It’s been officially one week since you’ve all started swapping ~ we hope you’re having an incredible time!

We’ve all been chatting and lurking in streams, watching videos, and taking notes on all of your feedback and reactions to the game, and wanted to share what we’ve been working on in regards to bug fixes and polish since launch.


As a general reminder, you should have your Steam keys by now! If you haven’t seen your key yet, please make sure to:

1. Remember if you participated in the Beta ~ if so, you already have your key! Just right click on the game in your library, go to Properties > Betas > Select “none” on the dropdown menu. The game should update to the full release version.
   
2. Check your spam folder -- it may have ended up there - to help with the search, please note all the keys were send on Feb 3rd! And, if you still can't find it...
   
3. Email contact@softnotweak.com -- It’ll help if you can include the email you used when backing the Kickstarter and/or your Backer number!

WAHOO! Our first milestone goal was around 50 by the first week, and we’re already almost to 100?! Y’all are the best!

If you've been playing and haven't yet left a review, please consider doing so!

As a reminder, leaving Steam Reviews for indie games is one of the best ways to help out post-launch if you enjoyed what you played! It can help us get more visibility (algorithmically but also for future Steam-related opportunities) and reviews help us when talking with other potential partners (like publishers, funds, or even merch folks!) 🥳


These issues shouldn’t bug you anymore! Here’s the list of all the fixes and polish we’ve just pushed to the game. We're not done yet, though, so please continue to share any bugs and feedback via our {LINK REMOVED}bug report form and Discord!

Without further ado, today's fixes include:

• Run in Background enabled, default screen mode set to Fullscreen Window (i.e. Borderless Window)
  
• Minor difficulty decrease to Spicy and Sheesh
  
• Edited for misspellings in events and character descriptions
  
• Edited for colored text readability
  
• Skip button is now hold-to-use, starts slower, accelerates, and is on E/Right Bumper
  
• Fixed Timekeeper not working properly in Endless mode
  
• Added a pop-up before the credits roll to make it clearer that the game continues afterwards
  
• Fixed achievements being delayed
  
• "Gimme Variety" achievement is fixed, and should unlock retroactively
  
• Fixed typo in credits and included missing Witch on High tier
  
• Limited Refresh Rates available in Resolution Settings to only the current monitors refresh rate
  
• Remove refresh rate display on Resolution Settings (we now just take whatever the current monitor is)
  
• Fixed Samar, Dio, Cleo, and Theo individually being counted as part of the total affection count leading to improper progress display.
  
• Fixed fast as f*ck display check not functioning

Again, find a bug? Let us know!
The best place to let us know? {LINK REMOVED}This bug report form!


The Makeship campaign is LIVE and only has 14 days left!

Check out the page here[www.makeship.com] and you can pre-order a Froggo of your very own (cheeks and all!)

The campaign will only fund and ship if we make it to the goal of 200 Froggos pre-ordered, and we're already just over 20% funded, so be sure to get that in ahead of the deadline to help ensure it becomes a reality!

Again, we've been SO over the moon with how the reception has been. From cosplay, fanart, snippets of fanfic, and even the first ever Spirit Swap tournament (!!!), you've made this a truly special experience.

Can't wait to share more about the upcoming update 🤩 But that'll be for next time! Thanks, and stay tuned ~ until then, keep swapping!

💗💗💗 The Spirit Swap team

Hi Swappers!

Is it….is it really time? YES!

✨✨✨SPIRIT SWAP: LOFI BEATS TO MATCH-3 TO IS OUT NOW!✨✨✨

The game is officially available to play and we couldn’t be more happy/ exhausted / nervous / excited / asdl;fjkaqweropiu 💗


Launching a game - especially right now - is scary pretty much any way you slice it, but we hope when you see the title screen, listen to the music, bop with Froggo, and flex your pecs with Ishk (you know you’ll do it), that our game that began way back in 2019 (!!!) brings you joy.

OKAY!

Wipe those (happy) tears: we have some housekeeping!

⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

Beyond picking up a copy of the game (and maybe one for a friend 😙) the absolute BEST way you can support us is by leaving a Steam review! It doesn’t have to be long or poetic - although if that’s your style, please go for it.

