Greetings! As I continue developing Gravethorn’s full version, a significant gap has formed between it and the demo. Therefore, this update brings improvements to the demo based on community feedback and ongoing work.
Mechanics & Controls
Final Verse System added When the player has no Deathsong Bullets remaining, a new system activates after a short delay (approx. 6–8 seconds). A single bullet is granted and can be fired as usual. A sound cue and a visual effect (similar to a charged Sorrowflame slot) indicate readiness. Final Verse is indicated by a circular slot under the bullet counter (top-left of the screen).
This came straight from feedback. Final Verse is meant to offer a glimmer of hope, a last line of defense. In the full version, I plan to make this system synergize with Trinkets, Forbidden Arts, and Sigils for some wild builds. Also thinking about refunding bullets spent during failed attempts... but that’s a full release thing.
Quick Item Wheel for Consumables
You can now assign up to 4 consumables to a quick-use menu via the Inventory screen ("Assign Quick Item"). During gameplay, hold the Interaction key and use directional input to quickly use an assigned consumable.Breakable Environmental Props Candles, lamps, poles, and some other decorations can now be destroyed by attacks.
I saw players attacking props instinctively, only to be disappointed by the lack of interaction. This is my way of saying: "Yeah, that instinct was right."
Collectibles & World-Building
Strays of the Chapel (Collectible System) Cats once cared by Saint Nivareth and sheltered in the Night Lament Chapel have been added as hidden collectibles. Rescuing them rewards the player and brings them back to the chapel. Finding all strays unlocks a bonus reward (in the full game).
These furry survivors bring warmth to the otherwise grim world. Sister loves them. So do I.
Trophy Display in the Chapel Bosses you’ve defeated now leave behind a memento item, which is placed on display inside the Chapel.
This one’s simple, but satisfying. Seeing the fruits of your struggle decorate the walls of the Chapel adds a subtle sense of permanence, a record of what you’ve survived.
Lore & Dialogue
Talk to the Dead System added You can now use the Deathspeaker’s Talisman (Consumable Item) to speak with specific corpses. Dialogue options like “Who are you?”, “How did you die?”, and “What do you know?” reveal useful info, keys to progression, or hidden quests.
This was missing from the demo, even though it’s core to the full game’s narrative structure. Now you can try it right before the first boss.
Exile of the Broken Moon — Cutscene & Voice Lines When you first meet the Exile (Traveling for the first time), he now speaks. If certain quests are completed, a short travel cutscene plays.
He used to be just a silent travel function. Now he's a character. Small change, big soul.
Added 2 new questlines.
Localization improvements for item descriptions and tutorial messages.
Forbidden Arts
Ascendant Arts (Locked Passive Perks added) Forbidden Arts now include a passive trait slot called “Ascendant Art,” displayed in the description. These passives unlock later in the full game. Some are unique to the specific skill, others are global boosts/traits.
This is groundwork. You can’t access them yet, but I wanted to hint at the depth that’s coming.
UI & UX
New Damage Screen Effect A short, impactful red flash now appears when the player takes damage. It's less intrusive than the low-health overlay but helps with moment-to-moment clarity.
Recieved damage wasn’t reading clearly enough. This helps reinforce the feedback loop without overwhelming the screen.
Combat & Visuals
Execution Moves updated for Murkway and beyond Enemies encountered after the Murkway region now have new execution effects. Instead of traditional physical takedowns, magical executions have been added to maintain impact while reducing animation complexity.
I’m solo-developing Gravethorn. That means there’s no dedicated pixel artist working with me. For early-game enemies, I managed to edit existing assets to create unique executions... but the sheer number of enemy types later on makes it nearly impossible to animate them all myself. So I designed magical-style executions instead (Since Inquisitor is able to possess Forbidden Arts), they're stylized, hit hard, and keep the rhythm flowing.
Added new enemy placements to the Ravenbell region.
Item Adjustments
Strength Elixir:
30s / +15% ATK→ 60s / +20% ATKRobustness Elixir:
30s / +5% DEF→ 60s / +20% DEFResistance Elixir:
30s / +10% Status Resist→ 60s / +50% Status ResistSigil of Wailing Thorn:
+30% ATK / x2 Damage Taken→ +25% ATK / x1.5 Damage TakenCold Embrace (Trinket):
Attacking a staggered enemy with Deathsong ends stagger but applies Frostburn.→ Attacks deal significantly increased damage to enemies already affected by Frostburn.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where crouching while attacking (or any action) would register as crouched, but not trigger the crouch animation.
Fixed a map note not clearing correctly in Murkway.
Fixed fast travel unlocking incorrectly after acquiring the Thief’s Bag.
Fixed unintended healing when pressing Confirm near NPCs after interacting with a Broken Shrine.
(Hotfix 22.07.25) When fired with Deathsong, the bug where breakable props blocked the bullet from reaching the enemy has been fixed.