I’m now giving out keys for beta testing the game before its official release. I’m mainly looking to squash bugs that absolutely should be fixed before early access. Send me a DM if you want to take part!
Droplet: States of Matter is now on Steam Early Access! You can visit the Steam Store Page here!
Droplet: States of Matter has been updated to version EA1.2! The Xenon Lagoon hub world has received a graphical and musical update. Additionally, a few quality of life fixes have also been added.
Version 1.3 of Droplet: States of Matter early access is now available! This patch contains a graphical update for Cretaceous Caldera. Don’t forget that you can get the game for 30% off in the Steam Summer Sale!
A new Droplet: States of Matter update is now available! Version EA1.4 features three new graphically improved areas: the Sill E. Con boss fight, Steelworks from Heck and Cirrus Harbor! Don’t forget that the summer sale is still ongoing and you can get the game for 30% off until July 8!
Chrome Skyscrapers has been graphically updated!
Droplet: States of Matter - Chrome Skyscrapers Graphical Update - YouTube
Apologies for not updating this thread, but the game is still in very active development! I’ve just been more active on other platforms. Anyway, here’s the latest video:
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New update available! Crystal Quarry level has been redesigned and graphically reworked!
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Greetings @Krayfishkarl !
Yes, I am “ready for a ride through the water cycle”! 
I love the game title sequence! I can definitely tell this is a work of passion!
You have come such a long way with your new build and new art style! Thank you for remembering to post your updates here with us! I can see this as a very fun, educational game for families… And Droplet plush dolls!
You have my support and I wish you much success in between early release and launch, and beyond! 
I appreciate it! Thanks for the support!
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Released a new update! I added a level that I had previously lost on a broken hard drive.
The return of Droplet’s cut level (Droplet: States of Matter update) - YouTube
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Hey guys! A new version of Droplet: States of Matter is now available! I redesigned the Lucky Cyberpunk level to have updated graphics and a new layout.
Watch on YouTube: Lucky Cyberpunk level redesign (Droplet: States of Matter update) - YouTube
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Thought it would be easier to copy over the word-for-word newsposts here so that you guys can get all the details:
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here, and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.18 is now available! This is a much larger scope update than usual as it comes with some big changes to the game.
First off, two areas have received a graphical rework. The Neon Badlands hub world now features blue, sulfurous lava to make it more distinct from other lava levels in the game. Frozen Fortress has also been converted from BSP brushes to static meshes giving it a much more organic, naturalistic look. It features several unique enemies such as Ice Elementals and Fire Giants inspired from Norse mythology.
In early July, I made an announcement that I would be removing approximately half of the levels from the game so that I can spend more time making sure the remaining levels offer a complete, satisfying experience upon launch. That change has now gone live. While I have been consistent in releasing updates approximately once per month, I want to be able to deliver a finished product in a more reasonable amount of time. I have altered the number of atoms and crystals throughout the game to accomodate these changes. Some levels were moved to other hub worlds in order to better balance the game’s difficulty. The levels that were cut from the game will be retrofitted for future projects.
Lastly, obtaining a blue crystal now requires collecting 95% of the atoms in a level instead of all of them (except the Science Museum which still requires all of them). This is to make the game’s difficulty more forgiving, especially if you find yourself finishing a level with only one missing atom.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
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Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here, and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.19 is now available! This update replaces the Temple of Sobek level with a brand new one: Sandswept City. The release of this level marks a major milestone in the development of the game. All main levels have now been converted from BSP brushes to static meshes. Only several boss levels and bonus areas remain.
You’ll be exploring the level in three parts: the outskirts, the city plaza and finally the grand palace. When creating Sandswept City, I chose to make it more open this time around to encourage an exploratory feel, and to make this level feel more grounded as if it were a real location that you could visit. All the rocks, trees and other landmarks are carefully placed to help guide the player towards points of interest that are essential to making progress in the level.
