Hi everyone!

First off, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already stopped off at Octopia station! It's been amazing to see so many of you enjoying the new DLC in the past few days since launch - thank you for all of the fan art, kind comments and excitement for Eastward: Octopia!

If you want to join in on Eastward: Octopia discussions, share tips or gush over Alva & Isabel's cute house, feel free to join the Official Chucklefish Discord community[discord.com]!

Rest assured we've been logging all of your feedback and bug reports, and the dev team at Pixpil have also been busy working on a patch since release - out today. You can now pet the piglets without concern! 🐷


As always - spoiler warning for the patch notes!

• Fixed the bug where the game would freeze when petting piglets at night.
  
• Fixed the bug where the pig's expressions and animations didn't appear when petting the pig
  
• Fixed the issue of conflicts between the Baoli event and the Alva Pancake quest event. （Players need to load the save file from the previous day to resolve the error that already occurred.）
  
• Fixed the issue Alva keeps giving the player Coffee Beans when spoken to multiple times.
  
• Fixed the bug where music didn't stop when chasing fish after hooking.
  
• Fixed the issue where clicking the exit button during ingredient selection had no response.
  
• Fixed the grammar for the English dialogue for Benjamin, Robot Daniel, President & Secretary.
  
• Updated the explosion animation for mine bomb game.
  
• Fixed the issue where there was a small probability of only one tile generated after entering the next level in the mining mini-game.
  
• Updated the William entrance animation.
  
• Various typos fixed.
  
• Fixed an issue where the three children NPC task sometimes didn't appear
  
• Fixed the issue in the cooking interface where the quantity of certain ingredients was displayed incorrectly in the dish details.
  
• Fixed the issue where, in certain situations, you could still hear the cursor sound after opening and then closing the map.
  
• Fixed the issue where Sam's expression of imitating the scarecrow was incorrect in certain circumstances
  
• Fixed an issue where opening the store would get stuck when upgrading multiple farm tool animations from the store at the same time.
  
• Fixed the issue where, after bringing Mother back to the farm, the map displayed two locations with Mother.

Our friends at The Yetee have just dropped 3x new Eastward merch items[theyetee.com], each with an Octopia flavour, and all designed by Yetee artist Mikoto! 🌱

• Alva & Isabel T-Shirt[theyetee.com]
  
• Sam & Scarecrow T-Shirt[theyetee.com]
  
• Octopia sticker sheet[theyetee.com]

We'd love to hear which is your favourite design! While you're there, be sure to check out the merch back-catalogue with designs based off the Eastward base game.

Head on over to http://theyetee.com/eastward for more details!

If you're still waiting to pick up the Eastward: Octopia DLC, you might be interested to see recent coverage:




https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/Eastward__Octopia/

Enjoy Octopia, folks!

Hello everyone!

Today is the day! Get ready to trade in John's bang-bang gun for a watering can, and embark on a tranquil new life in Octopia. (Don't worry, you'll still need that frying pan 🍳).

In Eastward: Octopia, Sam and John return in a parallel world adventure, leaving the miasma and monsters behind them, to start a simpler life, living off the land.

Eastward: Octopia is available for $5.99 / £4.99 / €5.89 / 700円 / ¥22 CNY, with a special launch offer of 15% off the DLC running from today until February 14th! We're also running special limited-time offers on the base game & bundle too.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/Eastward__Octopia/

🌏 Playable in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).

Eastward: Octopia is available for $5.99 / £4.99 / €5.89, with a special launch offer of 15% off the DLC running from today until February 14th!

The Eastward base game is also on sale at 40% off, and if you haven't started your Eastward journey yet there's a discounted Bundle available too! The Bundle is also available with the discounts included so there's no better time to jump in!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/36902/Eastward__Between_Two_Worlds_Bundle

♨ Lead a peaceful new life: Help Sam and John cultivate a life free from worries. Say goodbye to the chaos of the outside world and immerse yourself in a countryside haven.
 
🌾 Revitalise the farmstead: Roll up your sleeves and breathe life back into a neglected cottage and its lands. Grow crops, rear (and pet!) adorable animals, forage in the wetlands, wind down with some fishing, and even strike up a conversation with a friendly ghost.

