Genre: Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Card & Board Game
Space Grunts 2
Update v1.5.0: Bug fixes and Captain logs
Hello Captains! Guess I'm still not done pushing new stuff to this game.. I just enjoy it so much myself, so that does make it a lot easier to keep working on it!
What also helps is the good feedback I'm getting from players and also see new players really getting into the game and talking about it on Discord - So nice to see!
So this update comes with a few small improvements. I found a weird bug in the level-generator, which mostly popped-up during challenges where you would enter the boss-level and find yourself inside a dark void of nothings ness.. it looked cool, but wasn't very practical ! Found the cause of it, and hopefully it was the only cause, so that it's now fixed.
I also added all the Patrons, who were a Patron during the development of the game, to the credits of the game, thanks again people! And if you want your name in the credits AND support me AND get alpha/beta access to new games I'm working on, then check out the Patreon ;)
Finally, I added some more Captain log voice samples, now every area has it's own samples. On the other end, I also had people requesting the option to turn off the voice sample (mostly due to restarting the game so often, that they got sick of it) ... no hard feelings.. it's just my voice .. BUT the option is added in the sound menu. Altho I also added a little code that will simply not re-trigger the first level's voice on every game session.. so that probably fixes without having to turn it off.
So the updates are still coming, altho a bit smaller than in the early development stages. Next weeks update is already in development, I just have to do some level designing around the new feature... stay tuned for that ;)
Full changes list:
added: option to Mute captains voice (see sound in setup menu)
added: Patron-names to the credits screen
added: More information through Captain logs at start of new areas
Fixes and changes:
fixed: Cap-log triggers less often (to not annoy players who don't get far in the game yet)
fixed: bug in level generator causing player to end up in "the void" without a level
fixed: Flamer entity image in Codex
Update v1.3.0: Collect trinkets for extra power!
Ho ho ho! I managed to squeeze out one more tiny update this year! When I added the challenges last week I didn't have a good idea on what type of reward the challenges should unlock... and now I do!
In this update you'll find Trinkets, every challenge will unlock a new type of trinket, and once they are unlocked they will start appearing in your game. You can only carry one trinket at a time, and they will have some cool effects. Currently there are 8 trinkets in the game:
Poker chip - +1 on deck when inventory is full during pickup
Lucky card - your deck gets refilled when empty
Bandaid - using level transport completely refills your HP
That should give you some good incentive to complete those challenges!
But.. that's not all! I designed a few new level blocks / rooms / areas, so you'll might find yourself wondering around some fresh level designs.. enjoy the holidays! :)
Full changes list:
added: collection of new level-layouts for your adventures!
added: Trinket rewards to challenges
fixed: alien-codex information showed wrong names/data
fixed: rare game crash when using idle card on small deck
Update v1.2.0: We now have Challenges !
This week I've put some time into adding more content in the shape of a new game-mode: Challenges. The challenge mode allows you to experience the game in a shorter and different way. There are currently 8 challenges added, the first one being "The Dark" where your visibility is a lot less than normal play, another challenge will have all the Tech cards removed from the deck, and a few other challenges.
Besides these challenges I also added a new alternate-route: Biodome, which will contain a new rare card: the Black rose.
And finally, for those good enough to actually beat the game, there are now perma-unlockable Buff cards. For every victory you get to unlock one of the 5 cards, and in all your next games you will be able to pick a single buff-card which will change your characters skills. It will also be possible to play Pure without any of the buffs active.
So that's a lot of extra game this week! Which is great, because it's the last update before the holidays! :)
I'm also close to having a complete WIKI up for the game, so if you need any information on the cards, events, challenges or area's then check it out here!
No new Space Grunts devlog, BUT I found it interesting to see where this whole project started and what I originally set out to create in the first part of the series: [previewyoutube="Z9ie0De5KjI;full"]
Full changes list:
added: Challenge game mode (8 challenges)
added: perma-unlockable Buff cards
added: first 5 perma Buff cards: Adrenaline, Cardshark, Powercore, XP Chip, Crank
added: new alternate route: Biodome
added: new card: Black rose
Fixes:
fixed: some aliens can't be killed (cybergon in most cases)
fixed: continue game doesn't grab correct character name
fixed: red/blue keys not working/showing up when at a door
Update 1.1.0: Your most requested feature!
I heard you loud and clear! So here you go: overview of all the cards in your deck!!... sort of!
So most requested feature I had both on PC but especially after releasing on iOS is a way to see which cards are in your deck. The problem I had with this is that part of the design is that you are blindly pulling cards from the top of your deck and not really know what's gonna happen! BUT I can't ignore the fact that most people wanted a bit more insight into what's available, so I decided to meet you guys halfway.
The pause screen now shows the last 3 picked up cards (especially interesting for new players or when you bump into a card you never seen before), and below that there's a list of all the variations of cards in your deck and how many of each you have. So it should help you keep track of what to pick up (am I low on defensive cards? or am I low on attack cards?).
