Jan 26, 2018
DUSK - El Oshcuro


It's been two weeks since we launched DUSK in Early Access - and as you've no doubt noticed - the response is now officially, undeniably, OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.

The team is ecstatic, thrilled and humbled - but this is no accident.

Those of you who have been here with us since day zero know that we've been building this game WITH YOU from the very beginning and that this outcome is the result of us building DUSK brick by brick, level by level, hup by hup with your feedback and guidance the entire time.

This is the result of never rushing, never stressing, and always communicating with YOU.

Because of YOU, people now know exactly the kind of game DUSK is, exactly the kind of player DUSK is for, and exactly just how legit it is at being both of those things.



So we're here to thank you once again. The reason this game is what it is and the reason we're here - is because of you.

But remember that THIS is only the beginning.

Work on Episode 3 continues and DUSKWorld multiplayer updates will keep coming during Early Access. New servers, new features, new fixes, new models, new maps, new modes, but the same old GLORIOUS gameplay.

But don't just expect updates: During Early Access we'll also be running DUSK single player contests, DUSKWorld multiplayer tournaments, and of course continue hosting community Frag Night every Friday.

Be sure to drop into Discord.gg/NewBlood for all the latest.

And while this may be the beginning... DUSK's full launch isn't even nearly the end.

We've got a LONG year ahead of us.

After we hit v1.0 it's time for the SDK, Steam Workshop, Co-op, Mac / Linux and more.

The sky is the limit as long as we have YOUR support. And so far it looks like we do ːDː

Know that we are equal parts proud, honored and humbled at the response DUSK has gotten.



BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE - For those of you who are spent on DUSK's first two episodes and crave even MORE retro FPS madness?

Well, you're in luck.

Our UNREAL ode to Heretic & Hexen - AMID EVIL - will be going into Early Access in the coming weeks with THREE out of SEVEN episodes and Endless Mode playable.

Damn, we haven't even announced that yet... but I guess we just did.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/673130/AMID_EVIL/

That's all for now, lurkers... see you... SOON ːLoreleiː
Jan 26, 2018
DUSK - El Oshcuro


It's been two weeks since we launched DUSK in Early Access - and as you've no doubt noticed - the response is now officially, undeniably, OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.

The team is ecstatic, thrilled and humbled - but this is no accident.

Those of you who have been here with us since day zero know that we've been building this game WITH YOU from the very beginning and that this outcome is the result of us building DUSK brick by brick, level by level, hup by hup with your feedback and guidance the entire time.

This is the result of never rushing, never stressing, and always communicating with YOU.

Because of YOU, people now know exactly the kind of game DUSK is, exactly the kind of player DUSK is for, and exactly just how legit it is at being both of those things.



So we're here to thank you once again. The reason this game is what it is and the reason we're here - is because of you.

But remember that THIS is only the beginning.

Work on Episode 3 continues and DUSKWorld multiplayer updates will keep coming during Early Access. New servers, new features, new fixes, new models, new maps, new modes, but the same old GLORIOUS gameplay.

But don't just expect updates: During Early Access we'll also be running DUSK single player contests, DUSKWorld multiplayer tournaments, and of course continue hosting community Frag Night every Friday.

Be sure to drop into Discord.gg/NewBlood for all the latest.

And while this may be the beginning... DUSK's full launch isn't even nearly the end.

We've got a LONG year ahead of us.

After we hit v1.0 it's time for the SDK, Steam Workshop, Co-op, Mac / Linux and more.

The sky is the limit as long as we have YOUR support. And so far it looks like we do :D:

Know that we are equal parts proud, honored and humbled at the response DUSK has gotten.



BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE - For those of you who are spent on DUSK's first two episodes and crave even MORE retro FPS madness?

Well, you're in luck.

Our UNREAL ode to Heretic & Hexen - AMID EVIL - will be going into Early Access in the coming weeks with THREE out of SEVEN episodes and Endless Mode playable.

Damn, we haven't even announced that yet... but I guess we just did.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/673130/AMID_EVIL/

That's all for now, lurkers... see you... SOON :Lorelei:
DUSK - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Adam Smith)

dusk1

A lot of people are comparing DUSK to Quake. They’re not wrong to do that; there are enough brown polygons and chunky weapons to bring back memories of nailguns, ogres and Trent Reznor’s ominous drones.

