Sep 5

Forsaken Frontiers - mayleen

The Mineshaft

Searchlight, Nevada

July 4, 1992

"The orange clouds found us three hundred feet underground. Seeping through rock, drifting down ventilation shafts we thought were sealed. Command said it was just "atmospheric disturbance" from California. We all knew they were lying.

Couple weeks into stripping this mining depot. Yesterday the first cloud rolled through storage. The workforce without masks started dissolving from the inside - coughing up pieces of themselves before dropping. One of the engineers got a single breath before his mask sealed. Now he sits in the corner, swelling, groaning as his body expands. Growing into something else. We locked him in storage but we can still hear him changing.

A recon team checked the lower tunnels this morning. Found their clothes. No bodies. Just the absence of people who used to exist.

The surface must be completely orange by now. These spores drift east from California, finding every crack down to us. Command's been static for three days. The train was supposed to come yesterday. They're not coming.

Three hundred feet underground with two weeks of supplies and no way out. The lift's dead. Even if we could climb, there's only orange death above.

If you find this, stay away. The spores are still here. We're still here. Don't come looking."

- Overseer Silas

LOCATION BRIEFING

MANDATORY RESPIRATORY PROTECTION: Gas mask required for all personnel - site contaminated with California-origin spore particles
RESOURCE EXTRACTION AUTHORIZED: Mining equipment available for ore recovery operations along tunnel perimeters
NO AMBIENT LIGHTING: Facility lacks illumination infrastructure - portable light sources mandatory for safe navigation
OPERATIONAL HAZARDS: Atmospheric exposure without proper filtration results in immediate personnel loss. Multiple structural breaches and excavation pits present - exercise extreme caution during movement protocols

The Casino

Chicago, Illinois

Slot Machines

The workforce haunts these rows like it's the only church left standing. Each soul sinking into private communion with their chosen machine. Pull the lever. Watch the reels blur. Let everything else fade to static. The symbols that spin past feel dredged from collective memory - patterns everyone knows but no one can place, like warnings written in a dead language.

The machines hum their electric lullabies, patient as priests. They know when to grant small mercies - three matching symbols here, a handful of credits there. Just enough light to keep the moths circling. Outside waits the endless cold, the spores, the things that hunt. Inside, there's only the next pull, the next spin, the next chance.

The regulars have worn grooves in their spots, each one tethered to their particular altar. They don't speak, don't look away, don't stop. In this fluorescent sanctuary, the only salvation is the jackpot that never comes. The only horror is when your credits run dry and reality creeps back in.

Wheel of Doom

The wheel waits in permanent stillness until you arrive. Then it seems to exhale, ready. One spin daily - a ritual carved so deep into routine that your hands know the motion even if your mind has forgotten why. They find the worn spots where countless fingers have gripped before. All of them yours.

Credits or corruption - mere decorations for the others. But between the wedges, in the spaces where the wheel blurs, you see them: the verdant gardens, sun that burns away the cold, fragments of a purpose you once carried like gospel. You've been here before. Many times.

The wheel remembers that December day you first touched it. It remembers the plan you believed would save everyone. Patient as winter, it waits for you to remember too.

"Christmas in the casino. The ECD herded us here for 'morale' - as if slot machines could make us forget California's complete destruction. Ten days since we lost the California workforce for good. The workforce pretends to celebrate while the ECD pretends we're not next.

I found something at the wheel today. Or it found me. It showed me fields beyond this winter - green stretching endlessly under warm sunlight. Not memories. Something else. A promise of what waits beyond.

It wants me to return. Daily. Like a ritual. Said I'd forget all of this if I miss even one day. Forget there's anything beyond the cold worth finding.

California proved we can't hold against what's coming. But maybe we don't have to. Maybe there's another way through. A way to poison it from the inside.

The others drink their rationed beer and waste credits on slot machines. They don't know what I saw. They wouldn't believe it anyway. Growth where there should be only death. A weakness in what took California.

Tomorrow I'll spin again."

- V, December 25th, 1991

New Modifier: SPORES

Thick clouds of toxic spores now drift through the environment, their orange-tinted masses creating a suffocating atmosphere that proves lethal to anyone without proper protection.

