Indie Urtuk: The Desolation - open-world dark fantasy turn-based RPG

[pakoito]

On Valentine's? bold

 

[Darth Canoli]

Hello all!

After 4 years of development we are going to release Urtuk on Steam into EA on 14 February 2020!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to ask us!

Best place to do so is our Discord or the steam forums.

Our steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181830/Urtuk_The_Desolation

Good luck, i stopped playing your beta builds not to spoil the final experience but it's very good so far, just wished it was a bit more of a cRPG rather than a TRPG.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Good luck, i stopped playing your beta builds not to spoil the final experience but it's very good so far, just wished it was a bit more of a cRPG rather than a TRPG.

thanks a lot! If you by any chance would like to play our current version, I'll send you the steam key.

 

[Darth Canoli]

thanks a lot! If you by any chance would like to play our current version, I'll send you the steam key.

Do you plan to release it on GoG ? Or was it denied ? I can't remember, maybe they'll reconsider if it was denied.
I tend to avoid steam as much as possible for many reasons.

 

[Rahdulan]

Man, I played the demo or was it alpha ages ago on itch.io. From what I remember sound was the weakest element and now I'm definitely waiting to see how much the package has overall been improved. Interesting to see this "overworld exploration with choices and added tactical combat" kinda became a thing in recent... years? Had the game wishlisted since it popped on Steam.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Do you plan to release it on GoG ? Or was it denied ? I can't remember, maybe they'll reconsider if it was denied.
I tend to avoid steam as much as possible for many reasons.

No we didn't approach GoG yet, but will in future. Not sure how their approaval process works, but I know they are quite strict about choosing what games they release on the platform..

 

[Darth Canoli]

When a good game knocks on your door and you're GoG, either you're grateful or you're soon out of business.

I think they revised their policy recently.
Otherwise, i'll buy it on Itchio.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Yosharian]

Looks neat

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Guys,

It is out!
Steam Early Access released! Finally after a long time of 4 years, people can get it from steam.
If any of you was in our beta-testing and received a steam key, please write a review, it really helps

Thanks a lot for your support!

Our steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181830/Urtuk_The_Desolation

cheers,
//David

 

[luj1]

Poor presentation but fair play to you for trying.

 

[Edija]

Guys,

It is out!
Steam Early Access released! Finally after a long time of 4 years, people can get it from steam.
If any of you was in our beta-testing and received a steam key, please write a review, it really helps

Thanks a lot for your support!

Our steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181830/Urtuk_The_Desolation

cheers,
//David

I bought the game on itch or whatever, do I get a steam key now?

 

[MadSheepStudios]

I bought the game on itch or whatever, do I get a steam key now?

hey! thanks for your support!
yes you should be able to pick up the steam key on the itch site (claim steam key).

 

[Darth Canoli]

Guys,

It is out!
Steam Early Access released! Finally after a long time of 4 years, people can get it from steam.
If any of you was in our beta-testing and received a steam key, please write a review, it really helps

Thanks a lot for your support!

Our steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181830/Urtuk_The_Desolation

cheers,
//David

Are the black and white icons placeholders ? They look out of place.

Also read the two negative reviews (out of 45) and of course, they didn't even run the game for one hour and got it wrong.
You should mention the unlockable skills and passives and explain all the tactical moves and combinations there is somehow by putting them on display when launching the game for everyone to see.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hey thanks,
which black/white icons?
Good point to mention those skills!

 

[Edija]

Hey thanks,
which black/white icons?
Good point to mention those skills!

I really like the game. Did you make the art? It is exceptionally good, rather unique with a touch of Darkest Dungeon. Might do a video review of this on my small (only 1k) yt channel when I beat it though. Such games deserve success.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

No, the artist is somebody else..

 

[Darth Canoli]

which black/white icons?

Clickable icons on exploration mode and even combat mode.

 

[Edija]

I know there are characters in the game that can jump over obstacles, but sometimes the maps for villages and fortresses are ridiculous. I don't have a warmonk right now or anybody that could actually pass over the obstacles and sometimes you only have 1 space for deployment from which you can advance. The next tile is two tiles lower so you can't climb with the rest of your guys and if you don't have a javelin guy you're pretty much screwed. Choke-points are cool, and usually you have at least 2-3 ways of approaching but it's hard on some maps.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

I agree, the village maps can be done better - I'll work on that aspect, thanks.

