Kristala News

[h2]Hey there, Travelers! 👋[/h2]
We’re kickin' off the work week with some exciting news from the world of Ailur!

We've been quietly working behind the scenes on a new gameplay teaser to showcase the current state of the game, including some of the new goodies and refinements featured in our recent April 1st content drop—and we’re finally ready to show it off.

This new trailer highlights how things are lookin' in the game following our most recent round of polishes, refinements, and fresh implementations. From revamped combat and stealth mechanics to more detailed environments, new menu implementations, and TWO NEW epic bosses, it’s a proper preview for the magic we’ve been brewing.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



[h2]💸 40% Off Kristala — FINAL Full Day![/h2]

If you’ve been thinking about grabbing Kristala or know a friend who’s been curious, now is the time! Today is the last full day to get the game at 40% off as part of our limited-time discount.

This is the biggest discount we’ve offered so far, and every purchase helps support the continued development of Kristala as we gear up for the next chapter.

📅 Sale ends: Tuesday, April 15 at 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST

If you've already snagged the game and have been enjoying it so far, don't forget to drop us a review right here on Steam! Your feedback matters, and we're constantly scouring the reviews to ensure we're making impactful changes to the game based directly on your thoughts. Keep 'em comin', friends!





[h2]🫶 Thank You for Your Continued Support![/h2]
As always, thank you for being here, for supporting our journey, and for helping us build something truly special. Whether you’ve just joined the community or you’ve been with us since the beginning, we’re incredibly grateful for you. 🖤

More exciting updates are just around the corner—we can’t wait to share them with you.

—The Astral Clocktower Studios Team

[h2]Greetings, Kristalans![/h2]
The wait is over! Our latest update for Kristala is officially LIVE MEOW, bringing a host of major improvements. Get ready for new content additions and impactful gameplay refinements to make your journey across the dark-fantasy world of Ailur even more intense, immersive, and rewarding.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re also launching our biggest discount yet—a whisker-lickin' 40% off our Early Access release! This is the lowest price Kristala has ever been, and we can confidently say… you won’t catch it this low again anytime soon.

[h3]So, if you’ve been waiting to sink your claws into Kristala, now is definitely the time to pounce! [/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



[h2]🔥 What’s New in This Enemy AI Update? 🔥[/h2]
This Enemy AI update is all about refining Kristala’s core combat and stealth systems while simultaneously adding in some fresh challenges to test your growing arsenal of skills.

• Enhanced Stealth Mechanics
  Enemies now have improved perception, making sneaky approaches and assassinations more strategic and rewarding.
  
• Smarter Enemy AI
  Enemies react more dynamically, coordinating attacks when in groups and using improved patrolling and pathfinding.
  
• Refined Weapon Abilities
  Unleash more impactful combat maneuvers and unique weapon abilities to customize your fighting style. Special attacks now have more impact—but also cost more mana.
  
• Two Brand-New Bosses
  Face ferocious new adversaries that will push your combat skills to the limit. First, meet her royal, 8-legged majesty: Rhylotha, Weaver of Echoes—and test your mastery of Myrtunan spirit magic when you stand trial against Elder Satine, Shard of Morda.
  
• Existing Boss Refinements
  Every boss encounter has been polished to make battles more dynamic and challenging—including new animations, smoother attacks, and more immersive detailing for boss arenas.
  
• Continued Menu & UI Overhaul
  Navigating Kristala is simpler and more intuitive as we continue implementing a fully revamped menu and UI system.
  
• General Bug Fixes & Performance Enhancements
  We’ve ironed out bugs, boosted stability, and fine-tuned gameplay for a smoother, more immersive experience.
  

This is one of our our most impactful updates yet when it comes to improving Kristala’s core combat and stealth systems, and we can’t wait for you to experience it all firsthand!





[h2]⏳ 40% OFF – Help Shape the Future of the Game! ⏳[/h2]
For a limited time, Kristala is available for 40% off—the biggest discount we’ve ever offered on the game. This is the lowest price you’ll see the game at while in Early Access, and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.