My mind turned to Blood though. DUSK begins with b-movie horror tropes as chainsaws whirr and cultists shriek threats, and from there it takes a tour through pretty much the whole of nineties shooters, as I remember them.

(more…)

DUSK - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Matt Cox)

Duskheader

Here’s a (partial) list of the things that explode in the early access trailer for David Szymanski’s retro FPS Dusk: demonic cattle, soldiers, cultists, wizards, skeletal moose and a zombie ghost farmer. As in, a farmer that looks like a zombie ghost – I’m not sure what he spends his time farming. Souls, probably.

Dusk released on early access last night. Dominic Tarason reports that the preview builds he’s played have excelled at scratching his old-school shooter itch, so this may well be one worth checking out.

(more…)

Jan 10, 2018
DUSK - El Oshcuro

It's been a long time.
It's been a long road.


But we are finally here.

Episode 1
Episode 2
DUSKWorld



Watch the trailer:
https://youtu.be/N7BS6P6rUZ4
Join the community

Discord.gg/NewBlood



And know that THIS is only the beginning...

Remember when DUSK was just a single pre-alpha level?
Remember when DUSK was just a single episode?
Remember when DUSKWorld only had a single map?
Remember when we didn't know you?
Remember when you didn't know us?


Seems like a lifetime ago... doesn't it?

But now we are here.

We are one.

NOW... go forth... and HUP

http://store.steampowered.com/app/519860/DUSK/
Jan 10, 2018
DUSK - El Oshcuro

It's been a long time.
It's been a long road.


But we are finally here.

Episode 1
Episode 2
DUSKWorld



Watch the trailer:
https://youtu.be/N7BS6P6rUZ4
Join the community

Discord.gg/NewBlood



And know that THIS is only the beginning...

Remember when DUSK was just a single pre-alpha level?
Remember when DUSK was just a single episode?
Remember when DUSKWorld only had a single map?
Remember when we didn't know you?
Remember when you didn't know us?


Seems like a lifetime ago... doesn't it?

But now we are here.

We are one.

NOW... go forth... and HUP

http://store.steampowered.com/app/519860/DUSK/
DUSK - Valve
DUSK is Now Available on Steam Early Access!

Battle through an onslaught of mystical backwater cultists, possessed militants & even darker forces as you attempt to discover just what lurks beneath the Earth in this retro FPS inspired by the '90s legends.
DUSK - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Dominic Tarason)

Dusk

Update: To clarify, if you buy the game now you’ll receive access to episode 1 & 2 immediately, although the episode 2 launch isn’t >officially> happening until January 11th, when everything moves to Early Access.

Between Devil Daggers, Strafe, and the seeming eternal renaissance of Quake & Doom modding, it feels like gaming as a whole has come to terms with the idea that 90s FPS design wasn’t an evolutionary point that we’ve moved past so much as its own genre, which many are still experimenting with to this day.

One of the most promising of this fresh wave of neo-retro shooters is Dusk from solo developer David Szymanski and published by New Blood Interactive. The game had already impressed many critics with its first episode (available to play now if you preorder), and as of January 11th, the second act of the game will officially launch as the game transitions into Early Access.

(more…)

Dec 24, 2017
DUSK - El Oshcuro

T'was the night before DUSKmas
And as you might know – DUSK isn't coming this year anymore.
Alas we are sorry - an actual delay - since at one point we did say it would be that way!


Anyway, enough of the rhymes - we're sorry but not TOO sorry. Because we bring good news...

DUSK: Episode 2 is DONE and DUSKWorld Multiplayer (as you should know) is currently in a very stable and fun closed beta. And we want to give them both to you. ALL of you. ASAP

But SOON™ isn't soon enough anymore. In fact, Valve called me a couple of weeks ago (yeah they do that) and asked what all this SOON™ nonsense was about. It was only kinda awkward.

So, after explaining to them where we were at in development and our plans for releasing the rest of the game, they suggested the best course of action was to put DUSK in Early Access.

