Map Competition:

• Ensuring the map is balanced for both player 1 and player 2 in terms of control points and distances. (says Captain Obvious)
  
• It’s good to consider what the opening moves you want to have are for both players and walk yourself through those.
  
• Ensure Player 1 does not get too much of an advantage on turn 1 (too many control points within spawning range sometimes causes issues, even if the map looks totally balanced.)
  
• Having an even number of control points can be harder to make a map that doesn’t turn into a camp fest, but it can still work and there are some good ones we have produced that show this but many of the maps usually have an odd number of control points and Ideally multiple areas to battle on the map.
  

So, what’s next for Phobies?

Additions

Faction Packs

• Players now have the chance to acquire Faction Packs while events are active.
  
• These packs include a near-guaranteed (97%) chance to acquire Phobies from the Faction featured in the active event. This provides players with new ways to acquire and upgrade Phobies cards that benefit their event progress.
  
• The two pack types are:
  
• Faction Scream Pack - This pack has similar reward odds to the existing Horrific Pack, and features 3 scratch cards and 135-345 upgrade cards dependent on whether a new Phobie is awarded.
  
• Faction Dominion Pack - This pack has similar reward odds to the existing Dreadful Pack, and features 4 scratch cards and 279-783 upgrade cards dependent on whether a new Phobie is awarded.
  
• Our first event using the updated system, Monster Mash, will give players an opportunity to acquire Monster Scream Packs and Monster Dominion Packs. Future events will focus on Dimensionals, Mechanicals, and Undead.
  

Updated Event Calendar

• Events will now occur on a four-week cycle.
  
• The updated schedule begins on Feb. 3rd with our Monster Mash event.
  
• Reward tuning has been updated to give greater rewards to players over this longer active event period.
  

Milestone Skipping

• Players can now use Coffee to “purchase” an event milestone and skip ahead to the next milestone in the list.
  
• The is a useful option for players who feel they may be falling behind the pack in terms of event progress, or for players who’ve joined in on the event late.
  
• Coffee costs will scale according to how far into the event the milestone occurs.
  

Ultimate VIP Pass

• Players now have the option to purchase an enhanced VIP pass.
  
• This Ultimate VIP Pass includes all the benefits of the Event VIP Pass, plus a bonus Faction Scream Pack for the featured event faction. Players will also earn double event points for all event tasks once the Ultimate VIP Pass is activated.
  
• Players who have already acquired a standard Event VIP Pass can upgrade to the Ultimate VIP Pass for a discounted cost at any time during the active event.
  

Phobies Balancing

• Billy
  
• Reduced HP from 1,700 to 1,600.
  
• Brutewurst
  
• Increased HP from 2,500 to 2,800.
  
• Cecilia
  
• Increased DMG from 500 to 600.
  
• Increased last act damage from 500 to 600.
  
• Clobster
  
• Reduced HP from 1,800 to 1,700.
  
• The Collector
  
• Reduced HP from 2,200 to 2,100.
  
• Doc Holliday
  
• Reduced HP from 1,300 to 1,100.
  
• Mistle Toad
  
• Increased HP from 1,000 to 1,300.
  
• Ogre
  
• Increased HP from 2,000 to 2,100.
  
• Paddles
  
• Increased HP from 700 to 900.
  
• Increased DMG from 300 to 400.
  
• Increased electricity DMG from 300 to 400.
  
• Rocketman
  
• Reduced HP from 1,800 to 1,700.
  
• Smiley
  
• Increased HP from 1,800 to 2,200.
  
• Undertaker
  
• Reduced key cost from 9 keys to 7 keys.
  
• Whiskers
  
• Increased HP from 850 to 1,100.
  

Localization

• Phobies can now be played in Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese languages.
  
• Language preferences can be changed manually in the Options menu.
  
• Please note that Phobies names, ability names, and offer names remain in English regardless of the player’s language setting.
  

Fixes

Stability

• Assorted fixes have been added to improve game stability on multiple platforms.
  

Additions

Average Collection Level

• Players will now see the average level of their Phobies collection in the top-left corner of the Collection screen, as well as the Upgrade screen.
  
• This information has been added to facilitate the new Phobies Acceleration feature.
  

Phobies Acceleration

• Acceleration is unlocked for players who have reached Stress Level 20 or higher.
  
• Acceleration becomes available for a Phobie when:
  
• A player has exhausted the upgrade cards available to upgrade the Phobie through normal means, and;
  
• The Phobie is below the average level of the player’s collection.
  