Within these poisoned zones, The Carrier emerges - a corrupted being that explodes into deadly clouds of contamination.

Requires a gas mask to survive - without one, suffocation occurs
Reduces AI vision distance by 33%
Carriers appear in high numbers within the spore-contaminated area

Gas Mask Authorization

Emergency respiratory protection equipment has been cleared for immediate distribution to personnel operating in contaminated zones:

Gas Mask units available for requisition from Supply Officers
Provides full protection against airborne spore contamination and atmospheric toxins
Military-grade filtration system rated for Category-3 biological hazards
Reinforced seal design maintains integrity during extended exposure to hostile environments

"More equipment notices for a workforce that barely exists. The ECD still pretends they're managing hundreds when we're down to a handful of people.

Orange death crawls eastward from California's grave. We're all that's left of humanity - the Chicago workforce, the last ones still breathing.

The Pentagon mission happens soon. 'Humanity's Last Hope,' they call it. I know what waits there. They don't. Ten months of visions have shown me how this ends.

When the spores reach Chicago, this mask will let me walk the contaminated tunnels one last time. The fluorescent stars will guide me to where I need to be. They think this is about surviving the mission. They don't know I'm not planning to come back."

- V, September 27th, 1992

NEW ENTITY ALERT

Designation: "THE CARRIER"

Classification: NIGHTMARE

Threat Vector: Explosive Contamination/Biological Warfare

CHARACTERISTICS

Severely bloated humanoid form with visible internal distension
Advanced stage spore infestation throughout body cavity
Unstable biological structure - prone to catastrophic detonation
SPORE-ORIGIN CONTAMINATION: Entity manifestation linked to California incident
SUICIDE BOMBER BEHAVIOR: Approaches targets with intent to detonate at close proximity
Emergence patterns correlate directly with spore concentration levels

ENCOUNTER PROTOCOL

Upon visual contact: IMMEDIATE RETREAT - do not approach under any circumstances
Engagement authorization: Close quarters combat TRIGGERS INSTANT DETONATION - RANGED ELIMINATION ONLY - entity detonates upon projectile impact
Proximity breach: EMERGENCY EVACUATION - explosive radius exceeds safe engagement distance
No containment protocols available - entity termination through controlled detonation only

DETONATION EFFECTS

Carrier elimination results in:

Immediate explosive blast - lethal within 6-meter radius
Secondary spore dispersal - contamination cloud expands post-detonation
INFECTION PROTOCOL: Direct exposure to blast materials results in progressive biological breakdown
Conversion timeline: Approximately 3.2 minutes from exposure to complete ████████

CONTAMINATION ZONES

Multiple Carriers manifest in spore-affected territories
Expect escalating Carrier manifestations in high-contamination areas - entity density is rising with prolonged atmospheric degradation
Entity density correlates to proximity of ████████ ██████ ██████

CRITICAL ADVISORY The Carrier represents WEAPONIZED BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION in entity form. Standard engagement protocols COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE due to explosive nature. MAINTAIN MAXIMUM DISTANCE - entity serves as both weapon and plague vector. Personnel exhibiting post-exposure symptoms must REPORT TO ECD TRAUMA RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY for mandatory evaluation. Treatment protocols will be determined based on contamination progression and subject viability assessments. COMPLIANCE WITH TRAUMA RESPONSE DIRECTIVES IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.

ENTITY EVOLUTION REPORT

Designation: "HOLLOW SPIDER"

Classification: NIGHTMARE

Threat Vector: Multi-Sensory Predation/Advanced Tracking

CHARACTERISTICS

OPTICAL DETECTION CAPABILITY - entity demonstrates functional vision
ACUTE AUDITORY SENSITIVITY - dramatically improved sound detection range
INCREASED LOCOMOTION SPEED - enhanced pursuit velocity beyond baseline measurements
ADAPTIVE HUNTING PROTOCOLS - combines visual and auditory target acquisition
ACCELERATED COCOONING PROCESS - target immobilization occurs significantly faster than baseline measurements

