App 2459550 · Update history

Emberward

Official Steam announcements identified as patches, hotfixes, changelogs and game updates.

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Patches

29 tracked updates
  1. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.12)

    New update!Another month just flew by!In this patch, there are some big changes to Endless Mode. Previously, Endless Mode had random anomaly effects to ramp up the difficulty, so you had to adjust your strategy, towers, and relics around them. But from player feedback, a lot of people mentioned that those restrictive effects didn't feel great to play with. So this time I decided to try a different direction (...the exact opposite direction) and added powerful positive effects instead! Honestly, I think having both positive and negative effects could lead to more interesting strategy, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on a buffs-only version first. Let me know what you think after you try it!After this update, I've decided to start focusing on 1.0! I've already been slowly working toward it over the past few months, but trying to keep regular updates going while also building all the...

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  2. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.11)

    New Update!Not sure if you noticed, but this week is Steam's Tower Defense Fest! The event is meant to help people discover more tower defense games, but it got me thinking... if it's a tower defense fest, maybe I could make something that fits the tower defense theme?Then I remembered something I've seen quite a few times in the feedback form. Many players said that after playing Emberward, it reminded them of the old days playing WC3 or SC2 custom games. For a lot of people, that was their introduction to tower defense games (yeah, same for me). And since the last update added the Fort Tower, I thought...why not take this chance to revisit that style a bit?In the new event map, you won't use any blocks to build your maze. Instead, we're going back to the classic approach - using Fort Towers to change the monsters' path. You'll also get 7 additional 2×2 towers, and you can use the Fo...

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  3. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.10)

    New Update!Finally!! The feature that's been stressing me out the most is done!This update…I'd say about 90% of the time went into controller support. Since Emberward's demo launch, a lot of players have been asking about it. But if every time I add something new I also have to make sure controller support works perfectly, it would make development way more time-consuming and harder to iterate on quickly. So I decided to wait until we're closer to 1.0 and handle it all at once.Which means…after two years of stacking up hundreds of UI elements and game objects, it basically turned into development hell 💀. But I'm really happy I was able to keep my promise and add it to the game! This is my first time implementing full controller support. I've looked at how a bunch of other games handle it, but I'm sure there are still things I missed or weird edge cases I didn't think of. So if you tr...

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  4. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.9)

    New Update!2025 is almost over! ☃️ I was reading through some old patch notes yesterday and suddenly realized that around this time last year…I hadn't even started working on Sealed Citadel yet!? This whole year has felt like it flew by, but looking back at the logs, it's actually been pretty packed. All of a sudden, we've got the Sealed Citadel, Infernal Shards, a bunch of new characters, towers, relics, and tons of stuff that wasn't even in the original plan. So really, thank you all for the support and feedback throughout the year! Thanks to so many of you playing and supporting the game, I've been able to keep expanding Emberward. (Sometimes I feel I'm working on a live service game 😆)With the holidays coming up, I made an extra new event map for this update. Like the Misty Graveyard, this one is also a themed Endless Mode map with its own mechanic! On top of that, I kept filling...

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  5. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.8)

    New Update!So…this update ended up being nothing like what I originally planned! °∀°I've always felt that Emberward has one big issue that's really hard to solve: whether you play Roguelite Mode or Endless Mode, a full run takes a loooong time to finish. But TD games are naturally time-consuming, and when you add maze-building on top of that, the thinking time makes the game even longer. It's kind of a built-in limitation of the genre, so it's very difficult to find a fix for it.But a few days after the last update, Youtube randomly showed me a video about chess endgame puzzles (…I don't even play chess, no idea why it showed up but it was interesting). And it made me think: Is there a way to create a faster game mode using a puzzle-like structure?So I spent some time messing around with the idea, and it ended up being pretty fun and felt like it had a lot of potential! That's why I d...

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  6. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.7)

    New Update!Another step towards 1.0! This update fixes several issues I've been wanting to solve for a long time.After finishing the achievement system, most of the major planned features are done. But since the game's been in development for over two years now (!!), some of the early designs don't quite fit anymore as things have evolved. So this update, besides adding more new stuff, also focuses on reworking those parts to better suit the current state of the game. I've finished the last normal character, made some pretty big changes to how flame works, and added a bunch of new relics!By the way, a lot of players have been asking lately why more languages haven't been added yet. There are still a ton of adjustments happening (as you can see from this update…) each patch. If I add new languages now, every small tweak would mean re-translating, re-importing, adjusting the layout, and...

