Get ready to board the Voidtrain because the Steam release is less than three days away! While we've already shared an update on the improvements and changes made to the game, we realize that we haven't given a comprehensive overview of the key features that you can expect in the upcoming version of Voidtrain. So, let's set that right now and get you excited for what's in store.
Here are the main game features of the current version:
1. Character movement in the Void
Just jump off the trolley or train and allow the Void to pick you up. While in the Void, you can use a safety rope to attach yourself to the train's cars and reach necessary resources or points of interest. As you progress through the game, you'll unlock a winch and rings, enabling you to explore deeper areas of the Void. These features are particularly useful for Puzzle Islands and other areas where the game allows exploration.
2. Resource gathering
At the start of the game, you'll gather resources manually. But as you advance, you can unlock the grappling hook, which makes looting much easier. And when you reach later stages, you can construct the Collector Station - a sizable train module where your pets can automatically collect resources while the train is in motion.
3. Technology and train development
You can use the Research Table to research technologies, discover new structures, upgrades, and crafting recipes for your character and train. Small objects and interior items can be built using the Crafting Book, while large objects and units require the depot. You can develop up to the diesel era, with mechanical, steam, and diesel engines available. To unlock decorative items for the train and walls, feed your pets - Rofleemo - special mushrooms obtained from chests. Rofleemo will share one or several recipes with you, which will appear in your Crafting Book.
4. Enemy Trains, Outposts and Depots
Get ready for exciting chases as enemy soldiers on their trains try to interfere with your investigation of the Void's mysterious history and loot resources from your train. Be cautious as boarding can be dangerous, for the soldiers will attack and damage the train's structures.
But enemy trains are not the only danger awaiting you in the Void. There are also Outposts - obstacles that block the path and are guarded by soldiers. Initially, you must defeat the enemies to disable the barrier device. Later, you can build rams to destroy the outpost barriers quickly, but be mindful of the durability of the rams, or else you'll have to build them again.
Finally, you’ve got the Depot, which serves as the main hub for building trains, collecting loot, and opening chests. However, it's also a battlefield where you will encounter enemy soldiers.
5. Witch Islands
These are puzzle-filled hubs located deep in the Void, marked by swarms of fireflies. Each hub offers up to three types of puzzles, which can earn you valuable loot and mushrooms for Rofleemo. However, beware of the dangerous Void fauna present in these peaceful locations.
6. Arena Islands
Arena islands are infested with swarms of insects and overseen by the mysterious Arena Keeper, who assigns you trials to complete. There are five waves in total, with more valuable rewards for progressing further. You can choose to stop and claim a minimal reward for the waves you have already completed, or risk continuing for greater rewards. If you fail, you receive a consolation prize in the form of a small amount of basic resources.
7. Other points of interest or danger
There are a couple of smaller, yet compelling features to keep you entertained in the Void. For instance, abandoned trains - not only reminders that adventures can be dangerous, but also an additional source of loot hidden inside them.
And beware of Minefields - always keep an eye on the horizon, as soldiers have left mine barriers in some areas. There are two types of them: sensor and magnetic. Sensor mines react to speeds above normal, while magnetic mines attach to the train with magnetic force. You can either explode them or try to defuse them to obtain resources.
8. Taming Rofleemo Pets
Your Rofleemo pets are not just cute companions, but they also have unique skills and specializations. It's important to study them carefully and assign them to work based on their abilities to gain the maximum benefit from them.
9. Modular Weapons
At the start of the game, you are equipped with a revolver as your basic weapon. However, as the enemies become stronger and you develop your character, you can unlock more powerful weapons. All weapons in the game are modular, allowing you to insert various modules found in the game on a workbench to optimize their performance. Additionally, you will find weapon frames with a slot for cores that unlock a unique firing mode for the weapon. There are three types of cores available: Ice Storm, Flamethrower, and Annihilator.
