Dear Players,

We understand your interest and concern regarding the balance between factions in the game. Ensuring fair gameplay is one of our top priorities, and we regularly monitor statistics to maintain equal conditions for all participants.

What’s more, the developers themselves are active players: each of us has spent thousands of hours in the game, and our experience in the genre goes back to the days of World in Conflict and Wargame Red Dragon. We don’t just analyze the data – we test balance changes firsthand by playing matches, trying out adjustments in real combat situations, and experiencing them just like you do.

And now — on to the numbers:

At present, 224,860 players have played at least one multiplayer match. On this graph you can see the ratings distribution of all these players. We are using an Elo ratings system but configured slightly differently from what you are used to seeing. In a classic Elo system new players start with a value of 1500 and win or lose points until they reach a value corresponding to their level. As a result, totally new players can be matched against experienced players winning 50% of their matches instead of other new players, generally resulting in their first matches being a series of gruesome defeats.

This is prevented in our system because the starting value is 300 and players tend to win more points than they lose to help them reach the average ratings. As a result players’ ratings tend to move up as they play, leaving the lowest ratings only for totally new players. Of course winning more makes you progress faster and once you reach the higher ratings this boost doesn’t exist any more so quality takes over quantity.

Across 656,149 matches played, the following faction win rates have been recorded:

 • USA – 48.97% wins (321,348 matches)

 • Russia – 51.03% wins (334,801 matches)

Analysis of the presented data shows that the game balance between factions is currently at a very good level. The win rate difference between factions is only 2.06% across more than 656 thousand matches. Such a difference falls within the acceptable margin of statistical deviation for multiplayer games and does not indicate a clear advantage for either side.

That said, we recognize that balance is not just about numbers, but also about how the gameplay feels to the players themselves. Our work does not stop here. We continue to closely monitor match statistics, analyze changes in the meta, compare player behavior across different rating brackets, and review community feedback. Every balance adjustment is based not only on numerical data, but also on the real gameplay experience you share with us through social media and feedback channels.

We greatly value your activity and engagement, as open dialogue with players helps us gain deeper insights into what happens during matches and identify potential imbalances at an early stage. All information we receive undergoes thorough review and is used to make well-informed decisions.

Our goal is to maintain a fair and stable game environment, and we will continue working to refine the balance system so that every match is engaging and offers equal chances for both sides.

Some finals words:

We know many of you are eagerly waiting for news about future updates. That subject will be addressed next week, when we'll expand on what the team is working on next and on the content of the next update.

Get ready to make a break for it! The Chicken Run: Eggstraction demo is here, featuring some of the very first levels from the game. This is your chance to experience the action, try out our daring escapes, and get a taste of the fun before launch.

Whether you’re plotting the perfect getaway or just want to flap around for a while, we can’t wait to hear what you think!

💬 Got questions?
Join our community on Discord:

https://discord.gg/OGclub

There you can:

• Learn more about the game

• Share your feedback

• Find out how to play at launch by joining our Ambassador Club

Don’t miss this sneak peek — your great escape begins now!

Greetings, Wormwood Mansion guests and victims. We humbly bring you a swath of changes and additions with the full release update of Midnight Murder Club: Patch 2.000.001! If you recall the Roadmap to Release from our June patch, then you know we’re ecstatic to bring a new co-op PVE mode, some Wildcards updates, and Key Remapping as just the tip of the knife-berg (Editor’s Note: because our game has knives. Please laugh.)

You can also view our launch trailer here if you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. After all, we’d rather save you the time of searching so that you can spend it wandering the halls in fear (laughter?), or trying to unlock a certain special, golden item.




Thank you for playing our game! We hope you enjoy these changes and we look forward to seeing all of you brave the mansion with your friends and soon-to-be-former friends.

Hey everyone!It’s time for another Quest for the Albatross devlog, and we’ve got some exciting progress to share from the past few weeks. Let’s dive in!

Our work on the next major biome—the mountains—is moving full steam ahead! We’ve fully built and tested our first mountain course, complete with brand-new hazards. The art for these hazards isn’t quite ready yet, but the functionality is in place, and we’re loving the new challenge they bring to gameplay.

In addition to the mountain course, we’ve sketched out two more future courses. They’re still early in development, but the designs are locked in. One of them in particular is going to push your skills to the limit… and we can’t wait to show it off down the line.

We’ve been working hard on controls this month, too. You can now remap buttons directly from the pause menu, giving you more flexibility in how you play. Plus, we’ve added full Steam Deck support—so whether you’re at home or on the go, you can keep your golf quest alive anywhere.