💗 Build a thriving community: Construct and upgrade stores and homes to transform Octopia into a bustling community. Complete culinary requests to attract more familiar faces to the area — some might decide to make Octopia their permanent home!

🍳 Culinary Delights: Utilise farm-fresh ingredients and John's Cookbook to whip up delicious recipes. Invite your neighbours to dinner to share your culinary creations and build connections over the universal language of good food.

Eastward: Octopia is now available on Steam and Nintendo Switch[www.nintendo.com].

An important note regarding the NS physical version - please ensure you purchase the DLC from the same eShop region as the base game in order for the DLC to activate. If you purchased a physical copy of Eastward, please check which region it is before you download the DLC product.

In terms of other platforms where the Eastward base game is currently available, the dev team are looking into making the DLC available and we will update the community as soon as we have more news.

Did you know that Eastward is also fully verified for play on SteamDeck? We think Eastward: Octopia is the perfect game to take with you on the go!


Eastward: Octopia takes place in a parallel universe, so there's no need to have finished (or even started) Eastward's base game story to enjoy the simple life - you can even play it straight from the main menu.

Although many familiar faces appear in Eastward: Octopia, the plot, gameplay and character 'settings' will be a completely new experience.

However, please note that a copy of Eastward is required to access the DLC.

Once you've purchased and downloaded the DLC, make sure the DLC is 'checked' in the base game properties. After starting the base game of Eastward in your Steam Library, you can then travel to the pastoral time and space of Eastward: Octopia is a single click from the main menu interface!🚞

Eastward and the Eastward: Octopia DLC each have their own independent multi-save location. This means that when you need a break from the bustling streets of New Dam City, you can jump back in the DLC where you left off for some rural tranquillity in Octopia (or vice versa)! Although the stories unfold in parallel, experiencing the two completely different lives of the protagonists at the same time might also help to unearth some easter egg links that will make you smile! 😄


We estimate that it will take about 15 to 20 hours to clear the main content of the DLC, but the actual time depends on your playstyle. Some players may spend more time discovering recipes to unlock and make various tasty dishes 🍛, or get re-acquainted with familiar characters! You might also indulge more time in mini-games such as fishing 🎣 or the bomb-mining game. It's safe to say there is much to be discovered!

⏩ We have also added the "fast forward" function from the recent December base game QoL update. When playing animations and talking to characters, players can press the E key to speed up and skip text passages; or they can take a nap on the bench in front of John & Sam's cottage to recover their physical strength while the in-game time speeds up.

A successful life in the countryside always starts with getting hold of some good farm tools and getting to work planting and harvesting crops, clearing the fields, and selling your produce! Last week we posted a Steam News blog all about Farm Management tips - take a look!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/977880/view/6507196838848385990

You can also bring up the game menu at any time to view the current cooking tasks, find out the location of town residents on the map, check crop information and maturity time, and gradually unlock more character information. Videos demonstrating farming, harvesting, felling etc. in the game are also shown in the Settings menu.

Now available for pre-order is the 'Eastward: Design Works' collection, including music, prints, and a stunning 250-page masterpiece of an artbook, all created in collaboration with our pals from Lost in Cult.

There are 2 different editions to choose from, including the 'New Dam City Deluxe Edition' featuring a beautiful spot-gloss hardcover, yellow slipcase and outer box, section sewn binding, art prints, A3 posters, enamel pin badges, a cute 'saving memories' Fridge bookmark, a set of Eastward culinary recipe cards + an Earth Born zine! The first 500 copies of the New Dam City version will also include a bookplate attached to the inside, signed by the dev team at Pixpil.

The Eastward: Design Works is expected to ship in Summer 2024.

Check the Lost in Cult website to grab yours before the campaign ends on Feb 14th![www.lostincult.co.uk]

We're beyond excited for you to embrace the simplicity and joy that await in Eastward: Octopia. Thanks to each of you who supported and got excited about this new project with Pixpil!

We hope you have a blast! 🌱🎣🍲✨

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/Eastward__Octopia/

Hello everyone!

