Happy New Year everyone!
2026 is kicking off, and I’ve decided to start something new for us: devlogs. I’ve never done this before, but it feels like a good moment to begin sharing more regularly how Tainted Ground is coming along.
2025 was a key year for the project.
It was the year Tainted Ground was born, slowly took shape, and reached its first playable prototype. All of this with just two people working on the game, which has strongly influenced both the pace and many of our development decisions.
Who we are
We’re two developers completely new to game development. We come from other areas of software, but this is our first commercial game.
One thing we’ve learned the hard way is that making a game isn’t just about developing it: it also involves visibility, marketing, and communication with the community — areas we weren’t particularly prepared for.
Even so, we’re taking small but steady steps to bring the project to completion and get it in front of more people.
You can follow the project here:
👉 Discord: Here!
👉 YouTube: our channel
👉 Instagram: our page
👉 TikTok: where we don’t do dances
Where are we now?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been almost entirely focused on developing the multiplayer mode for Tainted Ground.
The goal is clear: the co-op experience shouldn’t just be “the same game with more people,” but something that forces coordination and group decision-making, especially during the night.
At this point, multiplayer is roughly 80% complete in terms of functionality.
What’s already implemented?
Co-op multiplayer for up to 4 players
Full synchronization of players, weapons, and states
Integrated voice chat
Synchronized interaction with world events
For those of you who played the demo: the adverse events that occur at night in the cabin now require real coordination between players.
Countermeasures no longer depend on a single person — the group has to split tasks, react quickly, and deal with the consequences when something goes wrong.
This significantly changes the dynamic compared to solo play and adds much more tension to the nights.
Next steps
There’s still work ahead: polishing, balancing, testing, and a few ideas we’re not ready to reveal yet.
We’ll be showing more in upcoming devlogs, focusing on specific gameplay systems.
One last note before closing
Our top priority remains development: making Tainted Ground a solid game that lives up to what we show on Steam and in our videos. We don’t want it to be just “okay” — we want it to work well, and for the experience, especially in co-op, to really make sense.
That said, we’ve also seen that there are people who connect with this kind of game just as much as we do. And if we want Tainted Ground to reach them, that’s where we could use a bit of help.
If you feel like supporting the project, anything helps:
Ask questions or leave comments on the Steam Community Hub
Share the game or updates wherever you think it fits
Mention the project if you’re a content creator or know someone who is
Join our Discord to follow development more closely and take part in future tests
Tell us directly what you think we should improve
Thanks for the support and for following the project.
We’re not slowing down. See you in the forest. 🌲
Javier
PS: One more thing — we’re currently reworking part of our audiovisual content, and we can’t get to everything at once. More updates on social media are coming soon!