I was informed this week by another Retro FPS developer that they had seen Hellscreen in PC Gamer magazine.
I spent a couple of days trying to get a copy and eventually, I did!





As a self-publishing, self-funded Indie developer, this is a significant milestone and the article has some excellent praise for Episode 1.


Here are a couple of choice quotes:

"The levels are top notch though⁠—I think it's an achievement that Hellscreen's main gimmick could stand on its own with weaker level design, while its maps and innovative progression could in turn carry a less interesting shooter. Together they're a must-play experience."


"It's a unique setup for a shooter, and I was also surprised at just how far Hellscreen pushes its red and teal alien art style. "


Whilst the game has had mentions in print before, this is the first full page (x2!) spread but hopefully not the last.



Stay tuned for Hellscreen news, including some Episode 2 announcements in the near future!



Jamie D
Developer

Hello Survivors!

The new free Jungle Update is just around the corner!

We're here with a new developer journal, featuring our friends over at Haemimont Games, to talk about the new survivor tools and how your survivors use them.

Let's dive right in:

Hello! We are absolutely thrilled to have you here with us. Could you please introduce yourself to everyone reading?
Greetings, fellow adventurers! I am Ivan Grozev, the lead game designer of Stranded: Alien Dawn.

The new Survivor Tools are a valuable addition to Stranded: Alien Dawn - could you briefly talk about what they are and how they work?
These small handy gadgets are crafted and equipped by the survivors and come in various forms. Some, like the Good Luck Charm, provide passive bonuses, while others, such as the EM Umbrella and Grenades, have active effects that can be triggered by players.

What made you decide to add these new Survivor Tools, and the Tools equipment slot?
We wanted to take the survivors' equipment to the next level and explore the vast potential of tools in the survival genre. It was a natural progression to introduce tools as items and create a dedicated equipment slot for them.



How many tools can someone carry?
Survivors can only carry one tool at a time. Choosing the right tool for each situation adds an exciting layer of complexity to the game. It's like deciding between bringing a Swiss Army Knife or a portable black hole—maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea.

There are a lot of Survivor Tools to choose from for players! Was it difficult deciding on which tools you were going to add in this update?
Selecting the tools for this update was indeed challenging. We had to carefully consider how they would integrate with existing game features. For instance, we wanted tools that could counter weather disasters, such as the Respirator Mask for protection against Toxic Ash and Dust Storms. We also aimed to fulfil player desires, like adding manually-triggered weapons for increased player control in combat.

Through researching Toolsmithing, you can unlock the Survival Kit, Harvesting Tools, and a Good Luck Charm. Could you talk a bit about how the survivors use these tools?
Certainly! Toolsmithing is a new tech that allows survivors to craft basic tools on workbenches. As their knowledge expands, they can unlock more advanced tools by obtaining the necessary ingredients.

The Survival Kit includes Emergency Rations and a portable bedroll. When equipped, it enables survivors to satisfy their needs while away from the camp, without having to return.
The Harvesting Tools increase the speed of mining, cutting, and harvesting actions.

Finally, the Good Luck Charm provides a permanent happiness boost to its carrier, which is especially useful for isolated survivors.

There's a new Respirator Mask being added to the game, which offers protection against Toxic Ash and Dust Storms - what made you decide to add this to the game?
We felt that players needed more control over the negative effects of disasters.

The Respirator Mask grants survivors the ability to venture outside during Toxic Ash and Dust Storms without suffering adverse health conditions and lowered happiness. However, while wearing the mask, they won't be able to use any other tool, striking a balance between safety and utility.

Similarly, you will now have the ability to produce EM Umbrellas, which are pocket force-field generators that repulse water droplets while keeping survivors dry in the rain. This is my most favourite tool, as we made a nice FX that communicates well when it’s used.



Signal Flares will let survivors see at night - are there other Survivor Tools to help them see better at night?
Signal Flares are throwable light-emitting rods that illuminate dark areas. They assist in combat by improving everyone’s visibility and allowing better aim.

Additionally, we're introducing Night-Vision Goggles as another tool in this update. These goggles enable survivors to shoot accurately at night, ensuring they don't miss their targets in the darkness.