You can also tap, hover or select the card for a bigger view of what it does... early responses to this have been positive, so I hope this is a good solution? - Let me know what you think!
Besides that a bunch of small bugs and fixes, didn't get around to add any big features due to the launch to iOS! I did do this weeks video on the creation/decisions behind the Space Grunts 2 trailer, check it here: [previewyoutube="xsqTRPM20eU;full"]
Full changes list:
added: (mobile) hud now detects screen-notch and moves the hud accordingly
added: pause screen now shows info on last cards collected and current deck
added: (mobile) swipe-to-move controls (see touch in options)
added: "line of sight" now uses gray-scaling instead of blackness for unseen areas
Fixes and tweaks:
fixed: "Inventory full" message spamming is now fixed
fixed: daily-run scores test sometimes overlapping
fixed: high-scores table rendering bugs
fixed: bombs dropped by cybergon now highlight their damage radius
fixed: (mobile) phantom touch-button in setup
Version 1.0.0: All main content added
A smaller updates this week, but that doesn't make it less important. This is version 1.0.0 which signals two things: the game is now pretty much feature complete (in regards to the features I had planned to be in the full game) AND it also means today (as this version goes live on Steam Early Access) the game launches on iOS!
I'm not done with the game yet tho! There are a still a few alternate area's I want to add to the game, and I have a list of card ideas that I need to go over and check out some of the better ideas for implementing into the game. The plan is to keep the Steam version in Early Access until 2nd or 3rd week of January, this should also be after the various Steam sales and holidays are done.
With this version also comes a nice "launch" trailer which gives a quick overview of the key elements of the game. This Thursday's vlog will be about the creation of the trailer, giving a little insight on the process behind it, so make sure to check out both videos!
As bonus video, you might want to check out my 15-years-Orangepixel video telling you a little more about the history of me and my games: [previewyoutube="https://www.youtube.com/watch?bm8RRRWVpeE;full"]
Full changes list:
added: some cards are now limited to character class
added: new card - Redorang
added: new card - Chip
added: new card - Omega
added: good portion of new level layouts
added: new card - Booster
Fixes and tweaks:
fixed: rare bug teleporting into a small side-chamber
fixed: hours not included in leaderboard scores
fixed: invisibility ignored at exitconsole, stations and non-alien entities
fixed: rare chance of not having a red/blue key available
tweak: Metal crates now more likely to have rare/higher-skill items
tweak: Metal crates now spawn bunch more goodies (makes more interesting to waste attack on them)
tweak: Metal crates now have a small random difference in their energy / hit-count
tweak: Fists now have strength depending on characters attack-skill
tweak: invisible card should end current battle
tweak: Tinybombs (dropped by cybergon) now do more surrounding damage (more dangerous)
Update v0.9.0 - Daily Challenges and Dungeons
I decided to implement Daily challenges into this version. Originally planned to be part of an update, but I was comfortable enough in my planning that this seemed like a good idea!
There's also a new region added where you get to visit the Heroes of Loot Dungeons and find a very unique item to help you in the rest of the game. These special items are now placed in special, and more easily identified, crates with a little Orange logo on them.. just to make sure the player is more likely to actually find those.
The rest of this update is a huge list of fixes and changes. I've still noticed that some crates/barrels remain after being blown-up.. so that's one of the few bugs I know are still in the game.. but getting close to a very solid version!
Which is great, cause this game will be released on iOS on December 3rd for the first time! even tho PC remains in Early Access for a few more weeks, and I might put out an Early Access for Android soonish.
I'm very happy that the bug I was hunting last week hasn't shown it's ugly head anymore, so I guess my big bug-hunt was worth the time! Check my vlog on that one here: [previewyoutube="Xg9rZ9Mk218;full"]
Full changes list:
added: inventory flashes when new items are added to it
added: items in "alternate" worlds are now in special crates (more noticeable)
added: Dungeons world (alternate route)
added: improved gameover screen
added: actual ending after defeating the Blob
added: Daily Challenges
added: item Powerglove (VERY rare)
added: "dialog" for super rare items (powerglove, weboftime, genocidedevice)
Fixes and changes:
fixed: Drill card could make fist card go missing
fixed: double tutorial dialog popping up at once
fixed: player-icon on mapview now correctly on top
fixed: map-view now centers player on screen
fixed: skip "spam" messages in hud (i.e: inventory full)
fixed: empty crates didn't make a noise
fixed: special-crates wouldn't always spawn special item
fixed: web of time card doesn't function correctly
fixed: crash bug with drill-card on small deck (<5 cards)
fixed: some entities not being killed/exploding when low on energy
fixed: minutes played counter didn't reset between games
fixed: End-boss level had two exits
fixed: optimized save-game files
fixed: The Blob has graphics mess when hit
fixed: cards still fly to deck even if inventory full
fixed: touch-controls don't set to correct transparency
fixed: game auto-plays when using Invisibility card
fixed: reset "tapcount" on non-selected cards
fixed: show "X in deck" when card is selected by touch (uideck + uiplaycards)
fixed: uidailygame doesn't show back button on mobile. Does work
tweak: move "deck-count" up a little bit
tweak: Modifier cards are now moved to Pause screen (free some screen space)
tweak: make player dot on "on-screen radar" bigger
Update v0.8.0: We're stable captain!
