Drop Duchy News

[p]Welcome back to another episode of “What’s coming next in Drop Duchy”![/p][p]Last time we covered the DLC faction The Tribe, launching on August 18th, and today I’m telling you more about the free update that comes alongside it. Specifically the new mechanics we’re adding to the game (I’ll discuss additional content and quality of life changes in the next article, otherwise, this one would’ve been too long!).[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Reading the Stars[/h3][p]At Sleepy Mill Studio, we’re constantly monitoring the feedback you’ve been sharing and have noticed how randomness can be frustrating for some players. Therefore, we have made a priority of providing new tools to mitigate that randomness.[/p][p]Constellations is a new gameplay feature available to all factions across all game modes that lets you select a power of your choice and trigger it whenever you need it during the round. The constellations have varied effects to modify the current piece to your liking: change its shape, its terrain type, or even remove enemies from it.[/p][p][/p][p]Each constellation requires a certain number of charges before use, which you automatically gain by placing a piece, so you need to decide when is the best time to trigger its effect. Maybe you’re running a river strategy and you’re missing one river piece to connect them all? Use the Pisces constellation to change the current terrain for a river![/p][p][/p][p]The best part is that you don’t even need to stick to a particular constellation; you can freely change throughout the run (although it does reset the charges) if you’re pivoting to a new strategy or feel that a particular Constellation would be ideal for a specific situation. My favorite one is the Centaurus, which can turn enemy buildings into another type, allowing you to dodge some of those annoying effects![/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Ready for a New Challenge?[/h3][p]With the addition of Constellations, runs feel more consistent, and it’s easier to pull off your satisfying combos (without constantly reloading saves). To give an extra challenge for super-rulers with hyper-optimized decks, we’re adding a fourth endless Act to the game.[/p][p][/p][p]After defeating the Dungeon, you now have the option to continue to push your run as far as you can in the new endless act. In this act, every location is a combat with more and more enemies. Don’t expect any rest, a Trading Fair, or anything else: it’s pure combat. You may, however, continue to grab some cards and collect resources to keep optimizing your deck, but be prepared for a tough challenge without an end in sight![/p][p][/p][p]Don’t worry, when you eventually lose (and I promise you will), the run still counts as a Victory, and you should be able to reach new scoring heights.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Formidable Foes[/h3][p]In the endless mode, you’ll also meet a new enemy type: the Elites. Those military buildings may look familiar, but be sure to read their descriptions carefully, as each has subtle changes that significantly increase the difficulty.[/p][p][/p][p]For instance, you got used to shoving Rangers Bases and River Castles aside, easily preventing them from getting bonus troops? Well, the elite's version of those is inverted: you must place them adjacent to their preferred terrain to reduce their strength. Some Elite variants have increased range, and others, such as the Training Camp or Alarm Tower, also work with diagonals, turning the grid into a minefield.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve prepared 20 Elite variants for this update, and for now, they only appear during Act 4, but we’re also considering adding those sporadically to the run. What do you think?[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]See you next time![/h3][p]That’s it for today’s post about the new gameplay mechanics we’re bringing with this free update. Stay tuned for the next article, as we have a lot more in store (still free): new cards, new challenges, gameplay updates, and numerous UI improvements to make the game more enjoyable.[/p][p]If you’d like to discuss this with the community and share your thoughts, you can use the Steam forums, Discord, or Reddit; we’re reading everything on all these platforms. Until then, have fun![/p][p]

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[/p]

