Hello, gangsters!

Thank you for joining us in early access for "Jim's Nightmare: Chapter 1". We appreciate your support and feedback as we continue to improve your gaming experience.

• Improved walking system for smoother navigation.
  
• Enhanced accessibility and user experience features.
  
• Updated user interface for a more intuitive experience.
  
• Added a comprehensive settings menu.
  
• Fixed various art issues.
  
• Corrected missing lines of dialogue.
  
• Updated wall colliders for better interaction.
  
• Enhanced the option to skip dialogues.
  
• Refined the tutorial for new players.
  
• Fixed numerous small bugs for a smoother gameplay.
  
• Resolved issues with the sanity mechanic.
  
• Improved monster attack behaviors for a more challenging experience.

This update focuses primarily on debugging and refining the game based on your valuable feedback.

Thank you for your continued support and happy gaming!

The Pumpkiny Games and Sky Den Games Teams!

Ultimate Chump is now available to buy with a 10% launch discount.

We're excited to be part of Steam Next Fest! Watch as Deniz, from our two-person team, plays the first chapter of our game.

We look forward to seeing you there! ❤️❤️❤️

New look and performance boost!

This update should take care of performance issues for good.

• Performance optimization (aimed for low-end & Steam Deck)
  
• Fixed a scenario where a gate in second level did not open
  
• Cleaned the visuals for readability (tweaked rendering, lighting, shaders and fx)
  
• Updated the UI portraits
  
• Added one more broadcast into the first level
  
• Cloud saves

Keep on punching!

Greetings, comrades!

We are releasing a brand new demo for Union of Gnomes, called "Neverending Nightmare!" It includes a never-before-seen mode – forget about the previous demos, you absolutely must play this new experience.



This is what's in the new demo:

• The brand new Neverending Nightmare mode itself.
  
• 2 heroes, each with 8 unique characteristics and 9 different talents;
  
• 92 cards with cool effects, which will allow you to create spectacular combos;
  
• 19 enemies and 5 bosses;
  
• The new “Teams'' feature. The Gnome's wagon is no longer just a transport vehicle, but a full-fledged combat unit with powerful bonuses: zero the cost of cards, restore health, and do massive damage to enemies.

Thanks to an outpouring of player feedback, we've rebalanced the sausage system and increased the amount of food produced in shelters. Additionally, in the new Neverending Nightmare mode, dwarves do not eat sausages –- you will only need them to form a Team.

We hope you will enjoy the new demo. After all, that's what it's all about: drive, fun, and harsh gnome's humor.

Download the Neverending Nightmare demo, add the full Union of Gnomes game to your Wishlist, share your impressions, and have fun!

Freedom to Gnomes!
Union of Gnomes Team

Howdy, Cowboys & Warriors!

We're thrilled to announce not just one, but three exciting updates for Black Trail! Your feedback over the past month has been invaluable, and we've been working hard to incorporate your suggestions.

First up, a price drop! Black Trail is now available for just $24.99, making it more accessible than ever.

Secondly, dive into the adventure with a brand new demo! This week, you can experience the introductory chapters of Black Trail, playing as both Jack and White Eagle as the war unfolds.

Finally, we're rolling out a major patch alongside these other updates! This patch brings a host of improvements based on your feedback, including:

• Enhanced Gameplay and Content: We've significantly reworked Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, improving both mechanics and visuals. Additionally, a brand new combat zone awaits in the Snake Canyon Mine!
  
  
• Bounty Hunt Mode Unchained: Bounty Hunt mode is now unlocked progressively as you complete relevant levels. Put your sharpshooting skills to the test and hunt down outlaws for exciting rewards! Purchasable weapons, perks, and characters also unlock after completing specific levels.
  
  
• Smoother Shooting: You can now grab your revolver with your off-hand to reduce recoil. We've also adjusted recoil levels for all weapons.
  
  
• Expanded Tutorials: A new tutorial explains how to use cigars for a more immersive experience.
  
  
• Improved Immersion: We've reworked controller haptics, added missing achievement messages, and optimized event systems for better performance. You'll also find fixes for distance grabbing, hand animations, and the Bounty Hunt market UI. Teleport mechanics have also been improved for a smoother experience.
  
  
• Visual Polish: We've addressed lighting and reflection issues across all chapters, improved texture quality, and updated rifle muzzle flash, smoke, and sound effects.
  
