This update focuses heavily on polish, progression, Tavern Rules, AI, and playtest feedback.
Tavern Rules
Added proper Tavern room progression:
x2 available from the start
x4 unlocks after defeating The Landlord and reaching Reputation 4
x6 unlocks at Reputation 6
x8 unlocks at Reputation 8
Added clearer locked-room requirements.
Added buy-ins for higher Back Room opponents.
Improved opponent difficulty so Billy, Mags, Rogue and The Landlord feel progressively smarter.
Removed Lucky Seven.
Fixed Double Down bonus turns so players are not forced to take the Pile when no follow-up play is available.
Added House Rule descriptions during matches.
Tutorial
Fixed Kings being played illegally on a 7.
Fixed the grouped 9s pickup section so all cards are correctly returned.
Improved card-selection behaviour during tutorial sections.
Cards & Controls
Improved first-click card responsiveness.
Restored drag-selection from open table space.
Added special-card hover explanations.
Special-card tooltips now use themed colours.
Added a hover indicator showing how many cards are currently in the Pile.
Pressing Esc now opens Settings, and pressing it again closes Settings.
Collection & Avatars
Locked avatars are now heavily obscured and clearly marked LOCKED.
Unlock requirements now correctly reflect the Level progression system.
Improved locked-avatar text layout and readability.
UI & Presentation
Standardised UI text around the main Metamorphous font.
Fixed Tavern Rules text overflowing off-screen.
Improved tooltip sizing.
Repositioned in-game trinket slots around the player profile to avoid UI overlap.
Fixed the deck counter overlapping cosmetics.
Audio
Menu music now persists correctly across non-match screens.
Match music loops correctly.
Fixed card_select.wav compatibility for clean Godot imports.
General
Various save-compatibility, layout, input and regression fixes.
Existing player progress is preserved.
Thanks to everyone testing the game and sending feedback — keep it coming.