v2.84.3 - Balance, Bug Fixes & QoL

Greetings Abalon Fans!

I hope you enjoyed our Spooktacular Double XP event for Halloween! Special congrats to all those who cleared Survival mode and for those that cleared wave 40... wow, superb job!

As always, I appreciate your kind words, reviews, suggestions and bug reports. I've added several more requested QoL updates, balance changes and bug fixes in this update.

Next Major Update and DLC News

Players in our Discord have asked about the status of our next major update and future expansions and I decided to share my responses here as well for the benefit of everyone.

Tarquin McFluffy: Hi Ross, when are you planning to release the next major update? I'm too excited and cannot wait!

RossD20Studios: Excellent question... Seeing as I missed the window for the Roguelike/Screamfest (which would have been optimal opportunity), I'm still rethinking this and I haven't decided yet. Major updates are quite tricky because in order to make the most impact with them, I have to consider more factors than just when they are ready for release. Generally, I like to coincide major releases with opportunities like a combination visibility round + sale + Steam event. I also look at whether the current build and server highly stable and generally ready for a huge influx of activity. And the longer I delay a release, do I feel the content/features I've created are still worthy of the hype or does it need more? It's a constant push/pull between a bunch of spinning plates and also remaining active/diligent providing good customer service along the journey.

Kaaz: Is Caves being saved for Christmas? Or different holiday?

RossD20Studios: Most likely early 2026 for that one. I need to release the major update first (or possibly in conjunction with the DLC could be a nice way to boost everything together...)
For Steam holiday sale/Christmas I'm planning to host another Double XP event. It's also possible I might break up some of the major update features into smaller incremental updates and then bundle the rest with a larger major update + DLC release.

Currently I'm seeing a lot of timeout reports on Android with regards to the AI processing, so I'm considering shifting some development focus to improving that, which also contributes to the Abalon Arena development.

Both caves and the final boss have a lot of hype around them... and I tend to judge myself a lot harder when it comes to the creative/thematic type stuff over features. Features are much easier - they do what they do, it's a pass/fail, whereas new content is so much more subjective. I'm constantly beating myself up and asking how the new content can top/add something different to the types of stuff already done.

Hope that helps provide some insight on where I'm currently at! Game development is never an exact science and sometimes it's necessary to pivot my work to address other areas of the game (like the AI engine in this case) in order to provide players with the best experience.