Basically, not only are Steam reviews a way for us to have something (hopefully) nice to read and feel happy about, but they are an important part of helping provide evidence to future funders, platforms, and partners that Spirit Swap is something they should pay attention to. Our ultimate goal is to get to 500 Steam reviews 👀 Sooooo…leave a review. We dare you.

The best place to let us know? {LINK REMOVED}This bug report form!

We’ll explore getting an updated demo later, but the one we currently have is VERY outdated! So, we’re removing it, just so folks don’t get the wrong idea about the state of the game. We may have a refreshed demo in the future, and will keep you posted if/when we’re able to take time to make that happen, but right now? We’re just focusing on the launch!


As we mentioned in our last update, our plan is to get Fashion in a post-launch update out in 2025, and once we have a more solid date, you bet we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops.


The Makeship campaign is LIVE! Check out the page here[www.makeship.com] and you can pre-order a Froggo of your very own. The campaign will only fund and ship if we make it to the goal, but the best part? We already have the prototype Froggo developed, and Makeship handles everything!

Yalla, habibis! 🌛🌸🟢🔷Let’s get swapping!

💗💗💗 The Spirit Swap team

Happy New Year! The holiday decor is stored, snacks eaten, and we are under 30 days (!!!) until we launch Spirit Swap.

Ahead of the launch, we wanted to share our plans for the game: what you can expect upon release and beyond! It’s -- hopefully -- also our chance to share a little bit more behind-the-scenes and what we’ve learned as we’ve done this first game together as a team for those interested in a little of what it takes to make a game in 2025.


With this update, you’ll be able to dress up Samar in a selection of outfits to swap in style!

While we wish we could have included Fashion in the game's 1.0 launch, the reality is that making a game is expensive—even more so because one of our tenants as a co-op is to pay all of our contractors living wages, thus expanding our costs a bit more. Adding this feature in post-launch content allows us to get that final bit of funds to help pay our contractors and get the feature to you in a quality state.

We already have some of the outfit concepts from our Backers done -- while we won’t show you what we ARE using, here’s an example of two that didn’t quite make the cut…and one that did!

Our plan is to get this post-launch update out in 2025, and once we have a more solid date, you bet we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops!


One of the realities of game development is scope. It’s one of the tried and true tenets that if you’re making a game, you should scope down…and then scope down again. While we initially thought our scope could account for a BHYG Mode (an 8-player versus frenzy), once we got into development and discussion over it these last few months, it ended up not panning out in terms of what we could finish -- and polish -- to the quality that we hoped to achieve.

Now, will BHYG Mode someday make its way back into the world of Spirit Swap? We won’t lie: we’d love to try our hand at it again in the future, perhaps if the funding, time, and stars align. But, at the moment, we’re saying goodBHY to this game mode, and plan on focusing more on making the features we DO have in the game as solid as possible!


Some of the things we have been spending our time finessing include ensuring we have a variety of features to help folks play how they want to. So, we thought we’d spend a little time checking out the Settings tab!

One of the first settings we have to help folks out is the ability to manipulate saturation -- to help ease eye strain.

We’ve also included text animation! The game’s text waves, shakes, and even changes color to help ensure that visually -- not just auditorily -- you can sense how the tone of the conversation is going.

The story log is also implemented if you need to take a look back at what was said in the latest scene:

We’ve even included a different style of spirit (harkening back to the OG Panel de Pon days) for folks who prefer that visual style.

Finally, we’ve also added the “Skip this Round” button to the pause screen. We know sometimes you just wanna get to the story, or perhaps you’re just not feeling it that round. You can always skip and move on to the next round (or just skip them all and not do the match entirely).

These are just a few of the additions we’ve included, and we’re continuing to polish polish polish! Our main priority right now is going through and playing the game as much as possible, trying to catch everything we can ahead of Feb 3rd.



We do have some exciting news on the Froggo front! Over the past few months, we’ve been working with the Makeship crew to design a Froggo plush so you can have a FamiliarZ of your very own to chill with. Check out the page here (and be sure to visit it on Feb 3rd if you’d like to pick a Froggo for yourself)!

