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Tallowmere screenshot
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Genre: Platform, Strategy, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Indie

Tallowmere

Tallowmere 2 – Steam page now visible


Wishes can come true.


The Steam page for Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens is now visible for your drooling pleasure.

Add to your wishlist to get notified upon release – tentatively aiming for Q3 or Q4 2020.

Tallowmere 2 – Steam page now visible


Wishes can come true.


The Steam page for Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens is now visible for your drooling pleasure.

Add to your wishlist to get notified upon release – tentatively aiming for Q3 or Q4 2020.

Tallowmere – Controller fixes
Fixes:
  • Fixed certain controllers not being detected.


Internal:

Tallowmere: Now available in Korean
Language added:





macOS:
  • Graphics engine now uses Metal instead of OpenGL Core.
  • Improved support for Xbox 360 controllers.


Internal:

Tallowmere soundtrack now available

The DLC you always wanted ːmrbiggunsː


Hopping aboard Steam's new soundtrack functionality, the soundtrack for Tallowmere is now available for free.

Featuring an astonishing 13 minutes of music, this album was voted best in the dungeon by 8 out of 9 kittens. Mr Bigguns demanded a recount, but Lady Tallowmere overturned the decision.


How to listen 🎵


  1. Go to the Tallowmere Soundtrack page.

  2. Click the green "Play Game" button to add the soundtrack to your Steam account.

  3. In your Steam desktop client, click the Library button, then make sure Soundtracks is selected:


Enjoy!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1225360/Tallowmere_Soundtrack/

PS: Yes, Tallowmere 2 is still being worked on.

Tallowmere 2: Mid-2019 progress update

Hello from the dungeon


Please pardon the dust. Lady Tallowmere is still preparing her next generation of procedural death labyrinths for your pain and pleasure.



Official artwork – characters illustrated by Eric Grimoire

Meow?


What is happening...?



Why is there a kitten locked away? What secrets does it hold?



What else has been going on in the dungeons so far this year? Let's find out...

Mirror, Mirror


In the home room, a Magic Mirror now lets you change your character. Each character has a different trait. Additional characters can be unlocked by slaying matching enemies in Room 10 or higher.



Rack It Up A Notch


A Weapon Rack is also available, allowing you to choose a starting weapon. Starting weapons can be unlocked by finding the weapon in the dungeon and slaying enemies with it.

Certain weapons with powerful element variations (such as Poison, Lightning, and Arcane) have higher enemy killing requirements, as well as minimum room number requirements before kill counts start tallying.



Why Can't I Hold All These Weapons?


The old eight-slot weapon wheel has been replaced with a new dynamic Weapon Selector.



Bring Me To Life


Eyes now blink, legs waddle, and necks snap back. Melee weapons have been given a slight animation while still retaining their instant-hit feel. Enemy eyes also glow so you can anticipate incoming attacks.



I Heard You Like Loot


Item Modifiers are still going strong. There are 7 different Rarities, as well as 5 different Item Tiers this time for even more damage and health.



More Souls Required


Slaying enemies and collecting their souls allows you to level up at Demon Statues:
  • At Lvl 2, you can choose between a randomly-rolled amount of Strength or Health.

  • At Lvl 3, a third Mystery reward becomes available.

  • At Lvl 4 and higher, one of the three rewards will also have a random ⭐Bonus reward attached.



There are currently ~50 different mystery and bonus rewards available. Will luck be on your side?

Offerings & Curses


During your travels, you may come across various Pedestals, each presenting an Offering with a randomly-chosen Curse. Will you accept what's on offer?



Room Modifiers


From Room 6 and higher, Room Modifiers get added to most rooms, with additional modifier slots added every 5 rooms, up to 5 modifiers max per room.

There are currently ~50 Room Modifiers in the pool.



Drink Up


Health Potions now have ranks. Certain potions also grant buffs. There are currently ~20 potion buffs available.

Managing potions in a platformer is low on the list of things you'd rather be doing, so there is now a Quick Heal action to consume your best-available potion (factoring in how much health you are missing). If you have a potion with a buff attached to it, you can anticipate getting a heal and a buff without needing to rummage through your inventory.

