Automoji cover
Automoji screenshot
Genre: Strategy, Indie

Automoji

Small Patch 1.3.1

Bug Fixes


  • Fixed a bug where Pack 3 lemon unit wouldn't stack correctly
  • Fixed a bug where lemon would not appear in H.O.F.
  • Corrected Hall of Fame to show Pack 3 Cocktail unit- your win stats were tracked correctly for this unit, they just were not visible in H.O.F.


Thank you very much to Tsukichild on the Steam forums for finding these bugs!

Happy Gaming 😈
Karl @ Automoji

Update 1.3.0

New Additions

  • Added a very short intro animation to improve the """lore""" of Automoji
  • Added SFXs to temp stat gain and base stat gain
  • Added Crutch unit to pack 1, tier 2: 2/1 Ally to Right Damaged-> Give that ally +LV of ❤️/💥
  • Added Kitchen Timer unit to pack 2, tier 3: 2/2 Ally Sold-> Gain +LV of base ❤️/💥, then at start of battle lose -LV of base ❤️/💥
  • Added Juggler to Pack 3, tier 5 3/3 Give ❤️/💥 to allies in row equal to total number of defeated allies this battle
  • Added a new set of items that can only be unlocked by winning runs! The stat to unlock the new items now will start at zero this update, but is future proofed to automatically unlock any new items that may be added in future updates.
  • Added Purse item: Exit Shop-> If you spent no gold, give a random unit +1/3 LV
  • Added Picnic Basket item: Buy Perk from Fruit Space-> Give the purchased perk to one additional random unit
  • Added Bookmark item: Perfect Clear Battle-> Remove negative perk from a random unit and give that unit +1 base ❤️
  • Added Sweethearts item: If a row only contains 2 units, give those two units +2 ❤️
  • Added Diamond item: Start of Shop-> If you have 50 or more gold, gain +1 gold
  • Added Telescope item: Start of Battle-> Deal damage to a random enemy equal to your highest unit's LV
  • Added a devilish imp to the map to egg you on
  • Added a devilish imp to the You Win screen for revenge

Balance Changes

  • Removed Diamond unit from pack 1 (for now) and replaced with Crutch
  • Buffed Pack 2 Rapier Guy: 5/2 Damaged-> Deal 🔵 damage and apply LV marks to left-most enemy in row
  • Removed Rapier Guy from Mystery Pack unit pool
  • Buffed Pack 2 Tornado: 4/3 Start of Battle-> Give +LV marks to 🔵 random enemies
  • Reworked Pack 2 Tidal Wave: Deal damage to all enemies equal to their current marks
  • Moved Pack 2 Tidal Wave to tier 4
  • Removed Angry Face from Pack 2 and moved it to Spare Units
  • Reworked Pack 3 Mosquito unit: 2/2 Start of Battle-> Copy held perk from ally on left, then gain 💥 equal to that ally's 💥. This unit faints after xLV attacks
  • Reworked Pack 3 Cricket unit: 3/3 After Attack-> If holding pepper perk, move up one space. If holding lemon perk, move down one. Then summon a copy of this unit's held pepper/lemon
  • Moved Cricket to tier 3
  • Buffed Pack 3 Skull unit's effect to trigger on Pepper OR Lemon ally faint
  • Buffed Pack 3 Fly unit: 2/2 Ally Defeated-> Move to a random empty space and gain +LV of ❤️
  • Changed Pack 3 Soap unit's effect to apply to the 4 cardinally adjacent allies instead of allies in column
  • Changed Pack 3 Shopping cart effect to give stats to all units in column instead of one random ally
  • Buffed Pack 3 Juice Box: 1/3 Faint-> Give all allies with Lemon perk +🔵 of ❤️/💥
  • Buffed Flashlight item: Start of Battle-> Give ❤️/💥 to ally in center space equal to that unit's LV

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Made it so all units that target a specific space or set of spaces will now highlight which spaces they effect on mouse hover (if descriptions are on). Hopefully this helps alleviate left/right/row/column mix-ups at a glance
  • Rearranged Unlock menu screen to make more room for new items
  • Added "Give Up" button to pause menu on normal mode runs
  • Changed descriptions on Bank, Razor, and Convenience Store trigger text from "Unit Sold" to "Ally Sold"
  • Corrected description on Beer Mug item that incorrectly stated +2 damage
  • Rearranged Slot Machine room to that the pizza unit's description is visible
  • Changed where pack number is positioned in Hall of Fame
  • Changed all the UI elements from Orange to Cyan
  • Removed the ability to pause game during Hall of Fame, Game Over/You Win screen
  • Removed ability to view map from Game over/You Win screen
  • Changed the ID of the Spare Pack hugging unit- might mess up record keeping for that unit. Sorry!

