I appreciate all of your reports regarding a controller bug that came with 1.2 Update. In some cases, the bug made it impossible to play the game with controllers that were supported in the previous build. My sincere apologies for this blunder - lesson learned. I'll do my best to prevent issues like that from happening in the future.
Patch Notes
As we spend much-needed time with in-depth testing of the PS4 (and other) controllers, I want to offer you a quick fix: this patch will bring back the system that had already worked, so currently X Box One / X Box 360 (both wired and wireless) should work correctly.
When using a controller, now you can exit the inventory with the B button (previously, the only way to exit the inventory was to select an empty slot or click Select).
For keyboard users, now you can navigate the pause menu with either ASWD + E or with arrows + enter, regardless of what control scheme is currently chosen. This has been requested multiple times and I'm happy to make it happen in this patch.
You may find that non-X Box controllers might work as well (if they share X Box key mapping), but we haven't tested them with the current build and cannot guarantee anything but X Box controllers to work correctly at this time.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we continue to improve & test our input system. We'll do our best to add support for more controllers once we have the opportunity to test things properly.
Most importantly, thank you all for the warm reception of the DLC - it means the world to me.
I'm excited to announce that today marks the release of "The Tower" - a free DLC that I'm so thrilled to share with you.
How to play "The Tower"
This DLC requires a 1.2 Update (or higher), so make sure your DARQ build is up to date. When in doubt, you can verify the version you have in the pause menu (upper-right corner). The 1.2 build has DLC section in the pause menu:
Before running DARQ, make sure that the DLC is marked as "Enabled / Installed" on your DLC list.
In DARQ, go to the Pause Menu and enter the DLC section - you'll be able to access the list of available DLC's. It's one for now, but we've already started working on the second one, which as promised, will be free as well.
Hope you enjoy this level! A lot of hard work and heart went into it. I can't wait to hear from you. Consider writing a review or leaving a comment - all feedback means a lot to me and helps me improve the game.
P.S.: If you encounter any issues with controllers, please know I'm already on it and will be patching it up shortly.
Special 50% Discount
Recently I've received a number of comments mentioning that the price point for DARQ is a bit too high when it comes to the amount of content offered. Message received. In addition to this free DLC (and future free expansions), DARQ is now temporarily being offered at a half price, so even more people can (hopefully) enjoy it. If you recently purchased the game at a full price, you can request a refund and re-purchase it at the discounted price. Please consider spreading the word about this promotion, or if you can afford it, gifting the game to your friends who might enjoy it. It would help accelerate the production of the second free DLC.
Thank You
Big credit and much gratitude goes to Davide Pellino and Felipe Torrents (3d artists), Bjørn Jacobsen (sound designer who was just nominated for a Game Audio Award for this very game), Kelsey Haley (2d artist), our incredible team of translators (all listed individually in the game's end credits), and all of YOU who purchased this game - it's thanks to you the creation of this DLC was possible.
1.2 Update is now out!Make sure you update the game before you play "The Tower" DLC, (which launches tomorrow).
Notes:
This update introduces 4 achievements. Two of them you can unlock in this update even today, as you wait for the DLC release. The other two are unlockable in the DLC (tomorrow) and their description will show up as the DLC releases.
Perceptive Trigger 3secretencounters with the bag-headed boy. To clarify, the secret encounters required to unlock this achievement are different from those triggered automatically as you progress through the game. Some of those are well hidden.
Off Camera Solve the rotating camera puzzle (on the train level) before the camera completes the first rotation. Fair warning: this is difficult. Easily the most difficult achievement to unlock in the game.
PS4 controller support EDIT: I've received some feedback about controller detection issue. I just released a 1.2.1 patch that fixes it, but PS4 controller will need a bit more time to be implemented properly. Sorry about the inconvenience.
Danish language is now available from the settings menu. We're working on implementing Arabic, which should be available in the next update. If you want DARQ to be available in your language and it's missing, request it in the comments!
Minor bug fixes. Thank you for reporting bugs and being patient as we address all issues that come up.
DLC functionality - you will be able to play "The Tower" DLC as soon as it becomes available tomorrow. Make sure it's marked as "Installed" on your DLC list. Once it is, you can play the level by accessing it from the pause menu.
The default control scheme for keyboard has been changed to ASWD + E. The game will remember your previous choice if it wasn't ASWD + E.
"The Tower" is launching tomorrow, on Steam and GOG, expect it the morning of Pacific Time Zone. Can't wait to see you all play it!
It's been a while since the last update, and I wanted to be transparent with you all and let you know about what's happening. My intention was to release the first DLC by the end of 2019, but due to unexpected family emergency I have to postpone its launch (as a reminder, we're still a very small development team and most of the work is done by one person - me). My sincere apologies to those who were looking forward to playing the first DLC in 2019. "The Tower" expansion is pretty much finished and only needs a bit more work when it comes to Steam and GOG integration, as well as some extra testing. But my life is a bit too overwhelming at the moment and I'd rather come back to it when I can give it my full attention, so the new content is as good as it can be.
