Hey, just dropping by with some quality of life updates. This update lays the groundwork for a much bigger update I’m planning (and for which development is nearly complete). I won’t spoil it just yet, but suffice to say, it will BLOW YOU AWAY! 💥
New Features
Add new explosive barrel type
Barrels now explode when struck! (*with a strong enough weapon)
Add new module for dead-end hallways
Add halos to make mutant miner eyes more obvious
Changes
Connect spawn room with a hallway instead of a tunnel
Remove gated doors in earlier levels (all these did was slow the pace)
Lower probability of gated doors (makes for more tense moments)
Show actual damage and condition values for melee pick-ups
Selected weapon slot is now persisted between scenes
Mutant miners can now be spawned in secret rooms
Some lockers are now randomly removed
Various room module changes
Improvements
Add dedicated animation for breaking plank
Increase explosion force for broken wall
Improve module culling (will hopefully give a little framerate boost)
Add damping for flashlight on/off (greatly reduces the unpleasant strobing effect)
Various visual improvements
Decrease physics timestep for smoother physics
Bug Fixes
Fix glitchy movement when moving through ground props
Fix longstanding issue with melee pick-up damage comparison being miscalculated
Fix for explosion force being applied to crate pick-ups
Fix for player knife position getting offset when changing weapons mid-attack
Enjoy!
Build 56 release notes
Bug Fixes/Improvements 🐛
Fix issue with resolution selection
Fix missing X icon on splash screen settings panel
TOXICANT leaves Early Access today!
Today's the day! After a rollercoaster 4.5 year journey, TOXICANT is finally ready for prime time. Thanks to everyone who came along for the crazy ride: beta testers, early adopters, patrons, contributing devs and artists, the furballs who kept me company, etc. I couldn't have done it without you! 🙏
Although this may seem like the end, it's really just the beginning! As with all of my games, as long as there are players, there will be updates. I have so many more ideas I want to explore, so keep checking back, and keep the feedback coming.
Last but not least, I was hoping I could ask you a small favour: if you enjoy the game, please consider leaving a review or telling your friends. As a solo indie developer, I rely heavily on word of mouth and referrals to find new players; anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your support, Adam/Cosmocat
Build 54 release notes
Build 54 is now and includes the following:
Bug Fixes/Improvements 🐛
Update developer note
Fix some artifacts in intro scene, improve lighting/post
Make toxic platforming room a bit more forgiving
Add a Discovery Log description for drill
Fix texture seams in large modules
Build 53 release notes
Build 53 is now live and includes the following:
Bug Fixes/Improvements 🐛
Various texture fixes and improvements
Add photosensitive warning
Possible fix for ghoul not facing player quickly enough when attacking
Remove feedback form
Add social links to pause menu
Fix for artifacts in UI when using a quality setting with anti-aliasing
End Game Update now available!
Well, this is it! The final major Early Access update! While I wasn't able to do everything I had set out to, I'm still quite happy with how closely I've been able to stick to the roadmap.
Let's take a closer look...
New Beacon Type: Smoke Beacon
The smoke beacon creates a volume of smoke that obstructs the vision of most enemies, making it easier to sneak by. This brings the total number of beacon types up to 6. Along with this, a Beacon Expert achievement has been added (you'll get this for trying out all of them).
Two Separate Endings
At the end of the final level, you'll now need to decide how you want to end things. This of course includes an achievement for each option, plus another for completing both. (I've also added a semi-hidden area in the final level, which you'll need to find to get the Well-read achievement.)
Quality of Life
I've added a couple of long-overdue quality of life things:
Input rebinding
Settings for music and SFX volume
I'm quite happy with how the input rebinding turned out. It's super flexible and supports almost anything you want to remap (with a few limitations).
Bug Fixes/Improvements
More achievements: Mycologist, Binge Drinker
Display day number at the start of each level
Fix for glitchy mutant miner idle animation
Various texture improvements
Improve the appearance of fog, smoke, etc.
Various optimizations
Highlight newly found items in Discovery Log
Fix for dead mutant miner clothes disappearing (Cyberpunk, anyone?)