Extra Thoughts
This update was mostly focused on making the packs more fun to play! I tried to remove or rework units that felt to niche or weak. I'm a big proponent of buffing versus nerfing so I would rather make something "too strong" versus remove something that was fun. Of course I will nerf any super simple "X+Y=Instant Win" combos, but I always enjoy discovering game-breaking builds when I play other roguelites... Just gotta make you earn it! Speaking of earning, I made a new set of item unlocks that are rewarded for winning runs. Hopefully this gives players an incentive to keep playing by stretching out new content a little bit more. Plus who doesn't like presents? The intro animation is just a fun way to show off these new items, hope you enjoy!

As always, thank you for all the helpful feedback!! Automoji will be going on sale tomorrow- so this update is slightly strategically designed to release at the same time for any new players. I hope my long-time supporters enjoy the changes. In my playtesting, I've had a lot of fun trying out the new units and strategies that come with them!

Thank you for reading, and as always... Thank you for playing!!
-Karl @ Automoji

Update 1.2.0

New Additions

  • 🧊 Made freezing units in the shop persistent between shops! What does that mean? Now you can freeze a unit you cannot afford and it will stay locked and appear in your next shop! Also- any base stats gained in the shop will carry over as well. This makes Pack #2 units a LOT easier to scale, and gives extra utility to items like the steak and cheese.
  • Added descriptions, shop tier, and pack number to units in Hall of Fame

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Changed Pack #2 Peeking Face: 3/1-> Apply 🔵 marks to right most enemy in row
  • Changed Pack #1 Farmer: 3/1 Survive Battle-> Gain one-third of LV, then give +LV of base ❤️ to one random surviving ally
  • Changed Farmer and Taxi "survive battle" trigger to apply with round win/lose popup for clarity
  • Rearranged Hall of Fame to be sorted by shop tier, then sorted again by pack
  • Locked pack units will appear as locks in the Hall of Fame
  • Changed freeze description popup text to reflect new mechanic
  • Added shop freeze description to help mode

Extra Thoughts
Small update this week because I wanted to get this out before https://www.twitch.tv/ryanspetersongames streams Automoji on Friday! The next few updates are going to be focused on making packs #2 and #3 a little bit easier and more dynamic. I don't want players to feel like there's only one viable strategy with each, so I will be taking a look at each pack to tweak units. The shop update already makes a huge difference in pack #2, and it will make the other packs a little easier as well- considering now you can freeze units you can't afford while you save money. I feel like it's a very nice risk vs reward: How long do you want to occupy a shop space while you power up a frozen unit..? Do you spend the 25 gold to unlock extra spaces..? Just another strategy for players to explore!

Thank you for all the great feedback :) Most of these changes were inspired directly from players, so please feel free to reach out with any suggestions or thoughts! Always happy to hear from players 😀

Steam Discussion Page:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1919220/discussions/

Discord:
https://discord.gg/Mxxd5SRmT7

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AutomojiGame


Have a good weekend!
Karl @ Automoji

Update 1.1.0

Just a quick heads up- if you have a run in progress, it will be deleted upon updating 😢

New Additions

  • Added a "Help Mode" that can be quickly toggled in-game via the Pause menu (Escape)
  • Added Help Mode info popups to most icons in the game that did not already have a description
  • Added buttons that appear before battle to quickly swap entire rows of units

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Grayed out menu "Load" button if there is not a run in progress to load
  • Changed item descriptions so they will now appear during battle on mouse hover
  • Changed text on Pause Menu from "Cancel" to "Back"
  • Added a background code that will automatically remove in-progress run if I flag this as a big update. This will avoid errors on loading a game on the old version after updating

Extra Thoughts
Firstly, THANK YOU so much all the new and returning Automoji players during this first week of 1.0 release. I am filled with such joy seeing the player count and time played increase. I hope you are all enjoying my game! ❤️

This update was to address the very helpful ideas and feedback on the Steam discussion page! I appreciate all the input, and I hope this update meets your visions. If you have any other ideas, balance changes, bugs, or just want to chat always feel free to reach out 💭

Steam Discussion Page:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1919220/discussions/

Discord:
https://discord.gg/Mxxd5SRmT7

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AutomojiGame


Happy gaming!
Karl @ Automoji

Automoji Patch 1.0.1

  • Removed the leftover code from testing where you could right-click your units to give them a curse 💔

My bad! Thank you for all the support, I love seeing all the active players!

The BIG 1.0 Update!

