December Devlog!

Hello again! We're almost on the other side of the holidays, so I hope you've been enjoying time off relaxing with your friends and family. We got some very exciting news shortly before Christmas and although it made us so excited to get back to work on Rolling Hills, we still made an effort to take time off and recharge. So with all that in mind, it's time to hit the ground running in 2020!

Note: I'm going to use a lot of concept art today since we're still in the middle of implementing a lot of these ideas into Rolling Hills! They're in there, but they're not pretty enough to share just yet.

🤖 Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto

Remember in our November devlog when I wrote about how employees were at the top of our wish list? Say hello to Sushi Bot!

We've been racking our brains trying to come up with the perfect solution for employees in Rolling Hills. Robots offer a really clear metaphor for upgrades and they can work continuously. At first, this was because we wanted the player to be able to leave the restaurant and still have sushi being served to customers, but now we're even thinking that the robots could generate income once you've turned the game off.

So how does that work? Over the course of the game you'll unlock recipes that you can load into the robot. You start with just one recipe slot, but you can purchase more with your earnings. Eventually the recipe list will look almost like a playlist. As long as you have the necessary ingredients, the robot will make dishes in that order. We've found that it's really fun to watch the robot at work, and it allows the player to take on a more managerial role.

☕ La Café

In these posts I often talk about finding a balance between working the restaurant and exploring the rest of Rolling Hills, but we've been a little quiet about what the town has to offer. So let's change that and talk about the cafe!

This little shop has so much to offer! As you can see, it's also a book store and it has a stage for live performances! This offers us so many opportunities for unique gameplay, but I'm particularly excited to see who will take the stage. You can expect weekly trivia and game nights, plus live comedy and music. The animals of Rolling Hills can't wait to share their talents with you!

🐶 We Have A Winner!

James and I were having trouble coming up with a name for the Rolling Hills resident you see above, so we decided to let the community suggest some and let patrons vote on the winner. Without further ado, say hello to Kip! That suggestion came from one of our lovely friends on Twitter. I love it because it sounds like yip which in turn reminds me of a bark. Subtle but cute! Thanks to everyone who participated.

 ❤️ Thank you!

As we wrap up 2019, James and I have so much to be thankful for. We were hesitant to start sharing Rolling Hills while it's still early in development, but I'm so glad we overcame our nerves because players, patrons, event organizers, developers, and even a few publishers have been so kind to us. I hope you're as excited to see things grow in 2020 as we are! Happy New Year!