But beyond just getting an incredible deal, buying Kristala in Early Access is one of the best ways to support us as indie developers. Every purchase directly fuels our ability to continue refining and expanding the game, helping us bring Kristala to its fullest potential and at its most ambitious scope.

Early Access also allows us to listen to player feedback in real time and make meaningful improvements—just like many of the refinements in this very update—including smarter enemy AI and better combat balancing. By pouncing in now, you’re not just playing Kristala...you’re actively shaping it.

The best part? Securing your copy of Kristala now means you already own all future updates and content at no extra cost—including every new feature, refinement, and expansion we add along the way. There’s no better time to join the adventure than than right meow!





[h2]🫶 Thank You for Your Continued Support! 🫶[/h2] We wouldn’t be here without you, our amazing community and dedicated player base. Your ongoing passion. feedback, and support are what keep us going, and we’re beyond grateful to continue to share this journey with you.

Play the update, take down those new bosses, and let us know what you think of all the refinements! There are so many BIG things and exciting milestones in the works for Kristala this year—and we’re just getting started.

Wanna get in on the conversation? Join our Discord and follow the Kristala subreddit to stay up to date with all things Kristala as we continue through Early Access and prepare to bring the adventure to consoles.

[h2]See you in Ailur, warriors! ⚔️[/h2]

[h2]Ailur’s chosen, prepare yourselves!⚔️ [/h2]

Our next impactful content update is dropping right here on Steam on April 1st, bringing you a ton of new features, enemy AI refinements, and highly requested improvements to combat, enemy behavior, and the game’s core combat and stealth systems—all based directly on your feedback!





[h2]Here’s a detailed breakdown of what’s coming in Kristala's April "Enemy AI" Update:[/h2]

[h3]🧠 Smarter, Deadlier Enemies[/h3]

• Improved stealth and enemy perception make sneaking even more satisfying.
  
• New detection bar: Enemies now have three states—Detect, Investigate, and Alert.
  
• If you stay out of sight long enough, enemies will “forget” about you and return to their idle state.
  
• Hidden enemies (Spiders, Zombies, Lizards, Fungal variants) now have an Ambush Mode, programmed to strike as soon as they spawn (bypassing the Detect and Investigate states).
  
• More ranged enemies are entering the game, with enemies shifting between melee and ranged combat depending on player distance.
  
• No more enemies leaping into the abyss! If foes can’t reach you, they’ll either attack at range or patrol, waiting for an opening to strike.
  

[h3]⚔️ Better Group Combat & Enemy AI[/h3]

• Enemies will no longer attack all at once—they’ll surround and take turns attacking based on an "aggression meter."
  
• Tougher enemies (Ravager, Assassin) will be more aggressive, attacking more frequently than weaker enemies (Defenders, Gunners).
  

[h3]🔥 Weapon & Spell Improvements[/h3]

• Refined special attack VFX for a more polished feel.
  
• More powerful weapon abilities—but with increased mana costs.
  
• Rebalanced spells to make each choice more meaningful.
  

[h3]👑 Two New Bosses + Major Boss Refinements[/h3]

• Her royal majesty, Rhylotha, descends into Kristala! Face her terrifying, eight-legged challenge in the dark forests and caves of Dalamase.
  
• The Myrtunan Shard Guardian (wielding a crystal-encrusted Greatsword) awaits those brave enough to test their mastery of Ailur's necromantic spirit magic.
  
• All existing bosses have been rebalanced and polished, with improved animations and mechanics.
  

[h3]💀 New Enemy Spawn Animations[/h3]

• Watch out! Enemies like the Masarusa, Undead, Spiders, and Gilsanka now emerge straight from the ground—ambushing unsuspecting players.
  

[h3]📜 New Menus & UI Enhancements[/h3]

• Spell selection added to the Character Creation menu.
  
• Equipment Menu overhaul for a smoother experience.
  
• If time allows between now and Tuesday, we'll also launch the new Spell Tree and Inventory menus. Def stay tuned!
  

This update signals another impactful step forward for Kristala’s Early Access journey, and we can’t wait for you to experience all the polishes and refinements firsthand!