[p]Hello and welcome back to a new series of Drop Duchy’s Devlogs (I love a good alliteration), dedicated to the upcoming content of our first major content expansion.
[/p][p]First, I’d like to thank you all for playing the game. If you’re one of the 100,000+ players who’ve purchased Drop Duchy, you can proudly say that you’re 0.00001% responsible for the project’s continuation. In fact, thanks to the game’s incredible success, we’ve decided to continue expanding it. So far, we’ve released two bug-fixing patches, and in a few weeks, you’ll also get to discover a big content update featuring new mechanics, new cards, quality-of-life updates, and more![/p][p][/p][p]This first post will tell you more about the new DLC faction we’re introducing with this update available from August 18th : The Tribe.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Power of the Druids[/h3][p][/p][p]The Tribe is the fourth faction in the game, and as you know, we strive to give each faction a strong gameplay and thematic identity. After the peasants, city dwellers, and crusaders, our next idea was to focus more on the forest, nature, and exploration, which is how we decided to go for the mystical druids.[/p][p][/p][p]The central mechanic of the Tribe is called the Cairn’s area.In your starting deck, you’ve got the technology Ancient Alignment, which adds four Cairn’s pieces to the round deck. Your goal is to create the largest rectangular area that fits inside those four standing stones to trigger the effect of the Tribe’s starting building, the Stone Circle. Indeed, if you manage to place the Stone Circle inside the Cairn’s area, it collects a massive amount of resources.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Cairns also recruit troops when aligned with one another, which can be helpful to support your early game military needs, but you may also decide to drop the idea of a rectangular area in favor of a stone alignment to gain even more troops. In this context, existing technology cards, such as Tactical Advantage or Strength in Numbers, become particularly interesting.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Exploration Combos[/h3][p][/p][p]But wait, don’t underestimate the power of a large rectangular Cairn’s area too quickly! Trying to position a Cairn in each corner of the grid is certainly a challenge, and you’ll have to reconsider your usual approach to optimal positioning, but it provides a fantastic opportunity to set up massive exploration-related combos.[/p][p]As a reminder, in the game, when you complete a line, you get to explore its square and gain resources; now you can explore them a second time! The Tribe has access to exclusive cards that leverage its boosted exploration capacity, such as the Druid Hut for extra food & defense, or the technology Lush Woods, which adds food to forest exploration gains.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]At this point, I should mention that it can be worth revisiting cards from the base game that fit into this archetype. Buildings such as Exploited Lands or Royal Garden can yield resources twice in a round now (or even more if you used the Manor’s capacity to explore squares in range three times!). While the Tribe’s natural environment is the forest, they can definitely work with the river if you bring in a good Shipyard, which recruits for each time a river square adjacent to the grid border is explored.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Now, if you want to go all-in on the exploration, your best option is going to be another druid-exclusive card: the War Council, which recruits for each square explored in the round.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Sacrifice and Progression[/h3][p][/p][p]Like the other factions in the game, the Tribe can play in any mode as long as you’ve unlocked at least the Technology cards in the Progress tree. It comes with 12 faction quests that’ll help you figure out the new mechanics of the faction and challenge you to leverage its power. Can you beat Act 1 without a single production card other than the Stone Circle?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As you complete the quests, you’ll unlock more cards and get to another specialty of the druid-inspired faction: reading the stars and sacrificing opponents. For the first one, you’ll have to wait until the following article to discover how the Tribe interacts with the new Constellation mechanic we’re adding to this update as well.[/p][p]As for the second, the Tribe can get the technology Law Court which removes units from every enemy building inside the Cairn’s area and more importantly, the building Sacrificial Site which has the power to recruit one unit for each unit that was removed during the whole round (by any building or technology card). That’s another entire archetype you can build your deck around to unleash devastating combo: the good old Siege Camp fits perfectly in such a deck.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Wrap Up[/h3][p][/p][p]That’s it for this first devlog about the next big update to the game. We hope you’ll enjoy this new faction as much as we did when it launches this summer. With its original mechanics and introduction of new combos, the Tribe gives you a perfect excuse to replay the game to figure out new strategies using both old and new content.[/p][p]In the next article, I’ll tell you more about the major additions of the (free) content patch: the Constellation mechanic, the Endless mode, and Elite enemies! See you, have fun![/p][p]


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JB Oger - Game Director

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[/p]

[p]Hear ye, hear ye!
[/p][p]It's now been two months since Drop Duchy has been out, and we can proudly announce that you've been more than 100,000 players to start your ruler journey!👑
[/p][p][/p][p]We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for being part of this adventure. Your ongoing enthusiasm and support have been instrumental in shaping the game – we have now reached 89% on Steam (!!!), and, with the help of your valuable feedback, we aim at bringing you an even more enjoyable game experience![/p][p]Looking ahead, we are also committed to keep updating Drop Duchy to provide you with even more exciting content![/p][p][/p][p]Speaking of updates…[/p][p][/p][h3]DLC & Free Major Update Incoming!![/h3][p]You’ve heard me right!
[/p][p]Drop Duchy will be back THIS SUMMER with its first DLC featuring a brand-new faction (meaning new exclusive buildings, technologies, cards, and challenges!!) and a free major update which will feature new game mechanics, new cards, quality of life updates, and more…!
[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll be sharing more information on what you can expect from these updates in the upcoming weeks, so keep an eye out![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]ICYMI: Drop Duchy's OST is available NOW![/h3][p]The official Drop Duchy Original Soundtrack is now available on Steam! [/p][p]You get to dive back into the game’s unique atmosphere and relive your favorite runs through its vibrant, punchy tunes. [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Whether you want to study, chill, or strategize your next build, it’s yours to enjoy![/p][p][/p][p]If you have thoughts, builds, video clips (or even jokes) to share with us and fellow rulers, please don’t hesitate to join our official Discord server! With your feedback, we'll work on making the game even better![/p][p]JOIN OUR DISCORD[/p][p]You can also follow us on social media to keep up with the latest news: [/p][p]X / Twitter: [/p]

