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Repel the Darkness PlaytestNewsPerks and Counted Stacks
Game update

Perks and Counted Stacks

Repel the Darkness Playtest · published 23 Aug 2026, 09:57 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

Highlights

  • Reworked perks. Perks were the least meaningful choice in a run. The rebuild is meant to make every perk shape how you play and give each run its own identity.
  • Counted stacks. Almost all status effects used to be binary: a monster either had one or not. Reworked status effects now come in counted stacks, so the question is no longer whether to commit to a strategy, but instead by how much.

New Content

  • Added 11 new perks.
  • Added seven new unit augments.
  • Added four new monster augments.
  • Added three new tile augments.

Units

  • Binder: Move Speed 2 → 3. Has a new initial trait called Bindings. Moved its previous initial trait Binding Fire into an augment.
  • Marksman: Attack Damage 4 → 5. Removed Reposition and Binding Fire from its augments. Added two new augments.
  • Void-Spawner: Removed Binding Fire from its augments. Added a new augment.
  • Trapper: Buffed Illuminating Trap into a stronger version called Flare Trap.

Monsters

  • Dreadhide: HP 10 → 20. Now appears from Act I on.
  • Broodmother: now appears from Act I on.
  • Brute: HP 4 → 5. Added a new initial trait called Closed Ranks. Removed Vitality from its augments.
  • Unbreaker: Replaced its aura by granting Closed Ranks to its pack instead. Removed Overcharge. Added Steadfast Ranks.
  • Vanguard: Shield 0 → 2.
  • Bulwark: Shield 2 → 4.
  • Relentless is no longer binary, but instead a tax.
  • The first rounds of every level now open with more varied monster waves.
  • Monster deck offers vary more from the first levels on, so runs take their own identity earlier.

Tiles

  • Mound and Perch: Replaced its initial trait with one that makes it a placement puzzle and counted stacks over a binary choice.
  • The seven "Tile Access" perks are now one perk "Tile Access", where you choose the tile type yourself.

  • The seven "Add to your deck" rewards are now one reward "Shifting Ground", where you choose both the tile type to add and the one it replaces.
  • Removed High Mound, Precarious Perch, Flourishing Wellspring and Extended Engagement. New augments take their slots.
  • UX & QoL

    • On your first-ever run, the first perk offer now comes right after the first level instead of on entering Act II, so new players learn about perks sooner.
    • Consumed status effects stay visible on the health bar and in the tooltip instead of disappearing. Their icons now show them as consumed.
    • Counted stacks now show their numbers on the healthbar and in the tooltip.
    • Targeting rules, Base and Monster Spawn are now highlighted terms in tooltip.

    Bug Fixes

    • Fixed pressing a hand tile right after clicking a cell placing a second tile there.
    • Fixed a quest checklist item freezing at the wrong size when its goal tile was placed while the checklist was still revealing. Also fixed a checkmark appearing over a still-hidden item, and a gap left in the checklist after unplacing a tile that was already there.
    • Fixed base tile rewards losing their effect after continuing a saved level.
    • Fixed a unit moved by March Order coming back without its tile-bonus cap after continuing a saved level.

    Note: Runs in progress carry over, but perks and cards removed in this build disappear from them, and a level saved mid-way in the previous build restarts from its first round.

    More from Repel the Darkness Playtest

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