[h2]Mark your calendars—April 1st is coming! 😼⚔️[/h2]
What are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!

[h2]It’s an exciting time the world of Ailur, Travelers![/h2]

As we head into the final days of this month's discount—and look towards unleashing Chapter III in a few weeks—we’re celebrating with an exciting week full of fun events and giveaways, starting with a Live Developer Q&A with Julien Solomita tonight on Twitch!

Join us on Julien’s Twitch channel at 8pm EST / 5pm PST as Kristala Producer, Alexis Brutman, and our Lead Narrative Designer, Willow Jay Bryar, drop by to chat with Julien about his first foray into voice-acting and the process for bringing Hemani NPC Gustav Gondasa to life.

We’ll also break down everything we've lovingly packed into Kristala’s recent big content update and share some details on what’s in store for Kristala’s third installment, including when you can expect to meet some of Julien’s beloved puppers in game.

Come hang with us in chat as we answer all the important questions. We'll also be giving away tons of goodies LIVE on stream too, so you definitely don’t wanna miss out!




In our last community update, we unveiled our brand-new Gustav Gondasa merch collection, a series of curated items inspired by your favorite new adventurous rodent ally.

And this week, we’re rampin’ up the hype even further with a special merch discount in honor of the new collection. Save 10% on all Kristala merch right meow using code GUSTAV10 at check-out to add a little Ailuran magic to your daily life.

The best part? A portion of profits from all merch and game sales will go directly to the Pasadena Humane Society over the next few months in an effort to support animals displaced by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.


As a developer creating a game inspired by animals who are near and dear to our hearts, we’ve always dreamed of being able to give back to the real-world creatures that have so deeply inspired Kristala’s characters and lore. It’s an honor to make that dream a reality.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who’s purchased so far—you truly are the cat's meow. 😉





In the spirit of giving back, we’re also super hype to kick off another fun community contest in the Kristala Discord. Today through Sunday, March 2nd, submit your best shot of NPC Gustav Gondasa using the game’s Photo Mode feature.

One lucky winner will receive an item of their choice from the new Gustav Gondasa merch collection—just one more small way for us to thank our amazing players for all the love and support you’ve given us over the years.

Stay tuned for the official contest launch announcement later this afternoon.


We truly can’t express just how much we appreciate every single person who's followed our journey, played our demo, purchased Early Access, or shown us love on our digital communities. It means more to us than we could ever properly convey.

THANK YOU for supporting small creators like us. We see you, we appreciate you, and we can’t wait to show you what else we’ve got in store. It's definitely gonna be fierce 😼⚔️

Kristala's next big content update is officially LIVE MEOW, which means a brand new adventure is about to begin in the dark fantasy world of Ailur.

Get ready to sink your claws into tons of exciting new features and mechanics - and prepare to embark on a major new questline thanks to friendly rodent NPC Gustav Gondasa, voiced by creator Julien Solomita.

Here's a rundown of everything we've lovingly packed into this update:





If you missed our exciting Twitch livestream last week, you're definitely gonna want to check out Julien's full reaction to meeting Gustav in game for the first time. We've also got a special Developer Q&A with Julien in the works, too, which will be happening VERY SOON!

Join Kristala's Producer, Alexis Brutman, and Lead Narrative Designer, Willow Jay Bryar, as they talk all things Kristala and go in-depth about our process working with Julien to fully bring Gustav to life.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We'll be spilling all the juicy details about today's big update during the upcoming Q&A and sharing more about what's still to come for Kristala as we head towards our big Chapter III release. Stay tuned for an official date!



It's hard not to fall in love with Gustav Gondasa's adventurous spirit and infectious charm, which is why we're hype to unveil the official Gustav merch collection! This new curated collection includes a ton of fresh merch items featuring some brand new Gustav-themed illustrations.


The best part? A huge portion of profits from all game and merch sales will go directly to the Pasadena Humane Society over the next few months in an effort to help animals displaced by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

Be sure to play the update, check out the new merch, and let us know what you think of the new content in the replies. Cheers!