Frozenheim News

As Steam Next Fest draws to a conclusion we want to thank everyone for stopping by and trying out our demos. We've had tens of thousands people playing the featured games, hundreds joining our community Discord to offer feedback, and posting on social media!

Many of you have been asking "will I be able to keep playing the demo after Next Fest ends"? Steam suggests all Next Fest demos should be timed, to create a sense of urgency and make sure the players wishlist the game. But this is simply not the Hyperstrange way. We're old enough (well, some of us) to remember shareware times, when demos came on floppies and lasted forever (well, some of them). Cutting to the chase: the demos stay, at least until their respective games get released. Here's what you can play, in case you missed some of them:


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
RAYZE is a genre-defying hyper-paced music-filled first-person AIM RACER. Hit a target to accelerate. Miss and you slow down. Hit a wall and die. Find the fastest route. Get to the finish line. Simple? Yes. Easy? Hell no. Who said training to be your own aim-bot can't be fun? Welcome to your new casually hardcore obsession!

The DEMO consists of the entire first sector of the game, that's 5 tracks for you to figure out and master, one bite-size FPS speedrun at a time. Achievements to unlock, global leaderboards to compete with friends and strangers... Just two more weeks until full release! Ready? 3... 2... 1... Let's RAYZE!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
BLOOD WEST, an immersive Wild West FPS where a revenant desperado takes on the twisted demons and eldritch horros in a cursed, desolate mining town. Hell is empty and all the devils are here! Plan your steps, be stealthy, gain advantage, manage your resources, and paint the world dark red! Blood West was the second most-played Hyperstrange demo in Steam Fest, and there's already many players telling us they cannot wait for the release, despite the game being brutally hard! If you missed the DEMO, you can still try, and if you like the experience of being the Revenant desperado, please remember to add the game to your wishlist!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Supplice is a stylish throwback shooter that made a lot of people happy during the Steam Next Fest. inspired by the mid-90s FPS glory days and the legendary Doom modding community. Mixing the retro stylings of 90s era shooters with colorful graphics and frantic gameplay, it creates an experience that's ever so familiar but also exciting and fresh. The team behind the game is a real hot pot of Doom modding and FPS development legends, starting from Brett 'Mechadon' Harrell, the project founder, through Aleksander 'Cage' Kowalczyk, the lead artist also known for his work with Ion Fury, to James 'Jimmy' Paddock, the lead composer, known from his midi soundtracks to Sigil, Prodeus, and many other talents. Please check out the DEMO and follow & add the game to your wishlist if you want to stay up to date with its development.


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Skullstone is a true to its form dungeon crawler with grid-based movement, real-time tactics combat, and first-person view. Lead a party of adventurers into the under-realm, looking for glory, gold, and a solution to the ancient evil plaguing the town above. A real stand-out in the FPS action-focused Hyperstrange catalog - why not give it some appreciation by playing the DEMO and wishlisting this pure-blooded classic RPG.



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Last, but in no way the least in our Steam Next Fest lineup, POSTAL: Brain Damaged dominated the First-Person Shooter category, reaping the most wishlists and getting over 20 000 demo downloads. If by some strange twist of fate you're here but you don't know what is POSTAL: Brain Damaged... it's a spin-off of the Running With Scissors cult series, firmly rooted in the POSTALVERSE, but taking more gameplay cues from modern shooters such as the latest DOOM, than the fan-acclaimed POSTAL 4, the latest entry in the main series. This time around the story follows POSTAL DUDE on a journey through the dark and bizarre landscape of his own mind, which gives the developer a chance to explore new depths of weirdness, madness, and gore. The gloves are off! See for yourself - play the DEMO and make sure to hit that wishlist button hard! (Please note that as we focus on developing the game, we won't be able to update the demo, so it will reflect the state of development in September 2021, even if you play it in May 2022, when the game is getting released. Expect improvements and changes!)

As we wrap-up the event, we feel immensely grateful to the wonderful Steam player community who show us so much appreciation. Please keep your feedback coming - if you have any to offer, please join our community Discord. We strive to make your live stranger and filled to the brim with good old action, and it's such a rush to see that you enjoy what we bring to your screens. That is it for today, be excellent to each other!