New Additions

  • Added 3 new battle music tracks by the talented Vincent Colavita!!! Check him out over @ https://www.vincentcolavitamusic.com 🎵🎵
  • Added Steam Cloud saves! You may have to reset some of your settings- but all save data (not including settings) should now sync.
  • Added a Hall of Fame! Keep track of which units you won a game with, how many times you have won with each unit, and the highest level reached on win!
  • Added a new system of passive "Perks" that can be held by each unit! They are all universal and level-scaling, so try to find new combinations for your favorite units!
  • Added Garlic perk: Damaged-> Deal LV of 💥 to one random enemy
  • Added Eggplant perk: Faint-> Revive once per battle with base ❤️
  • Added Peach perk: Level-Up-> Gain +LV of gold
  • Added Potato perk: Start of Battle-> Gain +LV of ❤️ for each unit with the Potato perk
  • Added Strawberry perk: Give one random ally +LV of ❤️
  • Added Dizzy perk: Deal LV damage to one random ally
  • Added Heartbroken perk: Lose LV of ❤️ and 💥
  • Added Fruit spaces to the map! Visit to spend 10 gold and give x2 random units the selected perk
  • Added Cursed Urn spaces to map! These will occasionally replace Gift Box spaces. Open the urn to receive TWO items... but give 3 of your units the Dizzy or Heartbroken "perks".
  • Changed Pepper and Lemon foods to be defined as "Perks"
  • Added descriptions describing each perk's effect
  • Remade all item sprites to make them higher definition with more defined outlines
  • Remade all map sprites to make them bigger and cleaner
  • Remade all map character emojis to make them cleaner and slightly larger
  • All new unlocks will now have a "!" until moused over on item menu
  • Made a "GAME WIN" splash screen
  • Added Log unit to "Spare" pack tier 2: 3/0 Ally to Right Damaged-> Give that ally shield
  • Added VHS unit to "Spare" pack tier 5: If there is a unit in the previous space, it gets to act again
  • Added Sunflower unit to Pack 1 tier 5: Gain ❤️-> Give LV of 💥 to one random ally
  • Added Goat unit to "Spare" pack tier 1: 3/1 Damaged->Gain +LV of ❤️ and 💥
  • Added Sunglasses item to Genie pool: Before entering your first shop, you may swap 3 units that will appear on this run
  • Added Eye Amulet item to Genie pool: Change all Gift Box map spaces to Cursed Urn spaces
  • Added Dizzy item to Genie pool: Start of Battle-> Give on random unit the dizzy perk and +1 base ❤️
  • Added Stew item: Use Rest Button-> Give one random unit with no perk a random food perk
  • Added Stopwatch item: Perfect Clear Battle-> Give a random unit ❤️ equal to turns remaining until end of next battle
  • Added Seashell item: Unit Gains Shield-> Give that unit +1 base ❤️
  • Added Beer Mug item: Start of Battle-> Give units in first column +1 💥 and -2 ❤️
  • Added Candlestick item: Unit Defeated-> Deal 1 💥 to a random enemy
  • Replaced Battery item with Notebook item: Unit Sold-> Give one random shop unit +1 base ❤️
  • Replaced Carrot item with Pumpkin item: A random unit with no summon on faint ability will summon a 1/1 ghost on faint
  • Replaced Electric Plug item with Pool Ball item: Reroll Shop-> Give a random unit +1 ❤️ until end of next battle
  • Replaced Magic Wand item with Bandage item: The first unit damaged in battle gains +3 ❤️
  • Replaced Bacon item with Beans item: Start of Battle-> If you have 6 or fewer units, give a random unit +1 base ❤️
  • Changed how items are displayed. Now after 14 items on one line, you will get a button to scroll through all your items
  • Added a blue border to all fights on the fire path

