DevLog #1

First, I want to profusely thank everyone who has taken a chance on the game already. I know that buying into Early Access from an unknown developer is a gamble, and I'm incredibly grateful for your trust. I'm also thankful to anyone reading this DevLog and taking any interest in the project.

On the 12th I released Memento Medica in Early Access, and it's been an exhilarating few days. Three patches have gone out since then, fixing major issues, improving quality of life, and balancing gameplay. But since this is the first DevLog, let me start by explaining what Memento Medica actually is.

What is Memento Medica?

At its broadest, Memento Medica is an apothecary-themed RPG with roguelite elements.

You play as Beatrice Hearthorne, a travelling apothecary moving from town to town with the singular goal of curing the afflicted. Once she receives her tasks, she ventures into a procedurally generated wilderness to gather materials, returns to her crafting stations, and creates remedies through a variety of minigames, all while racing against the clock. Every moment spent gathering or crafting has a cost. As seconds tick away people are dying, and Beatrice's despair grows.

Should she fail a venture, Beatrice returns home and sells off her materials before they spoil. A failed venture isn't ideal, but it provides experience and resources to improve her equipment, making subsequent attempts more manageable. The structure loosely follows roguelite conventions: you venture out, fail, start over, and build temporary blessings that shape each run.

There's also a narrative thread. Beatrice's journey begins at her first breath and follows her through the Kingdom of Aeldenfield as a highly infectious, highly fatal, and incurable plague creeps across the land.

So while "RPG with roguelite elements" is an accurate description, players expecting a typical experience in either genre might find themselves surprised. Perhaps rather than describing it, a gameplay example of a region would be best:

The Current State of Things

Right now, the core gameplay loop is fully functional. You set out on ventures, collect materials, craft remedies, and cure afflictions within procedurally generated environments. You can endlessly venture out and cure afflictions.

That said, the game is not complete. Here’s what is currently available:

• Collect: Gather materials using different tools from plants scattered across the environment, from animals, and from fishing.

• Craft: Eight crafting mini-games which test your memory and reflexes. Currently included are Brewing, Grinding, Spinning, Weaving, Sewing, Cooking, Chopping and Mixing.

• AddedCureA variety of afflictions are available which require different materials and crafting methods to resolve.

• Blessings: Temporary boons that allow players to choose ways to enhance Beatrice’s abilities over the course of a venture

• AddedMeta-ProgressionCoin persists between runs and can be used to purchase new tools and equipment as well as upgrade them to enhance their effectiveness. Additionally, Beatrice acquires experience in her disciplines as she practices them.

• Procedurally generated environments: Each region is procedurally generated, as such each player’s version of Aeldenfield will differ slightly. That said, there are a finite number of regions, so players can revisit the same place multiple times under different conditions.

• Narrative: The main story beats of Aeldenfield Part I are implemented.

• Additional features: Merchants, NPC requests, Treasure Hunts, Goddess shrines.

The Immediate Roadmap

For the foreseeable future, my primary focus is polishing and enhancing existing content rather than adding new features. The goal is to build the strongest possible foundation before expanding further.

• Performance: Memento Medica was originally designed to run on low-end specs.