Greetings explorers, The Survival Crafting Fest has come to an end, and with it, our Playtest is now officially closed to new participants. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us during the Fest, and especially to all the new explorers who spent time on the island, reported t
Greetings explorers,
The Survival Crafting Fest has come to an end, and with it, our Playtest is now officially closed to new participants.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us during the Fest, and especially to all the new explorers who spent time on the island, reported their findings and shared their feedback and experiences with us!
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, so if you played the game and haven't done so already, please share your feedback through our questionnaire: https://gf.link/UARFeedback
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still play now that the Playtest is over?
Yes! If you received access during the Fest, you can continue exploring the island, as we plan to keep the current build available for a little while longer.
I didn't get access this time. Will there be another chance?
Absolutely! Under a Rock is constantly being updated, and we're planning to have more Playtests and invite more explorers in the future!
Make sure to keep an eye on our official pages for news and future opportunities to join us on the island!
See the action!
Didn't get the chance to explore this time yourself, or simply want to see what others got up to?
Check out some of the creators who shared their adventures, builds, and discoveries with us!
Greetings, explorers! We're excited to announce that Under a Rock is taking part in the Survival Crafting Fest , starting today, August 31st! As part of the Fest, something we've been looking forward to is finally happening: an Under a Rock Closed Playtest is opening its doors! D
Greetings, explorers!
We're excited to announce that Under a Rock is taking part in the Survival Crafting Fest, starting today, August 31st!
As part of the Fest, something we've been looking forward to is finally happening: an Under a RockClosedPlaytest is opening its doors!
During the Survival Crafting Fest, if you’re selected to take part in the Playtest, you'll have the opportunity to jump into the game, explore the island for yourself, and get a first taste of what we've been working on. Spots will be limited, but we’ll gradually open up more as the Playtest continues!
How to join the Playtest
The process is pretty easy:
You'll just need to click the "Request Access" button that will be available on our store page during the Survival Crafting Fest.
There are no special requirements to apply; everyone interested is welcome to request access.
As mentioned above, please keep in mind that spots are limited, and access will be granted in waves by the system as the Playtest continues.
If you are selected, you will receive a notification directly from Steam, letting you know that you've been invited to join the Playtest, so make sure to keep an eye on your account!
Welcome to the island!
This Playtest expands beyond the building-focused testing we've had during the summer and opens up more content for you to explore and test firsthand.
You'll be able to explore a larger island and try out more of the game's survival systems (Tier 1) alongside building, including:
Resource Harvesting
Recipe Unlocking
Crafting
Combat
Note: Please keep in mind that this is a Playtest version of the game and will be single-player only.
Your Feedback is Important!
Development is ongoing, and the game is still in its Alpha stage, currently focused on testing a limited selection of content and features, so please keep in mind that you may encounter bugs or things that are still being worked on.
That's also why your feedback is very valuable to us!
We’ve created a dedicated questionnaire where you can directly share your feedback and report your findings from your Playtest experience: LINK
Using this questionnaire will make it easier for our team to collect and review your feedback, reports and suggestions as we continue working on the game, so we would really appreciate you taking the time to fill it out!
Enjoy your time on the island! We can't wait to hear what you think!
Are you a content creator? You can apply to join our content creator program, run and managed by our publisher, Gameforge, here: LINK
Greetings, explorers! We’re currently in the first stage of our closed Alpha test with a small group of players, and we’d like to share a quick update with you! The first wave of Alpha access was granted to community members who have been active and supported us over the years. A
Greetings, explorers!
We’re currently in the first stage of our closed Alpha test with a small group of players, and we’d like to share a quick update with you!
The first wave of Alpha access was granted to community members who have been active and supported us over the years. As we progress through the different stages of the Alpha and additional spots become available, we’ll gradually invite more people to join.
If you’d like to be informed about future playtests, please make sure to Follow Under a Rock and keep an eye on our Steam page for all recent news and announcements.
Now that things are heating up, if you’d like to stay up to date with the absolute latest news, chat directly with the developers, and see what other Alpha-testers have been up to, then the Under a Rock Discord, home to over 8,000 Dodos, is the place to be.
Right now, the testers are putting their focus into exploring the building system of the game, experimenting with different elements, and sharing valuable feedback with us. This helps us refine and improve the game experience before we gradually expand testing to more players in the upcoming stages.
Today, we’d like to share some of the amazing creations and memorable moments our testers have captured so far, so let’s take a look!
This is only a small selection of everything that’s been shared so far. While we couldn’t possibly feature everyone this time, we're always watching, we truly appreciate all the feedback you send our way and love seeing everything you create!
Thank you to everyone who’s been supporting us throughout this journey. We can’t wait to share more with you as development continues!