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  7. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.6)

    New Update!FINALLY the achievements are out!This patch was a ton of work, and I’m so happy it's finally done! Getting the achievement system finished feels like a huge step toward 1.0. Right now the game has 85 achievements. Aside from the ones you unlock just by progressing, I also added some that take a little creative thinking to figure out, plus a few ideas that came from players during Early Access. My goal with achievements is more about "encouraging players to do some weird stuff" rather than making them insanely hard (the most difficult one is likely the Infernal Shard 24 achievement). Kinda like extra challenges layered on top of the game.Also, there are a few new towers added in this update! I used to be very cautious about towers that move enemies. Since maze-building is the core of the game, mechanics like that can easily break the balance. This time I'm trying something n...

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  8. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.5)

    New Update!This patch adds Daily and Weekly Challenges to Endless Mode!Recently, I've been thinking a lot about what the "final form" of Emberward should look like. I've played a ton of fun tower defense games in the past. They were super fun, but once I finished them, I often didn't feel like going back. I always wished there was something that kept pulling me back in with new challenges. That's the idea behind the new Daily and Weekly Challenges in this update!These challenges use maps from the regular roguelite mode, but with added twists and modifiers. Sometimes you'll get a ton of relics to play with, sometimes the elements are limited, or you might be handed a specific tower/relic combo and have to figure out how to make it work. The goal is to give you something new and interesting every time you launch the game! I'll keep tweaking this mode based on your feedback (maybe even a...

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  9. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.4)

    Surprise Update!!Not sure if anyone noticed, but today marks the one-year anniversary of Emberward's Early Access!(I was so naive to think I could finish the game in one year...Emberward is now at least three times bigger than I originally planned.)This past year has been insanely busy and exhausting, but also a lot of fun! I've had the chance to meet players from all over the world, learned a ton of things I never expected to deal with, and…released a bunch of bugs. Honestly, I wouldn't have made it this far without everyone's support. Thank you all for playing the game, allowing me to work on it full-time!Also, a huge thank you to all the players, Youtubers, and streamers who helped spread the word about the game! There's no way I could've reached so many people on my own (and please continue to recommend the game to your friends! I really need the help 😭). And I really appreciate...

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  10. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.3)

    New Update!I thought this update would be easier to make, but it turned out to be a tough one!Designing the tier 3 Infernal Shards fried a lot of my brain cells, but I'm pretty happy with the result. I tried to come up with a system that isn't too harsh, but still provides an extra challenge. If you're into tough challenges, give it a try and let me know what you think! (Shard level 24 is...really hard)Also, some new Poison towers were added in this update, so now the five elements each have about the same number of towers. As for the Poison-element relics, since they were created early in development, I plan to adjust their effects in the future to better fit the current state of the game.(I guess some of you are going to ask, so I'll answer now: yes, there will be more towers added in the future!)After this update, I'll be spending more time on other features like Endless Mode, the...

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  11. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.2)

    https://i.imgur.com/pnKz9Cc.gif New Update! This update introduces the highest difficulty system in the game - Infernal Shards. Since I need lots of feedback to figure out what's the expected difficulty for hardcore players, please let me know what you think after trying it out! The first two tiers are available in this patch, and the third tier will be available in the next patch. Originally, I planned to add more poison towers in this patch, but working on the Infernal Shard system took up most of my time, so the new towers will be postponed to a later update. Instead, I used the spare time to make several new relics. Some of them are quite different from the previous ones! As for the April Fools Event character - Joker (honestly, I was surprised so many people liked it!), it will remain in the game and will be labeled as an "Event Character". Since the fun of this character lies in...

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  12. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.1)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/ebbc7138bd390dff1fab3e0b4178e2c6de82f8b0.png New Update! Since I was a student, I loved seeing all the weird and fun events games would hold on April Fools' Day. Now that I have my own game, it feels like I have to add something special on this day! This update introduces a few more new towers, a limited-time April Fools' character, and a mode that randomly mixes maps from four different regions. As it's an April Fools' event, the new character is designed...differently compared to others. It might feel a bit luck-based or unbalanced, but...it's April Fools'! It’s the perfect time to add something that wouldn't normally make it into the game. (If you've been in the Discord for over a year, you might have already guessed what it is :P) The current plan is to remove this character in the next update (around early to mid-May), or to leave it in the game and fl...

