Signs of Life cover
Signs of Life screenshot
Linux PC Steam
Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie

Signs of Life

Signs of Life Roadmap
Hey folks, we decided it was past time to put out a roadmap and give you an idea of what we have planned between now and leaving Early Access. We're keeping some things intentionally vague to avoid spoiling stuff too far out. This isn't everything we have planned, and it is entirely possible that our plans may change, but this is where we're at right now in terms of planning out the remainder of the game's launch content.



As always, if you have any comments, suggestions of just want to say hey, feel free to comment on this post, post on the forums or join us in the official Discord server.

Signs of Life Update 0.14 (Story Introduction and Tutorial)
Hey folks, we've got a new update ready. This update does double duty as both a tutorial and a significant chunk of story content at the beginning of the game. We've known for awhile that we needed a proper tutorial, but we waited until now because we wanted to make sure that we had a good idea of the stumbling blocks that new players have when starting the game fresh. Hopefully what we put together will make it easier for new players, while not being too overbearing or annoying for existing players. From a story standpoint, we've always known that we wanted to start the game like this, but because it was tangled up with the tutorial we had to hold off until we could do both at the same time. Between the tutorial and the story elements, we're hoping the new player experience should be a lot less awkward. You can skip the intro/tutorial content when creating a new character.

The game now starts with you waking up in your bed aboard a colony ship called the Hephaestus. You're part of a decades-long mission to travel through space to a habitable earth-like planet called Osiris. You're woken up by the ship's on-board AI system, who tells you that you're needed for a mission to scout a nearby asteroid that has produced some anomalous readings.


You'll get your handy MEG wrist laser tool installed.


You'll perform some diagnostics


Visit an asteroid


And witness the end of the human race.

New Content



  • Added story introduction and tutorial

    • New starting map

      • Hephaestus colony ship

        • Contains several sections, including the Bridge, Hydroponics, a Medical Bay, a Dormitory, Outfitting, the Hangar and Cryogenics.
        • Added generic NPCs as well as 2 named NPCs

          • Dr. Stein - The head scientist and captain of the Hephaestus. His office in the bridge, and he can help you with information about your mission to the asteroid.
          • Larry - The head engineer of the Hephaestus. His office is above the hangar pod bays, and he can help you diagnose and launch a landing pod to the asteroid.

        • Added decorations and furniture for the various sections of the Hephaestus.
        • Added a MEG wrist tool install station and diagnostics station in the Outfitting section of the Hephaestus.
        • Added a new weapon/tool called the Thermothrower, which can shoot streams of ice and fire. It can be found in the Hangar storage area and it can be refilled using a charging station in the same storage room.
        • Added Hephaestus Pick, obtained along with a suit of armor in the Outfitting section of the Hephaestus.
        • Added a rivet gun. It fires rivets and can be found in the hangar.

      • Asteroid

        • Added an asteroid mite creature, and an asteroid mite hat made from its skin and entrails.

      • Underground alien structure

        • Added an alien altar that is missing a crystal and has a slot for the "Strange Device".
        • Added an alien boss

      • Added a short story related cutscene that plays at the end of the new content.


  • Added a Help menu with entries about various topics.
  • Added a Seismic Imager structure that can be used to scan the area and add the data to your minimap.


Gameplay Changes



  • Added AGIS Investigate bind (I by default) that allows you to ask agis about something in the world without first opening his dialog.
  • Removed most left click interactions in the world, and replaced then with right clicks. Let us know if you notice spots where we still have you left click to interact with a device or thing in the world.
  • Prevented weapons from using their alternate fire when right clicking to interact with something in the world. This fix must be applied to things individually and I'm sure we missed some, so let us know if/when you notice this issue in the future.
  • The Multipass is now obtained in your starting room after you've gotten dressed and eaten some food.
  • Moved the "Strange Device" to the end of this area. Previously it was located on Osiris in the mining base.


Misc Changes



  • Added a unique respawn effect when you are respawned by the alien Xenolith.
  • Added an idle animation that plays when you are using your inventory.


Bug Fixes



  • Fixed an issue that was causing the game to crash on launch on 32 bit systems
  • Fixed display issues with various items in the grid inventory.
  • Fixed some foods not stacking correctly.
  • Fixed an issue with placeable items such as torches when using the grid inventory option.
  • Fixed a bunch of graphical and gameplay issues with the alien ship you reach by portal.
  • Fixed an issue that may have been causing food to not get eaten despite showing the animation. Let us know if this problem shows up again.
  • A whole bunch of tiny things that I can't remember.