Now, after discussing it with the team and our community, we're going to be doing just that.

DUSK will be entering Early Access on January 11th, 2018.



Now here are some things you might be asking yourself...

Oh God, Early Access - does this mean the game is never coming out?

Hah, no – DUSK is definitely coming out SOON. Literally. Within the next few months.

What will be included in the game on January 11th?

Episode 1, Episode 2, Endless Arena 1, Endless Arena 2, DuskWorld Multiplayer Open Beta

I already own DUSK, do I need to buy anything else?

No.

Is the price going to change?

Nope. $20 then, $20 now, $20 forever.

Are you guys out of money?

Nah, but if you want to give us some that's cool...

So why didn't you put the game in Early Access originally?

Good question! In hindsight we probably should have. But back in August we naively thought we would have the game finished a few months after pre-orders went live and also that we didn't need Early Access to test the game.

We were very wrong. Well, not very wrong - but pretty wrong.

We also didn't anticipate just how many people would want and love the game.

There are currently about 7,500 people who have DUSK and 30,000 more wishing for it.

And while we've been doing a good job of testing the game internally and with our community (sup), if even 1/3 of those people jump into DUSK & DuskWorld on Day 1 and we're not prepared?

It could be catastrophic.

DUSK deserves better than a bad launch. And we know better than to let that happen.



Ok, so why Early Access NOW?

Well, by opening the game up to more people in Early Access – we'll be able to get all the DUSKWorld testing we need on a larger scale, give you Episode 2 sooner than later (why not) and also finally allow DUSK to start being seen on the Steam store as a purchasable game with user reviews plus possibly get promotion from Valve – all of which is super important for an indie game.

We'll also finally get to merge all the separate DUSK apps into one which will make our lives and yours so much simpler, don't ya think?

Also - when we weighed the pros and cons of putting DUSK into Early Access? There really was no downside. We get more players, more testers, more sales, more of a presence on the Steam store, and more love from you (we hope) for giving you more content.

The only downside to Early Access is that it has somewhat of a soiled reputation because of games that have abused the model, languished in it for eternity, or never lived up to promises.



Plus admittedly – we really liked the idea of the game being done “When It's Done” - but we've learned that's really just not how things work these days. Not if you want to continually grow your player base and build trust with them (hi guys).

Yet for every Early Access horror story, there are great triumphs.
Don't Starve, Darkest Dungeon, Grim Dawn and Divinity: OS 2 come to mind.

We also think it's safe to say that given the amount of content we've already put out, plus the amount of communication and transparency we've given to you during development (sup) – DUSK is certainly going to be an Early Access game done right.

And it won't be in EA for long. We promise.

Plus it's not like the game would come out any sooner if we didn't put it in Early Access. You'd just be waiting. Which seems silly at this point. You DO want Episode 2 and Multiplayer... right?!



Gotcha, so did DuskWorld slow down DUSK single player development?

Nope. DUSKWorld is being developed by other members of the New Blood fam (Hi Scott & Cam)

Did AMID EVIL slow development down?

No. completely different devs (Ayo Leon!)

DID anything slow DUSK development down?

Not really – but we don't rush. Oh and David and his wife had a baby (Hi Lavender!) Plus, after the release of Episode 1 the expectations for DUSK were raised SIGNIFICANTLY. The hype became real. It was pretty scary, but in a good way.

In fact, at one point David asked if I wanted to bring in more people to help him build the single player campaign and I said HELL NO.

This is HIS game and Episode 3 is being built just like Episode 1 and 2 were. This is his baby.

Well... his second baby. And I won't rush him or stress him (any more than I have to)



Ok - so what's left to finish after Early Access for the full launch?

Episode 3, Endless Arena 3, DUSKWorld Multiplayer v1.0, achievements/trading cards, etc

And what's planned for AFTER the full launch?

The DAWN SDK, Steam Workshop, Co-op?, Mac, Linux and who knows what else!

It's gonna be a long year.

Fair enough... But I pre-ordered the game in 2017? ...What do I get?!

Good point. We love those of you who were already willing to give us your hard earned money the most - so to thank you for being there for us on DAY ZERO...

