Today’s the day: Passageway of the Ancients has now been officially launched. Explore the city of Ithgar to solve your parents’ murder and uncover the truth. It’s a dream come true for us to share the game with you all after all these years.
Let us know what you think in the Steam Community Hub, on Discord, and on Reddit.
Sorry for the later update, but I've narrowed down on a release month: January 2025!!
I've been nose to the grindstone on polishing up the demo for the Steam Next Fest that we'll be participating in starting TOMORROW! Really excited to see how it goes, as it's usually a major source of visibility for indies. This one has over 3,000 games participating though so we'll have to wait and see.
We also have a shiny new trailer to announce the new launch month.
Between all the demo updates and trailer creation, I also had time for finishing up chapter 8, focusing on a more tight experience. I have a new process for designing maps that I think is going to be super engaging.
The new demo is also released now, still up to chapter 3, but I've gotten a ton of feedback that I've already incorporated into the game.
For future changes, this next week I'll likely be focusing on doing the best i can in Steam Next Fest. During and after that it's pure chapter creation! At 12 hour days, chapter 8 took me ~4 days (map, new items, characters, events). I'm pulling 6-7 days a week right now so the goal is to have the chapters done by end of November. Leaving December/January for polish/playtesting.
Future
Chapter, chapters, and more chapters.
Finish up remaining elite classes.
Implement interesting items/weapons to enhance gameplay. (I'd love to hear your ability ideas to potentially put in the game!)
Thank you everyone for the continued support. It feels surreal approaching the finish line, but there's still much work to be done, and I'll make sure to keep you all in the loop every step of the way.
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You’re a Patrol Op on a holiday weekend at World’s End Ski Resort, Mount Hope, Antarctica. But things are about to go sideways.
Now you’re stranded at the off-season resort with unforgettable guests, wild parties, and mad secrets. The world of XXX NIGHTSHIFT is your oyster—crack it open with evolved role-playing systems.
Features
Deep single-player role-playing with seismic choices. Powerful, finely tuned, innovative. It’s yours to decide how your story unfolds—and how it ends. Follow your truths or just slide on the surface of things.
Volumetric: A fresh role-playing system that respects your time, trusts your intelligence, and plays along with your every choice. Play a true three-dimensional human being. Combine 20 Traces across four categories to shape your character in any way you desire.
Find a partner in crime investigation or try flying solo. A unique companion dynamic provides you with many paths to solve the crimes. Engage in social climbing, soul digging, man-eating, and more, depending on your choices and luck.
Maboul Kit: Tune your investigative mind to prepare for interrogations, confrontations, and seductions. Anticipate what’s coming and boost your chances. But mind the side effects—there’s always a price to pay.
Dopamine Buffet: Rehearse your moves. Dance through crime scenes. Drift through parties. Or find pleasure in completing the simplest chores. Get better with every action you take.
Marafet Calculator: Use Marafet calculations to alter your time and space. Go deep with insights and discover connections, but make sure you’ll be able to resurface.
Original Science Fiction Setting: The detective RPG XXX NIGHTSHIFT lands you in a luxury resort that shouldn’t exist, with people you shouldn’t know. In the endless polar night, amidst the orgies of politics, power, and poetry, something gruesome lies waiting.
In 2086 CE, things really can’t go much further south than World’s End, Antarctica. Have fun.
Publisher Digital Tribe and indie studio Innervoid Interactivereleased today the Free Prologue of their upcoming sandbox rpg Dustgrave. Dustgrave, which is set to release in Q4 2024 on Steam Early Access, offers players total freedom and a powerful emergent narrative thanks to its powerful character editor and advanced record and relationship system, which tracks every event in the world and makes NPC react to what they know about you, depending on their morality and interests. In this expanded demo, you will have the same freedom of choice that the full game will present. Saves will carry over to the final game when it releases, so don't be afraid of taking your first steps in this land of strife and conflict!
