Hi all,

In celebration of the Bullet Heaven festival I have created 6 new relics. Specifically, I think the new rare relics will add some interesting new builds.

I have begun working on my next game as my work on Chess Survivors is largely completed, but if you have ideas I'd love to hear them either in the Steam discussions or over on discord. I always love hearing from player's (I sincerely mean this, your feedback has helped me make this game way better than it otherwise would be, so thank you).

From time to time, I will likely keep doing small updates like this to add relics, abilities, or new characters. I hope you enjoy my little game and thank you for playing.

Cheers,
Aarimous

P.S. Please consider subscribing to My YouTube Channel where I share my game development as an solo indie dev.

tl;dr; 6 New Relics and a few bug fixes

• Bullet Heaven: (Rare) After taking damage shoot a volley of lasers dealing damage equal to the damage dealt to you. The number of projectiles is equal to half your level rounded up (works once per turn and ability damage modifiers increase damage.)
  
• The Game Developer: (Rare) Spawn Aarimous, this game’s developer, who will attach to a random nearby enemies. When you kill the enemy it will now explode dealing damage to nearby enemies equal to 50% of the enemy’s max health. Will find a new enemy at the start of your next turn.
  
• Immunity Idol: (Rare) When you would die, heal to 50% of your Max HP instead (works once).
  
• Mega Magic Mushrooms: (Rare) Level up this many times : 4
  
• Mini Magic Mushroom: (Common) Level up this many times : 2
  
• A Shield: (Common) 20% Reduce Damage Multiplier and +50 Max Health

• Fixed the Sneezy Ghost's starting relic to reduce incoming damage by 10% instead of a flat 10. This was missed when I made changes to remove flat damage in a previous patch.
  
• Fixes the text for Gambit Level 20
  
• Fixed a bug where when you win a run, if you immediately start another run as another character and lose you still see a +1 to that second character's win stats

Mine , Arms Cache and Artillery explosions

Hello. This update took some time for a number of reasons but mostly because of all the feedback I received lately. There's more to come but I wanted to get an update out in time for Bullet Heaven Fest.


GUI work is slow and not the most exciting part of game development but it's an important one. The main menus have gotten a bit overhaul to make navigation easier and faster. You can now start a game with just a couple of clicks. Gamepad navigation in particular has improved a lot. A new "retro font" has also been added but the "modern" version is still available if you prefer it.


The old tutorial was boring and quite easy to skip entirely. This has been replaced with a new training map which will be the default when starting the game (also for existing players until you select something else) and introduces the mechanics as you play.


These quality of life features have been highly requested and here they are now. There are arrows (with timer) pointing to mission locations on the screen. Level up is now manual by default so you can choose when to do it without interrupting your play. Both of these features can be turned on/off in the settings. Then there's the run mode - the ability/energy bar can now also be consumed by running with a new key toggle.

Many more additions, changes and balance fixes have also been made. For more details check out the full changelog below. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more!


This festival starts today and includes a massive amount of games from this genre. Be sure to check it out (click the banner below)!

Full changelog

General

• New item: Spoon - Automatically consume health items when health is critical
  
• New power-ups for each of the main character attributes (STR, PER, END, CHA, INT, AGI, LUC)
  
• New menu UI and structure
  
• New map: Training Grounds (tutorial)
  
• New setting: Font style (Default: Retro)
  
• New setting: Arrow pointing to mission location (Default: On)
  
• New setting: Level up is automatic (Default: Off)
  
• New control function: Run mode - Use the ability/energy meter to move 50% faster
  
• Using the default ability (non-super mode) no longer consumes the full ability bar but half
  
• Added a brief invincibility period after using a character's ability
  
• Added enemy death sounds
  
• Level up first screen offers now a character stat, weapon, item and consumables/gold (50%). The second screen are for weapon upgrades only
  
• Level up has more information on the choices
  
• Hotkey setting also allows selection for upgrades on level up with the number keys
  
