Metavoidal News

When looking to set up a cult focused around metal music, it's all about location, location, location! So, we're going to take a closer look at where our mysterious metal band have set-up camp.



Each level ends with a challenge room, and each biome culminates in a boss fight with a Band Member to really test your metal. In-between are mini bosses, extra rooms, and challenges to make sure you tap into the tempo of game. Here's the breakdown of the world of Metavoidal:

[h3]The Sanctuary (pre-run)[/h3]
Where fresh-off-the-tour-bus drummers start to prepare for their escape attempt. The sanctuary is a dimly-lit space that is safe enough from the corrupted to fine-tune your skills, and prepare for the chaos that lies ahead.


[h3]The Church/Catacombs (Biome 1)[/h3]
This is where you'll stretch your bass drum kicking legs. Here, you'll encounter the corrupted forces of metal for the first time, and find the rhythm of the game. Decorated with church pews, ancient-looking bookshelves and a shocking amount of fire hazards, The Church is where you find your footing.


[h3]The Sewers/Graveyard (Biome 2)[/h3]
Where shit hits the fan

Where you have to put that double-bass pedal to the metal! If every escape attempt was a song, then this is where the cool build-up would be. You'll find yourself among crumbling tombstones and forgotten crypts of musicians unknown, and you'll have to face-off against new and even more foreboding foes.

In the graveyard you'll come to realise that every beat of your drumstick could be your last...


[h3]The Bone Desert/**REDACTED** (Biome 3)[/h3]
Where you will start to taste freedom, but start to question if you're a good enough drummer to see this through. The Bone Desert is littered with past failures, and hides buried secrets under the sands of time. This is where you will face your greatest challenge, and possibly gain your greatest reward.


In time you'll become intimately knowledgeable of each pixel of these biomes as you attempt to give your poor drummer the freedom they deserve. But until then, you must excuse us for keeping some of the details up our hoodies' sleeves. We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

We're really excited to get this game into your hands! So mark your calendars for the Endless Replayability Fest in May to try out an updated demo.

Keep an eye out for more Metavoidal news in the next couple of months. Its debut might be closer than you think!

For general updates & to see the progress of the game, please follow our social media pages! You can find the links to all of them

See you at the next update,

[h2]Xin nian hao, from the Yellow Lab team![/h2]

While we've opted to not participate in this February's Steam Next Fest, we're incredibly happy to announce that we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year with our friends at Astrolabe Games. Right here on Steam!



For the duration of the event, which runs from the 7th to the 14th of Feb, you can play the latest version of Metavoidal's Demo. Quite a lot has changed since we released it for the first time in December, so be sure to play it to see what we've been up to.

[h3]The quick highlights of what we've changed include:[/h3]

• New enemy variations
  
• A new meta currency system - finally you can use Exposure to buy things!
  
• An updated tutorial
  
• The highly requested video settings menu
  
• Improved drummer technique system
  

In this version we've also included a player survey inside the main menu, if you feel up to helping us make the game experience better. Your feedback has been what's helped shape Metavoidal into what it is today, so your survey answers will go a long way in making MV the best it can be!

Let us know what you think, and as always don't forget to add MV to your wishlists!

We hope you enjoy your time in the game, and
Gong xi fa cai!

- Love, The YLG Team

Happy 2024 to all you metal-heads out there! Welcome to another installment of "What's up with Metavoidal?", where we try to make sense of our own weird design choices by explaining it to you as best we can!



We've been a bit secretive about what kind of powers are lurking under the hood of Metavoidal; partially because we were waiting for the right time, and partially because we didn't have a clear idea of what they looked like when we first started playing around with the idea.

But with the development moving forward at the pace of a Dragonforce song, we decided to show you some of the things we've come up with. The list will be expanded as we go, but here's what we can share so far!

[h3]TRINKETS[/h3]


In short, they're kind of what it says on the tin; Trinkets are knick-knacks, if you will, that you can discover during a run. From a nudge of extra health and defense, to tapping into that new corrupted musical bone in your body, they're your good luck charm for the fight ahead. The trinkets we have planned so far are:

• BingBong's Leg: Killing enemies replenishes dodge charges
  
• Blue Book: Gives you extra health & drumstick slots, and dodge charges
  
• Golden Guitar Pick: Increases your movement & attack speed for a time after collecting picks
  
• Moon Gel: Instead of dying you become invulnerable for a time, and gain back half your health
  
• Glass Drum: Your attacks deal double, but you also take double damage from enemies
  
• Golden Egg: Increases the amount of picks you find between every couch cushion
  

There are more planned, but we love involving players into the development of the game. So if you have any ideas for more trinkets, and what they can do, please throw them at us like a drummer would throw their sticks at a crowd; with fervent disregard for the person on the receiving end...

