Closed Pre-Alpha Playtest Wrap-Up

The dust has settled on our very first Closed Pre-Alpha Playtest, and we want to send a massive thank you to everyone who signed up, shared their feedback, and showed interest in jumping into the world of RUINER 2 so early in the journey, we read every single comment.

If you didn’t get an invite this time, don’t be discouraged. Your enthusiasm hasn’t gone unnoticed, we’re already planning more playtests toward the end of June and hope to be able to invite even more players this time around.

The main goal of our recent playtest was to test core mechanics and systems. We wanted to see how the Shell System, combat, and itemization hold up when played by our community for the first time. We're taking all that feedback onboard as we continue the development of the RUNIER 2. Below, you’ll find our detailed thoughts on your feedback and where we’ll be taking things for the next playtest. Steam post image

Combat Feel & Pacing

Pacing

• We want the game to feel fast-paced and dynamic from the very beginning

• A lot of the pacing issues you experienced are directly connected to the character progression and itemization systems not being final yet

• As those come together, a proper passive skill tree, meaningful gear choices, and real power spikes, the feel of combat will change significantly

Dash

• The dash in the playtest was a fixed, basic version with no upgrade path

• Dash will be upgraded with your Shell through the passive skill tree and item choices, including the well-known RUINER multi-dash

• Each Shell will get its own version of dash developed through that same system, accessible to all of them rather than tied to one character

Melee

• Making all playstyles viable is a design requirement, not something nice to have

• Melee is a big part of gameplay, and we will focus on balance vs ranged playstyle

• Suicide creeps will have a brief delay before they explode, giving melee players time to react

Weapon impact feedback

• This is something we had not prioritised yet at the time of the playtest

• Getting the impact feel right across both melee and ranged weapons (audio, visual response, hit timing) is something we want RUINER 2 to stand out on, compared to other ARPGs

Slow-Motion

• We have tested this internally and classic slow-motion from RUINER does not work in co-op without creating problems, so we have decided not to go in this direction

• We plan to make a Shell ability that creates a slow-motion bubble in a defined area, affecting enemies inside it while leaving other players unaffected. We are exploring additional approaches beyond this

Executions

• Executions are coming back in RUINER 2. We are working through how to make them work well in co-op: animation length, timing, and making sure you cannot get hit during the animation, without the potential to exploit it

Shell System

Swap incentive

• The bonuses for Shell swapping exist, but they are not visible or properly explained

• We will improve the visual clarity of swap bonuses by adding icons, auras, or other elements that make them immediately readable and easy to notice

• Shell swapping is core to RUINER 2, and we're focused on making it feel dynamic and rewarding

Shell swap in solo and co-op

• In single player mode, it is about building rotations and synergies between your own Shells. This part will be more natural once there are more Shells to choose from and build your Roster

• In co-op, it is about party composition and how Shells play off each other across players

• Both modes are important for us as we are designing RUINER 2 for both solo and co-op gameplay

Puppy as the default pick

• As expected, at this stage, Puppy is currently an all-rounder and iconic character. However, as we progress, the other Shells will become much more important

• Each Shell will get a complete skill tree, full ability set, and distinct visual identity

• We want clear strengths and weaknesses per Shell, so the choice between them actually means something

• The differentiation will be visible in how they look, how they move, and their strengths and weaknesses

Mary

• Mary's design is not final and will be changed to fit her original design more

• When each Shell has its full set of abilities and proper balance, every one of them will have a reason to be part of your Roster

Progression

Progression feeling impactless

• The active skill tree is not complete, so there wasn't enough there to build into various playstyles

• Things like how your character looks when geared up, audio cues on power spikes, and the visual weight of a meaningful drop. That layer is coming

• We want a key piece of gear or a full build coming together to feel rewarding and worth committing to

Independent XP

• Getting punished for trying a different Shell is the opposite of what we want

• We will introduce shared Roster levelling, where playing any Shell contributes progress to the others

• We are also considering items (or consumables) that will help level up your Shell Roster, with a focus on underleveled Shells

Active Skill Tree

• The playtest featured two quarters of a system that is not yet final. Each Shell has a different active skill tree and we want you to have strategic choices to pick your play style

• Each Shell has four skills, 100 nodes, and three distinct playstyle directions to develop

• Respecs will be added so no choice feels permanent before you understand it and commit to a playstyle

• We will introduce proper tooltips explaining what every node actually does and how it interacts with other systems

Ability descriptions

• Will be added as part of the tutorial and will properly introduce all skills for each Shell

• All key mechanics will have in-game tooltips and descriptions

Itemization

Loot volume

• There was intentionally more loot in the playtest than there will be in the game. We wanted to make you feel changes in item types and progression with levels

• We want to provide quality over quantity, with smarter affix combinations and less noise

• We will add a loot filter with customization options

• Our plan is also to introduce a companion drone that collects loot based on your filter settings. That will save you from clicking during combat

• We will introduce game modes where loot is collected at the end of a level rather than mid-run

Item stat readability

• We want to add better visual organization of affixes with a clearer hierarchy of what matters

• An inspect mode that lets you dive deeper and understand how the item works

• We will test reducing the maximum number of affixes if readability problems persist

Attributes (PWR/CPU/MEM)