ABOUT DUSTGRAVE
Carve your own path in the dangerous lands of what once was the mighty Dahlan Empire – now a land of strife and conflict, with all kinds of factions struggling among them. Follow the laws or seek to sow chaos: every choice is yours to make. Your actions can empower your faction to make it the most powerful of the continent; or you can go your own way and try to maintain a balance of power. Featuring a deep turn-based combat system that allows combinations of skills, spells, and items, you have endless tactical options to adapt the game to your playstyle. You can also rely on Dustgrave’s advanced stealth system to achieve your goals – you can break into places to steal valuable clues (or just, well, valuables), assassinate enemies, and other questionable deeds. Just be aware that, thanks to Dustgrave's advanced record and relationship system, the world will remember your choices -- and react accordingly...
ABOUT THE FREE PROLOGUE
Dustgrave’s Prologue includes all the mechanics that you will find in the full game, but in a limited world map and with a level cap of 10 for your characters. In this prologue you won’t be able to join factions, but you can accept and fulfill missions for them. The available factions include two political ones (Panavian Republic and the Golden Dahlans), a religious order (the Cathars), a scholar institution (the Academy) and two bands of outlaws (the Vultures and the Onorati).
The wait is over. We are finally announcing our Early Access launch date and it’s right around the corner–November 5, 2024!
For the first time, our feature-complete game will be available for you to enjoy, from Act 1 all the way to the end of Act 3. Journey deeper into the forsaken island of Anareios, face increasingly challenging enemies, and take on two more bosses to get closer to uncovering the mystery.
While the full story will be revealed at the Official Release (within next year), all the core gameplay mechanics and systems will be available with the EA launch and expanded during the EA period. Be on the lookout for more info on this as we near November 5th.
Our Early Access price is set at 19.99 USD, but if you’re early to our Early Access, you can enjoy a 20% discount during our launch sale.
Unlike our demos, the Early Access version of Veil of the Witch comes in 10 languages, so more of our players can enjoy the story and the character conversations in their native language.
As we have done with our previous games, we’re committed to working with our fans to polish Veil of the Witch and deliver the best version of the game at Official Release.
So please engage with us right here on Steam or join us on our Discord, and be sure to wishlist and share this news with other turn-based TRPG fans in your life.
Welcome, Kindred, to this Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary from the team at The Chinese Room. Tonight’s diary is about hunting and feeding, both in combat scenarios and the more social setting of Seattle. Feeding is at the heart of the game loop and fantasy of being a vampire so if you faint at the sight of blood, read no further.
- Project Creative Director, Alex Skidmore
Feeding is a really important part of the vampire fantasy, and so from a gameplay perspective, we were set on making it a fundamental part of the player’s actions and strategies. You’ll be doing a lot of it - Phyre’s a little-and-often kinda drinker; that helps keep the beast in check- plus it’s your main source of healing, and critical to using your powerful discipline abilities. A lot of incentive for us to make it feel good!
Your main concern will be your surroundings - getting spotted feeding on the streets is a blatant Masquerade violation, and more violent types won’t be content to let you feed on their friends unscathed, so you’ll want to isolate your targets. Feeding in the swing of combat is risky, but not impossible - if you’re mindful of which direction you start a feed from, for example, your victim can help soak up a lot of gunfire for you!
One aspect that was really challenging was presentation, from a first-person perspective. Feeding in first person doesn’t really show you much at best, and looks silly at worst, but a simple cut in and out of third-person can also be disorienting and feels a bit disconnected. What we settled on uses a bit of both, with some basic cinematic action cutting techniques to maintain continuity of motion, and enough first-person action at the end to get you settled into your next move. It’s subtle, but I think it goes a long way in helping the flow of the game in hectic situations!
- Senior Game Designer, Max Bottomley
Blood Resonance Events
Not only is Seattle brought to life with people going about their own business, including NPCs reacting to the player (perhaps even running away in terror!) it’s also a place where the player can hunt!
As you move around the city, you’ll be able to track and hunt NPCs that have the potential to become fully resonated with a specific type of blood to feed on. Track these NPCs down using Heightened Senses and knowledge of the city, then use charm, fear, or anger to convince and bend them to your will.
Very early on we wanted these events to feel like something players would want to go and investigate as they pop up around the city, I like to refer to these events as vampire candy for players to track, follow, and feed on! Social Feeding is a key part of the players' time in our Seattle, and revolves around influencing the NPCs in certain ways - maybe you’ll stumble upon someone angry that the ATM has stolen their card and you can take that anger and feed on it. Maybe someone’s scared after missing the last bus home, and chasing them down a dark alley will tip them into terror and give you the Social Feed you’re craving.