For those unfamiliar with Makeship, it’s a crowdfunding campaign-based plushie company. During a campaign, if we reach our goal of pre-orders for the plushie, then it becomes a reality! They will take care of all the manufacturing, shipping, and fulfillment. We’ve already got an adorable design, and can’t wait to share the unredacted image with you all soon.

That’s it for this month’s update! We’re working hard and can’t believe the day is almost here! Feb 3, here we gooooo~

<3 The Spirit Swap team

Hi Spirit Swappers,

Okay. breathe. Yes. Calm. Serene.


We just announced the news on the latest Wholesome Snack: a showcase we hold near and dear to our hearts, as it’s been a part of our journey since the Kickstarter campaign! It was only fitting we share this exciting news during the showcase.

Want to see the release date announcement trailer? Look no further!
(and turn up your headphones)


We’ll keep you posted in January with more details about the game’s progress, launch, and all those fun details. But for now? Thanks for sticking with us over the years, letting us be vulnerable with you as we go through the absolute rollercoaster that is game development, and for all the feedback on the Beta.

We hope you all stay as safe as you can this holiday season, you take care of yourselves and each other, and stay tuned for more!

Love,
The Spirit Swap team

Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye, and it’s time for our first update since the Backer Beta has gone live! Today will be a quicker update, showing off a succession of screenshots (ooo!) and gifs (aah!) of the polish and fixes we’ve done based on the feedback we’ve received.


In the first version of the Beta, we only included the initial round of main narrative events -- what we’ve been calling internally the “C Supports”. These events with each character helped you meet them and get to know them. A little sampling. A taste test, if you will. Now? You can deepen those relationships further because we’ve added each character's second tier of main events. Their B Supports! Here are screenshots of a few B support moments now implemented into the game ~

The B Supports are especially significant because at the end of each character’s B Support event, you get to pick whether or not you’d like to move forward platonically or romantically with each character (with one exception).

Next up for implementation? The A Supports, the final main tier for each character arc! Wahooo!


It’s not implemented yet, but we’re working on a “Who’s Who” modal to help you keep track of your besties, as well as a “Log” so if you need to refresh yourself on the details of a convo, you’ve got it at your fingertips!


There are a bunch of details that we’ve been fixing up and working on based on our own internal testing as well as bug reports and feedback from the beta backers. A few of the highlights?

Fixed the “Got Item” screen to include dynamic text input (here’s a stinky test example for you):
Added Stereo/Mono speaker configuration to Audio Settings
Added Visual Saturation settings to decrease the saturation of all visuals (to help with eye strain):
We’ll share another update in a few weeks -- between A Supports coming soon, as well as finishing out the Room Hub, we've got a lot going into the build through the rest of October. Talk soooon!

Love,

The Spirit Swap team

We wanted to make sure that everyone got a hefty update about what we’re up to, as it’s been a minute. Two or three minutes, really! We mentioned this in our recent Kickstarter Backer’s update, but want to reiterate it here more widely:

The year has been full of hard work as well as personal heartache and challenges for the team. We’re truly appreciative that you’ve all been patient and kind as we navigate this wonderful thing called ‘game development’ while maintaining our day jobs, and, well, everything.

One of the rewards for Kickstarter Backers who supported at the Witch’s Groove tier and beyond was exclusive access to a Spirit Swap Backer Beta, and we’re proud to say that we’ve reached that milestone! The Backer Beta is live today (we’re pushing it out and sending keys RIGHT NOW), and we’re officially coming out of heads-down mode to share what we’ve been working on over the last year, both in terms of development and regarding our launch plans. But first? Some enticing gifs for youuuu ~

Please note: if you are a Kickstarter Backer at the Witch's Groove tier (and above) and you haven't received your beta key by around 10 am PST today, check your spam folder (just in case) and then feel free to reach out to us at contact (at) softnotweak (dot) com.


The VO is finally totally implemented, and it’s incredible to see (hear?) each of our characters come to life. We had eight talented voice actors contribute their skills to this endeavor, and wanted to take the time to introduce each of them to you with one of their Versus lines in the game. To hear a victory bark, click on the character's name (linked below each image).

Want to see more about each voice actor? We've linked more info for each: just click on their name!

