Concubine News

[h3]Time Moves Swiftly[/h3][p]How quickly time slips away. It feels as if yesterday’s missive had only just departed our hands, yet more than two weeks have already passed. Each day within the palace carries its own intrigue, while beyond its gates, Istanbul continues to open doors to new adventures.[/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][h3]New Foundations for the Character[/h3][p]This week, our small circle of testers received a fresh build. For the first time, the health, mana, and stamina of our character are revealed on the screen suddenly, those carefully chosen attribute points weigh with greater meaning. A new “humble” starting outfit awaits as well; we thought to let you step into the palace a little more rough-hewn this time, though in truth, even rags seem to shine once inside these walls.[/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][h3]Shadows of the City[/h3][p]Three new places rise from the shadows: the Basilica Cistern, Yedikule Fortress, and Rumeli Fortress, each appearing as static instances in your path. Their mechanics are far from complete enemies fall too easily, loot remains ungenerous, and bosses still stand as little more than placeholders. Yet the ambience now begins to take shape, and with it the first taste of enemy variety and placement. Over the coming month, we will tune the challenge: balancing enemy strength, assigning loot and chest rewards, and weaving in level-completion treasures. The bosses themselves, however, will wait beyond Early Access; they deserve a more careful hand.[/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][h3]Loot Learns to Change[/h3][p]Loot, at last, has embraced the hand of chance. A blade dropped within one level may not be its twin elsewhere its hue, damage, armor, or stats may shift. Vendors, too, have learned to bargain with this new uncertainty, pricing weapons and armor according to their qualities, refreshing their wares as your journey progresses. Chest and quest rewards still belong to the older system, but soon all shall be aligned.[/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][h3]Scenes Before Battle[/h3][p]New furnishings have found their place within the palace, though perhaps more exciting are the cutscenes now greeting you as you step into each level. Even before the clash of steel and the cries of battle, who could resist a moment to gaze down upon the field, to see the stage of war from above?[/p][p][/p][p]The palace grows, the city breathes, and the seventh moon wanes. Until the next whisper…[/p][p]-Team Upgrade[/p]

[p]The palace gates have closed for now, yet within its chambers the work continues without rest. Our artisans, loyal testers, and the patrons who keep the lanterns burning still walk the unfinished halls, testing, adjusting, and shaping the dream of Concubine.[/p][p][/p][p]In recent days the palace has grown lighter to wander. The great burden of optimization has been lifted, and now even under the weight of epic settings, the courtyards shine at 100+ frames. A few shadows of performance still linger, but their cures are known and await their turn. Already, the battles and corridors feel smoother, more alive, as if the stone itself breathes easier.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][p][/p][h3]Of Faces and Beauty[/h3][p][/p][p]The mirrors of the harem have been polished. Presets and their icons have been refreshed, certain hairstyles cast aside like faded veils, while others have been touched with new luster. Plans for the art of make-up are already on the scribe’s table, promising subtler shades and more alluring detail.[/p][p][/p][p]On Patreon, our scrolls grow thicker by the week. We share not only what we planned, but far more than we expected tales of hidden levels, inspirations behind the story, glimpses of the journey ahead. Each new patron is a candle in our night, and their number gladdens us.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][p][/p][h3]A Beginning to the Tale[/h3][p][/p][p]To ease newcomers into our story, a small introductory film now opens the gates. No longer must travelers wander in blind silence. They shall learn where they stand, and why fate has led them here, before the path into danger begins.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][p][/p][h3]Companions on the Road[/h3][p][/p][p]Perhaps the most precious of recent additions: the ability to choose your companions before stepping into peril. Those you rescue from their trials may join you, but only three may walk at your side into the levels beyond. Together you will fight and grow stronger. When the dust settles and you return to the palace, they will rest in their chambers while you navigate the intrigues that coil within the court.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][p][/p][h3]The Clash of Steel[/h3][p][/p][p]Our greatest labor remains the art of combat. Enemies now come in greater variety, their dances of steel less predictable, their strikes less synchronized. The arenas themselves grow more alive: horses no longer stand frozen like statues but shift with quiet breath. They will not bolt from battle, our story is not so vast, but they lend a spirit of life to the fields they inhabit.[/p][p]
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][p][/p][h3]The Comforts of Home[/h3][p][/p][p]Even the quiet pleasures of the palace are not forgotten. The vendor’s stall now offers cushions, carpets, and furniture fit for an Ottoman chamber. The economy is not yet balanced, for the system of loot and reward is still being reforged, but the foundation stands. Soon the halls will invite not only conquest, but comfort.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][p][/p][p]The test build may be closed, but the story continues to grow, embroidered with every stitch of feedback and every moment of work. The next time the gates open, the palace will be richer still a place of shadow and silk, ready to welcome those who dare to step inside.[/p][p][/p][p]—Upgrade Team[/p][p][/p]

