Hey everyone!
It's been a while! A lot has happened since the last MACE: Mapinguari's Temple update, from changing the name of our studio, to releasing other games and gaining a lot more experience across these last 4 years. MACE was my first game released on Steam in 2022, and it was a joy to get out into the world. But I've always felt I wanted to come back to it and give it some good updates!
And now, I've decided that it's time, and this amazing Social Deduction Fest was what I needed to give me that little bump forward!
Let's go over the changes, shall we?
New roles
Back then, there was a vote for the roles, with Psion winning the poll. HOWEVER: I implemented all three roles, so there are lot of options now!
Tunneler: an explorer who shares the Cultist's access to the temple's secret tunnels, but none of its powers. Great for mobility around the map, and a perfect cover story. When someone slips out of a tunnel, no one can be sure if it was the Cultist… or just the Tunneler.
Psion: a new role with its own reveal card and ability, bringing a fresh twist to the hunt.
Scout: an extra set of eyes for the expedition.
Play with Bots
Never let a short queue or a friend dropping out end your expedition early. You can now fill your lobby with computer-controlled explorers straight from the host menu.
Add bots to any match: set how many companions join right from the host options.
They actually play the game: Bots explore the temple, group up with the party, grab the idols and haul them back to the pedestal, use hideouts, and flee the Mapinguari when it closes in.
They can be the Cultist too: A bot drafted as the cultist will shut down the lamps, summon the creature, sabotage the expedition and slip away through the secret passages; No easier to read than a human traitor.
Difficulty settings: choose Easy, Normal or Hard. Higher difficulty means sharper, more capable bots; lower difficulty makes them more human and more prone to mistakes.
Drop-in takeover: If a player disconnects mid-match, a bot now takes over their character (same role, same position, still carrying whatever they were holding) so the group stays whole instead of losing a member.
Water rooms
Rooms full of water that can hide traps and make you slower... but not the monster, of course!
Bugfixes & Stability
No more duplicated buttons or "ghost" lobbies on the join screen.
Fixed connection and replication errors that could desync players
Smoothed out overcrowded rooms and general performance in the temple
Extra news
We have also just announced one of our next games! Any ideas on what it is?
You can check it on:
Afterword
It was a joy revisiting MACE, and I do hope it is a joy to play it again for you too!
As always, hop into our Discord to report bugs, share feedback, and hang out with the community! Important to note our Discord is no longer the one from back then, so feel free to join again if you were in the old server!
Cheers!
-Eduardo