It’s been great working on a system where the NPCs display very raw emotion letting the player really lean into the vampire fantasy allowing them to interact with the denizens of Seattle in a number of different ways. You can use abilities, conversations, or just plain terrify them then reap the rewards with a careful feed.
We wanted to give players the freedom to hunt the way they want but it was also important that players need to be mindful of how and where they feed to avoid breaking the Masquerade! Social Feeding is a slower process so it's best to lure victims to secluded areas.
Explaining to animators that I want an animation of someone cowering like a shocked actor from a 1950s horror movie then watching those animations come to life… Chef’s Kiss!
It's been really great to just sit and think, wouldn’t it be great if Phyre is approached by a mugger and threatened… only to have them turn and flee in fear once they realise what Phyre is! I’m really looking forward to seeing how players choose to tackle the hunt and feed within the city area itself.
- Project Lead Game Designer, Gavin Hood
Don’t miss the next DD where we sink our teeth deeper into the intricacies of Blood Resonance!
Why Early Access?
MONOMYTH is a vast RPG developed by a single person, featuring numerous complex systems including combat, dialogue, and even small features like playable instruments. In addition to these mechanics, the game has a substantial amount of content.
The goal of Early Access is to receive feedback and ensure that all these systems are interacting correctly. Player testing will help fix subtle design flaws and make sure that the game runs efficiently on a wide range of machines.
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
The game will approximately remain in Early Access for six to twelve months.
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
I plan to introduce three additional major areas during the game's early access phase.
I also plan to improve the combat and AI systems further. The full version is intended to offer a wider selection of spells, weapons, and enemies.
Additional quests are planned as well.
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
Currently, the game features two major areas, a central hub, and several smaller dungeons. All character skills and side features, including blacksmithing and fishing, have been implemented. The game's data includes all spells and weapons. Numerous enemy types, puzzles, and environmental challenges are already in place.
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
There are no plans to increase the price during Early Access. However, after the full release, the price will increase based on the final scope of the game.
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
MONOMYTH was originally funded through Kickstarter. It receives regular project updates and video devlogs, which are also posted on Steam. The game has an active Discord server, and the developer engages regularly with the community on the Steam community hub.
Why hello there! You’re looking great, have you done something with your hair or just reconfigured your entire face to look like a fish?
If your mods are any indication, the answer is yes and then some. It’s not even a month since Patch 7 dropped on PC - complete with our official modding toolkit - and already you’ve uploaded over 1,000 mods and racked up more than 15 million downloads!
We’ve watched as you’ve customised your dice with flames and iridescent pearl, lightened the load of gold in your packs, and adjusted your party limit from 4 to 16 - because who needs personal space anyway?
And now, those of you on console and Mac can finally join in, with Patch 7 rolling out to these platforms starting today. Keep reading to learn how to kick off your modded run, plus check out some of the most popular mods ready for you to explore.
Today’s update also brings Hotfix #26 and Hotfix #27 to all platforms - if you want to check out the patch notes in full, point your eyes in this direction. But far from being our last patch, you can still expect to see crossplay and a photo mode for Baldur’s Gate 3 in the future.
Playing With Baldur’s Gate 3 Mods
If you’re thinking about starting a modded run and want to know what you’re getting into, whether you’re playing on console, Mac, or PC, then this is the guide for you!
Where do I even start?
So you want to enhance your journey to Baldur’s Gate with a little community-made magic?
While the Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit used to create mods is only available on PC, a whole selection of player-created mods are now available on console and Mac!
How are mods chosen for release on other platforms?
Only mods made with and uploaded using the Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit and which pass internal testing can be eligible for release on the console and Mac in-game mod browser.
Technical limitations on certain platforms mean that some PC mods will not be available for Mac or console. Our team will need to test all mods requested to be brought to these platforms to confirm whether they can be made available.
Mod Authors can let us know if they’d like to see their mod available on console and Mac during the upload process. Our Community Team will then check whether the mod adheres to our modding guidelines, before sending over batches of mods to undergo internal checks that look at the mod’s basic functionality, usability, and stability.