Samar[drive.google.com] - Jay Taylor[jtaylorvo.com]

Mo[drive.google.com] - NJ Agwuma[www.instagram.com]

Kedsi[drive.google.com] - Kadecia[x.com]

Kanon[drive.google.com], Pookie[drive.google.com] - Jalen K. Cassell[x.com]

Leon[drive.google.com], Citrine, Iolite - Fiona Rene[www.instagram.com]

Dio[drive.google.com], Variquoise - Mara Junot[www.marajunot.com]

Cleo[drive.google.com], Larvikite - Kendall Byrd[www.kbyrdvo.com]

Iskandar[drive.google.com] - Greyson Yousif

Theo[drive.google.com], Lulu[drive.google.com], Beryl - Anjali Kunapaneni[x.com]

What’s that, you say? Some of these names don’t have links? And you don't know who those unlinked characters are?!

👀 We’re still keeping some snippets under wraps and saved for later ~


Continued polish is the big focus now. During the backer beta (which is from September 17 - November 12), we’ll be taking feedback to continue to shine up every aspect of the game that we can, adding details to really make it feel great to play. Here are some of the bits of polish we’ve added (and are working to add):


A snazzy “Got Item” pop up so you can really celebrate the gifts your friends give you!
More expressions, like this panicked Lulu!
….and this INTENSE Lulu!
Exploring more ways to add more information to the world map so you can keep track of how you’re spending your time in Demashq.
And more!


They’re still coming along! These two elements are still planned, but their complexity means they’ll likely be included in an update not too long after the main launch of the game.


What’s that? A fresh trailer? YUP! We are in the process of getting ready to announce the release date, which means storyboarding and starting to prep the launch trailer. For funsies, here’s a sneak peek at a favorite early WIP storyboard frame…

Blurry, chaotic, and cute. Very relatable.

…and the turnaround of Samar that Sam has been working on:

When deciding when to release the game, we’re not only take into account when the game is done -- we’re also tracking other game releases and event opportunities that can help us reach the most folks with the news.

Because of a few opportunities we’re aiming for (and for a bit of a full circle moment for ourselves), we’ve decided to release in early 2025. We’re tossing around a couple of specific dates, and depending on what additional support we can garner, that may impact which one we go with. (hee hee hee ho ho ho, marketing witchcraft and secrets)

As soon as we can share an official date, we will let you know! But for now, we sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed this update. We’ll be aiming to post monthly again now that we’re in the midst of the Backer Beta.

Have fun in Demashq!

💜 The Spirit Swap team



PS: SPEEEEENING

We have emerged! Crisp leaves, rainy days, and cool weather (finally) is also bringing in a wave of updates and news. Ready? Ready!


2023 has been a year of incredible progress for our team. We’ve made substantial headway on the game, and are incredibly proud of how far it’s come along. I mean, just look at this early work compared to now:

Attending our first-ever physical event EVER this year (more on PAX West below) meant it was the first time we got to experience the joy of watching people play Spirit Swap in-person. It was immensely inspiring to our whole team, and a huge validation of the work we’ve put in thus far.

Our number one priority has been about creating the best game we can - inspired by the people and communities we love - while always considering the well-being of our team. While we’ve made strides in the progress of the game and towards a full launch, these spirits need a little more time before they can be swapped by the general public, and we don’t believe in crunching to do so.

As a result, we’d like to share that we've decided to push Spirit Swap’s launch to 2024.

We truly appreciate the patience and kindness you’ve all shown throughout this whole process thus far, and we can’t wait for y’all to be able to fully dive into the game once it’s ready.


Because PAX West takes place in Seattle, we knew we wanted to be sure and attend! This year, we had the pleasure of being a part of the PAX Rising booth, a celebration of indie games (particularly those who don’t have a publisher/are self-publishing).

In addition to a rare instance where the entire team was in one place (YAY!) we also got to watch and learn as visitors played two different available demos for Spirit Swap. The narrative demo…and local Versus!

In addition to the many kind words from folks who came by, we came away from the event with some memorable press coverage. From notable outlets like IGN - who classified us as one of the top games to see at PAX West - and Gayming Magazine[gaymingmag.com], to getting highlighted by local journalists, like in GeekWire[www.geekwire.com]. The word on the street is that Spirit Swap is full of style and heart, and we’re SO happy to hear it (and hope to keep delivering!)


