Blind Descent News

Hello, Explorers!

As we step into 2025, we’re thrilled to share the exciting developments we have planned for Blind Descent! Last year was monumental, laying the groundwork for a rich and immersive experience. Let’s quickly recap the highlights of 2024 before diving into what’s ahead.

[h2]2024 Recap
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Last year, we introduced numerous in-game items, tools, and weapons, such as the backpack, obsidian weapons, and sweep net, enriching your survival and exploration experience. A radial menu and convenient map were added for seamless navigation while the initial iterations of game quests began to take shape.

Our development team brought Martian creatures to life and built the mutation system and unique combat abilities, allowing you to adapt to Mars’ harsh conditions. The early stages of the boating system also debuted, setting the stage for water exploration on this alien planet.



But that’s only the beginning. This year, we’re ready to take Blind Descent to the next level.

[h2]What’s Coming in 2025?
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[h3]A New Artistic Vision
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This year, we’re refining the game’s visual identity. Our new key art is being prepared by a talented artist who worked on Scavengers Reign. While the art style will echo the charm of the animated series, it’s evolving into something uniquely recognizable for Blind Descent. As the art takes shape, we’ll share work-in-progress images and concepts so you can see the beauty of Mars come alive.


[h3]
Interactive Community Experiences[/h3]

In 2025, we’ll host more interactive posts and activities to immerse you in the atmosphere of Mars. Expect deep dives into the game’s lore, the unique challenges of survival, and sneak peeks at the new creatures and systems that await you. Our goal is to immerse you in the atmosphere of Blind Descent even before you step foot in its world.

[h3]Major News: We found a Publisher
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We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with a publisher! This partnership has accelerated development and expanded our team, allowing us to bring the extraordinary world of Blind Descent to life faster than ever and with even greater quality. We're keeping all the details under wraps for now. Stay tuned—there's a major announcement coming this year.

[h3]Important Milestones
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• Alpha Testing: We’re happy to announce that alpha testing will begin this year, giving you the chance to explore Mars and shape the game with your feedback.
  
• Demo Release: Closer to the end of the year, we’ll launch a playable demo on Steam, providing a first-hand look at the unique features of Blind Descent.
  

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for Blind Descent. From alpha testing to the Steam demo, we can’t wait to have you along for the ride. Keep an eye on our channels for the latest updates, exclusive content, and community events. Together, we’ll make the journey to Mars unforgettable.

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. Let’s make 2025 an extraordinary year!

Warm regards,
The Blind Descent Team

This month, we've been working hard to improve the player's experience in Blind Descent. Let’s dive into the updates we’ve made to enhance gameplay and bring exciting new features to the Martian depths.

[h2]Enhanced Gameplay Mechanics
[/h2]This month, we focused on polishing the core mechanics to deliver a more enjoyable and seamless experience. Significant upgrades include the Map System, Adaptation System, Building System, and Scanner System.

We’ve introduced a radial menu for selecting building blueprints, allowing you to choose and place structures directly without fumbling with a hotbar. This intuitive system simplifies building, so you can focus on exploring and surviving.



[h2]New Gear and Tools
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[h3]Obsidian Weapons
[/h3]Crafted from volcanic glass, these weapons are perfect for fending off Martian threats.



[h3]Primitive Backpack
[/h3]Expand your carrying capacity with the Primitive Backpack, designed to make resource gathering and exploration more efficient.



[h3]Purple Stone and Gears
[/h3]Mined in the crystal-filled Martian caves, purple stones are a valuable resource for crafting powerful bludgeoning weapons like mallets and hammers. But beware—descending into these caves is no easy task, as every corner is lined with sharp, dangerous rocks.





[h3]Sweep Net
[/h3]Catch fireflies and large bugs with this handy tool, which is perfect for resource collection.



These updates are just the beginning! Keep an eye out for more news as we continue to shape the world of Blind Descent!

As always, thank you for your support!

Hello, Descenders! Here’s a rundown of what we’ve added to the game since our last community update.

[h2]Map System Implementation
[/h2]
While navigating dense jungles and vast cave systems, players often set up campfires, lean-tos, or shelters in the wilderness. Tracking these locations can make re-finding them smooth.



Last month we implemented the first iteration of the Map System that gives players essential tools for survival. For more realism, players will see only locations they've already discovered, with unexplored areas remaining hidden under a fog-of-war effect.

Markers allow quick finding of important spots, and in multiplayer, maps will be shared to make teamwork smoother.

[h2]Early Quests Reworked
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We’ve reworked all early quests in Blind Descent to create a more engaging and story-driven introduction.

Players begin stranded deep beneath Mars’ surface after a disastrous elevator accident. In the first quest, you wake up from the crash to find one of your most crucial tools—the Grappling Hook—and have to escape a narrow tunnel, learning a core mechanic right from the start.



