Game update: July 29

This is a big one. Bots, smarter enemies, fog of war, and a full objectives overhaul. Let's get into it.

Bots Have Joined the Dungeon

We know the deal: Few Shall Return is built around player interaction, and it's just a better game with 3+ people in the room. But we also know that public matchmaking doesn't always cooperate, and sometimes you queue up and there just aren't enough players around to fill a run.

That ends today. Bots will now automatically fill empty slots in public matchmaking whenever there aren't enough humans to go around, so you're never stuck waiting on a lobby that won't fill.

Hosting a private match? You're in control. You can decide if bots join at all, and how many you want alongside your friends.

These aren't filler AI standing around waiting to be shot. Each bot is built with its own personality, and that personality actually shapes how it plays: how aggressively it fights, how it handles loot, whether it sticks with the group or wanders off to explore on its own, how it reacts when things go bad. Run enough matches and you'll start to recognizing the friendly ones.

A New Brain for Everyone

The system driving bot behavior didn't stop at bots. That same brain now powers every enemy in the dungeon.

Practically, this means enemies are noticeably smarter: better positioning, better decision-making, more believable reactions to what you're doing. And just like the bots, enemies now come with their own personalities, so encounters won't all play out the same way twice.

If you've felt like enemies were a bit predictable before, this update changes that.

They will also alert their friends when they're in danger!

Fog of War

The minimap no longer shows you the whole map from the start. Each room is revealed as you enter it, so exploration actually means something again. You'll need to scout, remember, and communicate what you've found instead of just glancing at a fully drawn map.

Bots play by the same rules. They don't have map knowledge handed to them either; they explore and learn the layout the same way you do, room by room.

Objectives Overhaul

Objectives got a major refactor. Tracking what you still need to do, and confirming what you've already done, is now much clearer and easier to read at a glance, whether you're mid-fight or just checking in between rooms.

Minor Updates

• The game log now shows more detail about players and actions happening around you in a match, so it's easier to piece together what happened after the fact.

• We've made the boss weaker. It was hitting way harder than intended, and we're sorry to everyone who got wrecked by it before this went live.

• The wait time to join a game has been reduced from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.

All of the above is also live in the demo, so if you want to try out bots, fog of war, and the new objectives before jumping into the full game, it's ready whenever you are.

As always, please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media:

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-- The Ballard Games Team