Greetings! Has Spring already settled in with you? 💚 Our outside view is looking better and better, and even in the frosty Scandinavia, nature is awakening 🌷 Finally, lush meadow references for Tiny Glade will be just a short bike ride away! 📸

We have another update for you, and boy is it a lengthy one! There’s a lot to cover, from improvements and shiny new features to news about the release. Maybe grab some tea or coffee or any beverage of your choice, and get comfy. No rush, we’ll wait 🍵

◇─◇──◇────◇ ◇────◇──◇─◇

Tiny Glade is about to become a whole lot more colorful 🥰🎨 Our trusty beige bricks have served us well, but we’ve been itching to add some customization for a while. We think you’ll like the new possibilities ✨



Quick disclaimer: you’re looking at cherry-picked images from various prototypes. We’ve been too excited not to share these, but please keep in mind that it’s all an early work in progress, and we’ll be iterating on color schemes, windows, interface, code, and so on 😄



One of the things we love about Tiny Glade is the way elements play with each other: for example, how paths and walls come together to form arches, or that stairs appear when a path climbs a steep hill. The windows we’re adding will have the same kind of joyful chemistry.



Here you can see just some of the interactions between windows: they fuse, adapt, bloom with plants, and become adorned with miniature clutter.

Oh, oh, and we have *two* styles of windows: “cottage” (gif above) and gothic (gif below).



We’re also improving the existing building blocks and their robustness. We’ve recently finished a big rewrite of our procedural arch generator, which allowed us to address a few edge cases.

The arch algorithm was one of the oldest pieces of code in Tiny Glade, from back when the meadow was completely flat. Once we added terrain, the poor thing couldn’t handle elevation, and produced rather avant-garde results 😆🙈



We still have a few minor issues to solve, but the new version is looking a lot better now 😺 We’ve also implemented one of your suggestions: when the wall is raised high, the wooden lintels and posts turn into stone arches and pillars to support the additional weight.



We often get questions about what magical algorithm we’re using, and the real answer is: a lot of them! There are entire chains of bespoke procedural algorithms feeding into one another, creating the final experience that will (hopefully) feel easy to use, and look effortlessly beautiful.

◇─◇──◇────◇ ◇────◇──◇─◇

Now that the bigger pieces of the project are beginning to solidify, we could finally make a realistic attempt at planning the release of Tiny Glade.

Apart from wrapping up windows, doors, color customization, and adding some polish all around, there are still a few game features we want to prototype - continuous time of day, water, and plant brushes. There are many "invisible" things too, such as optimization, accessibility, localization, load & save & options menus, running playtests, and making it easy for you to send us bug reports.

That’s a lot of stuff, and when we arranged it on a timeline, no matter how we reshuffled the to-do stickies, the potential release ended up beyond the end of this year. We will refine the estimate as we go, but for now, we can say that Tiny Glade will ship in 2024.



We know that many of you have been eagerly awaiting the game’s release, and we’re truly humbled. Thank you for sticking with us so far, and following the development journey. Reading your messages, and seeing your posts and videos about Tiny Glade have all been tremendous motivation boosts.

Tiny Glade is a passion project for our small team, and we’re working our very hardest to make it into a lovable experience for you. We will continue sharing monthly updates, and keep you up to date.

With love 🧡,
Tom, Ana, Martin & Oda

PS: last month, we revealed our plans for a closed beta this Summer. Some of you have been asking how to participate. We will be sending a signup form with our newsletter closer to the first playtest. “First,” you say? Yes! We are thinking of doing multiple smaller playtests. We’re still figuring out the details! More info to come. Stay tuned! 😁

Well, hello there, my people of the night. It’s time for yet another update from the crypts at Stunlock Studios, and this night we uncover the toxic sludge-soaked lands of Gloomrot. Having gotten a little taste of what’s to come in our feature-rich website preview, let’s take this time to get to know our new neighbors from the artistic vision of some of the team that was able to bring them to life.

