Eyes of Hellfire News

[h3]Hey Early Access players! [/h3][p]We’re still on a high after releasing our mega Shifting Lodge Update for Halloween and we've much back at it working on even more exciting things for you all.[/p][p]It meant a lot to us to release our first big drop after entering EA in August, and we’ve loved watching your vids on YouTube and all of the live stream reactions too. Your enthusiasm and kindness has not gone unnoticed![/p][p]If you didn’t get around to reading all the ins and outs of our massive update yet you can do it here. It’s juicy:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]And not only that, here’s a flavour of the update itself with groups of friends playing out game, including a new vid from ManlyBadassHero![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]And of course there have been lovely things people have been saying in our reviews - this one in particular caught our eye![/p][p]“The atmosphere, the art, the sound design, everything about this game is just so outstanding and captures that in person table feel in a way I have not seen other games even come close to.[/p][p]“It was a little confusing at first, but just give is a try and you'll pick it up fast I promise. One of my favorite things about games like this are how accessible it is for folks that don't have:[/p]

1. [p]Hardcore gaming hardware[/p]
2. [p]Enough money to sink a small boat[/p]
3. [p]Endless free time[/p]
4. [p]Tons of experience with games like this[/p]

[p]“TAKE THE DEAL”[/p][p]Thank you all for the positive reviews - They really help, And as always, cheers for joining us on our Early Access journey. Our community has been wonderful with sharing all sorts of feedback for things like QoL ideas, accessibility suggestions and general feedback about our game. [/p][p]While we can't implement everything there's plenty that we can consider, and it's really been validating to have our community echo ideas that we've already had planned. Great minds, eh?[/p][p]We're hard at work on Scenario Two and are continuing to squash those bugs and make lots of tweaks for you. But in the meantime, join us on Discord and chat with our team. We’re very active there![/p][p]~ Úna-Minh[/p]

[h3]Greetings, Early Access Players - Today is the day! [/h3][p]We have so many fantastic updates to share with you! Eyes of Hellfire has gotten a rather significant revamp. Yes, we're changing it up. Since we entered Early Access in August, we’ve been working diligently to tackle our Roadmap, but we wanted to give you something exciting for October's spooky season. [/p][p]Everything is in motion, and we have a slew of marvellous things to share with you in our Shifting Lodge Update. So without further ado, let’s get you up to speed.
[/p][p]Important Note: Save states from previous builds will not be valid with this update. You will need to start a new session.[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]Presenting: Hellfire Club Variability[/h2][p]
Shifting Lodge update, you ask? What does that even mean? Well… If you think you already know the layout of our Hellfire Club, think again, new subjects![/p][p]In our latest update, we’ve switched things around in the Hellfire Club, so everything might not be as you remembered. [/p][p][/p][p]Every time you start a scenario, the walls of the lodge will be shuffled, so room layouts and interactables are not always the same. This is a carefully handcrafted experience. Have fun exploring a new way around the lodge, and don’t forget to consult your map by clicking M, if you’re unsure.[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]New Scenario Modes: Initiate and Master[/h2][p]We’re introducing two new ways to play New Subjects![/p][p][/p][h3]
Initiate: Escape the Lodge[/h3][p]First time experiencing the Hellfire Club? This is where it all kicks off. As an Initiate, you’re tasked with making it out of the famed lodge with your souls intact. Can you and your friends escape these hallowed halls alive?[/p][p][/p][h3]Master: Defeat the Great Evil[/h3][p]While there are quite a few ‘evils’ within the game, there’s one that stands out significantly that only the true masters will be able to defeat! This is your chance to test your skills in the Hellfire Club and see if you and your friends can truly overcome a challenge. 
[/p][p]Note a few other things about these modes:[/p]

• [p]‘Master’ will not unlock until you complete ‘Initiate’ mode at least once.[/p]
• [p]You may see another mode listed as well, ‘Damned’. What’s ‘Damned’ about? Well, that’s something else that’s under construction. We’ll keep you posted.[/p]