Are you a content creator? You can apply to join our content creator program, run and managed by our publisher, Gameforge, here:Link
Greetings explorers! Today we’re excited to share a closer look at one of the most important parts of Under a Rock that will be crucial to your survival on the island: tamed creatures and companions . Whether you’re traversing lush forests, exploring dark caves, or just trying to
Greetings explorers!
Today we’re excited to share a closer look at one of the most important parts of Under a Rock that will be crucial to your survival on the island: tamed creatures and companions.
Whether you’re traversing lush forests, exploring dark caves, or just trying to survive another chaotic day, the creatures you’ll encounter and befriend will play a big role in your journey.
QUICK SUMMARY You can Tame wild creatures by offering them their favourite item and then bring them to your base where they will produce resources for you and require upkeep to keep being loyal and productive.
In order to obtain a Companion, you would need to incubate a creature from an egg. Companions are your most loyal partners: you can ride them into combat, and they grow stronger by being part of your journey.
The Art of Taming
Taming is built around learning, experimenting, and slowly mastering the unique characteristics of the creatures of the island. It rewards proper planning and patience, since creatures will each have their specific needs, behaviors, and taming levels.
Some will be easier to tame, while others will require more of your time and effort (and perhaps a few failed attempts before you get it right). But the work you put in will have its rewards, as each of the tameable creatures offer unique advantages and benefits, including dropping rare crafting materials and creature eggs (more on that later).
As for the wild creatures you’ll be able to tame, here’s a preview of just some of them:
Taming Process
Your main tool for turning wild creatures into tamed creatures (“tames”) is the Taming Box, which you will use to attract nearby creatures by depositing items into it.
Once a creature interacts with the box, two things will occur:
Two bars will appear above the box, with one showing the amount of total items still available in the box and the other showing the amount of the particular item currently being consumed
A Taming Bar will appear above the creature and display the progress towards taming that creature
Total taming time varies by creature type and your Creature Handling skill (more on that below), and you’ll need to make sure you put the preferred taming item for the desired creature, or the attempt will fail and the creature will bid you adieu (those picky Snuggets!).
What was that about a “Creature Handling” skill?
The most important skill involved in taming will be your Creature Handling skill, which determines how efficiently you tame creatures, and which tiers you’re able to tame (and later which creatures you can turn into companions):
Higher skill means faster taming and fewer resources used
Lower skill means that taming higher-tier creatures will be more likely to fail
The use of low-tier taming boxes will make things harder and more expensive for higher-tier creatures, so make sure you are ready and have a plan!
As you interact with creatures, tame them, hatch companions, and level your creatures up, you will naturally improve and gain experience towards your creature handling skill.
Essentially, the more you work with creatures the better you’ll become at handling them, so get ready to work!
Tames General Rules & Behavior
So, you’ve tamed a new friend. Now what can it do?
Follow you around. Your tame will follow you and ignore other creatures, unless it is being attacked. Then they will react based on their natural instincts (that can also mean they might run away, like in the case of a Dodo fleeing from a Snugget).
Live at your base. Your tame can be attached to your base, where it will roam freely within the base boundaries.
Shed Resources. It will periodically drop creature-specific resources, so there is no need to harm it to receive something like you would do in the wild.
Lay eggs. Not only will it drop resources, but happy and fulfilled tames may also lay eggs that can be hatched into Companions!
Get hungry. Don’t forget to keep its belly full, as it must eat to remain loyal. If it is hungry for too long, it will slowly revert back to a wild state, and in that case, it might not leave quietly!
Chill in the Stable: If you don’t want to bother with the creature, you can put it in a stable. Keep in mind that tames stored there don’t eat or shed resources.
Be released: You can release a tame at any time. Once released, it becomes wild again and there is no way back!
Die: If a tame dies, it’s sent to a farm upstategone for good (but still drops some loot).
More than just a tame: Companions
Tames are great, but what if you’re looking for a deeper connection with a creature? Well, then a Companion might be just what you’re looking for!
Companions are more advanced than tamed creatures, as they won’t only follow you, but can be ridden, carry items, jump into combat with you, and grow stronger as you continue your journey with them.
Think of them as your ultimate ride-or-die because unlike tames, your companions don’t truly perish, nor do they require constant care. Food is only needed if you want them to gain experience and loyalty. But unlike tames, they don’t shed resources, so a combination of both companions and tames is key to flourishing on the island.
So, with all of that said, how do you earn the lifelong trust of a companion? Well, you’ll first need to hatch one...
Say “Hello” to your Hatchery
Like taming a creature, earning a trusted companion will take a little bit of time and patience.
