Shardpunk News

n upcoming turn-based tactical RPG will put players' choice of survivors against a horde of giant, mutated rats in the struggle to cross the ruins of a fallen city and survive another day. Shardpunk: Verminfall will release on April 13, 2023, and sounds like an interesting blend of the turn-based tactics, RPG, resource management, and survival genres...
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OK everyone, this is it. My game has a release date.

I'm releasing Shardpunk into the wild on Thursday, April 13th. And I've never been more excited in my whole game development journey. With less than three weeks remaining until the release, I am finalizing all the pre-launch stuff.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

I've been playing Shardpunk a lot and having a great time, despite the many hours spent on bug-fixing and fine-tuning. What I love most about the game are the stories that emerge during gameplay, the tough choices that need to be made to save fellow companions, and the exhilarating mad dashes to safety - just to name a few.

I'm optimistic that others will share my enthusiasm for the game. All will become clear in the upcoming weeks.

I'll provide an update in my last pre-release devlog entry in two weeks. Take care!

Wow. Shardpunk is set to release next month. I can't express how thrilling it is to be nearing the finish line. Although, I must acknowledge that the game's release is more like a checkpoint, as there's still work to be done even after it's out.

I recently had a blast testing Shardpunk on the "hard" difficulty. I am pretty good at the game and enjoy a good challenge. However, I do believe that a challenge should be fair. Or maybe: it should feel fair, even if it isn't objectively so.

During my playthrough, I faced a tough decision when I had to use my only Fusion Core to revive a downed character, leaving me without backup.

Fusion Cores can be used to perform self-revive actions on characters

Soon after, I was overwhelmed by vermin and had to regroup while waiting for skill cooldowns to expire.

Katana Combo skill is a game-changer, eh?

Unfortunately, I've also decided to move my automaton out of cover in a bold move to stun the enemies. This proved to be a rookie mistake. The enemy took advantage of it and focused their fire, resulting in the automaton being downed. Unfortunately, I was out of Fusion Cores, which are the only items that can revive a downed automaton in combat.

A downed automaton - a sight that no player wants to see.

As I searched through the unexplored loot points for a backup Fusion Core, I hoped that the game would be "fair" and provide me with one. However, luck was not on my side, and I lost the run.

I started wondering if the game could be more forgiving in certain scenarios. For instance, imagine if the probability of finding a Fusion Core increased if the player has none left and the automaton is shutting down.

Similarly, what if the game allowed the player to find at least one stimpak when searching through stuff during combat if there were no more stimpaks left, and someone was already bleeding out?

Would these scenarios be exploited by the player? Would the player start playing carelessly because they would know that the game will save them when they're in trouble? Probably not, as long as I would introduce some kind of randomness to it - meaning that this mechanism would not give you 100% success chance of finding a useful item, but, say, 75%.

I will definitely put that in the game and see how it works. And if you have any comments on that, do let me know - either here, or on the game's Discord channel!

Take care!

The most recent Next Fest was an incredible experience, and I found myself spending countless hours engrossed in various demos. Despite the time commitment, I have no regrets - it's clear that we are living in a golden age for gamers.

However, it's important to acknowledge that indie developers face unique challenges in this market, where competition is fierce and standing out is essential.

On a positive note, I'm thrilled to see that Shardpunk has gained some much-needed visibility, resulting in an increase in wishlists. Additionally, there have been several engaging discussions on Steam forums about the game. It's been incredibly rewarding to see the positive reception the demo has received thus far, as reflected in the demo surveys. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the game's current standing.



Anyway, as the release date approaches, my focus has shifted to polishing, playtesting, and addressing any technical issues that need to be resolved. It's a busy time, but also an exciting one, as I prepare to share the final product with you.

As a sneak peek, I've included a few new gameplay gifs from my latest playthrough for you to enjoy. I hope they provide a glimpse into the world of the game and get you as excited for its release as I am!

Take care!

Hey everyone!

If you missed our first round of livestreams, make sure to tune in for our rebroadcast and check out Bryqu, the one man army behind Shardpunk, play and guide you through the demo!

Make sure to let us know what you think about the new demo here, on the Steam forums, or our official Discord server!!

Have a great Next Fest, and remember if you like any of the featured games, then: