Hello everyone,
We’ll just get straight to the point.

We’re planning to release the 1.0 version of Skul: The Hero Slayer on January 21st.

This is sure to come as a surprise and major disappointment since we had long-planned to launch this month, but it was absolutely not a decision that we took lightly. As we’ll explain below, we felt that this was our only option and ultimately what is best for both Skul and this community.

First of all, we’d like to sincerely apologize for not being able to follow through on our promise to release the update this year. We gave it our best effort, but ultimately fell short of our goals and it is killing us not being able to share what we’ve been working on with you before the holiday season. Simply put, we underestimated the amount of time it would take to fully implement and test all of the changes and additions that we’ve made to the game. As we referenced in earlier posts the 1.0 patch will be pretty massive, so it was hard to accurately predict our development timeline.

That being said, you’re probably wondering what we’ll be doing until launch. With the addition of the final two chapters, several cutscenes and a ton of new skull upgrades, we’ll be focusing on further polishing everything and balancing the game as much as possible. We only get one shot at launching the 1.0 version, so we want to do everything in our power to make sure that it goes off without a hitch and that we deliver the best version of Skul that we can. Because at the end of the day, you deserve nothing less than our best and we expect that of ourselves as well.

We’d also like to thank you all once again for supporting and sticking with us through this extended gap between updates. It means the world to us and we couldn’t be more grateful to have you by our side.
This truly has been the ride of a lifetime for us and we’re just getting started…

- SouthPAW Games

Hello Skul Squad!
This Development Blog will introduce one of the coolest things about the upcoming 1.0 Version of Skul: The Hero Slayer, the upgraded skulls!


As you already know, Skul can swap his skull to take on the form of one of his fallen demon brethren and make use of their special powers.
But due to his inexperience he wasn’t able to take full advantage of their abilities.


However a spider demon called ‘Arachne’ is looking to help each skull reach its full potential.
Nobody knows why she has agreed to help, but her eight legs are imbued with magic silk that can breathe new life into skulls and transform them in magical and interesting ways.
"It’s a pity how those skulls ended up in the hands of a weakling skeleton such as yourself. There’s so much untapped power within those skulls..."


That video gave a quick overview of our thought process regarding the skull upgrade system.
We also think that every single aspect of our game deserves our fullest attention, so we did a lot of research to make sure that each upgraded skull stayed true to the original but also was a ton of fun to play.
This allowed us to succeed in transforming the playstyle and visuals for each skull through the upgrade system.
Just like in the video, you can see that the Skeleton-Spear can be upgraded from its base “Common” form and amplify its special ability to charge forward.
You may then be wondering, how about “Unique” grade skulls that are already quite extraordinary? How will the upgrade system affect them?



Let’s take the Ninja for example. The nimble Ninja is the only skull that can triple jump or dash which makes it an aerial combat artist of sorts.
But when upgraded to the ‘Ninja Master’, it becomes more agile than any other skull in the air which gives it a big advantage when going against the Adventurers.



We actually removed the Ninja’s ability to triple jump.
Instead the Ninja Master will have a new ability called ‘Substitution Jutsu’.
When using this ability while jumping, an exploding log is summoned and the Ninja teleports in mid-air.
Rather than just simply working on the triple jump, we thought it would add a more strategic layer to the fights overall if done this way.



The Ninja Master can zip around in any direction you want, but only once in a row for each.
Not only does this significantly boost the Ninja’s mobility, but it allows for some pretty sweet combos that can deal more damage in short spurts.
But we don’t think that this makes the Ninja Master an ‘Aerial Attack Ace’ so to speak ;)


Just like the base Ninja skull, the Ninja Master can have a maximum of two skills. But here’s where it gets interesting…. its arsenal of skills changes when it’s in the air!







The Ninja’s swap skill has also changed from ‘Phantom Drive’ to ‘Fire Style: Fire Breath Jutsu’.
When swapping with the Ninja Master on the ground, it breathes out fire and finishes it off with several explosions to make it even spicier.
If swapping in the air, it uses the ‘Water Style: Sludge Bomb Jutsu’ skill and launches poison-laced projectiles towards enemies on the ground.







’Flash Slash’ is a skill focused on mobility and charging forward.
The Ninja Master takes it up a notch though by being able to change direction up to 3 times when using the skill.
If used while in mid-air, the Ninja Master teleports behind the closest enemy and absolutely slices them to shreds with a lightning-fast combo.