If you take a quick little look to the changes list at the bottom of this post, you might notice the amount of fixes and tweaks easily outweigh the amount of new additions in this weeks update.. for good reason! My main goal this week was to squash any bug I ran into, and also rebalance a bunch of things to make the game a bit easier. With the original Space Grunts game I think I hit the right sweet spot between "difficult but possible" and my aim is to get as close to that with this game.
A few things I did in this update to accomplish that is tweak the settings on a bunch of aliens, from attach chance to hp and more. But I also tweaked a bunch of cards and gave the characters more HP from the start. I noticed that right now, altho I haven't complete the game, I do have that feeling that I could do it if I don't make too much mistakes.. it might still need a few changes left and right, but it's getting close!
A lot of time was also put in squashing a crash-bug that happened way too often between two levels, and I'm now 99.9% sure I fixed the cause of the crash!
In the latest devlog I also talk a bit about all the polish that goes into getting a game ready for release, so check that out here: [previewyoutube="fTdZaoeMGr4;full"]
Full changes list:
added: new card Drill
added: new card Block
added: new skill card - Cautious
added: Touch controls don't have icons on them
added: double-click / tap cards to play (alternative to dragging)
added: aliens can now run away from things like fire
added: dialogs for player getting sick + better
added: Event - Hunter/Predator
added: map-view now shows player's head instead of a small orange dot
added: inventory + skill cards to continue-game screen
Fixes and tweaks:
fixed: reactivated tutorials (oops!)
fixed: hud shows +4 on first level entry
fixed: wall-shades still visible in darkness
fixed: some aliens leave invisible blockade on the map (hopefully)
fixed: crash at new level loading (hopefully)
fixed: inventory cards now fly properly from A to B
fixed: using Boring skill made aliens go into 0hp mode and sometimes unbeatable
fixed: tricorder fails if creature dies that turn
fixed: increase pause-button touch area (mobile)
fixed: fire now damages plasmabombs
fixed: "phantom death sounds"
fixed: some attack-points on "non-attack" cards didn't register
fixed: dialogs/tutorials/info not correctly showing up
fixed: added "modifier" cards to the savegame
fixed: bibot doesn't show up in level-progress (head-icon)
fixed: if player is sick, fists don't do any damage at all (feels weird)
fixed: when playing EMP card, opponent doesn't respond to it until ending card-battle
fixed: pressing button on character-select screen (without selecting) crashes game
fixed: teleport card during uiplaycard does work, but doesn't exit "battle"
fixed: Random crashes between level
fixed: various moments where a hit isn't doing damage to an alien
tweak: added deck-card animation
tweak: player being sick isn't apparent (effect is, but what it means isn't)
tweak: alien-spawn count now corrected for "alternate routes"
tweak: special inventory items aren't shown at entities if already "mounted" (ie.: grunt-boots at acid barrel)
tweak: huge amount of stat tweaks on items and aliens (balancing)
tweak: flamethrower now ends round
tweak: gave characters more HP (balancing)
Update v0.7.0: We got Leaderboards!
Polish till it shines! This week's update comes with a lot of polish, from simple things like centering text on the screen, to complete new screens like the "Continue game" screen or the Statistics screen.
I've also started on some big re-balancing sessions, as I'm pretty sure the game is TOO challenging at this point, so you'll find that with this update the game has gotten slightly easier and you should be able to get deeper into the space base.
Finally a big feature this week are the Leaderboards! It will now track your best time/level combo and place you in the various boards based on your Character and in the Overall boards. You'll also notice there is a 4th character leaderboard, and I will write up a newsletter soon with the information on unlocking that character, so sign-up if you want it!