Our Kickstarter campaign is officially underway! This is your chance to help shape the future of Quest for the Albatross and ensure it launches in the best form possible. We’ve got some great rewards lined up, so if you believe in the project, we’d love your support.

👉 Check out the Kickstarter here!

You can also keep up with development on our discord

https://discord.gg/u9phqx3RpV

That’s all for this devlog—thanks for reading, and we’ll be back with more updates soon. In the meantime, happy golfing!

Until next time,
— Austin Lane Game Director / Programmer

The Omnissiah calls, and we’re answering at Gamescom! For the first time ever, Mechanicus II will be playable on the show floor. Step into the next chapter of the critically acclaimed turn-based tactical series and experience the beginning of the war for Hekateus IV first-hand.

This is your chance to retake command of the Adeptus Mechanicus forces, and to also get a taste of leading the Necrons of the Sankhotep dynasty against their world’s invaders. We can’t wait to show you what’s in store – see you in Cologne on 20-24th August!

Astrobotanica is getting ready for launch — and we’d love to have you on board!

As we gear up for the upcoming Steam Next Fest this October, we’re offering a limited number of content creators exclusive early access to our demo before it goes public. If you’re passionate about light survival action-adventure games with atmospheric exploration, sci-fi vibes, and unique gameplay mechanics, this is your chance to get a first look and share it with your community!

💡 Interested? Here’s how to apply!

Send us an email with the following details:

• Name of your channel

• Where your content is published

• Your location

• Your audience size

• Link to a video showcasing gameplay from a similar title

• A short note about what excites you most about Astrobotanica and why you want early access

📩 Email your application to: https://kacper.madry@spacegoblinstudio.com

We’ll get in touch with selected creators who will receive early access and a first glimpse into the alien world of Astrobotanica.

Linktree with our social media links

Thank you for being part of the Astrobotanica community. Let’s grow something extraordinary, together! 🌱🌟

• Due to compatibility issues with the latest Windows 11 update and OBS, Easy Anti-Cheat has been removed to improve overall system stability.

So! Here’s the latest news from the fields—or rather, from the labyrinths. We’re almost done with the game and preparing for the full release on September 2nd! But you can start the adventure today in the free demo.

During a fierce storm, Zeyn loses his sister Shanti. She has been captured and locked in a dungeon on the island by Lord Ambermaze. Will you be able to save her?

Together with Zeyn, you will explore the first labyrinths, face dangerous enemies, make new friends, gain their support in the fight against the main villain, and of course, upgrade your abilities to survive the ultimate battle.

In the demo, you’ll find:

• Tutorial and the first biome of the game.

• 6 enemies and one mighty boss.

• Upgrades and new abilities for your hero.

• Numerous rooms with secrets and hidden treasures.

• Challenge rooms with puzzles: sliding puzzles, shell games, Sokoban — solve them to earn enhanced rewards.

• And even fishing!

Bonus for demo players: your saves will transfer to the full game. After purchasing the game on September 2nd, you can simply continue your adventure from where you left off.

Support us right now:

• Play the demo

• Add Lord Ambermaze to your wishlist

• Share the game with friends and get ready for the final battle!

With love,
The Lord Ambermaze Team

We've had some questions around the pricing of PowerWash Simulator 2, and we're happy to share it will remain the same price as PowerWash Simulator!



PowerWash Simulator 2 will launch later in 2025 at $24.99 / €24.99 / £19.99 / JP¥2970

We are currently reviewing other regional prices which will match or be lower at launch



We understand that some games are raising their prices, but for many, PowerWash Simulator isn't just a game: it's a well-being tool, a way to help get through the tough times, a way to decompress and return to those moments of calmness. At FuturLab, we want to keep that as accessible as we can 💙

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2968420/PowerWash_Simulator_2/

We'll also be at Gamescom August 20th-24th with a playable demo, so if you're attending, drop by and say hi! 👋

Follow our Socials here:
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/powerwashsimulator.co.uk
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PowerWashSim
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/futurlab
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@powerwashsim?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerwashsim/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerwashsim
PWS Wiki: https://powerwash-simulator.fandom.com/wiki/PowerWash_Simulator_Wiki
PWS Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerWashSimulator/

Hello, and happy Thursday. This is Victoria, Narrative Design Lead of Victoria 3, and today I will be covering the improvements made to the Culture system, and to our representation of nationalism. This diary will cover several areas of interest – Citizenship laws, cultures themselves, and the political movements tied to them. All of the features in this diary are included in the free Update 1.10.

