DEV BLOG #1

Greetings, miners!

It’s been nearly a week since launch, and we have officially surpassed 4,000 concurrent players. This is entirely your achievement! We’ve been spending a lot of time analyzing Steam reviews and Discord discussions. This launch has provided us with a massive amount of data, and today we want to have an honest conversation about the future direction of the game.

Fixing the Balance: From Grind to Exploration

We want to dedicate this section to a deep dive into game balance. The main takeaway from your feedback is that the game’s pacing noticeably "stalls" at Tier 3. We’ve seen that from this stage onward, progression turns into an exhausting resource grind, which was never our original intent. Unfortunately, because of the heavy focus on mining, many players miss out on unique underground rooms and available content simply because they aren't aware of them.

Our goal for the coming weeks is to shift the focus from monotonous grinding to immersive and exciting exploration. We plan to give you more tools for world discovery, expand the map, and fill every step you take underground with new findings. We intend to significantly reduce the resource requirements for unlocking new tiers, replacing them with a requirement to find unique receiver parts hidden in both familiar and brand-new areas of the mine. We are adding more points of interest specifically for Tiers 3 and 4, ensuring that progression feels like the work of a true scout rather than a simple laborer. These changes will also make replaying the game a fresh experience for those who have already finished it. Additionally, we are overhauling the stamina system, as it heavily impacts the feeling of grind and backtracking. We will iterate on stamina mechanics and monitor your feedback closely to find the perfect balance.

A New Location to Explore Outside the Base and Trading

We are working on creating a location that can be reached by the repaired car. Here, you will meet a survivor trader who will offer to exchange your hard-earned money for unique upgrades and more. You will be able purchase cosmetics for your base, making it a little more personalized. Valuable resources, artifacts, and receiver parts will also be hidden in this location.

The Depths: More Dangerous, More Rewarding

We are expanding the overall size of the mine, adding new locations to explore on the lower levels. One such area will be a guardian’s lair in the web zone. This guardian will be protecting not only valuable loot, but also a functional teleport to the surface. We understand how tiring it is to trek back up from the very bottom of the map, so fast travel will be your well-deserved reward for defeating this formidable foe. Furthermore, we plan to increase the number of artifacts you can find, though we’ll keep their specific powers a secret for now.

New Mutant Types

To keep base defense dynamic, we are working on adding new types of mutants. These creatures will have new behavior patterns, forcing you to rethink your defensive strategies and make smarter use of your turrets and traps. We want every wave to feel like a fresh challenge.

At the same time, we understand that everyone sees the "perfect adventure" differently. Some want a meditative experience, while others want to survive on the edge. We are continuing our work on difficulty modes to give you fine-grained control over your gameplay: from a relaxed "Explorer" mode to a grueling "Survivor" mode, where every resource counts and any mistake could be fatal.

Endgame and New Challenges

For those who have already completed the main story, we are preparing a special challenge. We’ve noticed many players digging out the entire mine for meditative or perfectionist reasons. We’ve decided to officially support this! At the end of the game, you will gain access to “The End of the World Edition” shovel, a shovel that allows you to clear the entire pit voxel by voxel. A special achievement will be added for those dedicated enough to clean the entire location.

What’s Next?

We plan to spend the next 2-3 weeks working on a major patch scheduled for the first half of May. In the meantime, smaller bug-fix updates will continue to roll out. We are also dreaming of implementing a co-op mode, which would fundamentally change the game. To make this possible, we need your support and your Steam reviews! We’ll stay in touch and keep you updated on all the news.

Today we are planning a new patch 1.0.4.4 with improvements! See you in the depths!