Veil of the Soulstones Playtest · published · build 26309171
Hey folks! The first update to the Veil of the Soulstones closed playtest is here! Before we get into the changes, thank you SO MUCH for your feedback so far! Your reports, suggestions, and stories from your runs have already helped us decide where to take the game next. We’ve spent the past couple of weeks experimenting with all sorts of ideas. For this update, we’ve brought together the ones we feel fit the game best: more discoveries, more dangers, and a Soulstone you actually have to look after. If you’ve already played, we’d love for you to jump back in. A lot has changed!
Destroying the Soulstone is your mission, so it was a little strange that you weren’t carrying one! One randomly selected player now starts each match with the Soulstone. Its light pierces the veil, helping your teammates spot its carrier—or find it on the ground from a distance. Keys and other special items now go into a backpack instead of taking up consumable slots. These items appear on your character’s back and drop when you die, making it easier to see who is carrying what.
Heralds of Darkness roam the world in search of the Soulstone. These invincible enemies deal damage on contact without entering combat, and once they detect the Soulstone, pursuing it becomes their priority. If a Herald reaches the Soulstone while it’s lying on the ground and manages to consume it, darkness engulfs the world—and your mission is over. Keep it close. Keep each other alive.
A world of different biomes
Your journey now takes you through multiple biomes, with transitions between regions instead of one long stretch of forest. Tall grass
Patches of tall grass let you hide from enemies, break their pursuit, and avoid being pulled into combat. Watch out for enemies with True Sight, though: Heralds of Darkness can see through your hiding place. Tornadoes
Watch your step, or you might find yourself swept away from your friends and thrown deeper into the veil. Secret rooms
Pay close attention to your surroundings—or follow a helpful spirit—and you might uncover a hidden room with rewards inside. Mysterious portals
New portals can take you… elsewhere. We’ll leave you to discover what’s on the other side. These encounters are still a work in progress! The Horde
You aren’t the only ones seeking the Soulstone. Stay alert as you travel: some dangers arrive in numbers. New encounters
There are more things to discover and interact with across the map, including a Seer who prefers to remain hidden.
Area Keys now rest on altars and can only be collected once the party reaches the displayed level.
Improved procedural dungeon generation, with more control over dungeon shapes and sizes.
Added new dungeons and reworked existing ones, with objectives that require more than simply rushing to the exit.
Reviving now uses a single press of the quick interaction key to begin, rather than requiring you to hold the button.
Added a smoothly filling XP bar, clearer equipment comparison highlights, and health cost previews for Shadow Figure choices.
Updated many enemy and NPC sprites, alongside improvements to lighting and materials.
Added new music and sound effects, including Volcano and victory tracks.
Continued experimenting with difficulty layouts and progression.
Fixed several dungeon softlocks caused by misplaced doors and blockers.
Fixed Sentinel receiving mercenaries it cannot use, mercenary rewards going to ineligible players, and incorrect mercenary prices for clients.
Fixed multiple choice interactions sometimes displaying only one option.
Fixed lingering tooltips and rain sounds after returning to the lobby, missing end-game action stats, and misplaced lobby voice icons.
In-game bug reporting and feedback tools are now available! You can share your thoughts directly from the game, and bug reports include information that helps us investigate what went wrong. Whether something breaks, feels confusing, or makes for a memorable moment, we want to hear about it.
This is still an early, experimental playtest, and there are some important gaps:
Meta progression and build depth: This update doesn’t add meta progression or address the broader need for more ways to strengthen your characters and make interesting build decisions.
Content and repetition: There are more systems and encounters to discover, but they don’t yet have the depth or variety we want. Expect placeholder art, rough edges, and features that may change considerably.
We’re sharing these experiments so we can learn what makes your adventures more interesting—and what still needs work. Thanks again for being part of the playtest. Gather your party, look after that Soulstone, and let us know how your next run goes! The Game Smithing Team