Inspired by classics like Harvest Moon with deep social sim aspects of a Persona game. Sunnyside is the next chapter in farming sims.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
January Update
about 4 years ago
– Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 09:10:32 PM
Hello to all our SunnySide friends across the world!
This past month, the whole team has been working hard to get the game ready for our Backerkit Alpha release on February 14 at midnight GMT.
If you're more of a visual person, like me, everything in this update was pretty much covered on our Live Stream yesterday, so feel free to give that a watch!
As of yet, we've not announced publicly who our publisher is, but we do plan to do that very soon. Even though the relationship isn't quite public, they've still been working closely with us over the last month to tighten up our production schedule, get organized, begin forming relationships with other video game companies, and generally supporting us in whatever way we need. We're moving along at a nice pace, the whole team is getting paid, and we can't wait to share more info with you all at a later date!
Early Access
By now, all the Kickstarter Backers who were interested in playing the Alpha version of SunnySide have had access for a little over a month, and we've released a couple updates in that time. The biggest updates were version 0.8.1 and 0.8.12. We've added the Summer season and goats to the game, a new shelter mechanic for animals, and updated a whole slew of bugs reported by the community. Thanks for that!
For those who missed the Kickstarter campaign but were able to pre-order on Backerkit, you'll be receiving your Steam keys to the alpha via email in just a couple weeks!
Development
Between now and the Backerkit release, we're going to keep working hard to bring some exciting updates to the game. Namely: Inventory, Battle and Skills!
New Inventory System and HUD
So far, we haven't been too happy with the inventory, how it's organized, and how the player interacts with it. As a result, we've overhauled the whole system. Now, you'll have 6 different inventory types that items will automatically sort into: Backpack, Bento Box, Harvest Basket, Tackle Box, Fishing Basket, and Battle Pack. Your backpack will act as a catch all for all types of items, the Bento Box is reserved for edible or perishable food, the harvest basket for all your crops or items you receive from animals, the tackle box will hold all your lures and fishing poles, the fishing basket for the various fish you catch, and the battle pack will be reserved for all your battle items.
Additionally, we've updated the HUD (Heads Up Display) a bit! You'll be able to scroll through the hot bars of your different inventories, and we've also moved the mini map (to make room for Streamer faces!) and shrunk the time stamp a bit to be less intrusive.
Battle System
We talked about this a bit in the live stream but we were a little all over the place with it, so here is some more concrete information about the battle system without giving too much away.
Attacks:
The player (that's you!) will have two attacks to choose from: Physical attacks and Spiritual Attacks. Physical attacks will use physical weapons! Here is a little taste:
Spiritual attacks, however, will use an item called Ofuda. These can be purchased in packs of 5, 7, or 9, and opened up. Once opened, the Ofuda will live in your Battle Pack in your Inventory.
That's it! Keep an eye on your mailboxes for your Backerkit Alpha key, and be sure to follow the instructions carefully!
I know I say this every month, but we've come this far in development because of all you, the fans. The fact that you all continue to believe in us despite the delays and chaos of last year really shows us that you not only believe in SunnySide, but also in our ability to see it through and make it happen. So far, the new year has been a pretty smooth ride, and we're looking forward to seeing where the next 9 ish months take us.
So once again, thank you for your continued support!
As for what's ahead of us, once we release the Backerkit Alpha, there will be a couple updates, but mostly we will begin working towards meeting the development milestones that we've set up with the publisher. We'll still have our monthly streams and Kickstarter Updates, but our main focus is going to be development and marketing.
If you want to stay up to date, your best bet will be joining our Discord and following us on Twitter, if you haven't already. We're about 80 members away from 4,000 people on Discord, and it continues to be the best way to follow RainyGames and SunnySide. We post lots of sneak peeks over there (and special ones for KickStarter backers), stream live development, run contests, and even ask for suggestions from the community. If you join, just remember to message me (FemChefSR1) with your KickStarter backer # (if you backed at one of those tiers) so I can give you your Backer Tier Role. If you pre-ordered on Backerkit, just please DM someone on the support team with your proof of purchase, and they'll get you set up with your Backerkit role (new and shiny!).
That's it from me! As always, thank you for reading and don't forget to comment down below!
