First Dwarf News

We’re thrilled to bring you Update #12, a pivotal step in First Dwarf’s journey! This update lays the groundwork for the highly anticipated 0.6x milestone, coming later this year, complete with a brand-new island and exciting features. But before we take that leap, we’ve focused on introducing fundamental changes to the game’s core mechanics to make your experience more satisfying than ever.

[h3]⚠️IMPORTANT NOTICE⚠️[/h3]
We’ve made significant tweaks to the leveling system, the old boosts that were pretty overpowered. *For now* your current stats won’t change upon loading, the new system will activate after reaching new level, but previous levels will be calculated with old system. So we highly recommend to start a new game if you want to feel the new flow.

[h3]🧙‍♂️ RECOMMENDATION:[/h3] To fully experience the improved leveling mechanics, we suggest starting a new game! (But don’t worry, it’s not mandatory if you’re more excited to jump into the other features.)

[h3]💡 Your Feedback Is Magical:[/h3] As always, your input helps us shape First Dwarf into the game you’ll love even more. Let us know what you think in the Steam Community forums!

Now that you’ve been properly warned and prepared, let’s dive into the details:



[h3]New Features and Changes[/h3]
🔹 Difficulty Levels
The long-awaited difficulty system is here! Choose the level of challenge that suits your playstyle. This is our first iteration, and we’re eager to hear your feedback—let us know if it improves your gameplay flow and satisfaction with progress.

🔹Crafting Menus Overhaul | part 1
The Crafting menus in Workshop, Alchemy Station, and Forge have been revamped and improved for better usability. Please have in mind that this will be expanded. Features like crafting queuing are already being developed. Keep your suggestions coming!

🔹 New Badass Tru
Tru has undergone a complete visual overhaul, bringing even more personality and heroism to your adventures.

🔹 Enhanced Visual Feedback
✨ Added new visual effects and indicators for corrupted spawners and meteor-triggered spawners.
✨ Enemies will now display 0, 1, or 2 skulls below their HP bars to indicate their difficulty tier.

🔹 Improved Co-op Experience
There is now a 125 metre (about 25 grid squares) safe radius around the player who hosted the game, which will prevent players who joined as a client from fading to black and respawning.

🔹 Grid Improvement
Enemy corpses will no longer block the building grid, making base building/rebuilding easier during times of pressure such as enemy waves.

🔹 Added 10% dmg resistance for each piece of Mech Battle Armor Set

[h3]Optimizations[/h3]
🚀 Performance Boosts
Enjoy smoother gameplay, even during massive battles, thanks to new optimizations.

[h3]AI Improvements[/h3]
🔹 Settlers Interaction Fixes
Settlers will now finish their conversations with you before returning to their homes at night or going about their business.

🔹 Settlers will follow you during dialogues if you wander off

🔹 Improved Enemy Waves AI
Enemies will be less likely to target the same spot, they will spread out more, which should create more interesting base defence scenarios.

[h3]🎥 Updated Intro Cutscene[/h3]
✨ Featuring: Tru’s handsome new look.
✨ Small camera angle tweaked in second scene.
✨ Fixed visible pickups effects during the cutscene.

[h3]Audio and Visual Improvements[/h3]
🎵 SFX Adjustments
Footstep sounds have been reduced: 20% quieter for running and 40% for walking (Tru and Mech).

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]
🐛 Monster Nest Slot Bars below hp indicator now will be displayed correctly.
🐛 Resolved an issue where charged slots in monster nests didn’t spawn enemies after being hit.
🐛 Typo Corrections: Thanks to @Fulgur from our Discord for spotting a typo—fixed!
🐛The “Improvement is the Key” quest now progresses correctly during the second island transition, based on feedback on our Discord @Bravo!
🐛Gaianas (those Big floating creatures) will no longer disappear when moving slightly off-screen.


This update sets the stage for the 0.6x release, bringing new horizons to explore and fresh challenges to conquer. Until then, dive into Update #12 and please let us know how these changes enhance your adventure!

PS. (from Damian) I would like to thank all the people who have given us their feedback in our Steam Discussion tab recently! It helped to create some cool improvements (like, in my opinion), the visual effects on the monster nests with LOTR vines :) Lord THEN, Dragon, /!\Kapudd and everyone who shared their feedback, thank you!