Here’s a breakdown of the process of gaining a companion:
First, care for your tamed creatures until one of them drops an Egg
Next, build a Hatchery and place that egg inside of it to start the incubating process
Finally, once it hatches, you’ll receive a companion based on that egg type (e.g. a Dodo Egg I produces a Tier 1 Dodo)
Companions Primary Characteristics
Congratulations! You’re now the proud foster parent of a furry/feathery/scaly creature, but what can your pet do?
Carry items. Once you have a companion, it will assist you in carrying items using its 5 inventory slots (which can be upgraded in the future). The maximum carry weight varies between creature types and can be increased with the appropriate skill.
Ride forth! Travelling long distances becomes much easier, as you can ride your companion and move swiftly across the world. When not being ridden, your companion will follow you on your adventures.
Note: Not all companions can be ridden.
Fight for you. Your companion will be your most faithful ally in combat, helping protect you from danger.
Follow Commands. You can issue direct commands to your companion at any time, like Stay, Follow, Attack, Stop, Mount, Dismiss. You can also choose their default posture in combat between Aggressive, Defensive, or Passive.
Getting stronger!
Your companions will grow stronger over time as you progress on your journey together. Apart from their standard stats and built-in resistances to different damage types, each companion has a set of core skills such as Mobility, Ferocity, Lifeblood, Burden, and Hardiness.
These improve through use and affect their movement, damage, health, carry capacity, and armor values, respectively.
Leveling Up
Companions can be tiered up in the Hatchery, and this process will require the right amount of resources and a sufficient Creature Handling Skill. Upgrading a companion not only improves its base stats but also improves its appearance to reflect the new tier.
Combat & Death
Your companions are always ready to jump into a fight and will protect you and themselves when needed. During combat, if their health ever reaches zero, they don’t truly die, but are downed and enter a staggered, inactive state, which they will remain in until you are no longer attacked. Once things calm down and the danger is gone, they get up and slowly recover on their own.
In the end, companions are an island survivor’s best friend - loyal to the end, but with no end. Does it get any better than that?
One more thing…
Before we wrap up this part, we wanted to highlight two new creatures we added to the world recently:
The mysterious Curse Eye, lurking inside Crystal Caves and the always busy Giant Bees, found across Meadows and Forests. Both are early implementations so they might be a bit rough around the edges, but we will continue with refining them in future updates.
Miscellaneous
While this Dev Blog focused on Taming and Companions, we also want to mention that a lot of additional work is happening on other fronts, including adjustments to environmental hazards; refinements to gliding, improvements to climbing and swimming; slight reworking of combat and creature attacks; and expanding our Tier 1 and Tier 2 item lists.
Lastly, thank you again for helping us reach over 400,000 wishlists on Steam! Your support really means the world to us!
We hope you enjoyed reading this update, see you next time!
Tell us: Which creature are you most looking forward to taming and turning into your Companion?
Would you like to know more? Then make sure to join us on social media and Discord, where we regularly share screenshots and short videos of the game.
An incredible milestone has been reached: 400,000 dodos have wishlisted us on Steam! We are beyond grateful for all the love and support from each and every one of you, it truly means the world to us. Your excitement keeps us motivated every day, and we're hard at work crafting s
An incredible milestone has been reached: 400,000 dodos have wishlisted us on Steam!
We are beyond grateful for all the love and support from each and every one of you, it truly means the world to us. Your excitement keeps us motivated every day, and we're hard at work crafting something special for you!
We can't wait to share more about our development progress soon, stay tuned!
Greetings explorers! It’s been a while since our last update, so we wanted to check in and share that development is progressing nicely. Many systems and features are now taking root, while we continue growing and nurturing ones already in place. This includes a wide range of cor
Greetings explorers!
It’s been a while since our last update, so we wanted to check in and share that development is progressing nicely. Many systems and features are now taking root, while we continue growing and nurturing ones already in place. This includes a wide range of core systems, including building and research, combat, animations, procedural world generation, and more.
With that being said, we would like to give you a bit of insight into the current state of some of those systems, and a taste of what’s in store moving forward.
We’ve continued polishing and expanding how worlds are procedurally generated, adding more variety and overall structure to them.
New epics were added across the world, including more corruption-based epics, making exploration feel more distinct as you travel
We’ve done a lot of additional work on starter crash sites
Caves, Oceans and Lakes
Caves received a major content boost with the inclusion of many new modules, entrances and end pieces, which have been added across Soft Metal, Ant Hive, Bee Hive, Crystal, Mushroom and Generic cave types.
Cave generation has been improved, and caves are now less likely to end after a single room
Creatures have also started moving in – currently limited to Ant Hives – and they can now navigate and engage in combat inside procedural caves
Resources can now also be harvested underground, giving caves a value beyond exploration
Underwater areas went through a major overhaul, with a lot of visual reworks, various additions, and a general polishing of the ocean.