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  13. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.4.0 - Sealed Citadel)

    https://i.imgur.com/LfpQ1dt.gif UPDATE TIME!! This is the patch that took the longest time to develop since the early access launched. The past two months have truly been...a development nightmare. But now, it's finally ready! (And I can go back to making more towers!) As usual, the fourth area comes with unique new mechanics, a new Boss fight, and new unlockable flames. Since it’s currently the last planned area, the design focus this time has returned to what really matters in tower defense games: resource management. Figuring out how to make the most of your gold, blocks, and towers, while fending off attacks and achieving other objectives, will be the key to conquering the new maps! For the next few updates, I’ll be adding more towers and relics, as well as finishing up the remaining characters. Originally, I planned to work on the highest difficulty mode next, but I’d like to see...

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  14. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.3.5)

    New update!! As mentioned last time, this update is focused on revisiting older features and includes some suggestions from the community. When I started making Emberward, most of the relics and characters were designed with simpler abilities, which made them feel much weaker compared to the newer additions. This patch focuses on reworking characters and maps. I've listed the changes below and explained why they are changed! After this update, I plan to start working on the fourth area (…😱). Since a full new area involves designing monsters abilities, mechanics, maps, and the final boss level, it'll take significantly more time than regular updates. Plus, with real-life events like the holidays and Lunar New Year coming up, I guess the next update might take until mid to late February. I know some players get anxious when they don't see updates in Early Access games, so I just want t...

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  15. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.3.4)

    https://i.imgur.com/Xp0g3tZ.gif New update!! This update introduces another new character, new towers, and lots of changes! The new character, Tana, offers a more relaxed gameplay experience, and with a strategic use of towers and cards, she might be the strongest character yet! The three new towers...were much more complex to make than the others, but I really like how they turned out. (especially the tank :P) Try them out and let me know what you think! Also, thank you all for playing the Misty Graveyard! (I really didn't expect it to turn into an idle game...) I've got so much valuable feedback, and found lots of things that need to be adjusted for endless mode. I tried to make these changes with minimal impact on the normal mode, mainly to make the game more challenging without taking so much time. Give it another try if you're interested! In the next update, I plan to revisit and...

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  16. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.3.3)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/9471e9ca6962c4be755002631e4f333ab4899a61.gif Special Update!! Recently, besides the new towers, I've also been working on some new features that I wanted to find a way to gather feedback, but...it just didn't feel right to put out test features even though we're still in Early Access. Since Halloween is around the corner, I decided to combine these features into a special event! Since this is mostly about gathering feedback for future content, the plan is to keep it around for maybe 1-2 updates, but that really depends on everyone’s feedback. After you play, feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions here or on Discord! By the way, since someone asked last time, I want to mention that after an update, there will often be some smaller patches, mainly to fix newly reported bugs. Any significant changes will be updated in the patch notes! - Refi New Featu...

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  17. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.3.2)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/193c907d0d70e99effcf13c716135e2668dcdb3f.gif New update!! As mentioned before, this update adds arcane towers and relics, along with a new character! However, this character is quite different from the others. Since the early access launch, there have been many requests for a faster-paced mode. However, I understand that it might not suit everyone, so the Chrono Traveler is here to offer more exciting and dynamic gameplay, while not affecting those who prefer a relaxed experience or wish to play without a timer. So, don't worry if the new character's playstyle isn't for you! There are (at least) 4 more coming in the future. Recently, I’ve been working on and testing the endless mode. After some testing, I feel simply extending the waves and making monsters stronger becomes boring quickly, so I plan to add some new mechanics. I’ll release it once I have a mo...

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  18. Community AnnouncementsBy RefiCHL

    Game Update! (v0.3.1)

    https://i.imgur.com/REbj198.gif New update!! This update is focused on electric type towers, relics, and mechanics, as well as a new character! The electric element is now more complete after this update. Feel free to leave your feedback on how it feels to play! The next update will be similar to this one, focusing on adding arcane towers and relics (those on Discord might have already seen the new 3x3 tower :P). At the same time, I am also starting to spend some time working on the highly requested Endless Mode (...it's REALLY hard to balance). It may take several iterations before it's playable, so I'll share more detail on it later! (and no, it's definitely not coming in the next update) - Refi New Features New Character - Tiny: Specializes in building efficient mazes with small blocks! (The unlock requirement is "Build 500 Blocks", but since the game has been keeping the record, m...

