Hello everyone! 👋
June is here, and so are we, as promised! 😄 Today we're pulling back the curtain on something a lot of you have been requesting for a while, which is the NEW GAME+. We saw it come up a lot in reviews and discussions, so we're happy to confirm that it will be a part of the 1.1 Update.
Story & Custom Modes
Going forward, the game will offer two distinct ways to play: Story and Custom.
Story Mode stays the same as the classic Leaf it Alone experience, where maps are played one after another in sequence.
Custom Mode, on the other hand, lets you start a fresh run on your own terms, with a set of options to configure. It unlocks once you've completed a given map in Story Mode.
What Can You Actually Customize?
Quite a bit! Before starting your run, you'll be able to configure the following:
set your starting money
adjust the income multiplier
choose which tools you begin with
unlock all tool upgrades
and even grant access to all areas, along with their associated cleaning rewards
The goal is to let you jump straight into the parts you enjoy the most - whether that's experimenting with different setups or simply skipping the early game grind. We're also keeping the door open to adding more options down the line if something fits naturally!
Progression and Achievement Rules
One important note is that Custom Mode won't unlock achievements. We want to keep things fair for everyone who has put in the effort to earn them the normal way, and modifying your starting conditions means the playing field just isn't the same. That said, there's an exception worth mentioning...
Speedrun-Friendly Improvements
If you start a Custom run with all settings at default, achievements still unlock and your runs still count on the leaderboard! This is handled through the Ranked toggle, which enforces the default ruleset. But what does Custom Mode actually offer in that case? Some handy improvements nonetheless:
cutscenes will be skipped automatically
you can choose which map to play
and you can restart your run directly from the Pause Menu!
New Load Menu
While working on Custom Mode, we also gave the Load Menu a small but meaningful refresh. Each save slot will now display the active map for that save alongside the mode it was started in. We've also added new key bindings for loading and deleting saves to make navigation quicker. Also, in Story Mode, you'll have an option to select the previously played maps when starting a new session, making it easier to revisit earlier locations and unlock any objectives or achievements you may have missed!
Wrapping up
That's everything there is to know about Custom Mode for now as it's nearly finished. On top of that, any pre-1.1 saves will be fully compatible and those who have previously completed the game, will have the Custom Mode for the first map available from the get-go. See you all in the next one! 😊