Balance Changes

  • Raised starting HP each game from 10 to 15
  • Made tutorial run start you with Growing Heart item that grants 5 extra HP
  • Buffed Growing Heart item from 4HP to 5 HP
  • Changed Jar, Food Can, and Nesting Doll units' descriptions and effects to apply to all perks
  • Added Jar, Food Can, and Nesting Doll to Mystery Pack pool
  • Buffed Hedgehog: 5/0 -> Deal LV damage to attacking ally or enemy, then gain LV of ❤️
  • Buffed Pack 1 Flying Money to 1/2
  • Buffed Pack 1 Vampire: 3/2 Attacks Enemy-> Give +LV of ❤️ to all units in column
  • Buffed Pack 1 Honey Jar: 5/1 Damaged-> Summon xLV Bee units with 🔵 for ❤️ and 💥
  • Buffed Pack 1 Moai to give stats to all allies in row on faint
  • Buffed Pack 1 Tombstone to 3/2
  • Buffed Pack 1 Ninja: Enemy Defeared-> Gain +LV base 💥, and give one random ally +LV base ❤️. This unit can only have a max of 1 ❤️
  • Reworked Pack 2 Firefighter: 3/3 Start of Battle-> Remove Pepper perk from 8 adjacent allies and gain +LV of ❤️ and 💥for each pepper removed
  • Lowered Pack 1 Freezing Face to tier 4
  • Lowered Pack 1 Bee to tier 1
  • Moved Dynamite from Pack 1 to "Spare Pack"
  • Reworked Pack 1 Savoring Face: 3/3 Food Consumed-> Gain 💥 as both ❤️ and 💥 until end of battle
  • Reworked Storm Cloud enemy. Raised starting HP, but it now loses HP equal to damage after each attacking
  • Lowered Coffin enemy HP scaling
  • Made it so the first map space that would be a battery space will be a guaranteed swap space instead
  • Changed map generation a little bit to make for faster loading and more routes
  • Changed Toolbox item so that it won't try to give shield to a unit that already has shield
  • Made it so you can't roll the Sock or Salad items on the Mystery Pack
  • Added a sell space to the Slot Machine Mystery Room
  • Reduced Boss Battle enemy buffs by a small amount
  • Lowered number of boss battles on map by about 20%
  • Reduced Imp, Bull, Semi Truck, Van, and Queen Ant enemy HP damage scaling by a small amount
  • Changed t4_r6 battle
  • Changed t4_r13 battle
  • Changed t3_r10 battle
  • Changed t4_r14 battle
  • Made it so you can't trigger an early draw if the Beetle unit still has space to move
  • Made the random battle selection never give you same battle ID as one of your previous 5 fights
  • Changed background color on first fight
  • Made ally and enemy hit/faint SFX be left and right mono respectively

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Made all SFX stereo instead of mono (why was mono the default?!)
  • Made it so you could see map character unlock conditions even after unlocking
  • Fixed bug where taking Interrobang item would and checking the map before exiting the first shop would cause random ? spaces each time
  • Changed the word "ally" to "unit" on all item descriptions
  • Reworded French Fries, Cake, and Salad items to use "Summon" keyword
  • Reworded Salad item to use "Perk" keyword
  • Changed verbiage on pack 1 Doctor unit description
  • Updated the "Understanding your Units" splash screen during tutorial
  • Fixed description on Cupid unit
  • Changed description on pack 1 Parrot unit to "units in column" because it also checks itself
  • Changed Toolbox item and Tree unit descriptions to mention "units without shield"
  • Fixed grammar on Bunny unit description
  • Changed sprite for pack 1 Melting Face unit
  • Changed sprite for Key item to Antique Key
  • Removed weird pixels from Nesting Doll description
  • Changed map Swap Space icon
  • Changed damage loss text color on Wilting Flower and Coconut items to dark green
  • Changed damage loss text color for Disposable Razor unit to dark green
  • Recentered Merge Space NO/GO button
  • Fixed a bug where the Toolbox item could crash the game if all your units already had shield
  • Fixed a bug where the Pack 3 Yoga Guy could cause the game to crash
  • Fixed a bug where the lobster could cause the game to crash if it was killed with no units ever purchased (no idea how I found this one lol)
  • Fixed text on boss battle win popup so the "Perfect Clear" text wasn't covering it
  • Made it so that Sprout and Farmer level-up SFX do not stack
  • Fixed a bug where game could crash if entered with the Mystery Pack
  • Fixed a bug where the Sacrifice Room music wouldn't stop playing after leaving room
  • Removed Early Access hint from map loading screen
  • Changed "Early Access Room ID" to just "Battle ID"
  • Changed Early Access message in the credits
  • Removed debug ability to scroll through tiers with arrow keys
  • Made it so you can no longer quit and save while map is open. Escape will close the map first
  • Made it so that the shop cost will always appear in front of items
  • Moved the shop reroll/item text a little further away from the buttons
  • Changed all shop UI to be text with black outline to improve readability

Extra Thoughts
As you can see I've been VERY busy the last couple months! Another big shout-out to Vincent Colavita for his awesome soundtrack! 🎵

I made lots of balance changes to the OG pack 1 and the game overall in preparation for the full 1.0 release. I originally designed the game around the higher prevalence of Saw and Battery spaces, so I had to make everything a little easier since those are not a main way of scaling any longer. The perks have been a lot of fun to design and play around with, so I hope you all enjoy experimenting with those! Beyond that, lots of little changes and tweaks as I put my finishing touches on Automoji.

