[h2]Main[/h2] [list] [*] Work on the third act of the game is [b]completed[/b]! All new locations and enemies of Act 3 have been added to the game. [*] The game now features [b]3 heroes[/b], each with [b]50 unique cards[/b]. Additionally, you can now choose the [b]sex of your hero[/b]. [*] There are over [b]160 different inventory items[/b] in the game, 16 of which are collectible relics that can be assembled from other relics. [*] New mechanics have been added. Furthermore, significant rebalancing has been done to ensure [b]all heroes have equal chances[/b] to progress as far as possible. [/list] This is just a brief list of the main changes in the game that I’ve been working on over the past two months. You can read more about all of this below. [h2]Act 3[/h2] The third and currently final act of the game, titled "[b]The Borderland[/b]," has now been fully added. Specifically, this includes [b]3 new locations and 10 new enemies[/b] (including elite enemies and bosses): [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/546b01accecc77f840b629e841e3c909f7e1f18a.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/ffab69c1d85e002d24424c4af4acab344f47d252.png[/img] The difficulty of the third act is very high, but each victory in this act unlocks opportunities to [b]strengthen the secret society[/b]. Additionally, the third act introduces a new building resource - [b]Steel[/b]. The third act has its own background in the travel state, just like the previous two acts. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/d9f428c50125484800f452e0c70ce9eed0ea7409.png[/img] An important innovation is that you can now [b]see which boss you will face[/b] at the end of the act. Their silhouette is visible against the backdrop of the moon. In the first act, this feature is unavailable to prevent restarts until a specific boss appears. [h2]Heroes and Heroines[/h2] All 3 heroes are now fully implemented in the game. Responding to many player requests, I’ve added the ability to [b]choose the sex of your hero[/b] and to play as male or female. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/c5b1d09a4091d40b2fe753ae4cda043dc6fa77f8.png[/img] Each hero now has [b]50 unique cards[/b]. The playstyle for each varies significantly. Cards now have rarity types: [b]Common[/b], [b]Rare[/b], and [b]Epic[/b]. Additionally, each hero has [b]6 starting decks[/b], which drastically change gameplay. Here’s an example with the Professor and some of his starting decks: [list] [*] [b]Rat King[/b] - This deck includes summoning and rat mutation cards, as well as a card that increases the attack of all summoned creatures. Rats statistically absorb most of the damage and also deal most of the damage to enemies compared to the hero. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/567df9ff84fbd5e75e589483d583ef97ad47f85c.png[/img] [*] [b]Elemental Fury[/b] - This deck includes Burn and Cold (a new status) cards. It allows significant damage to monsters through fire or dealing damage through block via cold. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/d2b51474ca19c2d5f2bf5693d71b60d350b6f221.png[/img] [*] [b]Psycho[/b] - This deck contains very powerful cards that reduce the Professor's sanity when used. But don't worry; the Professor has an exceptionally high sanity level and cards to restore it. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/a52f394a32792e482ef3bfed07d88f37fc5ed9a5.png[/img] [/list] Such diverse starting decks allow players to better familiarize themselves with all the possibilities of the characters and choose one that suits their preferred playstyle. [h2]Miscellaneous[/h2] Since working on the second act, I've added many new combat and non-combat mechanics to the game. Some are relatively minor, while others are quite noticeable. I want to briefly discuss the most important mechanics. But it's not just mechanics that have been added over these two months, and I want to announce these new features without going into too much detail: [list] [*] The game now has over [b]160 different inventory items[/b] (consumables, equipment, and relics). [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/3a2a5f3dcfa395fb9fab9c661fc892d7d8d7d195.png[/img] [*] A [b]relic reroll[/b] feature has been added after battles. This allows players to select more suitable relics and create a more cohesive build. It also makes assembling relic collections easier. [*] There are now approximately [b]70 different combat statuses[/b] in the game, including some I haven't announced yet. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44749259/332e05a1eadca38095beb34862e593c7c7b43fa3.png[/img] [*] A new high-level building has been added to the secret society - the [b]Training Center[/b]. Building and upgrading it can significantly strengthen players. Upgrades for other buildings have been reviewed and rebalanced, as have costs in terms of building resources. [/list] [h2]What's Still Missing?[/h2] Fortunately for players, a game isn't just about battles. Unfortunately for me, as a developer, this means there's still a substantial amount of work ahead. Even considering that the [b]combat and content work is 95% complete[/b], I still need to address some very important meta-game elements, namely: [olist] [*] Integration with Steam - this includes cloud saves and [b]Achievements[/b]. [*] The [b]Story[/b] and cutscenes. It's important to me that the game's events make sense. That's why even the demo version has a story intro. Since then, I've had ideas for the story and how it will end. But all this needs to be structured and well visualized. Moreover, I plan to have all dialogues voiced in two languages. So, the game's narrative component will require significant time and financial investment. [*] I have an idea for another meta-game [b]mechanic with detective elements[/b], offering a more detailed story revelation. This should make the gameplay between journeys more engaging. [*] New [b]Encounters[/b]. Encounters are mechanics that allow players to take a break from intense battles, which I've continually postponed. Besides new story encounters, I plan to add several that include mini-games. One such encounter is already in the game. [*] Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, extensive testing to fine-tune the balance. My main goal is to ensure no hero feels weaker than others and to maintain a consistent difficulty progression across Acts 1, 2, and 3. [/olist] [h2]Conclusion[/h2] In 1-2 weeks, it will be the [b]anniversary[/b] of when I left my job to start working on another personal project - Menace from the Deep. Initially, I thought the game would take less than a year to develop, but my goal isn't just to finish the game on time; it's to [b]create a game that captivates for a long time[/b], offers high replayability, and provides players with dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of gameplay. The game's release remains scheduled for [b]the end of October this year[/b]. That means there are approximately 3 months left until launch, which, according to my calculations, should be more than enough to complete everything I've planned. Add the game to your [b]Wishlist[/b] if you haven't already. Also, recommend the game to your friends or content creators you follow.