• Acceleration works through the standard card upgrade flow.
  
• When available, Acceleration allows a player to spend Coffee to compensate for lacking upgrade cards and XP, bringing the Phobie card to the average level of the player’s total collection.
  
• Multiple factors influence the Coffee cost for this action, including (but not limited to) the delta between the Phobie’s existing level and the average collection level, and the card’s rarity.
  

Fixes:

Reminder Pop-Ups

• Fixed a time-related issue that was preventing special offer reminder pop-ups from appearing to players after some time had passed and the initial presentation was shown.
  

Stability

• Assorted fixes have been added to improve game stability on multiple platforms.
  

Phobies

• Look out for Billy, the fastest draw in the west with 3 actions per turn! Permanently!
  
• Billy will be available exclusively through a special offer until November 3rd. Players can obtain this new monster in card packs after that date.
  
• Undertaker can transform any dead Phobie back to life!
  
• Doc Holliday’s “flosso” can rope Phobies from long distance and bring them right in for a checkup.
  
• Sulky’s got a mean streak that grows with every kill.
  
• Butcher’s wrath leaves nothing but carnage in its wake.
  
• Hexxy will tear through any foe that stands in its way.
  
• In the midst of chaos, Flail strikes with an unpredictable force!
  

**Maps**

• Showdown is a new small map with obstacles that hide panic points requiring strategic masterminds.
  
• Our newest large map, Lonesome Town, is a desolate wasteland of poisoned ground.
  
• Set in a sprawling graveyard, Tombstone is a new large map where every corner holds surprises.
  
• Ill Intent is a new small map that’s ready for some fast-paced Phobies action.
  
• Dark Manor’s tile variety and narrow paths will keep you on edge all battle long!
  
• Venture into Desolation Row, a sprawling map where every step could be your last.
  
• Navigate numerous patches of poisoned ground on Withering Heights, a new large map.
  
• Vicious Cycle is a compact map where you will navigate tight corners and outsmart your opponents in a whirlwind of action.
  

Home Screen

• The home screen and jacks have undergone a spooky transformation.
  

Event: Dead or Alive

• Enjoy an all-new 4-week event centered around your favorite Undead Phobies.
  
• Look for the event to launch on Oct 3rd.
  

Exclusive Starter Bundle

• A brand-new Exclusive Starter Bundle is now available to new players who start 8 matches.
  
• This bundle includes a Dreadful Pack, as well as 30 days' worth of Daily Doubles and 50% XP Boosts. Purchasers are also rewarded with 300 Coffee per day for 30 days.
  
• Please note that, as with our subscription, players will only receive daily coffee if they log in each day!
  

Level 1 Phobies Stats in Album

• Explore Phobies in the Album with their stats displayed at Level 1 for easy comparison.
  

Terrifying Offer

• The Coffee included in the Terrifying Offer has been increased from 100 to 900.
  
• The price has been adjusted to reflect this increase
  

Next Turn Button for Async Games

• Now, on the end-of-turn screen for Async matches, you can effortlessly jump to your next turn in another match with the new ‘Next Turn’ button.
  

Stability

• Fixed some potential causes of game crashes and desyncs.
  

Audio

• Fixed certain cases where SFX were not triggering as intended.
  

Art

• Minor UI & icon fixes.
  

Events

• Fixed an issue that was causing players to see incorrect messaging if they visited the Event page without having unlocked the feature.
  

Additions

Phobies

• Skinwalker hides an unstoppable alternate form when you unleash its immortal fury!

Skinwalker will be available exclusively through a special offer until July 24th. Players can obtain this new monster in card packs after that date.

• Benny is a weird and wonderful addition to the band - a new key of 3 ranged attacker with resurrect!

• Good luck stayin' alive against Tri-Volta, with its electrical damage and ability to remove an action from all surrounding dancers!

• Drum roll, please - Whiskers detects traps and absorbs any that are present on the tile it stands upon!

• Ride high with Sabian and watch it slice and dice the opposition with AOE damage!

• Ace wants to rock and roll all night and clobber every day, with its hard hitting electrical fists!

• Omega brings chaos to the battlefield with a ranged attack buff that affects all friends and foes!

• Ash can pull friendly Phobies out of harm’s way or into position for a well-timed attack!

Portraits

• For the first time, portraits can be earned as awards in our upcoming event!

• Glam Rock Vendy, Omega, and Ace are up for grabs as event rewards.

• Skinwalker can be purchased in Vendy’s shop.

