https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qluG68Xtovo
It's here!

Update 16 adds the following awesome things:

• Achievements!
  
• Emotes!
  
• Skins!
  
• Co-op Challenges!
  
• A variety of Co-op focused improvements!

Let's break it down!


We've added 43 new achievements!
They are a mix of delightful small things like kicking a kickbot, to major accomplishments like defeating Story Mode on Insane Difficulty.

Each new achievement unlocks either a robot Skin or an Emote, letting you enhance your multiplayer presence in delightful ways.



You can see a list of all achievements here: https://steamcommunity.com/stats/597170/achievements


Ever since we added multiplayer we've received requests for being able to communicate with your fellow players. Emotes is the answer.

With a default set letting you say Hello, Goodbye, Where is the Water? etc you can let your fellow humans know you see them right away.

The real fun begins once you unlock the ones hidden behind the new Achievements. Flap your arms like a bird, or dance delightfully across the arena floor on your way to victory.




No, not human skins! Why would you THINK THAT??

Unlock a variety of cool robot models that you can customize by selecting your favorite color. By the power of voxel technology, all the game's robots are given new life along with a new color scheme.




Now you have even more ways to co-operate with your fellow humans. Tackle one of the game's many Challenges together!



We've also added a brand new Co-op exclusive challenge in the form of the One Weapon Challenge, where each human must specialize in only one weapon.


In addition to all of the above we've added:

• More upgrades bots for co-op matches!
  
• An AFK timer that automatically teleports slow moving players to the elevator.
  
• Quick Join buttons that check all game modes to quickly find a match where players are needed.
  
• Overhauled the settings menu to finally use tabs.
  
• All swords now glow with the favorite color of your robot!
  
• Improved spear collisions at close distances.
  
• Increased the cost of Spear and Shield in Last Bot Standing to 2 points each.
  
• Removed public matchmaking from Duels. With a finite amount of players and the addition of co-op challenges we decided it was time to remove it in order to emphasize the other game modes. Private Duels still work.

This was a massive update, and we want to thank everyone who played the beta and gave feedback and support along the way!

Do you have thoughts on the new features and changes? Let us know in the comments! :D

What are you doing on Tuesday, human?

We're launching the next big update to the game, adding Emotes, Achievements, Co-op Challenges and more!

Dance like a robot, flap your arms like a bird or enquire about the location of water like a human, the moment is fast approaching when all these things will be possible!

See you then! :)

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Quick note:
The new Achievements are now live on Steam, but before Tuesday you can only get them in the Experimental branch.

We're putting them live now in order to make sure they all work for the launch!

Hello human!

Are you having a good consciousness cycle? Drinking enough water? We have news!



Soon you will be able to communicate with other humans, via the brand new Emote System.
Perform provocative dances, exchange greetings, or inquire about the location of water - We have got you covered!

We are expanding the achievements in the game in a big way.
From smaller things like killing robots in a certain way, to bigger things like beating Story Mode on INSANE, we're adding a ton of achievements!



In addition to giving you normal Steam Achievements, the new achievements will also play a big role in unlocking Emotes. We were originally going to build this at a later date, but the synergy with Emotes was too hard to resist! :)

Do you find the Challenges of the game... challenging? Bring your friends!
In addition to the original single player challenges we're adding some brand new co-op exclusive ones.

Another big focus for this update is responding to your feedback on co-op:

• AFK Timers: Humans who don't move will no longer be able to stop a co-op game in its tracks, but will be gently placed in the elevator.
• MOAR Upgrade Bots! The polite waiting in line is over! Prepare for an upgrade room with an Upgrade Bot for everyone.
• Stability and Bugs: We're also continuing the work of hunting down terrible bugs and fixing them. Let us know what you find!

When is all this coming?? Soon!™

In the meantime, you can always go poke Erik LIVE to see what's in progress, and let us know your best ideas for new Achievements!

Face the Danger Zone with your friends (or strange humans you find on the internet)!
Co-op lets you experience the joy of Team Work in Endless Mode.

The higher end of Endless Mode just got a lot more difficult.
Behold the terror of the terrifying Laser Raptor and Mark 5 robots in the Uranium and Insanium difficulties!



Every single arena level has been revamped to match the beautiful new Arena!
Want to see what I'm talking about? The new Title Screen has a thing for that:

https://youtu.be/Zy35zrpFCoM

We've got a new version of the Twitch Extension out, with a lot of neat additions. Let us know what you think! :)

This was a big update, but we have a few more things we want to do before moving on from co-op:

• Split Screen - We hear you, humans. This is currently the most requested feature, and we're gonna see if it's possible!
• Emotes - Turns out hugging WAS important. Emotes coming soon!
• Challenges - Beyond Endless Mode, you'll soon be able to play Challenges in Co-op!
• You tell us! - One of the joys of having a small, nimble team is that we can react to your feedback! Let us know what you think is missing from co-op and we might look into it. :)

Expect another co-op centric update in the next few weeks!