[h3]=================[/h3][h2]New Character: Introducing Seán Boyd![/h2][p]We’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing a new playable character into Eyes of Hellfire, Seán Boyd, aka The Pressured Cook (get it?!).[/p][p][/p][p]
Seán (he/him) joins our other five playable characters and here’s a biographical flavour of what to expect from this fierce chef:
[/p][p]“Even before becoming a cook, Seán was stubborn, impulsive and a little arrogant; all of which served him well. Over the years, he has developed sharp instincts, which allowed him to react quickly to any disasters while remaining focused and determined. The cigarettes help with that, also. Closing up the kitchen one night, he tried to taste test a sauce and found that when he brought the spoon to his face that there was no mouth, just smooth skin. He is terrified that any day could be his last.”[/p][p]Do you dare play as Seán? Seán Boyd has been brought to life by voice actor Charlie McCullagh. Charlie is from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and we’re excited for you all to bring him into the Hellfire Club![/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]The Masterpiece Revamp[/h2][p]Spoilers ahead: You’ve been warned.[/p][p]From watching your streams and reading your great feedback, we’ve taken a good look at the final boss of our first scenario, i.e. The Masterpiece and have done quite a bit of a revamp to it. 
[/p][p]As well as enhancements to its behaviour depending on which mode you have selected, we’ve also worked on better signalling and have introduced a new health bar (with other key information) so that you can better plan your strategy when you’re fighting this monstrous creature.
[/p][p]We have also included an ‘end turn’ timer/limiter, which means you will not be able to end your turn for 30 seconds at least when a new turn has begun. Note that this timer is a new feature across the game, ensuring a short minimum time per turn.[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]A devilish way to play: Two brand new curses[/h2][p]We’ve added two exciting new active curses into the mix, which are sure to create some fantastic moments of deception and betrayal![/p][h3][/h3][p][/p][h3]Curse of the Theatrical[/h3][p]For this curse, players can purposely trip in fabulous fashion with a temporary new card and trick other players to come pick them up. Oh, the drama![/p][h3]Curse of the Trapper[/h3][p]For this curse, players can set their own traps, but there’s a twist. Players will need to move somewhere quiet if they want to get away with setting traps. But are you ever truly alone in the lodge? Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity…[/p][p][/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]It was YOU: New votes![/h2][p]We’ve loved watching your reactions to the votes that you come across in the Gathering. So much so, we’ve decided to add waaaaaay more votes into the mix. [/p][p][/p][p]Who do you think has completed their curse? Who do you think is cursed with the Eyes of Hellfire? Who is most likely to slither out of a dangerous situation, even if it means abandoning their friends? So many questions to consider… and so many people to accuse.[/p][p]We’ve also shifted the events around so who knows what’s coming next… dun dun duuuuuun…[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]BY THE WAY: The Shift[/h2][p]For our fellow Irish folks, it’s absolutely not lost on us that the spectacular use of the word ‘shifting’ in our update title is well… very, very Irish. If you know, you know (because trust us, we know!)[/p][h3]=================[/h3][p]Want to recap the above in a more visual way? TL;DR? Check out our summary video below:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Phew! Well now. That was a long one. Thank you, everyone for the incredible support, kindness with the positive reviews and feedback you’ve all given us so far in Early Access. And of course, thanks for helping us squash bugs via Discord. Our indie team of nine is continuing to work hard and appreciates you all.[/p][p]Make sure you update your builds today and explore this meaty new drop. Let us know in the comments what you're most excited by. Enjoy the Shifting Lodge Update![/p][p]~ The Gambrinous Team [/p][h3]=================[/h3][p] Wait, wait, wait you thought that was the end of the post?! Oh, you sweet summer child. Of course, there’s MORE. So you’ve read all the above about The Shifting Lodge Update, but you want to learn more about what this all means. We’ve got you. Just note that because these are in-depth notes, there will be gameplay/game mechanics spoilers (but not story spoilers).[/p][p][/p][p]Here’s all of the real nitty-gritty when it comes to what we’ve updated in the lodge since our last major update:[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h2]Hellfire Club Variability[/h2][p]We mentioned that the lodge has gotten a revamp, but let’s get into what that actually means. Basically, we’ve built bespoke A/B variants of Scenario One New Subjects for four rooms. In each case, we’ve handcrafted every single variant within those rooms and carefully selected where everything should go for the optimal experience. [/p][p]It’s not randomised nor is it procedural; we’ve spent the time to make thoughtful and intentional decisions so that all of our layouts make sense and connect. So, for example, when you play, you could get our original AAAA set up, which most of you have played, or you could get:[/p]

