Hey there, dwellers,
We promised you some big changes and now it’s finally time to deliver. But before we get into the thick of things, let’s talk a bit about how we got here in the first place.
Through community feedback and many rounds of playtesting, we realized that our initial version of Deepest Chamber was a little too reliant on RNG. It affected cards, encounters and basically everything else. We agreed that this was not the way we wanted to move forward so we had no choice other than, more or less, redesigning the whole game. You can actually read about our roller-coaster journey on this dev blog post. 😀
And to celebrate that launch, we're running our best discount ever, 25% off until November 28th!
In the following section, we’ll explore all of the critical changes you can expect to find in Deepest Chamber: Resurrection.
Card Boosting
Synergies were not a big factor in the first iteration of the game, but with the Resurrection Update, they take centre stage. We needed to implement ideas that would complement synergies, and this is how we ended up with the card boosting mechanic and enemy intent management.
Card boosting works by enhancing a card’s power when adjacent cards are played. Besides boosting your cards to pack a more powerful punch, this mechanic can be used to synergize buffs with different items and mechanics, leading to some spectacular results.
Card boosting is something we are really proud of. It affects gameplay in a natural way and has a ton of depth. It really makes you think about the order you play your cards in and if you are extra careful, you can even boost your cards in preparation for upcoming rounds.
Intent Management
Intent Management is our second big gameplay mechanic and it goes hand in hand with our new 3-hero party system. Because we split the original “one big health bar” into 3 separate ones, we needed a way to control which hero takes damage from which enemy. As with the card boosting mechanic, there were many iterations of this system. The one that stuck was the ability to change who an enemy attacks at the start of a round, with one condition - the same hero can’t tank for two rounds in a row. There are also types of enemies whose intent can’t be changed (unless special items are employed). It’s a dynamic system that we believe will help players to more cautiously navigate the depths of Deepest Chamber: Resurrection.
Hero Party System
The hero party system allows players to enlist three out of four possible champions at the start of their run - knight, healer, mage or thief. Each hero has cards, abilities and equipment dedicated to their class, adding an extra layer of planning and strategy with each descent, plus massively boosting replayability.
Alchemy Crafting and Equipment
The ingredients you plunder with each descent can now be crafted into powerful potions that can aid you in subsequent runs. Another important addition is the inventory system for the newly introduced equipment items. They can be found either by random encounter or be bought during runs and can be equipped to each hero to boost their stats or provide special buffs.
New UI
The entire UI had to be redesigned to accommodate separate party members and their inventories. Smaller changes to the UI include things like buffs and debuffs being represented through icons instead of text, making them easier to discern at a glance.
New Map System
One of the most vocal complaints coming from players was related to the original game map. We made many prototypes of a new map system but ultimately ended up with a traditional node map with a twist. Going from our super simple map to a complex node system implementation was not an easy feat but we are very excited about how everything turned out.
New non-human enemies
Another common point of feedback was that the enemy encounters could get stale with anthropomorphic characters only. Designing the score of non-human enemies that can now be encountered during runs was fun for us, but less so for our animator, who had to implement lots of claws, fangs and tails in a very short time.
If you've got feedback, ideas, or just wanna say hi, come join us on Discord.
We really appreciate you for sticking with us through these tough times and hope that you'll love the new and improved Deepest Chamber experience as much as we do!
Thanks and see you in the depths!
Balcony Softworks
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Breathes in
BIG PATCHNOTE TIME
Breathes out
Archetypes and synergies
- Every hero has a main and secondary archetype. Archetypes rely on other heroes' abilities to be used to their full potential.
- Synergies are a significantly larger part of the game than in the old version. Now there are countless possibilities of interactions between cards, trinkets, intents and the other elements of the game.
Three heroes party system
- The new design separates the heroes health pool into three individual ones, a big contrast to the single health pool of the old version. Card pools have not been separated, so heroes share a single card pool.
- You are able to select three classes before a run. Once you unlock the 4th class make sure to try out different party compositions.
New characters
- Dorn is the fighter of the group, wielding heavy armor and a shield. He can generate rage and offer protection to himself and others. He is considered to be the tank of the party.
