New Content, New Features, New Game Mechanics

Patch 1.06 for Mech Shuffle will be releasing this Friday, January 13th! With this patch we are adding plenty of new content, as well as paving the way for updates throughout 2023. Here are some of the things you can expect to see on Friday:

• New Game Mechanic: Card Cycling (right click a card to spend an action point and cycle)
• New Token Type: Cycling (playing adds to your cycling side board)
• New Reward Event Type: Pilot Events (upgrade pilot cards, get new ones)
• New Cards (20+)
• New Encounter Events
• External Save Files and Cloud Saves
• Pilot Pack Changes: Sherman and Emrys
• New Music Track by Quinten
• A smarter, more intelligent AI
• Rewards in Mech Bays will now always be different
• Custom game cursor
• Several Bug Fixes

Improved Save System

The improved Save System includes the switch to external save files, as well as the implementation of Steam Cloud Saving. This will let you carry your saved games over from one computer to the next, as long as you are using Steam to launch your game.

Due to the major changes to the save system with this patch, any runs in progress will be lost after the update. So if you want to finish your current run, do it before you install the Friday patch!

New Game Mechanic: Card Cycling

The new Card Cycling mechanic will Increase the decision space for players. You can now choose to spend an action point to discard any card in hand (by right clicking on it). This cycles the card by discarding it and immediately drawing a new card to replace the old one.

Now you can choose to not play cards: to conserve heat, to force your opponent to play first, or to draw that combo card hiding in your deck. Of course, action points are already a precious commodity, needed to fire your weapons, defend against attacks, sink heat, etc. This means that the choice to cycle comes with its own cost.

Cycling also increases the design space by allowing new gameplay and card designs for the future. Ordinarily, you can Card Cycle to draw a card. However, there is a new token type being added to the game to take advantage of cycling:

When you play a token with the cycle symbol, it will enter a side board with all of your cycle effects (rather than going immediately into play). When you later cycle a card, all of the tokens in your side board will enter play. This lets you use actions to stockpile effects for later use. You can build powerful combos this way, or use cycling to counter the more aggressive decks.

Pilot Pack Changes

There will be many new cards added to the game with this patch, most of them making use of the new Card Cycle mechanic. Two Pilot Packs are being updated to use the cycling mechanic.

Sherman is losing Pilot Skill: Tactics in favour of Pilot Skill: Synaptic Savant. Since Sherman is unlocked early in Mech Shuffle, this change will give new players a chance to play around with the cycle mechanic as a defensive option.

Emrys is getting a major overhaul, with three new cards. Emrys will still be the energy weapons specialist, with Pilot Skill: Adaptive Alignment, but now she has the skills to build a powerful side board to enable safe swing turns (Pilot Skill: Foresight) where she quickly dumps excess heat (Pilot Skill: Heat Cycling), and sets up for a powerful laser blast on the following turn.

Event Type: Pilot Events

Previously, it was very difficult to upgrade your Pilot Cards. Now, your pilots can grow along with your mechs through Pilot Events.

The new Pilot Events add a much needed way to improve your pilot skills. A Pilot Event will give you the ability to upgrade your existing pilot cards, or to add new pilot cards to your deck. The quality of the new cards will depend on your pilot level. Higher level pilots will have a better chance at more upgraded card options.

Thank You For Playing Mech Shuffle!

Thanks everyone for playing Mech Shuffle, and for all of your feedback and suggestions. Now let's make this game even better for 2023.