If all looks good, the mods will then be made available on these platforms!
Will more mods be made available on console and Mac?
Yes! There are currently, uh, 69 mods that have passed internal testing, and we’ll be adding more as we go. Making mods available on platforms other than PC will be a continuously reviewed process that may change to include additional functionality in the future. Mods ready for both Mac and console that have passed testing will be released in batches, so keep an eye out on your in-game mod browser to see when new mods are added.
Why Early Access?
We are releasing Banquet for Fools through early access to gather your thoughts and feedback while we progress toward a full launch.
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
We expect Banquet for Fools to be in Early Access for around 8-10 months.
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
We expect to improve the following areas as we progress toward the full launch:
- Additional maps beyond the existing 1.0 maps
- More pagan spells
- More songs
- More armor and weapon variations
- Continued content for the main quest line
- Additional NPC models and enemy models
- Additional bug fixes and polish
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
Character creation and all the skills uses have been implemented and are playable, as well as content for the early maps of the game. There are several quests and conversations to interact with in these maps, as well as skill checks, unique items, party-based combat and opportunities for level advancement. The ruleset and UX are still undergoing updates with feedback, and continued testing is needed to keep progressing the game toward a more finished state.
There are 5 playable races, over 100 inventory items with custom art and 3d models, and over a dozen unique enemies to engage as well as a community of NPCs to talk to.
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
We may explore a change in pricing during and after Early Access.
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
We are hoping for community input on systems, the ruleset and general thoughts on quests and wilderness exploration. We are hoping to engage with players on DIscord to discuss their opinions and report any feedback they have about the game.
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In Shattered Space, Starfield’s first major expansion, you’ll visit the home world of House Va’ruun for the first time. Explore a fully handcrafted new location and unravel the mysteries surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent.
When you arrive in Va’ruun’kai, a massive vortex has destroyed much of the city of Dazra, throwing House Va’ruun into chaos. In Shattered Space, you’ll uncover the mysteries behind the vortex and learn the fate of the survivors of House Va’ruun.
No Better Time to Play
With the many updates and improvements that we’ve made to the Starfield base game, Shattered Space is the perfect time to jump into Starfield. Here are just a few of the new features and improvements we’ve made since launch.
REV-8 Land Vehicle
The REV-8 has landed! Now is your chance to explore new frontiers (and reach new heights) in your very own land cruiser. The REV-8 land vehicle is fitted with a mounted turret to fight off hostile wildlife and forward boosters to get you where you want to go fast.
Improved Maps
One of the most requested features for Starfield, improved and more detailed surface maps were implemented, adding points of interest. We also added fast travel markers for vendors in cities making getting around in Neon and other large cities much easier.
Starfield Creations
We also launched Creations for Starfield bringing a whole host of new bespoke content to the game from our devs and Creators.
New Gameplay Options
There have been a few exciting updates to Starfield that allow you to customize the way you play the game, including accessing ship cargo from anywhere in your player inventory, the ability to increase vendor credits and carry capacity. In addition, we’ve added difficulty settings and the ability to change survival features such as the effects of food and environmental hazards. In terms of combat settings, you can make space combat more difficult or make run-and-gun combat easier. For an extra challenge, play on the new Extreme difficulty setting!
Bounty Scanning
The added bounty scanner system enables you to seek out and destroy targets with bounties on their heads. For more bounties, check out the Elite Trackers Alliance mission board.
Melee Weapon Improvements and Ammunition Crafting
We have also added improved tiers for melee weapons and the ability to improve your melee weapons at crafting benches. Additionally, you can now research types of ammunition at a Research Station and craft them at an Industrial Workbench. No need to fear running out of ammo for your favorite gun when you can just craft more.
So, jump back into Starfield today and experience these and the many other improvements we’ve made to the game!
Scourge of the Reptiles is a party-based tactical RPG set in a low fantasy prehistoric world. When a devastating meteor strikes the Earth, humans, elves and dinosaurs alike are gifted with magical abilities.