ENCOUNTER PROTOCOL

Upon detection - Break visual contact and remain motionless until departure confirmed
Audio discipline - MAINTAIN ABSOLUTE SILENCE
Positioning protocols - Avoid exposure in open corridors
Evasion protocols - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OUTRUN - enhanced speed eliminates flight as viable option
Stunlight deployment - RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT - optical disruption temporarily blinds entity due to newly developed vision capabilities, creating escape opportunities

CRITICAL ADVISORY The Hollow Spider represents UNPRECEDENTED SENSORY EVOLUTION within this entity classification. Standard concealment protocols NO LONGER PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION. Combined optical and auditory detection capabilities render previous evasion strategies CRITICALLY COMPROMISED. Increased pursuit speed negates traditional escape methods. All personnel must ASSUME IMMEDIATE DETECTION in any environment where both visual contact and sound emission occur simultaneously.

Player

Changes

Retextures and improvements for clothes and backpack
Hoodie and backpack now match the player’s flavor color
You can now "give up" while being carried by the Butcher
Breathing adjustments to blend ratios, exponent values, and volume scaling
Overhauled equipment movement sounds
the old sounds had sharp metallic tings that felt distracting, so they’ve been reworked to sound more natural and less intrusive

V (Male) - Suffocation Vocals by @AnThranOfficial

"i broke enough things in this game, now i'll help build it!"

Fixes

Fixed equipment not visually holstering for other players when picked up until equipped
Player outline now resets during respawn to prevent cases where it could remain stuck on
Fixed a bug where healing while infected or paranoid did not properly clear the wounded effects
Fixed a bug where explosions would sometimes fail to kill players
Fixed a bug where colliders on collected equipment items weren’t disabled, which could block interactions with other objects
Fixed a mistake where the male player’s minimum paranoia sound cooldown was 8 seconds instead of 15 seconds, matching the female player’s cooldown
Resolved a bug causing equipment foley sounds to pan incorrectly when the player leans

Data Deck

Snake Mini-Game

Play the classic Snake game directly on your Data Deck during downtime or while spectating.

How It Works

Access via "snake" button next to inventory
Earn credits based on your score performance
Perfect distraction while waiting on your fellow workforce

Credit Rewards

Score converts to credits automatically upon game over
Provides alternative income source

Data Deck Skin System

Discover abandoned data decks throughout the world. Each one unlocks a unique skin for your device.

How It Works

Find themed data decks hidden in various locations
Pickup to permanently unlock the skin
Apply skins via Options > Gameplay > Deck Skin
Some skins unlock through Transcendence milestones

Launch Skins

Nine skins available to discover:

RetroDeck - 80s off-white plastic with bright accents (Transcendence 1)
LostDeck - \[REDACTED] - "The truth waits where time stands still"
ECD - Standard-issue for ECD personnel - "Where the last orders were given"
BlingDeck - Gold-plated luxury edition - "Hidden in the nation's most secure vault"
MedDeck - Emergency medical personnel issue - "Where vaccines once brought hope"
SporeDeck - Sprouting with corruption - "Where the Nevada workforce became something else"
FleshDeck - Organic nightmare - "Where the workforce became inventory"
CasinoDeck - The house always remembers - "The wheel saves special prizes for old friends"
FairyDeck - made in fairyland drip (Transcendence 10)

"I keep finding their decks scattered through the metro, still latched to bodies in the corners where they died. Each one tells me who they were before all this. Each one belonged to someone who still believed the ECD's promise - that they'd see the sun again. Their legacy lives on."

- V, August 29th, 1992

General Data Deck Changes

Overhauled Data Deck Model and Textures
Data Deck Model 7 - Refined geometry and textures keep the familiar design intact while revealing the intricate wear patterns of a device that's witnessed too much.

