Orrery will be available on Catalog soon, and so I'm making a few updates to make sure it's seaworthy! I've added a little tutorial to help people get acquainted with the 3D camera controls, some optional ambient music, and reorganized some of the menu options to hopefully be more intuitive. Importantly, there's an option in the settings menu that lets you reset your tutorial progress so others can see it when you hand them your Playdate!

I've removed some of the features that I'd planned to build upon that started to just feel like bloat. When I released Orrery a couple of years ago, I had plans to expand it into an arbitrary solar system viewing platform. I wanted to simulate more moons in our solar system, let you switch to systems of nearby stars or even fictional solar systems, and allow for customizing planetary data to create your own. Over time, this felt like the wrong direction for the project. I'm currently favoring keeping the application rooted firmly in reality by limiting it to our star system. 

I've removed the fun-but-wacky option to re-center the astrological view to another planet - it let you see what your sun sign would have been if you'd been born on Mars, for instance, but added to a cluttered menu experience. 

I also removed the ability for you to export solar system data to your local Playdate device and customize it. This feature was initially created to support modding, but was mostly because I was insecure about the astronomical data I'd gathered. If corrections need to be made to Orrery's planetary data, please let me know and I'll update it for everyone!

I hope that these adjustments amount to a more solid user experience for Orrery - one where you're free to explore our solar system in a fun and engaging way that doesn't overwhelm you with too many options.

One more thing! I've had some art commissioned for Orrery's cover art. Please enjoy!