• Large on-screen event messages are gone and moved over to the event log
  
• Added a heart icon next to player indicating low health
  
• Gold Ores give gold twice as fast
  
• Replaced the air alert warning effect with a simple arrow
  
• Information on how much player is healed is shown above player, also when the game is paused
  
• Enemy projectiles have an outline and darker smoke for better visibility
  
• Unlocking new characters does not grant bonus skulls anymore. Kills needed to unlock characters lowered from 2000 to 1000
  
• Church healing is cheaper initially but more expensive the more times used
  
• Mission changes: The radius is initially bigger but gets smaller over time, the 2s time limit for outside area has been raised to 5s but being outside doesn't count for mission goal
  
• Mission maps change: Goals have been raised to make them more challenging
  
• Magnet item pull range reduced by ~15%
  
• Mission health reward reduced max health from +10 to +5
  
• Multi-Fire consumable no longer doubles the attack rate for weapons
  
• The first 3 minutes of the game are a bit easier on enemy amount and frequency
  
• End-game difficulty raised a bit
  
• Leaderboard shows the power-ups used in the run
  
• Added Hungary flag to leaderboards

Bugs

• Potential game crash when selling a weapon and selecting a consumable directly after
  
• Party members had some issues with staying and colliding with the boss arena area
  
• Weapon upgrade damage numbers were not reflecting the new large numbers e.g. +0.5 was displayed in some areas instead of 500
  
• Small graphical glitch when using melee primary weapon with auto-aim
  
• Mission rewards disappeared if opening character screen and coming back (but came back after doing it again)

Gothic Gardens
Descend into the steampunk abyss with our October update. Here, the macabre waltz of undead foliage meets the cold precision of mechanized malice. Haunted greenhouses, new abominable adversaries, and cunningly concealed traps lie in wait among the ruins of a steampunk dream turned nightmare.

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Undead Greenhouse Expansion
Tread carefully amidst the Undead Greenhouse where botanical monstrosities take root. Doodads twisted by death's eternal embrace await, where each bloom may be your last sight.

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Castle Garden's Malevolent Bloom
Within the Castle Garden's corrupted earth, dread and beauty are bedfellows. Here, noble paths have withered, giving way to doodads that whisper of decay and despair.

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Castle Interior: A Facade of Splendor
Step into Castle Interiors laced with opulent deceit. Among the lavish doodads and furnishings, shadows cast by the flickering flame unveil game objects that may harbor unspeakable horrors.

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Airship Interior: War in the Wings
The revamped Airship Interior tileset heralds a claustrophobic ballet of death. Navigate through the menacing innards, amongst doodads and game objects that breathe life into the art of aerial combat.

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Enhanced Carnage: Better Gore, Better Flames
Feast your senses on the enhanced gore and flames. Now, each blow lands with a visceral satisfaction, and fire consumes with a hunger more voracious and visually enthralling.

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Destructible Doodads: A World Unraveling
Lay siege to your surroundings with destructible doodads. Shatter, splinter, and sunder the world around you, leaving only the echoes of obliteration in your wake.

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Bathouse Interior: Eerie Immersion
Dare to dip into the Bathouse Interior tileset. Here, each droplet of water echoes amidst the murk, and the stone breathes with the dampness of dread.

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Traps Galore: A Gauntlet of Grief
A new array of traps awaits: spike traps, circular saws, pendulums, crushers, and rolling boulders. Each step could be a dance with death, every corner a cruel end.

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Dungeon Interior: Where Shadows Dwell
Delve into the Dungeon Interior, now replete with tilesets, doodads, and game objects that craft a narrative of peril with each cobweb-strewn corner and skeleton-littered cell.

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Arachnid Adversaries: Giant Spiders
Face the skittering terror of Giant Spiders, capable of leaping and running down the bravest souls, ready to weave their deadly dance upon unsuspecting prey.

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The Gorg Monster: Floating Fury
Beware the Gorg Monster, a grotesque floating head with eyes that sear the soul and an energy orb that seeks to extinguish the light of life.