The ‘Numerous Blades’ skill is all about throwing good old fashioned shurikens, but it can leave the Ninja open to attacks from the back and long-range.
The Ninja Master is able to overcome these weaknesses though.
If used while in mid-air, the Ninja Master throws 3 exploding knives. This skill can also be charged several times and if the cooldown time is managed well the amount of damage dealt can be maximized.







The ‘Phantom Drive’ skill is all about dealing heavy multi-hit attacks along with your clone. However just like ‘Numerous Blades’ it leaves you vulnerable to attacks from behind and ranged attacks.
The Ninja Master can attack multiple enemies within a set range by summoning several clones of itself.
And if done in the air, it summons 8 of itself and can hit enemies in a large radius.







The ‘Wheel Shuriken’ skill sends out huge shurikens that penetrate enemies and is great for dealing with mobs.
But the Ninja Master’s shurikens are even bigger and can pull nearby enemies closer to it.
If used in the air, 3 wheel shurikens are summoned that revolve around the affected area.


The Ninja Master is difficult to control and if a mistake is made, it can result in getting swarmed by enemies and not being able to use a skill when you want to.
However once you get the hang of it, you’ll truly become an aerial combat force to be reckoned with.
Like we said previously, we’re doing our best to make sure each new upgraded skull is fun to play but stays true to its original/base form as well.
That being said, we do have another good piece of news to share with you.



Skul: The Hero Slayer was selected as the “Best Overseas Game” at the ‘IndiePlay 2020 Expo’ and also the “Top Indie Game” for ‘Korean Games 2020’.
It really means the world to us to see how many people enjoy playing our game and these awards are just the icing on the cake.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Also, you may have seen that the Steam Awards is currently taking place. We’d really appreciate it if you could vote for us as the “Sit Back and Relax” Award ;)https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations/76561199006886376?k=11209032490807525876

We’ll keep doing our best to create the best game that we possibly can.
Thank you!

Hello Everyone!
The day you’ve been waiting for is almost here...
We’re getting closer and closer to finishing the Early Access period and releasing the full version of Skul: The Hero Slayer! The last couple of weeks we’ve been putting in long hours to make sure it’s a smooth transition that meets your expectations. And we know you’re ready, but the wait will be worth it!
That being said, we’d like to give you another quick sneak peek of what you’ll see/experience in the full version.

And what better way to start off than discussing some never-before-seen Demon comrades!




The Carleon Empire has been indiscriminately kidnapping countless Demons to serve their dastardly purposes.
Even now many of Skul’s Demon brethren are crying out in pain while trapped and on their way to the Black Lab in Carleon Castle.




We hope you’ll lend them a helping hand if you happen to come across them.
If you’re able to free them from their captors, they’ll be sure to pay you back for your good deeds.
Their rewards could prove to be decisive in helping Skul to attack Carleon Castle and ultimately save the Demon King.




But like you would expect, there is someone standing in your way...




Skul’s rival is dead-set on taking Skul down and has really stepped up his game.




The other Adventurers have also leveled up and grown a lot stronger since you last saw them.
But they aren’t the only ones. Skul has also gotten much more powerful through the experience of countless deaths.
We personally can’t wait to see how the supercharged battles unfold and if you can overcome the upgraded enemies.

That does it for this Development Blog! See you again soon!

Hello Skul Squad!
This is our first official Development Blog. We’ll be uploading these periodically leading up to our full launch later this year to keep you in the loop.
Do you remember us briefly mentioning the ‘Ramparts of Fate’ at Gamescom a while back?
Well this Dev Blog will shed some more light on what makes the new content so special.



Carleon is a religious state that follows Leonism in service of the Goddess Leonia.
With the empire crumbling, the struggling citizens have turned to Leonism in hope of a better life. However this has made the religious order all the more powerful in the process and given it the opportunity to wipe out the Demon race and brainwash their followers into becoming zealots who are unafraid of death.



The Leonist zealots are quick on their feet and menacing when in a group.



But their speed is not the only thing that makes them tough to deal with.
If they take a deadly hit and think that they can’t overcome Skul, they’ll sacrifice their own lives. And what results from that can only be described as the embodiment of devotion itself. Which is also very dangerous in this case...