I'll be trying to release the first DLC "The Tower" around March, and the second one shortly after. As promised before, both DLC will be free. I have some more exciting news to announce around that time as well.
Happy 2020 to all of you and thank you for your understand and all the support you've shown so far!
A few people have posted comments about nominating DARQ for a Steam Award. Thank you so much for your vote of confidence and all your support, it truly means a lot to me! If you haven't voted yet, please consider nominating DARQ for one of those awards - it would be a dream come true for me to see DARQ get a nomination.
DLC Update
I'm excited to say that the first DLC ("The Tower") is almost finished. This turned out to be quite an ambitious project - it's currently the largest level in the game. Here's a little sneak peek into the development / modeling:
I (and a small team of contractors) am aiiming to finish it before the end of the year. I'm so excited to show it to you. As promised, all DLC's will be available for free. One more DLC will follow early next year. Although DLC's will be slightly more challenging than the rest of the game, playing them will not require finishing the main campaign.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and thank you for your ongoing support!
Thanks to the overwhelming support we've received from the community we were able to expand the team and begin production of the first DLC. Since the recent update we've been hard at work on the first expansion: "The Tower."
We'll be able to announce the release date soon. The DLC will launch quite soon though, so it won't be a long wait! As promised, this and future DLC's will be free for all of you to enjoy.
Here's a sneak peek from "The Tower:"
Upcoming Patch
Although we're hard at work on the DLC, we're going to continue to release patches and provide customer support as needed. Once we're done with the DLC, we're going to release a patch that will add support for more controllers, fix a few minor bugs, and add 1 extra language: Danish.
Bonus
We have something for you to make the wait more fun. Here's a download link to:
13 DARQ wallpapers
2 music tracks: one from the game's end credits and one that didn't make it to the final build (it was never released publicly before). Both tracks were recorded with Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Thank you for your patience as we were preparing this update. There's a few more things left on our to-list that we're currently addressing (thank you for reporting issues and suggesting improvements). More updates will follow.
Update Notes:
Controller
In addition to Steam Controller, DARQ now supports X-Box One and X-Box 360 controllers, both wired and wireless.
Now running can be triggered by both RT and L3 (pressing the left stick)
The game can now be unpaused with "B" Button
Now both "X" and "A" buttons can be used in the pause menu
Please note: we'll be releasing more updates soon that will add support for more controllers - the list of all supported controllers will be kept up to date in the System Requirements section.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
Reloading chapters no longer resets brightness
Train Level: dying while picking up the dynamite no longer disables the inventory / prevents from picking up the dynamite again. Sorry if you experienced this bug!
Hospital Level: now the screw cannot be moved when out of view
Cave Level: Fixed the bug that caused the wrap-head monster to appear too early in some cases (in the last section of the level)
Improved edge walking in stealth mode
More improvements are coming soon! Now that the overwhelming launch period has passed, we'll be able to address issues and improve the game a lot faster. Thank you so much for your feedback so far!
If you have any further requests, issues, or suggestions, the best way to reach us is by email: support@unfoldgames.org
The amount of support DARQ has received from the community has been incredible. I didn't expect my blog post (Why I turned down exclusivity deal from the Epic Store) to result in so much good will and support. Please know that I don't take any of it for granted and I'm truly grateful. Unfold Games will always be on the side of its customers.
Upcoming Patch
We've been working on a patch that will add support for more controllers and fix a few bugs. Big Thank You to the community for providing feedback and reporting issues, as well as your patience - the patch should be out in a few days.
Surprise Announcement
The feedback we've received has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a dream come true for a first-time developer. Something that has been mentioned quite a lot since the launch is that DARQ could use a few extra levels. Message received! I'm excited to announce that we're planning to release additional levels for DARQ later this year. To acknowledge all the support we've received from the community and express our grattitude, DARQ DLC's will be available for free.
Hey dreamers! The launch day is almost here! DARQ will launch tomorrow, August 15th at 10am ET! Thank you everybody for wishlisting the game and patiently waiting for its release. We couldn't be more excited to share this game with you all.
Launch AMA
Two hours after the launch, at 12pm ET, the developer of DARQ will be answering questions in the AMA format on reddit, in r/Games. Stop by if you have any questions or just want to chat!
Frequently asked questions
Does DARQ support a controller? Yes, DARQ supports X Box Controller and is configured to work with Steam Controller as well.
Does DARQ have soundtrack? Although we recently made an announcement about DARQ soundtrack, in the end we realized that the game needs very little music. Most of it was removed from the final build, as it makes the game better. We might release all the music that didn't make it to the game at a later date, for free.
What can I do to support the project & its developers? It would mean a lot to us if you leave a Steam review after playing the game.
Is there technical support? Yes. We worked very hard to ensure a bug-free experience on launch and according to the reviews, DARQ plays well, is well optimized and stable. It's not unusual however to miss a few bugs on launch, and we're totally ready to address any issues, if any, immediately. You can report bugs in the community forum or email us at support@unfoldgames.org - if there are any issues with the game, you have our word that they will be addressed instantly.
Thank you for following this project, this really means the world to us! Exciting day tomorrow!