One of the reasons why I opted to completely redesign the Temple of Sobek level was that it was created before I added the sprint ability to the game. This meant that many of the puzzles could unintentionally be skipped with well-timed jumps. As such, I thought it would be a great opportunity to address some issues with game balancing by helping the player prepare for mechanics featured later in the game. For example, Sandswept City is now the first location where the player will encounter whirlwinds that cloud form can bounce off of. This would help familiarize them when facing more challenging levels later in the game such as Cirrus Harbor. The level also helps to teach the player more on combining the abilities of the states of matter. For example, you have to use both ice and cloud form to ascend a small mesa surrounded by quicksand.
With the majority of areas now converted into static meshes, my next goals will be as follows: First, I’m planning to go through all the other levels and continue tweaking the way the game’s challenges are introduced to the player. This is to better ensure a fair, interesting difficulty curve. And secondly, I’m planning to bring the rest of the game to a consistent level of graphical fidelity. Sandswept City and several other levels from recent updates are representative of what I intend the final game to look like. As such, in future updates, I’ll be revisiting older-designed levels to give them a new coat of paint.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
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Misty Canopies (Droplet: States of Matter update) - YouTube
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early access 1.20 is now available! This update replaces the Redwood Climb level with a brand new one: Misty Canopies, a level themed after a haunted forest. You’ll travel across a fungus-covered treehouse village where more than a few ghoulish enemies take up residence.
As mentioned in my previous update, with the majority of areas having been converted from BSP brush to static mesh, I’ve been going back through the game to rebalance level progression to improve pacing. The new Misty Canopies level features freezable moisture as its central mechanic. While freezable moisture exists in other levels, I decided it was necessary to have an level that was more focused on how it could be presented in complex ways.
As Misty Canopies turned out to be a very difficult level, I decided to have it take place later in the game while reorganizing other levels across the different hub areas. As I go back and rebalance the level progression further, I may do similar reorderings to better ensure an optimal player experience.
In other news, the Industrial Junkyard level now features a new music track. The previous song for the level is now being used for the Radon Industries hub world. During the process of rebalancing player progression, I’m going back and updating older music tracks to ensure consistent quality across the game.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
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Tiki Tectonics (Droplet: States of Matter update) - YouTube
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early access 1.21 is now available! This update reworks the Tiki Tectonics level to take place in the first hub world switching places with Gale Vale.
As part of my ongoing effort to rebalance the game’s overall difficulty curve, one particular spot I had noticed players had trouble was the Gale Vale level. I came to the conclusion that it was far too challenging for an area in the first hub world. As such, the solution was to switch places with another level that was in need of a different rework. Tiki Tectonics was designed before sprinting was added meaning most of the platforming could be unintentionally skipped.
While still keeping the original Polynesian-inspired volcanic theme, I redesigned the level to serve as a better introduction to a central mechanic used throughout the entire game. Namely, the idea that standing near sources of extreme heat will gradually change you into cloud form.
Although players universally understand that lava is dangerous to touch, it’s not as commonly recognzied that standing near lava is hot due to convection currents. Therefore, I designed the level in a way that communicates this idea clearly to both new and experienced gamers alike. As an early game stage, I wanted to make sure it was easy enough to complete so that players are prepared for more difficult lava-themed levels later in the game.
Early on in the level, you have to stand near a pool of lava to turn into cloud form to proceed. I hint at this by placing boxes and other collectibles near the lava so that going near these areas causes the temperature gauge to appear. Thus, alluding to the idea that something will occur not just by touching the lava but also by standing near it. Once the player figures this out, the rest of the level introduces other ideas that build upon it such as combining the concept with ice form.
In other news, I’ve made a number of quality of life changes. Among the most notable is that whenever you switch between Droplet and Molly-QL, the character you’re not playing as will now slowly heal over time. This is to make swapping between the two of them a more viable gameplay option. To further alleviate the game’s difficulty, you might also find that crates now have a chance of spawning pizza that will heal you to full health.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Hi @Krayfishkarl !
I really enjoy your devlog updates! You certainly have considered a lot in this latest update. As a creator, it may be easy to miss things that affect those new to your game. You’re doing an amazing job keeping this in mind and making improvements to your game to accommodate. Kudos to you! 
