Grove Bound is a cozy woodcutting RPG with a twist there’s no combat.

This is a demo version with more updates planed feel free to fire me suggestions I want to build this as a community. don't forget to Wishlist it really helps.

Wishlist : https://store.steampowered.com/app/3959750/Grove_Bound/

Discord : https://discord.gg/zdnrXKkKDB

Instead, the environment itself is the challenge. The grove is shrouded in endless night, with only your lantern and scattered campfires to light your way. Some things might block your way but with clever planning, the right tools, and upgraded skills, you can turn obstacles into opportunities and even bend the grove to your advantage.

This is a survival game with no rush. There’s no ticking clock pushing you forward just you, your axe, and the forest to explore at your own pace.

Features

  • Chop, Fish, Cook, and Craft : Build up your resources and upgrade your tools to do everything faster and more efficiently.

  • Equipment : Upgrade your gear to increase your stats to go further and faster some equipment even has secrets to discover

  • Explore in the Dark : Light up the world with your lantern as you push deeper into the grove. Every step reveals more of the map and new challenges to overcome.

  • Inventory Management : Carefully choose what to carry and what to leave behind. Your bag space is limited, so every item matters.

  • Meet Fun NPCs : Encounter quirky characters with unique quests, stories, and bits of lore that reveal more about the grove and its secrets.

  • Solve Puzzles & Discover Secrets: Find hidden areas, experiment with your resources, and uncover the mysteries just beyond the lantern’s glow.

  • Relaxed Survival : Manage fatigue, keep yourself fed, and plan your actions, all without the pressure of racing against time.

With cute pixel art visuals and a cozy-but-mysterious atmosphere, Grove Bound is about progress, planning, and finding comfort in the unknown — one tree at a time.

Development log

Comments

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(1 edit)

Cute game!

Bugs:

  • Gamebreaking: when you spam click one of the three machines of the sawmill while the last log runs through, the bars can bug out and blink. More severely this causes the note to check the plank pile constantly being triggered which ruins the game.
  • Fishes keep spawning in the inventory after having stopped fishing (maybe only with higher tier fishing rods and a lot of bait)
  • In the valley to west, the top left berries and the barrel are not interactable.
  • Not sure if this is intentional, but you can get out of the start without breaking thorns.
  • You can pick up more items than you have free inventory slots e.g. from cooking.

Balance:

  • In the beginning, energy is scarce. I ended up having to idle because berries are spawning to slowly. Maybe put a 5th bush in the starting area.
  • On the other hand, once I could cook blue berries, I had plenty of food. I didn't really need fishing.
  • Money/prices seem fine, although higher tier gear could scale even more in price and stats.

Suggestions:

  • I'm not a fan of most items not stacking. Since inventory is already balanced by weight, this just adds clutter. I would rather have them all stack.
  • Gear could show stats on inspect.
  • If you add new areas, they could drain light faster, so it becomes harder again.

Great feed back ill take a look at the bugs and get those fixed.

  • Sounds like it still thinks your interacting with the sawmill and the fishing spot so something must be going on there.
  • the berries and barrel might be off from there location as I just moved stuff around there.
  •  breaking out early is intentional. 
  • ill add a check to cooking

the begin is probably a little luck depended you can get 1-3 berries so if your unlucky that might happen. I found most of the time you make it to level 1 and can get out past the thorns most of the time without havening to idle too much. I also like it as it as its a learning opportunity for the player to invest in spirit.
I think once the game is expanded a bit more you will need the fish as the higher tier trees will use more energy.
gear showing stats is definitely something that needs to be added.
I'm thinking the item space will become a bigger requirement as things progress.

the next zones I'm planning to add are poison swamp and snow area with hazards that will reduce you max stamina and fuel capacity these will be countered by potions/food/cooking.

I've updated those bushes and the barrel the click box was just in the wrong spot. i moved the visuals rather than the whole thing.