But first, a sneak peek at some juicy Gloomrot gameplay:





Gloomrot is a biome themed around science gone mad, the old and familiar ideas of unchecked ambition and arrogance in the face of the natural order. The group responsible for organizing these erudite efforts is called The Trancendum, a collection of psychopathically obsessive technologists on a mission to create the next stage of human evolution. This pathology dates back to the times of Dracula, when their still-living, seemingly ageless head-scientist Doctor Henry Blackbrew, originally founded this pursuit in an attempt to fight back against Dracula’s armies.

Over hundreds of years, the Trancendum has studied and advanced its studies through electrical and chemical engineering, inventing incredible technology and jealously hoarding their secrets for themselves. Their efforts are single-minded, sacrificing morality, their land, and even their very lives in an attempt to discover the next big breakthrough.



Concept art for the home of a lower-class Gloomrot resident.


As our 2D artist, Viktor Blomqvist, would say, life is cheap in Gloomrot. All that matters is knowledge and who provides those brilliant breakthroughs. So let us then talk about the most important, the most brilliant of them all, Doctor Henry Blackbrew.




Concept artwork for the Doctor in his full regalia.





Final concept art for The Monster


As explained by our Art Director, Johan Wahlbäck, the region of Gloomrot was our first opportunity to model an entire zone after a central figure, so quite a bit of time went into trying to capture his visual essence. Doctor Henry Blackbrew is a character-driven by self-importance and hatred, and his influence can be felt all across the land as others are driven to follow his example. He has shaped this society to his philosophy, for his own whims. V Rising is a story told largely through visuals. It was important that even if in the game you don’t always get the word-for-word story we envision, you can feel it through the character, the world, and the little hints sprinkled throughout the words of the characters.



Some earlier potential ideas.



The final concept art for Henry Blackbrew.




Not an elegant design, but a powerful one.


The northern section of the zone is darker and has a richer color than its lower counterpart. A large part of the challenge of evoking the feel of a machine-ridden land in a fantasy world like Vardoran is striking the balance of how you represent the level of technology. It can be very easy to slip into the space of ‘sci-fi’.



These models felt a bit too modern before we went with a more “hand-made” route.



While this makes sense in our world, we ended up moving away from the human element being hidden inside these machines.


The technology of Gloomrot is supposed to be advanced well beyond the rest of Vardoran, but it shouldn’t feel like an entirely different setting. To achieve that feeling, we took what were initially very metal-heavy designs and used a few different techniques to downgrade them in a way that is intuitive. Much of the metal was replaced by wood, and the metal we kept was made to look and feel dangerously ramshackle. The people of Gloomrot hold little regard for their lives, so it makes sense that while they do have advanced weaponry and tools, those tools are barely held together. An advanced weapon may be just as likely to fall apart or eviscerate its users as they are to achieve its goal.



Our artists took inspiration from wooden dolls and manikins for their designs.



Final concept art for the Driller. This concept once had more protection involved and an interior section. This driller cuts into stone without so much as a guard to shield the operator’s body from debris.



A flamethrower held together with bandages. Hand-hammered, uncleanly fit metal bands. Filthy gas tubes with multiple patches.


The northern section is also quite alive and malevolent. The sky pours down rain, the winds are strong, and lightning constantly slams into the ground all around you, leaving scorched obliteration in its wake. The trees and rocks are angular, pointed, and twisting with few if any rounded edges so that it evokes that perilous feeling.



Industrial meets dark fantasy storybook.

The inspiration for Gloomrot North is rooted in a dark fairytale, and with the presence of gothic architecture seemingly infested with pipes and technology, we aim to seamlessly blend the old and the new into a cohesive place that tells its own story through its environment.



Old historic architecture is plagued by ugly, functional pipework.



Concept artwork for what an upper-class Gloomrot manor might look like. The fencing is bent inwards from mutants attempting to crawl inside.




The process of constructing this key art piece of a Vampire discovering the sickly depths of the new area.

All of Gloomrot is washed out in its color, lending it closer to the black-and-white monster movie vibe we look to invoke with the general atmosphere. While we bring in the modern feel with bright pops of color, nowhere is that drained and pained palette more clear than in the southern portion of the biome.

