Update 1.6.1 focuses on fixes and some experience improvements as we prepare for our big summer update:
Additions:
Replays
Players are now able to skip the opponent’s final/killing blow turn while viewing replays.
Stress Levels
Players are now able to view and browse through completed Stress Levels.
Bug Fixes:
Leagues
Fixed an issue that prevented the Leagues promotion presentation from playing when players reached certain league thresholds.
News
Fixed an issue that prevented auto pop-up news stories from appearing as intended if a player had the game minimized on their device.
Offers
Fixed a crash that could occur when redeeming an offer containing multiple card packs.
Phobies
Fixed a bug that prevented flying Phobies from being affected by Smiley’s disease ability if they were positioned over top of a placed obstacle.
Fixed a bug that could cause an invisible Phobie to remain invisible if it was mind-controlled and the effects of that mind control expired.
Updated the card text for invisible Phobies to provide better clarity for enemy Phobies that end their turns on the same tile.
Updated Creepy Devil’s ability text to align front and back descriptions.
Updated Whuffalo Will’s ability text to align front and back descriptions.
Quests
Fixed a bug that was causing the confirmation message for re-rolls not to appear.
Fixed a bug that would prevent Lippy’s Quest progress from resetting as intended if partial progress was completed.
Fixed a bug that could cause Lippy’s Quest progression to get stuck indefinitely if the game’s bad behavior threshold was exceeded.
Happy battling, The Phobies Team
Phobies Release 1.6: The Birthday Masquerade is Now Available
The Birthday Masquerade will be the first major release of the year, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the terrifying world of Phobies. Players will be welcomed with an array of exciting new features, including the release of limited time events, where players rack up points by completing special assignments to achieve milestones and receive special rewards! The party doesn’t stop there – 8 new Phobies featuring 4 unique abilities will be available for players to unlock, as well as 3 new maps set in an eerie new environment to explore.
Thank you for enjoying Phobies over this past year - we’re delighted to celebrate our birthday with all of you!
Happy battling, The Phobies Team
Additions: Phobies
8 new Phobies are joining the party! Hunt for these fearsome new faces in Tear Packs:
Be careful not to stare too deeply into Dial’s screen or you’ll be become a lazy couch potato, doing less actions than normal.
Whuffalo Will’s persuasive powers can take control of enemy units temporarily, allowing it to do whatever it pleases!
Tiny Tim loves to burrow and hide into the depths of the ground - it gives some protection and makes it happy!
Ogre will take exception to you damaging its Heart! It will Enrage its damage up to new heights when its Heart is less than/equal to 3000 HP.
This frozen treat will give you more than a headache! i-Scream will freeze enemy units still to allow your allies to unleash a massive attack!
Keep your ears clean or Wiggy will burrow in there! This 2-key unit packs a punch with a 600-damage attack.
Creepy Devil can use its power to disappear! Try to find where it is, or it’ll surprise you with a boosted-up attack.
Rockus can’t be pushed, pulled, teleported, or swapped. Save your back and don’t try moving it!
Portraits
Customize your profile with 5 new Portraits, available in Vendy’s store:
Don’t touch that Dial - get its portrait instead!
We all scream for i-Scream!
Break new ground with Rockus!
Ogre is all the rage!
Where there’s Whuffalo Will, there’s a way!
Vendy’s Birthday Bash
We’re celebrating our first birthday, but Vendy has some gifts for YOU.
Vendy’s even brought his very festive party hat, just for the occasion.
Between Mar. 14th and Mar. 20th, get a special gift from Vendy, just by logging in each day.
Gifts are available each day after Midnight UTC, but act fast - gifts will disappear once the new day begins!
Limited Time Events
Our first event is COMING SOON.
Find active events in the Quests screen in their own dedicated tab.
While an event is active, players can earn Event Points by completing special assignments while playing the game.
Rack up enough Event Points and you’ll meet a Milestone, where you’ll earn Event Rewards!
The higher the Milestone, the greater the rewards you’ll receive - can you reach the highest goal before the Event ends?
Maps
In the chilly void of space lies our eerie new map location…
Plot new strategies as you do battle on 3 new maps:
The Pyro Abyss
Mazeophob
Naughts and Crosses
Bug Fixes: General
Vendy is back!
Fixed an issue that caused text not to appear in the Frenemies Arena invite on the home screen.