What is up next


We have two large goals left before we would be ready to take Signs of Life out of Early Access. One is to finish the story content, and the second is to expand on the existing content by re-working some existing areas, adding bosses and cleaning up issues with the progression through the game. This includes things like finishing up the earlier work we showed with the Spitters, as well as a possible rematch with a certain fowl creature...

This update took ages in large part because we couldn't really split it up into smaller pieces, but the things we're going to be working on next are smaller individual chunks so we should be able to get updates out quicker going forward.

We feel pretty happy with this intro/tutorial content, but it is still a work in progress. Let us know in the comments, on the Steam forums and in our Discord channel if you have any suggestions, complaints or just want to say hello!

What We're Working On, November 2018
Hey folks, I wanted to put out a quick announcement and let you know what we've been up to since the last one. Originally we were going to put out a smaller update next, but along the way we ended up deciding to go ahead and finish up the intro/tutorial for the next update as well. The intro/tutorial will help introduce players to the world, as well as introduce many of the gameplay mechanics that you'll be using for the rest of the game. Signs of Life does some things a bit different than other games, so we feel like it is super important to make sure that players understand how the game functions before they get dropped on the planet that they'll spend the majority of their time on.

Before I get too far into the details of what we've been working on, I want to let you know that we've set up an official Discord channel for Signs of Life, which you can get to by clicking this link. We'll of course still be using the Steam discussion forums, but Discord is probably where we'll be easier to reach and Discord makes it easier for us to drop in-progress screenshots and gifs.

Here is what we've been working on for the intro/tutorial, but keep in mind that much of it is still a work in progress:

You'll start the intro in your room, aboard the U.N. Hephaestus, a massive colony ship designed to travel to a new earth-like planet many lightyears from home. You'll wake up and find out that while en-route to the new planet, some signs of life were detected on a nearby asteroid and you've been tasked with investigating.


Once you get dressed, you'll take a grav lift down to the main Barracks corridor, and then an elevator to the Supply Room.



While on the Hephaestus, you'll get your wrist mounted MEG tool installed, and run through a series of diagnostics which will teach you how to use the various functions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GrT8keCMeE&feature=youtu.be

One of the gameplay mechanics we want to make sure players understand by the end of the tutorial is the way ammo works, so as part of the tutorial you'll need to use a new tool we've created called the Thermo-Thrower. As part of the tutorial, you'll need to put out a fire as well as melt some ice on an airlock door.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stgzed6plyY&feature=youtu.be


But of course the Thermo-Thrower isn't only a tool, and it can be used for more... destructive purposes. However, because the U.N. Hephaestus frowns upon violence and destruction, you might want to avoid causing too much trouble with it.
https://youtu.be/xtAmHdhd8Eo

This is just some of what we've been working on, and in the next announcement we'll cover a bit about what happens once you leave the Hephaestus and start scouting for signs of life on the nearby asteroid... As always, we love to hear from you folks, so don't be shy. Let us know what you think in the comments, the Steam discussion forums and on the official Discord channel.

What we're working on, August 2018
Hey folks, I wanted to check in and let everyone know what we've been working on since the last update. In the past we've pretty much gone dark in between updates and worked quietly behind the scenes, but I want to start being more transparent about what we're working on. I've decided to start putting out monthly updates like this, whether we have an update ready to put out or not.

In the last update we introduced a new area based around some intelligent aliens, and one of the things we've been working on is fleshing that area out. We feel like the area still needs a boss, some new creatures and some new gear. We don't want to go into too many details because we don't want to spoil everything before it is done, but here is some of what we're working on for the next update:

This is a boss we're working on:


This is a new creature we're adding:


And here is a new gun that we're working on:


It was also brought to our attention that it was a bit annoying to get ahold of enough acid to craft the various batteries required for the higher-end weapons due to the relative rarity of the Spitter creatures that drop the acid glands, so we decided to do a bit of an overhaul on those creatures. Our intention is to improve their visuals, mechanics and spawning behavior. Here is what the new version looks like:



Aside from the improved visuals, we're making it so the new version of the Spitter can rotate it's head so it no longer just spits directly in front of itself, and we're going to make it more reliable to find them by putting spawn areas near the surface of the planet. The goal is to make them a bit tougher to fight, but easier to find.