  
• Enhanced Audio: Overall audio levels have been adjusted for a better experience. Combat music will play less frequently, and new music has been added to several chapters.
  
  
• Smarter AI: Enemy behavior has been revamped. Enemy spawn groups were redesigned to create separate idle and action moments. Field of view issues have been fixed and enemy cover behavior has been improved.
  
  
• Tech Updates: The Oculus plugin has been updated to the latest version, and the game now automatically recognizes active OpenXR Runtime.

We're committed to making Black Trail the best possible experience, and your feedback is essential. Thank you for being part of our gaming community! We can't wait for you to experience these improvements and join us on this thrilling journey.

Happy gaming!

I wanted to make a post here to avoid any confusion, I have updated the title of this game to Cryptica.

• Fixed a bug where the "Devoured" Additive could be selected over and over again in the regular Additive selection
  
• Elite enemies now also have a health bar
  
• Improved performance when the screen gets crowded

This update includes the highly requested survey results along with the improvements made using the feedback received. The survey results include how satisfied the players are with the gameplay elements and logistics, how they have found out about Zero Hour, whether they would like to participate in a PvP tournament, and most importantly whether the game is ready for launch. This patch includes improved planning table, addition of sniper’s nest in a few maps, improved Squad AI behavior, breaker box improvement, kill feed improvement, and animation canceling.

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Survey Results

The results of this survey are based on 60% co-op players and 40% PvP players. Next month, we plan to conduct another survey, and we hope to engage more PvP players to gather a broader range of feedback. In this report, we have highlighted the requested outcomes and addressed the major concerns raised by the community.


How did you find out about Zero Hour?

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Due to popular demand, we've added a statistic regarding how players discovered Zero Hour.

How satisfied were you with the logistics?

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Players expressed the highest satisfaction with the gunplay in Zero Hour. Specifically, 35% of the players rated it a 5 out of 5, and 40% rated it a 4 out of 5.

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The map layout and weapon selections received mixed reviews, but overall leaned towards highly satisfactory. The majority of respondents (approximately 34%) rated them 4 out of 5, followed by around 28% who rated them 5 out of 5.

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Movement, equipment availability, and mission briefing and debriefing also received mixed reviews, leaning towards satisfactory. The majority of respondents (around 31-33%) rated these aspects 4 out of 5, followed by an average of 26% who rated them 3 out of 5, and approximately 20-25% rating them 5 out of 5.

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Objective variety received the most average reviews, with approximately 37% of players rating it 3 out of 5. This was followed by similar percentages (around 22%) for both 2 out of 5 and 4 out of 5 ratings.

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Squad AI Behavior received the lowest satisfaction rating, with 30% rating it 3 out of 5 and an average of 27% giving it 2 or 1 out of 5.

Improvements

We've received valuable feedback regarding clunky movement, which has helped us identify many related issues. We've addressed these concerns in the latest patch, improving the overall experience. Key updates include smoother and faster transitions between walking, running, and idling in first-person view, enhanced crouch and prone transitions, and a slight increase in fast walk speed for more optimal movement.

In this patch, we've improved Squad AI behavior. We've addressed the issue of squad AI blocking players' paths; they will now properly move aside. Additionally, the unpredictability of Squad AI has been enhanced to make encounters more dynamic and engaging.

We're working on enhancing objective variety by introducing "Arrest Only" and "Hostage Bomb Defuse" objectives in Co-op mode. Additionally, we are considering a new PvP game mode similar to "Secure the Area" to further diversify gameplay.


Did the game offer enough variety in terms of gameplay elements?

Half of the respondents were satisfied with the diversity and engagement of the gameplay elements and the other half believed there were certain elements that could be improved.

Players suggested extending the planning phase and adding more diverse mission objectives to enhance strategic depth. They also wanted AI behavior to be more unpredictable and dynamic. Increased equipment and weapon customization options, along with missions that include stealth objectives or the freedom to eliminate hostiles, were highly requested. Additionally, players called for more varied gun options, clearer effects of attachments, and enhancements like sniper spots and improved riot shields to enrich the tactical experience. Overall, there was a strong interest in boosting mission variety and gameplay dynamics.

