Starting this month, backers won’t be the only ones reading our updates. By popular request, we will start making new Kickstarter posts accessible to everyone who wants to follow Dead State. And in the next few months, expect a lot information and footage on the game. It’s going to be an exciting (and busy) year ahead for our team.​

After a brief break for the holidays, we’re back at work on a new build for the game. We’re in the process of getting our systems up to alpha level – some of the systems on deck or done include looting, equipment, combat (for some melee and ranged weapon sets), noise, and AI. Work continues on story-related writing and design, plus lots of new art and animation to breathe even more life into our areas and their inhabitants.​

Here’s a shot of the near-final medium store frame:​

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This building is a Diamondback Hardware Store, one of many you’ll come across and one of the first places you’ll be heading to in the game (gotta get tools and materials if you want to keep that fence up!)​

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No zombies or looters in there yet, but something tells me it’s going to be a bit more dangerous the next time we head in there.​

As we mentioned in the last update, we construct stores with a set of basic pre-fab components that can be moved around to create new areas. In addition to the medium stores, we’re working on a basic set for all the fast food stores, restaurants, bars, and diners.​

Programming continues to implement GUIs for all the major menus and systems in the game – equipment, looting, character, goals and allies, and shelter management - while art and design tweak them slightly for ease of use. This is the basic framework that makes the game feel more functional and final. While we may continue to iterate at the testing stage, we’ve already worked out small kinks in the ease of use and presentation of each menu.​

In the next few weeks, we’re going to try to show you all the first post-KS footage of the game so you can take a look at our combat, AI, and one of the near-final areas in the game. Keep watching our Facebook and Twitter for info on the video release, as well as for new developments here on Kickstarter. We’re grateful to all of you for your continued support and enthusiasm for Dead State and we look forward to bringing you closer to the zombie apocalypse in 2013.​