Dome Keeper News

As a thank you for all your support, over the next few weeks we'll be sharing behind-the-scenes peeks at how Dome Keeper is made. This week, we explore the influences and inspirations behind Dome Keeper's key design choices.



The idea for Dome Keeper – or Dome Romantik, as it was called once upon a time – came via the three-day Game Jam Ludum Dare 48 and the theme "Deeper and Deeper". Just three days later, Dome Keeper was born!

While it made sense to pick a mining game for the theme, it was important to us that the mining had a purpose, too. We also didn't want mining to be the only thing you did, either…


Every game we've ever played shapes the way we think about game design, but we were particularly inspired by Kingdom (yes, the same Kingdom published by our publisher, Raw Fury!).

It was its minimal control – you could only move left and right and collect and drop coins – and lack of handholding that impressed us most. Every gamer is different, sure, but we've never been a big fan of tutorials, and would much rather figure out how to do things on our own.

Older games were like that, weren't they? They trusted you. And so do we. That's why Dome Keeper gives you the chance to figure some things out on your own. Letting players make their own discoveries and not hand-feeding them every answer is something Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy) has been vocal about, and we agree!



The original Legend of Zelda is a good example of that kind of game design. Its world was open and mysterious, and you learned through exploration and experimentation. There was beauty in that discovery that's harder to find these days, as newer games try to give more instructions in order to improve accessibility.

Justin Ma (Into the Breach) and Lucas Pope (Papers, Please) were also influential. Both designers only add something to the game if it's significantly different to what's already there. That's why when we add things to Dome Keeper, we make sure it's never just making boring variations of the same old gameplay.


Take a look at this Walker. It comes in (very) fast and starts beating on your Dome. But it's pretty straightforward, right?



So when it comes to creating other monsters… well, we could've just made a bigger Walker. Maybe one that's a little bit slower, but a little bit stronger. But honestly? That just doesn't appeal to us. What's the point of taking on the same kind of enemy with the same kind of strategy?

It's not about giving you different monsters as much as it's about giving you varying challenges.

That's why Dome Keeper has a whole menagerie of creatures to keep you on your toes! Look at this flying monster: you can't tackle it by using the same strategy as the Walker because it shoots projectiles and even has an invincible phase. The Walker can be tackled at any time. You can choose not to engage the flyer, especially if it's on the other side. But if you're tackling a Walker at the same time one of these bad boys swoops in, you have a decision to make; can you make it over there in time, or will you mess it up? Do you keep fighting the Walker or tackle the flying enemies? What you decide next may be a matter of life or death!



What happens when this pesky divebombing enemy comes in, does a tonne of damage to your dome, and flies off? If you don't deal with it immediately, it can do a lot of damage, but as it retreats, it can be safely ignored until it loops back again. What happens when the burrowing worm beast arrives? Or the Shifter, which teleports around and shoots a very strong projectile. Which monster do you need to fight first to minimize the damage they cause?



All of Dome Keeper's combat is about assessing the threat and working out how much time you have to fight with the weapons you have at your disposal. And as the game progresses, the monsters you meet in the early game may not be as threatening later on, so – eventually – a variant of that enemy may arrive and change things up even more…

Make sure you're following Dome Keeper on Twitter or join our Discord and tell us all about your favorite monster designs. And don't forget: Dome Keeper is out on September 27, 2022.

Until the next one, Keepers - Dome Sweet Dome!

As a thank you for all your support, over the next few weeks we'll be sharing behind-the-scenes peeks at how Dome Keeper is made. This week, Bippinbit's René offers a tantalizing technical breakdown of our game's striking color palettes and how we make every world feel distinctive.

Like a lot of things in life, sometimes it's the tiniest details that make the biggest impact. Take the colors used in Dome Keeper; we already know that its striking art style makes it stand out for all the right reasons, but did you know that every world has its own particular mood and atmosphere (pun intended, of course), too?

[h2]Color me excited![/h2]
First, check out this hot pink screenshot below. It's memorable, right? I mean, I don't think any of us are going to forget a world with a hot pink sky and royal blue plant life, but this image is unforgettable not just because of its strange color combination! You see, without this particular color palette, Dome Keeper would be a very different game indeed…

Here comes the science bit!



Thanks to the color combination of this world, we can create whole new hues and colors on other ones, too. To help you visualize it, here's a handy breakdown of the hues and shades we can find in the color palette for the groovy image above:



It's kinda cool, right? Varying shades of green, blue, and pink dominate the color scheme, but the palette also generates a number of purples, violets, and browns, too.

What's that? You don't want to live in a hot pink world? We're not sure what you have against the pink skies (we dig it, quite honestly), but the good news is, you don't have to!
"The reason this pink palette looks so strange is because the color values here actually have something encoded, so it's not about the colors at all," René explains. "It's about the placement in this grid.

"We can tell the game to use a different palette, but one in the same shape. For example, it will take the color that's in one square and replace it with the color in the same spot from a different palette. Like this!"



Some of these colors and shades are just for the monsters. Some are for the Dome. Some can only be used for your Keeper. But that's why - thanks to this nifty system - Dome Keeper enables you to easily swap color schemes and create a world that feels special and personal to you!

