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Die in the Dungeon News

Die in the Devblog: December 2024

Here it is, one last devblog before the end of the year!

As we gear up for the launch of Die in the Dungeon, we're excited to share some major updates and celebrate the incredible journey we've had so far. Let's dive into the details!


[h2]A Release Date is Set! 🗓️[/h2]

Yes, you read that right, Die in the Dungeon finally has a release date! While we’ll officially announce it next month, let’s just say you’ll only need less than 15 frog hands to count the days left! 🐸

The team is hard at work ensuring the best possible experience at launch, and we can't wait to share it with you soon.


[h2] Demo Update: Full Steam Ahead for Launch 🚀[/h2]



With the release date in the horizon, we're now fully engaged in release mode. What does that mean? Well, all content for Areas 1, 2 and 3 is officially finished, so we have been working on squashing bugs and polishing important stuff like localization, controller support and game balancing. The game has a significant amount of combinations between dice, relics, events, characters and more, so fixing problematic behaviors and making sure the difficulty feels good is our top priority.

That said, being close to release also means we had to make a tough call: we're pausing work on the final demo to fully prioritize the release. While we know this might be disappointing, it’s a decision we made to ensure the full game is as great as it can be.

The game has had many versions over the years, but we're still sad that we couldn't keep our promise of releasing one last demo before launch. We deeply appreciate your understanding and support, and rest assured, we’re pouring our hearts into making Die in the Dungeon a game worth waiting for.


[h2] Roll the Wish Dice: Win a Full Game Key! 🎲🎁[/h2]

To celebrate the upcoming launch (and compensate a bit for the missing demo), we're hosting a holiday raffle with a very special prize: Steam keys for the full game!

To participate:
  1. Join our Discord server.
  2. Head to the #roll-wish-dice channel and follow the instructions.

We'll start with 5 keys, and the number will be increased if enough people join the raffle!

As a bonus for the Steam community, one extra key will be raffled among all users who comment on this devblog! To join, simply leave a comment below with a Die in the Dungeon-related wish for next year, and you’ll be entered to win. Also, don't forget to follow the game and developer pages on Steam!

The Steam raffle will end on January 30th, 2025, and the winner will be announced the following day. Good luck all!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2026820/Die_in_the_Dungeon/


[h2]Q&A Highlights: Your Burning Questions Answered! 🔥[/h2]

A few weeks ago, we opened a new channel to let players send us their questions directly. Here's a recap with some of them:

Question: If the games achieves enough success, would you want to make content updates for Die in the Dungeon?
Answer: For sure, we already have some ideas for content after release! (and we're trying our best not to spoil anything for now 🤐).

Q: How many characters are planned to be added in the future?
A: Aside from the 3 characters on release, we have at least one more character with a high chance of being added in the future. Other than that, we have some ideas but nothing set in stone yet.

Q: Are you planning for the game to have Steam Workshop compatibility?
A: We'd love to, but as many other things it'll depend of how the launch goes. Having mod support has been a goal of mine for a long time, so hopefully I can get the time to work on this in the future.

Q: How long will the full game be?
A: In terms of single run time, the release will be around 3 times longer than the demo (the demo has only 1 area, while the full game has 3 areas). In terms of total "completionist" time, the full game will probably range between 50 to 100+ hours depending on player skill.

Q: Are there any plans for roguelite mechanics after you die, even just cosmetic?
A: If you mean progression between runs, yeah. The release will have unlockables to increase the variety of the item pool and offer new ways of playing. These unlockables will include new dice, relics and characters.

(For the full Q&A and to ask your own questions, join the #ask-the-devs channel on Discord!)



[h2]Thank You for Your Support 💚[/h2]

And with that, that's everything for 2024! Thank you for your incredible patience and support. Stay tuned for more updates in January, including the official release date reveal.

Have a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!

And of course, may your dice rolls be ever in your favor!

— The ATICO Team

Die in the Devblog: Demo Feedback & Winter Release

Hey guys!

It's time for a new devblog! It’s been a while, and a lot has happened since we published the demo back in June!

Today, we’ll cover:
- How your feedback from the demo has helped shape the game.
- What we’re currently working on.
- And, of course... our updated release timeline!

[h2]The Demo and Your Feedback[/h2]

This summer, we launched our demo during Steam Next Fest. The demo introduced new dice, enemies and relics, along with a key new feature—a map that lets you control your character’s path using dice.

We believed this feature would add a new strategic layer, but thanks to your feedback, we realized we’d missed the mark. Here’s what we learned:
- The map required too much focus and slowed down the gameplay.
- Map choices felt repetitive and lacked real impact.
- Overall, the pace from the Demo felt worse than Origins.

Your feedback helped us recognize that this mechanic needed a rethink. We went back to the drawing board, understanding that the previous map was too complex and detracted from what we believe makes Die in the Dungeon truly shine—the dice-based battles! The new map is now simpler, letting you to explore the dungeon more intuitively and focus on the core combat experience. Huge thanks to our Discord community and players on the Steam forums for your invaluable feedback along the way!

In addition, here are some other changes inspired by your feedback:
- Dice shapes are no longer limited to D4s, other shapes are now available like the good ol' D6 (and maybe some with even more faces!)
- Dice with face values of 0 aren't part of the starting deck anymore. Builds around 0s are still possible though, if you dare go for them.
- Difficulty in Area 1 has been adjusted to create a less punishing experience at the start. Difficulty will still ramp up considerably the deeper you delve into the dungeon, this is a hard game after all!

[h2]When’s the Release?[/h2]

Originally, the game was planned for a mid-fall release. However, with the changes to the game’s mechanics, we realized we needed more time to get things just right. As a result, we’ve made the tough decision to push the release to this Winter to ensure Die in the Dungeon meets our standards (and yours!).