Yours truly,

[h2]Northernfolk![/h2]

You've given us a tremendous amount of feedback and offered a lot of support and kindness in the very first three months of Frozenheim Early Access, in which more than 100 000 Viking conquerors launched their campaigns in the Frozen North. We do our best to keep balance between new content releases, and expanding and polishing the basic functionalities of the game. Today is all about the latter.

What's new? See for yourself!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you're wondering about the details of this update, please refer to the full patch notes below.

[h2]Hotfix 0.3.1 changelog:[/h2]

[F] - feature ; - bugfix; [CR] - community request; [Blc] - balance change

[F] Indicators for ship anchoring position
[F] Display unit active paths on pause and utility view(ALT)
[F] Add custom minimap icon for runestone
[F] Rework of small village models

Improvements for team navigation
Improvements for team movement on shore area
Fix for palisade placement
Added player color indicator for palisade placement
Fix for gate navigation
Fix for color selection in main menu
Fix for orchard food income calculation
Fix for missing hunger effect icon
Improvements for units stacking over each other
Fix for wrong retrieval count on removed buildings
Fix ship movement paths display in Multiplayer
Improved anchoring of ships
Improved movement for multiple ships
Fix jittering of shore buildings during placement
Fix for palisades loading issues

Fix for enemy teams blocking at shore
Add Save for burning state
Fix for team selection near buildings
Fix gate controls in multiplayer
Fix for ships getting stuck during collision with each other
Improved palisade collision detection
Fix for flying warriors after pause
Improvement for team position sorting
Fix for AI focusing player in FFA
Improvements for AI emergency mode
Fix wrong cursor indicator over allied ships
Fix visibility of bloomery in MP
Fix visibility of empty ships
Improvements for building placement system
Fix for special buildings shortcut buttons
Fix for gates opening multiple times
Fix for fire visible over FogOfWar
Fix for resource indicator of hunter’s hut

[BLC] Increase Woodcutter cost
[BLC] Change archer default stance to aggressive
[BLC] Increase Tree regrow time
[BLC] Palisade constructor has 30% of total health

[h2]Up Next[/h2]

The upcoming content update will introduce a new class of units to Frozenheim. You can learn more of The Drengir in this previosly posted feature. Up until then, Odin protect you!

[h3]Paranoid Interactive & Hyperstrange[/h3]

The sky was covered with dark, heavy clouds and soon it started raining, not heavy, just an irritating drizzle. Fists clenched on axes shafts, sweat ran on the brow. Yet the one commanding us stood still and calm. He turned back to us, one-eyed old man, and spoke no words, but through his piercing gaze we saw our future, our victory. Hail to the drengir!

[h2]Northernfolk![/h2]

We know you’re waiting for new Frozenheim content. Since the last major update, the work on Frozenheim has not stopped. For some time, our newly-expanded team has been working on the new additions that we want to implement. So today, we thought it would be nice to give you a tease of what’s coming soon, a glimpse to the near future. Northernfolk, gather around and see what the future of Frozenheim will bring.

[h2]The Drengir[/h2]

Soon, a new, powerful unit will join the Frozen North. These special warriors are called drengir, and they're endowed with unique skills which you will be able to develop further, along with special perks that will impact the people around them.



To recruit these units, you will have to find space in your settlement and construct a new building. All the details will be revealed soon, Northenfolk. Please be patient - the drengir will report for duty later this month. But does it mean, you are not to expect a significant update in the first days of September? Absolutely not!

[h2]Upcoming 0.3.1 fix[/h2]

We’re receiving a lot of feedback from you on what still needs a little more work and polishing. After launching the 0.3.0 ‘Nature’ update we’ve received a lot of concerned messages, from players pointing out that expanding on content while some of the core mechanics are still very rudimentary might not be the best idea. With that in mind, we will be releasing hotfixes… no - make that coldfixes! - to address those issues. “Cold” as in “not rushed”, because we want to put some extra attention into polishing those fine details.



