MAJOR UPDATE AND PLAYTEST 3
After 4 Months, The next update and playtest is here!
I have been hard at work and although this one took awhile, I believe Nine Prophets: The Abyss is very close to being ready for a Demo Release! As always I would like to make an update outlining everything I have done Starting with a....
TLDR
Playtest 3 will release on 5/20/2026 or 5/21/2026
I have restructured the game as a whole. Reducing overall file size for the game as a whole, reducing the risk for bugs and glitches and creating a much easier development cycle.
All maps have been updated and redesigned as well as the addition of 7 new maps to include lighting and layer effects for some.
Added a full prelude to entering The Abyss with full cutscenes
Added Combat Classes and a small introduction story that recommends a class based on your answers
Added 8 new weapons, 2 handed weapons and off hand equipment, each with specific combat skills
Reworked soul mechanics, adding buffs at prophets instead of fountain and adding a soul purification ritual.
Added side quest and survivors storylines
Underwent Combat balancing and added new ability types to categorize skills
Reworked journal pages into one large item that updates as the game goes on.
Reworked Armor and Weapons crafting to each use one crafting component across all weapons or armors per tier
Added Placeholder death portals to all allies
Sound reworks for most interactions
New dialogue and story additions and reworks, to include characters, journals and enemies
New enemy types and new boss
Scenes when dying for some enemies
Reworked most sprites and character models as well as adding better sprites to prophets in camp
The Longer Breakdown
First and foremost, Playtest 3 is here and will be released on 5/20/2026 or 5/21/2026 and this will be shortly followed by the demo!
Secondly, I would like to share my intent for this update, as the game is still in development. The main goal I have is to create a playable demo that includes ALL of the systems and mechanics that the game will have. This doesn't mean every enemy and the full story, but it instead means that I want a true vertical slice of the first 1/3 of the game.
The Intent
What I want the demo to include story wise is
The full prelude
The Abyss meeting
The entirety of the Introduction gauntlet and gauntlets 1 - 3 with their lore journals and stories
One side quest within the forest
Obcecar's Death Portal
The temples events
All Story events including The Man In Green
The Blessed Rebirth
The good news is all of these are in the game now and are fully functional! I will likely add to them, but it will mostly be cosmetic and cinematic inclusions from here.
What I want to include mechanics and system wise is
Gauntlets and their gameplay structuring
Soul Purification and Manipulation
Crafting for Weapons, Armors and Potions
Basic Fishing
Cooking
Prophet archetypes, secondary functions, Death Portal Revivals and permadeaths
Combat Ally/Enemy Archetypes, Speeds and Atmosphere
Reflexive Journal System
Resource (Including ally) Management
Death Scenes
"Trophy" Room updates and reflexiveness
These are all in the game as well and likewise with the story they will likely not need to many changes within the Demo, outside of minor cosmetic and cinematic changes!
A final note, I am currently working on an original soundtrack and will likely end up replacing most of the current soundtrack, However the demo will likely not include this change.
With the TLDR and INTENT sections covered. I would like to give a more detailed and In depth update starting with...
Restructured Game Layout
Essentially as my coding skills have improved I have improved the game as a whole, reducing many repeating assets, maps and events and condensing the game into a much more manageable and simpler project, resulting in easier developer side playtesting and reducing the risk of game breaking bugs or glitches with no change to the actual gameplay and available content to the player. This will also significantly reduce file size. (Not that Nine Prophets: The Abyss was a large file size to begin with) and should make future updates much faster easier to implement.
Map Reworks and Scenery
Map reworks are something I believe needed to be done as my skill as an artist has improved along with my understanding of game design when pertaining to overworlds and mapping. With the intent of creating a stronger and more impactful atmosphere for the player.
The campfire has been updated with new art to the fire itself, the tree lines, and the hammock
All forest maps have been updated with lighting effects and ambience to compliment the changes.
Many maps have been added with the addition of new explorable areas.
The entire cave has been updated with better surroundings, more details and new lighting effects to try and improve the overall atmosphere of the gauntlet.
Reworked the path leading up to the Temple
Added new Trees and Shrubbery.
Changed the Secret path into a ritual site
Updated and reworked fight Combat Battle backs
Full Prelude
Includes original home start which has been updated for better clarity and added small story inclusions.
