MARCH UPDATES

Swarm Grinder

Swarm Grinder is an action roguelite game with pixel art graphics. Battle enemies to make your way through a mass of spreading and evolving cells hosting dormant enemies. Collect a variety of game-changing skills and upgrades to create unique builds.

[b][u]v0.7.0[/u][/b] [b]After Early Access, along with the feedback we received, we thoroughly reviewed the game to chart a roadmap for ourselves. We had a beloved gimmick, but the enhancements in the game were still rudimentary and superficial. Without making significant changes, none of the content we added would make the game satisfying in terms of depth and entertainment. So, we started working on a major rework where we revamped all the enhancements. This patch includes some significant extras along with the completed parts of this rework.[/b] [b][h2]SUMMARY[/h2][/b] [list] [*] The Dash gadget has been added, and a feature for extending the range of the Manual Trigger has been added. [*] New soundtracks have been added. [*] New upgrades have been introduced including specials, offering entirely new gameplay styles. [*] The difficulty balance of the game has been overhauled. [*] Reroll option has been added for abilities and upgrades. [*] All menus in the game have been redesigned, and the ability to view the results of upgrades in-game menus has been added. [/list] To make all these changes, we had to postpone our plans to expand content such as maps, characters, and modes that we had in mind. However, we are currently working on a content expansion that we want to present to you soon. The newly added Dash gadget is just a small part of this. [b][h2]DETAILS[/h2][/b] [b]GADGETS[/b] The Dash gadget has been added to the game with the revamp of the gadget system, first of many gadgets to be added to the game in full release. Now, when you find yourself in a tight spot or want to make faster progress in the game, you can dash in the direction you're moving by pressing the "Gadget Key". While the Dash gadget refills over time naturally, you can speed up access to it by opening cells! Additionally, we've updated the Manual Trigger gadget to increase its trigger range per cell opened. This transforms it into a more tactical gadget in the early stages of the game and allows for triggering more enemies towards the end. [b]SOUNDTRACKS[/b] New soundtracks have been added, including tracks for the final boss as well as for the Cave and Garden maps. [b]NEW UPGRADES AND PLAY STYLES[/b] 30 upgrade options have been added or reworked into the game, providing numerous different gameplay styles. Each ability now has at least two special upgrades. We plan to have three special upgrades for all skills in the full version of the game. [b]GAME DIFFICULTY[/b] Alongside the new gameplay styles, we've reevaluated the game's difficulty. Dying has become much more challenging, but so has killing enemies. Our aim is to encourage players to explore gameplay styles that may break the game. Additionally, we've meticulously reviewed the waves, which we intend to be the game's primary challenge. [b]SKILL AND UPGRADE REROLL[/b] We've introduced a much-needed Reroll feature to the game, free to experiment with until it will be unlockable using Bioshards in the full release. Currently, you have 2 Skill Rerolls and 3 Upgrade Rerolls that refresh at the start of each hand. This makes experimenting with play styles much more manageable. [b]MENUS AND UI[/b] We've completely revamped the main menu, workshop, character, and map selection screens. Our goal is to make everything much clearer and selection much more comfortable before entering the game. Before acquiring an upgrade in-game, you can now see exactly how that upgrade will change which ability. Additionally, from the pause menu, you can see the contents of all upgrades acquired and how they affect your abilities. [b]OTHER NOTES[/b] We removed the Fuel Station from the game as it was emphasizing certain gameplay styles too much.