Voxel Valley beta 0.3.0 is here. In our previous beta 0.1.0 article, we took you kayaking, excavating and exploring four seasons. This time, pack your camera, something to eat and your overnight gear. There is more wildlife to spot in our virtual Barycz Valley, and you no longer need to head home at dusk.
We have gathered the main additions and fixes, with six screenshots taken directly from the game. Here are some reasons to head back out on the trail.
87 bird species — and more life all around
Thirty more species join the existing 57. We selected them from Ptasia Dolina’s biodiversity project by the number of reported observations, excluding birds already in the game. The newcomers include white-tailed eagle, northern lapwing, black woodpecker and northern shoveler.
Each has its own distinctive shape, plumage, animations and calls. They also differ in how they feed, their daily activity, flocking and seasonal presence. You may spot young grebes riding on a parent’s back, swallows nesting under eaves or a cuckoo laying an egg in another bird’s nest. These behaviours are inspired by nature and unfold on the game’s accelerated timescale.
| White-tailed eagle over the water | Northern lapwing in a meadow |
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| Black woodpecker in flight | Northern shoveler on the water |
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There are also seven new mammals: fallow deer, raccoon, European badger, pine marten, coypu, muskrat and raccoon dog. Each has its own activity patterns, feeding habits, family behaviour and seasonal routines. A dawn visit can feel quite different from a night walk through the same forest.
Set up camp and stay until morning
Resting in a hammock with an attached mosquito net. In-game screenshot.
Bring a sleeping bag, a hammock with a mosquito net or a tent on your trip. Set it up, go to sleep, then pack it away in the morning and carry on. Each type of overnight stay also has its own quest.
The khaki hammock hangs between trees 4–6 metres apart. It has a deep fabric body and an attached mosquito net supported by a ridgeline. We improved the character’s sleeping position and the entry and exit animations. The tent has a classic triangular shape; the mattress is separate equipment that you can place inside and remove.
Rest restores energy, but location matters: a sleeping bag on the ground away from a lit campfire restores less. We also refined the pixel-art fabric textures, seams and equipment details.
A night worth waiting for
Moon and stars above the valley. In-game screenshot.
After dark, enjoy a new star-filled sky, the Milky Way and a Moon with a real lunar surface texture and changing phases. The sky responds to the weather and the in-game calendar. It is a good moment to pause by the water or look up before settling into your hammock.
The main menu artwork changes too. Alongside summer, we have added spring, autumn and winter, plus versions for Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Kupala Night. The game automatically chooses the illustration using your device’s date.
Changes and fixes you will notice
- Energy matters. Below 10 points, your character walks more slowly; at zero, movement becomes very slow. Building, digging, cycling and kayaking must wait. A recurring reminder prompts you to eat or sleep.
- Lenses in your inventory. Manage and switch the lenses you own without returning to the shop.
- No grass poking through tents. This also works for tents you placed earlier; vegetation becomes visible again after packing up.
- Better camping. We improved the hammock’s shape, mosquito net and sleeping pose, and removed the tent’s built-in mattress.
- Fully translated additions. Animal names, messages, equipment descriptions and the changelog are available in all 22 game interface languages.
New wildlife in the photography contest
We also expanded the Voxel Valley photography contest’s animal list on Ptasia Dolina. You can submit the new species, and the gallery makes switching between birds and mammals easier. We fixed the animal selector when adding a photo so it no longer depends on the current gallery filter. Existing photographs and votes remain in place.
Returning to the valley? Keep your progress
The update preserves your worlds, buildings, inventory and progress. If you play with friends, everyone should update their game.
Play for free in your browser or download the Windows, macOS, Linux or Android version from the same page. Installers are also available on itch.io.
Choose your own plan for the day: watch wildlife by a pond, go cycling, build a home or spend the night in the forest. Then head out to discover the real Barycz Valley!