Fixed an issue that caused the “ready” state not to appear for players/spectators during Frenemies Arena games.
Phobies
Fixed an issue that caused invisible units not to play their correct animations while disappearing.
Quests
Fixed an issue that prevented Lippy’s Quest progress from resetting on Quest refresh once completed.
Fixed an issue that prevented Quest progress for Quests requiring that the player kill Undead Phobies or Phobies; if a Phobie that could resurrect was killed on top of an object, the progress would not count.
Seasons
Fixed an issue that could grant players seasonal rewards more than once. Stability
Fixed assorted uncommon issues that could cause game crashes and desyncs.
Update notes for Release 1.5.4302
Our first update of 2023 is a smaller release focusing on bug fixes and some quality-of-life improvements to the game.
Additions:
Card Upgrades
Players can now choose to upgrade a card by multiple levels at the same time.
Players can choose a specific number of upgrade levels or “max” level, depending on their available XP/Coffee.
Bug Fixes:
General
Fixed an issue in which the card upgrade process could fail if players tried to upgrade before their collection had completed loading.
Maps
Fixed an input dead zone on The Once Lure map.
Fixed incorrect Blue player keyhole orientation on Mount Blight map.
Replays
Fixed an issue in which the “End Turn” button could appear while viewing a game replay.
Fixed an issue that could cause a player name to disappear from the player avatar plank for several turns while viewing a replay.
Spectator Mode
Fixed a visual flicker that occurred when players transitioned into spectating a game.
Stability
Fixed assorted issues that could cause Arena game desyncs or potential game crashes.
Happy battling,
The Phobies Team
Hotfix 1.5.3261
Update 1.5.3261 is a small hotfix build that addresses an issue that prevented rewards from appearing immediately for players who redeemed an offer through a pop-up panel.
Holiday Update 1.5.3246
There’s a bitter chill on the wind and you may feel a shiver creeping up your spine, but don’t worry - it’s just your Phobies delivering a special winter update! There are gifts for every player to uncover beneath the snow… read on for more details!
* Please note that holiday features will become active for players on Dec. 6, 2022.
Additions:
12 Days of Christmas
In the spirit of the season of giving, players can log in and receive a special daily gift from Vendy!
Daily gifts begin on Dec. 14th and continue through Christmas Day.
Be sure to check in with Vendy every day to ensure you don’t miss a gift!
Warning: We do not endorse shaking Vendy’s gifts. Contents may be (are) hazardous. You’ll like what’s inside, we promise.
Holiday Portraits
Nobody enjoys a good time quite like Jack… which is why you’ll have a chance to find a special Electricat portrait this December!
Try your luck at getting this limited-time portrait while opening Jacks until Jan. 3rd, 2023.
Don’t feel like leaving things to chance? You can also pick up the Holiday Brony or Holiday Jeeves portraits in the in-game store.
Holiday Jack Odds
Jack’s still in a giving mood - players can expect increased odds for better rewards while opening Jacks throughout December!
Holiday Visuals
Vendy is decked out in his holiday best.
Jacks are getting in on the festive fun as well.
Enjoy the chilly weather and decorative lights on the home screen.
Spectator Mode
Have you ever longed to see one of your best Frenemies get obliterated by a top Phobies player? Have we got a gift for you!
Players can now watch Frenemies Arena games by joining as spectators.
Look for the “eye” icon over the More menu to find out when your friends are lined up for a battle, then follow the prompts in order to watch the game play out.
Maps
Special delivery - three new maps have entered the weekly rotation!
Flex your strategic muscles on Teen Spirit, Mount Blight, and Hold Still.
Bug Fixes:
General
Fixed a few issues that could cause players to get incorrect end-of-game messages relative to the actual game resolution.
Fixed an issue that caused the camera to react when an opponent placed traps during Arena games.
Phobies
Fixed an issue where Gargles was doing more damage upon death than stated on its card.
Replays
Fixed an issue where players where shown a “Defeat” message on battle log replays whether they won or lost the match.
Fixed a soft lock that could occur due to memory shortages when tapping a Frenemies icon and a match replay in short succession.
Stability
Fixed a network desync that could occur if a player suspended/resumed the game for more than one minute.
Fixed assorted potential network desync and crash causes.
As we approach the end of 2022, the Phobies team would like to take a moment to thank every player who has fallen in love with our creepy little strategy game. Your passion, positive comments, and amazing fan art are very much appreciated and we’re looking forward to delivering more fun to you in the new year.