10. Prophecies
A game mechanic that modifies your path by weighing the pros and cons. For example, you can increase the amount of iron in the Void, but in exchange, you may face more leeches or encounter two sharks instead of one.
11. Creatures and enemies on your way
Void Fauna:
Sharks - the main enemy of the Void, cunning beasts that always try to quickly escape into the depths of the misty distances if they sense danger.
Leeches - won't cause damage, but if not kept in check, they will stick to the train and significantly slow it down.
Void Fish - completely peaceful creatures. Main source of leather and fat.
Pufferfish - inhabitants of the Witch Islands. Be careful.
Void Whale - a peaceful creature, hovering somewhere in the distance and howling its sad songs. You're unlikely to ever see it up close. Or maybe you will...
Creatures of darkness. Data is classified.
Soldiers of the New Light:
Soldiers. Armed with revolvers and don't wear armor.
Officers. Soldiers in armor, can be armed with primary weapons and revolvers in the early stages.
Commanders. Huge and armored enemies, armed with powerful primary weapons.
Swarm of Insects (Arena):
Soldier beetles. The weakest, but most numerous in waves. Their main attack is melee, but they can also spit acid if their target tries to take cover at a height.
Spitting beetles. Unable to fight in close range, they aim for their target from afar and accurately spit acid at them.
Bombardier beetles. Smaller species that try to jump closer to you, puff up, and spray everyone around with dangerous acid.
Tank beetles. Huge beetles covered in thick chitinous armor. They have all types of attacks and are extremely dangerous. Encountered in later waves of the arena.
We’ve dedicated a significant amount of time and effort into developing these features and hope you find them enjoyable. However, we are always open to feedback, so please don't hesitate to let us know your thoughts. While we're proud of what we've achieved so far, we're far from done working on Voidtrain yet.
And if that's not enough to get your engines revving, here comes a sneak peek of what to expect from Voidtrain on release. We've grouped all the latest improvements into easily digestible blocks, so you won't miss a thing.
Story
We've added a new backstory, a prologue, and the first chapter to the plotline, which follows a group of engineers who find themselves in the mysterious Void. Using a scientist's diary, the heroes venture forward into the unknown to unravel the mystery of this world and what has happened to them. The upcoming version of Voidtrain features unique locations, quests, cutscenes, and lore presented through narration, diary notes, and visuals.
Journal
The journal (or more accurately, the diary of a scientist) is where all the quests, notes, and everything related to the plot is stored. However, from a visual perspective, we have made it more immersive than a typical interface, and it is now literally a journal in your hands, where the character not only sees their progress in the quests, but also makes sketches, notes, and collects materials found during the story.
Game Balance
We have completely rebuilt the entire game progression and balance. This is reflected in the following aspects:
1) Progression is structured to introduce new mechanics or plot developments every game cycle, avoiding the frustration of stagnant gameplay bits and storylines.
2) Game balance has been improved by doubling resource stacks, reducing recipe costs, making moving objects on the train cost-free and rebalancing resources in the Void and other locations based on player feedback.
NPC system
If you've played Voidtrain, then you already know who Rofleemo are, but if not - they're cute, big-eyed creatures that become your pets at some point in the story. Due to their popularity, they will be expanded upon in the upcoming update into a full-fledged NPC system. Rofleemo will literally become part of the train team, able to move around it, take care of everyday tasks, and more actively influence the gameplay with their specialization and presence on the train. For instance, they’ll be capable of resource auto-collection, teleportation of chests, and applying buffs to players. Oh, and no more cells - Rofleemo will be free to live, eat, and dance on the train!
Depot Internal Parts Generator
Previously in the game, pre-made locations in the form of several unique depots were used. We have revised this approach and now use modular generation from prepared areas that adapts to the player's progression. Quest-related areas are connected via plot location modules, while regular areas use a variety of location modules. This generates more variability in both gameplay and visuals, making each depot experience unique. No longer will players have to prepare for the same location pattern, as the generator assembles locations differently each time with a chance, creating a more dynamic gaming experience.