Finally removed the color preview when selecting a Data Deck flavor as it didn't serve any purpose

Train

Modifiers

Changes

Negative modifiers now provide increased loot value as compensation for added difficulty

Fixes

Fixed an issue with world modifiers - rolls that landed on blocked modifiers could result in none being applied. Rolls now re-roll until a valid modifier is chosen (some locations block specific modifiers, which caused the issue)
Fixed a bug where flashlights could remain on when entering a location affected by EMP modifier

Removed Modifiers

Removed infestation modifier (was frequently skipped by players), additionally the double spawns from Nightmare Mode has also been removed
Removed fog modifier

The fog modifier was never very well received and honestly just didn’t look that great. With the addition of the spores modifier - which is more polished, better looking, and far more interesting to play around - the fog has been retired.

General Train Fixes

Fixed a bug where the location monitor did not refresh with updated information after leaving a location, causing it to display outdated values
Fixed an issue where debt would scale incorrectly after being paid off, causing unexpectedly high debt amounts in subsequent cycles. Debt progression now increases as intended, based only on the correct base value and not the previously paid-off debt
Adjustments to debt scaling
Added safeguards to debt calculation to prevent an edge case where a player’s debt could become stuck at 0
Fixed lamp on train not following train movement

Shop

Changes

The shop now closes when the train halts at a location - forcing players to prepare supplies in advance rather than stocking up mid-expedition

Fixes

Fixed a bug where sometimes newly purchased equipment could incorrectly sync as 0 durability instead of the starting max durability

The Plantation

Changes

Reworked exterior with improved detail and textures
Floor traps now have a 50% spawn chance, making navigation less predictable
Major optimization pass for improved performance

Loot Items

Added

Carbide lamp
Drill bit
Stick of dynamite
Gunpowder tin
Oxygen candle
Coal ore
Gold ore

Sounds

Added unique pickup sound for gasmask
Added unique sounds for new mineshaft loot items
Changed plantation fancy plate pickup sound
The label maker now uses the tape roll pickup sounds, as the original sound files were lost to corruption and data loss in our cloud

Stunlight

Changes

Added an overheated sound - provides feedback when it’s recharging and cannot be used

Fixes

Improved obstruction detection - stuns should now feel more reliable
Fixed a bug where the blast sound was cut off when the device broke (ran out of charges)

Sledgehammer

Fixes

Fixed sledgehammering doors - now only the sledgehammer hit sound plays, removing the door kick sound that previously overlapped
Fixed sledgehammer hit sound desync for clients - the impact sound now correctly plays in sync across all players

Landmines

Changes

Landmine spawn distance from doors reduced from 6 to 5 meters

Fixes

Fixed an issue where clients could not properly disarm landmines
Fixed landmine spawning algorithm to prevent placing mines in bunker doorways

The Butcher

Fixes

Fixed a bug where the Butcher AI could break if his victim died while being carried
Players no longer freeze from frostbite while being carried by the Butcher in cold locations

The Abandoned One

Fixes

Fixed a bug where the Abandoned One could target another player while executing a victim, causing him to get stuck running in place on top of the downed player

Contest Winners

Added Community-Designed Cells

Two new cells created from community blueprints submitted during our August cell design contest:

Uncle Larry's Basement Cell (Plantation)
Griller's Inspection Hall Cell (Metro)

Thanks to everyone who participated! It was really fun seeing all the creative designs. We might do another contest like this in the future.

General Changes

General performance optimizations applied across all locations
Added pickaxe equipment - randomly spawns in the mineshaft for ore mining
The Shepherd no longer spawns at the Tunnels
Removed unintended bleeding from water dispenser infection
Added rocky footstep sounds
Added new sounds for caged doors - includes open, close, and kick effects
Loot now spawns in the correct position inside the pentagon wooden desk
Flashlight and lantern now automatically turn off when leaving a location

This marks the end of major content development for Forsaken Frontiers as we transition to our next project. We set out to create something atmospheric and unsettling, and we're satisfied with where we've landed. Minor patches may still happen occasionally, but our creative energy is moving elsewhere. Thanks for playing and surviving the endless winter with us.

Special thanks to those who trusted my creative direction throughout development. Keep an eye out for announcements about our next game! :)

WE WILL SEE THE SUN AGAIN.

- Mayleen, Lead Developer

- Diomonder, Environment Artist and Texture Designer

- Beewuf, Animator and Character Artist