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  19. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Game Update! (v0.3.0 - Frost Ruins)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/896b1331d8cedba3c7b20012c43f936db8bb7be1.gif Finally!! After an entire month of work, the Frost Ruins is finally ready! This new region introduces some new mechanics, and the difficulty will be slightly higher compared to the first two levels. If you have any feedback after trying out the new maps, feel free to leave comments on Discord or here! I’ll make more balance adjustments later according to everyone’s feedback. In the next few patches, I’ll be focusing on adding new towers and relics (especially for Electric and Arcane) and addressing some recent feedback. After that, I want to start working on some new modes so I can get feedback earlier. (Honestly, trying to make all the new monsters, mechanics and maps in a month was really exhausting... I need some cooldown time before I can start working on the final region.) Thank you all for the waiting. I ho...

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  20. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Game Update! (v0.2.2)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/5f1c0f239224c455041b4ba45202f3660fb31737.gif Hi everyone! This patch adds a new victory screen and some new content to the game, and addresses some of the feedback and bugs I received over the last two weeks. After this patch, I'll be 100% focused on finishing the maps and boss level for the next region, so some of the requested features will come a bit later (such as discarding hand cards). The new mechanics for the Frost ruins are all finished, but it will take some more time to design the maps and test them, so...please wait a bit longer! I'll try to deliver the new update to you as soon as possible :D (btw, Japanese translations for this patch are not in the game yet. I'll update it as soon as it's ready!) Japanese translations is in the game now! - Refi New Features New victory screen after defeating a boss level (Some of the statistical records are ne...

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  21. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Game Update! (v0.2.1)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/a2b1d4a01fe473fff14e4ca2f78f8a213c2ed66f.png New Features Added damage meter to display the total damage of all towers. (Experimental) Added the ability to draw on the map by holding down Ctrl. (Experimental) Hovering the mouse over the backpack icon next to the card deck in the game will show the block cards in your backpack. Gameplay Enhancements Added "Edge Scrolling" option in the settings menu. Added tips to disable moving background in the ???? level. The "Hold Shift key" hint will no longer appear after the player uses Shift to build a tower. Added new icons for special-sized towers (Yes, the 3x3+) Chunk: Reduced the number of giant blocks at the start to 2. Hovering the mouse over the fire source will now show the attack range and damage values. The Demon Flame will also show the number of monsters needed for upgrading. Fire sources now prioritize a...

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  22. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.8)

    Small update! This patch is mostly bug fixes, with some design changes. Gameplay Improvements Players can now start building towers even if they don't have enough coins, and build them once they have enough. Treasure chests now offer a choice between three bundles instead of just one card. Poison Dart Towers will now skip monsters whose accumulated poison exceeds their health. Scrap Tower rework: Scrap Towers now have a 30-ammo limit and will be destroyed when the ammo is exhausted. Damage and fire rate have been slightly increased to compensate for the new mechanics. (The purpose of this change is to enhance the strategic value of the Scrap Tower. When you notice an area is about to be breached, the Scrap Tower serves as an excellent emergency defense!) Scrap Rune: Now spawns up to 5 scrap towers on the block. Balance Adjustments Time-Saving Device: Now gives 3 coins for every 10 sec...

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  23. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.7)

    https://i.imgur.com/787nWDE.gif Hi everyone! It's been a while since the last update. Following the Steam Next Fest, I received tons of feedback and suggestions, so I've been busy tweaking the game and have added many new features. This update includes a massive amount of content, so please try it out even if you've played the demo before! (and let me know what you think about these changes!) Also, this will be the last major update to the demo before the Early Access launch. I'm working super hard to finish all the new features, and I'll share more news when it's ready for the launch! New Features New Tower: Lightning Ball Tower - Shoots lightning ball in a straight line. (This is a new type of tower so I’d love to get more feedback on it!) Path Preview: You can now see changes to paths immediately while building blocks. Block Runes: After acquiring a new block, you can enhance it wi...

