Looks are everything, especially on the battlefield! Get these fancy skins for Bardur, Vengir, and Hoodrick and become the most stylish and coolest in the square.

Want a refresh on what's included in this pack?

The Baergøff are the Bardur’s elite hunters. Clad in the sanctified pelt of their first Baerion kill, they’re ready for anything!


Bands of the Hoodrick’s finest sharpshooters and survivalists, the Yorthwober know their way around combat just as well as they do the hills and forests.


Fanatical Vengir Cultists devoted to Burzgor shrug off their flesh in the harrowing Thdkrkr Ritual to show their dedication to revenge.


You can get all of these now right here!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2186650/The_Battle_of_Polytopia__Skin_Pack/?beta=0

2.3.5.9230 Changelog:

Added Tribe Skins
- Hoodrick Yorthwober
- Vengir Cultist
- Bardur Baergøff

Improved Japanese localization
Misc bug and stability fixes

Hello Polytopians!

Your patience has been rewarded! The Tournament Update prepared by our wonderful friends at Challengermode is finally going into beta testing! Live Games, Lobbies, Replays, and Tournaments are some of the cool, new additions to Polytopia, and we need your help testing them out! Since most of these things (not to mention all the humor) have already been discussed in that link, we'll keep this a nice, short refresher to get you all up to speed.

So, what are these things? Let's break them down, one by one.

We're overhauling the normal process that you've used to join games by creating Lobbies! Lobbies are a much more flexible version of the previous idea, as now they're not time restricted and you can invite people through a shareable link! This should hopefully make joining a game with friends a lot easier!

• If the current owner leaves the lobby, and you have at least one more player that accepted the invite, that player will become a new owner
  
• Players also choose their tribe when they first join through the invite
  
• Invite being accepted counts only when you pick a tribe upon invite
  
• In order to promote fairness and do away with the limitations of turn order being determined by join order, turn order will always be randomized when the match starts.

Live Games are the new replacement for the 5 Minute Timer, which functions similarly to a Chess Timer. You start with some time in a bank, and every turn you take rolls over any unused time for next turn. The longer you take, the less time you'll have for later, so you'll have to be quick! Don't worry, you'll get more time as you play, so you're hopefully never going to get stuck.

• Anyone who runs out of time gets skipped, and they'll automatically get kicked after 3 skips
  
• Start time: 60 sec, Time per turn: 8 sec, Time per City: 12 sec, Time per Unit: 1 sec

Online multiplayer games will now be saved to the cloud, and able to be accessed from the new "Replays" tab in the multiplayer menu! You can share links to the replays for everyone to see that particular replay!

• Replays can be favorited, regardless of whether they're yours or someone else's.

You can now join in-game tournaments hosted by us, Polytopian communities, and even your friends, all from within the app, itself!

• Tournaments will feature only Live games
  
• Keep an eye out for official Polytopia tournaments
  
• Your tournament games will have a Challengermode icon next to the name
  
• Tournament games will not affect your ELO

1. Go to the Polytopia Multiplayer menu. Next to "New Game", you will see "Tournaments"; click on it.
   
2. Connect your Polytopia account with Challengermode.
   
3. Then you will see all available tournaments for your device. Find a tournament you like to participate in and click "Sign up".
   
4. 45-60 minutes before the start of the tournament, you will need to confirm your participation. You do that by going to the Tournaments browser, finding the tournament under "Joined Tournaments", and clicking "Confirm".
   
5. After that, when the tournament starts, you will get an invite to your match as you do with a regular game.

Yes, yes, ingame tournaments and lobbies are cool, but we've added something that many of you have been asking for since the moment Polytopia was added to Steam.


Yeah, you heard us right! Steam, Android, and iOS can now all play together!!! Just add your mobile friends like you would anyone else, and get started dukin' it out! Likewise, all Steam players can join tournaments with mobile players, and vice-versa.

• Do note that your mobile and Steam accounts are still separate. There's been no account merging, and it's pretty likely that your friends will have multiple copies of you in their friend lists for each of your accounts. We are looking into ways to differentiate them so you'll know if you're inviting your friend's Steam account instead of their Android one.

• To make it simpler for matchmaking, other turn timers, besides Live Games and 24 Hours, have been removed.
  
• You can now spectate games where you've been defeated. You won't get any more vision over the map, though, to help prevent cheating (e.g. "ghosting").
  
• The new Tribe Skins (Yorthwober, Baergøff, and Cultist) have been added to this version.