I want to thank you all who supported me through almost a full year of Early Access (only one week short!) What started as a hobby for myself quickly spiraled into a larger scale project that I was proud to put my name on. Automoji has come a long way in that year, and that is in a huge part thanks to all the helpful and critical feedback that you all provided. What does the future hold for Automoji... Who can say? If I am fortunate enough to find any sort of success, expect additional updates as I gather more feedback from a larger player base. For now, I expect to keep my eyes peeled for any glaring bugs, but I think I have put a nice ribbon on Automoji and now all I can do is send it off! Programming has been a hobby of mine since I was 13, and don't expect to stop any time soon. I'm honestly still in awe I was able to see this project through to a logical end.

Anyways, enough rambling! Time to play!

Thank you again, and always,
Karl @ Automoji ❤️

Update 0.3.3.0

New Additions

  • Added Egg to Spare Pack: Consume by unit on right and create a copy of that unit with 🔵 for HP and Damage
  • Added Beetle to Spare Pack: Attack Misses-> move to a random empty space
  • Added Cupid to Spare Pack: Remove LV of damage from left most enemy in row, then heal enemy by this unit's 🔵
  • Added "Rounds Completed" to end screen above XP bar
  • Added a Game Over splash screen before going to score screen
  • Unlock menu now shows a flair behind newly unlocked items until moused over
  • Added autosave option and turned it on by default. Now your game will automatically save at the start of each shop (Can be toggled in option menu)
  • Added 3 new achievements
  • Added link to Automoji Discord on credits menu

Balance Changes

  • Changed end of battle terminology. Removed "Battle Draw", you now get "Battle Lost" if you have fewer allies remaining then enemies. You will get "Battle Won" if you have the same or greater number of allies as compared to enemies. If you successfully defeat all enemies- you will receive a "PERFECT CLEAR"
  • Reworked Battery Spaces. Now it starts as a 80% chance to gain 0/0 stats. Spend 1 gold to increase stat gain by +1/+1, but lower chance of success by 5%
  • Changed the mystery pack to ONLY select from "generic units." It will no longer select any units that are based on MARKS, PEPPERS, or LEMONS. (Let me know how you feel about this change! I kept finding that half my units would be unusable and it made the mystery pack too luck driven. I think now that the spare units exist and can be pulled from, it feels very fun to play.)
  • Removed Sick Guy, Peppers, and Lemons from the default mystery pack units
  • Changed shop so can now reroll for free after buying all units in shop
  • Changed mystery space special shop to only pull from packs you currently have unlocked
  • Made the first item unlock be at 5XP so you can see it after your first run
  • Lowered XP requirements for unlocking new items a little bit
  • Changed spare pack Bodybuilder to 3/3 tier 4
  • Changed spare pack Kitty to a tier 3
  • Made rm_t1_30 harder
  • Changed the text color for damage lost (from scorpion or cupid) to dark green
  • Changed battle music to only pitch up on a new loop- not every new world. (This miiiight be in preparation for some new music- stay tuned! 😉)

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Updated "Perfect Clear" terminology in records
  • Updated "Perfect Clear" terminology on gold medal item
  • Fixed a bug where the HUD map wouldn't appear on tutorial run
  • Gave the HUD heart an animation that speeds up or slows down based on HP remaining
  • Fixed description for the Wizard unit. Gives stats to ally on LEFT
  • Made it so you have to click an extra time to speed up XP on end screen
  • Added a glow behind the GO on no/go button
  • Fixed a bug where your game would crash upon checking the map while you had a unit on a battery, merge, or sacrifice space
  • Fixed a bug where a lobster could freeze your game if you had no allies to target

Extra Thoughts
This update was mostly fueled by the very helpful advice I received from https://www.twitch.tv/good_boi_chris on his feedback stream. Thank you for all the kind words and taking time to stream Automoji! A lot of the changes are based around making the game more fun for new players right off the bat. The roguelite loop of "playing runs -> winning/losing -> gain XP -> unlock new items -> try again" was a little slow to get going. Reframing Wins/Draws/Losses also helps immediately tell new players "oh I should be going to PERFECT CLEAR" while not making them feel like they did something wrong by getting a draw. Also- changing the secret shops to not pull from Packs 2 or 3 before new players have had a chance to interface with those mechanics was something the stream enlightened to me. Besides that, I wanted to make some of the existing mechanics more satisfying. The battery space was always kind of... lame. So I finally thought of a fun way to really let players choose their own level of risk vs reward. The new mystery pack feels really fun with all the new spare pack units to pull form. I'm having a great time seeing how all the units interact, and I hope you do too!