We also decided that the existing craftable spitter pistol was a bit lackluster, so we've overhauled that as well. The new version looks better and packs a bit more of a punch:


As always, we love to hear your feedback so don't be shy! If you have any questions, criticisms or just want to say hey, feel free to leave a comment on this post or the forums.

Signs of Life Update 0.12
Hey folks, it has been awhile but we have a brand new content update hot off the presses. We had several goals with this update - We wanted to move the story forward a bit, add a new area to explore, and we wanted to add a repeatable combat encounter that would be both fun and practically useful.

You will need to generate a new character or a new world (through the Sandbox Menu) to access the new area.

New Content



  • A new alien themed aread to explore

    • The area is entered via a portal that the Xenoid scouts open from their deployment pods that drop to the ground after you attempt to contact the Hephaestus with the satellite dish in the Pioneer Station.
    • 2 new intelligent alien creatures

      • A Xenoid Specialist that shoots fireballs

      • A tanky soldier Xenoid

      • All of the Xenoid aliens can now teleport to the player as long as there is an unobstructed path.


    • 3 new less intelligent alien creatures

      • A ProtoXenoid Crab
      • A ProtoXenoid Slug
      • A ProtoXenoid Hound

    • A new alien device that can be used to duplicate items.

      • The device has 4 crystals that must be stabilized with alien energy in order for the machine to function.
      • The crystals will spawn ProtoXenoids from special portals when the machine is on and the crystals are not stabilized.
      • Items placed on the device's tray will be pulled up into the machine when the lever on the device is set to the on position.
      • Once an item is pulled up into the machine, it will slowly be duplicated.

    • A Alien Turret that fires alien energy projectiles.
    • A Xenoid Reflector that can be used to redirect alien energy projectiles.
    • Devices that can temporarily or permanently provide power to connected alien devices after they are struck by an alien energy projectile.
    • A device that disables the power in the new area, which disables the duplication machine, prevents the aliens from respawning and prevents the alien pods from dropping to the surface of the planet.
    • Added alien wiring that connects the new alien devices to power sources.



Gameplay Changes



  • You no longer need to manually scan the environment to fill your map. Your surroundings are now scanned automatically
  • Added a Codex to track information that you have discovered about creatures, including a description and a list of drops

  • The primary function of the wrist scanner gadget is now used to scan creatures and add their information to the codex

  • Creatures should be more persistent. If you build a house and put a chicken in it, the chicken should never disappear unless you kill it. Our intention is to move in the direction of letting you "farm" creatures for resources, and this is a step towards that.
  • Increased the range of the wrist light
  • Improved functioning and reliability of the grapple laser. It still needs improvements to its functionality and graphics, but it should be better now.
  • Herb Catalysts and Remedial Herbs now get automatically sorted into Forager pouches.


Bug Fixes



  • Fixed some issues that would cause weapons and gadgets to stop firing occasionally.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the inventory grid/gridless setting to not save
  • Fixed a graphical issue that would cause asteroids to be visible for a few seconds after entering the game
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the Backglider equipment to jiggle around when placed on a surface
  • Fixed some issues related to dying while using the Grapple laser
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the stone pressure plates to not function correctly sometimes


UI Changes



  • Enabled VSync by default. Let us know if you notice any new lagginess or input delay.
  • Added tooltips for items in the hotbar
  • Added an "info" button to the hotbar slots that opens the selected item's details
  • Changed the default font size from Small to Medium
  • Improved the descriptions for some of the creatures. Our intention is to do a pass over all the item and creature descriptions soon since quite a few of them need to be improved.
  • Now that the world is scanned automatically as you explore, the scan button on the HUD has been changed so that it now opens the minimap.
  • The various refiners (campfire, brick oven, advanced smelter) now require you to insert a firestarter.
  • Added tooltips and error messages for the refiners
  • Recipes that require a "heat source" will now recognize nearby (active) refiners as heat sources.


Graphics Changes



  • Improved and enlarged many item sprites.