From our team to you, have a safe and happy holiday season, and we’ll see you in the Arena!
Happy battling,
The Phobies Team
The Steam Awards 2022: Phobies for Outstanding Visual Style Award
Phobies Wranglers!
The Steam Awards just opened its doors for game nominations! You can now select Phobies in any of the award categories for the #SteamAwards.
We appreciate your support, and we hope you’ll consider nominating us!
For more information, please visit: https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations
Update 1.5.1326
Our newest Phobies update addresses some balancing changes, adds a new language to the game, and offers some bug fixes:
Additions:
Audio
By popular demand, players can now adjust the volume of Lippy’s voice independent of SFX and music.
Find the new Voice volume slider in the Options menu.
Challenges
Players can now select ‘Next’ after completing a Challenge.
This will allow players to play the next Challenge without returning to the main Challenges list.
Localization
Brazilian Portuguese has been added to the game for in-game text.
Users can switch to this language from the Options menu.
Please note that in-game audio remains English-only.
Phobies - Game Balancing
In the interest of providing a better gameplay experience and ensuring competitive matches, players will see some slight changes to a number of Phobies in the near future.
The following Phobies will be affected:
Beauty
Decreased base HP from 2,000 to 1,800.
Decreased base attack from 450 to 425.
Russell
Increased base HP from 1,400 to 1,600.
Increased base attack from 450 to 500.
Smiley
Increased base HP from 1,600 to 1,800.
Bad Sushi
Increased base HP from 1,400 to 1,600.
Charon
Increased base attack from 300 to 325.
Phobies - Descriptions
Sasquatch
Updated the card text for the Invisibility ability to more accurately convey the ability’s effect.
Bug Fixes:
Account
Fixed an issue in which game notifications were no longer being sent if a player reinstalled the game and used a previous account.
General
Fixed an issue in which the game turn timer was mistakenly capping at 99 turns.
Localization
Fixed an issue that caused ‘Next’ and ‘Retry’ buttons to appear blank when playing in non-English languages.
Fixed an issue that caused the email mismatch error messaging to appear in English-only when playing in non-English languages during email binding.
Phobies
Boomer’s card text has been updated to accurately reflect that it has no attack.
Stability
Fixed assorted game crash causes related to game AI.
Fixed assorted game crashes related to account switching.
Introduced improvements to help server stability.
Thank you for your great feedback about the recent Carnival of Fears update. Look for more surprises as we approach the holiday season!
Happy battling,
The Phobies Team
Carnival of Fears
It’s your Phobies favorite time of year!
Grab a ticket and come visit the strange and frightening Carnival of Fears, our newest major release that introduces a brand-new spooky environment...
... and creepy new Phobies that we are sure will make this your best Halloween yet!
Phobies Release 1.5 Carnival of Fears is Now Available
The Carnival of Fears brings the biggest compilation of updates to Phobies since the extraterrestrial encounters of Full Disclosure. 8 spooky new Phobies will be stepping out of the shadows, introducing 6 new unique abilities and countless new tactics to explore. The twists and turns continue with 10 new maps, 30 new unique challenges to face, and a brand-new “creepy” carnival environment that will make a frightfully delightful stage for your Phobies to play on!
Additions:
Phobies
• 8 new Phobies have stepped out of the shadows and into your nightmares! Hunt for these macabre monstrosities in Tear Packs:
Bad Omen is the bringer of unwanted fortune to your foes. This 2-key unit has the ability to lower the threat of an enemy Phobie with its debuff special ability.
Edgar Allen knows that there is strength in numbers and is happy to increase that strength with the ability to buff all allies anywhere on the map.
Tag me in! Pair Blue Speedola with its partner and watch its movement range and attack power grow.
Make the hot tag to Red Speedola to boost the movement range and attack power of its partner.
Daisy is one unit that refuses to stay extinct! This 4-key unit will resurrect with 200 HP.
With 1000 HP, Numbskull is the toughest 1-key Phobie around! It can take punishment but also deliver it with its AoE-style attack.
Zomboni can sacrifice its own HP to heal an ally and leech enemy health to stay in the fight.
Werewolf strikes with doubled attack damage and tripled HP at the turning of the moon - let the transformation begin!
Avatars
• Customize your profile with 9 new Avatars, available in Vendy’s store:
There’s been a Sasquatch sighting.
