Steam Early Access Update #1: Two-Hero Mode!

The first update of the Steam Early Access period is a big one! Two-hero gameplay and improved skill buttons are the banner features, but there's a lot more. Read on for all the details!

Two-Hero Mode 

Now in version 0.6 you can take two heroes together to face the dungeon. The core gameplay remains the same, with a few differences here and there. New gameplay hints will pop up the first time you play in two-hero mode.

It's double trouble for this foe!

It's double trouble for this foe!

Improved Skill Buttons 

Both 1-hero and 2-hero mode feature improved skill buttons with iconographic representations of skill & potion effects. More skills can fit on screen (especially in 2-hero mode) and are easier to see. You can still hover the pointer over any skill or potion to read the full text.

Gotta learn 'em all!

Gotta learn 'em all!

Extra Confirmations 

We've received a lot of feedback so far, and one notable area of discussion relates to the usage of heroic feats, potions, and skills. In this update we've made some changes to help avoid accidental usage. Now by default, using heroic feats and potions will require two clicks instead of one. You can disable the confirmation click, and also enable it if you like for free skills. The End Encounter button will require confirmation if you could easily cover a challenge box with dice in your pool. Furthermore, we're planning more improvements in this area so that you'll be able to revert decisions in some cases.

Be heroic, if you're sure!

Be heroic, if you're sure!

Other Improvements 

This first update is chock full of various other bug fixes and improvements. Here's a list of the notable ones:

Audio: 

  • Added musical stinger when the party levels up 

Interactions: 

  • If a die is already on a box (but not locked in due to an unfilled armor box), you can drag it off and back into the box properly 
  • More animations obey animation speed option: arranging dice after rolling, exploring, opening door 
  • New Game screen indicates if you haven't selected a dungeon or hero 
  • When choosing between skill options (e.g. Lucky Familiar) the screen dims to focus on that 
  • Improved dice rolling so they will not roll as much towards the bottom of the screen 
  • Hero stat panel highlights on mouseover so it's clear you can click on it 
  • Increased sensitivity on scrolling areas 
  • Esc key opens the menu in-game 
  • When claiming an item/skill as loot, you can replace an existing item/skill even when not at the item/skill limit
  • Dice are reduced in size to improve placement behavior and other interactions

Info Display: 

  • Improved game layout on widescreen aspect ratios 
  • A visual indicator is shown when Hydra's Reef Poison Aura decreases a die value 
  • Dodge and Kiting show the boss-specific effect while fighting the boss 
  • The meaning of "X" on the Swarm effect and the Minotaur is made more clear 
  • The concept of mana is made more clear in the How to Play screen 
  • The restriction on the die from Mana Fountain is now shown visibly. This and the Armor Crush restriction are shown in How To Play 
  • Improved warning when using skill with invalid dice during a peril encounter 
  • Warnings about item/skill limits are shown before entering a room as well 
  • The dungeon card is accessible to view during the Claim Loot step 
  • The current XP level maximum items/skills and bonus encounter dice are indicated on screen at all times 
  • The details of hero items are shown automatically when claiming loot

Bug Fixes: 

  • Dice rendering improvements when overlapping 
  • Fixed problem where a die could stay small after moving it from a skill button 
  • The restriction on the die from Mana Fountain is now saved properly when you quit/continue the game 
  • Fixed a bug that could occur by pressing Back from the New Game screen and then Continue Game 
  • Fixed a freeze that could occur when there were no heroic dice remaining in the general supply

What's Next 

The next big feature coming up is hero progression and campaign mode. It's likely that we'll have a smaller update or two out before that major feature is finished. Thanks for playing and keep sending in your feedback!