The updated prologue sets a more straightforward base for the story and your purpose in this hostile world. After that, Adaptation Quests, combining tutorials and narrative, will guide you through fundamental survival tips from your AI companion, the Holowatch. From scanning food to boiling water and crafting essential tools, these quests prepare you for the unique challenges of the underground.

Also, all early quests will support multiplayer, so you will be able to tackle these adventures together with your friends.

[h2]Early Work on Boat System
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We've also revamped the Boat System which will allow players to team up and navigate treacherous caves together in a wooden boat. Not only will you be able to row through submerged tunnels, but also to engage in combat by using bows against lurking enemies.



While the feature is still in its early stages of development, we are working hard to create a seamless rafting experience that enhances exploration.

Some of you might recall that a boat was already featured in the first trailer for Blind Descent. However, as development progressed, we realized that achieving a smooth boat-driving experience in a co-op environment required a complete overhaul. This led us to rebuild the system from the ground up.

[h2]New Creatures
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We’ve finalized the 3D models for several new creatures, including deer, crabs, and boars. They’re not quite game-ready yet, but they’re one step closer to adding more life to the underground world of Blind Descent!



As always, we’re grateful for your support and feedback, which drives us to keep improving. Stay tuned, and prepare to uncover even more secrets as Blind Descent continues to take shape!

Hello, Explorers!

It’s been another busy month for the Blind Descent team, and we’re excited to share the latest progress on the game. Let’s dive into the updates for September!

[h2]Mutations System
[/h2]
One of the biggest features we’ve been developing this month is the Mutations system. Unique mutation items that grant powerful new abilities or stat boosts when consumed will be scattered throughout the Martian underground. Don’t worry, they won’t turn you into a mutant creature! Instead, they unlock tactical bonuses like a brutal hammer attack or an increase to your max health. Be sure to experiment with different combinations to adapt to the challenges ahead!



[h2]New Combat Abilities
[/h2]
Combat has also gotten a significant upgrade with the introduction of environmental interactions. You can now use the world around to gain the upper hand in fights. For example, throwing barrels at enemies or shoving them into electric walls for instant kills! This new layer of strategy will add depth to your encounters and create dynamic, emergent combat moments.



[h2]Reworked the Map
[/h2]
We’ve taken a huge step forward by completely reworking the map. While we were happy with how our previous map looked, it didn’t quite hit the mark from a gameplay perspective. So, we’ve overhauled the entire layout to make exploration more engaging and intuitive. One of our main focuses in this new design is Points of Interest — these are unique areas where players can discover curious things to interact with or explore.



We're also ensuring that players feel naturally guided to key locations without it being too linear.
That’s all for now! We’re incredibly grateful for your continued support as we work toward making Blind Descent an unforgettable survival adventure. Keep an eye on our Steam page for more updates, and feel free to join the conversation in our community forums. We can’t wait to share more in the coming months!

Stay sharp, and watch your back underground.
— Blind Descent team

Hello everyone!

It's been a busy two months since our last monthly update. We've been working hard on the technical backend and introducing new combat features as well as new creature designs. Here are some highlights of our progress:

[h2]Multiplayer Improvements[/h2]
In multiplayer games, latency almost always affects the player experience. The farther a player is from the host, the more lag they will experience. If this isn't taken into account, it leads to a poor player experience where actions can't be observed until the information travels through the network.

Imagine you want to shoot someone, but the gun fires 0.2 seconds after you pull the trigger. Even though this delay seems short, it is very noticeable in games where responsiveness is expected.

So, how do some games manage to feel lag-free? This is where "prediction" comes into play. Since information travel is limited by the laws of physics, games often predict the results of actions based on the current local data. This is what we've been implementing in Blind Descent recently.

In Blind Descent, you can now swing your sword and see the animations play out immediately, regardless of the ping. The bow fires an arrow as soon as you release the input, making everything feel very responsive most of the time. Your grenade explodes and you see the enemy receives the damage immediately, despite of the lag. This was a challenging process, but it significantly improved the multiplayer experience.

[h2]New Combat Features[/h2]
Exploration and combat against creatures are core to the Blind Descent experience. We’ve added new features to enhance combat.

You can now find explosives in the game that you can detonate from a distance to harm nearby enemies. We’ve also introduced weak walls that collapse and can kill anything nearby. This allows you to use the environment to your advantage and take down foes strategically.

[h2]New Creature Design[/h2]

Meet one of the new creature designs you'll frequently encounter in the game. It's a great food source if you can catch it!

[h2]Wrapping Up[/h2]
It's been a busy two months, but development is progressing smoothly. We also have some exciting developments that we can't share just yet, but you'll hear about them as soon as we can reveal the details.

Thank you for being a part of the Blind Descent community! Please don’t hesitate to drop a comment and let us know what you think.

—The Pokuch Team