Thank you for joining us on this journey as we've added these features to the game!

Since this is an Open Beta, anyone can join! Just use the Beta Access Code: polytopiabetatesters to get access!

Android fans can use: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/air.com.midjiwan.polytopia

iOS fans can use: https://testflight.apple.com/join/gOmMb4DE

Tell us what you think in the comments!
-Zoythrus

Hello Polytopians!

We've got some small fixes for the current Tribe Skins beta.
-Zoythrus

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed some localization issues
- Fixed mixing tribes
- Fixed Polytaurs and added skin for Cultist Vengir Polytaur
- Fixed Japanese-specific localization issues

While most would see the banishment of the Vengir as a bleak tragedy, the hunt for retribution did push them into becoming master metallurgists. The highest role in Vengir society below “Monarch” is “Blacksmith,” and that tends to happen when you need a steady stream of swords and armor.

Hello Polytopians,

It's the Vengir Tribe Moon, and we're releasing a special bundle to help get you into the spirit! You can get a limited-edition poster and pin set right now until the end of November!



Now, tell us what you think about the Vengir in the comments!

P.S. Thanks for the art, Polytoblerone!

-Zoythrus

Hello Polytopians!

It's the time for tricks and treats, and we're here to give you a treat - 50% discount on the game and DLC! This even applies to the Special Tribes on mobile!

Now you can get Polytopia and all the Special Tribes just in time for everyone's favorite spooky day!

Happy Halloween!

-Zoythrus

https://store.steampowered.com/app/874390/The_Battle_of_Polytopia/

Hey Polytopians!

Today, we'd like to introduce something that you've all been waiting a long time for - Tribe Skins!

What are Tribe Skins? They're like, Halloween costumes for the tribes, which will cosmetically change an entire tribe's aesthetic from the ground up! New clothes, new buildings, and sometimes even new animals! So, without further ado, let's introduce the first batch of Tribe Skins!


Bardur who have survived the 5 Tests of Strength are given the rank of Baergøff, meaning “Elite Baerion Hunter”. The sanctified Baerion pelt is thought to let the wearer channel the animal's raw ferocity in battle.




Can you hit a BuzzFly with an arrow from 2 tiles away? Then you might be ready for the Hoodrick Yorthwober. These expert sharpshooters have been personally trained in combat and survival by Yorth, the legendary archer, and comprise the most elite force the Hoodrick can muster.




Vengir of the fanatical Burzgor Cult will perform the visceral Thdkrkr Ritual, shrugging off their mortal flesh and gaining power directly from the God of Blood, themself. Their zealous display of devotion isn’t taken as seriously as they’d like by the other tribes, however.



The skins have been released to beta on mobile right now for final testing, but will be added to Steam very soon! Note, the skins are still works in progress and might get a few changes between now and public release.

If you'd like to test them out now here on Steam, use the beta code polytopiabetatesters in order to gain access to the beta!

2.2.10.8545 Changelog:
Added Tribe Skins Batch #1
- Hoodrick Yorthwober
- Bardur Baergøff
- Vengir Cultist

Added new tribe selection preview
Added a quiver of arrows to the Archer unit

Fixed bugs
- Ruins Swordsmen supported by wrong city
- Misc bug fixes

Known Issues:
- Text strings may be outdated/inaccurate, but these will be fixed by release


Q: How do I get access to these skins?
A: You'll have to pay for them, but thankfully, they're only $.99USD (or a $2.99 bundle on Steam once we add them), so they're super cheap. Much like tribes, the skins are added to your account forever when purchased.

Q: Why aren't the skins showing up on Steam?
A: The DLC that unlocks the skins needs a little more time as we set them up. It's a slightly different process to set up DLC on Steam than it is on mobile, and just needs your patience.

Q: If I buy a skin, do I have to use it all the time?
A: Nope! There is now a skin picker on the tribe selection popup, so you can choose which skin you'd like to use.

Q: Do the skins make any gameplay changes, such as adding new units or abilities to the tribes?
A: No, they do not. Even if some units have gotten new weapons, the skinned versions of tribes play the exact same way as their default skins.

Q: Can the AI use the skins?
A: Yes, but only ones you've purchased.

Q: Can I use the skins in multiplayer?
A: Of course you can!

Q: Are skinned versions of tribes considered a "separate" version of that tribe?
A: No. Both Cultist Vengir and default Vengir are still "Vengir", and thus, would still be considered a "mirror match" with different colors if they were both being used, just like if you had two default skins like it is now.