[h3]MECHANICS[/h3]


This one isn't too complicated, but there are some caveats to getting trinkets in-game. Namely, they have a possibility of spawning from guitar cases you find in a level BUT you will have a greater chance of getting a drop when completing Challenge Rooms.

We'll discuss what those are at a later stage, but they, too, are pretty much what it says on the tin. Rooms that spawn in a level that are there to challenge you. Risk & reward rooms, basically.

We'll (hopefully) be doing more updates like this as we get closer to launch to show you what we've got going on in the background, so keep an eye out for future posts!

And as always, this is a living project. There might be some adjustments made on the game's features before release that we've found would be better for the overall game. So if you're reading this, and it isn't so in MV anymore, just know it was a call made for a reason.

Thanks so much for reading, and see you in the next one!

(And don't forget to wishlist the game if you liked what we're working on!)

If you came here expecting a breakdown on 'how to get into drumming', then I must unfortunately disappoint you. Instead, we'll be taking a closer look at our new combat system!

At Gamescom, and at events as far back as BitSummit, there were a few comments made about the 'lack of variety' in attacks in Metavoidal. These remarks were more than fair, since there's more to a drummer than simply banging sticks against things, right?

While we were initially planning on adding some spice to the move sets, we decided that a mere dash wouldn't suffice. That's why we've added new attacks & items altogether to put a bit more beat meat on the bones of each run.

[h2]ATTACKS: [/h2]

A drummer has more up their hoodie's sleeve than just hitting things with sticks. That's exactly why, instead of delaying it in-lieu of doing something less important (like music) we've gone and actually added the new moves & fighting mechanics.

So apart from the old reliable down stroke and fling a stick, we've added 7 new drumming techniques to your repertoire:

• Hi-Hat Tap
  
• Crash Cymbal
  
• Stick Trick
  
• Drum Kick
  
• Flam (a double whammy)
  
• Blast Beat (jump attack)
  
• Up Stroke
  

Not forgetting about the Double Time spin attack that has been in the game since August. So there's about 7 already in, or in the process of being added.

[h2]MECHANICS: [/h2]
OK great, new things are coming. Whoo.
But does it play well with the systems already in-place? Well, about that...


In the pursuit of giving variety, we've opted for a more customisable option! You start out with the basics, but as you explore and defeat challenge rooms, you will unlock new techniques.
You can then chop & change your configuration at the end of each level with the new moves you've nabbed, or try out a new playstyle with what you have by changing the sequence of attacks.

[h3]How it works[/h3]
Your drummer has 4 open attack slots, like this o > o > o > o.
Initially, 3 of them are filled with the basic* left-right-double attack move combo, with a pause at the end, to get you started. Like this Left > Right > Double > Pause.

*You're a fresh drummer, you gotta work your way up to the cool moves, you know?


As you progress through the levels, you'll unlock new moves that you'll be able to access through the drum set at the end of each level. Riiiight before you head into the next area.

Customise your sequence, try out what flows more with your style, or just select a new move as you please and get back to it!

It takes a second to get use to the new rhythm, but once you have it you'll be beating down baddies in no time!

[h2]Outro[/h2]
This new combat system, coupled with the Trinkets (more on those SOON) you can unlock during a run, is sure to put the "Fun" in 'Funeral for a Friend'. But we'd love to hear what you think about this change!

If you have any questions, pop them in the comments, or find us on Discord to have a chat about it.
https://discord.gg/XhK7fNpH8N

Gather 'round, listeners, both mortal and spectral, as we unveil a tale intertwined with the cosmic and the drum's rhythmical 🥁

In the mystical world of Metavoidal, where rogues and rhythms entwine, our Halloween special stream takes the stage, an event quite divine ✨

Within the echoing beats of the astral snare, you'll find a story to unfold, where the mystical and the eerie collide, in a symphony of the untold.

Join us now on our Steam Page's cursed domain, for a fusion of rhythm and the arcane. As the Scream Fest of Revenge sets the tone, in Metavoidal's realm, the unknown shall be known 💭

Prepare to venture, where beats and wraiths convene, an eldritch spectacle, the likes you've never seen. With powers of music and rhythms so tight, this Hallows Eve journey shall haunt the night! 👻

- From the stage of Metavoidal, where Halloween and roguelike unite.

___________________________________________________________________

[h3]OK NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY! 🎃[/h3]

This special Halloween stream will show you somethings we've been working on the last while, which includes:
- New enemies
- Updated Levels
- Challenge Rooms
- New Combat Mechanics (WIP! Feedback would be appreciated!)
- And a look at the newly renovated Sewers!

We'd love to hear what you think of the direction Metavoidal is going. So bother us on any and every platform about your thoughts! Your call is important to us.

The stream will be running from now, until the end of the end of the Scream Fest, so be sure to check it out!