As you can see, this is probably my last update before releasing Automoji 1.0! I have a few new music tracks in the works to include in the 1.0 release, and I need to go through and make sure everything related to Early Access is removed. I do not plan to stop working on Automoji, but I can't really think of any BIG content changes I would like to see added from here. But who knows what the future holds? 😈 I hope that having the game enter full release can generate some buzz!

Thank you as always for your support. Enjoy your holiday season, and I will talk to you next year! ❄️
-Karl @AutomojiGame

Update 0.3.2.0

New Additions

  • Added map button to view your current location on the map any time during your run
  • Added all the in-game emoji character unlocks to Steam achievements
  • Added Wilted Flower item End of turn-> Remove 1 damage from a random enemy
  • Added Disco Dancer unit to the Spare Pack Damaged-> Summon a Disco Ball on a random space that heals all adjacent allies equal to this unit's LV

Balance Changes

  • Buffed Roller Skate unit to 2/2

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Fixed a bug where you could give up on endless mode runs before the map had loaded (lol)
  • Made it so that the map wiggle animation starts a little quicker

Extra Thoughts
Hello gamers, just a small update this week because of 🦃 festivities! Also- I wanted to push this update before https://www.twitch.tv/good_boi_chris could try Automoji live on stream on Sunday 11/27/22! I hope to join their chat around 2pm GMT+1 (7am CST) to watch and gather some live feedback, so we would both love to have you there 😈

Also, also! I made an Automoji Discord. I'm pretty new to Discord, but I have a feeling it's more fun when there are friends to talk to lol. Feel free to stop by and give feedback or just say hi!

Enjoy your weekend!
Karl @ AutomojiGame

Automoji Discord
https://discord.gg/Mxxd5SRmT7

Update 0.3.1.0

New Additions

  • Changed the way packs are generated behind the scenes so now it is way easier to swap out units (foreshadowing...)
  • Added 16 units to the "Spare Pack." These units are not part of Packs 1, 2, or 3, but they will be mixed in on any ? Pack runs. They are meant to be generally synergistic without being tailored to the gimmicks of the other 3 Packs.
  • Added "Swap Spaces" to the map. These spaces allow you pick one of two units from the Spare Pack that will appear in your future shops this run... But you will have to remove one of your current units from the shop belonging to the same tier!
  • Added an "Evil Route" to the map. Any battles encountered on the evil route will drop double gold, but enemies get to attack first! You have to follow the fire path... Any deviations will break the streak and return you to the normal route. I wanted to add a little diversity to each run and put extra weight on route selection. You may be stuck on a long stretch of fire, or maybe the fire is leading you away from a much-needed rest? Is it worth the risk for all that extra $$$?!
  • Added an endless mode (unlock by winning a run with each pack). This lets you loop your runs indefinitely, with each loop increasing enemy scaling and difficulty level. Keep in mind that endless mode will disable most achievements. Expect tweaks to the difficulty scaling in the future- I want this mode to be hard, but fun!
  • Added a scoring system to the end of each run! Both the normal mode score and the endless mode score will be tracked on the pack select menu. This may take a little balancing to make sure all criteria seem proportional to your score... i.e.: Should remaining each life be worth 100pts? Should one gold be worth 1pt?
  • Added each run's score to the record menu
  • Added several Steam Achievements! Figured out the framework for achievements and made a few as a proof of concept- so expect more in the next update.

Balance Changes

  • Moved the Coffee item to unlock on 3rd XP level
  • Moved the Corn item to be an initial unlock
  • Overhauled rm_t4_6
  • Changed Dove effect => Deal ? damage to one enemy xLV times
  • Changed phrasing on Dove description to "Damage x LV" instead of "Deal ? damage xLV times"
  • Changed phrasing on Comet description to "Damage x LV" instead of "Deal ? damage xLV times"
  • Changed phrasing on Squirrel description to "Damage x LV" instead of "Deal ? damage xLV times" All of these were change to remove the implication that you could defeat an enemy and then still have remaining attacks. You only attack one enemy but deal double, triple, etc damage.
  • Changed phrasing on Melting Face description to include "take damage"
  • Changed phrasing on Bee description to include "take damage"
  • Changed verbiage on many units effects from "ally" to "unit". Any effect that applies to "allies" does not effect the triggering unit. Any effect that applies to a "unit" can be any unit- including itself. No effects were changed, I just wanted to unify all the descriptions.