We know many of you were eagerly waiting for the original date, and we’re grateful for your patience. Ultimately, we don’t want to deliver a game that feels unpolished, which is why we’re willing to go the extra mile to make Die in the Dungeon as enjoyable as possible on release. This extra time is also allowing us to introduce a few new features, such as the Codex section you can see above!

[h2]Our Next Steps[/h2]

Currently, we know the demo on Steam doesn’t reflect the latest game improvements. To avoid any confusion, we’ll be taking the current demo down the day this devlog goes live—but not for long! We’ll upload an updated version of the demo very soon, to let you try the game and make an informed decision before release. As always, don’t hesitate to voice your opinion when it drops!



Now, you might be wondering: so what's left before release? Honestly, not much! 99% of the content has already been implemented, including several new dice types, properties, enemies and bosses for Area 2 and 3. On this last stretch, all that's left is fixing the remaining bugs, polishing the game, and balancing all the elements. Thankfully, our team of testers is currently helping us with all that, so things are progressing at a steady pace in preparation for launch!

That's all for today! Stay tuned for the updated demo, and thank you again for your patience. We can't wait for you to experience what we've been working on.

Stay safe, and may your dice rolls be ever in your favor!

— The ATICO Team

P.S: Speaking of testers, we're currently looking for new applicants in preparation for release. Join our Discord server and head to #announcements to learn more: https://discord.gg/die-in-the-dungeon-829107672912494613

Die in the Dungeon is joining PixElated Fest on July 29th!

We love pixel art games, and we know you do too.
So, let’s celebrate together 🎉 We’re super excited to share that Die in the Dungeon joins PixElated Festival next week!
This festival is featuring some of the best pixel art games on Steam. From retro-style classics to contemporary indie gems all in one place!



There will be ✨ discounts ✨ live streams ✨ art contest ✨ demos✨ developer chats ✨ all centred around your favorite games.

Check out the official line-up and more information about the event here:
http://pixelatedfest.com/

More news from us soon!

The "Even more Bugfixes" Update: New DEMO Version 2.3.5 (99.6f3)

Hello everyone!

Next Fest is finally coming to an end, and we just got word from Steam about our demo being one of the most played during the fest! So, big thanks to everyone playing the demo and leaving feedback!

Speaking of feedback, your input was one of the most valuable things we gained from the fest. We're planning to make changes across the board (pun intended) in order to create a broader gaming experience, without neglecting the positive aspects from the original idea (those that worked so well in Origins).

By the way, would you like to keep playing the demo after Next Fest is over? We're still deciding whether to leave the demo up in the coming weeks, especially as we overhaul some current game systems in preparation for the future. Let us know in the comments if you'd like to keep playing!

So, without further ado, the changelog:
Changelog for Die in the Dungeon DEMO Version 2.3.4 (99.6):
- Added description tooltip on Obtainable Dice when hovering over text.
- Fixed softlock related to Spider Nest event and Cobweb Boots curse.
- Modified Origami Frog relic behavior.
- Reduced Counterfeit Note relic trigger value to 2 souls.
- Reduced Green Goo relic trigger value to 1 soul.
- Fixed relic selection rewards UI rendering in front of backpack menu.
- Adjusted Draw Dice button collision box.
- Fixed Tasty modifier triggering before all dice from the player have been executed.
- Fixed Moon Chakram relic not automatically ending battles when no enemy is left.
- Fixed audio out of sync with visual sliders.
- Fixed dice moving to the bottom right corner of the screen when double-clicking fast.
- Fixed multiple balance changes to enemies.

Also, a hotfix was published shortly after to address an issue with the Grow property. Here it is:
Changelog for Die in the Dungeon DEMO Version 2.3.5 (99.6f3 HOTFIX):
- Fixed softlock due to bad text formatting on Grow property.

That's all for today, thank you for playing Die in the Dungeon!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2077710

The "Tons of Bugfixes" Update: New DEMO Version 2.3.3 (99.5)

Hello everyone!

How are you liking the new demo? Personally, we're processing as much feedback as possible from players, but response times might be slower due to us working on bugfixes and other serious issues like softlocks first. But we want to say this: this demo has been incredibly helpful in identifying certain design issues before it is too late (release), so now we have enough time to capitalize on the good parts and fix the bad ones.

We want Die in the Dungeon to be the best game possible on release, and that means creating a game that players like you can fully enjoy. While we always like to experiment with new features and ideas, in the end only the best ones should remain. So thank you for letting us know what you like and what you don't, it's truly the best way of supporting the development of the project!

Here's the full changelog for this update:
- Added new graphics and improvements to reroll dice and draw dice buttons.
- Added various general performance optimizations.
- Added multiple missing translations.
- Fixed dice in hand permanently getting stuck in unavailable state.
- Fixed softlock related to Crimson Blade relic.
- Fixed softlock related to small treasure tile.
- Fixed shop UI blocking right-most dice from backpack.
- Fixed crash when Mirror dice interacts with Sticky Boost dice.
- Fixed currency not updating correctly after restarting run.
- Fixed movement dice showing inaccurate values on tooltips.
- Fixed tooltip displaying with incorrect offset when opening for the first time.
- Fixed previously visited event triggering again after exiting Shop tile.
- Fixed boss music playing on Game Over screen.
- Fixed tile highlight incorrectly showing target tile when player is moving on map.
- Fixed softlock during Tutorial with Simplified Chinese language.

We're still working on more updates for the demo, so keep an eye on this page during Next Fest (and after it!). Thank you for playing Die in the Dungeon!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2077710