• [p]ABAA [/p]
• [p]AABA[/p]
• [p]AAAB[/p]
• [p]BBBB[/p]

[p]etc. etc. etc.[/p][p]In total, there are 16 different combinations for you to discover and explore![/p][h3]=================
Initiate and Master Modes[/h3][p]We mentioned that we have two new scenario modes. We added a new UI when creating a lobby so that you can choose between them. Think of them as different variations on the scenario. You cannot play Master without beating Initiate first. [/p][p]Initiate mode is for first timers (you can’t select Master anyway at first). This mode has one main goal: Escape the Lodge. The second mode, Master, is all about defeating the big bad and trust us, it ain’t easy, and just to stress, you can only complete this mode by doing that. [/p][p]As mentioned above, “Damned” mode, while it’s teasing you, it isn’t quite there yet, but we’re working on it. It’ll be worth it.[/p][h3]=================
Goodbye end turn spamming[/h3][p][/p][p]On the bottom right, we’ve a new ‘end turn’ timer/limiter, a feature across the game, ensuring a short minimum time per turn. Basically, it means you will not be able to end your turn for 30 seconds at least when a new turn has begun. You’ll see a ‘lock’ symbol on your timer when you can select it, and it will disappear when you can end it. So no spamming ‘end turn’ to escape the clutches of whatever’s on your tail. Time to change up your tactics![/p][h3]=================
The Masterpiece[/h3][p]Spoilers alert. Don’t continue reading if you don’t want to find out how our big boss works. Below is an in-depth look at the revamp following player feedback. It’s better than ever with clearer objectives after the Masterpiece spawns:[/p]

• [p]While the Masterpiece has the same behaviour all the time, it now has Enraged actions when certain health thresholds are reached. All of the previous actions are there, e.g. drench you with paint blobs to slow you down, and Engulf but they have been vastly improved and there is clearer messaging when they actually happen.[/p]
• [p]The Master piece cannot be hurt in Initiate but can in Master mode. Therefore, in Initiate mode, there is a new way to interact with it.[/p]
• [p]Paint blobs now cause damage where they drop. Fewer paint blobs are spawned each time, as a result.[/p]
• [p]There is an increased cost to disengage from Masterpiece (and Dancer) to 2 Move and the Masterpiece’s own speed has been increased.[/p]
• [p]There's a limit to how many living paintings can be spawned by the Masterpiece, to avoid previous situations where living paintings were overwhelming[/p]
• [p]Oh, also, the gates in the ballroom now close for a certain time when you start the fight and one of the ballroom doors is permanently locked. GOOD LUCK.[/p]
• [p]Better signalling: Within this fight, we’ve also added a clear UI health bar at the top of the fight, which 1) shows you how much health it has and 2) tells you exactly what the Masterpiece is doing during the fight.[/p]
• [p]Reworked Masterpiece windup and exhaust timers in the main bar UI and text management so that everything is cleaner and takes more time so you have a moment to plan your actions.[/p]
• [p]Moved timer/lock layout on card submitters to not cover title, added some dynamic formatting so it centres nicely.[/p]
• [p]We’ve made adjustments in our new modes to post-spawn abilities, increased chase speed, disengage cost, and paint blob spawns.[/p]
• [p]The Masterpiece will not like it if there are no players in its room. Discover this at your own peril.[/p]