v2.84.3 Release Notes

1. QoL: Improved the card sorting algorithm for "Group by Type" so that Artifacts are grouped together with other equippable satchel cards. This way, your consumables and your equippable cards are kept separate. (Thanks sanasarus)
2. QoL: When continuing an adventure cross-platform on a device that does not have DLC entitlements, cards within DLC sets found through prior progress in the adventure on a device with entitlements will no longer show as grayed out within the deck and will no longer vanish from the tortoise collection when removed from the deck. This ensures that all cards found throughout the adventure are usable regardless of platform and entitlements. Platform entitlements are still required to play/continue adventures as a Summoner in DLC card sets and to start new adventures with custom decks containing DLC cards. (Thanks Provocation and Ivellios)
3. QoL: Changed wording of effects that reduce the cost of cards from "spells cost less" to "cards cost less" to clarify that all cards (units and spells) benefit from the effect, not just spell cards. (Thanks Sinzar)
4. QoL: Tips prompts will now show when loading back a game and replaying commands.
5. QoL: The NPC Vampire Witch in the Fortune Teller encounter of Harvest world now has a name, Sassy Molassi. (Thanks HiddenHearth, Kaaz, Xomnikai and Lance)
6. Balance: Bat's card text now appropriately reads "Inflict: Gain +0/+1" and functions mechanically like other Inflict abilities. (Thanks Provocation)
7. Balance: Summoner Gear can no longer be unequipped during battle.
8. Balance: Artifacts can no longer be equipped if the character has used their action. Consumable items, like Healing potion Phylactery Potion, can always be used/equipped. (Thanks Vortex)
9. Balance: Card Pickups are now treated as non-undoable actions because they reveal hidden information about the card reward that will be given.
10. Balance: Actions that would regularly be considered non-undoable are now allowed to undo if the commanded interaction results in triggering multiple prompts. For example, if you command a character to walk over two satchel card pickups in the same action (each of which would generate a hidden card reward), you can now undo back to the initial card pickup after choosing the first satchel's reward and seeing the options presented as rewards in the second satchel pickup. Note that you cannot undo past the initial command once you've commanded your unit to pickup and reveal hidden card rewards.
11. Balance: Being afflicted by the Silence spell will no longer prevent player from using satchel cards. (Thanks Kazbad)
12. Fixed bug where tooltip could become stuck on the display if mousing over a button or hud element that vanishes during the transition from explore to battle or battle to explore. (Thanks Wesley)
13. Fixed bug where buying satchel cards from the Traveling Merchant wasn't encountering them, thus enabling the possibility of finding artifacts (which should be unique) subsequent times in the adventure. (Thanks HiddenHearth)
14. Fixed bug where selling a satchel card did not unfind it for purposes of discovering it again (if an artifact) in future chapters.
15. Fixed bug where the Lost Guardians challenge modifier wasn't triggering properly if the guardian dies while controlled by the enemy. (Thanks Guest_288190)
16. Fixed bug where Radiant Amethyst or Hellfire Candle could be repeatedly equipped and unequipped to endlessly stack their mana cost discount. (Thanks Vortex)
17. Fixed bug where scouting encounters that include a "Flee immediately" option (such as Bandit Blockade, Goblin Party, Catch of the Day, Ambush and so forth) would not reveal the icon and description of these encounters on the world map after visiting and leaving. (Thanks Scribe)
18. Fixed bug where Orc Army encounter included Orc Warriors with unequippable spears. (Thanks Provocation)
19. Fixed bug where, after freeing the hellhound puppy and tripping the alarm to alert the nemesis, the "Continue" button did not result in the puppy joining team. (Thanks Kazbad and Fabomatik)
20. Fixed bug where after using Demolish to destroy a spiked block in dungeon, an abyss tile appears in its place instead of dungeon tile. (Thanks HiddenHearth)
21. Fixed bug where exiting the game mid-battle and then returning to finish it later could result in the end turn button not functioning until undoing an action. (Thanks Garylove00, Clovis la Britannia, and latitat)
22. Fixed bug where Arcane Insight could draw double cards.
23. Fixed bug where helping to heal the injured fallen angel did not unlock the Guardian Angel satchel card in player collection. (Thanks Bobby)
24. Fixed bug where walking over multiple satchel cards and exiting without choosing a card or hitting the replay button during the second satchel pickup would result in a stuck game state. The choose card prompt will now properly display when returning back to the game for any cards that were not selected. (Thanks Guest_299992)
25. Fixed bug where entering a new encounter that generates a prompt soft-locks the game instead of displaying the prompt until exiting/restarting the game. I believe this issue may have been caused by a rare game state where an animation thread is created but never started. This change ensures that any new animations are placed on the existing, unstarted animation thread. (Thanks Lance)
26. Fixed bug where a Suspicious Tomb with the Buried Alive fate encounter failed to do anything after being opened because there were no valid guardians left to spawn (due to the starting guardians and Mercenary Den using up all the slots). The encounter will now spawn animals and elementals if there are insufficient human guardians to bury in the tomb. (Thanks HiddenHearth)
27. Fixed bug where the Replay Tutorial option generated a prompt that could remove the current in-game prompt from the screen by embedding the choice to play the tutorial directly into the settings menu.
28. Fixed bug where right-clicking on cards in the deck builder could result in them getting temporarily stuck to the display.
29. Fixed bug where it possible to right click on units and tiles in the grid while in the deckbuilder screen.
30. Fixed bug where clicking an equipment intended for animals (saddle bag) without an animal then clicking on another regular equipment (helmet) will cancel the attempt to equip the regular equipment. (Thanks Plykiya)
31. Fixed bug where a unit equipped with a Woodcutter axe would attempt to pick up any objects on a tile containing an enemy instead of melee attacking the enemy. (Thanks Davsilog)
32. Fixed bug where buying out a shopkeeper and getting the Early Retirement achievement could result in having [Skin] Nothing and other cards associated with the shopkeeper's outfit added to the satchel. (Thanks Anotnio)
33. Fixed bug where new cards picked up during combat were not getting the mana cost reduction from special abilities that grant discounts such as the Radiant Amethyst or Preserver's insect card discount. (Thanks Sinzar and Kazbad)
34. Fixed bug where the lower HUD containing spell cards was being shifted upwards instead of flush with bottom of the screen on some Windows 1080P monitors due to the safeArea being reported incorrectly.
35. Fixed bug where player could receive an extra key if playing in the desert biome that contained an Alchemy fate encounter. (Thanks SHAWSHANKER)
36. Fixed bug where equipment skins (like Goblin Party hats and Chronomancer Hat) could be removed after ending battle.
37. Fixed bug with Russian translation for Horse with No Name (Thanks ZimA)
38. Fixed bug with Polish translation (and other languages) for Wave counter in survival mode. (Thanks Ivellios)
39. Fixed bug with incorrect Simplified Chinese translation for Raise Dead and missing translation for Metamorphic Harness. (Thanks jack)
40. Fixed bug with missing translation for Cleanse spell. (Thanks jack)
41. Fixed bug where cultists weren't spawning on the Demon Dance encounter for novice difficulty if not playing on Chapter 1. (Thanks Arianna)
42. Fixed bug where cultists might not spawn if retreating from a Demon Dance battle and then returning. (Thanks Arianna)
43. QoL: Changed Russian translation of the Yeti's Bonus action ability (Bonus action to closest enemy at the start of its turn.) from "Бонусное действие ближайшему противнику в начале его хода" to "Атакует ближайшего врага бонусным действием в начале его хода." (Thanks Ole-gan, and Kairin)
44. Fixed bug where Take em Down with a Combo Trip Prompt showed when attacking an object while exploring if the player had just retreated from a battle on their turn. (Thanks Arianna)

Showing Your Support

Many of our players have asked me for a way to help support the continued development of Abalon, so I setup a "Buy Me a Coffee" page where you can make one-time or recurring contributions.

Reviews

We've successfully hit part 1 of my year-end goal for Abalon: 500+ reviews! Thank you all so much :)

Part 2: Can we make it to "Overwhelmingly Positive"? As of today, we're at 94%. We need just 1% more to make it to 95% and hit this goal! I'd greatly appreciate your help to write a Steam review. Let me know what you like about the game and also where I can continue to improve for you. If I've addressed your feedback, please update your review. You can also leave me feedback directly in game via Menu -> Share Feedback. I personally read and do my best to reply back to every single player request.

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and ongoing support :)

~Ross