The Religious Order of Leonia can wield the power of light, which is deadly to the undead Skul.
If one of the zealots hit you with a special attack, the ‘Light from Leonia’ will slowly break Skul down and permanently increase the damage it takes.



If Skul gets too weakened by the light, it might only take one attack to get blown to smithereens.



On your way to the top of the castle, you will come across some Leonist fountains.
You may have no idea what their true purpose is, but you can use them to eradicate the light from Skul.



In the Religious Order of Leonia there exists an independent group of knights with a separate chain of command. The ‘Knights of the Holy Order’ are imposing figures with an unwavering belief in Leonism and the Archbishop. So they’ll do anything to eliminate their enemies.



The Knights of the Holy Order are on a different level than the Carleon Imperial Soldiers and will apply pressure to Skul in ways that they can’t. The Knights also hold the power of light just like the Leonist zealots.
The Knights wield massive shields and swords that they can easily use to control Skul’s movements and attack in rapid succession.

Currently, we’re mainly focusing on adjusting the balancing and visual effects of everything.
We’ll make sure that the new chapter will really test your mettle and push you to challenge yourself to complete it.
That’s it for this edition of the Dev Blog. See you again soon!

We've reapplied Patch #16 after fixing some bugs that it caused.
Please let us know via our Discord channel if you continue to experience any issues.

Discord channel : https://discordapp.com/invite/RQf6kBK
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We unfortunately have had to roll back this update since new players started to experience the 'infinite loading bug' at the start-up screen. If for some reason you're still having trouble playing the game, please try following the steps below.

A. Delete the registry: Use 'regedit' to delete the data at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Southpaw Games

B. Delete the local data : %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\Southpaw Games
**Start Windows and input the following route to delete all the data in that folder.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Skul Squad!

This patch should take care of some bugs that were reported in our Steam Community, Discord and by email.

The main details are listed below.

• We bolstered the save data to make it more stable.
  
• Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes become unplayable after talking with an NPC.
  
• Fixed problem where the enemies or player would sometimes go off the map.
  
• Fixed bug where gold wasn’t acquired after destroying an item received after defeating an Adventurer.

Hello Everyone!

This patch is to adjust the balancing and fix some bugs related to the recently added Inscription System. All of the changes are based on your generous feedback.

Please see below for more details.

• You now only need to press the key to throw away an item for 1 second instead of 1.5 seconds.
  
• Changed input key to throw away items while in the scroll from D to F.
  
• Changed input key to alter skill order in the scroll from D to F.
  
• Changed input key to see the list of acquired inscriptions in the scroll from F to D.
  
• Changed input key to change items in the ‘Item Swap Window’ from D to F.
  
• Fixed bug where you could acquire gold by not picking up an item dropped by the Adventurers and proceeding to the next map.
  
• Fixed issue where the Ghoul in an enlarged state would sometimes go outside of the terrain when moving to certain maps.

General

• Fixed issue where for some Inscription Effects the item didn’t register attacks properly.

Fairy Tale

• Increased attack damage of the Spirit King Oberon.
  
• Reduced cooltime of every pattern for Spirit King Oberon.
  
• Reduced damage but increased number of exploding orbs emitted by Spirit King Oberon.
  
• Fixed issue where Spirit King Oberon’s explosion attack pattern was registering as a physical attack.

Chase

• Reduced distance with enemies to get the full effects of the Inscription.

Fuse

• Fixed it so that the explosion visual effect won’t block view of the player.

Swamp

• Fixed problem with the explosion visual effect blocking the screen.

Static

• Fixed problem with the lightning visual effect blocking the screen.
  
• Reduced the cooltime reduction based on the movement distance.

Piercing Wind

• Slightly reduced the size of the projectiles.

Mutant

• Reduced effects based on the number of this inscription type in possession from (25/55/95/160/240/360) to (25/40/60/85/115/150).
  
• Demolish
  
• Reduced cooltime from 10 to 8 seconds for effects happening to the same enemy.
  
• Reduced effects based on the number of this inscription type in possession from (15/35/70/150/300) to (10/20/40/85/170).
  
• Fixed problem where the Inscription Effect was mistakenly being invoked by basic attacks, not physical attacks.
  
• Added sound effects for when the Inscription is invoked.

Raven Monarch Feather

• Changed inscriptions from (Mutant, Tactics) to (Mutant, Ruins).

Mana Bone

• Fixed problem where the attack range increase wasn’t registering correctly based on the number of Balance Skulls in possession.
  