[h2]Worlds apart - making Dome Keeper's worlds feel distinct[/h2]
But it's not just the colors that make every world in Dome Keeper feel unique.

In the future, Dome Keeper's worlds will offer different challenges, including what monsters may spawn there, and how often. For instance: although you may encounter the same monster type on more than one world, each world will have a unique setup.

This means every battle phase will play out a little differently, and every battle will offer its own unique benefits and threats. Combat will always feel distinct as you move from world to world, adapting your battle strategies as you go.



There will also be modifiers that offer pre-made setups that will spice up your worlds, too, allowing you to select preferred modes when choosing your loadout.

One mode includes speeding up the monsters - oh no! - but giving them fewer HP points - yay! Another includes creating a maze-like map with loads of appendages, tunnels, and chambers to explore. And another again halves the number of attack waves you encounter – giving you much more time to do that all-important mining, of course – but the waves you do endure will be much more challenging.

As for why we're mining for minerals, relics, and gadgets? Hmm. Guess we'll have to tell you more about that in another update, eh? Watch this space…

Make sure you're following us on Twitter or join our Discord and let us know what color schemes and modifiers you'd like to see pop up in Dome Keeper!

[h3]Until the next one, Keepers - Dome Sweet Dome![/h3]

You heard it right, this is not a drill! Dome Keeper is coming to Steam on September 27th!

Prepare yourselves to dig deep and discover the secrets of the underground, fight off aliens and uncover precious relics to save your dome!

We can't wait for you to get your hands on the full game, thanks for all your support so far!

Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper/

Hey Keepers!

It's been fun to watch you all play and love Dome Keeper, share your stats, your play styles and the progress you've made on your games! We are so excited for you to get your hands on the full game! In preparation for this, the demo will be taken down on the 5th of September at 00:00 PDT as we'll be adding the finishing touches to Dome Keeper to make it the best it can be. This is not a drill, Dome Keeper is coming. More info soon!

Join our Discord or follow us on Twitter and share your longest runs with us!

MORE NEWS: We had a great time at BitSummit - thanks again to those who came to see us! The fun doesn't end there though, we'll be at Gamescom at the end of the month at the Indie Arena Booth and we can't WAIT!

Speak soon :)

Dome is where the heart is, but these ones aren't just pretty to look at! To help you get ready for Dome Keeper's release later this year, here's (almost) everything you need to know about your dome's defenses and how you can best utilize your harvested resources to improve your base and fight to survive!

While we're sure you'd like nothing more than to rest up and chill out after a hard day's mining, in Dome Keeper your downtime is dometime. Rather than putting your feet up, you'll be fending off waves of alien attackers instead.

The good news is, your valuable mined resources can be used to make all kinds of nifty upgrades to your dome to tackle even the biggest and baddest beasts. Here's a breakdown of the domes you'll get to play at launch and a sneaky peek at some of the defensive choices you'll have.

[h2]Laser Dome[/h2]



Doing exactly what it says on the tin, the Laser Dome comes equipped with - you've guessed it! - a snazzy laser.

Whilst the default laser is pretty impressive all on its own - to start with, at least! - collect enough resources and you'll be able to make upgrades to improve its speed and strength, making it easier to tackle those enemies so desperate to smash up your humble abode.

The best thing about the laser dome is that it's pretty easy to use; just point it in the direction of the enemies - even the flying ones - and if you hold down the fire button, your laser can do all the hard work for you.

Of course, things may get a little dicey should enemies come at you from all sides. An upgrade may double your laser and enable you to take on enemies coming at you from all angles, but initially, you'll need to get into the habit of prioritizing your targets. Just remember that it takes time to move the laser from side to side, though, and your dome should make it through the night in one piece!

[h2]Sword Dome[/h2]



What's cooler than a dome? A dome with a sword on it, of course. How about a sword that does more damage the quicker you move it - wouldn't that be even better? And what about a sword that can be fired like a projectile at enemies far away?! Sounds good? Yeah, we thought so, too.

Unlike the Laser Dome's primary weapon, the faster you swing your sword, the harder you'll hit those pesky aliens. This means that even if you have walkers coming for you from the left and right, get your timing right and you'll be able to finish 'em in just a couple of sweeping strokes.

Is it more of a challenge to get your aim right and take down flying monsters or distant enemies? Hmm, maybe. Trying to hit smaller enemies further away may be a touch harder, too. Oh, and don't forget that there's a cooldown…

Just as well that the Sword Dome can be upgraded with a reflection pad that bounces back enemy projectiles then, eh? You're welcome.



[h2]??? Dome[/h2]
You think that's all we'll give you - a laser and a sword!? Pft. As if!

No, we can't give you all the details just yet - sorry! - but we can confirm that there will be other dome types available after Dome Keeper launches later this year.

Because every dome has been designed from the ground up with its own unique traits, swapping them will always keep your game feeling fresh. For instance, the Laser Dome may be more dynamic - you aim, you shoot; that's it! - and feel very different to, say, the Sword Dome, but the latter - though requiring a little more combat strategy - can do more damage. Decisions, decisions!

So, while we can't tell you all about other domes just yet, make sure you're following us on Twitter or join our Discord to be the very first to know when we're finally able to share them with you…

Until the next one, Keepers - Dome Sweet Dome!