I mentioned this in a previous post but... I still can't believe Netherguild is a real game you can buy on Steam now! It feels like just yesterday I was prototyping turn based mechanics before it really took shape and became the incredible, complex game it is today.
Early access is going to be a long and bumpy road filled with adventures, discovery and challenges - so I hope you're as excited as I am for this big new chapter in Netherguild's development towards full release and beyond! :D
Oh yeah, if you enjoyed Netherguild, please post a review on the Steam page! Reviews are crucial for more players being able to discover the game on Steam, especially since this is a hand-crafted, solo developed game without any fancy marketing - I need as much of your help as I can get!
Stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow with some of my near future plans too.
I started working on Netherguild back in 2018 when it looked like this:
Since then, I've poured blood, sweat and tears (both literal and figurative) into it these last 5 years -
-and it'll finally launch in Early Access next week!
But really, it couldn't have done it without your support. Thank you for playing the public demo over these last few years - Netherguild wouldn't have been half as good as it is today without your feedback.
Obviously it's not the end of the road but just another step towards finishing Netherguild - with that being said, I'm really excited for everything I plan to add during early access - from the new areas and classes to the story and faction system.
I hope you're just as excited as I am! It'll be a long road full of trials and challenges, but it also contains many rewards for the brave of heart. I don't know if there's anything more symbolically fitting for this game!
Oh - and if you want to be notified when Early Access release happens on the 27th of March, you can wishlist the game on Steam to get an email on release.
Cheers! Hope to see you on Early Access release. -David
Early Access Trailer + Release Date Announcement!
Netherguild will release in Early Access on the 27th of March 2023! HYPE
January 2023 Progress Update
Hey Guild Leaders! Welcome to the January monthly update.
This update is a tad bit late - however, it's also a big update! Including news from both January and December. Let's get into it!
New Enemies
The bandit armorer uses his masterful smithing skills to buff other bandits enemies or debuff your units with a "weaken" status - reducing your melee damage! Watch out for deadly combos of him buffing bandit archers.
I've also added three variants of the grub - these will be more powerful and rarer than the common variety. These are, from left to right: Armored grub, Regenerating grub, Growing grub.
Regenerating grubs heal every turn yet deal very little damage, being persistent little buggers that are tough to kill.
Growing grubs increase in size, health and damage every turn (up to a limit). It's better get rid of them early on!
Armored grubs have a rolling attack where they gain block and push your characters - so don't dilly dally near the edge! or you will be pushed off...
These next two enemies have been animated - I plan to add them to the lower floors of The City of Mist.
I've also been working on lots of new equipment; Like these flashy crossbow boots! Which were originally a community suggestion by Blonde.
It's also been a lot of fun fleshing out the new City of Mist loot - and figuring out specific items which should prove handy in this dangerous, forgotten location.
New Menu
A custom main menu for early access release!! And if you prefer the older main menu or want to take another glimpse at it after release, you can always toggle to it via the new arrows in the bottom right of the screen (:
Trailer Draft
Current draft of the Early Access trailer! What do you think? is there anything you'd like me to add, remove or change? (: I plan on adding music (and possible sound effects) to it in the near future too.
One step away...
We're getting really close to the Early Access release! I still have a ton to do - even more playtesting, steam preparations, and a bit more new content and enemies >:D at the same time, I'm so excited for it to happen - I hope you are too!!
Thank you for checking out this update! Cheers, and have a great February!!
Hey guild leaders! For the new year, I wanted to share some of what I worked on in 2022 and my plans for 2023 and beyond.
Bossfight against "pig", the leader of the purple bandits. No, he doesn't say "happy new year" in-game
2022 Overview
Some of the new additions this year include:
Steam Demo
Initial upgrading system for buildings in the overworld
Improved inventory screen
Vastly improved loot
Visual effects that make Netherguild look amazing
A whole lot of bugfixes, quality of life improvements and more, thanks to the community! <3
In the full upcoming version:
A system for "pits" - will let you push enemies (or be pushed) into a lower floor!
The Bandit Stronghold - a new area with a bossfight, 3 unique non-boss enemies (so far, possibly more before / after release), and 4 oddities. The living quarters of bandits - various oddities will appear here. A bandit fire-breather - watch out for these guys in prolonged fights. "Help!" Will you save this poor stranded soul?
The city of Mist - a new area with 7 unique enemies (more being worked on!), 5 oddities, unique equipment and the "Mist" itself - a tough environmental hazard! A machine guardian has been defeated Bridges that swing in subterranean wind
Early Access Release
I really wanted to release Netherguild in early access this year... but, I had to delay it, since the early access content wasn't yet on the same level as the content of the demo area (the bluestone mines).
And - I'm glad I delayed it! a lot of the awesome stuff I have planned for the early access release possibly wouldn't have been there had I released too early.
I'm currently planning to release Netherguild in Early Access around February / March of 2023!
I don't have a date set in stone since there's still many things to do: for example, adding even more content and enemies to the game, polishing Netherguild to avoid a few common complaints on release, and creating a trailer!
