RUINER 2 Closed Pre-Alpha Playtest Wrap-Up

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RUINER 2 Discord 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.

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