On top of that, we've added a vending machine to the depot, where, if you are lucky enough, you can find the resource you need and exchange it for the one you don't.
Prophecy System
The core mechanic remains the same: find prophecies, apply them, and modify your path. Need more iron? Sure, but be ready for extra danger. Want more wood? The Void is generous, but it comes at a cost. We've improved the visual and narrative aspects of this balancing act, making it more engaging and immersive.
Enemy AI
We know that our audience has a demand for better in-game AI. And while the launch on Steam is not the end point for this area of work, we have made a number of improvements that will make battles even more interesting:
1) Added a new creature, the Tank Beetle, to the swarm of bugs on islands. 2) Improved AI, worked out wayfinding and navigation, and added new skills against multiple players for the swarm. 3) Reduced arenas to 5 waves and rebalanced battles for greater dynamics. 4) Made battles more challenging and added the Arena Master 5) Improved AI for soldiers at depots and outposts, including pathfinding, cover usage, hit reactions, and many other minor improvements that are part of the process of gradually improving the skills of opponents.
Shark
Separately from the general AI, it is worth noting this Void monster. We've improved its AI, which now builds a path to catch up with the player more accurately and observes their behavior before attacking. For future updates, we plan to introduce more mutations of the shark to make it an even more formidable predator.
Train Modules
The Steam release and new update bring expanded train modifications, including armor shields and battering rams. These upgrades will help you survive enemy train attacks and break through barriers on the tracks.
UI and gamepad support
We are constantly working to improve the control system, both for individual game mechanics through interfaces (improving their UX and visuals), as well as overall game controls, including support for gamepads.
Crossplay between Steam and EGS
If your friends have already purchased the game on EGS and you plan to buy Voidtrain on Steam, don't worry, as you will be able to easily synchronize and play in the same session as if you were playing on the same platform.
Localization of the game into new languages
We have translated the game to 11 languages so that more people around the world can embark on an exciting adventure on their own train!
Fixes and Optimization
The current public version of Voidtrain in EGS is 8678, while the version currently in the repository at the time of writing this sentence is 10679 - and this value increases every day. More than 2,000 commits with innovations, improvements, and fixes have been added to the project. Hundreds of bug reports have been taken into account in our daily work to improve the quality of Voidtrain. And although we understand that there will still be some shortcomings in the game's journey through Early Access, our small team is doing its best to ensure that our attentive and demanding players have fewer reasons to report bugs.
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Quite overwhelming, huh? We hope you’re as excited as we are! Be sure to add Voidtrain to your wishlist and bring your friends to play together on May 9 - we’ll be waiting for you in the vastness of the Void!
First of all, we would like to thank all of you who played the demo, provided feedback, and added the game to your wishlist. Voidtrain received over 150,000 new wishlists in just one week, which is something we couldn't have imagined. We greatly appreciate it! We are closely monitoring all of the feedback and have already begun incorporating the corresponding changes into the game, so your contribution cannot be overestimated.
At the same time, we understand that seven days might not be enough time for everyone to play, so the Voidtrain demo will remain available for an additional week, until February 20!
A quick reminder: your feedback is still very welcome - you can leave it either in the Steam Discussions or on our Discord server.
Be sure to wishlist the full game if you enjoyed the demo, and stay tuned - we’ll soon have something exciting to share with you again!
We wanted to keep our first Steam update in 2023 for the truly big news, and finally here it is: Voidtrain will take part in the Steam Next Fest, happening February 6 - 13 @ 10am PT! We will present a brand new demo, different from all the previous ones, as well as from the beginning of the version available elsewhere.
The new demo will take you around 45 minutes to beat, during which you can sample the core mechanics and encounter your first dangers. Besides, it can be played in online co-op - don't forget to invite your friends!
However, this demo version is just a small chunk of what awaits you in the full game that has been in development for more than 3 years. Get ready to build and customize your very own train from scratch, fight for your life against numerous enemies of various shapes and sizes, and explore the ever-changing Void full of mysteries, puzzles and unique spots!