As the hero is able to control and ride the giant beasts, they venture forth with a party to discover that the world is much bigger than they initially thought. There are those sitting on neighbouring thrones who wish to enact war, plotting to bring forth chaos and destruction.
But dinosaurs are not to be taken lightly.
With the dinosaurs turning against their masters, the party must build a rebellion in the wilderness, return stronger and discover the cause of this sudden defiance.
Tactical Combat
Scourge of the Reptiles features a deep combat system that harkens back to classic tactics roleplaying. You’ll fight against and alongside mighty reptiles, as well as fierce undead and human civilisations.
Positioning and strategic thinking are the keys to victory. Command a party of warriors, sorcerers, and their dinosaur companions to tackle all manner of enemies that come your way, be they humanoid or reptilian.
Land of Dinosaurs
In the world of Odion, dinosaurs roam lands similar to those of other animal species, but they have never been used by others as weapons. Until now.
A dark magical force is at play, one that aims to bring destruction and chaos through the possession of dinosaurs. An army of dinosaurs is growing, and someone is behind it all.
We are finally ready to announce that the new era of Glorious Companions is coming to Steam this December! For the last few months, we have been really focused and dedicated to refresh the game and rework a lot of things.
From the 30th of September to the 7th of October, we will be attending Steam Turn-Based RPG Fest and it’s a great opportunity to try out the demo of Glorious Companions! It will not only be free, but it will also present all the changes we’ve made throughout the recent period of time. During this time you can also grab the game 50% cheaper and it will be the only occasion to do that before the december’s re-launch.
Let's focus a little bit more on what you may expect in the refreshed version of Glorious Companions!
Prologue storyline with cutscenes (and voice over!), dialogues, story quests and more. After this prologue (available in the demo as well!) the game allows for more free exploration with some main quests/goals included.
Whole new handcrafted world map. With new places to visit, explore and challenge.
Improved unit control in battle - long gone are the days when you had to change actions to attack enemy or had to rotate to move backwards. Movement and attacking is now omnidirectional and contextual - just hover mouse over the enemy to attack or on the ground to move.
Despite these changes, units facing still plays a big role in combat - attacks of opportunity are made only in front of the character and backstabbing enemies gives multiple bonuses.
We added journal for easier bookkeeping of active and finished quests. There is also a tab with all tutorials that player already encountered.
Visual and mechanical upgrade to neutral enemies. Animals even got array of new skills and passives to provide You with better challenges.
A lot of new points of interests with various interactions - some of them will even provide unique quests or challenges.
Above all, we prepared over 60 new battle maps - there are custom maps for story battles, for new dungeons and each biome on the map got their own unique maps in various sizes!
Challenging dungeon battles with new enemy types with their own weapons and unique abilities. These battles will take you through series of encounters one after another - better prepare for it!
We made some changes to the equipment as well. It now comes with various tiers that modify their stats and bunch of enchantments with secondary effects (burn, poison etc). There might be even some more new mechanics for them - stay tuned!
Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades is a turn-based tactical RPG in which you lead a company of mercenaries through the harsh lands of the Stormtossed Isle. Select one of many origin stories, or create your own, and make your mark through the world. Hire your crew, train, and outfit them. How will your company operate? Will you favor the traditional mercenary life, grab contracts and slowly build up your reputation? Will you instead focus on the lucrative trading opportunities to be found on the Isle? Or perhaps you'll don the mantle of a consummate explorer, discover and chart the numerous dungeons and secrets throughout. Then again, why not a mix of it all? One thing is for certain, though: it'll be a dangerous and bloody journey, and you'd better prepare your company for it, and prepare well.
The world of Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades consists of a procedurally generated world map, teeming with enemies, dungeons, towns and secrets to discover. Assemble your company and roam the lands, looking for opportunities, fortune, and bloody combat. Maintaining a mercenary company isn't cheap, so you'll have to earn some coin on the way. Contracts, trading, looting, discovering and pilfering will all serve you well on that front. Battles are a big part of the gameplay and take place on a tactical hex grid, in turn-based mode. Deploy up to 6 units, each with their own class and skill tree, and engage a variety of enemies intent on seeing your crew lie face down in the dirt. Dungeon exploration is another major component in Pathbreakers. Select a small elite force from your crew and delve into a dungeon. Once inside, you'll face traps, hidden paths, vicious enemies and your ever dwindling oil reserves, as you explore the darkness, hoping for treasures and renown.
