Prospect Hollow’s next update is nearly here

Prospect Hollow is about to get a lot more lively. Two new eras are taking shape, there are more creatures to spot around town, and it’s becoming much easier to find and visit the towns other players have shared. We’re testing the update in preprod now, and I’m looking forward to getting it into everyone’s hands.

New eras, new neighbours

The journey beyond Tomorrow City leads into Canopy and Riverlight. These eras bring new scenery and residents, including the Willowkin introduced in the last preview. There’s more wildlife to look for as well: a garden bluebird, river otter, meadow deer and hedgehog.

Here’s a look at the new character and wildlife models:

I want each return to the village to give you a reason to look around, even when you only came back to start another building. The town’s familiar details carry forward, too, including Tomorrow City’s transport as you move into the new eras.

There’s also a small mystery wandering around. You may already know the space-suited dog from Tomorrow City. In the upcoming build, the helmet can move to a different animal after you complete a puzzle. It might be the dog one time and another creature the next. Friends visiting your shared town will see the same current wearer, so they can join the search.

More towns to explore together

Sharing a town should make it feel like part of a wider world. The Shared towns screen now brings up small, varied groups of places to visit, giving recently played towns and places you haven’t seen yet a chance to appear. You can search for a town by name, mark favourites to return to, and see which towns you’ve already visited. When you’re signed in, your favourites and visit history follow your account across devices.

The guestbook is easier to browse as well, with visits grouped by day and older entries available as you scroll. Whether someone has just put down their first buildings or carried a town into the future, it should be easier to discover their work and find your way back.

Less fiddling, more time in town

The village is getting some welcome everyday improvements. Its main destinations sit in a bottom navigation bar, building actions are easier to find, and the camera can move closer so you can take in the details of each era. Food, water and happiness also matter throughout the town’s history, with clearer cues when something needs your attention.

We’ve been working on stability and saved progress alongside those changes. The aim is straightforward: you should be able to enjoy growing your town, visiting someone else’s, and picking up where you left off without the interface getting in the way.

Town Honours are taking shape

There’s more to work towards beyond the next building. Town Honours is in development as a lasting collection of achievements and medals for your town, from early milestones to feats that take real dedication. The plan also lets you choose a few honours to show people who visit. This part is still being finished, so I’ll share more when it’s ready to play.

For now, I’m excited to see what people make of Canopy and Riverlight—and which animal they find wearing that helmet first. You can play the current beta now, or take a look at the preprod build while we finish testing the update.