[h3][/h3][p]Beyond the gilded gates of the Sultan’s palace, word drifts through marble halls and silk-draped chambers. It speaks of a tale still being woven, a story of intrigue, steel, and shadow: Concubine.[/p][p][/p][p]Now, as the third moon of testing wanes, our scribes record 1,670 brave testers who have walked the palace corridors, and 9,180 souls who wait at the gates, their hearts set upon the day they may enter.[/p][p][/p][p]Messengers have returned from faraway lands, their words carried on parchment, ink, and song. In the grand hall of Discord and the bustling bazaar of Steam, voices rise, some singing of the adventures they’ve had, others offering counsel for the journey ahead. From the storytellers of distant YouTube taverns to the scribes of foreign courts, our tale has begun to travel and we welcome all who would carry it further.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][p][/p][h3]The Road to the Autumn Festival[/h3][p][/p][p]With the autumn moon comes the great Steam Fest, where we shall open the gates in Early Access.[/p][p][/p][p]Our intent: to let the people wander the palace gardens and shadowed alleys from October, and to unveil the full tale by the first quarter of 2026.[/p][p][/p][p]For now, our craft is to complete all the halls and courtyards, perhaps not flawless, but whole. Some rare jewels of design may remain locked away until after Early Access, yet if the palace stands strong and its stories flow, we shall be content. From there, the polishing will continue until every mosaic tile gleams.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯[/p][p][/p][h3]Matters Raised in the Court[/h3][p][/p][p]Every whisper from the crowd has been heard.[/p][p]The most pressing trouble when three companions were by your side, their belongings tangled together in the chests has been swiftly addressed, though other matters delayed the update in the test build.[/p][p][/p][p]The harsh cry of the rescue cage has been silenced as well. In truth, when the final tale is told, there will be no cages; rescues shall be living moments, hand-to-hand, heart-to-heart, woven into the story’s flow.[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][p][/p][h3]Works of Craft and Design[/h3][p][/p][p]While the masons finish the palace halls, the artisans tend to its living soul:[/p]

• [p]The Lure of Treasure – We reshape the art of loot, so that each coin purse opened and each chest unlocked tempts you further. The rarer your spoils, the finer your arms and armor. This, we hope, shall be ready for the Autumn Festival.[/p]
• [p]The Minds of Companions – For now, our goal is to keep them beside you in battle, avoiding their tendency to wander or linger too long in the palace halls. But should a wealthy patron bless our coffers, we dream of giving them true wit, the kind that makes them feel alive, as if stepped out of a tale like Free Guy.[/p]

[p][/p][p]The Furniture of Life – Perhaps a small thing to some, but to us, the ability to touch and use the objects you place in your chamber is the heart of roleplay. The carpenter’s stall has been transformed, now an Ottoman craftsman sells fine divans, low tables, and cushions to suit the palace’s style. Once placed, who would not wish to lounge upon them and capture the moment in a painted likeness?[/p][p][/p][p]⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ [/p][h3]A Final Word[/h3][p][/p][p]The testing days have been rich with lessons and blessings. To those who walk with us, sending their words, their patience, and their belief, we bow our heads in gratitude.[/p][p][/p][p]October approaches, and with it, the gates shall open wider. Until then, may the winds carry our story to every corner of the realm.[/p][p][/p][p]—Upgrade Team[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey adventurers 👋 [/p][p][/p][p]1,000+ testers applied and gained access and spots are still open. [/p][p]Step into the shadows of medieval Istanbul and help us shape the future of Concubine. [/p][p][/p][p]⚔ Customize your own concubine and pick your companions. [/p][p]🏛 Dive into the hidden worlds of royal intrigue, haunted ruins, and lawless streets [/p][p]🗡 Fight unspoken evils - Mythic legends [/p][p]💬 Submit your feedback, share wild ideas, and become part of our growing circle [/p][p]✨ This isn’t just a playtest it’s your chance to leave a mark. [/p][p][/p][p]🔗 Join now on our Steam Page → [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]🩸 May you survive The Harem… [/p]