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  24. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.6)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/92968a1cd63b9862c1a5d2d0d57d1f1c7c65da7a.png The Steam Next Fest is about to begin!! For us Indie game developers, this event has a huge impact on the visibility of our games and is the most important opportunity before the official release. If you enjoy the demo, PLEASE help me recommend it to your friends, streamers or youtubers! (BTW, join the Discord if you want to discuss more about the game!) This update primarily focuses on fixing some issues and adding more QOL updates. Initially, I didn't plan to add anything new to maintain stability, but I'm curious to see everyone's reaction to this tower, so… New Feature! Giant Dice Tower: A 20-sided 2x2 dice tower, where the number you roll determines its attack speed! A roll of 20 on the Giant Dice Tower results in crazy DPS (and a little celebration!), but rolling a 1... even recycling it will be a problem....

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  25. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.5)

    Happy New Year everyone! 🎉 This update is mainly focused on the Roguelite elements in the game, adding an relic system and new map nodes. Since it's a new feature with a significant impact on the game, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the relic system! Are there any effects you particularly like/dislike, or do you have any other ideas? Feel free to leave a comment or tell me on Discord! I will adjust the direction of the relic system in future developments based on everyone's feedback New Features New System: Relics! Relics obtained during the adventure can provide various aids, or change how you plan your strategy. In addition to one given at the start of the game in the academy, you can also acquire other relics in corrupted levels, altars, and shops. New Map Page Elements! Altars: Offer Ember Stones or life points at altars in exchange for the help you need. Training Ground: Choo...

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  26. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.4)

    {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44393347/238f1a0e4d729fbc0412906eb14a5021975f3b56.gif New Features Large monsters in the game have gained new abilities: Werewolf: When its health drops to 50%, it will slam the ground, causing nearby towers to malfunction for a period of time. Giant Spider: When it dies, 5 small spiders will emerge at its location. Lizard Mage: Its health is significantly reduced, but it will periodically enhance nearby monsters! Gameplay Improvements Tower tooltip window will only show when click on a tower, instead of when hovering over a tower. You can set the default target priority for each kind of towers by right-clicking on the tower buttons! The camera can now be moved with the middle mouse button in-game. The map can be navigated using WASD or arrow keys. The game will now remember the game speed your selected. Placing objects in non-buildable areas will no longer cancel c...

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  27. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update! (v0.1.3)

    The new patch is finally ready! This patch adds more difficulty options and some gameplay improments based on player feedback. (Of course, there's still more feedback to address. There will be more adjustments in the future.) New Features Added difficulty selection! There are now three difficulty levels: "Casual", "Normal", and "Heroic". If you feel the previous demo was not challenging enough, please try these out and let me know how you think about the new difficulty! (The difficulty of the v0.1.2 demo was roughly between Casual and Normal.) Gameplay Improvements Now you can choose one out of three turrets upon completing a level! You can now switch game speed by pressing the spacebar. Increased the preparation time between each battle. The current wave number is now displayed during battles. Monster health bars now display the accumulation of poison damage. The Sniper Tower, upon p...

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  28. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Dev update: incoming balance patch

    Hi all! I've been working on the game's balance for a few days, and now I think I can share some details with you! From the feedback, most of the players have told me the game is too easy right now (and I totally agree), especially with those OP 2x2 towers. However, there are also players, less familiar with TD games, told me they're happy to see a casual, relaxing TD game. So here's what's coming: I'm currently doing a complete rebalance, including monsters, towers, gold income, and all the levels. Monsters will spawn less crowded, making AOE towers less effective. There will be a mode selection screen. You can choose to play casually and crush the monsters or play on a higher difficulty. Most of the adjustments are done, but it takes even more time to test all the levels, so please bear with me for a few more days. Thank you for all your feedback and support! It really means A LOT f...

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  29. Community AnnouncementsBy Refic Games

    Demo update!

    Thank you for trying out the demo! Just one day after the demo version was released, I have already received a lot of feedback. Below are the optimizations and bug fixes that have been addressed: New Features Japanese localization is ready! Added a feature to move the camera when the mouse is moved to the edge of the screen. Gameplay Improvements (v0.1.2) Cards can now be used by clicking or dragging with the mouse. When using a card, other cards will become transparent, giving you more operational space. The monster looks much colder when they are frozen now. The welcome message will one pop out once now. Slight adjustments to the amount of reward gold from monsters. (I have received a lot of feedback about the difficulty of the game! Next, I will adjust the difficulty based on everyone's feedback for each level in the game. However, the scope of the Demo is just the first world of t...

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