We love hearing your feedback and answering questions, so don't be shy!
Cheers!
-Sydney-
An Update to Pre-Orders
about 4 years ago
– Mon, Jan 10, 2022 at 04:43:35 AM
Hello SunnySide Community!
Out of respect for our new publisher (who we will be announcing within a month or so), we closed our pre-order store on January 1st. I will admit, however, that we did not do a good enough job of notifying our community about the exact date and time when orders would close.
So, we are happy to announce that we have had some discussions with said Publisher and have all agreed to open up the pre-order store for a limited time.
Pre-Orders will be available through Backerkit only from January 10, 2022 at 1:00 AM GMT, to January 24, 2022 at 12pm Noon GMT.
Once we close the pre-order store on the 24th, per-orders will not be reopened again.
To better support our fans, we have also enabled the ability to purchase through Backerkit with PayPal. Pre-Order on Backerkit Here.
About Early Access
-If you decide to purchase Early Access (EA) this will give you access to the Backerkit Alpha on February 14, 2022.
-This Alpha will be on Steam (Windows, PC) only and will run for a limited time (length TBD, but at least a month).
-You will receive your Steam key through whatever email address you use to pre-order, and said email will have specific instruction for how to redeem your key accurately. It’s not just any other Steam key, so please read and follow these directions closely.
-Once the Alpha ends, keys will be revoked and you will no longer have access to the game.
Additionally, anyone who has Early Access, whether it was through our Influencer Event, Kickstarter, or Backerkit, will receive new access (with a new key sent to email) to the Beta version of SunnySide when it is released later this year. Date TBD. Alpha saves will not carry over to the Beta.
If you have any questions, please join our Discord and ask there. I’m only one person, and fielding questions through multiple platforms can eat up a LOT of time, specially if they are the same questions. Discord is and will continue to be the best way to receive updates about SunnySide, is free, easy to learn, and is mobile friendly.
That’s it for now! We hope that this update to pre-orders will support our community, and we can’t wait to share the next Alpha updates with you all!
Cheers!
Kickstarter Vs. Backerkit, a guide
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Dec 30, 2021 at 01:02:47 AM
Hey y'all!
Just a note about being a Kickstarter backer versus pre-ordering on Backerkit:
I'm getting a TON of messages (dm's on Discord and Twitter, emails, etc.) from people who are confused about the two, why they're different, and when people will get to play SunnySide.
We ran our Kickstarter for about a month at the beginning of the year, and it ended on February 5, 2021. Kickstarter members pledged various amounts to the campaign, and each tier pledge came with it's own specific rewards, all the way up to putting your own character in the game. These are Kickstarter Backers.
Once the campaign ended, the project was sent to Backerkit. Backerkit is another 3rd party who often works with Kickstarter to help campaigns fulfill rewards for those who backed. They organize sending out post campaign surveys, track metrics, and generally manage backers. Additionally, they also offer a post Kickstarter pre-order store. This store serves as a way for backers to add items not included in their pledge tier, or for those who missed out on the KickStarter but still want to get access to KS rewards (like the Alpha). If you pre-ordered the game after Feb 52021 and did not back duringthe campaign on Kickstarter, then you are part of the Backerkit pre-orders.
Backerkit pre-orders will get access to the alpha (if you purchased EA, that is) on Feb 14 of 2022. If you would like access to the Alpha in Feb, please log into Backerkit and check your order to make sure it includes EA. Or you can search your email for "Backerkit". You have until January 1 to make changes to your order, but you'll need to email Backerkit to do so.
So, if you think that you should have gotten an Alpha key on December 22 and didn't, please check that you are in fact a Kickstarter Backer and not a Backerkit Pre-order before messaging us. It's not that we don't love you all, but every minute I spend explaining this to someone is a minute I can't spend working on the game.
<3 you all!
-Sydney
December Update - The KickStarter Alpha is HERE!
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Dec 23, 2021 at 07:46:15 PM
Hello to all our SunnySide friends across the world!
For those of you who haven't been following development on Twitter, Discord, or YouTube, then this update is going to include some pretty exciting announcements for you! You're definitely going to want to read this one! Or, if you like, you can catch up by watching our latest Live Stream.