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Updated UI on round end popups to match the overall UI for Automoji
  • Added popups on end screen for when you unlock a new pack
  • Holding the mouse button on the end screen now speeds up the XP count up
  • Reversed the way combining two placed units worked. Now they swap by default, but you can hover the mouse over for a moment to combine/level units. I kept accidently combining units when I was positioning for battle. I would rather the default be a swap that's simple to undo versus accidently removing a unit!
  • Fixed a bug where the recoil animation wouldn't trigger on boss battles or the final 5 fights.
  • Fixed a bug where the Lemon would not be default Mystery Pack spawn
  • Fixed drop shadow on menu pack text
  • Fixed a bug where the map icon animation would sometimes be very tiny (for real this time lol)
  • Fixed a bug where you would sometimes start with too much gold on higher difficulties
  • Fixed background on rm_t4_23

Extra Thoughts
The theme of this update was to add all sorts of new features that would make you want to come back again and again. My method of achieving this is to make each run feel more unique. The swap spaces and evil path make you consider your pathing as well as another layer of risk versus reward. I know there were a few times in testing where the evil path would lead me away from an item a really wanted, down a long stretch with no escape route. My favorite part of roguelite gameplay is finding new synergies and methods for success. So the ability to swap out units on the fly really complimented that mentality. All of the spare pack units are generally helpful, but could be the push you need to try a different strategy on a previous pack. Expect more "Spare units" in the future- they are really fun to brainstorm and implement.

Following with this theme is the scoring system- giving you a reason to replay runs on previously completed difficulties. I really enjoy competing against myself, so I am hoping this is another avenue for players who aren't as motivated by checking items off a list.

Endless mode is functioning, but still a work in progress as far as balance goes. I don't want it be too easy to "go infinite", but I do love the feeling of being insanely overpowered and seeing just how far I can push my luck. The high scores for endless are separate from normal runs- so there's no risk to ruin your hard-fought normal mode score.

I hope you all enjoy this update! There are a few sales coming up, so it was important to get this update out before (hopefully) introducing Automoji to some new players. The next update will most likely just be building on this one... More new units, more achievements, more balancing. I have a few new battle tracks in the works as well so look forward to those :)

As always, happy gaming! Enjoy your holiday season.
-Karl @ AutomojiGame

Pack #3 is HERE!! (and MUCH more...)

The wait is finally over! Thank you for all your patience.

The main feature of this update is Pack #3, adding 35 new units and a new mechanic: 🌶️PEPPERS🌶️ and 🍋LEMONS🍋! Peppers and lemons are held food that act as passive statuses that stay with your units between battles. Some units benefit from gaining peppers or lemons during battle, while some work best from just passively holding their favorite food. Pepper effects boost your allies ❤️, and lemon effects boost 💥. Try to find the best balance between attacking and defending as you power up your team! Pack 3 also plays with some fainting and food synergies, so I hope you find the strategy that works best for you!

The second main feature of this update is 8 new enemy types and an extra 20 new battle formations per tier! That doubled the old number of battles and brings the total count of layouts to 160 🤯. I have done my best to balance these new rooms, but please reach out using the "room_id" in the bottom left of a battle if you find any layouts that consistently seem too hard... or too easy!

This update also introduces ❓MYSTERY SPACES❓ to the map! These spaces could be anything... From boss battles to slot machines there's no telling what you'll get (unless you read these patch notes).

New Additions

  • Added Pack #3 with 35 new units, unlock by consuming 5 foods in a single run
  • Added 20 battles formations to each tier
  • Added Salad item to pack #3 item pool: Start of Battle-> Summon a pepper or lemon on a random space
  • Added Rose Flower item to regular item pools: Enemy Defeated-> Give a random ally +1 HP
  • Added Interrobang item to Emodjinn item pool: Change 15 random battle spaces in ? spaces
  • Added Horse item to Emodjinn item pool: Start your game with a 3/3 cowboy unit
  • Added Radio item to Emodjinn item pool: Start your game with a 3/3 satellite unit
  • Added Steak item to Emodjinn and regular item pools: Start of Shop-> Give all shop units +2 base HP
  • Added mystery spaces to the map. These can send you to one of the following rooms:

    1. Regular battle
    2. Boss battle
    3. Item room
    4. Regular shop
    5. Rest room
    6. Sacrifice Room; Consume on ally to give its LV to all allies as base HP and DAMAGE. Only works once.
    7. Slot Machine Room: Spend 5 gold to either... 1) Gain nothing. 2) Gain a free Pizza unit. 3) Gain 15 gold. 4) Lose 3 lives.
    8. Special shop: This shop has 4 units from any tier in any pack for sale for $6 each.

