Hi!
Since the last news update, development has shifted from the underground cave system to the dangerous new world beyond the player spawn.
This above-ground area is where things really begin to open up — with new environments, encounters, and challenges waiting just outside the safety of the starting zone.
Here’s a video montage showcasing footage from both the cave system and some of the new tile maps beyond the spawn.
A thorny area
One of the final additions to the underground areas was a new layer of environmental effects, including drifting fog to enhance the eerie atmosphere of the depths.
The fog subtly rolls through the caves, adding both visual depth and a stronger sense of danger as you explore below.
The cave systems are filled with rare loot and hidden treasures, including newly added gem deposits scattered throughout the depths.
There are now several different types of gems to discover, each used in the creation and maintenance of powerful crystal-based weapons and armor.
If you can survive long enough to find them, these resources can significantly boost your power, but the deeper you go, the greater the risk.
Different colored gems are linked in opposing pairs.
Deep within the caves, you may encounter ancient stone cells containing sealed Crystal Warriors. These entities are bound within their chambers… for a reason.
Break the seal, and they will escaping their prison unleashing havoc.
Crystal Monstrosities — the pets of the Crystal Warriors — often spawn in small hordes near their masters.
Battles in these areas can become highly destructive, with damage spilling into the surrounding environment. In some cases, the prison cells containing the Crystal Warriors can be broken during combat…
…releasing them into the fight.
Depending on the time of day, some treasure chests found within the cave system may be guarded by hostile NPCs that must be defeated before the loot can be claimed.
Many cave chests are also encased in rock, requiring a Miner’s Pickaxe to break them open and access what’s inside.
So now I have begun working on the Tile Maps that lie beyond the spawn. These are very wild areas where you will face much more powerful enemies in greater numbers.
Cave Woman brandishing her giant wooden club in The Badlands.
In watery areas, you’ll now encounter an aquatic variant of Goblins.
These creatures are faster and more resilient than their land-based counterparts, and their razor-sharp fins give them a much higher chance to inflict bleed damage.
Aquatic Goblins are known to hurl sharp fish bones at their prey, making encounters near water especially dangerous.
Punks who try to set up camp with a nice waterfront view quickly learn to regret it.
I was never fully satisfied with the werewolves in the current public build — they simply weren’t dangerous or intimidating enough.
They were among the first monsters I created nearly 10 years ago while I was still learning pixel art, so they were long overdue for a redesign. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m much happier with this new version.
Brown-haired Wolf Men can often be found near ponds during the day, hunting fish. In this state, they will fight alongside you as friendly NPCs.
However, as night falls, they transform — turning hostile and attacking anything that moves.
They are now significantly larger and far more dangerous, with an expanded set of attacks that make them a true force to be reckoned with.
The Wolfmen/Werewolf faction has also been expanded to include a deadly black werewolf, as well as a rare white wolf that only appears during a full moon.
If you can survive until daybreak, a werewolf will transform back into a friendly Wolf Man.
That’s all for now. More development updates coming soon. Thanks for reading and for your continued support of the game.
James - @iENDERi