Written by tunmi13
Revised with Claude Opus 4.6
The Verdict
3 years, everyone. 3 years since all of these shenanigans began. And hopefully, they will be over soon.
Golden Crayon has come a long way since 2023. Ever since the first Python build, to the newest NVGT one (0.7 as of now) I've been working hard with my fellow developers and staff members to bring this game up to speed. Not only that, but the beta testers have been finding bugs left and right, making things a heck of a lot easier.
But with each passing day, each passing month, and each passing year, I think I finally see an ending. One that I didn't see back in 2024, or early 2025.
If someone had told me that all of this happened in the last stretch of 2025 back in 2024, I would have scoffed.
But alas, I suppose I surprised myself.
If luck is on my side, and assuming I don't rush myself, the game is nearly complete.
Question is, when.
That remains to be seen.
I've reached my second, if not my third, burnout. So I'm going to try and get back into the groove of things. One last push should do it... hopefully.
So, what's Been Done?
Map system
The map system is now fully converted and operational.
The first time I had attempted this was ages ago, and I had damaged the server beyond repair. But thankfully, that's what branches are for, and a simple restore fixed everything.
Then, determined to make it work, I tried again in 2025, with successful results.
Now, I will admit, none of this would have been done without support from both Claude Sonnet (back when I didn't have a pro plan) and then Claude Opus 4.5-4.6 (when I finally upgraded).
As you may know, my coding skills are not top notch, and I needed all the help I could get.
My trust runs rather thin these days, so I was trying to avoid handing it to people I didn't know very well, despite their coding knowledge.
The map system is currently backwards compatible. It will remain that way for an indefinite duration of time, however the plan is to eventually remove it. The map converter will still exist, however.
Interactables
Interactables are mostly complete now. You can create triggers, buttons, levers, buttons that trigger other levers that trigger other buttons, counters, the list goes on.
Sadly, these are not backwards compatible. Due to how the old interactables system worked (which this new one puts that old one to shame) you'll have to use the new syntax.
This new system relies more on if statements, coupled with IDs. You can use the ID of another interactable to make it trigger when pressing something else. For instance, you could create a button that toggles a source on and off.
I won't go into too much detail on this, however there is a rather large guide included that will guide you.
Sub-zero maps
Maps can now go negative. They always could, but by negative, I mean everything. X, Y, and Z.
Honestly, this one surprised me. I didn't think it would be as big of a deal as it turned out to be. All I cared about before was being able to go into negative numbers with the Z axis. But once it was in, a whole range of possibilities opened up. More flexible underground areas, structures going past the minimum map edges (usually 0), you name it. The game handles it now.
New elements
A fair amount of new map elements have made their way in. Specifically, things that I had always envisioned being in the game but never quite got around to. Most, if not all, of these are backwards compatible, so existing maps won't break. I won't reveal them all right now, but I've provided an overview of some of them.
Reverb Spaces
Golden Crayon is now able to produce reverb, allowing you to create unique effects to tailor your coridors, rooms, closets, wardrobes, ball rooms (okay I'm done).
There are five parameters. Dry, wet, room size, damp, and width.
- Dry is how much of the original, unprocessed sound you hear.
- Wet is how much of the reverb effect is mixed in.
- Room size controls how large the simulated space feels. Bigger rooms produce longer, more drawn out reverb tails.
- Damp controls how much the high frequencies get absorbed by the surfaces, so a higher damp value gives you a darker, more muffled reverb, like a room with a lot of carpet or soft walls.
- Width controls how wide the reverb sounds in the stereo field.
This gives you flexible control over how you want your reverb to sound.
Occludeable spaces
If you've ever walked into a room in a game and noticed the audio change around you, that's essentially what this is. You can define spaces that have their own acoustic properties. Step outside and the sounds inside take on a different character. It's a small thing, but it adds a lot.
URLs, everywhere
Streams were the only thing that could use a URL before. That's no longer the case. Any sound element in a map can now point to a URL instead of a local file. Simple change, but it opens up a lot of flexibility for map makers.
The map converter
It's built into the game now, sitting under Map in the settings. I figure if I'm going to eventually drop old syntax support, I should at least make it as easy as possible to move over.
The builder
The builder has had a pretty significant overhaul. If you've used it before, you'll notice it right away.
The old approach was very enter-by-enter. Input box, press enter, input box, press enter. It worked, but it wasn't exactly the smoothest experience. Now, the builder uses a tabbing layout with popup menus and lists where appropriate. It feels a lot more like an actual form.
On top of that, there are now two modes. Classic mode, which keeps things closer to what long-time users are used to, and form mode, which is the new layout. You can switch between them depending on your preference. Neither is going away anytime soon.
The builder also now knows the difference between fields that are required and those that are optional, so you're no longer left guessing what you actually need to fill in.
The action builder
This one goes hand in hand with interactables. Instead of writing conditions and logic blocks by hand, there's now a proper UI that walks you through it. I know writing raw syntax isn't for everyone, so this felt like a necessary addition.
Conclusion
Well, let's just put it like this, guys. This may be one of the last updates you will ever see.
We're that close. Just stay tuned. You may never know when this drops.