We will be upgrading everyone who pre-ordered the game before Christmas to the Digital Collector's Edition of DUSK for FREE.

Yes, that means you will be getting the DUSK 40 page Digital Comic & Original Soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult (The $30 version of the game) completely FREE.

We think that's a pretty good way of saying thank you.

But don't thank us for being so generous. Thank Andrew for agreeing to literally give away thousands of copies of his OST for free. He really is that dude. May he be praised.

Whatever, I'm tired of waiting for this game and I want my money back!

That's cool, too – you can still refund DUSK at any time since it's still a pre-order – but we hope you'll be back when the full game launches.



Anything else?

I mean, we could just continue on as-is and not put the game in Early Access and just keep you all waiting until the full release - but at this point we think it would be not only detrimental to the game, but unfair to all of you who've been waiting for more DUSK.

So! We hope you're as stoked to get your hands on Episode 2 & DUSKWorld as we are to give it to you. In less than 3 weeks from now. Sooner than SOON™

Here's a TL:DR

DUSK goes into Early Access on January 11th, 2018 and it includes:
  • Episode 1
  • Episode 2
  • Endless Arena 1
  • Endless Arena 2
  • DuskWorld Multiplayer Open Beta
If you already own DUSK?! You'll be getting the Collector's Edition for free.

If you don't yet own DUSK?! This will all cost you $20, same as always.

If you just want to wait for the full game to be out? That's cool, we love you anyway.

Merry DUSKmas, We'll see you all in 2018!

Ya know... SOON™

Chur \m/

The DuskDudes



P.S – You know maybe if you pray real hard, wish on a shooting star, and leave some bacon and soap out for Santa... they'll be a surprise in your stocking in the morning...
Dec 24, 2017
DUSK - El Oshcuro

T'was the night before DUSKmas
And as you might know – DUSK isn't coming this year anymore.
Alas we are sorry - an actual delay - since at one point we did say it would be that way!


Anyway, enough of the rhymes - we're sorry but not TOO sorry. Because we bring good news...

DUSK: Episode 2 is DONE and DUSKWorld Multiplayer (as you should know) is currently in a very stable and fun closed beta. And we want to give them both to you. ALL of you. ASAP

But SOON™ isn't soon enough anymore. In fact, Valve called me a couple of weeks ago (yeah they do that) and asked what all this SOON™ nonsense was about. It was only kinda awkward.

So, after explaining to them where we were at in development and our plans for releasing the rest of the game, they suggested the best course of action was to put DUSK in Early Access.

Now, after discussing it with the team and our community, we're going to be doing just that.

DUSK will be entering Early Access on January 11th, 2018.



Now here are some things you might be asking yourself...

Oh God, Early Access - does this mean the game is never coming out?

Hah, no – DUSK is definitely coming out SOON. Literally. Within the next few months.

What will be included in the game on January 11th?

Episode 1, Episode 2, Endless Arena 1, Endless Arena 2, DuskWorld Multiplayer Open Beta

I already own DUSK, do I need to buy anything else?

No.

Is the price going to change?

Nope. $20 then, $20 now, $20 forever.

Are you guys out of money?

Nah, but if you want to give us some that's cool...

So why didn't you put the game in Early Access originally?

Good question! In hindsight we probably should have. But back in August we naively thought we would have the game finished a few months after pre-orders went live and also that we didn't need Early Access to test the game.

We were very wrong. Well, not very wrong - but pretty wrong.

We also didn't anticipate just how many people would want and love the game.

There are currently about 7,500 people who have DUSK and 30,000 more wishing for it.

And while we've been doing a good job of testing the game internally and with our community (sup), if even 1/3 of those people jump into DUSK & DuskWorld on Day 1 and we're not prepared?

It could be catastrophic.

DUSK deserves better than a bad launch. And we know better than to let that happen.



Ok, so why Early Access NOW?

Well, by opening the game up to more people in Early Access – we'll be able to get all the DUSKWorld testing we need on a larger scale, give you Episode 2 sooner than later (why not) and also finally allow DUSK to start being seen on the Steam store as a purchasable game with user reviews plus possibly get promotion from Valve – all of which is super important for an indie game.