It is the eternal misfortune of the Victoria 3 designer that one may, at any moment, face a task which sweeps one off one’s feet and deposits one in the midst of a centuries-old debate. 

Any serious engagement with the topic of nationalism will inevitably force one to confront half a dozen difficult questions. What conditions permitted the rise of nationalism? How does one interpret the numerous premodern phenomena that invoke certain aspects of nationalism? How does one separate the claims nationalism makes about its nature from its actual nature? Why did the premodern mélange of regional, religious, or clan identities homogenise into what we call “national identity”? How does one define a “nation”, and how does one contend with all of the ambiguities which inevitably arise from that definition?

In Update 1.10’s portrayal of nationalism, we make certain abstractions and assumptions for gameplay purposes. Whilst the aforementioned questions were on our minds when developing these systems, we cannot claim to have settled them, nor can we claim to have developed the most accurate possible simulation of reality. The mechanical additions made in this update are limited in scope and developed with the themes of National Awakening in mind. When developing them, we did so with an eye to giving empires something to worry about, and nation-states tools with which to advance their position. Our secondary goals are to improve the strength of cultural movements in general, make nationalism feel like a genuine force in the world, and model the distinction between subjects and citizens. 

This update does not seek to implement the National Pride feature from Dev Diary #152. We feel that this feature should be implemented in a later update, when we will be able to provide it the full care and attention that it warrants.

What is nationalism, really? Nationalism is the ideology that the state should be the political instrument of the nation. A state constituted in this manner is referred to as a nation-state, and its political constituents are referred to as citizens. Nation-states may be contrasted with dynastic states, of which the Austrian Empire is a classical example. A dynastic state is one in which the state derives its legitimacy from its ruling dynasty, rather than from serving as political representative of any particular nation. 

The “nation”, as a highly abstract concept, is more difficult to define. In antiquity, the word typically referred to groups of people with common ancestry and language, with the modern conception of the nation emerging only in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries. Definitions of “nation” upheld by nineteenth-century nationalists ranged from the “objective” conception, in which the nation is defined by characteristics inherent to people, such as blood, language, or lineage, to the “subjective” conception, in which the nation is defined by shared history and the voluntary affiliation of its members. Whilst these conceptions are often separated into “ethnic” and “civic” models of nationalism, nationalists of the period typically incorporated elements of both into their narratives. Even in famously “civic-nationalist” France, it is unlikely that the average nationalist ideologue would consider an Algerian to be a truly equal Frenchman.

For the purposes of Victoria 3, nations are synonymous with cultures, which are a property of pops. If a pop assimilates into a different culture, it may be said to have become a part of a different nation. Nation-states are countries with certain Citizenship laws that establish their primary cultures as the nations which serve as the state’s chosen constituency. To represent dynastic states such as Austria or the Qing Empire, we have implemented a new law – Subjecthood.

Under Subjecthood, the Acceptance of a pop is determined largely by where said pop lives. A country with Subjecthood grants pops of all cultures 30 Acceptance if they live on their homelands. Combined with No Colonial Affairs, which now also grants a bonus to Acceptance from homelands, one may increase this value to 40.

Subjecthood is the new default law for unrecognised powers and certain European countries that have not adopted the nation-state model. It is limited to Monarchies and Theocracies, and is strongly opposed by liberal interest groups and political movements. Subjecthood requires that the legitimacy of the state is derived from the sovereign, rather than from the consent of the governed – a notion inimical to liberalism.

The previously-existing Citizenship laws, ranging from Ethnostate to Multiculturalism, have been reframed to represent various definitions of citizenship. A country with a non-Subjecthood Citizenship law can be assumed to recognise the principle of popular sovereignty in some form – whether it be through the monarch claiming status as personification of the nation, or a republic ruled by representatives who claim to serve the popular will. We will take a closer look at the refurbished Citizenship laws when we cover the Cultural Traits Rework.

Cultural Fervour is the measure of the national consciousness of a given culture. To reference Benedict Anderson’s conception of the nation in his Imagined Communities, it is a measure of the degree to which people of a given culture imagine a community shared by all who possess that culture.

Cultures in Victoria 3 are broad abstractions, encompassing thousands of local variations. If, in 1836, two people from Tyrol and Banat – both represented by the “South German” culture – were to meet, they would likely have some difficulty understanding one another, and notice marked differences in each others’ home lives. At a low level of Cultural Fervour, they would likely default to identifying by particular regions or whatever other identifiers they may hold dearest. As Cultural Fervour increases, however, they would be more inclined to refer to themselves as members of a nation, considering regional identity to be secondary to this sense of nationhood. The Tyrolean and the Banater thus become South Germans.