Improvements

The planning table will be improved in the upcoming patch, providing more time and flexibility for strategic preparation. The unpredictability of Squad AI will also see significant enhancements. We will be increasing the customization options in future patches. The other feedbacks have been taken into consideration and we will be looking into them.


Would you participate in a PvP tournament?

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When asked about participating in a PvP tournament, 60% of respondents answered negatively. However, we believe this is largely because a majority of the survey responses came from co-op players rather than PvP players.

Do you think the game is ready for launch?

The majority of respondents believe the game is ready for launch. Those who responded negatively highlighted concerns primarily related to squad AI and other specific aspects. Many of these issues have been addressed in the current patch, and further improvements will be included in the full release.

Some players have requested more weapons, maps, and utilities, while others feel there are already too many weapon options that are confusing. These demands are more related to personal preferences rather than a necessity for a 1.0 launch. Regarding controller support, it's challenging due to the extensive control inputs required by the game, but we are exploring possible solutions.


Conclusion

We would like to thank all the players who took the time to fill the survey and provide us with valuable feedback. It has helped us tremendously in identifying and addressing specific concerns. We hope you are satisfied with the improvements we have included with this patch.



[ IMPROVED PLANNING TABLE ]
The planning table has received various improvements based on the feedback we received from the community. We have added more functionality for using this tac map through out the session for PvP and PvE players.

Co-op players will now be able to see the last suspect alive in the planning table as long as the target is not part of an objective and no other suspects are alive. During the preparation phase, all objectives will be shown as an interest point icon in the planning table. NPC locations will also be shown later on after all suspects have been dealt with. Of course all this will only be available when playing in regular difficulty only.

PvP players will now be able to see their last 3 death locations and the locations they were killed from (note the killer's location will only show up in the next round). It will also show locations of your last 3 kills.



[ NEW SNIPERS NEST ]
Snipers Nest is a new way to approach your missions, giving you the ability to snipe for targets or gather intel for your team mates. You can approach the entry point showcased in planning table and get transported to the snipers nest. Only one player is allowed to be present in the sniper's nest (not available in DM FFA mode) and you will be teleported back to the grounds as soon as you are the last one alive and there is only 2 minutes left on the timer. You will also not be able to go to the sniper's nest if you bring in your K9 to the mission. The snipers nest if available for both PvP and PvE players.



[ KILL FEED IMPROVEMENTS ]
Auto Kill feed has been added as an option for custom match players, while playing with this option on the kills will be auto reported. We have also added color codes to the feed to further improve the experience.



[ ANIMATION CANCELLING ]
Animation cancelling has been added to the game and this is our first iteration for it. You will now be able to cancel full body animations. Note that you wont be able to cancel the animation once it reaches a core action ( for example, the door rammer being pushed forward ). Along with animation cancelling we have also added the ability to move slowly while performing certain full body animations such as using the medkit and door rammer. We hope to improve further with the next patch.



[ SQUAD AI IMPROVEMENTS ]
The Squad AI has received a significant improvement on detecting when they are blocking the player's way. We are aware of how frustrating the experience was for people using squad AI and we are glad to say the squad AI now has better detection to avoid blocking the player's path.



[ NEW BREAKER BOX LOCKER ]
The Breaker switch is now a 2-step action, you will now have to open the locker to use the lever to affect the operation building's lights. This was done to increase the risk of interacting with the breaker switch, requiring a more tactical approach.



Update Log

• Added Snipers Nest to Residential House, Hotel Trouble, Prison Break, Show Time, Bank Heist
  
• Added Breaker Switch as a locker, meaning its a 2 step action
  
• Added New coop objective , arrest suspect (not neutralize)
  
• Added Help Tip Prompt ( 1st iteration )
  
• Added Auto Kill Feed option for custom matches (PvP)
  
• Added Color code to Kill Feed (PvP)
  
• Added Co-op story bot amount randomizer
  
• Added Co-op Interest points display in planning table during prep phase only for regular difficulty
  
• Added Co-op last suspect(non objective) remaining display in planning table only for regular difficulty
  
• Added Co-op NPC location after no suspect remaining display in planning table only for regular difficulty
  
• Added Planning table show player related data like death location and during prep phase you will get killer location + your kills location
  
• Added Auto join previous team when rejoining previous match (PvP)
  