• Fixed issue with the visual effect blocking the screen.

Thief Armor

• Reduced size of ‘damage taken effect from projectiles’.

Normal Enemy

• Fixed it so that the visual effect created by the Alchemist summoning a Golem in Chapter 3 doesn’t block the view of enemies anymore.
  
• Adventurer
  
• Reduced the amount of damage it takes to interrupt an Adventurer in Chapter 3 from using their special skill.

Boss

• Fixed problem where the Chapter 2 Boss’ HP didn’t increase with Update 2.2.0 and was abnormally low when compared to other enemies.

Fan Art Highlight

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Is that little lollipop really worth facing the Witch’s wrath?

SPray : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2174155160

Hello Everyone!
Having fun playing Skul?
We’d like to thank you once again for all of your support so far. We truly wouldn’t be where we are today without it and definitely wouldn’t have seen this much success during the Early Access period (which has us over the moon by the way). It also goes without saying that the feedback you’ve provided has been instrumental in our development of the game and is invaluable to us. The bug reports have been very helpful too and will set us up to deliver the best quality and stable game that we are capable of.

With that being said, we’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes and think we’ll be ready to leave Early Access by December. However since we’re so focused on achieving that, the Early Access updates have become less frequent and for that we apologize. We hope that you can understand where we’re coming from on this.

But without further ado…
Please look below for a detailed breakdown of what we have planned for the future of Skul!


The full-version of Skul will finally bring about the end of the struggle between Skul and the Carleon Empire.
The next chapter will also feature a formidable new boss, so we have several pieces of content planned to power Skul up and help level the playing field.



Love playing with one skull but wish it were a higher grade?
Or get a skull that you’re not thrilled about using?
Through the skull class upgrade system, you’ll be able to strengthen their passive abilities and skills to make them pack more of a punch.
Although doing so will require the use of a new resource called ‘Bones’ which can be broken down to use in said upgrades.



Best the Leonists blocking your path and head to the very top of the Carleon Castle to finally free the Demon King.



Face off against the formidable last enemy standing in the way of Skul saving the captured Demon King.
Win the battle to put an end to the tragic war and deliver peace to the Demon race.



Skul isn’t the only one getting stronger and stronger. The Adventurers also have some new tricks up their sleeves that are sure to kick battles against them into high gear.



Some of your Demon brethren are still being held captive, so go free them and join forces to take down the Carleon Empire.


We’re not even close to being finished adding stuff to the game and will continue on the path of making this game by your side and with your support.


We set several goals for each half of 2021, but will also be periodically updating contents like those listed below.

• Adding skulls, items & quintessence
  
• Adding meals
  
• Adding new maps
  
• Developments and updates based on your feedback

Add New NPC to the Black Market, the “Grave Robber”
- The Grave Robber will accept Dark Quartz as payment for new skulls, items and Quintessence.
Reform Quintessence System
- This reformation will adjust the standard effects of Quintessence and provide new ones for you to experience.
Reform Cooking System
- Food will be improved and dish out (pun intended) more interesting and fun effects.


Add a New Game Mode
- We’ll be offering a higher-difficulty mode for gamers that want a stiffer challenge.
Reform Witch’s Trait System
-The traits will have much more character and really breath new life into the system itself.
We plan on continuing to develop the game even after this point and hope to provide new game modes, chapters and contents to make Skul bigger and better.


Like we previously mentioned when starting Early Access in February, we plan on raising the price of Skul for the full-version release. As such, we’re planning to sell it for $19.99 from that point on. Luckily Skul is still being sold at the discounted EA price, so if you’re going to buy it this is the time to do it!
Also, we would really appreciate it if you could support us in some of the following ways.

1. Write a review and tell others about our game
   
2. Please follow us on Twitter and tag us when posting Skul-related content
   
3. Actively participate in our Discord Channel
   
4. Upload fan art to our Steam Community

Please don’t hesitate to share your experiences with us! Fan art and other user-created content is especially nice to see and really makes our day.


For the rest of the Early Access period we plan on making one to two entries a month in our Development Diary to keep you in the loop about the latest developments. We also hope that you can provide as much feedback as possible during that time.
Thank you again for all your support!!



Fan art Highlights


Sunwoomin : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2177861503

Skul Squad!

This patch features the long-awaited ‘Inscription System’!

Each item will have two inscriptions, and the more of the same type that you collect, the more powerful they become.