Known Issues



  • We're not done decorating the new area, and we need to add some more/better rewards to find
  • There are likely still some multiplayer bugs, but I'll be squashing them as they come up.
  • Some sound FX are still missing for the new creatures and some new structures, but they'll be coming over the next couple weeks.
  • Currently, if you destroy all the alien drop pods (that drop to the surface of the planet and spawn the Xenoid Scouts) after disabling the power in the new area, then you will be unable to enter/exit the new area.


What is next?



  • Our next goal is to flesh out this new area a bit. We're going to add a boss fight as well as some new weapons, armor and gadgets. Much of the planned work is already finished, so this should happen before the end of next month.
  • Our next planned large content update is going to be the intro/tutorial. This is something that we've been putting off for awhile because we wanted to make sure we didn't miss tutorializing anything important, but I think at this point we have a pretty good idea about what things give players trouble early on. We're always interested in hearing what gives folks trouble when they're first learning the game though, so don't be shy! The more feedback we get about the early hours of playing the game, the better the tutorial will end up being.


As always, we want to hear your feedback either in the comments or on the forums. Let us know if you think the new area is too hard or too easy, and definitely let us know if you run into any bugs.

Signs of Life Update 0.10.0
Hey folks, we've got a new update for ya. Over the last several months, we've been working with two main goals: Improving the basic user experience and moving the story content forward. This update contains all the user experience changes we've been working on (including a much-requested grid-based inventory option), and a portion of the story content that we've been working on. We've got a much larger story content update in the works, but we figured it has already been too long since the last update so we'd go ahead and put out some of what we have finished so far.

To see the new story content, you'll need to use the satellite uplink function on the Pioneer Communications Junction (the device in the top floor of the Pioneer Station) and then explore the surface of the planet a bit.

You will not need to start a new world to see the new story content in this update.

FYI: We will be participating in the Steam Winter Sale, so if you don't own the game right now, you might want to wait until then if you want to save a few bucks.



Story Content



  • Added an Alien pod that occasionally drops down on the surface of the planet after you've attempted to use the Pioneer Comm panel with the satellite repaired. Another will spawn every 20-30 minutes as long as the player is on the surface of the planet near a flat spot of land.
  • Added Alien enemy that spawns from the alien pods. Another spawns every 60 seconds or so
  • Added damaged alien alloy and damaged alien dynamo drops when you kill the aliens
  • The alien refinery (the alien device with the 3 circles that can process the strange purple ore) can now be used to process damaged alien alloy and damaged alien dynamos
  • Added Hybrid Lobber explosive energy weapon
  • Added Double-jump backpack and Momentum Preserver backpack.
  • Added Hybrid armor set


Gameplay Changes



  • Re-worked the new character intro sequence, it is now much more succinct ;)

  • Expanded the functionality of the Material Grinder


    • Grinder can now grind up any craftable item and returns some of the items used to craft it.
    • Grinder can now be opened, and the grinder can be fitted with a stone, iron or steel grinding blade. Better blades give you a better material yield when disassembling items.
    • Grinder now requires a battery to function, and better batteries make it run faster.

  • Removed salvage kit recipes, as their functionality has now been replaced by the Material Grinder.
  • The AGIS call button on the HUD now lets you ask AGIS for advice about what you should be doing. We want this to be an unintrusive way for players to get some direction about what they can be doing to move the story forward.

  • The AGIS call button on the HUD now also lets you ask AGIS about structures in the world.
  • Prevented some creatures from spawning near the escape pod to make things a bit easier for new players.
  • Tweaked material and ore generation. Let us know if you have trouble finding anything in particular, this may still need some tweaking.


UI Changes



  • Added a grid based inventory option. You can either set this per container by clicking the grid button on containers or you can set the default you'd like to use from the settings menu.

  • Made the various menus more visually consistent and fixed various display issues.
  • You can now close the inventory without closing other containers or menus.
  • Tab now opens and closes just the inventory, as well as any open containers that are in your inventory.
  • Escape now closes the most recently used menu or container, and will open the main menu if you press escape with no menus or containers open.
  • A bunch of small changes related to font sizes, but there is still some work to be done here to make sure the game always respects your font size option in every menu.


