BattleJuice Alchemist News

We are thrilled to announce the release of our extensive demo, a deep dive into the world of BattleJuice Alchemist. The game is a complex alchemy RPG redefining the classic aRPG formula with a unique item and skill system, offering players the choice between isometric combat and JRPG-style one-on-one battles.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Players are provided with an immersive experience that extends beyond a tutorial level and invited to explore the game’s gloomy first town, Caribou Creek, featuring quirky NPCs, quests, and a ton of mechanics to uncover. They embark on a journey through the lush wilderness surrounding the settlement, where ritual magic, potion crafting and of course combat await.

We wanted our players to get a real taste of what BattleJuice Alchemist has to offer. By providing so much content within the demo, players can delve into the complexity of our game – from intricate mechanics to captivating storylines – so they can get not just a glimpse, but a real impression of what the game is about.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1384060/BattleJuice_Alchemist/

Key Features of the BattleJuice Alchemist Demo:

• Explore the gloomy town of Caribou Creek, teeming with NPCs, quests, and stories to unravel.
  
• Roam the wilderness, uncover secrets, and face the demonic hordes of Samhain.
  
• Master the art of ritual magic and craft alchemical potions.
  
• Engage in isometric combat or opt for JRPG-style one-on-one fights, showcasing the diverse gameplay styles BattleJuice Alchemist has to offer.
  

Hey folks!

Welcome to the first BattleJuice Alchemist devlog of 2024, where we spill some beans on how we spiced up our headless lorekeeper, Dullahan. This one's for the tech nerds, but I promise it's cool even if you're not into the nitty-gritty stuff.

So, Dullahan is this mysterious old, headless lady who lives among her scrolls and ravens in the supernatural realm surrounding us, the Crossroads. Our artist, Patrick, had this idea to take it up a notch technically. Dullahan should have a flowing cape and candles on her back.



Usually, we use only a single texture, which determines the colors for a character. In modern games, a 3D asset usually has multiple textures: There is something called PBR (Physically Based Rendering), where you add textures providing the information on how bumpy or reflective a surface is. We don't use PBR because our game is all about that hyper-stylization. But Patrick came to me with this plan - add a second texture file that stores different information.

The new file tells the engine how wind should mess with Dullahan's cape and how much the candle's flames should glow.



Wind Effects (Blue Channel): Dullahan's cape is swaying in the wind, even though our animations are as simple as it gets and the cape is not animated. It just moves, where we paint blue into the new texture. That's the magic of the texture's blue channel right there.

Glow (Red Channel): Dullahan's candles now glow. There is no particle system, just a simple plane for the flame as part of the 3D model. It moves, because of the blue channel and thanks to the red channel, we can crank up the glow intensity in specific spots. With our post-processing applied, Dullahan looks like this:



We can even expand on the system by making use of the currently empty green channel and the alpha channel of our new texture later on.

"Why secondary motion?" you may ask. Our animations are deliberately simple, but throwing in some secondary motion is like adding a sprinkle of magic. It's the reason puppets like those in Sesame Street often have fur - extra motion that makes the character more lively and does not need to be animated manually.

Patrick's idea turned out to be great, and I am glad he nagged me to implement it. Check out Dullahan inside the game:



As we keep pushing what we can do with such a small team, these tech tweaks help us keep things stylish yet immersive. We're stoked about how Dullahan turned out, and we hope you agree.

Stick around for more behind-the-scenes shenanigans and thank you for reading!

Alain

Dear BattleJuice Alchemist Community,

As we approach the festive season, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to each and every one of you who has been following the development of our game. Your support has been the driving force behind our journey, and I can't thank you enough for being a part of the Alchemical Works family.

This year has been particularly special as I worked intensively with a full team for the first time, consisting of Patrick, Jan, Felix, Markus, and Dominik. Working alongside these creative minds has been an incredible experience for me, and together, we're crafting something truly extraordinary with BattleJuice Alchemist.

We also want to extend our appreciation to our fantastic publisher, ESDigital Games, for their unwavering support and collaboration. This year, we met them for the first time in person at Gamescom, which was just great, and we are so glad to have them in our corner. Also, we would not be able to work the way we do without the support of Media Funding RLP and the German Federal Funding.

And, of course, none of this would be possible without the encouragement and enthusiasm of the people patiently waiting for the game and following its development. Your feedback has fueled our determination to create a truly unique RPG.



As we step into 2024, we're thrilled to announce that it's going to be a monumental year for BattleJuice Alchemist and Alchemical Works. We have some major news coming your way very soon, so be sure to stay tuned for updates and exciting reveals!

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year. Thank you for being a crucial part of our adventure. Here's to an amazing 2024 filled with magic, challenges, and triumphs!

Warm regards,

Alain and the Alchemical Works Team

Great news everyone! We're еhrilled to announce that BattleJuice Alchemist is part of the Steam event for The DreamHack Beyond Gaming Awards 2023, showcasing its brilliance as a game in development.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1384060/BattleJuice_Alchemist/

Don't miss the event tomorrow, December 15th, and wishlist the game to stay tuned for important updates!

We are happy to announce a massive update to Memory Lost: Chapter One! You can now play the entire first chapter of the full game by heading to Memory Lost: Chapter One and jumping straight into the fresh, updated gameplay and seeing what’s in store for the full launch next year!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The Memory Lost: Chapter One was first launched in December 2022 and has delighted shooter fans with its innovative combat mechanics and fast-paced gameplay. Over the past 12 months, we’ve been gathering community and players feedback to support the ongoing development of the full game. As part of the continued development journey of Memory Lost, we will continue to use the valuable feedback gathered from the Memory Lost: Chapter One to enhance the full game experience.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1483190/Memory_Lost/

Try Chapter One for free and wishlist Memory Lost!