 

[Darth Canoli]

So, played the latest version, i absolutely hate villages but the worst part is that you made them mandatory in order to find the exit.

And i think turning your mercs into lesser vampires is a terrible idea too.

When my warmonk turned into a vampire, he lost most of his usefulness but i kept it anyway, the warmonk isn't that good until later anyway but when it happened to my bloodknight, it just made the game a real pain, the only damage dealers being the ranged units now.

Really, i don't mind the vampires as additional units but if turning other units into vampires actually changing all their skills and equipment is not fun at all.
It's not a tactical game anymore, it becomes randomness meets save-scumming (you'll just have to replay combat where your units were infected)

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hey,
thanks for impressions!

The villages is being worked on to become much better tactical-wise. Just needs some iterations/playtesting.
You can cure the Vampirism right away.

 

[Edija]

I've played for quite a bit on normal and I couldn't get very far, so I switched to easy. I don't consider myself to be very bad at games like this, but I find this harder than Battle Brothers that I usually play on Expert. I know that game a lot better so you know...

I've reached the last boss today and couldn't beat them, I think I'm underleveled with most of my guys being lower than lvl 25. I'll have to grind around a bit. Anyway, a few observations:

1. The game gets really grindy, even more so than Battle Brothers which is the game I mostly compare it to.
2. I had no one turn into a vampire or werebeast yet, but judging from the post above I'd like them to gain some bonuses and maluses that you would associate with them. For example, life leech, but maybe a special malus concerning damage type or something. If they straight up turn into the vampire monsters we're fighting I would say that this is not the best way to go.
3. Trilium, money - I wish I could do more with it? Maybe a fixed limit on buying maybe 100 alcohol per map somewhere, an unlocked merchant that you can find after a fight?
4. Flesh and blood, as far as I understand, only serve the purpose of making medicine and healing infections (?). I had no infections but I have far too much of the stuff.
5. Concerning medicine, I wish I could spend more medicine to speed up the healing process, get an even to do so (except Urtuk's mutations).
6. The world and setting are really cool and I like it very much.
7. I'm playing on the easiest difficulty and the Bounty hunters turning up with 30 guys against your six is barely beatable when exploiting the terrain. I can't imagine how it is on bigger difficulties, maybe allow 2 temporary slots when defending a village or stronghold.
8. The game might have told me that, but if it did it's far too easy to miss, for example, I figured out that I can stack mutators very late. Creating medicine wasn't very obvious either. This one might be on me mostly.
9. I see that faction interaction is planned, I wish I could pay off bounty hunters, hire mercs to maybe attack a place for me so I can follow up, ect.

Anyway, I still think it's a great game. I'm interested in the new starts that I should unlock once I beat the game.

 

[Darth Canoli]

You can cure the Vampirism right away.

Really ?
I didn't notice any healing icon, how about after they turn ?

Good, for the villages, for now it's a miss :

• bloated enemies waiting for you
• maze-like
• kinder surprise when you free it with good/bad events
• cherry on top, villagers slowly dying

There's way too many barricades, i liked the previous removed maps with a lot of enemies spreading around the map better.
I get the idea behind the villages but it works for the fortresses because there is a lot of space and you don't have to walk for hours to get to the enemy.

 

[Edija]

You can cure the Vampirism right away.

Really ?
I didn't notice any healing icon, how about after they turn ?

Good, for the villages, for now it's a miss :

• bloated enemies waiting for you
• maze-like
• kinder surprise when you free it with good/bad events
• cherry on top, villagers slowly dying

There's way too many barricades, i liked the previous removed maps with a lot of enemies spreading around the map better.
I get the idea behind the villages but it works for the fortresses because there is a lot of space and you don't have to walk for hours to get to the enemy.

You can heal them by clicking on the dude in your roster and giving him a mission, there is find a cure for vampirisim/werebeast thingy. I think it costs money, haven't tried it myself.