Q: Will all the tribes be getting skins?
A: Yes, but we'll be releasing them in batches. This first batch has skins for Hoodrick, Bardur, and Vengir, and subsequent batches will have skins for other tribes.

Q: Can I buy a skin for a tribe I don't own?
A: Yes, but you'll need to buy the tribe as well in order to use them.

Q: Will the skins be added to the Steam version of Polytopia for free?
A: No, they are DLC.

Hello Polytopians!

We're releasing our changes that we tested in the beta! You can check out our write up on the changes by clicking here!

Changelog:

All units can now detect Cloaks
Cloaks get "Scout" and "Creep" ability

Improved design for detect and infiltration
Cities can only be infiltrated once per turn
Infiltration now causes damage to the defending unit
Daggers can spawn in the city if undefended
City's star production is stolen by the infiltrating player
Special Pirate ship for Daggers!

Explosion damage is reduced by 50%
No damage from Fungi
Ice Bank cap increased to 30
Reduced the amount of income when meeting tribe (1 less star per level)
AI is now better at trying to reveal Cloaks
You heal 4hp in ally territory (instead of 2hp)

- Fixed boats on ice being able to move on land
- Allow destroying buildings with invisible enemies on them
- Fixes to ELO
- Fixed games with Nature Bunnies and ice getting stuck
- Fixed algae - port interactions
- Fixed startup crash on Steam related to gamepads
- Fixed issue with adding players to pass and play
- Various small UI fixes

Can you hit a BuzzFly with an arrow from 2 tiles away? Then you might be ready for the Hoodrick Yorthwober. These expert sharpshooters have been personally trained in combat and survival by Yorth, the legendary archer, and comprise the most elite force the Hoodrick can muster.

Hello Polytopians,

It's the Hoodick Tribe Moon, a whole month dedicated to celebrating the Hoodrick, our favorite sharpshooting survivalists!

Now, tell us what you think about the Hoodrick in the comments!

P.S. Thanks for the art, JavaSteel!

-Zoythrus

Hey Polytopians!

We've been hearing your myriad of opinions on the new Diplomacy tech and the things it contains, both good and bad, and we've made some adjustments based on your feedback!

The biggest point of contention over the new update was the inclusion of Cloaks and Daggers and how they change up the flow of the game. We think change is a good thing, but that doesn't mean we can't improve that change in order to create a more fun experience for everyone! Interestingly enough, there isn't really a consensus about whether they're too strong, too weak, too oppressive, too ineffective, or etc, but we've made an effort to hopefully address all of these opinions at once with these changes! So, without further ado, let's discuss these changes to Cloaks and Daggers.



Originally, only Mind Benders and other Cloaks had the Detect ability, which allowed them to notice any adjacent invisible units, but now we've given that ability to all units! While it won't immediately reveal any Cloaks, you'll get a hint that one is around, and multiple units can be used to pinpoint where exactly one is. We've also improved the Detect symbol so that it's easier to read! Mind Benders don't get any consolation prizes for no longer being unique, but we'll probably give them some love in the future. :)

We made this change to address the complaints about Cloaks being hard to counter since you couldn't see/detect them well. This should give defending players an edge when trying to find enemy Cloaks, while also not making a Cloak's stealth instantly nullified, and thus, worthless.



Not to be outdone, Cloaks have gotten some nifty upgrades that should allow them to bypass the newly improved enemy defenses. While it may be easier for enemies to spot them, it's now also easier for the Cloaks to evade a defending player's army with the additions of the Scout and Creep abilities. To assist them in utilizing their movement to its fullest, Cloaks have also been given the Scout ability, which gives them an extra tile of sight, like a Battleship, and the Creep ability, so they're not hindered by terrain movement penalties. The two of these will allow them to see and sneak around enemies, or scout out an enemy's empire without fear.

We knew that giving every unit Detect was a super hard nerf to the Cloak, so we wanted to make sure that the Cloaks got some buffs to match. There should now be a more dynamic cat-and-mouse game between players which keeps the experience more interesting overall.



In addition to the buffs that Cloaks have gotten, we've indirectly buffed them by making Infiltration a bit more punishing. Many fans claimed that using Cloaks well didn't have as much of an impact as it should have, so we have made some adjustments to keep the "high risk/high reward gameplay" more relevant.