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Zombie Variants: The Undead Evolve
Encounter new breeds of horror with an array of zombie variants, including the explosive finish of the Exploding Zombie—a literal walking nightmare.

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Laboratory Interior: Science & Sacrilege
Enter the Laboratory Interior, where tilesets, doodads, and game objects tell tales of experiments too sinister for the sane world.

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Jungle Exterior: Lush Labyrinths
The Jungle Exterior beckons with its lush, treacherous expanses, filled with doodads and game objects that hold both the promise of adventure and the peril of the unknown.

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Infested Undead & Garden Sorrows
The Cultist Undead roam amidst the newly animated garden doodads. Beware the swaying plants—what secrets do they shroud within their supple stems?

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Landmines & Exploding Spores: The Flora Fights Back
Mind your step as landmines and exploding plant spores add a new layer of danger to your traversal. The garden is not passive; it preys.

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Volcano Exterior: A Fiery Frontier
Challenge your fate in the Volcano Exterior. Here, tilesets, doodads, and game objects are bathed in the glow of molten peril, and every path is a potential pyre.

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In this world of Gothic Gardens and Mechanical Menaces, every new addition weaves into the existing tapestry of terror, creating an ever-evolving narrative of despair and darkness. Adventure with caution, for beauty in this realm is but a thin veil over the face of horror.

The store page is up now for the next adventure: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2677680/Goblin_and_Coins_II_The_Lost_Recipes/ Please wishlist and follow to be the first to get the news and updates and to support the effort. Thank you.

The store page is up now for the next adventure: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2677680/Goblin_and_Coins_II_The_Lost_Recipes/ Please wishlist and follow to be the first to get the news and updates and to support the effort. Thank you.

Ahoy, fellow gamers!

We've got an exciting event coming your way. Join us for a live gameplay showcase of Ruiga Pirates as we set sail on an epic adventure on the high seas. Whether you're a seasoned pirate or a landlubber, this is a journey you won't want to miss!

Here's what to expect:

🔹 Gameplay Insights: Get an exclusive look at the exciting gameplay, explore hidden treasures, and engage in epic battles.
🔹 Q&A Session: Ask us your burning questions about the game, development process, and the pirate's life.

🔗 Where: LINK

Prepare to embark on a swashbuckling adventure with us! Set a reminder, invite your crew, and let's dive into the world of Ruiga Pirates together.

Don't miss the boat! See you on the high seas, mateys! 🏴‍☠️⚓

#RuigaPirates #LiveStream #GameplayShowcase #PirateLife #GamingCommunity

- Halloween even has ended :(
- Fixed new translation issues (and more to come)

Hello, all!

I'm excited to share the latest update to the demo, which includes some balance tweaks and QOL improvements. Recently NeuroSquad has made an appearance in some online festivals (most recently the Roguelike Celebration, but also was on the Steam page of Realms Deep and DevPlay), resulting in some important feedback from a larger set of players. Many suggestions are still in development, and I plan to include more of them in the coming updates.



With this update I focused mostly on implementing suggestions from the community, and adding quality of life improvements. There's still a lot I want to do with the demo, So while I'm working on optimization (which is a loooong process and frankly, a huge rabbit hole), I thought I'd publish this update with some of the changes that I implemented based on feedback. (This update lines up well with the game being selected for the Bullet Heaven Festival, more on that below.)

Here you can find the full list of changes:

• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Increased the number of enemies spawning in the early game of the demo stage (waves 2, 5, and 7), and increased the cap of maximum enemies allowed in the beginning.
  
• Adjusted the XP gain in the beginning to balance the higher number of enemies.
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Removed the reloading mechanic, as people found it unsatisfying. Since it was part of the manual shooting method, reworked that too, now there are three options: auto-fire with manual aim, auto-aim, and on-the-fly auto-aim, as requested by players:
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Implemented a dynamic auto-aim system: when not moving, the character aims automatically. While running, the character aims in the direction of movement.
  