Menu Development is Serious Business


The UI has been given an uplift in many places, with tabs, save slots, item detail enhancements, built-in achievements and Steam leaderboards, and a proper pause menu.

Play:
  • New, Load, Join, and Host.





Inventory:
  • Weapons, Shields, Potions, Blessings, Attributes, and Journal.



Merchant:
  • Buy, Sell, and Buyback.



Triumphs:
  • High Scores, Achievements, and Leaderboards.





Options:
  • Language, Screen, Sound, Input, Effects, and Advanced.



Pause Menu:



Rich 'n Creamy


With Rich Presence integration for both Steam and Discord, your friends can see status updates of how great you are as your room number increases as you delve further and further – or perhaps they can shed a tear with you when you lament your death.

Where's the Steam page?


To launch Tallowmere 2's Steam page, I still need to finalise the screenshots and create a trailer, which means I need to do a sound effect pass, and another pass on the room themes with cool doodads and cosmetics.

Since I'm still adding things, working on a trailer and publishing full-size screenshots feels like things to do last. The page will launch closer to the time when the game is ready.

Pricing


After much consideration, looking at what Tallowmere 2 offers compared to the first Tallowmere, I believe a steady price of ~$9.99 USD is more appropriate for Steam.

I no longer feel increasing the price gradually throughout Early Access is ideal – I do not fancy attempting to dictate which future feature amounts to which dollar value. I just want to keep things simple.

In an attempt to honour my previous plan of starting at a lower price point, I will offer a launch discount of 40%, which is the maximum launch discount Valve allows. After that, the occasional discount throughout Early Access will be no deeper than 10%.

The game will receive free updates as originally planned – I still have no plans to offer premium add-on expansions.

With single-player, local couch co-op, online co-op, and many more goodies and aesthetic delights compared to the first game, I feel ~$9.99 USD is reasonable. But please, let me know your thoughts.

Descent into Madness


While the features mentioned on the roadmap posted in December 2018 still stand, time estimations have gone out the window.

In the midst of Tallowmere 2's development, the irl RNG gods have decided to hand me an autoimmune disease called psoriasis, and with it, psoriatic arthopathy, which affects approximately 1% of the population. This incurable inflammatory disease has been impacting my productivity.

X-rays have not revealed any joint damage (yet), but the pain is there. I recall noticing external signs of psoriasis back in 2016, but it wasn't until 2018 that pain became apparent. Official diagnosis was given to me in early 2019 by a rheumatologist.

I've been fairly quiet about this until now. I am still struggling to come to terms with it, but this disease has been a major factor as to why things are taking longer than anticipated.

Being in pain almost 24/7 is a challenge. I try to ignore it, but that's easier said than done. Some days are better than others, but my typical day-to-day adventures include:
  • Pain
    My elbows, fingers, knees, toes, hips, neck, shoulders, and spine hurt due to my immune system attacking itself. During the worst flare-ups, it feels like knives are being shoved into my back, and razorblades are being jammed into my smaller joints. Some days, it hurts to walk. Other days, it hurts to sit. Some nights, I wake due to my toes hurting in excruciating pain of all things. I am often maxed out on special prescribed painkillers, but they aren't 100% effective.

  • Numbness and tingling
    In the past month, parts of my hands feel like they've fallen asleep, except they refuse to wake up. They aren't 100% numb, but the sensation is weird; makes typing and holding a mouse quite odd at times. The intensity varies. Occasionally, I have sessions where my feet, legs, and wrists also feel compressed and numb.

  • Fatigue
    This one is the biggest hindrance: I am needing naps more often, and for longer; sometimes two naps a day even. I am most productive and energetic in the morning, but come mid-day and afternoon, I often run out of energy and need sleep.

With my body attacking itself, I do not have consistent energy and concentration like I used to. I am more tired than I used to be. Brain fog really is a thing at times. Waking up in the night due to random shots of pain also doesn't help. It's even reached a point recently where members of the public have been asking me if I'm okay, because I feel incredibly drained some days, and it shows.