Features
Build your own Company
Assemble and customize your roster from a selection of 8 classes, each branching to 2 different advanced classes and with their own skill tree. Mercenaries start with background traits and can learn new ones, adding an extra layer of customization.
Multiple Company paths
Your company can amass reputation on 3 different fronts: Mercenary, Trader and Explorer. A high reputation grants new opportunities tied to its field. More contracts, trading options, and special commissions become available to those who have proven themselves.
Never quite the same
The campaign's open world, dungeons, and most battle maps are procedurally generated, making each new game a different experience. Nothing is ever quite the same and it will keep you on your toes.
Multiple origin stories
Select one of many origin stories, or create your own. Each origin character has their own custom plot and story events, with different strengths and weaknesses and different goals and objectives.
Interesting enemies and tough encounters
The game features a large cast of enemies, ranging from opposing mercenaries to a multitude of unique monstrous creatures. Enemies have access to their own classes and abilities and understanding them will be a key difference between victory and a shallow grave.
Dynamic events
Contracts and story events have multiple resolutions and branching outcomes, never being quite the same from playthrough to playthrough. You'll face some hard choices that will influence how your company is perceived.
Modding
Pathbreakers has been designed to be modder friendly. The game features Workshop support, a map editor, a spell editor, and data files relying on easy-to-edit-and-understand json files, which facilitates adding classes, skills, and new languages.
Welcome Kindred to another Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary from the team at The Chinese Room.
In this diary, we want to give you some further insight into the choices we’ve made when building our version of Seattle (see Dev Diary 8 for my previous statements on building Seattle for The World of Darkness). Seattle is at the heart of the game, which you will return to again and again between quests or sometimes during them. It is the most human location in the game where you are vulnerable to being exposed as a vampire (aka breaching The Masquerade) resulting in swift and violent justice from the vampires of the Camarilla that rule the city. It is also a kind of vampire playground where you can feed on humans in order to restore your vampiric powers or just for the thrill of the hunt. We hope this diary gives you a taste of what you will experience when stalking the streets and rooftops of the Emerald City.
- Project Creative Director Alex Skidmore
Building the player’s movement through Seattle, we really wanted to create traversal that interacted with The Masquerade and reinforced the vampiric experience. Phyre has some absurd movement from the get-go, being able to immensely fast, dash and glide through the air, and can move faster while still using discipline abilities later- but of course, do any of this on the streets without obfuscation and you’ll quickly find yourself breaching the masquerade.
Dark alleyways don’t just give you a quieter place to feed on prey, they also provide routes up to Seattle’s rooftops- up here there’s fewer prying eyes, so you can really let your capabilities loose, moving fast and leaping between buildings. The local Anarchs won’t be thrilled about you moving through their rooftop turf though, so it’s a dangerous place for the weak or uninitiated.
This means, there’s a choice to be made at any point between danger to the masquerade and danger to yourself! Finding yourself drawn to the kinds of places vampires would lurk is the goal of this arrangement. As you regain your powers as an elder, you’ll also be more capable of moving as you please- I’m really looking forward to seeing people master it!
- Senior Game Designer Max Bottomley
Since joining the Bloodlines 2 team, a key responsibility I’ve undertaken is bringing life to a key area of the game – our Seattle.
Working closely with the Environment team, I wanted to make sure that as players explore the world it feels both alive and reactive to what they are doing. Players will discover a wide variety of people going about their daily (or nightly!) lives. We’ve crafted a personality for the city that compliments its unique setting, mood and layout. Time has been taken to map out city districts that favour different types of NPCs – you’ll be able to sit back and watch the world move on around you.
When you walk round a corner you never know what you’ll find; maybe it’s a businessman arguing on his phone, or a graffiti artist improving the local artwork, it could be a car thief struggling to break into a car, or even a sex worker making good on their promise with a client.
We’ve been filling the world with characters that actually do things; taking breaks on seats, telling the police about crimes they’ve seen, or seeing the police chasing down a criminal. The world turns without you, it should feel like you’re just passing through – and as the player, you can interact or just sit back and watch!