The changes are:

Buffs:

• Infiltration will damage any units inside the city
  
• A city's innate income will be stolen by the infiltrating player, not just blocked (not any income from Embassies, Custom Houses, or etc)
  
• Daggers will spawn inside a city if there is no unit defending (or if the unit is killed by the infiltration)

Nerfs:

• Cities can only be infiltrated once per turn
  
• Daggers created on the water are turned into Pirates, which can't be upgraded into Battleships

Since it's now a lot more difficult to get into a high-priority city, we wanted to make sure the reward was worth it if you did. Star stealing, injuring defending units, and making it easier to capture undefended cities should help encourage the taking of larger cities, either by themselves or as part of a larger offensive push. To compensate, you can't conga line Cloaks into a city for massive amounts of Daggers, and the Daggers that do get spawned on the water are weaker.



As mentioned in the previous point, a common complaint was how any Daggers that spawned on the water could be turned into Battleships with no penalty, allowing for a massive spike of power in the area if you had the stars for it. Also, to better align them with the relationship between Cloaks and Dinghies, we've given the Dagger its own water variant - the Pirate! It has stats identical to a Dagger (including the Surprise trait), just like how the Dinghy has stats identical to the Cloak. So, think of them less as "new naval units" and more as "water forms of Cloaks and Daggers".

Besides trying to fix the issues with Battleships, Dinghies and Pirates exist so that Cloaks and Daggers are as effective on water as they are on land. We didn't want people to not use them just because there was water in the way, so these forms are our way of ensuring they see use, even on Archipelago or Water World maps.


We've also made some changes to other aspects of the game that we hope you like.

• Explosion damage has been reduced by 50%
  
• Fungi no longer do damage while poisoning

Cymanti is often considered a little strong and difficult to fight at times, so we're trying to balance out their offensive and defensive power. Fungi don't deal damage (but will still poison), so Cymanti cities should be easier to assault. The explosion nerf should encourage the use of more units than just the Doomux. This explosion nerf should also mean that Poison is spread better, which in turn means more Fungi/Algae on the map. We'll be keeping an eye on whether or not this change nerfs them too much.

• Ice Bank max cap increased to 30

We were informed that on larger maps, especially ones with water, Custom Houses were far better than Ice Banks, and we wanted to make sure that the effectiveness of the Ice Bank wouldn't be hindered by map size. So, to make things more consistent and give Polaris players a constant incentive to expand their icy domain, we raised the cap to 30. That should be more than enough to cover a Massive map, we think.

• Reduced the amount of income when meeting tribe (1 less star per level)
  
• AI is now better at trying to reveal cloaks
  
• You heal 4hp in ally territory (instead of 2hp)

Reducing the amount of stars gained from meeting tribes was only to help early game scaling. You shouldn't see too much of a gameplay difference. We've also improved how AI try to find Cloaks and fixed a bug where you weren't fully healing in ally territory like you should have been.

We hope that these changes to Diplomacy make Cloaks and Daggers both more fun to play with and play against! We'll be keeping a close eye on these changes in the future, and might make adjustments if necessary. We'd like to hear your thoughts on this patch, so please tell us what you think either here or on the official Polytopia Discord!


Have fun!
-Zoythrus

Changelog:

Adjusted Cloaks:

• All units can now detect Cloaks
  
• Cloaks get "Scout" and "Creep" ability

Adjusted Infiltration:

• Improved design for detect and infiltration
  
• Cities can only be infiltrated once per turn
  
• Infiltration now causes damage to the defending unit
  
• Daggers can spawn in the city if undefended
  
• City's star production is stolen by the infiltrating player
  
• Special Pirate ship for Daggers!

Adjusted Balance:

• Explosion damage is reduced by 50%
  
• No damage from Fungi
  
• 2 moves for Crab
  
• Ice Bank cap increased to 30
  
• Reduced the amount of income when meeting tribe (1 less star per level)
  
• AI is now better at trying to reveal Cloaks
  
• You heal 4hp in ally territory (instead of 2hp)

General Additions:

• Improved bug reporter - now lets you send error log to any communication service

Hello Polytopians!

This beta should fix the issue with controllers being plugged in, so your games shouldn't crash anymore due to this issue. If you are still noticing a crash, please let us know!

If you aren't already on the beta:
- Right click Polytopia
- Choose "Properties"
- Go to "Betas"
- Use the access code "polytopiabetatesters" to get access to the beta

Changelog:
- Turned off gamepads on standalone builds (so that things won't crash anymore)
- Fixed issue with adding players to pass and play
- Updated localization