Add confirmation dialogs for retry and exit
What's next?
I'll soon be switching into full-blown marketing and release mode, including preparing new marketing assets (screenshots, trailer, etc.), getting ready to hand out more review keys (if you know anyone who would be interested, send 'em to KeyMailer), and all that fun stuff.
Once that's all taken care of, I'll set a date for the full release! To be clear, the full release doesn't signal the end of me updating the game; as with all my games, the more interest there is, the more I keep investing, and I still have lots of ideas I'd like to explore!
That said, it's been a pretty heavy grind to get to this point, so I do hope to take some time off after release. (I will of course be keeping an eye on things and addressing any major bugs or balancing issues, but it may be a few months before I get back to adding new content.)
Well, that about does it for now! Thanks for sticking with me through Early Access.
Build 50 release notes
Happy New Year folks! Kicking things off with a sizeable update, including lots of quality of life stuff.
New Features/Content 🙌
Add input rebinding
Add two endings to final level
Add secret area/journal entry to final level
Implement Completionist, Mycologist and BingeDrinker achievements
Add confirmation dialogs for retry and exit
Display day number at the start of each level
Add SFX and music volume settings
Bug Fixes/Improvements 🐛
Fix for glitchy mutant miner idle animation
Various texture improvements
Various optimizations
Fix for enemy blood decals not working in final area
Implement quick turn for gamepad
This represents the bulk of the End Game Update, just a few loose ends I want to tie up before I call it done done.
Overachiever Update now available!
Chasm Area
A new area has been added that replaces the fourth level: a sprawling industrial complex set in a chasm. This will serve as the basis for the final challenge and multiple endings, coming in next month's End Game Update.
[previewyoutube="5byt9tsXDWE;full"]
New Weapon
The player's punch attack has been replaced with a knife swipe attack. Although it does the same amount of damage, it can now be used to break crates as well:
Toxic Status
Everything that previously did toxic damage now fills a gauge instead of hurting the player. When the gauge is full, you're dead! ☠
And More!
Add the first batch of achievements (5 to start with)
Adjust mutant miner HP (varied by type)
Add new mutant miner behaviour (deaf)
Mutant miners now pursue player more aggressively
Various texture and material improvements
Increase the prevalence of pickaxes
Disable collision with broken wall pieces
Add explosion force to breakable wall pieces if hit with drill
Improve tabbed UI for settings and controls
Increase fall damage, add dedicated SFX and screenshake
Next month's update will add additional achievements, multiple endings, and some long-overdue quality of life stuff (key bindings, sound settings). And then it's time to start thing about the full release! 😲
Dev journal #9
Well, I've been busy working away on a new area: a sprawling industrial complex set in a chasm. I'd say it's coming together nicely:
[previewyoutube="5byt9tsXDWE;full"]
It uses the same procedural generation as the mine levels, but as you can see, it's wide open, and even has an area below. (There's nothing down there yet, but I have some big plans for it... 🤐) You'll need to visit the various platforms throughout the area to reactivate power, at which point you'll need to make an important decision. 🤔
(Note that the area won't be beatable until next month's End Game update, but you'll be able to check it out well before that!)
I've also started implementing some achievements. I'm hoping to have 6 or 7 implemented in time for the Overachiever Update later this month, but as always, I'll be uploading things to the alpha branch as I finish them.
Explorer Update now available!
Another month, another major update! The Explorer Update adds the following new features:
Two new mushroom types: red and white. These buff strength and stealth respectively.
Two new beacon types: distraction and trap mine
A new beacon launcher model
A new wheel-based UI for selecting beacon types
Persistent discovery log items
The Explorer Update also includes the following bug fixes and improvements:
Buff stats modifiers and upgrades
Replace discovery log square icons with scroll list
Add support for freezing and exploding fish
Improve mushroom, beacon and toxic VFX
Improve texture maps in many places
Improve beacon/water interaction
Possible fix to reduce chances of player sticking to ledges
Lower overall audio mix levels
Next up: the Overachiever Update! This update will lay the groundwork for achievements as well as a final level and ending.
