Droplet: States of Matter – Autumn Hills level rework

Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early access 1.24 is now available! This update reworks the Autumn Hills level to have a brand new layout.

As one of the first levels of the game, Autumn Hills is essential for presenting a first impression. One of the most important factors for this level especially was its appearance. I wanted to bring it in line with more recently updated levels with a graphical makeover, turning it into a cozy farm in the middle of the forest. In addition, I wanted to give the level a second pass to make sure that the player is ready for the challenges that lie ahead in later levels. I removed puzzles which seemed too one-off for the area, and presented how the states of matter get used more clearly. By narrowing the level’s focus, this would ease the player into acclimatizing to the game’s complex mechanics.

As a result, the level now features a greater focus on the mechanics of plasma form. To help players better understand early on what plasma form’s abilites are, I added more scenarios where they would be able to make use of it. These include the addition of hardlight platforms as well cannons that launch you to other points in the level.

Additionally, some players discovered ways to go out of bounds in cloud form to skip large areas of the level. Rather than leading the player into believing they discovered an oversight, I thought it would be better design the level so that making such large jumps is required to progress. Very early on in the level, a simple platforming challenge helps the player get accustomed to the height and distance cloud form is able to jump.

That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!

Patch Notes

Gameplay

  • Autumn Hills level layout reworked from the ground up.
  • Moved one of the artifacts to a different level.
  • Some enemies will now only engage the player only if they have a clear line of sight.

Graphics

  • Graphical overhaul of Autumn Hills.
  • Drawbridges now have their emblems disappear when lowered.
  • Recolored the grasshopper enemy so that it stands out better from the background.

Audio

  • Enemies in Autumn Hills now make use of sound attenuation (i.e. you can hear where they are coming from based on left and right audio channels).

Misc

  • Adjustments to plasma cannon’s collision box.
  • Fixed incorrect animation if you launch from a cannon while crouching.