Steam News31 July 202621d ago

Apocalypse Approaches Alpha 4.0 has been released!

Apocalypse Approaches Alpha 4.0 has been released! Apocalypse Approaches had the pleasure of showcasing Alpha 4.0 early to people at GodotCon, an awesome event we hope to return to.

Full notes

Full Apocalypse Approaches update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

What changed

0 fixes9 additions7 changes2 removals

UI and audio
Balance
Gameplay
Store
Maps

addedApocalypse Approaches Alpha 4.0 has been released!Apocalypse Approaches had the pleasure of showcasing Alpha 4.0 early to people at GodotCon, an awesome event we hope to return to. Now, you can download the latest update to the demo we showcased there for free on Steam! This version contains new features, visuals, and audio, as well as many adjustments to balance & a new take on the overclocking mechanic.

removedTension Turned to Time DilationSince Alpha 3.0, we've been experimenting with systems that would allow the player to manipulate time and how that could affect their build direction. Players would experience the effect of time speeding up and slowing down by way of Overclocking (for speed-up) and Flow Time (for slow-down). We really liked flow time, but found that the trade of overclocking per cog doesn't scale well with a full run. To solve this, we've removed Tension Capacity from the game and exchanged that for Time Dilation .

addedCombat with Chaos SealsIn Alpha 4.0, you'll now notice that all room exits have a new visual on top of them with a number on them. Those are called "Chaos Seals" ! Chaos seals count down the number of enemies you are expected to kill before the room unlocks and you can continue exploration. This means some rooms will allow you to leave before killing all enemies!

changedCombat with Chaos SealsThere are many fun twists to gameplay this change introduces, not the least of which is the ability to leave enemies behind to kill later. Perhaps you'll want to keep them alive at low health so you can safely backtrack as the clock accelerates? Or alternatively, you may want to get out of a room before it claims even more precious seconds from your only minute. The choice is yours!

addedLevel Generation ImprovementsWe have made some major changes to our level generation algorithm for the first area and added in some new mechanics to aid in your exploration! Each level now has a central "Landmark" which replaces and acts as the shop , and acts as a little space for you to plan your route around. Outside the landmark you can find multiple branching paths each leading to another exit, where you can choose to either take an optional reward or warp back to the shop if you have more you'd like to explore.

addedLevel Generation ImprovementsWe've also added additional icons, to make decision-making easier than ever! Rewards per exit are now tracked on the map once revealed, so you if you find them all you can choose whichever one is best for your build. The only thing you need to find all chests and exit rewards is to keep up with a rapidly accelerating clock ! Sounds easy, right?

Apocalypse Approaches changes

addedApocalypse Approaches had the pleasure of showcasing Alpha 4.0 early to people at GodotCon, an awesome event we hope to return to. Now, you can download the latest update to the demo we showcased there for free on Steam! This version contains new features, visuals, and audio, as well as many adjustments to balance & a new take on the overclocking mechanic.

removedSince Alpha 3.0, we've been experimenting with systems that would allow the player to manipulate time and how that could affect their build direction. Players would experience the effect of time speeding up and slowing down by way of Overclocking (for speed-up) and Flow Time (for slow-down). We really liked flow time, but found that the trade of overclocking per cog doesn't scale well with a full run. To solve this, we've removed Tension Capacity from the game and exchanged that for Time Dilation .

addedIn Alpha 4.0, you'll now notice that all room exits have a new visual on top of them with a number on them. Those are called "Chaos Seals" ! Chaos seals count down the number of enemies you are expected to kill before the room unlocks and you can continue exploration. This means some rooms will allow you to leave before killing all enemies!

changedThere are many fun twists to gameplay this change introduces, not the least of which is the ability to leave enemies behind to kill later. Perhaps you'll want to keep them alive at low health so you can safely backtrack as the clock accelerates? Or alternatively, you may want to get out of a room before it claims even more precious seconds from your only minute. The choice is yours!

addedWe have made some major changes to our level generation algorithm for the first area and added in some new mechanics to aid in your exploration! Each level now has a central "Landmark" which replaces and acts as the shop , and acts as a little space for you to plan your route around. Outside the landmark you can find multiple branching paths each leading to another exit, where you can choose to either take an optional reward or warp back to the shop if you have more you'd like to explore.

Apocalypse Approaches Alpha 4.0 has been released!