New Recipes



  • Stone Grinder Blade - 12x Basalt Blocks, 4x Grey Rock, Requires Hammer
  • Iron Grinder Blade - 12x Iron Ingots, Requires Iron Anvil
  • Steel Grinder Blade - 12x Steel Ingots, Requires Material Printer
  • Hybrid Lobber - 1x Strange Dynamo, 2x Strange Alloy, 1x Steel Gun Parts, 4x Plastic
  • Double Jump Backpack - 1x Strange Dynamo, 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Momentum Preserver - 1x Strange Dynamo, 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Helmet - 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Torso - 4x Strange Alloy, 4x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Arms - 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Gloves - 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Leggings - 4x Strange Alloy, 4x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Boots - 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots
  • Hybrid Reactor Pack - 1x Strange Dynamo, 2x Strange Alloy, 2x Steel Ingots


Bug Fixes



  • Fixed an issue that could result in instant death if you were wearing something with damage reflect and got damaged by caltrops
  • The game should launch faster in Steam now.
  • Fixed some world generation bugs that would cause the generation to get stuck. Not 100% sure we've fixed all of these, so let us know if your world generator ever gets stuck.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause you to take damage when eating certain mushrooms
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the player to get stuck for a few seconds after using the respawners
  • Fixed a crash related to having an extremely large number of characters in the character select menu
  • Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause the game to display in the wrong place when using the borderless window display mode
  • A bunch of small issues


We hope you like the changes, but either way we'd love to hear from you so make sure to let us know what you think in the comments or on the forum.

Signs of Life Update 0.9

New Content


This update is intended to add some flavor to the world and make it feel a bit more lively. We’ve added several new creatures to the upper parts of the world, particularly on the surface of the far side of the planet as well as relatively shallow underground. We’ve also added some new areas to explore (and a new boss) that are related to the new creatures. You will need to generate a new world from the sandbox menu or create a new character to see much of the new content.

Here are a couple of the new creatures:



Story Content


In addition to the new creatures and related content, we added a bit of story content and changed some of the existing progression a bit. We added a new button on the Pioneer Station comm device (the device that requires the battery on the top floor) and there is a new satellite dish on top of the Pioneer station, but it seems to be missing a component…

We also changed the method of obtaining the Level 2 keycard upgrade - The upgrade device is now found in the captain’s room in the Pioneer Station barracks. This update is fairly light on the direct story content, but the next update should expand on the story and the mysteries of the planet quite a bit.

Food/Cooking Changes


We re-worked the cooking/food system quite a bit. Prior to this update only a handful of food items had buffs associated with them, but in this update we’ve added buff effects to most of the foods. All fruits, mushrooms and meats now have buffs that you can get by eating them. In previous versions, you’ve been able to cook food by using the crafting menu, but now cooking is done similar to how ore is processed. We’ve added pop-up menu when you right click the campfire, and you can both cook food and process ores in the same devices.

The campfire has just one slot for ingredients, but the brick oven and advanced smelter both have 2 slots, which allows you to combine some food items to create new recipes. For example, a Juicy Fruit will give you a heal over time and a sporepod mushroom will temporarily increase your max health. Both items will fill 1/4th of your stomach, but if you cook them together you can make a food item that will give you both buffs and still just fill 1/4th of your stomach. You can also cook a fruit with a plant fiber to make Fruit Chews, which give you longer lasting buffs that fill less of your stomach.

Other Content


Some of the new creatures can inflict a bleed status effect on you, so we added Primitive Bandages (can be made with plant fiber) and Cloth Bandages that can stop the bleeding status. In addition, you can add some medicinal herbs to the cloth bandage in order to make a Poultice Bandage that heals you.

New Cooking Recipes:




  • Glazed Mushrooms - Any mushroom + any fruit
  • Glazed Meat - Any Meat + any fruit
  • Meat with Mushrooms - Any Meat + any mushroom
  • Fruit Chews - Cook any fruit + plant fiber
  • Gleaming Syrup - Ant Bulb/Ant Ichor/Ant Chitin + Sap
  • Bitter Jelly - Jiggly Fruit + Lovely Herb
  • Strange Compote - Strange Egg + Blue Fruit
  • Pulsing Paste - Strange Egg + Jiggly Fruit
  • Cooked Steal - Raw Choice Meat
  • Zesty Mash - Bana Fruit + Grey Mushroom


New Crafting Recipes:



