Hello and welcome to a very special edition of the Digest! This week we’re celebrating one year post launch of The Signal State, with exclusive content including an interview with the developer, the chance to submit your own creations, and more!
New to The Signal State? Well don’t stress, because if you’re the kind of person who loves to fix things, enjoys using your brain to methodically and logically find answers, and loves completing increasingly complex puzzles inspired by modular synthesizers, then this is the game for you!
The main game contains 40 different puzzles, and since its release in September 2021, a Puzzle Workshop has been implemented, along with a Community Puzzle Pack, which means you can create your own puzzles and complex creations to show off or challenge friends with. If you ever get stuck at any point along the way, you’re encouraged to join the game’s Discord, ask questions, and become part of the Signal State community. From connecting a few components to building your own small power grid, you’ll finish the game as a logic pro by the end!
As a thank you for all the support so far, we’re also giving away a KORG Volca Modular for a lucky winner from the community. Check out the rules and enter here!
So come celebrate one year post launch with us, and if you haven’t already, check out The Signal State on Steam and jump into enjoying all the exciting puzzles and engaging play modes the game has to offer!
To the excitement of puzzle masters and music lovers everywhere, a new and exciting way to play The Signal State has been added: Sandbox Mode! With this new variation, players are able to create their own music by experimenting with The Signal State’s modular board. The game’s base modules are there, so players can start with something familiar, but there are also new, sandbox-exclusive modules with which you can make music, create animations, make interactive circuits, and more!
The Signal State is full of complex puzzles that have been engaging players for an entire year. Developed by Reckoner Industries, the game is often referred to as a Zachlike (referencing the games made by Zachtronics), and in it, players are tasked with repairing increasingly complex machines in order to rebuild an abandoned farm in the post-apocalyptic future.
In celebration of The Signal State’s exciting one-year anniversary, we talked with Reckoner Industry’s cofounder and the game’s Lead Developer, Benedict Lee, about his history with gaming, his personal game dev journey, The Signal State’s new, exciting features, and his best advice for aspiring developers.
Link to the interview
Check out how Benn Jordan’s reaction to Sandbox Mode and how he used it to create some awesome sounds. Like Benn said, “If VCV Rack and a Zachtronics game had a baby then The Signal State would be it!”
Claire Jackson of Kotaku described The Signal State’s new sandbox module as “kind of the perfect set of training wheels for understanding how a modular synth works.” We’re glad Claire enjoyed Sandbox Mode and we agree that this is particularly cool if you’re looking for a fun opportunity to learn how to create synth patches in a friendly, affordable environment.
We were very fortunate to be included with Tiny Teams. Being huge fans of Yogcast, it was a privilege to be featured alongside great titles made by some of the most passionate and dedicated developers in the scene. We’re just not sure how viable hiding under the desk is, even if the math can’t hurt us there.
Finally, we would love to thank everyone who has submitted their amazing creations so far. We've seen some truly creative work from the community that has left us in awe. If you’re working on something, need help, or just want to share then join our Discord! We would love to see it.
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