We'll also finally get to merge all the separate DUSK apps into one which will make our lives and yours so much simpler, don't ya think?

Also - when we weighed the pros and cons of putting DUSK into Early Access? There really was no downside. We get more players, more testers, more sales, more of a presence on the Steam store, and more love from you (we hope) for giving you more content.

The only downside to Early Access is that it has somewhat of a soiled reputation because of games that have abused the model, languished in it for eternity, or never lived up to promises.



Plus admittedly – we really liked the idea of the game being done “When It's Done” - but we've learned that's really just not how things work these days. Not if you want to continually grow your player base and build trust with them (hi guys).

Yet for every Early Access horror story, there are great triumphs.
Don't Starve, Darkest Dungeon, Grim Dawn and Divinity: OS 2 come to mind.

We also think it's safe to say that given the amount of content we've already put out, plus the amount of communication and transparency we've given to you during development (sup) – DUSK is certainly going to be an Early Access game done right.

And it won't be in EA for long. We promise.

Plus it's not like the game would come out any sooner if we didn't put it in Early Access. You'd just be waiting. Which seems silly at this point. You DO want Episode 2 and Multiplayer... right?!



Gotcha, so did DuskWorld slow down DUSK single player development?

Nope. DUSKWorld is being developed by other members of the New Blood fam (Hi Scott & Cam)

Did AMID EVIL slow development down?

No. completely different devs (Ayo Leon!)

DID anything slow DUSK development down?

Not really – but we don't rush. Oh and David and his wife had a baby (Hi Lavender!) Plus, after the release of Episode 1 the expectations for DUSK were raised SIGNIFICANTLY. The hype became real. It was pretty scary, but in a good way.

In fact, at one point David asked if I wanted to bring in more people to help him build the single player campaign and I said HELL NO.

This is HIS game and Episode 3 is being built just like Episode 1 and 2 were. This is his baby.

Well... his second baby. And I won't rush him or stress him (any more than I have to)



Ok - so what's left to finish after Early Access for the full launch?

Episode 3, Endless Arena 3, DUSKWorld Multiplayer v1.0, achievements/trading cards, etc

And what's planned for AFTER the full launch?

The DAWN SDK, Steam Workshop, Co-op?, Mac, Linux and who knows what else!

It's gonna be a long year.

Fair enough... But I pre-ordered the game in 2017? ...What do I get?!

Good point. We love those of you who were already willing to give us your hard earned money the most - so to thank you for being there for us on DAY ZERO...

We will be upgrading everyone who pre-ordered the game before Christmas to the Digital Collector's Edition of DUSK for FREE.

Yes, that means you will be getting the DUSK 40 page Digital Comic & Original Soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult (The $30 version of the game) completely FREE.

We think that's a pretty good way of saying thank you.

But don't thank us for being so generous. Thank Andrew for agreeing to literally give away thousands of copies of his OST for free. He really is that dude. May he be praised.

Whatever, I'm tired of waiting for this game and I want my money back!

That's cool, too – you can still refund DUSK at any time since it's still a pre-order – but we hope you'll be back when the full game launches.



Anything else?

I mean, we could just continue on as-is and not put the game in Early Access and just keep you all waiting until the full release - but at this point we think it would be not only detrimental to the game, but unfair to all of you who've been waiting for more DUSK.

So! We hope you're as stoked to get your hands on Episode 2 & DUSKWorld as we are to give it to you. In less than 3 weeks from now. Sooner than SOON™

Here's a TL:DR

DUSK goes into Early Access on January 11th, 2018 and it includes:
  • Episode 1
  • Episode 2
  • Endless Arena 1
  • Endless Arena 2
  • DuskWorld Multiplayer Open Beta
If you already own DUSK?! You'll be getting the Collector's Edition for free.

If you don't yet own DUSK?! This will all cost you $20, same as always.

If you just want to wait for the full game to be out? That's cool, we love you anyway.

Merry DUSKmas, We'll see you all in 2018!

Ya know... SOON™

Chur \m/

The DuskDudes



P.S – You know maybe if you pray real hard, wish on a shooting star, and leave some bacon and soap out for Santa... they'll be a surprise in your stocking in the morning...
...