Several new creatures have started appearing underwater and are using pathfinding to smoothly navigate the procedural underwater environments
Lakes are now swimmable, both on the surface and underwater, complete with appropriate visual effects. Plus, effects and pathfinding have been added to creatures with the swimming ability.
Base Building
We added new construction and crafting stations to support upcoming gameplay:
The Research Table, a brand-new crafting station that will become central to exploration and discovery on your adventures
The Blueprint Table, a central hub for blueprint capture, management and placement
A Drying Rack, a vital survival station used to process resources into consumables
The Stove, your go-to station for cooking meals and baking tasty treats
A Smelter, where raw metals are refined into ingots ready for crafting
The Trinket Table, a workbench for crafting trinkets that will give you all kinds of helpful boosts
An Archery Target, because testing your aim should be a part of base life too!
We’re also expanding the list of placeable backpack items, allowing many more materials, ingredients, and creature parts to be displayed in your base. Whether you want a cosy setup or something more... unconventional, that choice is yours!
Additionally, we’ve adjusted some of the existing stations to streamline overall progression.
Blueprint System
As a part of our ongoing base-building work, we have now fully implemented the blueprintsystem, to make building, sharing and rebuilding your bases easier.
Here are some key features:
Blueprints can be captured, named, saved and shared, with all saved blueprints being synced through the Steam Cloud, and shared across all characters on the same account. The system will include its own interface, featuring a Crafting and Blueprints section.
We have also added the possibility to deploy externally hosted blueprints into the game client without restarting the game
When capturing or placing a blueprint, you can choose whether to include interactables and decorations and even preview the decorations before placing
Color-coding is also available, giving players an easy way to coordinate and plan construction more clearly
Blueprints are our way of saying “That was cool! Now do it again, effortlessly.” We hope this helps future builders bring their creations to life with ease!
Cataloging and Research - Part 1
We introduced the first part of our cataloging and research system, which will eventually tie into photography, missions, society communication, and rewards (more on these later!)
For now, we focused on the core loop:
Players can craft a Research Table to begin studying their discoveries
Research currently includes Creatura and Materia, with Formulae and Curiosa coming later
Research works similarly to crafting: select an item, provide materials, queue it and wait for completion
Players will receive in-game notifications as new research becomes available, with completed research granting rewards later.
Materia entries are one-shot unlocks,while Creatura research is designed to unfold in more steps over time.
Each completed entry will add visual and written information to your Journal, gradually building a clearer picture of the world you are discovering.
Journal Improvements
Speaking of the Journal, to better support the cataloging and research systems, we developed it beyond our first iteration, and it now includes:
Question marks that will indicate unresearched information
A visual indicator that will highlight fully researched, unread entries
Researched items, which will appear with icons and expanded descriptions
These systems will turn exploration into progress, give insight into the mysteries of the island, and good reasons to keep snooping around the island.
Combat and Animation Improvements
We’ve also spent a good amount of time refining combat and related animations, focusing on responsiveness and difficulty.
Some of these adjustments and additions include:
Several improvements to combat visualization, including critical hits being more clearly highlighted, damage numbers fading out at a distance, improving collision detection during combat and polishing motion warping during combat to make movements and attacks feel more natural
We reworked and tuned combat timings for humanoids, and rebalanced combat values for T1, T2 and T3 creatures to better define early-, mid- and late-game encounters
Perfect parries are now slightly more forgiving, and enemies will properly react when you land one, making successful timing feel more impactful on both sides of a fight
Initial implementation of underwater combat, which will be expanded over time
New weapons were added
Performed weapon balancing, adjusting the damage and impact damage values of different weapons
We added 3D models for cursed weapons, including:
Axe
Spear
Pickaxe
Uncommon, Rare and Epic Ogre Clubs
Reworked the effects of item durability upon death
Changed item durability damage to a variable value rather than a flat one
A lot of improvements were made to various player-side animations, such as blocking and parrying
Lastly, we also added taunt animations for players, because sometimes combat is as much about attitude as it is about damage!
Environmental Hazards
Playing with fire
We’ve started fleshing out environmental hazards, such as fire and how it affects gameplay. There are now two distinct phases:
Warning phase: When you stand too close to a qualifying heat source, a Burn bar will appear as a warning, giving you a clear indication that you will start taking damage. The surrounding environment and your Fire Resistance will affect how fast it fills.
Damage Phase: Once the bar fills completely, you’re on fire and will take damage until it depletes. Rolling on the ground, being in the rain or swimming can reduce the duration of the Burn effect.
Water-related improvements
While working on hazards, we also improved water-related danger visualizations.
