Steam News4 April 20251y ago

Patch #5 - The Cult Evolves, Decrees Arrive, and Espionage Retires

Update 0.5.1 focuses on expanding player control through the Hall of the Faithful.

In this update5

Full notes

Full Whispers of the Eyeless update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

What changed

1 fix4 additions5 changes0 removals

UI and audio
Events
Gameplay

addedUpdate 0.5.1 focuses on expanding player control through the Hall of the Faithful. Espionage has been removed, and in its place, Decrees offer new ways to guide your Disciples’ Callings—with unique bonuses unlocked through room Expansions. This update also includes UI improvements, interior showcases, adjusted resource costs, and balance changes across the Sanctum. Full patch notes below.

changedSecrets, SecretsWe reworked Notoriety long before the game released in Early Access (no one wants to lose hours and hours of progress to an unforeseen event or a miscalculation of resources), but Espionage still seemed cool and thematic, so we reworked it into the events system that players can unlock with the Hall of the Faithful’s third renovation.

addedSpeaking of Unforeseen Events…However, we found that the new system still wasn’t ideal. It required a heavy investment of resources from the player and did not give guaranteed returns. While Espionage gives positive outcomes three times more often than negative outcomes, it is entirely possible for a player to invest into a mechanic that punishes them immediately for using it… kind of like joining a secret Cult only to be immediately sacrificed.

changedSpeaking of Unforeseen Events…This uncertainty would cause confusion, frustration, and ultimately drive players to ignore the mechanic entirely. We concluded that, unfortunately, it was time to retire Espionage for good.

addedIntroducing DecreesDecrees have been added to the Hall of the Faithful as a new way for the player to exert more control over their Disciples’ Callings. Decrees are also the first mechanic that will be directly tied to room Expansion; with every Expansion of the Hall of the Faithful, players will gain access to a new Decree.

changedIntroducing DecreesUp to 2 Decrees can be activated. Every 10 combinations of the 5 Decrees will apply a free bonus reward to all Callings. Experimentation encouraged!

• Secrets gathered by Cultists in the Hall+3+2• Old Town Callings’ Gold and Whispers rewards10080• Ancient Ledger Grand Artifact Secrets after Sacrifice+10+5Tales • Channel Divinity (Desire) Secrets reward in Treasure Events+5+4

Whispers of the Eyeless changes

Ancientmap

changedWe reworked Notoriety long before the game released in Early Access (no one wants to lose hours and hours of progress to an unforeseen event or a miscalculation of resources), but Espionage still seemed cool and thematic, so we reworked it into the events system that players can unlock with the Hall of the Faithful’s third renovation.

addedHowever, we found that the new system still wasn’t ideal. It required a heavy investment of resources from the player and did not give guaranteed returns. While Espionage gives positive outcomes three times more often than negative outcomes, it is entirely possible for a player to invest into a mechanic that punishes them immediately for using it… kind of like joining a secret Cult only to be immediately sacrificed.

changedThis uncertainty would cause confusion, frustration, and ultimately drive players to ignore the mechanic entirely. We concluded that, unfortunately, it was time to retire Espionage for good.

addedDecrees have been added to the Hall of the Faithful as a new way for the player to exert more control over their Disciples’ Callings. Decrees are also the first mechanic that will be directly tied to room Expansion; with every Expansion of the Hall of the Faithful, players will gain access to a new Decree.

Update 0.5.1 focuses on expanding player control through the Hall of the Faithful. Espionage has been removed, and in its place, Decrees offer new ways to guide your Disciples’ Callings—with unique bonuses unlocked through room Expansions. This update also includes UI improvements, interior showcases, adjusted resource costs, and balance changes across the Sanctum. Full patch notes below.

Before we get into what’s new, here’s a quick look at how we got here—and why this update focuses on expanding the Hall of the Faithful.

Secrets, Secrets

Pre-alpha Whispers of the Eyeless had a very different (and very harsh) Notoriety mechanic, where the player would lose if Notoriety reached 100%. Back then, Secrets were used to lower Notoriety as well as create Callings for your Disciples.

We reworked Notoriety long before the game released in Early Access (no one wants to lose hours and hours of progress to an unforeseen event or a miscalculation of resources), but Espionage still seemed cool and thematic, so we reworked it into the events system that players can unlock with the Hall of the Faithful’s third renovation.

Speaking of Unforeseen Events…

However, we found that the new system still wasn’t ideal. It required a heavy investment of resources from the player and did not give guaranteed returns. While Espionage gives positive outcomes three times more often than negative outcomes, it is entirely possible for a player to invest into a mechanic that punishes them immediately for using it… kind of like joining a secret Cult only to be immediately sacrificed.

This uncertainty would cause confusion, frustration, and ultimately drive players to ignore the mechanic entirely. We concluded that, unfortunately, it was time to retire Espionage for good.

Introducing Decrees

Decrees have been added to the Hall of the Faithful as a new way for the player to exert more control over their Disciples’ Callings. Decrees are also the first mechanic that will be directly tied to room Expansion; with every Expansion of the Hall of the Faithful, players will gain access to a new Decree.

Up to 2 Decrees can be activated. Every 10 combinations of the 5 Decrees will apply a free bonus reward to all Callings. Experimentation encouraged!

Much More Soon to Come

We have many nefarious plans in the works at Evil Gingerbread Studio. Keep an eye on our socials for more updates and previews!

Update 0.5.1 Changelog

[expand type="details" expanded="false"] Campaign • Added interior showcase for every room, with the room’s Curator now clickable to view their quotes.

Sanctum • Improved text formatting for room Renovations. • Cultist quotes now remain on screen 1 second longer.

Hall of the Faithful • Removed the Espionage mechanic. Renovation III now unlocks High City Callings. • Added Decrees —a new mechanic that interacts with Callings. Players can activate up to 2 Decrees at once, with each combination granting a unique bonus to all Callings. • Room Expansions in the Hall now progressively unlock additional Decrees. • Secrets gathered by Cultists in the Hall reduced to +2 (was +3). • Rerolling shopkeepers’ offers in Fates Mirror now cost 1 Secret (was 5). • Creating Callings in Old Town now costs 5 Secrets (was 10); High City Callings cost 10 Secrets. • Old Town Callings’ Gold and Whispers rewards were reduced to 80 (was 100). • Callings’ Supplies cost is now fixed, and no longer scales with the number of Disciples deployed. • Neutralize Apostate Callings now display the penalty for ignoring them. • Various UI improvements were made to the Hall. • Ancient Ledger Grand Artifact Secrets after Sacrifice reduced to +5 (was +10).

Tales • Channel Divinity (Desire) Secrets reward in Treasure Events reduced to +4 (was +5).[/expand]

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Source

Steam News / 4 April 2025

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