More details regarding the release date are coming soon, so be sure to wishlist Voidtrain so as not to miss any important announcements. There is more to look forward to - stay tuned, and we’ll be right back!
We’re delighted to take part in the Steam Game Festival (June 16 - June 22), which is already live now! Throughout the event we've brought demos for each of the 8 games we are currently working on.
All of them are in different genres, settings and styles. You will surely find something that piques your interest! All the content available for Steam Summer Festival is free, some demos are long, some allow infinite play. Here is a little sneak peek of every title available.
Voidtrain
Voidtrain is a first-person action/survival game where you become a crew member of an interdimensional express. Build your own train, upgrade it, craft weapons and travel across different mysterious worlds full of outlandish creatures, Nazis and other dangers.
Voidtrain’s demo features a base loop of the game, where you’ll be able to travel between biomes on your train, gather resources to upgrade it and stop by interdimensional train depots filled with Nazis ought to be defeated.
Tunche is a charming, hand-drawn beat'em up hack and slash game with roguelike elements, co-op and a pinch of shaman witchcraft. Visit the amazonian jungle alone or together with your friends, choose one of the 5 unique characters and hack through hordes of enemies!
And if you like A Hat in Time, we got a big surprise for you — Hat Kid will be the 5th Playable Character in the game. Moreover, you’ll be able to test her in the demo!
Do you miss the golden era of Game Boy? Linked Mask is a 2D platformer that will make you reminiscent of the good old days, where a player has to overcome six towers, collect six masks containing elemental powers and ultimately conquer the Castle of the Primals. And there’s a chillingly cool soundtrack that will make your head bop as you traverse the deadly Towers!
Plunge into a VHS-era cyberpunk world of Jack Move, an RPG featuring japanese style turn based battles and gorgeous Hi-Bit pixel art. Take on the role of Noa, a vigilante hacker who is thrust into a world of murder, kidnapping and dark research after her father goes missing.
Black Book is a dark RPG Adventure based on Slavic mythology and featuring card-based combat. You will take on the role of Vasilisa, a young sorceress on a quest to revive her beloved one. In order to do so, she has to uncover all the 7 seals of Black Book — a demonic artefact, said to be powerful enough to grant any wish.
The demo features an essential part of the story — the First Day of Vasilisa becoming a witch. You’ll be able to test test the core game mechanics, battle regular demons and even test your strength in a fight against a boss.
There Is No Light is a pixel-art action adventure in a dark post-apocalyptic setting, which tells a story of a protagonist fighting against a fallen underground civilization and its appalling religious rituals.
In this demo you’ll be able to explore a small part of the game world. Visit a village, the existence of which remained unknown for a long time. Find out how people live in the underground world ruled by the Church of the Great Hand. Find your own playstyle by combining 3 available weapon types, so that eventually you can fight a giant boss Behemoth that gets in your way to freedom.
Tower Princess is a 3D roguelike action platformer where you'll have to beat a dungeon, defeat a dragon, rescue a princess/prince and manage a perfect date with them! There’s a wide variety of royalty members you can hit on — you’ll be able to find someone you like even if you’re not into humans.
The demo is a linear and brief sample of a run in one of the Castle's areas. It shows the visuals and the core gameplay of Tower Princess, but it's focused on the princess aid in combat, as without her help, you wouldn't stand a chance against the Evil Dragon. Are you ready to test yourself as a knight in shining armour?
SuchArt is a painting sim game featuring you being such an amazing artist. Really you rock, your latest DNA test is very positive about it. Now please paint, sell and expose your art from your new studio aboard the Space City. And don’t forget — the only limit is the size of your brush (or a flamethrower).
SuchArt demo features a separate room (a virtual studio instead of a real one you’ll get in the full game) with a limited amount of tools and an introductory part of the story. However, you’ll be able to test the core game mechanics and take a couple of commissions from virtual clients, which is already fun!