• This system is one of the things that makes RUINER 2 mechanically distinct, but needs explaining better to players

• Dedicated tutorials for the system will be added

• We're adding proper tooltips and visual feedback for when you're about to equip something that shifts your resource balance

• Clear explanations of what happens when you go over the limit

What's being added or changed

• Needs to be added: stash, backpack sorting

• Rework of Shell-specific items to be clearer who they are specific for

• We want to add elemental synergies (ailments) to make them a meaningful part of combat and build crafting

• Elemental affixes will be visually distinguished so they are immediately identifiable on an item and in your build

Difficulty & Balance

• RUINER was quite a challenging game. RUINER 2 should be too. The playtest build was too easy and bringing the difficulty in line with our intent is an active priority

• Balancing is ongoing across the board: weapons, skills, Shells, and encounter design. Our goal is a difficulty that pushes you to actually think about your build, Shell rotation, and approach

• Weapon-specific issues like shotguns being overtuned are on the fix list

• Boss fights are a core part of RUINER 2 - memorable, challenging encounters that will push you to use everything you've got. We didn't showcase them in the playtest, but they're coming

Game Identity

• We want to be a full ARPG with RUINER-style combat, set in our own handcrafted universe, lore and story

• That means keeping the combat identity of RUINER at the center and building the ARPG systems around it, not the other way around

• What sets RUINER 2 apart: the Shell System and synergies between Shells, PWR/CPU/MEM-based itemisation, risk/reward crafting, and a handcrafted cyberpunk universe with original lore

• We want to be dynamic from the first encounter. Other ARPGs build slowly. RUINER had a specific energy to it and RUINER 2 needs that from the moment you load in

Universe & Lore

HER and Puppy

• Their relationship is one of the foundations of RUINER 2's story

• HER will be present throughout the narrative

• She is not a playable Shell. Her role in the story is different

Narrative continuity

• RUINER 2 is a direct continuation of RUINER

• That connection will be felt in the story. We don’t want to spoil anything at this point

Rengkok

• We want Rengkok to feel like a living city

• New districts will unlock as the story progresses, each with its own character and content

• World map and waypoints are being added

• Yes, there will be a lot of side quests

UI/UX

Minimap

• Will be adjusted to reflect the actual level layout

• The full map will also be accessible via Tab with a transparent overlay option

Clarity

• Ability descriptions are being added

• Font and icon sizes are being reviewed across the board

• HUD readability is being worked through systematically

Controller Support

• Full controller support is in active development

• The inventory experience on the controller needs to be rebuilt properly

Motion Blur

• A toggle to disable motion blur will be added to settings

Art Style & Audio

Audio

• The repetitive ambient audio in Rengkok will be fixed

• Significant work going into the broader soundscape. We have incredible artists on the soundtrack and we want everything around it to match

• Weapon sounds will be improved as the current audio does not land with the impact it should

Gore and visual impact

• We want to keep developing in this direction

• The physical, visceral side of combat is part of what makes RUINER feel like RUINER, and RUINER 2 should go further with it

Tutorial & Onboarding

• The playtest build had essentially no tutorial. Work on onboarding is underway

• AddedCovering all key systemsShell System, synergies, PWR/CPU/MEM, and anything else that is not immediately readable for a new player

• We want it to be accessible to new players while still feeling natural for genre veterans

Performance & Bugs

Thank you for every bug report, whether it came through the in-game tool or on Discord. Every single one is in our tracker. The main categories you flagged:

• Collision & out of bounds, particularly around dashing, Mary's jump, and environmental objects launching players out of the playable area

• Elevator softlocks, activating the elevator before stepping onto it with no way to call it back

• Loot falling out of reach, drops clipping through floors, behind fences, or onto inaccessible rooftops

• Energy & health recharge stations not working, particularly after respawning, teleporting, or switching Shells

• Ability audio loops: certain abilities generate repeating sounds when interrupted mid-animation

• Chest interactions locking up, especially when opened in quick succession or during movement

• Enemy AI breaking, enemies stopping attacks, walking in circles, or getting stuck on geometry

• UI issues, item comparison windows overlapping, item descriptions disappearing in vendor menus

We are addressing all of these. We've logged everything and we're working through it.

In Summary

Alongside bug fixes, QoL improvements, and performance work, here is where our focus is going.

Shell System

• The priority. Completing the active skill tree, all four skills per Shell with three distinct playstyle directions, and then building the first version of the passive skill tree

• This is the foundation for Shell differentiation, dash development, character builds, and the actual reason to swap

Synergies

• Gameplay synergies: Shells that set up situations for each other. Shell A pulls enemies into a magnetic whirlwind. Shell B drops a grenade into the centre.

• Shell swap mechanics: the incoming Shell gets a brief window of bonus damage and crit chance, rewarding players who build rotations around aggressive swapping

• Ailment matrix: clear synergies between elemental types so there is always a reason to think about what you are applying and in what order

Itemization

• Quality over quantity

• Basic loot filter

• Backpack sorting

• Improved visual clarity

• Basic crafting and unique items tied to specific skills rather than just stat blocks

Enemy variety & encounters

• We want fights that push you to experiment with different builds, different Shells, and different approaches. Not the same enemy type with more health

• Reikon Games