Now, not every day is horrible, but not every day is great either. It's extremely random and unpredictable. I do the best I can when I can.

If anyone would like to swap immune systems, please let me know. ːmrbiggunsː

Still To-do


I thought I would launch Tallowmere 2 earlier this year, but things felt too early, so it's been months of polish and features this year so far instead.

Tasks on my list to get this up on Early Access:
  • Improve Elite healthbars.
  • Ensure all weapons have elemental variations implemented.
  • Add cool item names.
  • Continue implementing the ~120 pedestal offerings and ~260 curses on my list. It's a lot of work, but it's coming along.
  • Tidy up enemy AI.
  • Add unique icons to the different potion types.
  • Add sound effects to everything.
  • Spruce up the room themes a bit more.
  • Add ability to form parties easily to play with friends online hassle-free via Steam and Discord.
  • Make sure everything continues to work online ːlunar2019deadpanpigː


Onwards


As a self-employed solo game developer creating a multi-platform online co-op experience, my recent health complications have thrown a wrench into things. I'm still able to work, but perhaps not as fast as I'd like.

Due to my unpredictable energy and concentration levels, there's not much point attempting to guesstimate timeframes. Will it be this year? Next year? ... Things will launch when ready.

With Tallowmere selling over 120,000 copies across all platforms since 2015, I've been able to work on Tallowmere 2 as my full-time job over the past 2-3 years, and this will continue for the foreseeable future – just perhaps more slowly than desired. So, thank you for your continued patience and support. I will see you in the dungeons soon enough.

For updates, please follow my Steam developer page, Twitter page, and/or Facebook page.

– Chris

Tallowmere: v351 changelog
To maintain compatibility with recent operating system versions, Tallowmere has been updated to version 351.

General


  • Added interpolation to coins, hearts, keys, souls, giblets, and floating text, so things move more smoothly through the air.

  • Reduced installation size, down from ~300 MB to ~125 MB.

  • Android DLC: Enabled new Unity feature "sustained performance mode" to ensure framerate stays smooth during long gameplay sessions.

  • Android DLC: Added new adaptive icons for Android 8.0+.


System requirements


Due to a new Unity version being used, minimum system requirements have changed:
  • Windows: Windows 7 SP1 or higher is now required. (previously, Windows XP SP2 was supported)

  • Windows: DirectX 11 with a Shader Model 4.0 graphics card is now required. (previously, DirectX 9.0c with a Shader Model 3.0 graphics card was supported)

  • macOS: 64-bit macOS 10.12 or higher is now required. (previously, macOS 10.10 was supported)

  • Linux: 64-bit Ubuntu 16.04+ (or similar distribution) is now required. (previously, 32-bit Ubuntu 12.04 was supported)

If you need to access older versions compatible with older systems, please use the "version350" or "version346" branches, accessible by going Steam client > Library > right-click Tallowmere > Properties > Betas tab.


Fixes


  • Windows: Fixed startup crashes happening on certain systems.
  • macOS: Fixed black screens sometimes happening at startup.
  • Linux: Fixed controllers causing crashes.


Controllers


  • Windows: Added support for the Betop BTP2175s controller.
  • Windows: Added support for the NVidia Shield controller on Windows 8.1.
  • Windows: Added additional Xbox 360 controller support.
  • macOS: Added additional controller support for the 360Controller 0.16.11 driver.
  • Linux: Added support for the Havit HVG95W controller.
  • Linux: Added support for the PlayStation 2 controller.
  • Performance optimizations.


Internal


  • Updated Unity from 5.6.6f2 to 2019.2.1f1.
  • Updated InControl from 1.6.12 to 1.7.3.
  • Updated Steamworks to 1.43.


Known issues


  • Linux: Disconnecting a controller mid-game and reconnecting it may cause the thumbstick to stop working.