This is where byproduct pollution from the experiments of the north wash down into the valleys, polluting its waterways with vibrant, toxic yellows and greens. This is a place soaked in poison and drained of all nutrients.

Inspirations for this place were drawn from all manner of visceral, disturbing imagery to evoke an unsettling feeling. Heavily polluted lakes that were so unnaturally discolored their waters were unrecognizable, cancerous growths, and real-life post-war images of land ripped apart by bombing runs were all referenced when trying to evoke the feeling of a place ravaged by mankind.



A concept paint-over with potential ideas for yellow pools in Gloomrot South. Exterminators fend off hungry, mutated experiments and wildlife.



The land is sick and fractured, its plant life littered with cancerous growths.

This is where the more common citizenry resides, locked away in their hovels and pouring their days into their experiments. They live in the hope that a discovery of their own will catapult them to a higher status within the Trancendum and earn them a place of more comfort and status.

Homes here are meant to look functional but are poorly constructed and dangerous. Electrical lines run directly against exposed dry wood. These people are not concerned for their own safety, and their only concern is having the proper equipment they need to continue to pursue evolution and technological progress.



The housing functions, if only barely. That’s enough for them.



The mutants that wander the area are rarely anything like friendly, but it was important for us to design them with intent. These creatures may be horrors, but they did not come about because they were engineered to be weapons. They are as much a victim of this environment as the soil and the trees.

It was tempting to make mutants that were designed to just be ‘cool’ looking. Engineered bone weapons or simply masses of terrifying deadly flesh are fun to make and imagine but lacked the depth and storytelling we were looking to convey.



While we enjoyed this concept, it was too alien to fit the deeper theme of the area.



There are a lot of fun ideas here that didn’t fit in our vision for Gloomrot, which we may reuse in the future.



An older concept piece for the Mutated Spitter. This version of the design had a bone weapon, which we felt was too manufactured to fit the idea of the mutations.


It was important that the creatures, even the experiments, retained a bit of their shape and were recognizable as what they once were. The pollution, a lot like V Blood, enhances the qualities that already exist and evolves them, duplicating what is already there. These beings were not meant to be weapons, and in that way, you can still relate them to something you’re familiar with.



Final concept art for the Flesh Golem. Recognizing human forms within this monstrosity allows us to relate to the creature even if it is so different from us.

The animation team also worked to evoke the familiar wrongness of these creatures with some nice details. For instance, in one of the new units, the flesh golem, they added separate little toggles for each of the heads on the rig, as discussed by one of our animators, Olov Skiöld.

Our technical animator Albin Thunström also talked about their efforts, focusing on the wrongness of the creature’s movement in its collective, swimming tail movements.



It takes extra work to add these little limbs for animation, but our animators felt like it was worth the trouble.

There was also an effort to evoke the ‘hive mind’ feeling of the creature. As it swings its large arm in an attack, the smaller arms swing simultaneously, as if each part of the collective being is working in tandem with one other.


Aw, they’re helping!



The area of Gloomrot is split in two, with two very different and complimentary, and yet very distinct moods. The composer of the Original Soundtrack, Aleksandria Migova, spoke of how she tackled the four different tracks that span from South to North, and night and day.

“For Gloomrot South’s daytime theme, the most important elements that I’ve captured are struggle, sadness, and hope. When the sun goes down and as we enter the twilight zone, you hear the night sing and mourn for all the victims of the past through emotive, atonal instruments.”

She went on to talk about Gloomrot North, and how she made an effort to capture the darker, more evil vibe of mad science and the pained anguish of the failed experiments born of their ambitions.



Clips of all four tracks.


Invoking these unique feelings through music gives another avenue for our players to connect to the world, a way to feel the story emotionally. Aleksandria tapped into various techniques, for instance, employing pitching techniques to make the player feel the twisted nature of the fantastical biome.