A new screen effect is now activated when the player starts taking drowning damage, making it much clearer when it’s time to surface.
Miscellaneous
We implemented a lot of additional loot drops, harvestable items and craftable items, and made changes to existing ones
GPU-side optimizations
Game-side optimizations
and much more!
This update is very much about setting up many systems that will grow over time, and we’re excited to keep iterating on them, so please keep in mind that things may be changed or adjusted in the future.
P.S. After a busy Christmas season, we’re diving into work on the taming and companion system, while the Dodos and Snuggets keep us warm. Thank you for your continuous support of our journey and stay tuned for the next update!
Would you like to know more? Then make sure to join us on social media and Discord, where we regularly share screenshots and short videos of the game.
The community has spoken and our next showcase is here: Combat. The world’s full of surprises - and not all of them are friendly. Survival won’t come easy - you'll need to master the art of combat. Here is a glimpse of the battles that lie ahead: Want to participate in the next c
The community has spoken and our next showcase is here: Combat.
The world’s full of surprises - and not all of them are friendly. Survival won’t come easy - you'll need to master the art of combat.
The community voted - so here is a look at how building looks like in game! Featuring the new UI, a sneak peak at how gathering will look and more: Want to participate in the next community voting? Be sure to join our discord and follow us on social media and be a part of the nex
The community voted - so here is a look at how building looks like in game! Featuring the new UI, a sneak peak at how gathering will look and more:
Want to participate in the next community voting? Be sure to join our discord and follow us on social media and be a part of the next community voting! Follow us on: X Instagram Facebook YouTube
Hey everyone! Based on the recent announcement trailer, we thought it would be a great idea to cover a few of the traversal methods you saw, as well as the ones we haven’t shown yet. While exploring the vibrant biomes of Under a Rock, you need to be able to think on your feet. Li
Hey everyone! Based on the recent announcement trailer, we thought it would be a great idea to cover a few of the traversal methods you saw, as well as the ones we haven’t shown yet.
While exploring the vibrant biomes of Under a Rock, you need to be able to think on your feet. Like when you first see a creature, even if they’re absolutely adorable, you need to be ready to react—whether that ends with you giving them a hug or, the more likely option, running for your life. While running is a quintessential part of getting around in any survival game, there may be times where going on foot just isn’t the best or even the preferred approach, and that’s where the variety of travel mechanics come into play.
Now let’s take a peek at those methods: While some of these mechanics will be available to you as soon as you wash up on the beach, some will require you to craft items or tame creatures.
GLIDING Soar through the air with your very own glider and experience the world from above by jumping off the highest mountain, or opt for something simpler by choosing the nearest rock. This one is an easy-to-learn, but hard-to-master mechanic.
Stamina use
Yes
Fatigue drain
Yes
Affected by weather
Yes, heavily
Distance limited
Yes, based on stamina
Has skill to level up
Yes
Repairs needed
Yes
Crafted
Yes
Gliding through the air during a storm, although fun, might not be the best idea.
GRAPPLING This is a favorite of ours. We just had to have it, and it turned out to be amazingly good fun, even more fun than we expected it would be. You can grapple freely to any surface strong enough to support the grappling hook, meaning it will go straight through the leaves on a palm tree, but the trunk itself will work nicely.
Stamina use
Yes
Fatigue drain
Yes
Affected by weather
Yes, slightly
Distance limited
Yes, based on stamina and grappling hook
Has skill to level up
Yes
Repairs needed
Yes
Crafted
Yes
Grappling down can easily lead to unfortunate corpse runs. Unless, of course, you have chosen abilities that mitigate some of this high-velocity fall damage.
CLIMBING
Under a Rock would feel incomplete unless you could climb rocks, trees, the walls of your home—basically any surface that looks climbable.
This is free climbing at its finest. Up, down, sideways, diagonally, even around edges. Want those coconuts high up in the palm tree? Well, you can either climb up or chop it down, though should you do the latter, you won’t be getting any more coconuts from that tree.
Stamina use
Yes
Fatigue drain
Yes
Affected by weather
Yes, slightly
Distance limited
Yes, based on stamina and tools
Has skill to level up
Yes
Repairs needed
No, unless climbing tools are used
Crafted
Only if tools are used
When you get to an edge, you will mantle onto the surface above. Going down works the same way, just in reverse, but only as long as you choose to go into climbing mode.
SWIMMING & DIVING
There are water surfaces to swim across and mysterious depths to explore while diving. Shipwrecks, enigmatic ruins, creatures, resources, and even underwater caves await.