Happy exploring,
The First Dwarf Team

[h2]This may seem like a small update for First Dwarf, but it’s a giant leap for our online co-op mode! 🚀[/h2]

With Update #11, we’re introducing a literally game-changing feature: players can now independently access their maps, character menus, and item screens without pausing the action for their co-op partner. As one player navigates menus, the other will see a floating, semi-transparent screen in front of their companion, displaying exactly what they’re doing. For example, if Tru is studying the map, Ragna will see Tru standing still with a map projection hovering at eye level, an immersive way to keep both players in sync. 🗺️✨


This feature is being rolled out in beta, as we’re still fine-tuning the system to ensure it’s as polished as possible. While functional, you might notice some minor visual quirks in the Character menu under specific conditions, though these won’t impact gameplay. We’d love to hear your feedback as we refine this exciting addition! 💬

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Full Change Log Version 0.555[/h3]

• Independent menu access for online co-op players 🎮
  
• Floating screen projections for co-op immersion 🌟
  
• Ragna's Fine-Tuning Continues
  
  • New animations for Ragna: sideways flying during aim 🦅
    
  • Faster idle animations for Ragna ⚡
    
  • Adjusted Ragna's head-turning: now only active during fire breath and fireball attacks 🔥 (disabled for aim and scout modes)
    
  • Ragna flaps wings when sprinting during straight flight 🕊️
    
• Minor islands polish for smoother building 🛠️
  
• Improvements to blocking and perfect blocking in melee combat for Tru and The Mech
  
• Minor bug fixes 🐛
  
• Core optimizations for smoother gameplay ⚙️
  

[h3]What’s Next for First Dwarf[/h3]

As Update #11 rolls out, we’re already working on exciting changes coming in the next updates! Here’s a preview of what’s ahead:

• Gameplay enhancements: We’ll introduce difficulty levels, allowing you to tailor the challenge to your play style. 🎯
  
• Redesign of Tru: Our beloved dwarf is getting a visual and functional upgrade to fit even better into Driftland's evolving world. 🛠️
  
• Performance optimization: We hope the game will run smoother in most scenarios. 🚀
  
• New island and clan: A new area to explore, complete with a fresh clan and unique challenges, is coming. 🏝️
  
• Story-rich characters: Supporting characters will soon step into the spotlight, deepening the story and enriching the world of Driftland. 📜✨
  

And much more to keep the adventure fresh and exciting!

[h3]Farewell to Spooktober 🎃[/h3]

Meanwhile, all good things must come to an end. As 🎃 Spooktober draws to a close, Driftland will bid farewell to its seasonal spooky flair. Pumpkins and Spooktober touches will disappear into the mists... or will they return next year? 👻

However, we’ve decided to leave the autumn colors on the trees a bit longer to keep the cozy atmosphere alive. 🍂

We hope you enjoyed the seasonal changes and spooky surprises. Your feedback has been invaluable, and we’re excited to hear what you think about Update #11 and the adventures ahead. Let’s keep building Driftland together! 🏗️💪

Happy co-oping! 🌍🤝
Star Drifters Team 🌟🚀

Dear Adventurers,

Did you drink your Pumpkin Spice Mead today? 🎃 We hope that you're having a great time with our ongoing spooky event, and today, we’d like to share with you our newest game update. Let’s GO! 🚀✨

[h2]Full Change Log Version 0.522[/h2]

• Improved Ragna’s handling
  • new animations
    
  • new visual effects
    
  • tweaks to camera work to give that cherry on top:)
    
• Enhancements to the area-clearing feature during building
  • new sound effects
    
  • new visual effects
    
  • added a hint on how to use it
    
  • set this feature to hold-to-activate (to prevent accidental resource destruction)
    
• Improved GamePad Support
  • now you can use right stick to scroll down menus
    
  • UI scale and Overall Quality options now are changeable by gamepad
    
  • Ragna can ascend and descend in building mode by holding RT/LT
    
  • bug fixes for gamepad navigation in the save menu
    
• Improvements for Split Screen (Yes we have that :O)
  
  • UI will now scale down for better experience
    
  • when we enter Split Screen the camera will move away from the player for a better view
    
• Tainted Lake fix - Ragna couldn’t interact with the pipe blocking the gears in some cases
  
• More optimisation work
  

[h2]Ragna’s Flight 🐉[/h2]



The dragon is in the details… Is that how this saying goes? Recently, we’ve put a lot of work into advancing the visuals of our little dragon’s movements. The way she flies forward, upward, slows down… We took it under a microscope, gathering basically our whole team and exchanging our thoughts. What do you think?



We wanted to thank all of you who gave us reviews on Steam We’d love to hear your feedback!



Time to get back to work on the next update:)
Star Drifters Team ⭐🚀

“Tru, are you seeing what I'm seeing? What in the shattered earth is going on here? Maybe some books from the Great Dwarven Library mentioned this… I need to think.”