Before We Go Back to Our Workshop

Mark the calendar with a claw tip as we grow ever closer to the release of our first big update on May 17th! We hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the mood of our new zone and a little bit of the feeling we’re looking to evoke from it. All of us have been working hard to realize our vision, and we truly do hope you enjoy its dire themes.

If you enjoyed that and want to keep an eye out for more V Rising news, there will be more to share between now and our patch release! We’ll be sharing more on all things V Rising now and into the foreseeable future down on all of our socials below, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on us!


Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.stunlock.com/newsletter
Join The V Rising Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VRising

V Rising Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/PlayVRising

V Rising Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VRisingGame

V Rising Twitter: https://twitter.com/VRisingGame
V Rising Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vrisinggame/


Lots of love and a pint of blood,

/The Marketing Team

Hey dear VR and PC players,

after our first soft launch as early access on Steam we got a lot of feedback what players want from VR TRIBES. And of course we want to react to that.

After several night shifts and a long weekend of testing and discussing, we can announce that VR TRIBES is becoming more accessible to all.

In the coming weeks and until the final release we try to realize the following points: (in order of priority)

1) PC only version
A "PC only version" on Steam so you can play with your non VR friends. We are considering offering this as a free application. We'd like to hear your opinion on whether you think this is fair?


2) Mobile Release pt 1
The release in the Google Playstore for Android phones and tablets. It will be possible to play against the VR player in the local(!) network at home on mobile devices.


3) Quest 2 Standalone
The release on the Meta Quest 2 as a standalone application. Since we have focused a lot on designing graphically appealing levels, this is a major step to optimize the whole game to run smoothly on the Quest 2. Spoiler: the menu levels run smoothly at 72fps, the game maps between 40 and 55fps, so yes, we are already working on that as well. We can't promise anything at this point, but we will keep you updated on the development process.

So after steps 2 and 3, it will be possible to play against each other on the local(!) network on the Quest 2 standalone against Android phone or tablet in your living room (or even kitchen or bathroom...)!


4) Mobile Release pt 2
Publishing on Apple mobile devices, so that they can play in the local network as well.


5) Cross Platform
Up until this point, only Steam users have been able to truly compete online against the rest of the world. If demand is high, we will also be able to connect online across all platforms. For this, however, you as a player will need an Epic Games account to link your Steam, Google, Meta, or iOS account to. We'll have to see if that's worth it and if you as a player would do that.


6) Adding new content
Constantly releasing new minimaps, designed according to your feedback and wishes!

- FIXED: Typos

Hello, Detectives!

We're excited to announce that our highly-anticipated co-op puzzle game, Unboxing the Cryptic Killer, is now available! 💻🔍

Unboxing the Cryptic Killer is the sequel to our hit game, Unsolved Case, and continues the story of the mysterious Cryptic Killer. As a co-op puzzle game, it's designed to be played with friends, as you work together to solve the puzzles, crack the codes, and escape!

Psst… If you don't have a fellow detective to play with, consider joining our Discord: https://discord.gg/NvhKcT3RGk

With all new challenges to overcome, puzzles to solve, and secrets to unlock... Are you ready to take on the sequel to Unsolved Case? So head on over to Steam and pick up your copy today! We can't wait to see you there! 🔍🕵️‍♀️🔑

Hey there, fellow heroes of the monster girl world!

I just wanted to pop in and say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has wishlisted 'Is It Wrong To Try To Rescue Monster Girls From The Inquisition?' in the last week or so.
You all are amazing and your support has put a huge smile on both the monster girls' faces and mine!

As you may already know, this is a solo developed project, and I'm doing my best to make the game stand out in all areas - from graphics to music, to puzzle gameplay bits and, last but not least, the silly ultra epic fantasy story.

I've been scouring the internet lately trying to get some more eyeballs to join our ranks, but it turns out getting your game out there when no one knows who you are isn't an easy task, who could've guessed. So if you have any friends with similar exquisite tastes when it comes to quality entertainment please make sure they are properly informed about this upcoming hidden gem.