After that: Translating the game --> ??? ---> Chapter 5! ---> Profit!

Co-op is coming next Thursday, September 5th!

Grab your favorite friend, sibling, twin, clone or machine learning algorithm and see you then!

We're baaaaaaaaaack! We've been working on some awesome stuff the last few weeks, so figured it's high time for an update post!


Following up on the new Arena design detailed in our last preview, the upgrade room and spawn areas are being given face-lifts of their own.

Can you spot the difference?



The TVs now also show a preview of the next level!


Clone Drone is "TOO EASY", you say? Well, now you've done it. We're adding two new difficulty tiers: Uranium and Insanium. Good luck.


As part of the all-new Arena design detailed in our last preview, we're working through all of the existing endless levels and enhancing them with the power of awesome new art and the last two year's worth of level editor improvements.









We'll be including a Twitch Extension update alongside the next update, and will be starting a beta test of the extension before then. Shoot us an email with your Twitch stream URL and we will send along a link to the experimental beta extension once it's approved for testing by Twitch (late this week or early next week, hopefully!).

The updated Twitch Extension will feature:

• a new Enemy Spawn Queue in the extension will let viewers see exactly which enemies will be spawned next and their current position in line. No more trying to time your spawns for the next round or "maximum enemies have been spawned this round!" warnings!
• for Twitch Affiliate/Partner players, you can now use Bits from the extension to cheer for the streamer on top of your enemies. There will also be an optional "Bits-Only Mode" for large streams
• Level Editor: new ability to mark your Endless levels as "Twitch-only" or "Exclude from Twitch". (These won't require re-beating the level, so will be easier to toggle on and off)
• Level Editor: new TwitchSpawnPoint objects that allow for more viewer spawns per round and configuration of where different types of viewer enemies should be spawned
• instead of just some enemies being viewer-driven, ALL enemies will be dynamically spawned by the audience. If not enough viewer spawns are available, the game will automatically spawn enemies for you.

These features are still under heavy development, and during the beta will require using a separate test Twitch Extension app, so wait for the extension beta instructions if you'd like to try it early!


We've been having a blast playing co-op, and these arena and level changes have been making it all the more fun.



As always, Doborog is streaming development live on Twitch! https://twitch.tv/doborog

As we noted last time, on the stream page you can also find a link to access the latest experimental builds, which include progress on co-op and the new arena. (As the description notes — these builds are under heavy development and will contain lots of bugs! So proceed with caution :D)

We are aiming to release the co-op update before the end of August. It's going to be a big update!

Until then!!

Happpppy Summerrrr! We've been hard at work on some fun new things for our next major update, so we figured now would be a good time to share some peeks at what's in store.


Co-op has been one of our most requested features since we added multiplayer support last year. Now that we've started building it, we get it -- it's really fun! For the past few weeks we've been working through the various parts of endless mode to make them multiplayer co-op compatible.



Co-op places you and a partner in the arena for some tag-team robot slicing. Clones are shared, and if you run out, your partner's last-ditch combat may be the only thing standing between glory and humiliating defeat.

Our initial "tests" are revealing Co-op is a great mode to play with a friend and jam on for a few hours. Yes... "tests"... (we may have become a bit addicted...)


Gary has been applying his voxel skills to refresh the Arena!



Ooh... pretty!



The audience! What is this?



They're doing the SIN() wave!


As part of upgrading spiders-tron to work well in multiplayer for Co-op, we're making their legs smarter! Gone are the days of spider-tron falling over at the slightest gust of wind.



What wonderful inverse kinematics!


We <3 Twitch mode! It's been a while since our last major Twitch-related update, so this update we will be doing a refresh of Twitch mode and the Twitch Extension. If there's something you'd like to see in Twitch mode, now's a great time to let us know, too!

If you're a Twitch streamer and interested in trying out betas of the extension update, email us with your Twitch stream URL and we will get you hooked up to try the latest!


Did you know?! Doborog has been streaming co-op development daily! If you would like to follow along with the latest, check out the Twitch stream here: https://twitch.tv/doborog

On the stream page you can also find a link to access the latest experimental builds, which include progress on co-op and the new arena. (As the description notes -- these builds are under heavy development and will contain lots of bugs! So proceed with caution :D)

We're expecting to ship this update some time in August, and will share more on release as it's closer to complete.

Until next time!

Holy cow, Chapter 4 was a big update!

Between the new enemies, mind transfer mechanic and spear / shield, we decided to put together a quick mini-release to add these elements throughout the game. (We also took this as an opportunity to do some extra bug fixing and optimization!)