It's only a few days to go now until the release of Eastward: Octopia DLC on January 31st!

As a reminder it's coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch first, and is priced at $5.99 / £4.99 / €5.89 / 700円 / ¥22 CNY. It will be playable in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish!

Although the pastoral life in Octopia is leisurely and comfortable, as farmers, John and Sam still need to work hard to turn their muddy fields into bountiful harvests. In order to restore prosperity to the town, we have prepared a guide to farm management and land reclamation for you ahead of your stay in Octopia:

In this parallel universe of Eastward, you’ll find a beautiful pixel art world free from miasma and monster invasions. Instead waiting for you beyond the train station gates is a small town ready to be renovated and a rundown farm desperately in need of some TLC.

First step? Clear away all of that the rubble and weeds, and sow some colourful seeds instead! On sunny days you’ll need to irrigate your crops with your handy unlimited watering can, and once they’re ready pop on your gloves to harvest them with one click.

In addition to the half-acre field at your doorstep, the town also has other ecological wonders waiting to be discovered - woods, wetlands, beaches… Use various tools to crush rocks and chop trees to collect building materials, and find special resources - perhaps you'll encounter something that can be used as ingredients for cooking or sold at William’s shop - every natural gift can be put to good use!

Of course all tasks require a bit of effort to be done properly - from sowing seeds, to chopping and watering tasks, each mechanic reduces the energy bar in the lower left corner of the screen. You can restore your vitality with a good sleep and some of John’s amazing cooking. In the early stages of the game, food and money may be a little scarce, so it’s important to think carefully about ‘economical’ farm work, and how you will best spend your day.

For example, a secret to making a fortune quickly might be in planting crops with short harvest times, or grinding grains to sell in William’s shop for higher rewards. When you're ready to lay down your tools for a while, John and Sam can sit on the bench in front of your home to watch the day roll by, and slowly regain energy.

In comparison with the travelling adventures in the base Eastward game, John’s time in Octopia sees his finally having a chance to improve his cooking skills, creating and studying the preparation of new recipes and rich specialties. As you spend more time in Octopia, you will discover special recipes based on different ingredients through thought-bubble association.

You can then harvest, forage or source these ingredients to combine and cook delicacies from the mountains and seas. For example, think of rice and shrimp together, and you'll get a delicious new recipe.

Food doesn't only restore the physical strength of John and Sam, but also furthers the story of Octopia and its inhabitants. Throughout your journey you’ll spot familiar faces from Eastward’s base game, but they might look a little different this time around and act in unexpected ways in their new life in Octopia... Some things never change though, and certainly not these character's foodie nature - so if you want to get to know their stories, you’ll first need to sate their appetites!

Preparing ingredients is also a key part of cooking: foraging in the wetlands and rivers, planning planting according to the maturity and harvesting times of different crops, and ordering seeds and stock from the store in advance of running out of stock… It all adds up!

But remember the best way to celebrate many days of busy work on the farm is to invite all of your friends around for dinner and share stories across the table while eating delicious home-cooked meals.

Octopia is full of rivers and ponds, making it an absolute paradise for budding anglers. But this might not be fishing like you know it - long gone are the days of swinging the rod to reel in the line, putting down the bobber and waiting for a hungry fish to take the bait.

In Octopia fishing is about speed and strength! Fish will race in a circle, so you’ll need to pull up the rod at the exact moment you catch up with their shadow. Some agile fish species may require a few more attempts! If you’re too slow, the fish will break free from the line and escape back into the waterways.

Not only is fishing a way to spend some time away from the farm, but in the early stages of the game it can also be a great way to obtain cooking ingredients without expending too much energy, or can be turned into a tidy profit if sold in the store.

In addition to your farm’s nearby ponds, you can also explore new fishing areas as the town develops. Different types of fish require different physical strength and can also be more difficult to fish. By choosing a variety of baits, you can reel in unexpected catches - even if you happen to catch a roll of toilet paper, it might have other ‘convenient’ uses!

When you first arrive in Octopia it looks a little bit… unloved. Well fear not! By cutting down rocks and chopping trees to collect building materials, you will gradually be able to build new facilities, such as stores, pastures and even laboratories, slowly transforming Octopia to its former vibrancy!