Last, but certainly not least, you're adding throwable Grenades - what should players watch out for if they decide to deploy someone equipped with grenades?
Ah, the explosive addition to our arsenal! When players equip someone with grenades, they should exercise caution and avoid using them all at once. Grenades have a limited number of uses and can be thrown upon player command. They deal significant damage in a semi-wide area and even stun enemies, making them ideal for crowd control.

Remember, in the challenging world of Stranded: Alien Dawn, the right tools can make all the difference between triumph and defeat. Choose wisely and adapt to the ever-changing circumstances as you strive to overcome the alien menace!

ey youse buncha Filthy Animals,

Stealin’ stuff can be hard work so it’s time tuh take some time off. That’s why yer uncle Tony is giving you a break - I’ve opened up my island so youse can get some well-earned rest.



Take a load off and hang out at The Last Resort, the best kept vacation spot with only a little bit of radioactive waste, traffic noise, and snakes.

Play ball, go ziplining, and uncover some buried ‘treasure’. Take the time to try on some different outfits while you relax somewhere where there’s no timers or objectives to worry about for once.



The Last Resort is accessible via the level select menu, and is available now to everyone in both single and multiplayer modes right…now!

Right now you can save 25% when you pick up Filthy Animals on Steam.

We’ve also updated the game with a load of quality of life improvements recently, so if you've been waiting - now's the time to pick up the game and get ready for CHAOS!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1195420/Filthy_Animals__Heist_Simulator/

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- Added a preview of your wizard wearing the hat or robe when crafting a new hat or robe. Drag palette potions onto the ingredient list to try different colors before you mix.
- Added your current Spark Streak status to your Wizard popup.
- Added the ability to use Revive potions in Battle.
- Added the ability to use Dazzle to revive in Mixing and Battle.
- Added a graphical indication that pieces can only slide horizontally to Battle.
- Many other small tweaks, fixes and improvements.

1. Fix the bug that the character will fall out of the map at the edge of some scenes
2. Optimize some functions
3. Adjusted the AI of some monsters at the first forest level
4. At the beginning of the first level, add a simple tutorial tips

After 3 years of hard work, including several incredibly talented people who contributed from art to voice acting to testing, Merchant of the Six Kingdoms has finally been released. A massive thanks to Splattercat and the many other Youtubers who covered my game, as well as everyone who played the Next Fest Demo.

I’m thrilled to finally share the full game. You’ll now have access to all 20 markets full of characters to barter with and quests to challenge you with moral and fiscal decisions. You can now build your fortune, your allies, and contest the title of King of Coin.

Best of luck in your travels, fellow merchants.

Minor updates since the demo:

• New feature: Uncollected items will be indicated with a tag
  
• New feature: Simple notes in Journal
  
• UI: Tab now toggles Journal
  
• UI: Add shortcuts listing to Journal
  
• UI: Add debounce to prevent double click from accepting deals and other actions
  
• Fix: Momentary bright white screen on bootup
  
• Fix Music volume issues when changing master volume
  
• Fix: Rare bug where players get softlocked after myth games
  
• Fix: Typos
  
• Gameplay: Extremely minor gameplay balance tweaks

Short Term Plans:

• Improved optimization for massive inventories
  
• Re-attempt Steam integration for possible Steam Deck support, Achievements, etc
  
• Bug fixing as bugs get reported

Mostly quality of life tweaks. Nothing major but can now skip the cutscene and better integration of speed run mode. Enjoy.

Hey there, there have been many delays and Acheron has changed a lot since i first started it but this is the final iteration, so be sure to give it a try and let me know what you think, i will be updating the demo but it will be the last demo expect the full game late 2023, thank you for sticking around.

- Improvements on the leveling

Hello there fellow blacksmiths!

Unfortunately, we've decided to delay the release by Forge Industry three weeks, to 21/07.

During Steam Next Fest, we've received an immense amount of support and feedback, but we feel uncomfortable releasing the game in its current state. There were too many issues coming up, and, whilst we are working as hard as possible to get all the kinks ironed out, sometimes you just need more time.

Why "only" 3 weeks of delay? We are actually feature complete, meaning everything we want you to be able to do in the full game does "work", just not at the level of quality we are expecting.

Because of that, we're going to let Forge Industry cook just that little bit longer, so that the experience will be amazing once it comes out.

Thank you all for the patience and continued support you have been showing us over the last few months! We truly wish to give you guys an amazing experience.

Yours, The entire BiteMe Games team