The upcoming 0.3.1 coldfix deals with improving troop movement performance. No more stuttering, no more running into each other, better pathfinding, etc. In short, order comes, chaos - hopefully! - goes. We’re also revamping the palisade building system. We want to make it more convenient for the players to use and play with.The way that ships handle landing on shores and disembarkation of the troops has changed completely as well! And - of course - the coldfix deals with another roundup of assorted bugs.

[h2]New policy[/h2]

As you can see - we’re making a slight detour from what the Early Access roadmap suggests. But only to make sure everyone’s needs are taken care of - both the players demanding new content, as well as those, who’d have us prioritize polishing and expanding the game’s core mechanics. To meet all of those expectations, and avoid any missteps we’re taking on a new policy while releasing any new content - be it a hotfix, coldfix, or main update.



A number of volunteer players from our Discord community will be given access to any such content ahead of public release, so we can get their feedback, pick their brains, and put some finishing touches on the update together. For instance - the 0.3.1 coldfix will be arriving within the next few days, but a group of pioneers is already playing it and sharing their thoughts with us. Want to join them? There are still some free slots in the focus group and you can apply on Discord.

[h2]Let's chat![/h2]

Before we go, we want to put the spotlight on you. We have a question - would you be interested in a Q&A session with us, the developers? You can ask us all about the future of Frozenheim, our plans for it, or perhaps you want to know a bit more about us, this will be the time to do it. Let us know in the comment section below what you think of this idea.

Let us know your thoughts and speak to you soon!


[h2]May Odin guide you on your journey,[/h2]

[h3]Paranoid Interactive and Hyperstrange Teams[/h3]

Hyperstrange was one of the most notable studios/publishers at Realms Deep 2021. True to our roots, we treat the "boomer-shooter con" as our main event of the season. Yes, with the amazing help and support we've received from the organizers (3D Realms, New Bloods, and others), Realms Deep is our E3 this year. And it wouldn't be a E3-styled event if we didn't announce a whole lot of stuff. Did you miss it? Here's what went down!



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
BLOOD WEST, an immersive Wild West FPS where a revenant desperado takes on the twisted demons and eldritch horros in a cursed, desolate mining town. Hell is empty and all the devils are here! Plan your steps, be stealthy, gain advantage, manage your resources, and paint the world dark red! Wild West FPS games are few and far apart, so if you enjoy this setting and gameplay type, please support Blood West by adding it to your wishlist!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
RAYZE is a genre-defying hyper-paced music-filled first-person skillrunner. Godlike FPS precision & superhuman reflexes are welcome, but not required. Welcome to your new casually hardcore obsession. Adrenaline rushing, dopamine pumping, electronic pulse beating! 3.. 2.. 1.. Let's RAYZE! If you like a challenge, please consider adding the game to your wishlist, but you can also check it out right now, as there's a DEMO available!



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Supplice is a stylish throwback shooter inspired by the mid-90s FPS glory days and the legendary Doom modding community. Mixing the retro stylings of 90s era shooters with colorful graphics and frantic gameplay, it creates an experience that's ever so familiar but also exciting and fresh. The team behind the game is a real hot pot of Doom modding and FPS development legends, starting from Brett 'Mechadon' Harrell, the project founder, through Aleksander 'Cage' Kowalczyk, the lead artist also known for his work with Ion Fury, to James 'Jimmy' Paddock, the lead composer, known from his midi soundtracks to Sigil, Prodeus, and many other talents. Please add the game to your wishlist if you want to stay up to date with its development.


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Skullstone is a true to its form dungeon crawler with grid-based movement, real-time tactics combat, and first-person view. Lead a party of adventurers into the under-realm, looking for glory, gold, and a solution to the ancient evil plaguing the town above. Well, adventurer? Get crawling! Or, actually, let's start by wishlisting Skullstone, so you don't miss the demo that's heading to the October Steam Next Fest.



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Jupiter Hell is a turn-based shooter from the depths of cosmic hell, built on a classic roguelike framework updated with modern 3d graphics. Rip and tear zombies, demons, and heavy metal monstrosities with chainguns and chainsaws. Like chess... with shotguns! This spiritual successor to Doom Roguelike launched in full on August 5 to both player and media acclaim. “A Turn-Based Triumph - Jupiter Hell is an engaging and commendable recreation of DOOM's style in turn-based roguelike form that will please just about everyone.” writes Screen Rant, giving the game 4,5/5 stars, while Kotaku calls it "an absolute gem".