Collecting resources will require some time and effort, but keep in mind that upgrading daily farming tools can achieve twice the result with half that effort. For example, upgrading your watering can and fishing rod in the store and through shrines can greatly improve the efficiency of your crop watering and fishing adventures.

As the story progresses, you will unlock the underground mine area! Similar to the visual style of Earthborn, the mining mini-game in the Octopia DLC is inspired by retro arcade machines. Various precious ore resources can be mined by bomb explosions, which can be used to upgrade more practical tools and building facilities.

That’s it for our short introduction to farm management in Eastward: Octopia! We hope it will help you settle into your new rural town life when the DLC launches next week. (There's also still plenty of secrets and easter eggs waiting to be discovered!) Until then, be sure to wishlist the game here on Steam for a notification as soon as Eastward: Octopia releases, and follow us on social media for more information.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/Eastward__Octopia/

• Discord[discord.com]
  
• Instagram[www.instagram.com]
  
• Reddit
  
• Twitter/X
  
• TikTok[www.tiktok.com]

Until next time!

Hi all!

There are now just 2 weeks until the Eastward: Octopia DLC is released!

To celebrate the launch, the development team at Pixpil are hosting an offline trial event for Eastward: Octopia in Shanghai (where the dev team are based) on January 27th and 28th.

At the event, players will be about to try out the new DLC, and discover on a new peaceful life together with Sam and John, as well as be in with the chance to win special merch in a giveaway.

Event Time: January 27-January 28, 2024, 13:00-18:00 each day
Location: 上海市闵行区华中路6号 七宝德必易园光之希望艺术中心

For more information about the Eastward: Octopia event in Shanghai, and how to sign up for a trial session, please refer to the full Chinese blog post on Steam.

For those of you outside of Shanghai, don't worry - Eastward: Octopia's full release is right around the corner!

See you all in Octopia soon! 🌱

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/

Hello Everyone!

Last week's Wholesome Snack announced our release date for the new Eastward DLC "Octopia", and since the announcement we've been so happy to see how excited everyone is to explore it! The team is working hard to assemble the final pieces of the DLC and are looking forward to opening a new chapter for John and Sam on January 31st! Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some DLC details to give players a glimpse of the pastoral scenery which awaits them🌻

We've also seen player feedback about the main game - pointing out that some character dialogue is long and cannot be skipped, and that some large maps need to be re-travelled over during the story which can take a significant amount of time.

In response to this feedback, the team have added a "Story Fast Forward" function on the PC version today⏩. Players can press the E key to speed up playback and skip long scenes to quickly advance through animations and dialogue, allowing them to get right back to the gameplay.

In the world of Eastward there can be a lot of running around🏃, so the team has added "Fast Travel Points". After advancing the story during each chapter, you'll unlock the corresponding teleportation points on the town map for one-click teleportation, reducing the need to run back and forth in the streets and alleys you've already explored.

Keep an eye out for Eastward in the upcoming Steam Winter Sale🎄, the main game will be available for 50% off, the lowest discount ever, for only two weeks! If you don't yet own Eastward, or want to offer it as a gift to a friend - there's never been a better time! Before the train arrives in Octopia, let John and Sam accompany you on a holiday adventure!

Thanks to the community for continuing to support the game - we're really excited to show you what's coming up in 2023!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/977880/_Eastward/

Hi everyone!

Gather 'round because we've got some delightful news that will warm your hearts! 💛

Sam and John, are back for a brand-new DLC adventure into the tranquil world of Octopia, landing on Steam and Nintendo Switch on Jan 31st at $5.99 / £4.99 / €5.89 / 700円 / ¥22 CNY.

We're thrilled to share the news and a brand new trailer in collaboration with Wholesome Snack: The Game Awards Edition!

Get ready to embrace the simple joys of life as you join Sam and John in this cosy and peaceful spinoff. No miasma, no hardships — just pure happiness awaits you. It's time to trade in your swords for shovels and embark on a journey of tranquility with farming, fishing and cooking! 🍛

“I haven’t played Eastward! Do I have to play the base game to get the most out the DLC?”

