Hello, this is developer RasEn.
Through a series of posts in the form of “Coffee, Code, and Ashes”, I plan to regularly share reflections, development directions, and progress updates to help ease the wait for those looking forward to Ashen Dungeon’s updates.
It’s been about 20 days since I uploaded the demo of Ashen Dungeon.
Many players have enjoyed multiple playthroughs despite its shortcomings, while others couldn’t overcome the lack of a tutorial or the game’s initial entry barrier.
To everyone who played and shared their thoughts — thank you sincerely.
Based on both the data and player feedback, I’ve been deeply reflecting on the game’s future direction.
Some players have enjoyed over five runs, taking the time to experience each piece of content the game currently offers — yet it’s clear there are still several weak points.
Even considering that Ashen Dungeon only contains early-game content, I know there are many areas where it still falls short compared to other games.
Skill descriptions are often difficult to understand, the interface only provides the bare essentials, and the visuals and presentation still have plenty of room for improvement.
Beyond that, there are numerous aspects that need refinement.
However, I believe that if I can establish a foundation where players can clearly feel the game’s core direction — especially for those who enjoy forming their own party and nurturing mercenaries — it will give enough reason and confidence to keep waiting for the game’s growth.
Still, there were many regrets.
At first, I thought fixing the most noticeable visual issues—especially the animations—would be enough.
But looking from another angle, I was reminded that there are many so-called “god-tier games” that succeed not because of their graphics, but because of their depth and completeness.
That realization made me refocus on what truly matters: the content itself.
Rather than stopping at visual improvements, I’ll continue refining the game’s core fun so players can enjoy Ashen Dungeon more deeply and immersively.
So I started rethinking what kind of content direction players are truly expecting — starting from the very first element they encounter: the temperaments.
Sure, players understand that these give their characters some sort of change, but could it also feel frustrating? Could they imagine what each trait really means?
While discovering these traits through gameplay has its own charm, I wondered if I’d become too fixated on that idea.
In the end, I realized: I need to make these temperamental traits something players can imagine and have fun with from the start.
As with this example, I reviewed every piece of existing content and reconsidered the overall direction of the game — constantly asking, “What do players find most fun?”
Of course, it’s not just the content I’ve been thinking about.
I’m also reflecting on the negative feedback and will continue doing so.
In particular, I realized that to make exploration more enjoyable, I first need to address elements that make it feel frustrating.
That’s why I’m planning the following changes:
Animations, visibility, and atmosphere will all be enhanced to make the experience more immersive.
As I continue testing the scenes, the overall shape is taking form.
I’m eager to update it as soon as possible so players can feel the changes themselves, but I’ve found several technical issues that must be fixed first.
Once they’re resolved, I’ll prepare everything as quickly as I can to show you the results.
There are many other things currently being tested, but I’ll stop here for this post.
Thank you again for your continued interest and support.
Sincerely,
RasEn