[h3]=================[/h3][h3]Seán Boyd - The Pressured Cook[/h3][p]As mentioned, you can now select Seán the chef as your character in-game, and he comes with:[/p]

• [p]Passive Ability: When spending vigour for Move, Seán gains an extra one[/p]
• [p]Unique Card: “Chef’s Orders”- Everyone in your section Heals for 1 point, and also gains 1 Move[/p]
• [p]Meta progression Card: “Sugarcoat It” - Playable at 0 vigour, gain 2 Move, Fight and Search[/p]

[h3]=================[/h3][h3]Curses[/h3][p]We now have 11 curses in-game. [/p]

• [p]For those looking for a bit more drama, Curse of the Trapper and Curse of the Theatrical are in the mix. These curses are far more active than our other ones, and they’re all about pulling the wool over your friends’ eyes (if you can get away with it). [/p]
• [p]Both of these curses mean that if you have them, you will have a special temporary card in your hand that you can spend to either trip or set a trap.  [/p]

[h3]=================[/h3][h3]Votes[/h3][p]We want to be a bit more accusatory (while also donning their detective hats) when it comes to the voting screen. Aside from a slew of fresh new questions to test your friendship, we also wanted to give folks the option to guess who they think the Eyes of Hellfire is AND also who they think has completed their curse already.[/p][h3]=================[/h3][h3]Card, puzzle, and combat improvements[/h3]

• [p]It wasn’t clear to all players that some temporary cards could not be discarded for Vigour. We’ve inverted the colours to make them stand out far more! [/p]
• [p]We also had a lot of players who were very unsure of how the Fire Fresco puzzle worked, so much so that they were often triggering the solution without realising. We’ve made that puzzle much tighter and more obvious now, so the solution makes way more sense. If you want the new solution, ask us in Spoiler Chat on our Discord. But we reckon it’s more fun to solve it on your own![/p]
• [p]We also made it clearer to differentiate between sections in-game, so the divider is more obvious. [/p]
• [p]Players are untargetable for 10 seconds when leaving combat (we totally appreciate that it was annoying when you were being caught immediately).[/p]

[h3]=================[/h3][h3]BTW, here is just a taste of some other changes since our Early Access Launch:[/h3]

• [p]We’re not going to list every bug we’ve fixed, but we’ve done a lot, including fixing a duplicate wine bottle in the wine bottle screen. There was a 1 in 20 chance that the puzzle was unsolvable. We also removed a leftover wine bottle quest item that had no use in the game, and this was spotted by one of our Discord members. THANK YOU![/p]
• [p]We introduced Save States and worked hard on fixing bugs related to these. We’re still catching them and cleaning them up.[/p]
• [p]Personal objectives are trackable in the main UI on your screen on the top left as are objectives based on difficulty modes.[/p]
• [p]The Masterpiece will no longer melee attack from a separate room (as much as it wants to)[/p]
• [p]Seals that are actively being used in the Host Table are no longer stealable. Also, a mini seal inventory in the Host Table updates live, so you can see when someone takes a seal out of your pockets. Keep your eyes peeled.[/p]
• [p]The ritual circle that appears towards the end of the scenario is fancier and far more spawny-looking. It’s pretty… pretty foreboding![/p]
• [p]Interactables have beautiful close-up art alongside them when you select them.[/p]
• [p]Lots and lots of improvements, including SFX things such as the cat hissing at you! BOO HISS! Signalling SFX, UI sounds, spawning noises, curse introduction noises, puzzle noises, etc., etc.[/p]
• [p]We now have varied visual effects when someone hits a trap that you can enjoy while screaming![/p]
• [p]We rebalanced XP gains and requirements so that getting to Level 2 Meta Progression will be a breeze! Come and get your emotes. We’ve made all levels much easier to get to.[/p]

[p]Ok, this is actually the end of the post now! But what a wild journey so far. We're excited to keep going. If you've read this far THANK YOU. If you would like to leave us a positive review, we'd love that, it really motivates us to keep going.[/p][p]See you in the Hellfire Club![/p]