Beware of Bad Omen.
Edgar Allen is gently rapping at your chamber door.
Daisy is no delicate flower.
Numbskull takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Cast a spell with Zomboni.
Werewolf sees a bad moon rising.
Fulfill your wish with Jammy Fish.
Sir Probes-a-Lot has arrived in your galaxy.
Jacks
• For a limited time, 2 new Avatars can be found in Jacks:
Jill and Ted are celebrating their eerie anniversary - collect them if you can!
Challenges
• 30 new Challenges are now available to test your skill! Solve these mind-bending puzzles for valuable rewards. • The new Challenge group includes community contest winners from:
Aliengineer
cha
crusito_21
Nite
PlayrHimself
theandykat
• Thank you to our Phobies community for your amazing entries!
Game Presentation
• Just in time for Halloween, Vendy’s sporting a festive new disguise. • Frightful new home screen additions will get you in the seasonal spirit. • Jacks have ghoulish new costumes of their own and two potential Avatar rewards.
Maintenance
• A maintenance notification will now appear on the home screen with a countdown clock when scheduled maintenance is approaching within the next hour. • Players will no longer be able to start Arena matches within 30 minutes of a scheduled maintenance window.
Maps
• Step right up and introduce yourself to our new map location, the Creepy Carnival! • Plot new strategies as you do battle on 10 new maps. • Face your foes on maps from our community contest winners:
elfocas
AlphaZero
cha
OmPong
AdriPhobia
• Thank you to our Phobies community for your magnificent maps!
Store
• New Item indicators have been added to highlight recently-added items to players.
Bug Fixes:
General
• Fixed an issue in which the game could softlock if the Avatar menu was accessed from the Stress Level menu with specific timing.
Localization
• Fixed an issue that caused Quest re-roll confirmation pop-up text to appear in the incorrect language for users set to Italian.
Server
• Fixed assorted game crash causes. • Fixed assorted Arena mode desyncs. • Introduced improvements to help server stability.
Subscriptions
• Fixed an issue that could cause a subscription to become linked to an account which had been deleted, preventing the same player from using a subscription on a new account.
Be sure to safely enjoy this spine-tingling season alongside your Phobies, and enjoy the tricks and treats we have in store for you!
Happy battling, The Phobies Team
Release notes for Update 1.4.2088
Our new update adds some great new features and improvements to existing gameplay. Check out the list below:
Additions:
Lippy Voice Lines
Lippy can now offer additional dialogue prompted by game events!
Lippy will now periodically comment on your in-game actions, progress, and other events.
These events can include dealing damage, multi-killing enemy Phobies with a single attack, League progress, or even crushing wins.
Frenemies Arena Matches
Players can now challenge other players on their friends' lists to Arena matches.
In addition to this new mode, players can also elect to challenge friends to matches using their actual Phobies levels or default to Level 1 Phobies only.
Level 1 Phobies matches could even allow some enterprising players to organize tournaments…
Map Names
Map names will now appear during the opening sequence for new matches.
This will allow players to be able to better identify maps for sharing ideas and strategies.
Quest Re-roll Confirmation
A confirmation pop-up will now appear if a player attempts to re-roll their available selection of quests.
This is intended to prevent accidental re-rolls and unintentionally losing progress on partially completed quests.
Bug Fixes:
Phobies
Fixed an issue that prevented Sasquatch from dying if he was occupying the same tile as a barrier or ally Phobie while invisible.
Quests
Fixed an issue that prevented progress from tracking on the “Cool Off” quest if enemy Phobies were frozen by Jeeves’s ice trap.
Server
Added additional fixes and backend work to improve server stability.
Special Offers
Fixed some visual issues with the pricing planks for Lippy’s Sweet Deal and the Starter Pack.
Fixed an issue that prevented XP boosts from activating until the game was restarted.
Fixed an issue that prevented the special subscriber Avatar frame from activating until the game was restarted.
Stability
Fixed some one-time issues that could cause Arena game desyncs.
Fixed an issue that could cause a crash if a player switched accounts while a special offer presentation was active.
Fixed an issue that could cause a softlock if a player navigated to Avatars after inspecting Top Phobies in the stats menu.
Fixed an issue that could cause a network error when switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data with the game client suspended in the background.
We’re hard at work on a creepy new update, just in time for the Halloween season - new Phobies, new offers and new features are headed your way!