!

[discord.gg]https://steamproxy.com/steamstore/app/1476400/Northwind/

Thank you so much for playing our demo and for all your feedback. 💖
With your voice, we know where we should be heading, what will make an impact, and what makes you want to see more in the game.
We hope you had a good time playing Northwind, and we aim to deliver an even better version in Demo 1.0 and Early Access! So please look forward to it! 😤🔥🔥
The Northwind team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