  • Added Lobster Enemy: Damaged-> deal damage to a random ally unit equal to damage received
  • Added Dolphin Enemy: Deal 1/2 damage to adjacent units above and below attacked ally unit
  • Added Cargo Van Enemy: This enemy starts with armor
  • Added Dark Elf Enemy: Give +Mana HP to all enemies in column
  • Added Space Satellite Enemy: This enemy attacks the left most ally unit in row first
  • Added Poop Enemy: Damaged-> Summon a worm with MANA for HP (and no damage)
  • Added Piñata Enemy: Faint-> Gain 5 gold and summon a random enemy on this space
  • Added Sleeping Guy to pack 1, tier 1: 1/1. Start of Battle-> Give +LV of HP for each empty ally space

Balance Changes

  • ? Pack now includes all units from pack #3
  • ? Pack is now unlocked by winning a run with both packs #2 and #3... It should stay unlocked if you previously had it unlocked
  • ? Pack Tier 1 will always include Chili Pepper
  • ? Pack Tier 2 will always include Lemon
  • Moved Mosquito to pack 3, tier 1
  • Changed the enemy damage buff on boss battles a tiny bit lower
  • Changed map generation so that boss battles won't spawn within first 10 spaces on map
  • Buffed Pack #1 Cowboy: 2/2. Start of Battle-> Give +LV of HP and Damage to ally on right
  • Made it so you gain extra XP for playing on higher difficulties
  • Changed Pack #1 Parrot to copy HP at start of the battle, but after other start of battle effects triggered

Bug Fixes/QOL

  • Fixed a bug where enemies would not fall off they screen if they died to recoil damage
  • Changed the way the Blowfish enemy checks for recoil damage (should be less buggy)
  • Changed a loading screen tip that described the outdated method to speed up battle
  • Added effect animation to queen ant enemy
  • Fixed Pack 1 Zombie description to include damage buff as well
  • Fixed Coffin enemy description to include HP and Damage
  • Added a note to summoning enemy description to mention summoned enemies drop 0 gold
  • Added a little shake effect to shop buttons you cant afford
  • Added a little shake animation when you reroll shop units
  • Made unit sprites scale up a little bit when they are being held
  • Added more fanfare when you open a item present
  • Made an animation for end of battle popups
  • Added a coin eruption effect when you win a battle
  • Added click SFX to menu UI
  • Swapped the Fullscreen on/off button to show what you currently have selected
  • Added a bounce at the bottom of the screen to defeated units and enemies effect
  • Made it so a rat attacking for 0 damage would trigger a draw
  • Changed the method for draw checking to make sure that no enemies were defeated in last turn to prevent early false draws
  • Added a tag to unit descriptions to identify "Food"
  • Changed the fires summoned by ally Welder, ally Volcano, and oil drum item to count as fainted allies during battle
  • Added food consumed stat to records
  • Changed wording on records to say you "LOST on round ??" vs "DIED on round ??" (lol this is a family friendly game)
  • Fixed a bug where records would say you won if you died on the very last battle
  • Fixed typo in tutorial "try TO reach level 80"
  • Added a picture of the battery map space to the Bucket item description
  • Changed the blue circle on the map be above the icon sprite
  • Added a animation to map icons that you are able to select from for your next space
  • Added the word "Item" to shop item purchase space


Extra Thoughts
This pack has been an absolute blast to make! I anticipate adding one or two more units to Pack #3 to cover any weak spots that show themselves. The mystery spaces added a fun dynamic to route selection and hopefully aid in making each run feel more unique. New enemy additions and battle layouts were a long time coming. I tried to make new enemies that made you really think about your positioning and not just blindly fly through battles with an OP team. i.e.: Attack the poop enemy with one strong blow to avoid extra summons, attack the lobster with a few weak blows to avoid 1-hit KO'ing an ally, go for the high risk vs reward of taking out a pinata, move your weaker units forward to avoid getting sniped by a satellite dish... Hopefully you have fun with all the new layouts! If any feel unfair please feel free to reach out via twitter or email with the room_id and I will absolutely take a look at balancing it out. I hope to add a "report" button in game, but with my version of Game Maker Sudio, url links in game won't open due to browser errors. I'm going to try to figure out a way to make it easy for early access gamers to give feedback on the spot.

For now, I plan on this being the final "Content" update. I will continue to update with balance patches and bug fixes based on your feedback. I plan on shifting my focus to introducing Automoji to as many new gamers as possible. Now that this update is complete, I am going to run a HUGE sale to try to convince any potential players on the edge to give Automoji a chance. Thank you to all players who have been enjoying Automoji this whole time. Please reach out to me if you know of anyone that would enjoy Automoji and I would be more than happy to send you a steam key. At this point, I am more interested in gaining a player base than making money, and word of mouth is truly the best endorsement :)

Thank you as always, happy gaming!
-Karl @AutomojiGame