Fervour is affected by numerous conditions, conveniently listed within the Fervour concept. All Fervour effects are applied based on how many pops of a given culture they apply to. For example, if 10% of South German pops live in a South German country with Ethnostate, and 90% live in a country with Subjecthood, the South German culture will receive +2 Fervour from laws in total. Likewise for literacy rates, the effects of Nationalism technologies, and others.

These conditions serve to abstract trends such as the development of a vernacular literary culture, the national mythologies that emerge around devastating conflicts, efforts by academics and state functionaries to construct a unifying history of a nation, and the role of public school systems in creating an “official” expression of a culture.

One may also note that many of these conditions depend upon the existence of an independent state with a given primary culture. An exclusionary nation-state which defines a clear in-group and out-group is the most powerful tool that a culture has to transform itself into a nation. A freshly independent state may find itself wishing to enact a highly restrictive Citizenship law in order to quickly raise the Fervour of its primary culture, and reap the benefits of a nationalistic populace both within and without its borders. Likewise, an empire which seeks to pacify a large population of a given culture would best keep a close eye on any country which has that primary culture, lest that country contribute to separatism within its borders.

A more complete example: A large number of Irish pops move to the United States, where they become literate and get recruited as Academics by University buildings. The Fervour of the Irish culture thus increases, and Great Britain experiences effects from increased Fervour amongst its Irish population – such as increased pop attraction and Activism from the Irish National Movement.

The Fervour of a culture has effects on both pops and countries. Pops with high cultural fervour become resistant to Assimilation, and are more inclined to join Cultural Movements – both Majority and Minority. Cultural Minority Movements representing a culture with a high Fervour have bonuses to their baseline Activism. Coupled with the new Obstinance function of movements, this makes unappeased Cultural Minority movements much more impactful upon a country.

A high-Fervour primary culture serves as a boon to a country in times of war, and nudges domestic politics in a nationalistic direction. High Cultural Fervour on a primary culture reduces the rate at which War Support declines, and, under non-Subjecthood Citizenship laws, increases Liberty Desire gain.

Primary-culture Pops with high Cultural Fervour are more inclined to join Cultural Majority Movements – funneling them away from troublesome opposition political movements, pressuring their Interest Groups, and increasing the rate at which Ethno-Nationalist politicians appear. By maintaining discriminatory Citizenship laws, one may render the privileged sections of one’s populace politically inert.

Additionally, AI countries with high-Fervour primary cultures become more bold and aggressive when seeking to capture claims, seek independence from their overlords, or humiliate rivals. On the domestic front, they become more inclined to adopt a nationalist domestic political agenda.

In Update 1.10, the discrimination traits possessed by each culture have been standardised. By default, each culture now has two traits – a Language trait and a Heritage trait. These traits are contained within larger Trait Groups. In effect, this means that each culture now has four traits of varying relevance, representing a culture’s closer and more distant relatives.

Cultures may also gain or lose Tradition traits, which represent traditional ties between cultures and provide bonus Acceptance. For example, the new Eastern German culture – representing Baltic and Volga Germans – possesses the Russosphere trait. The Russosphere trait is shared by Russians, Tatars, and others, meaning that Eastern Germans living in Russia will have much higher Acceptance than their North or South German cousins.

Religious traits have been updated to work in a similar way. The Catholic religion, for example, now has the Christian trait, which belongs to the Abrahamic trait group.

This system of traits and trait groups allows for laws to discriminate against cultures and religions incrementally more or less based on their proximity to the state religion or culture. The Citizenship and Church and State laws have been amended to incorporate this broader range of possibilities. In general, cultures with shared traits are more accepted than those with shared trait groups, which are more accepted than those with no commonalities at all.

Pictured: The five Citizenship laws, now refurbished.

In Update 1.10, we have made several changes to political movements, with a special focus on identity-based movements. Our objective with these changes is to make identity-based movements feel like powerful actors which present a relevant threat to multi-national empires.

Since Update 1.8’s Political Movement rework, we have faced a persistent issue in which political movements have no “intermediate” state between passivity and insurrection. This issue especially affects cultural movements. In Update 1.10, cultural and religious movements will have a new, intermediate state – Obstinance.