Another picture of a word doc? You got it! The major element we have left is narrative and filling the game with delicious, delectable ~content~. The “Golden Path” (the narrative backbone) of the game is done, so all of the work right now is making sure we have the events and chat logs to really make these characters come to life.

Actually, wait. Instead of a word doc…. How about the first glimpse at one of the CGs you could potentially unlock as you play? 👀 PRETTYYYYYY


One of the major recurring pieces of feedback we’ve gotten through our various demo forms is the request to have more character expressions to fully convey the emotions Samar and their friends are going through. We totally agreed! Here are a few of the expressions Sam’s been working on. Our favorite detail? The flowers that tie in with her emotional state! AHHHH!

See you next month,

The home stretch is always the longest, at least, it can feel that way, but we’re happy to be sharing this journey with you all. Thanks again!

Until next time, find us on Twitter, our Discord[discord.gg], or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!

Not only are we part of this year’s Wholesome Direct, but we have a brand-new demo out NOW for you to enjoy along with a page refresh!

In this demo, you’ll get to know some of Samar’s friends a bit more in the Story Mode and even try your hand in Versus Mode. 👀

As with all demos, it’s a work in progress, but what we’re most excited about is getting more feedback from you to continue to improve your time in Demashq.

At the end of the Story Mode, you can access our Feedback Survey, or just click here[k1zwm815u8b.typeform.com] if you want to share your thoughts after playing. This limited-time demo will stay live until June 30th, so enjoy it while it’s out! Thank you so much, and we hope you enjoy playing!

Love,

The Spirit Swap Team

We have emerged! It’s now spring, and like the beautiful butterfly, we

Wait.

While yes, we are emerging like beautiful butterflies with lots of cool things to share, we also wanted to say that it’s been a while because we’ve been heads down developing Spirit Swap in addition to balancing our day jobs and Life(™).

We’re sorry for the quiet period, but happy to say that we’ve gotten to a point in the game’s progress where we’re able to hop back into sharing mode. We’ve got a lot, so let’s get started!


Updated environments? IN!
World map? DONE.
Amazing emotes? CHECK.
Gradients for days? YES.

In addition to working on core features, a good chunk of time has been on polishing and making sure the game looks colorful, joyful, and full of that *special sauce*.

We could just sit here and describe it all to you, but I remember learning in 5th grade about ‘showing, not telling’ so why not show you a few gifs to illustrate what we mean?

Just as a reminder, check out our world map before:

And here it is NOW:

We LOVE how it’s turned out, and would love to know: where would you want to head to first?
All the environments and locations have also been updated and fully implemented, like Leon’s Tattoo Parlor:

And here’s the updated take on Ishk’s Beach!

Now that the world is all there, what we’ll be focusing on is getting all of the narrative in, and testing, testing, testing.


Speaking of narrative! Alex has been finessing the story of Spirit Swap, and while we can’t tell you TOO much about the specifics (this is a spoiler-free zone!) we CAN share this:

Okay, jokes aside, we’ve been really pleased with how each of our characters have come to life -- in addition to getting the story into the game to playtest it, finalizing VO is also up next, and we can’t wait for that!


In addition to working on story mode, Versus has been getting lots of UI/UX love so you can swap your hearts out (either with a friend or with a CPU!)

Check out this character select screen!

And as you pick your characters, you’ll be able to customize how chill (or not!) you’d like your board to be.


Rejon and Jenny attended GDC!

Rejon gave an INCREDIBLE (actually got people teary) talk about Spirit Swap titled “Inclusive Nostalgia” as part of a wider panel titled “Game Design for Inclusive Representation”.

Jenny - along with the rest of the Wholesome Games team - talked about why wholesome games matter:

The SpiSwa team also got to hang out with Adanna and Jenna (members of the Spirit Swap narrative team) for the first time ever in-person, enjoying some delicious ramen together! ;-; <3


WHEW! We’re excited to really ramp up sharing news with you all now that spring has sprung. Thanks for all your patience, and we’ll be back with more dev updates at the end of May!

Until then, find us on Twitter, our Discord, or here in the comments if you have any questions. Stay hydrated and safe!


Love,

The Spirit Swap Team