Maps

• Watch your step on Another One Bites the Dust, a large map featuring plenty of pits to avoid.

• Chapeltown is a large map, with plenty of Tainted Ground. Gather those Mechanical Phobies!

• Muso Meia features Diseased Ground on a large map.

• Toys in the Attic is a small map, focusing on Conveyors and Tainted Ground.

• Conveyors also feature on Dark Sarcasm, a small map.

Home Screen

• Testing, 1-2-3: Vendy is ready to rock with a special look to celebrate the new release!

Event: Heavy Metal

• Enjoy an all-new 4-week event centered around your favorite Mechanical Phobies.

• For the first time, users in the normal and VIP track will have the opportunity to earn new, exclusive portraits as rewards!

• Look for the event to launch on June 27th.

Phobies Balancing

• Attractor

- Increased ability cooldown from 1 to 2.

• Bad Sushi

- Removed ability cooldown.

• Blondie

- Increased health from 2,500 to 2,800.

• Blue

- Increased damage debuff from 300 to 325.

• Bluelien

- Decreased health from 1,800 to 1,600.

• Brutewurst

- Increased disease effect from 350 to 400.

• The Collector

- Increased movement from 1 to 2.

• CottonTale

- Increased pack attack bonus from 125 to 150.- Increased health from 500 to 600.

• Fantome

- Decreased ability range from 3 to 2.

• Fleshcrawler

- Increased health from 2,000 to 2,300.
- Increased damage from 450 to 500.

• Flopsy

- Increased pack attack bonus from 125 to 150.
- Increased health from 500 to 600.

• Hoovey

- Increased attack from 500 to 600.

• Jackalope King

- Increased pack attack bonus from 125 to 200.
- Increased health from 800 to 1,000.

• Mike Roscopic

- Increased health from 900 to 950.

• Minotaur

- Increased health from 1,400 to 1,500.

• Mopsy

- Increased pack attack bonus from 125 to 150.
- Increased health from 500 to 600.

• Ogre

- Increased health from 1,700 to 2,000.

• Russell

- Increased health from 1,600 to 1,700.
- Increased damage from 500 to 600.

• Tiny Tim

- Increased damage from 500 to 525.

• Zappy

- Increased electricity effect from 300 to 350.

Fixes

Audio

• Performed an overall mix pass of in-game sound effects to better balance volume against one another.

Phobies

• Fixed an issue that could cause the damage modifier text on Ogre’s card to break during an upgrade.

• Fixed a potential crash that could be caused by moving Glob onto an enemy Glob that was occupying a panic point.

Stability

• Fixed some potential causes of game crashes and desyncs.

Additions

Phobies

• Prometheus

- Its special ability allows this monster to create or destroy lava tiles. Created tiles inflict 150 fire damage per turn for up to 4 turns.
- Prometheus is also immune to damage from fire and lava tiles.
- Prometheus is available exclusively in a special offer, active from March 5th through April 2nd. It will become available in card packs after the offer expires.

• Fantôme

- This monster is able to teleport friendly Phobies within a 3-tile range to a tile adjacent to itself.
- Use this ability to get a comrade out of harm’s way, or to line things up for a major attack.

• The Collector

- It’s tax time! The Collector uses its stack of tax documents to boggle the minds of adjacent enemies.
- This monster’s melee attack passively removes one turn from any enemy Phobie that gets hit, based on self-AOE range.

• Haphe

- This new mechanical monster surges with a self-attack buff after it takes damage from an enemy.
- Damage from environmental tiles or status effects doesn’t trigger this self-buff.

• Le Shovell

- Push friendly units one tile using this monster’s special ability.
- Shove a friendly Phobie out of the way of a pending attack, or even into a pit if you need a creative way to clear the battlefield for a new monster.

• Hercules

- This Ginsting cousin has a devastating AOE bee attack.
- This special attack includes 50% damage fall-off for enemies on adjacent tiles to your target.

• Brutewurst

- One bad sausage, Brutewurst inflicts disease with its melee attacks.
- This monster’s special ability also inflicts damage and disease using self-AOE.

Phobies Balancing

• Akira

- Increased ability lock from 1 turn to 2 turns. This allows the opponent to have more time to prepare for the power of the ability.

• Badside Manners

- Increased attack damage from 400 to 440.

• Blondie

- Increased attack damage from 700 to 750.

• Bluelien

- Increased ability cooldown from 1 to 2 turns to help reduce the number of pools it can have simultaneously.

