Version 2.0 is live, a new chapter begins

Hello everyone! 🙂

After a pretty intensive summer and autumn of development, I’m very excited to announce the release of Cacildes Adventure 2.0!

After going back and forth on the idea of a possible sequel, I decided instead to clean up a lot of the codebase and revisit some core mechanics of the existing game. This allowed me to improve the game, make combat more satisfying, and prepare a solid foundation for future expanded content.

Version 2.0 focuses on improving the base game, dropping ideas that didn’t work well, and making combat tighter, more fun, and deeper in terms of customization.

Major Additions / Improvements

• Skill System: Equip spells and cast them using a hotkey (Q) from any weapon—no magic staff required!

• Data-driven AI: Enemies now use weapons, spells, and armor just like the player, unifying logic across the player, companions, and enemies.

• AdjustedUpgrades & SmithingYou can now upgrade armor and spells. Smithing has been simplified with the introduction of smithing shards.

…and much more! Check the full update details below.

Additions

• The old card system has been replaced with a spell hotkey system. Spells can now be cast directly using Q from any weapon.

• AddedExpanded NarrativeAll dialogues have been rewritten with new choices and expanded NPC backstories, powered by the INK narrative system, which allows for better dialogue creation outside of the Unity Editor.

• NPCs feel more alive, with daily routines (e.g., Lara harvesting honey in Slepbone Pathway).

• NPC and enemy names are now displayed above their health bars.

• Added sprint attacks for all melee weapons.

• Added shield-poking attacks, allowing players to strike while guarding.

• Players can now upgrade shields, armor, and spells at the blacksmith’s forge.

• Introduced smithing shards (+1 to +5) to replace iron ingots, and added magic smithing shards for spells.

• Added animal hides (+1 to +5) for armor upgrades.

• Added a secret area in Slepbone Beach with a unique NPC who assists with boss weapons and blacksmith upgrades.

• Tons of new weapons are now naturally found across the world: Elven weapons in Arun Village, Fire weapons in Hell, and Ice weapons in Snowy regions.

• AddedImproved “fashion souls”cloaks and shoulder pauldrons added as separate equippable accessories.

• Improved performance on the save files screen by adding pagination.

• Added a UI indicator for left-hand weapon attack damage on the main menu.

Improvements

• Complete refactor of AI: enemies are now data-driven and can equip the same weapons, armor, spells, and consumables as the player, making encounters far more varied and dynamic.

• Added duplicate items—a huge codebase change allowing repeated weapons, armor, spells, and consumables. You can now dual-wield items, upgrade duplicates, and sell extras for gold.

• Improved bow mechanics; equipping a bow now automatically loads the first available set of arrows.

• Companions can now loot defeated enemies and opened chests, automatically equipping better gear when available.

• Item icons have been replaced with high-resolution, polished versions.

• The enemy HUD has been redesigned for improved readability and clarity.

• Damage popups have been redesigned for better visibility and style.

• Status effects and active buffs are now displayed above players and AI.

• Enemies now show their active status effects beneath their health bars.

• Weapon resins now scale with player stats through the endgame.

• Inventory weight mechanics refined: medium load now performs a medium roll, heavy load a heavy roll.

• Arenas now feature new enemies and reward players with crafting materials and weapon resins.

• Arun Village has richer vegetation and new NPCs.

• Arun Temple has been overhauled with new enemies, environments, and layouts.

• Snowy Mountains, Snowy Ruins, and Crystal Tower have expanded with new zones, tougher enemies, and intricate puzzles. The endgame is now more challenging and rewarding.

• All alchemy recipes are now unlocked by default (progressive unlocks may come in future updates).

Bugfixes

• FixedLock-on targeting improvedfixed raycast distances and made target switching smoother.

• Fixed item pickup issues when multiple items were dropped too close together.

• Fixed a bug where critical damage was not applied to stunned enemies.

• FixedGameplay Exploit FixFixed a gold exploit where dying could reset the game state but not gold pickups, potentially allowing duplication. Death now functions like in Dark Souls: respawning only reloads your position, not the entire save state. This also enables “sacrifice runs,” where you can pick up an item, die, and keep it.

As with any game update, this release fixes many bugs but may also introduce a few new ones. If you encounter any issues, please report them on Discord:

https://discord.gg/DXRbEW3W

Important Note

This update will make old save files incompatible! The changes were too extensive to maintain compatibility, so it’s recommended to start a new game in version 2.0.

If you wish to continue playing your old save files, a 1.8 branch will remain live for that purpose.

Going forward, save files now include a SAVE VERSION property, which will allow easier migration between versions in future updates.

I hope this marks the beginning of a better, more expansive game for everyone 🙂. I’m excited to continue expanding Cacildes Adventure with more adventures, now that the foundation is solid, scalable, and ready for future content!

Thank you all, and thanks for playing!