This update also brings with it several quality-of-life improvements to the game’s UI and features as well as balancing adjustments.

We also have some exciting news regarding Gamescom and the Awesome Indie Showcase. We’ll be providing a sneak peek of some of the contents we have planned for the full version of Skul! Make sure to tune in at the link below to see it revealed live on air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JdqCSysZSo @ 8/29 5PM (UTC)

Please see below for a breakdown of this update’s contents.






- Every item will have two inherent inscriptions.
- Each inscription provides a beneficial effect that can be amplified by collecting more of the same type.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Developer Comment: We hope that this system will allow you to mold your character however you see fit. This should really emphasize the uniqueness of each item and make them shine.

- For a fixed price, you can now request that the Collector restocks its items. Different items for sale will then appear at random.



- Changed it so that items can now be destroyed by holding down the button.
- You can now destroy items without acquiring them first.

\
- When already at max item capacity, you can now utilize a new UI to compare and exchange items when picking up another one.


- Reduced the increase in dash distance caused by an increase in movement speed.
- Slightly bumped up the increase in dash distance for tackle-type dashes when you have an increase in movement speed.
- The damage dealt by all status effects is now fixed.
- Changed it so that skills which can be used repeatedly during a set period of time will invoke ‘when skill used’ effects only once, not each time the skill is used.
- Increased the shield capacity gained from destroying a steel altar from 20 to 30.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Developer Comment: Honestly speaking, this bug was a ton of fun. Especially for the Predator ;) However it needed to be fixed in order not to take away from other unique skulls and items.

Grudge Stone
- Increased radius of explosion.
Thief Armor
- Reduced damage of shurikens that shoot out after a critical strike.
Dark Priest Robe
- Reduced cooltime of barrier from 90 to 60 seconds.
Rear Blast
- Reduced duration of effect from 3 to 2 seconds and physical attack increase from 100 to 80%.
Fire Spirit Salamander/Water Spirit Undine/Earth Spirit Gnome/Wind Spirit Sylphid/Dark Spirit Shade
- Even if a Spirit’s cooltime is over, it will not attack or waste it’s chance to attack if no enemies are in range.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Developer Comment: Spirits should be much more efficient than before.

Cyclops
- Increased the shield’s capacity from 20 to 30.

- Increased the HP of all enemies (especially for enemies in the later chapters)


Fan art Highlights

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Not sure how we feel about this, but it looks cool, right? ;)

TheGuyWhoSaidLol : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2207257735


Streamer of the Week

Beelz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wk44ek3h0A

Hello Everyone,

The next update will bring with it the long-awaited “Inscription System”. It was previously called the “Synergy Effect System” in the Development Roadmap, but it’s been given a more fitting name after making some revisions to it. We’re also planning on releasing it this month if all goes well.


Every item will have two inscriptions. And the more inscriptions you have of the same type, the stronger of an effect they’ll have.





Just take a look at the mind-blowing power being exhibited below.


Simply put, the inscriptions will enhance the special characteristics of each item you have and let you develop your skull however you see fit.

Currently we’re in the final stages of this system’s development which consists of adjusting balancing and fixing bugs. We’re doing our best to get it out asap.
Thanks again for all the support!



P.S. We’ve been paying close attention to all the fan art being posted recently and we’re blown away by two in particular. We thought everyone should see them, so we made a point of adding them to this post.

Fan art Highlights

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

These skulls look so alive we can’t even call them undead anymore.

DarkSlayer : https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1484452135855954677/B4AA88742226542D2AC7060976A618027E8BB4C7/

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

This would be another great character crossover. Anyone tight with Team Cherry? ;)

Anri : https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1478823585993641003/2D43B063269725E6D5B7EEA0457812AB0B9D967F/

Hello Skul Community,

Enjoying the new skulls we recently added? Please let us know what you think about all the new additions. Your feedback is always much appreciated.

But without further ado, it's time to announce the winners of the UCC Contest!

First of all, it was extremely difficult for us to choose just 10 winners out of all the submissions. We know that we have an awesome community, but we were still blown away by all the amazing content that was submitted. The creativity on display was really next-level and an absolute pleasure for us to see every day.

Now behold some of the best user-created content you've ever seen...































*We'll be sending DMs today to all the winners to get their addresses and send them their mousepads.
**All prizes must be claimed by August 14, 2020