  • Primitive Bandage - 4x Plant Fibers
  • Cloth Bandage - 1x Cotton Bolt/Wool Bolt/Linen Bolt/Scrap of Cloth (requires scissors)
  • Poultice Bandage - 1x Cloth Bandage + 1x Lovely Herb
  • Makeshift Shiv - 1x Makeshift Scrap + 1x Stick + 1x Plant Fiber
  • Makeshift Spear - 1x Makeshift Shiv + 1x Makeshift Scrap + 3x Stick + 1x Plant Fiber
  • Makeshift Blow Pipe - 3x Makeshift Scrap + 1x Wood Dowel + 2x Plant Fiber
  • Blow Dart (x6) - 1x Makeshift Scrap + 2x Bone
  • Tortoise Shell Brace - 6x Carapace + 1x Iron Ingot + 4x Wool Padding/Cotton Padding
  • Tortoise Hammer - 1x Mature Tortoise Gland + 4x Carapace + 2x Iron Ingots + 2x Logs
  • Makeshift Tribal Shield - 4x Makeshift Scrap + 3x Wool Padding/Cotton Padding + 2x
  • Leather Strap/Plated Hide Strap/Xenohide Strap
  • Iron Caltrops (x3) - 1x Iron Ingot
  • Fruit Seeds (x2) - 1x Any Fruit
  • Pumpkin Seeds (x2-x8) - 1x Pumpkin
  • Snare - 4x Makeshift Scrap
  • Sticks (x3) - 1x Log (requires saw)
  • Pumpkin Rind (x2-x6) - 1x Pumpkin


New Projects


All of these recipes are obtained by destroying matching projects that are in the world with your wrist laser.

  • Spike Trap - 6x Makeshift Scrap, 3x Logs, 3x Bones
  • Poison Trap - 6x Makeshift Scrap, 3x Logs, 8x Bones
  • Snare Trap - 6x Makeshift Scrap, 3x Logs, 3x Bones



Recipe Changes



  • All gem upgrade recipes require 2 instead of 3 gems. We will probably eventually change this back once we have more sources for gems in the world.


New Status Effects


Most of these new status effects are currently attached to various food items.

  • Increased Jump Height
  • Light Aura - Generates light around the player
  • Increased Max Energy
  • Increased Max Health
  • Increased Melee Damage
  • Protection - Reduces damage from all sources
  • Resist bleed - reduces duration and severity of bleeding
  • Increased Strange Tablet Damage - Increases the damage of all abilities used through the Strange Tablet device
  • Reduced Strange Energy Requirement - Reduces required strange energy for Strange Tablet abilities
  • Improved Dodge - Dodge roll or backjump further than normal
  • Bleeding - Slow damage over time, which can be cured by using a bandage. Inflicted by blow darts.
  • Spore Poison & Vulnerability - Increases damage from all sources


Misc Fixes



  • Fixed some issues where certain sounds would play at full volume regardless of distance. Let us know if you notice any other sound fx that seem too loud.
  • Changed the projectile attack of the golems. Instead of throwing rocks, they now use some kind of sufficiently advanced technology to levitate materials out of the ground and fling them at players

  • Fixed some issues that would cause certain tooltips to not appear when they should.


Known Issues:



  • The world generator may get stuck while generating worlds. We think we've fixed all the cases where this can happen, but we can't be completely sure that there are no more lingering issues. If you run into this issue, definitely let us know.


This update adds quite a bit of new bits of content and changes, so let us know if you run into any issues and we'll fix them ASAP. As always, we encourage any feedback you folks have about the new content (or any old content). We love hearing from you, so don't be shy =)

Signs of Life Update 0.8
Hey folks, we put out a new update today (version 0.8) that changes the engine that Signs of Life runs on and adds a few quality of life improvements as well as a sweet new grappling laser function for your wrist device. We changed the engine that the game runs on from XNA to MonoGame because XNA has been abandoned by Microsoft for awhile now, and MonoGame fixes a lot of issues that we had with XNA as well as lets us support platforms other than Windows. That said, If we did our jobs right you probably won't notice much of a change right now. The performance seems a bit better for us on our machines and it fixes some crash bugs that we were unable to fix with XNA, but really this update is about opening the door for more stuff down the line and making sure the game is as future-proof as possible. While the new version fixes some things, I'm sure there will be some new problems as well, so let us know what issues you run into.