Eastward: Octopia takes place in a parallel universe, so there's no need to have finished (or even started) Eastward's base game story to enjoy the simple life - you can even play it straight from the menu. However, please note that a copy of Eastward is required to access the DLC.

♨ Lead a peaceful new life: Help Sam and John cultivate a life free from worries. Say goodbye to the chaos of the outside world and immerse yourself in a countryside haven.

🌾 Revitalise the farmstead: Roll up your sleeves and breathe life back into a neglected cottage and its lands. Grow crops, rear (and pet!) adorable animals, forage in the wetlands, wind down with some fishing, and even strike up a conversation with a friendly ghost.

💗 Build a thriving community: Construct and upgrade stores and homes to transform Octopia into a bustling community. Complete culinary requests to attract more familiar faces to the area — some might decide to make Octopia their permanent home!

🍳 Culinary Delights: Utilise farm-fresh ingredients and John's Cookbook to whip up delicious recipes. Invite your neighbours to dinner to share your culinary creations and build connections over the universal language of good food.

🌏 Playable in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).

To ensure you're the first to know about any future updates, wishlist Eastward: Octopia DLC on Steam! We can't wait for you to experience the heartwarming adventure that awaits on January 31st!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2305370/Eastward__Octopia/

See you all soon in pixel art paradise! 🌱✨

Not only is Eastward currently 50% off in the Steam Autumn Sale...


We've got some exciting news for you all: Introducing the "Eastward: Design Works"[www.lostincult.co.uk] collection, including music, prints, and a stunning 250-page masterpiece of an artbook, all created in collaboration with our pals from Lost in Cult.

This exclusive artbook is a treasure trove of creativity, featuring never-before-seen artwork, thought-provoking analysis, and insightful interviews with the brilliant minds behind Eastward (our friends from Pixpil and Joel Corelitz).

The Eastward: Design Works takes you on a journey from sketch to screen, unraveling the mysteries of Pixpil's pixel-perfect art and development process. Explore the influences, design philosophies, and intricate details that breathe life into the game in 2 different options:

STANDARD EDITION - £39.99 RRP
The Standard Edition of the Eastward: Design Works book is ideal for the casual fan, general artbook collector, or gaming culture observer.

Approx. 250+ pages tell the story of Eastward’s development, from sketch to screen, with concept art, sketches, breathtaking visuals, and design work on every single page.

Delve into the stunning locales and the historical contexts behind them. Unravel the influences behind Eastward from inside and outside of video games. Dive into the marketing approach from announcement to release, and identify the hidden messages and roaring reveals that marked Eastward’s grand unveiling and release. Explore the local cuisine found in each in-game location, analyse the characterisation of your favourite characters, and plunge into the in-house game engine used for development.

We leave no stone unturned in Eastward: Design Works - even exploring the upcoming Eastward: Octopia DLC. There truly is nothing quite as extensive as Design Works - this is the true preservation of video game culture.

NEW DAM CITY DELUXE EDITION - Campaign Exclusive, £119.99 RRP
The ultimate, deluxe edition of Eastward: Design Works, presented in the way we feel is best deserving of this incredible game and the story behind it - available exclusively during our timed campaign.

This version features a spot gloss Hardcover, a made-to-measure yellow slipcase, section sewn binding, and unique outer box, with quality design befitting any adventurer’s bookshelf or coffee table.

Also included is an exclusive Earth Born zine - exploring the artistry and design of the surprisingly rich playable in-game curio that serves as a cultural cornerstone for the characters of Eastward, itself inspired by JRPGs like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Earthbound.

The New Dam City Deluxe Edition also features:

• 4 Art Prints
  
• 2 A3 Posters
  
• 4 Enamel Pin Badges
  
• Fridge Bookmark (save those memories!)
  
• A set of recipe cards to Eastward's dishes to the real world!
  
• (As well as the Earth Born zine)

As a bonus, the first 500 copies of New Dam City Deluxe Edition will include an exclusive bookplate attached to the inside cover, signed by the development team at Pixpil.

