Hello, I'm Henry, Producer of Evilbane.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone taking part in our first Steam playtest.
In this Dev Note, I'd like to talk about the next side of Evilbane that we haven't been able to show you in the playtest yet: “War.”
Right now, in the first Steam playtest, you're heading out on Operations with your allies, getting a feel for your weapons, and taking on powerful enemies. In the Evilbane we envision, every Operation you play becomes a piece of a much larger war.
The Operations you complete will reshape the world map. Together, you'll reclaim lost lands, while lands you fail to defend will be seized once more and turned into battlefields. It's a world where today's defeat becomes tomorrow's crisis.
※ The content introduced in this note is not included in the first Steam playtest and will be added gradually over the course of future development. Details may change depending on development progress and your feedback.
Who We Fight Alongside, and What We Fight For
The story of Evilbane begins with a war in the Middle Realm over the Heavenstones, which hold a mysterious power. Countless factions clashed to seize the power of the Heavenstones scattered across the Middle Realm, and once-thriving kingdoms and cities crumbled amid endless war.
Demons crossing over from the Demon Realm are invading human lands and expanding their reach, while Heretics who rose amid the chaos are sacrificing even the innocent to gain forbidden power. As factions with conflicting ambitions fight over territory and Heavenstones, the Middle Realm has become one vast battlefield.
The surviving humans have nowhere left to retreat. You are part of the Resistance, united to ensure humanity's survival and reclaim its stolen lands. Our goal is to end the rule of the Demons and Heretics and take back the Middle Realm.
The Resistance's Mission
Base Camp, the last stronghold where the survivors have gathered. At the heart of its command room lies a massive War Map that shows the state of the war across the Middle Realm at a glance.
Two continents, ten regions, forty-six territories.
Every territory on the War Map will be in one of three states, depending on how the war unfolds.
Battlefront: A territory where we are currently fighting the enemy
Liberated Territory: A territory the Resistance has reclaimed and is holding
Enemy Territory: A territory still under enemy control
How the War Unfolds
The war in Evilbane will be structured into Seasons, each covering one major event, and Chapters that unfold that event step by step.
Everyone's Operations push the front line forward. Players deploy to the battlefront, and the Operations each of them completes add up to a shared victory that reclaims territory. Meanwhile, the enemy won't sit idle. They'll invade the territories we hold, and any land we fail to defend will fall back into enemy hands.
And once the front line has been pushed far enough, the colossal being that rules that region will reveal itself.
Waging a new war every time amid an ever-shifting battlefield: that's the core of what we're building.
What the War Leaves Behind
Blessings of Reclaimed Regions
Once every territory in a region is reclaimed, benefits unique to that land open up to all players: the region's own blessing, special Heavenstones found only there, and even specialty goods from Wandering Merchants who visit Base Camp. However, if territories in a reclaimed region fall again, some of those benefits may be lost. That's why holding the land matters just as much as reclaiming it.
War Chronicles: A Record Left on the World
The results of every Season and Chapter will be recorded as part of Evilbane's history. In the Hall of Records at Base Camp, you can look back on past wars to see what happened, where we triumphed, and where we fell. And the names of the players who made the greatest contributions each Season will be inscribed in the War Chronicles as well.
Season Medals and Titles
The merits you earn over a Season are tallied when it ends and remain as Medals and Titles, proof that you fought in that war. You'll wear the memory of the last war on your chest as you march into the next.
The Journey After the First Steam Playtest
After the first Steam playtest, we plan to build up the stage of war layer by layer, in the following order:
Stronger Combat and Progression: Gameplay improvements based on your feedback, and preparations for the first Season
The War Map Comes to Life: Chapters, Base Camp briefings, and territory battles
The War Cycle Begins: The start and end of Seasons, invasion defense, and challenges
Earning Merit Together: Season achievements and rewards
Throughout all of these stages, we'll also keep adding new weapon classes, monsters, raid bosses, and Operations. The enemies you've faced so far are only a fraction of what lies ahead.
In Closing: You Are the First Record of This War
The war in Evilbane is being designed to change based on what players do. And that record has already begun. Every piece of feedback you share now becomes the foundation for how we design future combat, progression, and this war itself.
Which part of Evilbane are you most looking forward to? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Please enjoy the rest of the playtest, and keep the feedback coming.
The War Map is still dark. We look forward to the day we light its first flame together.
Henry, Producer of Evilbane
Please note that the names and translations used in this note may change in the future.