- Socra the priest is capable of healing and resurrecting fallen heroes. Next to offering various support to the group, his corruption archetype can greatly increase any hero’s damage output.
- Xiu is an expert in the arcane arts. Her powerful fire spells and countless summons make her a vital part of the party. She can also control flurry, which allows her to play a flurry type card multiple times.
- You have to find out for yourself who the fourth character is. He has been trapped under the dome for a long time, so his knowledge of the underground will most certainly come in handy.
Card boosting mechanic
- When you play a card, the cards neighboring it will get boosted to their next boost level.
- With this new card boosting mechanic the order in which you play your cards is way more important. Every hand you are dealt is a little puzzle waiting to be solved. If you leave a boosted card unused, it will retain its boost levels, opening up the possibility to make clever tactical decisions for a future round.
- A card's boost levels can be altered with special events, allowing you to essentially customize your cards.
- You can also permanently boost a card via card upgrade events, so it won’t lose its boost level after it gets played.
- Next to the new card boosting mechanic, a card’s type now plays a bigger role in tactical combat.
Blocking system
- Now that there are 3 separate health pools for the heroes, the old “Retaining Block” mechanic had to be retired. With the new design, a hero can keep as much “block” as they have, until they get attacked. Once attacked, if some block remains, it will fade off in the next round.
Intent management system
- Enemy intents can now be directed to a specific hero, adding another layer of tactical decisions during your encounters. Oftentimes, especially on higher difficulties, it becomes increasingly more important to decide which hero will take on which enemy. There are situations where a hero cannot direct the attention of an enemy, for example when a hero was hit in the previous round.
Hub area
- You can find traders and an alchemy table in the new hub area. The Collection Panel and Edit Party button are also located here.
Progression and unlocks
- Items found in the depths can be equipped by heroes. These items offer small benefits that oftentimes synergize with hero trinkets or archetypes. Some items also help you face specific enemy intents and other mechanics.
- Next to itemization, heroes now gain experience and level up. Leveling up a hero will unlock new hero trinkets and cards.
- Encounters offer red candles as a reward. These candles can be used to purchase equipment for the heroes.
Inventory system
Each hero has their own inventory where you can equip items found or purchased during your runs.
Items slots:
- helmet
- chest
- weapon
- leggings
- cloak
- gloves
- shield
- boots
Trinkets
- The new trinkets pay a much bigger role in combat than they used to. Especially if we look at the unique “Hero Trinkets”. You are able to choose 1 hero trinket at the start of a run. These usually get you started on an archetype, but they don’t lock you into one.
Potions
- In this new version of the game potions are more varied and helpful.
- Various materials can be collected and crafted into powerful potions to aid the heroes on their journey. You are able to unlock new potions with recipes either found or purchased.
- Make sure to brew your potions in the hub area before a run to maximize your chances against the perils lurking below.
Encounters
- Encounter AI has been completely redesigned. Enemies act more predictably and have move patterns. Not only the AI but the base mechanics of encounters have also been redesigned. Be prepared to fight foes who will end your run quickly if you don’t look out for their unique mechanics.
- The flow of an encounter has also been redesigned. In the previous version all enemies attacked at the same time. Making it hard to understand what just happened. Now enemies attack in sequence with a slight delay and camera animation. This way the mechanics of combat are more understandable and simply more pleasant to play.
Enemy intents
- There are dozens of new enemy intents. Some of the old ones still stand, but in a slightly redesigned way. There are a few intents that have serious consequences when an enemy plays them, so look out and be prepared!
Mark of Death mechanic
- During a run, each hero can be resurrected once. Once they get resurrected, they gain a status effect called mark of death. This effect won’t allow the hero to be resurrected again. The decision of which hero to send into the afterlife can be a significant tactical move.
Addressing RNG
- In this new design of the game, RNG is much less of a factor. There are no more interval values on cards, making planning your moves much more predictable and fulfilling. As a matter of fact, interval values are a thing of the past altogether. There are no more mechanics that rely on them.