Currently, the Lost in Cult team is expecting the Eastward Design Works books to ship in Summer 2024.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!


EASTWARD: OCTOPIA VINYL
Signed Campaign Exclusive Yellow, Limited to 1000 Copies

This very limited edition vinyl comes in a striking 12” environmentally-friendly yellow Biovinyl with official character art, and includes the full Eastward: Octopia soundtrack as well as two additional bonus lost tracks from composer Joel Corelitz that aren’t included in the final DLC. Each of the 1000 copies also comes with a certificate of authenticity, signed by Joel Corelitz!

EASTWARD: OCTOPIA CD
We haven’t forgotten about you track skippers! This CD provides the same musical selection as the vinyl, including the unreleased tracks, but in a jewel-case CD offering.

EASTWARD: OCTOPIA CASSETTE
For those who like to rewind after a hard day, this cassette option offers the same musical selection, but in a wonderfully retro cassette form for nostalgic portable listening.

EASTWARD: COMPLETE ORIGINAL DOUBLE-CASSETTE
For fans of the original soundtrack, we’re also thrilled to offer the complete and unabridged original Eastward OST in a beautiful yellow double-cassette - the biggest physical release of the Eastward soundtrack available anywhere! This exclusive musical curio also comes with two previously unreleased tracks from Joel Corelitz from the original game that can’t be heard anywhere else!

THE COMPLETE EASTWARD MUSIC COLLECTION - £89.99 RRP
The entire soundtrack collection, including the Octopia vinyl, CD, cassette, and the double Eastward cassette, for a saving of £16! Also available in two other handy soundtrack bundles, so you can grab everything you want without the fuss.

PREMIUM HIGH-QUALITY A3 ART PRINTS - £80.00 RRP
Lastly, to round off the collection, we’re releasing a series of high-quality A3 art prints. These large prints use Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm stock, which has a tactile feel and fine surface texture, providing excellent reproduction of colour and detail, with deep blacks and optimum contrasts. These are high-end, gallery quality, archival tier prints one one of the best papers in the world, used by serious art print aficionados. These are separate add-ons from what you’ll find in the New Dam City Deluxe book.

All of the above physical music releases are estimated to ship in Q2 2024.

Dive deep into the enchanting world of Eastward and its beloved characters, but it's now or never: the Eastward Design Works is a limited-time project, meaning you have only 60 days to grab yours, ending on Jan 23rd.

Click here and grab your exclusive pass to Eastward's design secrets![www.lostincult.co.uk] 🎨📖

We appreciate all your support in this project. 💛
- Chucklefish team

Hi everyone!

We hope you're looking forward to the upcoming Eastward: Octopia country-life DLC!

In the meanwhile, we wanted to share news that we’ve teamed up with the brilliant minds behind Chained Echoes and Wandering Sword in a new bundle - the Grand Pixel Adventures Bundle! Grab it today and enjoy a 10% discount on your purchase.

Meticulously curated and brought together into a Steam bundle for their charming pixel artistry and immersive storytelling, these 3 games promise an unforgettable adventure for any RPG enthusiast. Unravel tales and embark on captivating quests set in worlds brimming with intrigue, heroism, and wonder.


Journey across the expansive continent of Valandis. Wield a blade, channel arcane powers, or hop into a Mech. Bring harmony to warring kingdoms in this gripping 16-bit styled epic.

“Chained Echoes is simply the best RPG I’ve played in a very very long time.” 10/10 – God is a Geek


Embark on an odyssey in this Chinese martial arts RPG. A tale of a young swordsman, shaped by feud and destiny, navigating the intricate world of pugilism, seeking the highest form of wuxia prowess.

“Wandering Sword is an excellent debut game and has all the hallmarks of a classic RPG. Do not overlook this superb indie gem!” 9/10 – RPGFan


Step into a world teetering on the edge. From quaint towns to curious creatures, arm yourself with a frying pan and mystic abilities as you dive into an unforgettable adventure.

“Eastward: This Engrossing Indie Action-RPG is a Knockout” 10/10 – Screen Rant

Take a look and grab some fantastic pixel art games at a discount!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/35656/Grand_Pixel_Adventures/