• Bogart

- Increased move range from 1 to 2, which should allow for better targeting of opponents.

• Boss

- Decreased health from 2120 to 2000 and decreased ability basic dam from 300 to 275.

• Charon

- Increased damage from 325 to 350.

• Cupcake

- Added a 1 turn ability lock.

• Fleshcrawler

- Decreased ability cooldown from 2 to 1.

• Gonzo Bonzo

- Decreased damage buff from 300 to 250.
- The ability was overpowered when used with some other Phobies. This is a complicated unit to balance due to how it affects all other units, so your continued feedback is welcome.

• Jackalopes (Flopsy, Mopsy, CottonTale, & Jackalope King)

- Increase pack attack bonus from 100 to 125.

• Jaws

- Removed ability lock.

• Lila

- Increased move range from 1 to 2 and decreased health from 1800 to 1500.
- This monster was underperforming compared to other trap units.

• Mike Roscopic

- Increased health from 850 to 900.

• Minotaur

- Increased damage from 400 to 425.

• Misanthrope

- Increased damage from 330 to 350.

• Ogre

- Increased rage damage from 300 to 350 and increased heart health condition from <=3000 to <=4000.
- Known issue: The ability description on the back of Ogre’s card still indicates the original heart health value of 3000. This will be corrected in a future release.

• Oopsy Baby

- Increased damage from 350 to 400.

• Russel

- Increased poison from 200 to 250.

• Rusty

- Decreased key cost from 2 to 1.

• Smiley

- Increased disease from 375 to 425.

• Sparky

- Increased damage from 375 to 400.

• Blue Speedola/Red Speedola

- Increased tag team damage buff from +100 to +200.

• Tick

- Increased move range from 1 to 2 as the low mobility makes the ability less effective.

• Tiny Tim

- Increased damage from 475 to 500.

• Uni Corn

- Decreased trap damage from 500 to 425.

• Zappy

- Increased health from 1800 to 1900.

• We have been monitoring all the Phobies KPI’s and win rates including the ones players have mentioned and will continue to monitor them over subsequent releases. The win rates for these other Phobies (over thousands of games) show they are not unbalanced. This includes the Phobies below that were mentioned by players in their feedback. We do not want to adjust these Phobies at this time as it will create new balance issues:

- Alley Gator, Klepto, Blast-0-Matic, BoMangles, Boofairy, Creep, Doughzer, Fetch, Fire Ant, Ginsting, Heart Breaker, Hydra, Leshy, Medibot, Mr. Tramples, Noxious, Pasgetti, Rambolina, Repeller, Slammer Head, Smother Mother, Snowball, Stabby, Zomboni , Baby Snake, Fowl, Barzilla, Chuck, Doughzer, Finnigan, Heavo 2.0, Heavo 3.0, Hermetic Ginsting, Thunder Rocks, Ray Chargels, Temptress, Doctor Dermic, Clobster, Doom Doom, Paddles, Squiggles.
- We’re aware of issues with Bad Sushi, but making modifications will require more time, and possibly a rework. We are looking to rework this unit in our next major release.

Maps

• Never, Forever is a small map featuring conveyor belts on the Office theme.
  
• Night Shift is a small, Office 2-themed map focusing on close-quarters strategy.
  
• Center Stage is a small map on the Carnival theme, featuring an obstacle-protected center panic point.
  
• Last Rites is a large, Cemetery-themed map featuring Diseased Ground tiles.
  
• Castaway is a large map featuring the Island 2 theme, featuring pits and obstacles.

Vendy Gifting

• Players can log in and receive a special daily gift from your favorite shop monster.
  
• Daily gifts begin on Mar. 7th and continue for seven days.
  
• Gifts become available at midnight GMT. Players who live in regions that observe Daylight Savings Time may notice that their local times may vary.
  
• Be sure to check in with Vendy every day to ensure you don’t miss a gift!

Fixes

Events

• Fixed an issue that could prevent a player from viewing an active Event.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused some players to temporarily see the previous Event presentation when a new Event started.

Gameplay

• Fixed an exploit that could allow players to avoid an Arena loss by quitting the app with specific timing.

Localization

• Fixed an issue in which non-English text descriptions for Conveyor tiles and Bogart’s sticky bomb, both in the info panel, were missing.
  Phobies
  
• Fixed an issue where two opposing Globs attempting to digest each other could cause the game to crash.

Stability

• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash during the Tutorial.
  
• Fixed various potential causes of desyncs and crashes.