In this weeks vlog I talked a little bit about the code that goes into making the aliens move and run around the levels, so if you're interested in that, check out last Thursdays video:
[previewyoutube="ykN7mDr9JT8;full"]
Full changes list:
added: Bonus character (subscribe to Newsletter for info coming in next mail!)
added: Statistics screen
added: Leaderboards
added: entity codex
added: Credits screen
added: improved interface and restructured menu systems
added: improved UI
added: continue game has proper own screen with info on the game
added: new card Knife
added: new card Vial
Fixes and tweaks:
fixed: skill-icons flashing rendering bugs
fixed: text-wrap bug in speech (hud)
fixed: limit/slow-down messages shown in HUD
fixed: using mouse/touch in card-codex caused crash (at last card)
fixed: leaderboard bibot shows scores of class Grimm
fixed: most stars in backdrop starfield stood still
fixed: pause menu opens codex instead of options
fixed: Dialogs are tapped too quickly and disappear directly. Same with game over screen
fixed: wall-mounted rockets should show "range" on the floor (like flamers)
tweak: various card drop-rates and usage stats
tweak: made avatars more colorful / stand out
tweak: Gadget can now level-up slightly faster
tweak: made less tutorials pop-up in a new game session by delaying events/situations
tweak: made important card info more clear with highlighting
tweak: few improved sound effects
Update v0.6.0: Captain, we discovered a Flamethrower
This week my main focus has been on fixing tiny bugs and making various little improvements to different parts of the game and interface. I did manage to sneak in a couple of new items/cards to use in the battles, so there is of course a great reason to give the new version a proper play through! I really love the Flamethrower, it has a very destructive strength, but a lot of that destruction can really turn on you and isn't the safest weapon to use. But effective in almost all cases!
And if the new cards aren't enough reason, then maybe the first batch of Achievements I introduced to the game might make you want to play. There are 18 achievements added and I probably will add a few more, but these ones are already a nice variation of "easy" "medium" and "hard" achievements.. so there's something there for everyone!
My next focus will be on adding that actual ending when you slay The Blob, add a proper credit screen, complete work on the codex, and work on a statistics screen to keep track of your victories, biggest enemy, and other such silly but fun stats to look at!
There will also be a special item added to the game which can only be unlocked through instructions in one of the upcoming Newsletters, so make sure to sign-up for that one!
And of course there was also another vlog on the games' development, this time showing the creation of a new tentacle obstacle: [previewyoutube="9ze6qbStg_o;full"]
Full changes list:
added: skill icons light up when leveling up/grunt-manual card
added: station info pops up as speech bubble
added: new Alien card - Scratch (lesser version of claw)
added: first batch of Achievements
added: new card Flamethrower
added: new skill-card Web of Time
added: Tentacle creature now attacks when woken up/appearing
added: touch/mobile specific interface
added: backdrop to menus
added: zoom-in on cards for touch-screens (when long-pressed)
added: character select now uses proper card-interface
Fixes and changes:
fixed: don't show spore-info dialog when spore are killed off screen (by fire)
fixed: walking through heal spores doesn't heal correctly (crystal)
fixed: more satisfying explosion for bigger creatures
fixed: robots sometimes run backwards (visually)
fixed: syringe effect and other pop-up messages are now visible
fixed: can now open map-view on touchscreens
fixed: projectile effects (like railgun) have rendering artifacts
tweak: wall-spider-cracks now only crack if player is near them (not at 2-3 tiles anymore)
Update v0.5.0: New life forms and secret area's detected, Captain!
Where last weeks update was a lot of fixing and tweaking, this weeks update comes in with a lot of new stuff. New aliens are added, new alternate-levels to be found, a new event or two and a bunch of new cards being sorted into your deck!
I'm not going into any details on these alternate-levels, as it's part of discovering it yourself as a player, but I might eventually do some work on some sort of Wiki pages (cause I usually forget about these secrets myself over time!)
I've been adding a bunch of alien-specific cards to the game, so that aliens now have a bit more choice during battles without having to resort to weird human like weapons.
Make sure to check out last Thursday's vlog showing the creation of the boss:
[previewyoutube="j9ag1ZUzWWg;full"]
and let me know if you already encountered him! ;)
Full changes list:
added: Alternate area: Ancient ship
added: Alternate area: Spidernest
added: better highlighting of selected cards (especially for mouse/touch controls)
added: new card Scavenge Box
added: new card Forcecon
added: specific cards for Blob-boss
added: HP point changes now also visible in herocards (HUD)
added: new cards for the Aliens
added: Mimic alien
added: Tentacle alien
added: Spider-om alien
added: "Game Saved" dialog/tutorial
added: loading/new-game hints prompts
added: Event - Infestation - wall-creepers all over!
added: new card - Genocide Device
added: Wall-creepers
added: Spiderwebs - halt you for 3 turns
added: Critero alien
Fixes and tweaks:
fixed: cards floating off when interacting with doors/walls/non-violent-entities
fixed: improvements to card drag-drop systems
fixed: starfield rendering
fixed: save games didn't restore the correct level (always 1 too soon)
fixed: description of Survivor card now says "last safe spot" instead of "Random spot"
fixed: hidden wall has no card/codex-image
fixed: rescue-pod has no card/codex image
tweak: balancing of mimic-spawns
tweak: made stronger aliens slightly weaker when they appear as rare-alien in the levels (before their normal level)