We like to announce when we add new members to the team, so we can't forget to welcome Conlan (AKA TaterDog) to our team, now working with us as a QA Tester. He did such an incredible job for us as an influencer during the Influencer Alpha, we knew we just had to hire him! Welcome to the team, Conlan! <3
The Influencer Alpha
The Influencer Alpha has been an awesome success, and we want to thank all the Influencers who were involved. They'll be getting access to the last update of the year, and then the Influencer Alpha will end on January 1, 2022 around 12:01 AM EST.
The KickStarter Alpha
Speaking of the last update of the year, this update is for all of you, the KickStarter backers! That's right, the time has finally arrived! If you've missed the announcements elsewhere, Wednesday, December 22 at 6:00 pm PST, we will be sending out all the Alpha keys for KickStarter Backers!
Honestly, we're so thankful to the entire community who found us in the beginning and has supported us for so long. I know I say it every month, but we really couldn't have done with without you.
So, to say thank you, we've decided that ALL BACKERS from $20 Early Bird tier and up will be receiving an Alpha Key. Yup. You read that right. All of them.
We want to make sure this is still fair for all the Backers who backed at the Early Access tiers the first time around, so when the times comes we will be sending you an extra digital key for the full release of SunnySide. This should be sometime around November of 2022, but no promises just yet.
So Alpha players, here's just a little taste of what you can look forward to on Wednesday.
You'll be getting all these updates as well as access to Spring AND Summer seasons. This means that instead of a 28 day loop of Spring, you'll be getting a 56 day loop of Spring and Summer.
Additionally, we have a little something special for all the KickStarter Alpha players:
From December 22 to December 27, the whole team will be going dark and taking a much needed break. To celebrate the seasonal festivities during this time, there will be a temporary graphical overhaul to the SunnySide map that includes snow, decorations, and lots of Holiday vibes. Everything else (crops, seasonal progression, quests, etc) will behave as normal, but with a fun seasonal overlay. Enjoy it while it lasts, because it's going away on Monday the 27th and won't be seen again until the full release of the game. Updates and bug fixes will resume after we return to work on the 27th.
RainyBugs
Now, the Alpha isn't technically a test (we've got Conlan for QA now) but you're definitely going to run into some bugs. If that happens, we have a handy reporting site that will be sent to you with your Alpha email, so keep an eye out for that!
Publisher Updates
Y'all. We finally did it. We officially signed a publisher. All the documents are in order, the money is coming in, and the whole team will be operating full time starting on the first. This is a huge accomplishment for RainyGames, and we are super excited to share all the details with you in the new year, so be on the lookout for more information then.
Closing Pre-Orders
With a signed publisher comes the closing of pre-orders. We always promised we would give a couple weeks notice before officially closing up the Backerkit, so here it is:
Backerkit Pre-Orders will be ending on January 1, 2022. Please plan accordingly. If you would like to pre-order and haven't yet, here is a handy link for you:
If you aren't part of the KickStarter Alpha and want to get in on the action, the BackerKit Alpha for all those who pre-order with Early Access will begin on February 14, 2022.
All Alpha access will be through Steam on PC, regardless of what platform you've selected for your full copy.
Characters
The last of the romanceables for SunnySide have finally been announced!
Ryozo Hara
The local research center run by the University went mostly unused until Ryozo started making inquiries into facilities he could use to further his research in botany and entomology. Ryozo cares deeply for the planet and it's longevity, so he has dedicated his life to protecting it in his own special way: by creating eco friendly weed and pest management systems that protect biodiversity. He is incredibly passionate and sometimes a bit narrowly focused on his goals, often driven by a very intense moral compass. He's talkative, albeit a bit awkward, and can often be found around the forests collecting samples or volunteering his time to organizations in the city. He loves milkbread, reading, and spending time outside. He is, of course, romanceable.
Yukio Yamaguchi
She is a true extrovert, always bouncing around and looking for ways to use up her energy. Yukio is not a native to SunnySide, and only moved to town about 12 years ago when she married into the family that owns and operates the local post office. Though the marriage didn't quite work out, she still has to work with her ex husband, Hideyo, on a daily basis.. and it doesn't always go so well. Yukio is direct and honest, loves video games and hanging out with friends, and is always down for some junk food. She is, of course, romanceable.
