Survival Machine News

[h2]Hello, Survivors! [/h2]

We’re thrilled to announce that Survival Machine is gearing up for its first closed co-op alpha test, and we want YOU to be part of this exclusive experience!

This is your chance to team up with friends, test new mechanics, and provide valuable feedback that will help shape the future of Survival Machine. Your insights will be invaluable if you've tested the single-player before or are new to the game.

[h3]What to expect?[/h3]

• Exclusive access: Get a sneak peek at our co-op mode before anyone else.
  
• Teamwork challenges: Test your skills with friends and provide feedback on gameplay balance, performance, and features.
  
• Impact development: Your feedback will directly influence the co-op experience for all future players.
  

[h3]How to join?[/h3]

• Sign up here!
• Ensure your email is correct; selected testers will receive an invitation directly via email.
  
• Keep an eye on your inbox for instructions on participating! The co-op playtest will start in the second half of December!
  

[h3]Join the conversation[/h3]
Head over to our official Discord server to connect with other alpha testers, share your thoughts, and report bugs. Our team will be actively engaging with the community throughout the test.

We can’t wait to see you in the co-op alpha!
Stay tuned for more updates and announcements.

Survival Machine team

In today’s devlog, I’d like to share more details about the cooperative gameplay in both the early access version of Survival Machine and the later stages of development. Many of you have been asking about co-op on our Discord (if you haven’t joined yet, we encourage you to do so—there’s a link at the bottom of the page).

I thought this would be a great opportunity to give you a dedicated space to ask questions and leave suggestions. Your feedback has been invaluable during the closed alpha and demo phases, and we’re eager to hear your thoughts on co-op as well.

[h3]The Basics: How Will It Work?[/h3]

In Survival Machine, you can enjoy the game solo, but for those who love playing with friends, we’re designing a cooperative mode for up to four players.

To keep things simple and player-driven, we’re using a peer-to-peer system instead of external servers. This means the host’s computer will manage the session.

Key Detail: At this time, we’re not planning to allow random matchmaking with strangers. You won’t be able to search for games with open slots and join them. Instead, we believe Survival Machine works best with an invite system, where players can choose who they want to play with.

To start a co-op session, you’ll invite your friends via our lobby—easy! The host generates a unique code in the game and shares it with their friends to join.

[h3]Saving the Game[/h3]

Each player in a session can save progress using the book located on the Machine. However, the save file is only stored on the host’s Machine. This means that if you wrap up a session and want to return later, only the host can load the saved world.

[h3]What Makes you stand out?[/h3]
Personalization! When joining a game, players can select one of several pre-designed characters, available in both male and female options. We’re working hard to offer a wide variety of distinctive designs so everyone can feel at home in their survival avatar.

[h3]Task Sharing[/h3]

In Survival Machine, players share one overarching goal: to reach the last bastion of humanity in a world overrun by zombies. But how you accomplish that is entirely up to you.

While completing story quests is a central part of the game, you’ll also need to manage tasks like maintaining the Machine, exploring, crafting, and gathering resources.


We’re leaving these decisions in your hands. You can choose to split tasks among your team or tackle everything together. For example, if one player loves crafting and another prefers tackling challenges at points of interest, that’s fine—there’s something for everyone!


[h3]Balancing the Game[/h3]
Balancing has been one of our main challenges. We want you to feel appropriately challenged, whether playing solo or with up to three friends. Based on your feedback from the demo, we know solo play can feel a bit overwhelming. Here’s how we’re addressing it:

Solo Play Adjustments:

• Fewer zombies to fight.
  
• Nighttime attacks will be less intense.
  
• Operating the Machine will require less fuel to move and power workstations.

Co-op Adjustments:

• The game will adapt to the combined levels of all players rather than matching the highest-level player.

[h3]Inventory[/h3]
Each player will have their own personal inventory for items like melee weapons, shields, resources, tools, and powerful black powder firearms.

On the Machine, you’ll have shared storage. If you run out of space, you can build additional barrels or shelves to expand storage capacity. The shared inventory ensures everyone in the team has access to resources. Pretty neat, right?


That's all for today! We hope you have an amazing time with our co-op mode! If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments section here on Steam. For those interested, join us on Discord! See you there! 👋
Dont forget to add us to your wishlist!
Dzięki!
Berdol

[h3]Hotfix 3[/h3]

Hello again Survivors! We hear your feedback and we're ready with some more fixes and changes. What to expect with hotfix 3?

• Zombies will no longer despawn if they've been chasing the player for too long.
  
• Adjusted the number of zombies in the waves for the second night.
  