Apocalypse Approaches had the pleasure of showcasing Alpha 4.0 early to people at GodotCon, an awesome event we hope to return to. Now, you can download the latest update to the demo we showcased there for free on Steam! This version contains new features, visuals, and audio, as well as many adjustments to balance & a new take on the overclocking mechanic.

Tension Turned to Time Dilation

Since Alpha 3.0, we've been experimenting with systems that would allow the player to manipulate time and how that could affect their build direction. Players would experience the effect of time speeding up and slowing down by way of Overclocking (for speed-up) and Flow Time (for slow-down). We really liked flow time, but found that the trade of overclocking per cog doesn't scale well with a full run. To solve this, we've removed Tension Capacity from the game and exchanged that for Time Dilation.

Now, the longer you spend on a floor, the more time accelerates (indicated on the clock). If you think you can survive a faster clock, stay on a level and get as many cogs as you can find! If it becomes too stressful, though, move on to the next level and reset the time dilation penalty.

Combat with Chaos Seals

In Alpha 4.0, you'll now notice that all room exits have a new visual on top of them with a number on them. Those are called"Chaos Seals"! Chaos seals count down the number of enemies you are expected to kill before the room unlocks and you can continue exploration. This means some rooms will allow you to leave before killing all enemies!

There are many fun twists to gameplay this change introduces, not the least of which is the ability to leave enemies behind to kill later. Perhaps you'll want to keep them alive at low health so you can safely backtrack as the clock accelerates? Or alternatively, you may want to get out of a room before it claims even more precious seconds from your only minute. The choice is yours!

Level Generation Improvements

We have made some major changes to our level generation algorithm for the first area and added in some new mechanics to aid in your exploration! Each level now has a central "Landmark" which replaces and acts as the shop, and acts as a little space for you to plan your route around. Outside the landmark you can find multiple branching paths each leading to another exit, where you can choose to either take an optional reward or warp back to the shop if you have more you'd like to explore.

We've also added additional icons, to make decision-making easier than ever! Rewards per exit are now tracked on the map once revealed, so you if you find them all you can choose whichever one is best for your build. The only thing you need to find all chests and exit rewards is to keep up with a rapidly accelerating clock ! Sounds easy, right?

New Environmental Mechanics

We've made many changes to our environments and props. Now, fire spreading has been replaced with magma, which can now be released from obelisks! These function to create isolated areas of a map, and turn into hazards to play around during encounters. You can still destroy obelisks, or you could take advantage of them to get fire-vulnerable enemies to burn to a crisp.

New and Improved Cogs

With the removal of Tension, many of our cogs had their stats and abilities adjusted to feel more impactful and scale better. Now, cogs of the same type can be stacked to amplify their effects, and without tension the only limitation on your ability to express your build is your ability to keep up with an accelerating clock.

New Visuals and Music

We've had a major aesthetic overhaul since alpha 3! Many of our assets have been changed to be more like what our intended direction for our first run area is: a fantasy kingdom city under siege by an apocalyptic force. Take a look around and get to know the sights of Ankerrad!

In addition, we have several new audio tracks and sound effects ready for your ears. Take a listen in-game, and get a sneak peek at one of them in the new trailer, or in our latest newsletter on substack!

Thanks for your Support!

All of us at ideo ame are incredibly grateful to players like you for supporting Apocalypse Approaches! Your feedback has been crucial for making the game the best that it can be, and we're very excited to keep working on this game and show it to you all! Stay tuned for more updates on Steam, and feel free to follow our socials for more updates on development!

Discord (Exclusive Sneak Peeks!): https://discord.gg/kHjNcvt5AH

Substack Quarterly Newsletter: https://substack.com/home/post/p-206482823

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ideoame.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideo_ame/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ideo_ame

Twitter/X: https://x.com/ideo_ame

Overall Change Log

Removed Tension Points and Tension Capacity from Cogs & overclocking effects tied to tension
Introduced Time Dilation, which causes time to accelerate the longer you are on a floor
Time Orbs are now always collected automatically upon defeating an enemy
Level generation algorithm changed for more variability & levels restructured around branching paths
Obelisks now emit magma instead of shockwaves
Tutorial improvements to make certain tasks more clear
"Rewind Notch" entropy upgrade changed to no-longer be automatic
Chaos Seals Added to all encounters
Various new visual and audio assets

For making it to the bottom, have a party with this goober :D

Source

Steam News / 31 July 2026

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