Hideyo Yamaguchi
Hideyo's family has a long history in SunnySide, but he didn't actually grow up there himself. He moved to town when his grandparents, long time family owners of the SunnySide Postal office since the town was first established during the Edo Period, sadly passed away. Hideyo's mother had left SunnySide when she was young and had no interest in continuing the family post, so she left it to her son. Hideyo is a very serious person, and believes that anything worth doing is worth doing right. He loves a good debate, is a meticulous groomer, and wants nothing more than to be respected for his ideas and opinions. Hideyo is charismatic, loves fresh strawberries in the spring, and his prized possession is a gold watch his father gave him when he graduated university. He is, of course, romanceable.
And that's it!
Say hello to SunnySide's full Main Cast!
More Holiday Fun
Our incredible Key Artist (Liz) and Composer (Matt) came together this Holiday season to put something special together for y'all. Enjoy!
Thank You!
That's it! Keep an eye on your mailboxes for your Alpha key, and be sure to follow the instructions carefully!
I know I say this every month, but we could never properly express how much we appreciate each and every person who has and continues to support us. There have been some roller coasters over the last year, and the fact that you all continued to believe in us and trust us really means the world. Hopefully things will level out in 2022 now that we have a publisher backing us, but there are bound to still be issues. Thanks to you all, however, we can go into 2022 with our heads held high and ready for anything, because we know that our fans have our backs!
So once again, thank you for your continued support!
As for what's ahead of us, once we release the KickStarter Alpha, there will be a couple updates, but mostly we will begin working towards the Backerkit Alpha to be released in February. I'll still continue giving monthly updates next year, but they're going to be a lot smaller moving forward, mostly to allow us more time for game development. If you want to stay up to date, your best bet will be joining our Discord and following us on Twitter, if you haven't already. We're up to about 3,600 people on Discord, and it continues to be the best way to follow RainyGames and SunnySide. We post lots of sneak peeks over there (and special ones for KickStarter backers), stream live development, run contests, and even ask for suggestions from the community. If you join, just remember to message me (FemChefSR1) with your KickStarter backer # (if you backed at one of those tiers) so I can give you your Backer Tier Role. If you pre-ordered on Backerkit, just send me your proof of purchase via DM, and I'll get you set up with your Backerkit role (new and shiny!).
That's it from me. As always, thank you, and don't forget to comment below! We love hearing your feedback and answering questions, so don't be shy!
Cheers!
-Sydney-
October + November Update
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 09:42:28 AM
Hello to all our SunnySide friends across the world!
The last two months have been crazy y'all. If you haven't been following us on Twitter or Discord, I'll do my best to catch you up. Firstly, obviously, apologies for no update in October. We got a bit tunnel visioned to releasing the Influencer Alpha, and the KS Update ended up taking a bit of a backseat.
Live Streams
A few weeks ago, we kicked off the Influencer Alpha with our first live stream in awhile. We decided to move livestreams to YouTube from Twitch, as it has been a more successful platform for us in the past. If you missed the stream, here is a handy link:
We will be holding another LiveStream on Sunday, November 21 6:00pm GMT. We'll be wrapping up the Influencer Alpha (don't worry, the keys given to influencers will be active until the end of the year, so they're free to keep making videos, and we will likely still push updates), as well as making a few announcements (about KickStarter Beta ^_^ ) and showing off updates to the game thus far. We hope to see you there!
Overall, the alpha has been a huge success. We were able spread the word about SunnySide while also collecting valuable information about gameplay and mechanics, and we really love and appreciate all the influencers who took part. We still have another round of people to add, so we're not quite done yet, but we're really happy with how everything has gone so far.
In case you missed them, here are some videos that have been put together by the fans:
Not to mention all the Twitch streamers who have been playing over the last weeks. We love and appreciate you all.
Steam
We finally have a Steam page, y'all!! If you haven't gone over and wishlisted SunnySide on Steam yet, please do! It really helps us out!
Additionally, please also follow our Steam Community. It's super easy, and you can engage as much or as little as you want. No need to join other applications, either!