• Reduced the wood burning speed in the Machine furnace by 15%.
  
• The quest to kill zombies at night now correctly completes after killing all zombies.
  
• After skipping the tutorial, the starting position of the machine has been corrected.
  
• The player is no longer invincible while in the mortar.
  
• Added more basic resources to the world (Sticks/Plant Fibre/Flint).
  

Hopefully, this makes your experience even better! Don't forget to leave us feedback after you played some! Just click on a feedback button in the main menu!

Dzięki!
Berdol

[h3]Hotfix 2
[/h3]

Hello Survivors! We prepared a few more fixes for you! Check out what to expect:

• Players can skip the tutorial when starting the game. The game should begin with the player on the Machine
  
• Destroyed structures should return 80% of the resources
  
• Buildings attacked by zombies should shake to show they are taking damage
  
• Fixed a save issue where the Machine wouldn’t start after loading the game
  
• Zombies hit by a slingshot while climbing no longer get stuck
  

We hope you're having a great time playing our demo. Remember, the key to survival is good preparation!

See you on the next one!
Berdol

Get ready to embark on an exciting journey through the Survival Machine demo, now live on Steam! In this early preview of the game, you’ll dive headfirst into the Frontier biome, where the core mechanics of Survival Machine come to life.This demo is packed with features to give you a taste of the full experience, but we still hold some secrets for you to discover after the release!



[h3]Explore and Survive in the Frontier Biome[/h3]
Navigate through a distinct part of the Frontier biome, a vast and treacherous open world filled with unique Points of Interest (PoIs). Discover hidden treasures, gather resources, and encounter two types of zombies, including the powerful Armored Zombies that bring an extra layer of challenge. Prepare yourself for two intense night-time zombie attacks, which escalate as you progress in our world!

[h3]Build and Customize Your Mobile Base[/h3]
Your vehicle isn’t just for transport—it’s your moving fortress! Use resources to craft and upgrade weapons, tools, and materials, and build defensive structures like the Short Range Mortar to fend off zombie hordes during their attacks. Customize your vehicle by constructing walls, stairs, roofs, and decorations to create a home on wheels.

[h3]Upgrade Your Character and Vehicle[/h3]
The demo offers a variety of upgrades, from character improvements like increased health and backpack capacity to vehicle upgrades like fuel-efficient pistons and enhanced lighting to be put on Machine’s deck.
Travel faster with the zipline upgrade and strengthen your vehicle’s defense with functional additions like extra storage space with barrels and crates. You can increase your health level, giving you a better chance of surviving a fight with zombies, and with a backpack upgrade, you'll be able to carry more loot on your journey!

[h3]Craft, Gather, and Fight for Survival[/h3]
Craft essential items like axes, clubs, and slingshots on the go, or build a Workbench to unlock stronger weapons like the Wooden Sword and Shield. Process resources at the Sawmill to gather planks and resin for advanced crafting, while exploring for essential materials like Plant Fibre, Copper Ore, and Screws—the latter dropped by tough Armored Zombies.

[h3]PoIs and Rewards Await[/h3]
In this demo, you'll find 8 Points of Interest, ranging from large locations like the Factory and Tree Town to smaller, dynamic areas like the Oil Rig and Farm. Each location offers a different challenge, and the randomized world ensures no two playthroughs are alike.

[h3]What to Expect in the Demo[/h3]

• 6 Playable Characters: Choose from three female and three male characters,
  
• Interactive Quests: Complete onboarding quests that not only introduce you to survival basics, like gathering resources and crafting essential items, but also guide you through the gameplay, helping you navigate challenges such as fending off zombies as you progress.
  
• Vast areas to explore: Visit all the Points of Interest (PoIs) and collect the loot waiting for you there.
• Discover secrets, and get ready to be surprised by the constant exploration of the Survival Machine world.
  
• Zombie night attack: Probably the most intense part of our game! You’ll experience thrilling, action-packed moments that will test your skills and strategy, pushing you to the limits of your survival abilities.
  

[h3]Jump Into the Action Now![/h3]
The Survival Machine demo offers engaging gameplay, giving you a comprehensive introduction to the game’s mechanics and crafting systems. Whether you're upgrading your vehicle, building your mobile base, or fighting off zombie swarms, there's plenty to experience before the demo ends.
Survive. Build. Fight. The world of Survival Machine awaits. Download the demo now and start your adventure on Steam!

[h2]Have you seen our new, reworked gameplay trailer?[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Dont forget to add us to your wishlist! We're very happy to talk to you on our Discord and hear your feedback!!

Thanks for playing!
Berdol