Added a small dialogue based choose your class system that lets you pick answers to receive a starting class
Added a small castle scene, which gives the player a small quest to complete
Added a carriage cutscene with dialogue amongst a few characters
Added a map with new design style that leads to the start of the game from the previous update.
Survivor's Quest
Added a side quest within the forest
Added new characters with lore and story inclusions
Added a new item as reward for completion
Added The Tree Of Flesh intro area
Added Dobo Den
Ouro's Sacrifices
The temple has been visited by a Demi-God. Good Luck, Prophets.
Combat
Changed Evasion Icons to progressively Increase, Instead of apply multiple times. Resulting in Icons that are easier to understand.
Added Agility to enemies, making some enemies faster than some characters
Added Priority to more abilities, Including Negative priority to some stronger abilities.
Added 9 classes into the game, these classes are designed to offer different playstyles to the player
Warrior
Berserker
Assassin
Arms man
Sentinel
Support Caster
Battle Caster
Destruction Caster
Generalist
Added weapon classifications, Known as Main Hand, Off Hand and 2 handed weapons
Added Weapon Arts, which are weapon and equipment specific abilities
Added 8 New Weapons (and equipment's)
OLD WEAPONS
Spear (Two Handed)
Club (Main Hand)
Staff (Two Handed)
NEW WEAPONS (AND EQUIPMENTS)
Swords (Main Hand)
Daggers (Main Hand)
Great Swords (Two Handed)
Warhammers (Two Handed)
Wands (Main Hand)
Shields (Off Hand)
Crossbows (Off Hand)
Grimoire (Off Hand)
Reworked and balanced all weapon stats and abilities
Renamed Stats to better fit theme of game
Added new enemies, to include roaming enemies, or enemies that will move around and chase down the player in the overworld in compliment to the mandatory gauntlet fights at the beginning and/or end of gauntlet rooms.
Dying to Abyssal Younglings will play a death scene
Changed Items that offer combat Buffs to be permanent until the end of the next combat, this fixes any issues with buffs being slowly removed when walking around the map and accounts for roaming enemy dynamics.
Fixed many small combat related bugs and inconsistencies
Crafting
Crafting required too many separate components and the menus felt a little counter productive, With the addition of so many new craft able items I spent time refining these aspects of the game for less item clutter and easier navigation for players.
All weapons and off hand equipment upgrades using Abyssal Stones, which have higher tier variants (+1 +2, +3) for stronger upgrades, replacing individual components for individual weapons.
All Armors upgrade using Abyssal Enfusions, which have higher tier variants (+1,+2,+3) for stronger upgrades, replacing individual components for individual Armors.
Added Crafting for all new weapons and off hand equipment's.
Changed the Workstation Menus to be easier to navigate and craft similar equipment's, added sound to indicate when crafting failed due to components missing and displays which component is missing.
Journal
The Journal has been reworked to be entirely reflexive, this allows for all previous items that were journal related to be fused into 1 item and actively updates as the game goes on. The Point of this is to reduce inventory clutter and provide for an easier and menu experience.
Added all weapon journals
Added New combat journals
Added New crafting Journals
Souls
Added the Soul Purification Ritual Site
Added the Soul Purification Ritual
Changed the Evolved Birthstone to
Be the trigger that allows for soul absorption
Allow for devouring souls by clicking the Item from the key items menu when holding a Purified Soul.
Changed all soul rewards to Corrupted variants, which need to be purified at the Ritual Site
Changed the buff prophet souls locations to be at the prophets themselves, when holding a Purified souls
Added dialogue to Rosa that reflects soul exchange and soul training
Added flashes when absorbing souls for effect
Changed Secret Path into 1 Map that covers all previously found Items and is now called The Ritual Site
Adjusted The Man In Green's Dialogue to include soul dialogue and birthstone guidance
Misc
Added cooking to Small Campfires and allowed cooking at them before gauntlets even when saving is not available
Updated Investigators walking animation
Changed all enemy sprites and updated prophet sprites to feel less static.
Added More convenient and frequent tutorial messages and Gauntlet reminders
Changed Prophet Lost Sprites
Added Placeholder Death Portals for all Recruitable Prophets
Added New Cooking Items
Fixed various bugs for some combats and events
Fixed ability tutors being able to teach the same ability more than once
Added multiple transitional scenes and dialogues to help guide the player between gauntlets