Stamina use
Yes
Fatigue drain
Yes
Affected by weather
Yes, when swimming
Distance limited
Swimming: no / Diving: depends on your oxygen level
Has skill to level up
Yes
Repairs needed
No, unless gear is used, like the Puff Pack
Crafted
Gear is a bonus, but not required
RIDING CREATURES
Form a bond with creatures of your choice, be it a Snugget, a Dodo, a Bee, or one of the many other creatures that inhabit the island. Their speed, ability to carry, or even combat skills vary, so having multiple companions to choose from is a good idea.
Stamina use
Yes, creatures have their own stamina
Fatigue drain
Yes
Affected by weather
Yes, depends on the creature
Distance limited
No
Has skill to level up
Yes
Repairs needed
No, unless gear is used, like a saddle or creature armor
Food needed
It’s helpful to feed them
Tamed
Yes, and then turned into a companion
Can wear gear
Yes, all creatures love to wear the latest fashion. Especially hats!
Crafted
Gear is a bonus, but not required
Would you like to know more? Then make sure to follow us on social media and Discord, as we will be releasing longer gameplay footage of our travel mechanics over the coming weeks.
The 30th of November has arrived, which means the time has come for us to share with you all what we teased a few weeks ago on social media. And that is our official announcement trailer! We had the honor to showcase it for the first time during the PC Gaming Show and at the Xbox
The 30th of November has arrived, which means the time has come for us to share with you all what we teased a few weeks ago on social media. And that is our official announcement trailer!
We had the honor to showcase it for the first time during the PC Gaming Show and at the Xbox Comi-Con Brazil Showcase, and we feel incredibly happy they invited us to be part of the show.
In case you missed the trailer, or you want to rewatch it, you can check out our official trailer - it includes some additional gameplay footage - here:
It took a lot of hard work and several late-night brainstorming sessions from us dodos for this trailer to come to life, and we could not be happier with the result!
We would like to share with you some of the early stages of our creative process in the form of concept art that was created and used for the story board:
Publisher
We are also super excited to announce that we have partnered with Gameforge! We are thrilled about working with them and trust that having their support will help Under a Rock reach a broader audience.
Considering our team is only 5 dodos strong, we're really glad to have their assistance with the marketing and business side of creating and publishing a game, which will allow us to focus on what our top priority has always been: making the game as great as it can be!
With all of that said, we want to thank everyone for being a part of this journey.
We truly couldn't have gotten to this point without you all, and we cannot wait to show you more of what we have in store.
Before we dive in, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in our growing community for the massive support you’ve given us so far. Whether this is your first time learning about our game or you’ve been with us from the start, your support is so greatly appreciated, and it c
Before we dive in, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in our growing community for the massive support you’ve given us so far. Whether this is your first time learning about our game or you’ve been with us from the start, your support is so greatly appreciated, and it continues to provide us, along with ample amounts of coffee, with the fuel we need to push through those challenging moments that come with developing a game. So, again, thank you very much!
With that said, if you’ve been around since we first showcased our game back in 2022, you’ll know that a lot has happened since then. It’s now been over a year, and we figured it was time to start providing you with some regular updates about the game’s development, not only to keep everyone aware of what’s going on, but also so we can give you a taste of what’s to come. Starting off with a recap of information that you may or may not be familiar with already.
CREATURES
One of the first things we wanted to talk about is... creatures! While we plan to have a wide assortment of them upon launch, and already have the 3D models for many, we thought we would take a moment to focus on just three of the incredible creatures that inhabit the world of Under a Rock and tell you a bit about what we’ve been doing to bring them to life. These being the Fluffypuff – a large, adorable bunny-like creature –, the Snugget – a cute sabretooth-hamster hybrid –, and our beloved Dodos – a long thought extinct creature, brought back to life in our game!
An important aspect of the development process for us is ensuring we are creating a world that feels alive through the behavior of its inhabitants, and because of this, we spend a lot of time working on the creature AI in situations both inside and outside of combat. Recently we focused on how these three creatures react to different weather events, for example lightning storms:
Dodos will run around scared, or try to find bushes to hide in.
Fluffypuffs will burrow and hide underground, and you can find the mounds of dirt they leave behind and watch them come out when the storm abates.
Snuggets will either gather in groups under a tree canopy or shelter in a nearby cave if they can find one. Sheltering in a cave can often lead to them having to fight whatever is already lurking in the darkness within.
But it doesn’t stop there, and we have tons of different behaviors to add for different situations, including how they interact with each other and you as the new arrival on their island. Feel free to discuss and suggest creature behaviors on our Discord. We love hearing your ideas!
BASE BUILDING
There are two build modes that can be switched between seamlessly.
Default mode, for placing solid constructions directly, as long as you have the necessary resources.
Ghost-building, that allows you to plan and prioritize your base construction through the use of different colors – without spending resources and allows your friends to contribute to the construction as well, by adding the necessary resources.