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
POSTAL: Brain Damaged is our flagship in-development title that we create as an original IP based off the infamous POSTAL series, under the watchful eye of MikeJ, Vince Desi, and the rest of the Running With Scissors crew. First announced at Realms Deep 2020 in early pre-alpha stage, it quick became somewhat of an obsession with the POSTAL community, and there's a lot of people who have been asking, no, demanding to see some final-quality gameplay footage. That's exactly what we delivered at Realms Deep 2021... plus something extra. If you are a POSTAL fan or a general boomer-shooter enjoyer, please add Brain Damaged to your wishlist and follow the project, so you don't miss the chance to play the Demo that will be featured on Steam Next Fest this October!



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
While Frozenheim, our serene Norse city builder with RTS combat, didn't make the cut for the already lengthy stream, there's an announcement that we're stoked to make. Today marks the 100 000 Steam purchases milestone for Frozenheim. That's one hundred thousand Vikings in our Frozen North! This is the second game in our catalog to reach the 100k player tier, following our debut title, ELDERBORN, which - as per our Realms Deep announcement is coming soon to Xbox (alongside our bite-size FPS, CROSSBOW: Bloodnight)

All this is a huge step for Hyperstrange (or a whole marathon, actually), as a small indie studio with just one game published a year ago, to a... slightly larger indie studio that's becoming a hub of game development and publishing. If you're reading this - please know, that you have our utmost gratitude - we couldn't have done any of this without the tremendous support our games are receiving from the Steam community! That is it for today, be excellent to each other!

Yours truly,

PS. Thank you, Ty!

[h2]Northernfolk![/h2]

The second regular monthly content update to Frozenheim is here, with the new playable content you've been longing for in those long, cold nights among the fjords!



We've promised you the second content update will be more "meaty" than the first one, mainly focused on stability improvements and fine polishing the initial release. Now, the second update is here and you will see that Freyr has blessed it with abundance of meaty meat! A whole new campaign mission is here, continuing the story. A new freeplay map - The Fenrir's Den - has been added, and you might want to take it for a spin in the new Survival play mode! You can read about all the new features, fixes, and improvements in the changelog below. Now let's take a moment to tell you about...

[h2]SPECIAL PROMO and upcoming price increase[/h2]

We're happy that so many of you has decided to join us in this early stage of development! For an entire week you'll be able to grab Frozenheim for the lowest price - just as in the Early Access release week. That's 10% off the initial EA release price. This is your last chance to get the game for so little! After the promo ends, there will be a very slight increase in the regular price (by up to ~$2) to reflect the increasing level of polish and content.



[h2]Frozenheim ver. 0.3.0 changelog:[/h2]
[F] - feature ; - bugfix; [CR] - community request; [BLC] - balance change

[F] Added Settlers unit to town hall
[F] Added UI display panel for player perks and upgrade bonuses
[CR][F] Added Outpost model and mechanics
[F] Added upgrade system for houses
[F] Added new map "Fenrir’s den"
[F] Added Campaign mission “Of the sacred sprout”
[F] New Well Model
[F] Added Survival game mode
[F] Caravan escort village quest
[F] Wave defend village quest
[F] 3 new Shrine models
[F] Added multiple upgrade levels for Weaponsmith



Fixed windmill placement area issues
Fixed issues with unit attribute values
Fixed issues with range of spherical buildings
Fixed for invisible enemy buildings
Fixed for experience gain system
Fixed for shrine giving water points instead of faith
Removed Quick Game from menu
Fixed for Reinforced sails perk
[BLC] Changed damage of watchtowers
Fixed issues with bandit quest in multiplayer

[h2]Up next...[/h2]
That's it for today's content update. We continue along the path laid out by the previously published Early Access Roadmap.

We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous and enthusiastic support in making Frozenheim into your's and our's dream game. Please keep your feedback coming!

[h2]Odin protect you![/h2]
Paranoid Interactive & Hyperstrange