The day our Steam page went live, we also got picked up by IGN, and they posted the SunnySide trailer on their YouTube. Honestly one of the coolest moments of production for all of us here at RainyGames.
Game Updates
As we've been watching various Influencers play SunnySide over the last few weeks, we've been making constant updates, adjustments, fixes, and have continued to add more content. The biggest addition so far has been a cutscene and objectives system (which is finally working), as well as some new foraged items, new plants, and a new shop (Kazuki!). For more detailed gameplay updates, definitely check out all the influencers who have been covering SunnySide over the past few weeks.
Oh, and we also finally fixed those silly pink trees. They're now proper sakura trees.
New Characters
Here are all the characters that have been released since the last update. Kaori has had to slow down a bit on concepts as we moved through the Alpha, but she'll be getting back to it shortly. Only a few more left!
Yumma Shibata
The oldest of the romanceable men, Yumma is the owner/ operator of SunnySide's Grain Mill, which has been passed down through his family for generations. A gregarious, dedicated small town man, Yumma's been determined to honor his family's legacy since they day he took over the business, but that loyalty didn't come without costs. Yumma is a bit of a jokester, is well loved by everyone in town, collects records, enjoys the smell of fresh baked bread, and is... of course... romanceable.
Kaida Amaya
The only daughter of shrine caretakers in the City, Kaida left home to take on the responsibility of her own shrine here in SunnySide, much to the disappointment of her mother. She's been in SunnySide for about 3 years now, and while she is friendly with the residents, she's also very quiet and observant. The people of SunnySide still aren't quite sure if she can be trusted with their ancient Kami just yet. Kaida hates lots of noise, loves chocolate cake, and can often be found working at the Shrine, in the SunnySide bathes, or people watching around town. She is romanceable.
Melody Barrett
Originally hailing from London, Melody moved to Japan on a whim with her boyfriend about 10 years ago. Many life lessons, a break up, lots of hard work, citizenship, and one beautician certification later, Melody finally landed in SunnySide 8 years ago and never looked back. She loves good gossip, fashion trends, and perfecting her art as a hair stylist. She misses the food back home sometimes, but could never leave the friends she's made. She is, of course, romanceable.
Hina Nakamura
Hina was born and raised in SunnySide, but spend most of her 20's making a name for herself as a famous chef all across Japan. She and her husband decided to settle down in her hometown when Sebastian was born, and she opened a small restaurant. The family was happy and successful for a time, but as Hina got older, her health started taking a turn for the worse. Sebastian left college to come home and help keep the restaurant alive a couple years ago, but Hina's pride constantly gets in the way of full retirement. You'll often find her in the cafe, (still working) or wandering around town trying to find something to do with her new found free time. Hina is strong willed, a hard worker, and loves the simple pleasures in life. She's not really interested in replacing Sebastian's father, but she's also a bit terrified of being alone forever.
Thank You!
That's it for now! Continue keeping an eye on your favorite content creators for updates to the game, and also stay updated on our Twitter and in Discord! I've been doing a lot of SunnySide gamplay streams in the Discord, so if you want to check out the progress on SunnySide so far, that's another great resource.
As always, a big huge sunny thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, and a bunch of hugs and kisses (with your permission, of course) for those who continue to do so. We're incredibly thankful for all of our influencers and fans, and we keep plugging away at this for you. Knowing that we're doing a great job and that y'all are pleased with our work always lights a fire to keep us working strong, and we love you all for it. <3 It is because of all of you that we continue to be inspired by this project, and we continue to count on you all moving forward! Your impressions, feedback, perspectives, and ideas mean the world to us, so please don't hesitate to comment and let us know what you think!
And don't forget to join the Discord, if you haven't already. The application is incredibly simple to learn, friendly to PC and mobile, and full of just over 3,500 people talking about and loving on SunnySide! We tend to post sneak peeks over there, stream live development, run contests, and even ask for suggestions from the community. If you join, just remember to message me (FemChefSR1) with your KickStarter backer # (if you backed at one of those tiers) so I can give you your Backer Tier Role.
That's it from me! Thank you again, and please don't hesitate to comment below! We love interacting with you all! <3
