Devlog I: Do Us a Favor
Greetings, Romans!
Welcome to our first devblog from the team at Beartwigs! đ»
Weâll be sharing these every other week, quick peeks into what weâre building, whatâs changing, and whatâs quietly getting weirder. Letâs begin.
[h2]You Came for Us. All 45,000 of you.[/h2]
When we revealed Romestead at the Future Games Show, we hoped it would spark something. And judging by your response⊠it did.
There's not just a handful of you. You're a legion*.
*(Technically several legions' worthđ€)
Over 45,000 of you have wishlisted the game, with 20,000+ signed up for the playtest. These arenât just numbers. It's thousands of you curious about something weâre building. We donât take that lightly.
So hereâs what youâre walking into.
[h2]The Gods Are Real. If You Let Them Be.[/h2]
When Rome fell, the gods were forgotten. Their altars crumbled. With no one to worship them, their power vaned.
But silence isnât death. Not for them.
One of the first buildings youâll construct in Romestead is the Altar, the gateway to divine reconnection. The gods have begun to stir again, reaching out in fragments.
âYou have called, and I have answered. I am Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom. My mind is clouded, but I see potential in you. There is work to be done.â
Sheâs the first to reach you. But not the only one.
Other gods are watching. And not all will be so kind.
Youâll give offerings at these altars, items tied to each godâs preference: cooked food, crafted gear, or materials from the hunt. These raise your Worship Level, unlocking new buildings, upgrades, decorations and occasionally⊠side effects.
Worship shapes the world. Favor shapes you.
As you explore, fight, build, and grow, you gain experience in specific skills. That experience earns you Favor Points, which unlock god-specific skills and abilities.
One weâre having a lot of fun with right now:
Shield Slam - Dash straight into the horde with your shield raised. The heavier your armour, the harder they fall. Just look at them go.
[h2]A Word on the Playtest[/h2]
We know a lot of you are eager to jump in, and weâre excited to get you playing.
Playtesting is planned to begin in about a month. If youâve already signed up, youâre already on the list. If not, you can still sign up on the Steam page.
Weâre taking our time because we want this to feel like Romestead, not just a prototype of it. Thanks for your patience. Itâs going to be worth it.
[h2]Got a Question?[/h2]
Weâll be posting these every other week, and if thereâs something youâre dying to know, tell us.
Drop your suggestions in the comments, and if one catches our eye, we might just build a whole devlog around it.
[h2]What Weâre Working on Right Now[/h2]
Weâre deep in playtest prep, building out systems and content across the board. This includes:
[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
Thanks to everyone whoâs wishlisted, signed up for the playtest, or joined the Discord.
Weâll be back in two weeks with more behind the scenes, maybe a new feature, maybe a mistake weâre still recovering from. Could go either way.
Until thenâŠ
Offer wisely.
â The Beartwigs Team đ»
Welcome to our first devblog from the team at Beartwigs! đ»
Weâll be sharing these every other week, quick peeks into what weâre building, whatâs changing, and whatâs quietly getting weirder. Letâs begin.
[h2]You Came for Us. All 45,000 of you.[/h2]
When we revealed Romestead at the Future Games Show, we hoped it would spark something. And judging by your response⊠it did.
There's not just a handful of you. You're a legion*.
*(Technically several legions' worthđ€)
Over 45,000 of you have wishlisted the game, with 20,000+ signed up for the playtest. These arenât just numbers. It's thousands of you curious about something weâre building. We donât take that lightly.
So hereâs what youâre walking into.
[h2]The Gods Are Real. If You Let Them Be.[/h2]
When Rome fell, the gods were forgotten. Their altars crumbled. With no one to worship them, their power vaned.
But silence isnât death. Not for them.
One of the first buildings youâll construct in Romestead is the Altar, the gateway to divine reconnection. The gods have begun to stir again, reaching out in fragments.
âYou have called, and I have answered. I am Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom. My mind is clouded, but I see potential in you. There is work to be done.â
Sheâs the first to reach you. But not the only one.
Other gods are watching. And not all will be so kind.
Youâll give offerings at these altars, items tied to each godâs preference: cooked food, crafted gear, or materials from the hunt. These raise your Worship Level, unlocking new buildings, upgrades, decorations and occasionally⊠side effects.
Worship shapes the world. Favor shapes you.
As you explore, fight, build, and grow, you gain experience in specific skills. That experience earns you Favor Points, which unlock god-specific skills and abilities.
One weâre having a lot of fun with right now:
Shield Slam - Dash straight into the horde with your shield raised. The heavier your armour, the harder they fall. Just look at them go.[h2]A Word on the Playtest[/h2]
We know a lot of you are eager to jump in, and weâre excited to get you playing.
Playtesting is planned to begin in about a month. If youâve already signed up, youâre already on the list. If not, you can still sign up on the Steam page.
Weâre taking our time because we want this to feel like Romestead, not just a prototype of it. Thanks for your patience. Itâs going to be worth it.
[h2]Got a Question?[/h2]
Weâll be posting these every other week, and if thereâs something youâre dying to know, tell us.
Drop your suggestions in the comments, and if one catches our eye, we might just build a whole devlog around it.
[h2]What Weâre Working on Right Now[/h2]
Weâre deep in playtest prep, building out systems and content across the board. This includes:
- Items &Treasure - new weapons, enchantments, decorations, and gear. If it glows, hums, or makes your house look cool, itâs going in.
- A New Boss - one of the playtest bosses is in development now. No spoilers, but something to keep an eye out for in the future.
- The Ruined City - a late-game biome where Romeâs collapse is still visible, and still dangerous.
- Also fixed a bug where entering and exiting buildings too fast would sometimes teleport you to a random doorway somewhere in the world. That should no longer happen.
[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
Thanks to everyone whoâs wishlisted, signed up for the playtest, or joined the Discord.
Weâll be back in two weeks with more behind the scenes, maybe a new feature, maybe a mistake weâre still recovering from. Could go either way.
Until thenâŠ
Offer wisely.
â The Beartwigs Team đ»