Obstinance represents civil disobedience, and the formation of para-state structures amongst excluded communities in certain regions. Obstinance is distinct from Turmoil – radicals of a certain culture may contribute to Activism, but a pop does not need to be radical in order to contribute to Obstinance. The level of Obstinance generated by a movement is tied to its supporters, meaning that the most politically advanced sections of certain cultural or religious groups will tend to become Obstinate first. A culture without a political movement representing its interests is much less able to exert power than a fully organised one.

Any Cultural or Religious Movement that is made insurrectionary will also necessarily be Obstinate, weakening the state in the buildup to insurrection.

Pictured: Great Britain’s actions have angered the Irish National Movement, and they have responded by rendering Ireland ungovernable. Russia has made the same mistake in Poland.

Multiple movements at the same time are capable of causing Obstinance. Here, an Austria which has made several poor decisions is experiencing Obstinance from the Czech, Polish, and Italian national movements, all at the same time. 

Historically, in the period following the Austro-Hungarian compromise and prior to the First World War, the Bohemian Diet was frequently gridlocked by conflicts between Czech and German nationalist parties, leading to the rise of para-state institutions. Following the dissolution of the Bohemian Diet by Imperial decree in 1913, these para-state bodies acquired more legitimacy than the Austrian administration in the region, culminating in Czech independence at the hands of the Czech National Committee. In game terms, Bohemia was rendered ungovernable by Obstinance generated by both German and Czech national movements. Similar phenomena repeated across the Austro-Hungarian crown lands, leading to the disintegration of the Empire.

Another improvement we have made to movements in Update 1.10 is allowing them to have effects over borders. A movement becoming Insurrectionary causes an uptick in Activism amongst all movements in neighbouring countries of the same type. For example, if a Polish National Movement in Russia becomes Insurrectionary, the Polish National Movements in Austria and Prussia will also see increased Activism.

This effect also applies to ideological movements – if a Communist movement in France becomes insurrectionary, neighbouring Communist movements in Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Germany will escalate their agitation. Additionally, ideological movements have an increased chance of spawning if its creation requirements are fulfilled, and a neighbouring country of higher Prestige also has this movement.

An astute observer may notice that new modifiers are present in the above Citizenship laws – Support Separatism Strength and Support Separatism Resistance. These modifiers pertain to the new Support Separatism diplomatic action.

The Support Separatism interaction is unlocked by researching Nationalism, and increases pop attraction and Activism of Cultural Minority Movements in the target country. The strength of this interaction is scaled by the difference between the Prestige of the initiating country and the target country, and any Support Separatism Strength/Resistance modifiers in play. As one can see above, Ethnostates have bonuses to the strength of Support Separatism, but are vulnerable to it in turn, whilst countries with Multiculturalism are more resilient to separatism at the cost of little ability to promote it in turn.

Support Separatism may be countered by expelling the initiating country’s diplomats, suppressing the affected movement, or enacting laws which reduce the movement’s Activism.

Pictured: Romania, which has enacted Ethnostate, is supporting separatism in Hungary. Its efforts are causing Obstinance amongst Romanian pops in Transylvania

To finish things off for today, we have improved the Promote National Values decree. It is now unlocked by researching the Nationalism technology, and may force pops living on their homelands to assimilate into the primary culture.

Update 1.9 and Charters of Commerce included a selection of features with great interoperability. This style of development, in which each mechanic interacts with every other mechanic, served as our objective for Update 1.10’s gameplay as well. Citizenship feeds into Fervour and Discrimination, which feed into Cultural Movements, which may induce Obstinance or kick off a powerful chain reaction of secessions. An aspiring nation-state is incentivised to increase its Fervour as much as possible, driving cracks into the great Empires through nationalist struggle. An empire finds itself in a careful balancing act, seeking to minimise Fervour and appease its various nationalities enough to avoid its territories being split by civil disobedience or secession.

To present one final example: The Ottoman Empire brings its Protectorate of Serbia into a war, leading to high casualties amongst Serbian pops. These casualties, coupled with the Serbian state’s efforts to educate its populace, raise Serbian Fervour, funneling Serbian pops in both the Ottoman Empire and Serbia into Cultural Movements and increasing the Liberty Desire of Serbia. If Serbia were to act on its increased Liberty Desire and launch an independence war against the Ottoman Empire, it would benefit from lower War Support decay. In between building its Liberty Desire and launching its war, Serbia may also use the Support Separatism action to further increase the Activism and pop attractiveness of the Serbian National Movement in the Ottoman Empire, possibly generating Obstinance in Ottoman territories or causing a Secession it is well-positioned to capitalise upon.

And that is all. Thank you for reading. Next week, I will return alongside the other designers to cover the free narrative content coming in Update 1.10.