I promise to make the game as fun and engaging as it can be, cranking up the content and polish until the very last moment before release, so you can enjoy spending as much time as possible with your favorite monster girls.

If you have any questions about the upcoming game, don't hesitate to drop a comment or a topic on the discussions forum. I'd be more than happy to talk to you!

Once again, thank you so much for your unwavering support! Can't wait to share this adventure with you all.

A quick hotfix today!

Balance / Changes:

• High Conductivity: increased range by 50%
  
• Cold Presence: increased range by 100%

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a visual glitch that could trigger when rapidly inputting Voltaic-Blink Dashes.
  
• Fixed an error that could occur when loading into the Dark Trinity room post-battle.
  
• Fixed: Waterspout Synergy Blessing didn’t apply Drenched on enemies.
  
• Fixed: Shatter Synergy wasn’t applying Shield Damage properly.

Ivar & The Horde released the anti-war song “Broken Walls”, dedicated to raising money for the children affected by the War In Ukraine.

Leading on from the success of the Single, which amassed a total of 100,000 listeners, the brand-new “Broken Walls” Future Funk Squad Remix video is an opportunity for us to kickstart the GoFundMe campaign and to get us all to dig deep and contribute to the charity WarChild.

TURN THIS UP LOUD and watch the 'Future Funk Squad Remix' below:



Released on Black Razor Records. “Broken Walls” is the latest release from alternative rock/rap artists, Ivar & The Horde (Stu Brootal & Kieron Pepper), and draws inspiration from the war-themed arcade twin-stick shooter ‘Tiny Troopers: Global Ops’ which launched on 9th March.

The game highlights a series of military megalomaniacs from around the world, and their greed-filled desire to cause conflict and chaos.

Every contribution on the GoFundMe will receive a download code for:

Ivar & The Horde - Broken Walls
Ivar & The Horde - Broken Walls (Future Funk Squad Remix)

All proceeds from the song on Bandcamp and the GoFundMe will be donated to War Child.

Please give as much as you can, because 1 in every 6 children in the world are affected by armed conflict and we can make a difference. If you can't support financially. Please, share the message and get it seen by as many people as possible.

If you would like to know more about the charity. Visit them here: WarChild.

Thank you.

Ivar & The Horde released the anti-war song “Broken Walls”, dedicated to raising money for the children affected by the War In Ukraine.

Leading on from the success of the Single, which amassed a total of 100,000 listeners, the brand-new “Broken Walls” Future Funk Squad Remix video is an opportunity for us to kickstart the GoFundMe campaign and to get us all to dig deep and contribute to the charity WarChild.

TURN THIS UP LOUD and watch the 'Future Funk Squad Remix' below:



Released on Black Razor Records. “Broken Walls” is the latest release from alternative rock/rap artists, Ivar & The Horde (Stu Brootal & Kieron Pepper), and draws inspiration from the war-themed arcade twin-stick shooter ‘Tiny Troopers: Global Ops’ which launched on 9th March.

The game highlights a series of military megalomaniacs from around the world, and their greed-filled desire to cause conflict and chaos.

Every contribution on the GoFundMe will receive a download code for:

Ivar & The Horde - Broken Walls
Ivar & The Horde - Broken Walls (Future Funk Squad Remix)

All proceeds from the song on Bandcamp and the GoFundMe will be donated to War Child.

Please give as much as you can, because 1 in every 6 children in the world are affected by armed conflict and we can make a difference. If you can't support financially. Please, share the message and get it seen by as many people as possible.

If you would like to know more about the charity. Visit them here: WarChild.

Thank you.

Hey everyone, this is a small hotfix after yesterday's update.

Balance / Changes:

• High Conductivity: increased range by 50%
  
• Cold Presence: increased range by 100%

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a visual glitch that could trigger when rapidly inputting Voltaic-Blink Dashes.
  
• Fixed an error that could occur when loading into the Dark Trinity room post-battle.
  
• Fixed: Waterspout Synergy Blessing didn’t apply Drenched on enemies.
  
• Fixed: Shatter Synergy wasn’t applying Shield Damage properly.