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Thank you very much! I appreciate it!
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Two-headed dragon boss Kalofrioh (Droplet: States of Matter) - YouTube
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early access 1.22 is now available! This update replaces the Los Ninos boss fight with a brand new encounter – a two headed dragon named Kalofrioh.
In this reimagined encounter, Kalofrioh will regularly change the overall temperature of the arena, forcing you to adapt to the situation. Partway through the fight, the two of them will combine their forces to turn the battlefield into a dangerous thunderstorm.
I chose to overhaul this boss for a variety of reasons. While I liked the idea of a two headed dragon with control over fire and ice, I felt the need to give the character design a second pass. My goal this time around was to create a much more imposing and threatening foe that would better convey the stakes of Droplet’s and Molly-QL’s mission to save the world.
It was also an opportunity to explore some interesting mechanics. With the weather changing mechanics also affecting the terrain itself, I came up with several creative tricks to achieve the unique effects seen in this encounter.
As January 2023 will mark the fifth year of development of Droplet: States of Matter, I wanted to thank all those who have supported me in developing this game. It’s been a long journey, and there will be more to look forward to in the coming months.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Patch Notes
Gameplay
- New boss named Kalofrioh which takes the place of the Los Ninos fight.
- Ammo pickups now restore to maximum ammo.
Audio
- New music for the Kalofrioh boss fight.
Text
- Dialogue during boss battles now plays more clearly and with its own separate text box.
- Fixed a misspelled word in the opening cutscene.
Misc
- Fixed a bug where you could gain control during a cutscene if you timed a hazard event right when one triggers.
- Camera no longer is controllable during loading screens.
- Fixed some misplaced geometry in Bonsai Bathhouse.
- Added some extra edge case handling for certain scenarios while dialogue is in progress.
- Fixed a bug where time trial times would not be displayed if you skipped a cutscene where a boss was defeated.
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Borealis Vista level rework (Droplet: States of Matter) - YouTube
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early access 1.23 is now available! This update reworks the Borealis Vista level to have a brand new layout.
As one of the first levels of the game, Borealis Vista is meant to illustrate some of the game’s fundamental mechanics. In a previous update, Tiki Tectonics demonstrated the concept of turning into cloud form by standing near sources of heat. The goal of Borealis Vista is to show the player the basics of ice form and how it can be applied in a variety of situations.
For example, the positioning of breakable boxes near the toxic ocean clues the player into discovering that ice form is capable of freezing liquids. The pools of clear water help to show that while ice form can swim on the surface, it cannot dive underwater. Additionally, certain enemies such as ghosts have immunity to ice form which means the player must switch to a different state of matter to defeat it.
Understanding how the states of matter work is key for the player to be able to overcome the challenges of later levels in the game. Borealis Vista serves as a relatively safe, easy location to make sure that they understand ice form before moving on to the next area.
That’s all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Patch Notes
Gameplay
- Redesigned Borealis Vista from the ground up.
- Ice cream enemies now feature different colors and amounts of health depending on whether they are in Borealis Vista or in Macro Kitchen.
- Slightly increased health for pansies and Borealis ghosts.
- Borealis ghosts no longer pass through walls.
- Reduced damage radius of Borealis ghosts.
Text
- Lucky Cyberpunk has been renamed to Neo Kryptopolis.
- Pompeii and Circumstance has been renamed to Brimstone Temple.
Misc
- Fixed a bug where defeating enemies would sometimes award the incorrect atom value.
- Fixed a bug where you could sometimes respawn in the wrong location in the Kalofrioh boss fight.
- Minor changes to Droplet’s and Molly-QL’s animation state machines to handle some edge cases.
- Adjusted the animation state machine of the Ice Cream Cyclops.
- Fixed a bug where you would not respawn to the correct location during the Sobek boss fight.
- Fixed a bug where Sobek’s mummies sometimes did not despawn when reentering the arena.
- Adjusted one of the windy areas in Gale Vale.
- Fixed a bug in Brimstone Temple where the player would respawn at the wrong location in the artifact challenge area.
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