Spears and shields... over the network?!?! Yes!



The basic spear costs 1 upgrade point, which introduces many opportunities for interesting spear-combination builds.

All out of upgrade points? There is now also a Max Spear drop in Last Bot Standing!


This update adds a fresh batch of endless levels that feature the new enemies introduced in chapter 4. You'll find these levels are chock-full of spear and fleet command / analysis bots.



Look for these levels in Endless and Twitch modes (and in the workshop challenge below). Keep your head down!


We released an updated Twitch extension (0.0.7) with the new enemies from chapter 4.



We also:

• Updated the Twitch extension's "Allow Access" hint to reflect Twitch's new layout
• Updated the "Configuration" page with extra helpful getting started steps and support for Dark Mode
• Enabled spawning kick bots on flame raptors from the extension, since we hear it is "the ultimate troll move"

No longer must you fear lava causing the game to grind to a jittery halt! (Now you can fear it just because it might set you on fire...)




Not a fan of garbage? There is now a setting to limit the amount of robot garbage the game keeps around the level. This is especially useful for Twitch Mode, or other custom levels with tons of enemies.




We decided Chapters 3 and 4 are levels so big, they deserve their own dedicated loading bars. Now you can cheer on your computer while the bar fills up!


You can now enable any of the following in your workshop challenges:

• Mind Transfer mode
• Random Upgrade mode
• Greatswords for all
• Armor for all

Set these in the Level Editor under Challenges -> Config! We are looking forward to seeing what folks make with these new modifiers!


To demonstrate the Random Upgrade modifier for Workshop Challenges, Doborog put together a Random Upgrade Challenge 2.0 workshop challenge that features new endless mode maps from this update (including Death Cube 3.0)!



Subscribe on the Steam Workshop and play the challenge it under Challenges -> Workshop!

We hope you enjoy this update, & up next: Co-op!!

What is your status, human? Let us tell you of our status!

We just pushed a small update that fixed a few things:

• Workshop uploading: To upload levels to the workshop you must accept the Steam Subscriber agreement. The level editor now helpfully tells you about that instead of silently not uploading your level.
• Chapter 4 bugs: We fixed a number of issues where it was possible to transfer your mind into enemies that were not active and end up in a bugged out state.

Let us know if you find any other bugs!

(Edit: Someone found another bug and we fixed that in 0.14.0.108)

 
Chapter 4 added a ton of new features, so before we move on we want to make sure they get a chance to spread to other parts of the game!

We're putting together a fun little update that will:

• Add the spear and MAX SPEAR drops to Last Bot Standing!
• Add new enemy types to Endless Levels!
• Add new enemy types to the Twitch Extension!

Look for it in the next 2-3 weeks!



 
Wouldn't it be cool if you could fight robots with your friends?
We think so too, which is why we're tackling co-op as the next major update to the game!!!



What do you want out of a co-op experience? Is hugging important? Let us know!

Wait no longer, Chapter 4 has arrived!


With your mind now transferred into the Fleet, make your way through one of the fleet's most heavily armed ships.



With no Clones or business transfer stations in the Fleet, you're going to need a backup plan. Mind Transfer gives you a lifeline and opportunity to fight as a variety of enemies.




Stab enemies in the face with the new laser spear! The spear rewards precisely aimed stabs, and just feels dang satisfying.



Spears are now available as an upgrade in endless mode, the Spear Only challenge (which unlocks the Flame Spear), and in a number of enemies you can transfer in to in Chapter 4.


Grab your gravity boots, we're going outside! Chapter 4 features zero gravity combat, which makes for beautiful floating bouquets of voxel destruction.




One of the major innovations in the development of Chapter 4 is the addition of a Level Editor Animation System. This is also available for use by level editors! Check out this demo video with some more details on how to use it!




This chapter is our first since the talented Gary Lucken joined the team! Gary's incredible voxel art is featured heavily throughout chapter 4.





Pretty!


Look who's talking too! Combat robots in Chapter 4 feature a primitive voice system that allows for dynamic commentary. (This is also now available for use in the level editor!)


Chapter 4 features a number of new enemies, culminating in an epic battle with some fresh new faces. Good luck!




In the Mind Transfer challenge, death is only the beginning. Can you make it to Titanium armed only with the ability to transfer your mind into enemies??



The Spear-Only Challenge puts your spear skills to the test. Beating it unlocks the flame spear.




Today we've already released some bug hotfixes, but if you encounter anything / get stuck in the game and can't continue let us know in the community Discord or at our support email.

Next up we are going to put out a mini-release integrating some of these sweet new features elsewhere in the game (like adding the spear to multiplayer!)

Have fun!