Hello fellow explorers!

We're absolutely thrilled to announce this huge update for Passing By! Version 1.2 finally delivers the highly demanded save system, support for AZERTY keyboard layouts, a ton of bug fixes, and, to top it off, just a sprinkle of exciting new content! Grab your backpack, bring some turnips and raise the anchor because we'll get right into it!

Begone, permadeath!

Curly is now able to use the hammock in the bottom of their balloon ship to take a nice, quick nap. Thanks to this, they might now wake up in their safe bed after falling off an island (again) and realise it was all just a nightmare. A save system was always one of the features we had planned from the start and never got around to implement. This made the game a lot harder at times and more punishing than it was intended to be. We've finally remedied the situation: From now on, you'll be able to continue your journey both after Curly's death and after restarting the game.

Quality of life!

Personal player settings will now be saved between sessions. We've also introduced an alternative control scheme to support AZERTY keyboard layouts to improve upon Passing By's accessibility. Furthermore, some of the more notorious and frustrating bugs were eradicated, including Captain Claire's sail getting stuck and players being prevented from combining items if the camera was zoomed out too far. You can see the full list of changes and fixes below.

Surprise!

Since we couldn't stop ourselves (and why should we?), this update includes a small package that will be delivered to players after they've been roaming the skies for a certain time. It contains a special item that will assist players in finding the last remaining levels if they're eager to complete the game. It was important to us to bring you this extra navigational help so you can make the most of your playthrough.

And, as always: If you encounter any problems or bugs during your travels, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us and we might be able to provide a solution. And even if you're feeling shy, we'd still appreciate you taking the time to give the game a rating and leave us a comment!

What's new?

Changes and Additions

• Implemented a save system that allows players to save their progress and keep it if they reload the game or if Curly dies
• Added an alternative control scheme for AZERTY keyboard layouts (option can be accessed via settings menu)
• Player settings (language, music and sounds volume, keyboard layout) are now saved between sessions
• Added a little surprise content package that will be delivered to players after they've been travelling for a while
• Hotspots now adjust their collider size depending on the zoom level of the camera in order to make combining items with objects a lot easier
• Turned the Cloud Condenser into an actual container item so the water it has already gathered remains after it has been removed from the balloon ship
• Added a warning text hint and audio cue when the balloon ship first enters heights with thinner air at the vertical world borders
• Curly is now able to eat and drink in heights with thinner air
• Added a moderate temperature zone to the interior of Crispin's balloon
• Adjusted the volume of certain level and interface sounds

Bug Fixes

• Improved the ground checks of objects that can be pushed or dragged by the player so they no longer get stuck on edges (especially Captain Claire's sail)
• Equipping an item by clicking the button in the item context menu now works even if the respective equipment slot is already occupied
• Fixed a level design issue on the Isle of (Broken) Hearts where players could become blocked from progressing if they had placed a crate in a specific position (thanks, @chickadee123)
• Changed import settings of alpha mask textures to avoid weird pixel artefacts around certain windows
• Fixed some weird interactions with stackable and equippable items
• Fixed a bug that caused the crates blocking the door in the cave on the Isle of (Broken) Hearts to return to their original positions after the player left the cave
• Fixed a bug that could cause the game restart routine to get stuck in a loop if the player had collected a certain souvenir
• Combining an item with an object now cancels all previously started interactions
• Items can no longer be combined with currently inactive or blocked hotspots
• Fixed the unreliable dragging sound of the climbable cannibal statues on the Cove of the Confused Seagull (and made them a bit easier to push around)
• Fixed an issue with rolling objects where they wouldn't stop playing their dragging sound
• Fixed various layering issues across levels
• Fixed a few typos in the game's text files