Working on this stuff and building out a believable world where bikers drink outside bars or start fights with you has been a hell of a lot of work, but I hope people will find it a fun place to explore.
The city isn’t all combat, it’s also home to exploration and interactions with the inhabitants of Seattle.
As with many other areas of the game a large part of what we wanted to give players was choice; some of that choice comes down to what conversations you’ll have with some of the NPCs and characters you’ll meet in the city. Use your Vampiric charms to seduce someone, proposition a sex worker, or flip off some angry bikers with a Brujah-approved hand gesture.
The first time you try to flirt with a Sex Worker in the game and get turned down because your choice of clothing didn’t impress them will be an eye-opener!
September 25th - 2024 – New indie outfit GG Studio have set sail to Steam's furthest shores today with the launch of Hidden Pass Skirmishes, a free prologue adventure into the world of Hidden Pass. Play Skirmishes now, and prepare for full deployment on February 4th, 2025.
Featuring a trio of tactical challenges and four playable battle-groups, Hidden Pass Skirmishes offers a replayable set of encounters to give players their first taste of this strange and magical world. Claim your first foothold on an archipelago of floating, mystical sky-islands as you command your heroes and techno-magical automatons against monsters and marauders alike.
With combat drawing inspiration from a rich legacy of tactical combat engines old and new (including Divinity: Original Sin, Wartales and Solasta), Hidden Pass Skirmishes gives you your first taste of its multi-level battlefields, rich in verticality and tactical freedom, with flying units capable of flanking in three directions.
Hidden Pass's combat also welcomes risk-takers. Magic can deal enormous damage, but runs the risk of driving magic-users to madness. Losing units isn't the end of the battle either, as your airship carries reserve units, letting you tag fresh fighters into the battle at any point.
Whether you steamroll these challenges or barely pull off a pyrrhic victory, this is your introduction to Hidden Pass. Launching into Early Access on Steam in February 2025, you'll have to be more than a tactical genius to thrive in this deadly magical archipelago. Expand and upgrade your mobile fortress, develop your fighting force, gather riches and go to war.
Suka blyat, all stand to attention! Is game of Eastern European origin, and RPG Codex has review of it!
Thanks to the priceless input of comrade BosanskiSeljak, you can now learn of the ultimate slavic experience presented by Svarog's Dream, a deep and complex RPG (because that's what they always are) made by two people you've never heard about.
Comrade reviewer praises the game's many satisfying aspects, such as the world design and reactivity as well as the unorthodox approach to character death, but seems less enthusiastic about the combat and general production values, as the entire budget was a crate of vodka and five kilograms of potato. In his own words:
The standout feature of Svarog’s Dream is its ever-changing world, which reacts to random events and player choices, extending beyond the main narrative. Each playthrough will have unique scenarios, and I could easily provide multiple examples for every small action that causes a reaction just from a single (experimental) playthrough. There are several systems incorporated into the game to achieve this.
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While the actual mechanics of combat in Svarog’s Dream are average, the system benefits greatly from the well crafted world and character building. Isometric action combat with auto-attacks, occasional kiting and active abilities running on cooldowns is the quick synopsis on what to expect. An additional mechanic is the spirit form, which allows you to leave your body and scout out an area (while you remain vulnerable). Death is a massive penalty in this game so the use of the spirit form is essential to many builds for a reason that will soon come apparent. This provides a small boost to somewhat lacking combat and lets you prepare and position yourself for fights.
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If your character dies, you’re returned to Veles who sends you out to inhabit a new body, giving you three new choices. Virtues and character level remain intact, while Attributes & Talents are replaced by the next character you choose. Your previous character's corpse remains on the map permanently with your old inventory, and looting it will leave the nude corpse behind as you carry on with your mission. There is no way to game the system as death-scumming is discouraged by design. Consistently dying does buff the attributes of your next character choices, but has unforeseen consequences on the world, raising the difficulty as a result.