[h2]Event Duration: October 10th - October 31st[/h2]

🎃 - A pumpkin icon next to features in the change log means they are event-specific, and will only be available for its duration. Once the event concludes with the end of October, Driftland will revert to its previous state.
[h2]Change Log (Version 0.509):[/h2]

• Improved building mechanics for Ragna, featuring better camera angle and giving more precision
• Icons for status effects from consumable items added - stamina boost & cooling boost
• First iteration of automatic removal of obstacles when constructing buildings. We will be improving this feature, adding sound effects, and better UI communication.
• Now you have flashlights (Lamp) from the start of the game
  
• Grid and landscape improvements on the second and third island
  
• Resolved issue with getting stuck in the “Bees Need Our Help!” quest
  
• Fixed issue with getting stuck in the "Tainted Lake" quest due to melting snow in the wrong order
  
• Updated look for the Tainted Volcano
  
• Enhanced cave lighting
  
• Environment enhancements; more details added to the islands
  
• Parts of the crashed airship are now easier to locate at the beginning of the game
  
• Spelling errors fixes
  
• Further optimization of the game
  
• 🎃Pumpkin - New consumable plant that restores 100 HP for Tru or Ragna
  
• 🎃Introducing a new crafting recipe: Pumpkin Spice Mead, which fully restores HP for Tru or Ragna and provides a 60-second stamina boost.
  
• 🎃Autumn touch on the trees
  
• 🎃While crafting an item that was previously represented by a pouch, it will show itself as a carved pumpkin

[h2]Automatic removal of resources during building[/h2]
When placing a building on stones or trees, those obstacles will now automatically disappear. What do you think about this change? It's the first version of this feature and we will be improving it, adding better UI communication and sound effects.

We've also revamped the building mechanic for Ragna, now it provides more precision, and should be easier. 👍


[h2]May the pumpkin hunt begin![/h2]

Collect pumpkins, and get the Pumpkin Spice Mead! After consuming it, you’ll see a new icon signaling a stamina boost. But that's not all! This special item also fully regenerates Tru's and Ragna's health.


Can you find the skeletons in Driftland? 👀 What do you think happened to these poor souls?


As always, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your amazing support and the invaluable feedback we receive from you. It’s because of your enthusiasm and insights that we can continue doing what we love, making improvements and enhancements every day. Your contributions help us shape a better experience for everyone. 🧡


We hope you’ll have an incredible time during our Spooktober event! Dive into the fun and explore all the spooky surprises we’ve prepared. Thank you for being such an amazing community, and we look forward to celebrating this spooky season with you! 👻


So, are we seeing you in Driftland today? 👈😎👈

Have a spook-tastic day!, 🎃
Star Drifters Team 🌟🚀

Hi Everyone! ⭐

You can’t even imagine how crazy the past week has been for us. Our trip to Tokyo was an absolute blast, and we’re thrilled to share some insights with you.

An incredible 274,000 gamers visited the Tokyo Game Show, making those few days unforgettable. First Dwarf got the attention of the judges and was honored to be part of the Selected Indie 80 in the special Live Expo area. Representing our beloved project among the diligently chosen indie games at this prestigious event was truly a remarkable experience.



We’d like to thank all of the gamers who visited us at our booth. ❤️ We’ve got a solid list of feedback based on our discussions and observations of your gameplay. We’ve encountered a huge interest regarding gamers wanting to try out First Dwarf, and we really couldn’t have asked for more. It was wonderful to meet so many fans of our previous game, Driftland: The Magic Revival, who were equally excited about our newest title, First Dwarf. Experiencing our game live through your perspective is always incredibly valuable to us.

Michał and Krzysiek told us some awesome stories from Japan and showed us many, many pictures!



It was a memorable adventure and meeting the gamers from all around the world is an unspeakable pleasure. As you may already know, our studio is located in Warsaw, Poland, so it was quite a flight for us, but every hour spent in the airplane was totally worth the experience.

[h2]Soon…[/h2]
As you could have seen above, we were quite busy with the TGS2024, however, that doesn’t mean we’re not preparing something special for you. While some of us were at the show, the rest of the team worked tirelessly in the studio to transform October into the mysterious SPOOKtober!

You’ll get to experience a new side of First Dwarf with an exciting update on October 10th!
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1714900/announcements/detail/4676515842031206358?snr=2___
Thank you all for being with us! We’ll be in touch soon! 👀
Star Drifters Team ⭐🚀