Recent updates

In the last three weeks I added and updated a lot. As the release date is coming closer, I want to do as much as I can.

• Character profiles: Create, select and rename multiple characters, each with their own appearance and saved progress. The original character is protected from deletion.
• Character editor: Added a button to randomize character colors and improved the fullscreen face paint layout.
• Photo mode and interface: Made photo controls more compact and placed the camera and album buttons side by side in the HUD. Removed the holly border from the selection and refined menus and notifications.
• Music and sound: Added four Christmas carols to the market. Added or updated sounds for eating, drinking, sledding, footsteps on ice, coin payments and the fireplace cat.
• Ice and snow: Jumping off ice now preserves sliding momentum. Landing on ice while sliding without skates can cause a fall. Thrown snowballs leave visible patches of snow on solid surfaces. Buildable ice blocks are twice as large.
• World and models: Narrowed paths, reworked terrain, trees and snow surfaces, and added grass patches along the shore and in the forest. Updated the tea, mulled wine and scarf models. Fixed forest terrain data loading in exported builds.

• Local co-op: Added offline split-screen for two players, with separate characters, inventories and saved progress. Supports keyboard and controller or two controllers.
• Multiplayer: Reworked connections and session management. Hosts can invite friends, control new joins, remove players, save the village and end the session.
• Village browser: Added a Steam village list showing village names, hosts, descriptions and player counts. Optional LAN and direct IP connections remain available.
• Steam joining: Invitations and join requests open the relevant village in the browser for confirmation.
• Photo mode: Added a movable camera with zoom, tilt and character poses, including shared pictures in local co-op.
• Photo albums: Added personal albums with favorites, PNG export, multiple aspect ratios, festive borders, fonts and custom greetings.
• House gallery: Seven picture frames display selected photos inside the house. Displayed pictures synchronize with online players.
• Sleds: Added several rideable and pullable sleds. Improved ground alignment, mounting, dismounting and snow tracks. Sled movement and tracks synchronize in multiplayer.
• Snow gameplay: Improved snowball handling and the behavior of decorated snowballs. Added cooldowns for snow walls and falls, plus a snow effect when landing.
• Clothing and inventory: Added dedicated hat and scarf slots. Tap to drop clothing or hold to put it on or take it off. Refined hoods and character previews.
• Fireplace cat: Added a cat to pet and feed, with animations, purring and synchronized multiplayer reactions.
• Television: Added rotating Christmas pictures with a retro television look. Power state and picture changes synchronize in multiplayer.
• Christmas market and music: Added a stage with a band and expanded the shared music player with playlists and host-controlled music imports. Improved music controls and indoor music transitions.
• Controllers: Added device-specific button symbols and Steam Input detection. Improved navigation through menus, inventory, shops and information screens, along with co-op device assignment.
• Interface: Added a crosshair and clearer interaction prompts. Refined loading notices, text contrast, music buttons and wishlist feedback. Expanded and corrected translations across all five supported languages.
• World: Updated snow surfaces, house visuals, market stalls, lighting and timed lamps. Improved forest placement, lakeside paths and bridge collisions.
• Market visitors: Corrected movement, spacing and collisions to reduce crowding and visitors getting stuck along their routes.
• Performance and stability: Optimized snow loading and rendering. Added graphics settings for shadows, snowfall and snow detail. Improved session startup, player spawning and error handling.
• Other updates: Added Steam achievement tracking for cat care and the first snowball throw. Updated social links, Discord bug reporting, the demo ending screen, logos and Steam artwork.