New Features



  • Added Linux OS support
  • Added support for resolutions higher than 2048x2048 (tested up to 4k)
  • Added Grapple Laser function to the MEG tool. Activated by holding and releasing C by default and uses energy to stick you to walls and ceilings. You can press S by default to release the grapple. The grapple laser is still a bit of a work in progress, but we figured it was too useful to hold back until we get it just right. Expect some changes to this over time.

  • Emeralds - Can be inserted into the MEG tool in order to increase the efficiency of the grapple laser
  • Added an option for the minimap that lets you use a UI popup instead of the projected minimap. The option is in the settings menu, and the popup is opened with the minimap key and can then be docked wherever you'd like on your screen.

  • Reworked start screen menus to be easier to use and work better on all resolutions


Known Issues



  • The new version of the game requires at least Windows 7 and an OpenGL 3.0 compatible graphics device. We believe that the vast majority of players should still be able to play, but there will be some players who will be unable to play the new version even if they were able to play old versions. We're still investigating what we can do to lower the requirements further, so if you are unable to play the game after this update please email your system information (OS version and graphics device) to playsignsoflife@gmail.com. We've put up the previous version as a beta option (xna_version_0.7.6.6) which you should still be able to play, but that version will not get future fixes or new content.
  • Occasionally, certain sounds will play louder than they should. We fixed most of the instances of this, but let us know if/when you notice it.


Gameplay Changes



  • Increased the width of all map sizes by about 50%, we'll increase it even further after we spend some time optimizing the world generation speed.
  • Tweaked some parts of the bases on the world to make them a bit more interesting
  • Increased the player's base jump height slightly
  • Reduced the damage of the infected sheep from 25 per hit to 10
  • Made cooked food give you more fullness


This update doesn't add a lot of new content, but that is somewhat intentional. We've actually been working on two updates at the same time, and we wanted to get this version of the game out to players as soon as possible so we can get to fixing the issues that crop up with the engine change first. The next update should be ready in a few weeks, and will add several new creatures, a new boss, and a bunch of other fun stuff. Here is a teaser:

Signs of Life Update 0.7.6 - Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween! Some kind of spooky comet has been seen in the sky, and it seems to have resulted in some kind of Halloween related weirdness! You should find a stack of seeds for the new pumpkin bush and a random mask in your inventory. We've also heard reports of weird ghost-like energy beings that can be found on the surface of the planet.

We're still hard at work on the next larger content update, but we decided to do a small Halloween update in the interim because Halloween is probably the best holiday. As usual, let us know if you run into any problems or if you have any suggestions.

New Content



  • Ghost creature

  • Ghost Hide armor set

    • Ghost Hide Helmet
    • Ghost Hide Torso
    • Ghost Hide Leggings
    • Ghost Hide Gloves
    • Ghost Hide Boots
    • Ghost Hide Arms

  • Ghost Blade
  • Soul Vessel
  • Another creature
  • Pumpkin Bushes and Pumpkins


    • Pumpkin Berry
    • Small Pumpkin
    • Medium Pumpkins
    • Large Pumpkin
    • Very Large Pumpkin
    • Pumpkin Seeds for growing Pumpkin Bushes
    • Edible Pumpkin Rind

  • Various Halloweeny masks


    • Pumpkin Mask
    • Jack O' Lantern Mask
    • Halloween Hood
    • Hockey Mask

  • Plastic Pumpkin Bucket
  • New crafting materials

    • Ghost Hide
    • Ghost Claw



Item Changes



  • We changed the Flying Javelin to a Flying Harpoon, which fires darts with the alternate fire. This is unrelated to Halloween.



New Recipes



  • Ghost Hide Armor

    • Ghost Hide Helmet - 2x Ghost Hide, 1x Leather Strap
    • Ghost Hide Torso - 5x Ghost Hide, 3x Leather Straps, 2x Ghost Claws
    • Ghost Hide Arms - 3x Ghost Hide, 2x Leather Straps, 1x Ghost Claw
    • Ghost Hide Gloves - 2x Ghost Hide, 2x Leather Straps
    • Ghost Hide Leggings - 4x Ghost Hide, 4x Leather Straps, 1x Ghost Claw
    • Ghost Hide Boots - 2x Ghost Hide, 2x Leather Straps