What happens when your base gets destroyed?
Spent hours, days, weeks or even months on building an amazing looking base? Cannot stand the thought of doing all the nitty gritty details again after it was destroyed by another player or creature? Well, this is where ghost-building truly shines and comes in handy. When any elements of the base is destroyed, from the largest pieces to the smallest details, the item will automatically be saved as a ghost element. Then, all you need to do is trigger it, and add the necessary resources again, and boom, your base is back! And since it will be ghost-building, your friends can easily help with the reconstruction process.
Will you be able to share your ideas with others or between worlds?
We plan on eventually making it so that construction blueprints can be saved for later use and be shared with other players. You cannot pack up your base and unpack it again later, but you will be able to make blueprints and reuse these at other locations as part of the ghost building system. Use them to quickly establish a campsite, a small outpost, or even a large base provided there is ample space available for placement.
What kind of limitations can you expect?
There will be very few rules limiting where to build. On the ground, in the trees, inside of caves, even underwater. We won't stop you, although the wildlife might try to.
UNREAL ENGINE 5 UPDATES
Making Under a Rock requires a powerful game engine, and we are using Unreal Engine 5 with all the latest bells and whistles it has to offer. This includes nanite for infinite view distance, lumen for lighting, groom for creature fur, and with our latest upgrade to UE 5.3 we are now using VSM (Virtual Shadow Maps) which brought the visuals to a whole new level by allowing us to have infinite shadow view distance with a minimum performance impact. In many areas this new wonder from the engine increased the performance across the board, including for our minimum spec target.
SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT’S TO COME
Looking at what’s coming down the pipeline, we can already see what we want to share with you in future blog posts. This includes showcasing some of the fun and unique items and structures within the game, breaking down what you will be able to do upon release – from fighting to taming creatures – as well as revealing more of the island's inhabitants including the natives, but let’s save those details for future posts!
We simply cannot wait to show you more of what we have in store, and if you haven’t already, we would encourage you to Wishlist and Follow us, so you can stay on top of it all. For those who are eager for more up to date information we regularly share screens and short videos on Discord, Instagram and on X, all of which you can find here : linktr.ee/underarock .
They say a picture can tell a thousand words. But what about a start screen? Check out what our start screen looks like and keep your eyes peeled...you might discover a rogue Dodo running around. The music was composed by the very talented composer Noï Ortiz-Perez!
They say a picture can tell a thousand words. But what about a start screen? Check out what our start screen looks like and keep your eyes peeled...you might discover a rogue Dodo running around.
The music was composed by the very talented composer Noï Ortiz-Perez!
Studio & Development Who is making this game? We are a small indie game studio, Nordic Trolls, consisting of five people. What is Under a Rock? Under a Rock is a procedural open-world survival game. Explore your own mysterious and colourful island populated by exotic creature
Studio & Development
Who is making this game?
We are a small indie game studio, Nordic Trolls, consisting of five people.
What is Under a Rock?
Under a Rock is a procedural open-world survival game. Explore your own mysterious and colourful island populated by exotic creatures, oversized wildlife and curious natives, as a 19th century stranded explorer.
Which engine does Under a Rock run on?
Unreal Engine 5
About the Game
When will the game be released?
Currently, we do not have a set release date, but once we do, we will announce it accordingly.
How much will the game cost?
This is still to be determined, but you can expect a reduced price while the game is in Early Access.
On which systems will Under a Rock be available?
We are currently planning on releasing Under a Rock on PC - both on Windows and Linux -, and consoles.
How many players can play at the same time? Can I play the game as a single player?
Under a Rock supports up to 10 players in co-op, PVP is optional. You also have the option to play the game as a single player, for this you don't need to be online!
What kind of multiplayer modes will be available?
Peer to peer and dedicated servers will be available. For the latter, you have the option of setting up the server on a computer of your choice or renting from a game server provider. Games can be either private or public.
What languages will the game support?
Currently, the game will be available in 11 languages. These are Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish (Spain). As with everything, this may change in the future.
What kind of features can we expect?
Building bases
Taming and breeding the creatures in the world
Hunting creatures
Fighting other players and in game factions
What survival aspects will be in the game?
Different weather conditions
Poisonous plants and creatures
Traps scattered across the island
Dangerous nights and unpredictable AI
Hunger & Dehydration - though eating and drinking will not be a huge focus in the game, it will offer bonuses if you keep your health and hydration up.
Resting & Comfort - which will be split into three factors resting, comfort level and a rested bonus and, depending on the circumstance, will give you a number of bonuses.
What will base building look like?
Base building is split into two main categories:
Real-Time Building - where you gather all the resources and build your base instantly
Ghost Building - which allows you to plan your base ahead of time, and once you have collected all the resources you can build the items.