No more restricting play
- The old version of the game relied heavily on restricting the player, making gameplay frustrating and annoying. Now you have much more control over what happens and won’t face as many restricting mechanics.
New map system
- We decided to completely remove the old and very basic map from the game and implemented a totally new node map which offers multiple paths to navigate. A completely new map is procedurally generated for every run.
Depths and biomes
- The heroes need to traverse 4 separate maps to reach the end of a run. These separate map zones are called depths. When entering the next depth the player will be able to choose the biome and zone effect of the next depth. Each biome has specific unique encounters and environments. The chosen zone effect could significantly alter the gameplay, so be prepared to make the best decision for your deck.
Map Events
- With the new map comes the introduction of events. There are dozens of events to find and many more yet to come. Some have a unique 3D environment, others have beautiful 2D illustrations. An event can not only offer the heroes loot or temporary benefits, but it can also alter a card’s boosting mechanics.
- There are a few very specific events like rest sites and shrines that offer great aid for a party in need of help.
Multiple bosses
- As the heroes delve into the depths they will have to face 2 boss encounters. These encounters are specific to a biome so the player can pick the boss that is best for their current build.
Difficulty levels
- The slight increases in enemy damage values and enemy health pools that were in the old game are not compatible with the new design. Because of the powerful synergies that are now at your disposal, the new difficulty levels offer bigger changes to the foes you face during your descent.
Death March game mode
- Next to the difficulty levels there is an unlockable run modifier which will disable the benefits of the items equipped to your heroes. Essentially a “pure” mode for those who seek a harder challenge.
New tutorial
- The new design of the game needed a new tutorial. We feel that the new tutorial is a significant upgrade from the previous one, allowing you to become familiar with the game in a more natural and comfortable way. Every small popup tutorial has also been remade to accommodate the changes.
Combat retry
- We implemented a system which allows you to retry an encounter. This feature will allow new players to get familiar with the game in a less frustrating way because it offers a second chance if a bad move was made.
UI Changes
The entire UI has been redesigned, with all elements changed because of the heroes interface at the bottom.
- Party UI at the bottom of the screen
- New hero portraits
- Completely new map
- Buff icons
- Buff activation and reminder animation (accessibility)
- Map scrolling and traversing downwards
- Edit Party panel in the hub area
- Hero inventories
- Inventory tabs (item categories)
- Inventory full body hero illustrations
- Dialogue interface redesign, better UX
- Tutorial eye focus system
- Intent management UI
- Iconization in descriptions
- Colorization in descriptions
- Camera focus for enemy attacks
- Damage, Block, Heal value previews in combat (accessibility)
- New animations for cards in hand
- Card boost preview on boostable cards
- Enemy intents showcase their targets via portraits
- New victory animation
- New defeat animation
- Hero panel showcase if a hero being targeted or a hero has block..etc
- Main Menu button (vax seal upper left of the screen)
- Run timer
- Main UI elements are placed in traditional zones (trinkets in middle, end round at the right)
- Singular Pile removed
Assets
- New 2D illustrations
- New 3D models
- New card border art for each class
- New card border for each card rarity (common, uncommon, rare)
- New enemy models (even non humanoid ones)
- New enemy animations
- New environmental models
- Dozens of new VFX
- Dozens of new SFX
- VFX when enemies use special intents
- Polished up old animations and model
NPCs
- New NPC dialogs
- New NPCs next to the old ones
This update in numbers
- 120 new Cards
- 60 new Trinkets
- 32 new Potions
- 40 new Events
- 40 new Equipments
- 25 new Enemies next to the old ones (40 encounters in total)
- 5 biomes
Biomes
- Sewers
- Mines
- Dwellings
- Flooded Sewers
- Caves
New enemies
- Crabs
- Bloodflies
- Turtles
- Bull
- Sewer Rats
- Larve
- Toads
- Snails
- Slaughterfish
- Cave Beetle
- Bats
- Lizards
- Mushrooms
- Hermit Crab
- Mosquitoes
- Alligator
- Giant Turtle
- Giant Crab
- Stone Golem
- Lurker
If you made it this far, you deserve a kürtöskalács.