Where's the sequel?
New details about Tallowmere 2 will be posted soon. Thanks for your patience. :tallowmere:

Tallowmere 2 – Roadmap update
Dearest adventurers,

Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens is coming along. Online co-op is working. The project has reached a turning point, and Lady Tallowmere will be opening the doors to her second generation of dungeons for you in 2019.



Early Access


Steam's Early Access programme is planned for the remainder of Tallowmere 2's development.

I am aiming for March 2019 as the initial Early Access launch timeframe for version 0.1, but please don't maim me if the date slips a little.

I've been developing T2 solo for almost 2 years now, and with online co-op being pretty stable and server deployment streamlined, I would like to get the dungeons onto Steam for you to play. There is only so much I can test alone, and online gameplay needs players to be effective. I'm also keen for your feedback and suggestions to help shape the game, as there's still much to do.

Please take a look at the following tentative development roadmap:



Currently in the closed alpha, you can enter Lady Tallowmere's dungeons, slay enemies, find keys, acquire loot and gold, buy and sell weapons and shields, level up and choose rewards, and receive a high score upon death. There are axes, boomerangs, katanas, grenades, flails, stun bombs, bows, elemental balls, staffs, lightning orbs, and scythes to discover. Most enemies use the same weapons you do in T2, which is different from the first game. Certain weapons also have elemental variations to keep things interesting, such as Poison Bows and Arcane Bows.



Similar to Tallowmere 1, the rooms in Tallowmere 2 are randomly generated every time you play, and gradually grow bigger as you delve deeper. Gaining a high score based on how many rooms you've cleared is still the aim of the game. Room Modifiers are also present now to spice up each area and keep you on your toes, and new Room Skins will keep the dungeon looking fresh.

While the original 7 loot rarities (ranging from Basic to Otherworldly) are making a comeback, 4 new loot tiers (ranging from Demonic to Celestial) now also await players that manage to make it extremely far.

Price


As shown on the roadmap above, I plan to increase Tallowmere 2's price throughout early access as development progresses.

Initial price will be $4.99 USD, and will reach $9.99 USD upon full release.

I've debated going free-to-play, and/or having in-app purchases or paid DLC, but for Steam, I feel a one-time upfront price of admission with free updates afterwards is the way to go.

I do plan to offer 10% discounts throughout early access from time to time, but no deeper. If the price looks good, please come aboard when the dungeons go live.



Upcoming features


While the core gameplay is stable, it needs more. Primary goals over the next couple years of Early Access will be focused on character enhancement, bosses, rewards, dialogue, and lore. The aim is to go above and beyond what Tallowmere 1 had for items, modifiers, and characters, while still adhering to the confines of the dungeon.

Some features of T2 that I've dabbled with so far, such as special abilities, secondary attacks, and acquirable passives, feel like they should be the rewards of exciting battles or events... but such battles need bosses, and these all take a fair amount of time to develop and create. As such, bosses will be added gradually, but the types of rewards you can receive will likely appear more often throughout development.

Some things are also due for an overhaul, or have only been partially implemented and still need to be fully fleshed out. Please be prepared for change.



Servers


I am calling Tallowmere 2's online servers "relay servers". There is no peer-to-peer networking – all network traffic passes through the relay servers I've developed. This means client IP addresses stay private between players, and you won't have to muck around with port forwarding nor NAT punch-throughs. The servers are effectively dedicated servers, sans physics processing.

A single server can host multiples games at once, maintaining instances of each game world as network messages pass through. If a player happens to disconnect from a game in progress, they can reconnect and resume exactly as things were.

Physics processing happens on the client computers, but since Tallowmere 2's initial focus is on jolly co-op rather than competitive player-versus-player, I believe it will be sufficient.

I am also in the process of allowing relay server builds to be available as a Steam tool, so anyone can optionally host a relay server to help out the community if they'd like.

Note that online play is entirely optional – you can still play offline as single-player or 4-player couch co-op.

Cross-platform play


I have developed Tallowmere 2's network capabilities to be cross-platform compatible. From my testing, I can confirm that the Windows, macOS, and Linux versions are compatible with the in-development Android and iOS versions. I am confident that future console versions will be compatible with desktop and mobile too.