But all in all, for what it counts, I'm hyped to see players discover all the new stuff I've been working on for the release version :D
Fin
And that's all for this yearly update!! Thank you for checking it out. If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know in the comments or in the Discord, where I post regular weekly updates. Hope you have an amazing 2023!!!
-David Vinokurov
November 2022 Progress Update
Hey Guild Leaders! Welcome to the November monthly update.
To those unfamiliar with these, I write a bit about Netherguild's development progress on the first Friday of each month and post it here on Steam (:
Without further ado, here's some of what I've been working on this month:
New oddities
This month I started work on many oddities you might encounter while exploring the new areas...
Heeeelp! Saving this stranded bandit might turn out more useful than you may expect...
I've created a few other oddities that present various opportunities, risk and rewards - really excited for players to encounter them in early access
New enemies
Bandit Fire-Breathers will hamper your expeditions into the bandit stronghold with painful damage-over-time attacks... make sure you don't dilly dally, longer fights mean losing more health! a precious resource for all explorers...
Mist moth nests will spawn various grubs for you to fight against! I plan on adding additional grub-types in the future too.
I'm also working on other new enemies... but more on these in future updates!
More boss progress
Continuing some of the progress from last month, I've worked more on the bossfight against bandit leader Pig.
His purple bandit lackeys will aim their bows at you in a telegraphed attack! Be sure to dodge or you'll be afflicted by slowness, which will make the battle a lot tougher...
Other details
Broken flooring gives the two new areas - The City of Mist and the Bandit Stronghold - a more distinct and ruined look.
Netherguild will also be featured in the TurnBasedFest steam event in the beginning of December! It's made by the people who organize #TurnBasedThursday on twitter, and will include A LOT of other great turn based games with big discounts and demos.
Done! for now
And that's all for this update! Thank you for checking it out. Cheers, and have a great month!
Fixed crashed caused by using WASD for movement and passing through ally positions standing on tiles that appear available (Community find by Napsalm)
Minifixes:
Fixed "alt" buttons in controls window for smaller screens (Community find by Pure Paradox)
Fixed combat turn order going out of track when UI scaling changes (community find by Napsalm)
Demo Update 14/11/2022 - Quality of life, camera changes and more fixes
Change log 14/11/2022 | Version 0.19(F)
Quality of life:
Added character healthbars in dungeon inventory
Bugfixes:
Fixed another crash caused by recent movement changes
Changes:
Changed camera to also move on the up and down axis when following characters and projectiles (this is for the boss battle that's being added)
Changes with being able to move camera during bonfire
Demo Update 7/11/2022 - Tiny crash fixes hotfix
Change log 7/11/2022 | Version 0.19(F)
Bugfixes:
Fixed crash caused by recent movement changes
Fixed crash caused by recent UI mode-switching changes (when the UI switches to combat at the start of the level)
October 2022 Progress Update
Hey Guild Leaders! Welcome to the October monthly post. This one has some big news and more progress on the new areas!
Without further ado, here's some of what I've been working on this month:
Delayed release date
I decided to delay the early access release of Netherguild to around February 2023.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1464220/view/5348612868501339833 I talk about it more in the post above, but the main gist of it is that this delay will give me time to add all the new content, to polish and playtest it properly.
More Enemies
I've worked on adding more enemies to the new areas! (The City of Mist and Bandit Stronghold)
These wind-up automatons will be found on many rooftops. They will be powerful and tanky, yet slow.
Explosive bandits are not suicide bombers! Rather, they're tanky units which attack tight knit formations. Spread out your units to avoid their wrath!
They'll also explode after being defeated... but more on that later in the post (;
Sound Effects
I've also worked on fleshing out some of the enemies I posted last month-
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1464220/view/3292718815232067815 -which will now have their very own custom sound effects! Have a listen:
Isn't the "hit" sound of the poison shot just so... wet and disgusting? I LOVE it :D
Boss Battle
If you remember the words of a certain drunk bandit, he speaks of the leader of the bandits - a fella nicknamed "Pig". Step through the gauntlet that is the Bandit Stronghold, and he'll be right there, waiting for you.
Oh yeah, 10 HP is only for playtesting - expect the bandit leader to have more. And multiple phases.
But don't worry, you won't be fighting alone...
There's going to be an in-house audience! Which is going to be fighting you too. But more on that next update.
Misc.
I've also worked on various other things for Netherguild this month!
Quality of Life
Did you ever spend a little... too much time fiddling with clicking on the exit elevator?
I added a fix so that every "second click" on the elevator out of combat, all your units will get on it. (second click meaning - traveling the elevator when a character is already there)
Should make exploring just a tiny bit more comfortable!
Danger Tiles
Since I will need to telegraph certain attacks during the bossfight, I figured it was time... to add "danger tiles!"
And what better way to test it than... with the explosive bandit? It would be fun to explore these "danger tiles" with some special hazards in future areas too.
Mist City Elevator
Locomotion and the exits from different floors might look different! Since it doesn't make sense to use the same good ol' gray mining elevator everywhere. Therefore... prepare to board this strange, cramped transport elevator for The City of Mist instead.
Until next time...
And that's all for this update! Thank you for checking it out :D I'm pretty excited to show off more of the bandit boss fight next month. Cheers, and have a great November!
