Good news everyone!

Only a short month after Beta launch, we have just published the first major patch, bringing Lava Golf Beta to version 1.1! The list of changes is really big and that is because we really added a lot of stuff to the game.

We improved the graphics a ton, with additional visual effects that make the game look really nice if we dare say so ourselves. We also revamped the game UI, adding very important visual cues for when the next shoot is coming, we fixed some bugs, improved some game elements and also did a balance pass. There really is a lot to unpack!

Let's have a look at the biggest things. First, the How To Play screen.

We have revamped it a bit, improving clarity to all explanations and we've added a direct correlation between game object and relative UI icon in the case of the Lava Rings, X Spheres and shots.
The big addition to the Hot to Play screen is a new video tutorial you can find in page 4!

We really recommend having a look as it explains the game and its element quite well. You can also click on the video to watch it full screen. The video tutorial (watch it on twitter too!) also shows how to beat Level 2, in case you were stuck :)

Moving on, we've revamped a bit the Loading Screen, increasing readability and adding helpful tips in the top left corner of the screen or in the bottom right (for courses 2 onward).

Speaking of the game we revamped the Game UI quite a bit.
In the top left side of the screen we see we improved readability by removing clutter, keeping just the numbers as the icons are self explanatory (and when in doubt the How to Play screen explains). More importantly is the addition of the Launch Bar. It's a small red bar above the ball that fills in and shows when the next shoot is going to be, giving you a visual cue to plan your next move.


We also added several visual effects (you can see some in the screen above) and audio fx, but we'll let you discover them.
Patch 1.1 brings also some game balance, increasing the efficacy of the Air Brake (and this makes a lot of difference, making the game less challenging) and quite a lot of bug fixes too. Among the additions, you can now take screenshots with F12 even without using the Developer Console. Handy!

Have a look at the full list of changes below:

Version 1.1 - 27/04/2021:

This is the first patch for the Beta and includes the fixes some of our dear beta tester asked for!

Graphics

• Added a small visual effect to celebrate the player when the End Portal is reached.
• After reaching the end portal, the ball will disappear as intended. The camera will move slightly upwards to let the player take a view to the fireworks.
• After completing a level, the next level won’t load instantly, allowing the player to watch the new celebrative visual effect.
• Added a small visual effect when the player gathers an X Sphere.
• Added a small visual effect when the player crosses a Lava Ring.
• Added an animated Crystal Golf Tee in all levels, so the ball rests on it before being launched for the very first time.
• Rebaked all levels to account for the new animated Crystal Golf Tee.
• Added smoke particle effects in the lava across all levels.
• Added lava bubbles effects in the lava across all levels.

Audio and Music

• Added a small audio effect to celebrate the player when the End Portal is reached.
• Added a sound effect for the fireworks that spawn after entering the End Portal.

UI

• The help text for the GROUND DASH is now fixed. Due to a bug it showed a copy of the description of the AIR BRAKE. The actual description for the GROUN DASH is: “The ball rolls forward, allowing the player to try to collect more X Spheres or to avoid falling from a platform. There are a finite amount of charges, but they get replenished each time you land. Usable only on the ground”.
• The game levels are now called “COURSES” (it’s a golf game after all) to avoid any confusion with player levels.
• When you mouse over on a button in the Main Menu the lightning effect is now more pronounced.
• The text “Press any key to start!” in the Loading Screen for the very first level has been changed to make it more readable.
• Added explanation on the number of shoots for each level in the Game Help screen.
• Updated the game help desciptions mentioning “forward” with “the direction you’re aiming” to avoid confusion.
• Added more elements to the Help Screen guide, including the UI element for Lava Rings, X Spheres and the Shoots.
• Added a Video Guide in the Help Screen to show you the ropes of Lava Golf. The video can be played in full screen / switched back clicking on the video itself. Make sure to check it out!
• UI element for Air Brake and Ground Dash are now swapped. Air Brake is now in the bottom right, while Ground Dash is now in the bottom left corner of the innate skills UI.
• Fixed an issue in the Power Up Sceen that would let the tooltip show during the loading if a player used Space/Enter to click the CONTINUE button while still hovering with the mouse on a skill.
• Credits have been updated.
• Added a visual cue (a “bar” that is filled) to inform the player the next shoot is about to be performed.
• Now the Pause Menu controls are properly split in two separated lines.
• Changed the game ui elements so that it doesn’t mentions “Rings”, “X Spheres” and “Shoots” no longer as they are properly explained by the use of the related icon (plus the How to Play screen explains them at lenght). Now the UI is more compact as a result and more readable.
• Did a pass on all in game help strings to improve clarity.
• Reflected the new usability rules for the Rewind skill in the game ui.
• Updated the Game Help guide on the Rewind skill to reflect the new usability rules.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the new Launch Bar to be shown after a Rewind was used.
• Updated the Game Help guide in accordance with the balance pass on the Air Brake.
• Added loading tips.
• Added the Twitter and Itch.io buttons in the main menu to bring you directly to Lava Golf’s Twitter page and the Lava Golf’s Itch.io page.
• Fixed a bug that would hide the cursor when the player cleanly enters the end portal without touching the borders.

Controls

• You can now go back to the Main Menu at any point during the gameplay, with the ESC key (or the “START” button on your gamepad).
• Changed the Camera control angle to avoid a bug when looking down.
• You can now quit the overview camera with the SPACEBAR as well.
• You can now take a screenshot of the game by pressing F12. Developer Console is not required for this action.

Gameplay and Levels

• Fixed the number of actual Lava Rings in Level 7 (for real this time).
• Fixed a collider issue with the starting platform in Level 3.
• Edited the collider for the Green Portal so it doesn’t trigger before the ball properly enters the portal to avoid a very rare visual bug.
• Minor rings position tweaks in some levels.

Balance

• The Rewind skill can now only be used while in the air.
• Now the Air Brake is FAR more powerful. It also gives some grace period before applying gravity back. Using an Air Dash will instantly restore the proper drag and gravity values.

You can always see the latest version of the Beta Patch Notes following this link. In there you'll also see what we're working for the next release.

I hope you'll have fun with this vastly improved version of the Lava Golf beta. We can't wait to hear your feedback!