Hi everyone!
It has been a while since our last development update, and a lot has changed since then.
In our previous post, we talked about rebuilding the demo around its central mechanic:
Monsters only move when you move.
Since then, we’ve continued refining nearly every part of the experience. After hundreds of changes, additions, and fixes, we finally feel that the game’s “skeleton” is in place.
Pun absolutely intended.
The core systems are working together, the direction of the game feels clear, and we now have a strong foundation to build upon. This also means we have officially started production on the full game.
WHAT’S NEW
1. End-of-Mission Statistics and Player Titles
One of the biggest additions is the new Statistics Screen at the end of the demo.
It shows how you approached your playthrough, including:
Your completion time
The number of times you saved
The damage you took
How many enemies you eliminated
How many secrets you discovered
You will also receive a unique Player Title based on your completion time, eliminations, and saves.
There are many possible titles to discover, rewarding different playstyles: from careful and peaceful runs to fast or aggressive ones. And yes, completing the demo without killing a single monster is still entirely possible.
We also added an optional speedrun timer to the HUD for players who want to challenge themselves even further.
2. Improved Enemy Behaviour
The monsters have received a major overhaul.
Their behaviour is now controlled by a more robust state system covering movement, attacks, reactions to damage, spawning, stunning, downed states, and other special behaviours.
We have also added and improved:
More varied movement and reaction animations
Better underground spawning
Improved save/load behaviour
New monster sounds and footsteps
Better handling of areas where enemies should not follow the player
Numerous fixes for monsters getting stuck, spawning incorrectly, or behaving strangely after loading
All of this helps the central movement mechanic behave more consistently while making encounters feel more atmospheric and alive.
Or perhaps… undead.
3. More Story, Voices and Atmosphere
Our previous update said that the story would be our next major focus... and that work has already begun.
We have added and refined many conversations, dialogue lines, and character reactions throughout the demo. Emily, Cole, Officer Chapman, and the other characters now have a stronger presence in the experience, though their current voices are still placeholders and will be replaced by talented voice actors in the full game.
There are also new visions, whispers, environmental reactions, and horror moments — including apparitions that can only be seen when your flashlight is turned off. ːsteammockingː
Lighting, materials, environmental audio, monster sounds, and several cemetery encounters have also received further improvements.
4. Controller Support
The game now has extensive controller support for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers.
Menus, gameplay interactions, and tutorials automatically adapt to your current input device. Button prompts change dynamically, controller icons are displayed where appropriate, and menu navigation has been redesigned to feel much more natural with a gamepad.
Input settings and rebinding have also received significant improvements.
5. Localization
Echoes in the Dark now has a complete localization framework and currently supports:
English
Hungarian
Slovak
More languages will be added over time.
Menus, tutorials, interactions, dialogue, and other player-facing text have been moved into the new localization system. This foundation also makes it much easier for us to add additional languages in the future.
6. Secrets
A proper secret system has been added, allowing hidden discoveries to be tracked, saved, and displayed at the end of the demo.
Each secret also has a story of its own to tell.
7. Menus, General Polish and Bug Fixes
The Main Menu and in-game interfaces have also received a lot of attention, including improved navigation, a Credits section, clearer loading feedback, and various visual and audio refinements.
Behind the scenes, the cemetery has been divided into multiple streaming sections, helping us manage the level more efficiently as the game continues to grow.
We have also completed a huge number of smaller fixes involving navigation, collision, puzzles, interactions, audio, animations, performance, and level design.
8. Official Website
We are happy to announce that Echoes in the Dark finally has its own website!
You can find more information about the game, our press kit, screenshots, and contact information there.
Website:
https://echoesinthedarkgame.com/
FULL PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN
This is the most important part of today’s update:
We now feel that the core foundation of Echoes in the Dark is ready.
There will always be more polishing and balancing to do, but the essential systems, technical structure, and overall direction are finally in place.
Because of this, we have started production on the full game.
The demo helped us experiment, rebuild, and discover what Echoes in the Dark should truly be. Now we can take everything we have learned and use it to create new locations, encounters, puzzles, and story content for the complete experience.
Question: Should the Demo Have Difficulty Settings?
There is one more feature we are currently considering for the demo: difficulty settings.
Would you like to see multiple difficulty options, or do you prefer one carefully balanced experience that every player shares?
If you would like difficulty settings, what should they affect? Enemy damage, available ammunition, checkpoints — or perhaps something else?
Please let us know in the comments or through the Feedback button in the Main Menu. We genuinely read your responses, and they continue to help shape the game.
Thank you for sticking with us throughout this journey. We’re incredibly excited about what comes next.
Stay tuned, stay sharp…
Martin & the EITD Team