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Repel the Darkness PlaytestNewsAutomating Automatons
Game update

Automating Automatons

Repel the Darkness Playtest · published 19 Jul 2026, 11:16 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

New Content

  • Added one new tile augment to Perch.

Monsters

  • Improved the monster spawn algorithm to further reduce bad RNG. Tougher monsters tend to appear in later rounds, e.g. ranged Nightpiercers no longer appears in a level's earliest rounds, where no unit could reach it. Also, in late rounds monster spawns tend more to spawn 360 degrees around the base.

Units

  • Automatons can now spawn other spawners, including another Automaton. Have fun letting an Automaton spawn an Automaton spawn an Void-Spawner spawn a Void-Minion.
  • Changed the Chaincaster's default targeting to "Biggest Burst": it picks the target whose burst would strike the most monsters.
  • Marksman and Assassin now keep their target until it is diminished or leaves their attack range, instead of re-picking after every attack.
  • Only Guard units now intercept monsters ahead of their path; other melee units pursue their target directly.

Quests

  • Improved the quest goal algorithm to further reduce bad RNG edge cases. Reduces the likelihood of matches where the player can not complete a second or third quest by round 4 and 5. Also, quest locations should now also be more meaningful in late rounds, avoiding to overshoot monster spawns.

UX & QoL

  • Renamed "Group Lead" to "Pack Leader" and monster groups to "packs". Feels more fantasy and less like work.
  • A Pack Leader now adopts its pack's movement identity properly. Tooltips now properly display this adoption.
  • Tile-augment reward cards now show a persistent tile panel (matching unit reward cards).
  • Hovering a unit standing away from its tile now marks that tile.
  • Added a bar next to augments and augmented stats on tooltips to highlight buffs made by augments.
  • Repositioning units displays their preview in formation instead of their previous local positions.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed the Base becoming invincible once it had received healing.
  • Fixed pressing ESC resuming the match after victory or defeat had already been decided.
  • Fixed Riptide monsters walking a different path than their preview, detouring around rivers they should swim through; their speed surges are also smoothed now.
  • Fixed hovering an engaged monster showing a false path preview to the Base.
  • Fixed the monster path preview ribbon vanishing or breaking apart along tile edges.
  • Fixed a Resonating Wellspring not doubling its Springborn per-minion-spawn heal as its tooltip promised.
  • Fixed monsters attacking from just outside their displayed attack-range ring.
  • Fixed Dreadhide rendering without its material.
  • Fixed the Echoing Shrine tooltip still listing its echo minions after they despawned at round end; hovering an unoccupied Echoing Shrine now also displays its echo minions' attack range.
  • Fixed hovering an augment slot reordering the trait rows of a card that already carries that augment.
  • Fixed term tooltips collapsing when hovering a term link inside another term's definition.
  • Fixed an empty button slot in the bottom panel on the victory and defeat screens.
More from Repel the Darkness Playtest

Other announcements

All news
Game update16 Sep 2026SentinelNew Content · Added a new unit called Sentinel and three new augments for it. · Removed the unit Binder and its two augments. Units · Units now aim at monsters their hit would still affect. A unit whose damage a monster fully resists lets it walk past and picks another target in range instead of wasting its attacks. With no such target in range, it attacks anyway. · Melee units now no longer st…Game update6 Sep 2026More Relics and Satisfying Micro FeedbackNew Content · Added two new relics. · Added one new monster augment called Tough. Units · Ranged units now fire from the moment on a monster gets into their range. They no longer walk toward a monster first. · Increased the Guard's attack range 0.3 → 0.35. · Suppressor units now spread their shots across an arriving pack of monsters instead of all firing at its first monster. Tiles · Reworked P…Game update30 Aug 2026Absence of LightHighlights · Darkness: monsters can now darken your tiles. A Darkened tile has no effect until the Darkness is removed. · Illumination counters Darkness. Illuminated monsters cannot darken tiles. · Relics: On rare occasions a relic will spawn on the board. Place a tile next to it to find out what it does. · Placement previews now show exactly what a tile or unit placement would change as UI chi…