  • Ghost Blade - 2x Ghost Claw, 4x Iron Ingots, 1x Ghost Hide
  • Halloween Masks

    • Pumpkin Mask - 1x Medium Pumpkin
    • Jack O' Lantern Mask - 1x Medium Pumpkin and Something Sharp
    • Halloween Hood - 2x Ghost Hide and Scissors
    • Hockey Mask - 3x Plastic, 2x Leather Straps

  • Plastic Pumpkin Bucket - 3x Plastic
  • Flying Dart (5) - 5x Laminous Wings, 5x Sticks, 1x Bone


Bug Fixes



  • Fixed some crashes related to being too high up in the map
  • Fixed some issues with breaking deposits
  • Misc other things

Signs of Life Update 0.7.5 - Balance Changes
The primary goal with this update was to change the combat balance and armor/weapon progression to be more satisfying across the length of the game. This update is light on the new content because we're still working on the next major content update, but we figured we should go ahead and put out the balance changes in the meantime.

Previously, armor provided percentage damage reduction, which meant early armor sets protected very little, the high level armor sets ended up providing far too much protection, and going from one tier to the next didn't feel very satisfying because gaining a few percentage points of defense at a time is really boring. The new system uses flat damage reduction, so if you pick up a helmet that has a defense of 3 it will just prevent 3 damage, which might not seem like a big change but it allows us to make the progression much more satisfying and each new tier of armor or weapons should feel like more of an upgrade. There is a cap on the defense though, and you will always take at least 25% of the damage that is dealt to you. These changes required tweaking the balance of pretty much everything in the game. Most creatures have more health, most weapons do more damage, and we've changed the way armor piercing works so that individual weapons can have specific armor piercing values.

We've done a significant amount of testing, but with all the combinations of creatures and weapons we have I'm sure there will still be some balance issues, so let us know what you think. We're definitely not done tweaking the combat balance, but we decided now was a good time to start making some big steps towards a better system.

Balance Changes



  • Changed armor calculations to use flat damage reduction instead of percent damage reduction
  • Shields no longer add to encumbrance
  • Encumbrance values tweaked across the board
  • Encumbrance can now slow your melee attack speed if it is high enough
  • Projectiles now have individual armor piercing values
  • The weird pink eyeball creatures can now only spawn spikes on appropriate block types. Also reduced their initial spawn rate.
  • Sulfur gas now does its own damage type, we'll probably make a gas mask or something soon
  • Tesla gun does more damage but uses more energy
  • Base energy regen rate has been doubled
  • Reduced energy regen rate bonus on the Jewel sets
  • Increased damage of most projectiles
  • Increased health of most creatures
  • Increased armor on many creatures
  • Fists now do more damage with better gloves
  • Kicking now does more damage with better boots
  • Increased rocket/grenade explosion range
  • Reduced the spawn rate of creatures
  • Spears no longer prevent you from moving while attacking
  • Increased the amount of sand that generates on the surface of planets


Gameplay Changes



  • Changed quick slots to use Z/X instead of Q/E by default, and changed the default dodge behavior so that Q/E make you dodge left/right.
  • Reduced knockdown received from creature
  • Spiked wall creature updated, it is now much easier to damage in the soft spot and much harder to hurt it from the back
  • Fruits can no longer spawn quite as close together
  • During world generation, the area between the mining base and Pioneer Station have been cleaned up a bit. This means fewer spikes, etc.
  • Deposits should now only generate on flat ground
  • Added some grass golems to the far side of the planet during world generation
  • Toilets can now be opened
  • Tweaked some bits of the Pioneer Station and Mining Base. Nothing major, but we're working on fleshing them out a little bit at a time.
  • Renamed Rifle Ammo to 5.56 Ammo
  • You can now click quick slots in order to select them while the inventory menu is closed.
  • Sheared sheep now drop 1 piece of wool when sheared post-mortem instead of 0.
  • Slightly reduced the drop rates of sticks/logs when breaking trees


Bug Fixes



  • Fixed some cases where certain energy bonuses wouldn't stack. Let us know if you see more.
  • Fixed some graphical issue with the spike blocks
  • Fixed a crash related to fireballs
  • Fixed a bug with fall damage calculation related to using multiple fall damage reduction items
  • Movement buttons no longer get stuck on if you were holding them while clicking in the search box of the crafting window
  • AGIS message received when you equip the entire prototype mining suit now only appears once
Newer posts Older posts