Localisation


Like Tallowmere 1, Tallowmere 2 will feature language support. All strings in the game are ready to be translated – but since more things are going to be added, completing the translations will be a gradual process.

If desired, I will be able to add Steam Workshop support for fan translations. In certain circumstances, it might make sense to have "official" translations again if needed.



Rogue-like or rogue-lite?


Years ago, "rogue-lite" seemed to mean "randomised non-turn-based game", but these days rogue-lite seems to additionally mean "permanent stat progression between runs".

I believe there is room in T2 to have characters or classes be unlocked as you play, but having your base weapons and attribute points be permanently more powerful on your next run from the get-go because you died a bunch of times previously is not part of my game design.

"Rogue-like" is technically reserved for turn-based gameplay, but since T2 is an action game, I believe "action rogue-like" is how I'd describe Tallowmere 2.

I feel there is appropriate room for a shared stash to let certain perishable items be carried over between runs, and even potentially have helpful NPCs be persistently unlocked, but permanent stat upgrades between runs are not on the radar.

There have also been calls for wanting non-permadeath modes; I may reserve such a feature for only the story mode.



Gif it to me


To see some animated gifs, please visit tallowmere2.com

Follow


Since the official store page is not live yet, the best way to hear when Tallowmere 2 is available on Steam is to visit my Steam developer page, then click the Follow button.

I look forward to playing with you in the coming months!

– Chris


om nom nom

Tallowmere: Now available in Portuguese-Brazil and Slovenian

Version 350.7 – 2 March, 2018



Languages added:

  • Portuguese-Brazil – translated by Lucas Videla.

  • Slovenian – translated by Alen Korez.


Android DLC:

  • Added support for the IPEGA PG-9037 controller.


Fixes:

  • Fixed an issue where thousand-separators were not being added for numbers surpassing 1,000,000.

  • Fixed a souls-related crash that could occur if red, green, and purple souls were disabled via the Punisher.


Version 350.9 – 11 September, 2018



  • Updated engine to Unity 5.6.5p4.

  • Fixed an issue where video wouldn't work if user's graphics card was set to scale the screen.

Tallowmere: Now available in Finnish, German, and Japanese

14 August 2017 – Version 350



New languages:

  • Finnish – translated by Tomi Turkki & Olli-Samuli Lehmus
  • German – translated by Spiffosi, sePL, & John Westfield
  • Japanese – translated by Teyon Japan

    Thank you to everyone who has helped translate Tallowmere!


Housekeeping:

  • Updated engine to Unity 5.6.2p4.

  • macOS: Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes crash upon startup.

  • Fixed an issue where controller icons weren't appearing in the Edit Controls menu for non-English languages.

  • Fixed an issue where Lady Tallowmere's speech bubble wouldn't update during a boss fight if blood was disabled.

  • Fixed an issue where Samuel's Challenge dates were always displaying in English.

  • Fixed an error that would occur if you opened the Weapon Wheel before walking around.

  • Fixed an issue during a boss fight where blood would instantiate in the center of the room rather than on the boss.

  • Fixed an issue where combat log entries for certain bosses were incorrect.

  • Minor translation text fixes.


17 September 2017 – Version 350.1



  • Local co-op: Fixed an issue where interaction text could overlap the UI too far.

  • Minor translation text fixes.


20 November 2017 – Version 350.2



  • Fixed an issue where the game could crash if you died with the inventory menu open.

  • Fixed an issue where a key could bounce into a corridor out of reach without getting pushed back.

  • Local co-op: Fixed an issue where player names would overlap the High Scores UI.

  • Android: Added support for the IPEGA PG-9055.


30 December 2017 – Version 350.4



  • Tallowmere is now built with Unity 5.6.4p4.

  • Fixed a rare issue where soul groups would never spawn.


2 January 2018 – Version 350.5



  • Tallowmere is now built with Unity 5.6.5f1.

  • Fixed some positional regression issues from 350.4.
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