• Added a new key binding for quickly switching between shooting methods: toggle for the preferred auto-aim method. If auto-aim is turned off in the settings, it toggles between "off" and the regular auto-aim.
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Added the option to reset the key bindings to the defaults.
  
• Rebalanced the fire rate of the Helldart, the Biosense mines, and the Spark cannon. Lowered their cap, and made their starting values higher for the hero.
  
• Increased the lifetime of Biosense mines.
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Fixed a bug that allowed the level of implants to display higher than their maximum levels, if they were leveled up before their cap was tweaked in previous updates. (Used to apply to Neo-cortex).
  
• Slightly increased the starting pickup range (from 300 to 350 units).
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Changed the way the Biosense mines react to the Ghost detonator being applied: now the mine deals 2.5 X base damage (like usual) instead of just 1 dmg, and the Ghost detonator's effect is applied to the scattered bullets only. This ensures the mines still damage enemies, even if the bullets have Energy locker on (which would otherwise result in 0 damage most of the time).
  
• Reduced the range of the Godlight weapon (default bullet lifetime from 1 sec to 0.7 sec).
  
• 🤜🤛 [Based on feedback]: Changed the damage increase of the Microshard injector weapon mod from 50% to 30%.
  
• Changed the first objective timer: now it's only required to survive for 3 minutes instead of 5 for the reward.
  
• Added notifications under the XP bar that appear upon completing an objective.
  
• Added the two Chinese logos into the game (for the main menu and pause menu).

❗ Important note: ❗
Since I've made some changes to the inputs (deprecated two and added a new one: toggle auto-aim), the key bindings had to be reset to the defaults for everyone who has played the demo previously. You don't have to do anything, but if you were using custom input settings, you'll have to set it up in the controls settings again.
I apologize for this, please keep in mind that the game is still in development and changes like this are expected for now.

❗ Also... ❗
The current version has a known bug, unfortunately the order of the key bindings in the settings menu can sometimes get reshuffled, so similar keys (such as ones for keyboard VS ones for gamepads) might not always line up neatly underneath each other. This doesn't affect anything (apart from clarity), but my very next task is to hunt down this bug. Hopefully will be fixed in another update soon. - Fixed!


I'd like to share some info about the progress I've been making regarding performance improvements. This in my case mostly means diving into the engine code and making custom solutions for the things that are the most demanding in NeuroSquad.
So the game is being developed in Unreal Engine, which is a powerful beast, and gives many well thought-out things out of the box. But of course, every game is different, and has different needs. For NeuroSquad in particular, I quickly found that handling a large amount of player-bullets and enemies is where the bottleneck lies. On the bullets front, I decided to use my own particle-driven solution early on, which has been working great so far (I might post some stress tests and benchmarks later if there's interest in this kind of stuff).
Now I'm in the middle of tackling the other big performance-hitter, the large number of enemies. Testing shows promising results so far (with clusters, a custom movement controller, vertex animation, etc), hopefully you can see the effects of these in the game soon.



I'm excited to share that NeuroSquad has been selected to be part of Bullet Heaven Fest, which starts... today! I'm honored to be included among such great games that have been inspiring me throughout development.

As the organizers say, "You'll be flooding the screen with your own arsenal in a storm of firepower that puts traditional bullet hell games to shame." - Indeed. Check out the sale page here:

https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41046058/sale/BulletHeavenFest


If you'd like to discuss changes and follow the development of the game, you can find me on the official NeuroSquad Discord server:



Happy slaying!

-Matt

This update enhances the flexibility of path tracing with new settings ranging from "Low" to "Let my PC burn."


1 Bounce for GI
1 Bounce for Reflections
Quarter resolution for global illumination.
70% resolution for reflections.

2 Bounces for GI
2 Bounces for Reflections
Half resolution for global illumination.
100% resolution for reflections.

3 Bounces for GI
3 Bounces for Reflections
Half resolution for global illumination.
100% resolution for reflections.

4 Bounces for GI
4 Bounces for Reflections
Half resolution for global illumination.
100% resolution for reflections.

Thank you, and stay tuned!