• Added Sniper Trade prompt in Snipers Nest
  
• Added full body animation cancelling ability
  
• Added full body animation with movement while using UT3

• Fixed Squad AI blocking player's way ( final iteration )
  
• Fixed Squad AI move to command error log
  
• Fixed NVG staying over round ( final iteration )
  
• Fixed Defenders not being able to close outside doors during spawn protection (PvP)
  
• Fixed several light flickering caused by light optimization
  
• Fixed M4 charge handle not moving during draw animation
  
• Fixed Utility 3 not saving for Defender
  
• Fixed Double bomb/hostage (PvP)
  
• Fixed being able to shoot and sprint with certain weapons
  
• Fixed scope glitch for Acog and Sniper Scope
  
• Fixed AS Val using the wrong SFX
  
• Fixed M.V Meghna map LOD issue
  
• Fixed Residential House table collider
  
• Fixed SKS fast walk animation glitching
  
• Fixed Dockyard getting stuck between Containers
  
• Fixed Queue quick-match with auto weapon ban toggled on in custom match settings enables auto weapon ban for quick-match (PvP)
  
• Fixed Terror house suspect spawning inside procedural prop table
  
• Fixed SW11 gold skin texture issue
  
• Fixed interacting with breaker switch while facing away
  
• Fixed M.V Meghna VIP door error
  
• Fixed stamina going down when walking down stairs
  
• Fixed Hotel Trouble chair behind reception blocking movement
  
• Fixed Auto weapon ban not showing ban icon for defender selection menu
  
• Fixed crouched suspect AI not reacting
  
• Fixed weapon positioned wrong when using universal animation ( final iteration )
  
• Fixed grenade exploding again after resetting
  
• Fixed rappel assign error log
  
• Fixed UT3 mesh stuck in hand when triggered by rappel
  
• Fixed suspect arrest animation desync
  
• Fixed suspect dead trigger delay at times

• Changed Planning phase time duration for Co-Op from 60s to 125s
  
• Changed Planning table switching floors with mouse scroll
  
• Changed bomb defuse to be required after 120s is remaining instead of 90s (PvP)
  
• Changed Spawn protection to be turned off for the entrance the attackers will use to enter operation building (PvP)
  
• Changed Custom match join-ongoing toggle to be turned on by default
  
• Changed Hotel Trouble 4th floor balcony rappel height to 5th floor for better approach
  
• Improved Suspect detection if player is running
  
• Improved lighting optimization even more
  
• Improved NVG effect
  
• Improved fast walk speed
  
• Improved crouch transition speed
  
• Improved prone transition speed
  
• Improved Walk/run transitions
  
• Improved Hotel trouble garage more cover
  
• Improved Residential house 2f hall lighting
  
• Improved Muzzle VFX high volume probability
  
• Improved Co-op score required to unlock missions
  
• Improved weapon firing stamina usage per weapon based
  
• Improved Planning table prompt

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Thank you for your patience, please make sure to report toxicity, feedback & suggestions in our Discord server using the following links.
Discord Global Community : Zero Hour Official
Discord French Community : Zero Hour France

Hey Samsho fans!
We're excited about Samurai Shodown's latest major patch because it contains some improvements that we feel will make a big impact with the community.

First, the long-awaited intro skip has been implemented! Gone are the days where you have to sit through the character's lengthy (but interesting!) intros before starting the fight. A simple button press can now skip all that so you can get right to the action!

Next, Samurai Shodown now features a decoupling technique which makes lower performing PCs play better online! The game's logic and framerate have been "decoupled" meaning they are not essentially tied together. What that means is that in the case where there are FPS drops, the game's logic (ie: button response times) are processed normally without also being dragged down. The added benefit of this technology is it greatly reduces the lag between two players playing on hardware with a big difference in specs.

Finally, this update features multiple fixes and improvements:

* Fixed Amakusa's orb disappearing during jumping attacks
* Fixed VFX error with Mina's arrow trail incorrectly drawing during online play
* Fixed Kazuki's missing fire VFX when disarmed by weapon flipping technique
* Fixed Kazuki's weapon VFX snapping from previous position to current location after weapon disarm.
* Fixed game soft locking if players repeatedly pressing round restart button during online training
* Fixed VFXs incorrectly ending early during online matches
* Reduces performance spikes on rollback
* Fixed problem of spectators causing deadlocks with Shizumaru charging his down pour attack between rounds