The Ghost Building is also automatically activated if your base is destroyed, meaning all you have to do is recollect the resources. We also plan on adding a feature that allows you to save your blueprints and share them both between worlds and with friends!
They come in all shapes and sizes, from small to gargantuan, with the latter being a whole biome by itself. Creatures inhabit them, and they rarely like to share the space, nor the precious resources found within. Kick them out, claim the space and build your own base within, the
They come in all shapes and sizes, from small to gargantuan, with the latter being a whole biome by itself. Creatures inhabit them, and they rarely like to share the space, nor the precious resources found within. Kick them out, claim the space and build your own base within, there are no limits.
Caves seamlessly integrate into the procedural environment, meaning there are no loading screens to break your immersion.
Get your Under a Rock news faster by joining our Discord! We are active at answering questions and interacting with our amazing player community. Always!
@Krystine_art created our first piece of fan art and we absolutely love it. It's based on the default feminine player avatar that we have been showing off everywhere. More of Krystine's amazing charcoal works can be found by following her Twitter handle .
@Krystine_art created our first piece of fan art and we absolutely love it. It's based on the default feminine player avatar that we have been showing off everywhere. More of Krystine's amazing charcoal works can be found by following her Twitter handle.
Hello everyone! We recently made a new video, showing off some of the Tier 1 construction elements you will be able to play around with when building your first base. What you see is all built using in-game tools only. It took us a while, to be honest, cause it turned out to be q
Hello everyone!
We recently made a new video, showing off some of the Tier 1 construction elements you will be able to play around with when building your first base. What you see is all built using in-game tools only. It took us a while, to be honest, cause it turned out to be quite a large base and it was just fun building it. Time was forgotten, the video was made, here it is:
Using Unreal Engine 5 and the core technology, nanite, is a blessing. Not only does it allow for faster production due to not having to spend time on reducing polys to optimize for rendering. It also allows us to provide an unprecedented level of detail for the building blocks, n
Using Unreal Engine 5 and the core technology, nanite, is a blessing. Not only does it allow for faster production due to not having to spend time on reducing polys to optimize for rendering. It also allows us to provide an unprecedented level of detail for the building blocks, not to mention the distance at which you can see your base. No more inside of the base showing before walls are rendered, no more not seeing parts of your base even though you are only a short distance away.
Each construction piece is in the range of 300,000 - 1,000,000 polys. The ropes have individual threads, not normal maps.
Lighting is powered by Lumen, and it updates beautifully at run-time as you add or remove construction pieces.
You will be able to build exceptionally large constructions with minimum to zero impact on performance. We know this because we have already tested it extensively. This screenshot is not of a massive construction.
Construction in Under a Rock comes with very few rules, allowing for a wide range of creativity in building your dream home. In and under water, up in the trees or high up in the mountains. Your choice. It's simply about having fun.
Someone said to us they couldn't decide on whether the construction or the avatar's hair is the most impressive. If you wonder, we are using Unreal 5s groom tech for doing the hairs, and are also close to finishing the animation system for them.
Hope you like what you have seen. You can also find us at Discord where we are very active.
Hi everyone! We have a Discord channel. It's where we usually share things first, like new screenshots and other tidbits from the ongoing development. There you can interact with us more freely or just follow whatever is going on. Hope to see you there! Discord:
Hi everyone! We have a Discord channel. It's where we usually share things first, like new screenshots and other tidbits from the ongoing development. There you can interact with us more freely or just follow whatever is going on.
We think it is a great idea to share a few wallpapers, all beautifully rendered in 4k. Previews of the wallpapers can be seen below, and the high resolution files can be downloaded from IndieDB. Enjoy! ːsteamhappyː Download from IndieDB
We think it is a great idea to share a few wallpapers, all beautifully rendered in 4k. Previews of the wallpapers can be seen below, and the high resolution files can be downloaded from IndieDB. Enjoy! ːsteamhappyː
This is a favorite of ours. We just had to have it, and it turned out to be amazingly good fun, even more fun than we expected it would be. You can grapple freely to any surface strong enough to support the grappling hook, meaning it will go straight through the leaves on a palm tree, but the trunk itself will work nicely.
Under a Rock would feel incomplete unless you could climb rocks, trees, the walls of your home—basically any surface that looks climbable.
There are water surfaces to swim across and mysterious depths to explore while diving. Shipwrecks, enigmatic ruins, creatures, resources, and even underwater caves await.
Form a bond with creatures of your choice, be it a Snugget, a Dodo, a Bee, or one of the many other creatures that inhabit the island. Their speed, ability to carry, or even combat skills vary, so having multiple companions to choose from is a good idea. 