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This is a very consistent game across the board, but as with any ambitious project by a small team with a lack of budget, there will be some misses. Visually, Svarog’s Dream is lacking, and while the sound design alleviates that to some extent, there are lackluster moments with combat being the main culprit. I do not get close to the same feeling walking through villages here as I did with The Witcher, the most atmospheric non-Western fantasy game I've played to date. Additionally as previously stated in the story section, there are mistakes and it's written by a non-native speaker so you won’t find a classical literary work here, which hampers the flow of dialogue.
Klassikal literary works are unnecessary as long as I can reincarnate as Yuri Gagarin and conquer the unknown world. But still more important information is included in the review, and you would be wise to read it. Or else!
Pathfinder: The Dragon’s Demand is a single-player, turn-based CRPG that takes role-playing back to its roots with miniature-based characters and digital dice to recreate the look and feel of a tabletop RPG. But it opens up a whole new dimension by allowing miniatures to climb walls and trees, fly through the sky, and swim to underwater depths using an innovative three-dimensional grid system that delivers true 3D tactical combat.
Developed by Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights veterans, Pathfinder: The Dragon’s Demand features a comprehensive implementation of the remastered Pathfinder Second Edition rules in a classic CRPG format. Players can create character builds from 7 ancestries, 16 classes, and more than 30 backgrounds, customizable with hundreds of different armors and weapons. They will also encounter a cast of colorful companions who will be on hand to join their party in exploring a wide, interactive world filled with hundreds of unique characters and dozens of rich quests.
Based on the Pathfinder module The Dragon’s Demand by fan-favorite adventure designer Mike Shel, this expanded adaptation provides over 30 hours of immersive gameplay, where the world of Golarion is brought to life by cutting edge audio and visual effects, a beautiful musical score, and professional voice acting.
Our goal in bringing all of these aspects together is to recreate those feelings of excitement and discovery that make the best tabletop campaigns so memorable.
Story
Deep within the ancient Verduran Forest of Taldor, in a treacherous swampland known as the Dragonfen, there exists a tale about the dragon tyrant Aeteperax, slain a thousand years ago by a band of warriors led by a valiant dragonslayer. Now, Aeteperax has inexplicably risen from death to threaten the small town of Belhaim on the edge of the Dragonfen. A new generation of heroes must hunt down and slay the dragon before it razes Belhaim to the ground!
This expanded version of The Dragon’s Demand adventure will include an entire region filled with intriguing sidequests, perilous mysteries, and cunning monsters. Player characters will experience a brand new, personal story that touches upon the same darkness that has drawn Aeteperax back from the grave: the Dark Tapestry. In the black voids between the stars lurk the ancient Great Old Ones, whose terrible cyclopean powers can captivate souls and destroy worlds.
We have been granted permission by Seneschal Werserian to report to you directly on our current situation.
We are pleased to report that the Void Shadows DLC has arrived in stores and is now officially released! Check out the links below and start playing right now!
We are receiving numerous reports about disturbing incidents taking place on your voidship. We have reason to believe that a vile Genestealer Cult may be involved in these atrocities. We request that you come immediately and take control of the situation personally.
To see the full details of our report, we suggest you take a look at the Void Shadows DLC release trailer!
The Emperor protects, but your crew is in great need of you right now, Lord Captain.
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
The objective of early access is to be able to develop the game with the community, balancing and adding features with the help of the players themselves. As such, GreedFall 2 will be released when both we and you are satisfied with the game's content and polishing phase.
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
While early access is ongoing, we are planning to produce regular new versions with more added content, as you can see on the roadmap, and we will also take your feedback into account - whether to correct any issues, balance the current content or enrich it. Hence with each update, you will still have plenty of things to do and discover.
We are also planning to roll out more technical content, as well as some content frequently requested by the community, such as photo mode.
The playable early access content will ultimately represent approximately 30% of the final game.
Of course, we will keep you regularly informed of progress in the game's development, and will also update the roadmap throughout the early access period.
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
Upon the launch of the early access phase, you will be able to play the first part of the game - the start of the game and its story. You will need to create your own character and choose from various skill sets. There will be various regions to explore, not just Teer Fradee. The new regional quests and fortress system will enable you to explore these regions differently, and offer new options for interacting with certain characters, as well as adding to the existing story and mythology. You will also meet your first companions who will play a major part in your team.
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
During the game's early access phase, it will be cheaper than the full-release version.
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