• [p] X - Sleepy Mill Studio [/p]
• [p] X - The Arcade Crew [/p]

[p]And join us on Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky!
[/p]

[p]Hear ye, hear ye![/p][p][/p][p]We're back with a new update to correct the following bugs:[/p][p][/p][h3]Patch notes - June 6th, 2025[/h3]

• [p]Fixed Taxes card not working[/p]
• [p]Fixed Blacksmith not activating for some buildings with End round effects (e.g. Horse Stable, Belfry)[/p]
• [p]Fixed Enclosure card triggering several times[/p]
• [p]Fixed Bridge not being counted as a Building for card effects such as Krak des Chevaliers or Fluvial Guard[/p]
• [p]Fixed Krak des Chevaliers inconsistent behavior when using the Fertile Grounds[/p]
• [p]Fixed Blacksmith re-triggering indefinitely in some cases[/p]
• [p]Fixed buildings not receiving resources/units when using the Land Expansion technology[/p]
• [p]Fixed squares spawned by Noble buildings not accounted for some card effects (e.g. Daily Bread)[/p]
• [p]Fixed squares "explored" by Manor not counting as explored for card effects such as Daily Bread or Shipyard[/p]
• [p]Fixed Horse Stable gaining twice the units when placed horizontally[/p]
• [p]Fixed Reliquary incorrectly counting how many faith it add[/p]
• [p]Fixed Cathedral giving incorrect amount of faith in some complex sequences[/p]
• [p]Fixed By the Sword giving an incorrect amount of troops if you had a lot of Faith[/p]
• [p]Fixed Face the Enemy challenge reset when reloading the save[/p]
• [p]Added a small delay to prevent the player from accidentally locking a piece that just moved down [/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where spamming rotate would incorrectly lock the piece floating in the air[/p]
• [p]Fixed card tooltips not updating when upgrading a card (with a gamepad)[/p]
• [p]Fixed UI stretched when displaying three round modifiers[/p]
• [p]Fixed playtime stat not displaying the number of days (now adding days x24 to the hours)[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect icon on the faction quest Headquarter[/p]
• [p]Fixed cards not having the correct displayed range in the Long Range trial[/p]
• [p]Fixed unique/other class buildings appearing as end-round rewards after rerolling a lot[/p]
• [p]Fixed "cards that work on Forest" appearing as a Guild choice despite removing the Forest[/p]
• [p]Fixed enemy groups that include a Raider Colony spawning with an excessive amount of garrison [/p]
• [p]Fixed infinite activation loops with the Faith -> now has a maximum of 99[/p]
• [p]Fixed several Japanese translations to improve understanding of adjacent effects[/p]
• [p]Fixed tags appearing in some traditional Chinese lines[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Bosses would be hard to select on the World Map[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where reloading a save in the grid would disable the sound effects[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where winning a combat wouldn't trigger some challenges related to winning them[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Sacred Ground would not trigger on The Wall[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Gold Diggers card effect would be delayed[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where spamming the A button on a gamepad while the game is loading would result in a black screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Organized Defense (Faction Challenge) would trigger at 60 recruited units instead of 40[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Recluse Monk would give more defense for the first mountain piece[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where Bastion-generated plain tiles wouldn't count toward line completion[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]If you want to discuss strategies and share your favorite builds with fellow rulers, don’t hesitate to join our official Discord server! And, don't forget to follow us on Social Media to keep up with the latest news:[/p][p]X / Twitter:[/p]

• [p] X - Sleepy Mill Studio[/p]
• [p] X - The Arcade Crew[/p]

[p]And join us on Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky![/p]

Drop Duchy has been in your hands for three weeks now, and you have already made this launch something truly special!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We’ve seen your reviews, watched your streams, and read your posts, and we are thrilled to see that so many of you fell for Drop Duchy’s unique identity!

[h3]We've Just Reached +1000 Reviews![/h3]
The response to the game’s full release has blown us away (83/100 on Metacritic and very positive reviews on Steam!!!), and the warm welcome you’ve shown Drop Duchy means the world to our team.
Whether you’ve spent hours trying to perfect your boards, completing all the quests, experimenting with new synergies, or just dropped in for a quick run, we’re incredibly grateful for every single one of you!

From the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU for playing, sharing your love for the game, and helping us kick things off with such an amazing start!

[h3]Drop Duchy's OST is available NOW![/h3]
Oh, and one more thing, the official Drop Duchy Original Soundtrack is now available! Dive back into the game’s unique atmosphere and relive your favorite runs through its vibrant, punchy tunes.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3697930/Drop_Duchy_Soundtrack/
Whether you want to study, chill, or strategize your next build, it’s yours to enjoy!




If you have thoughts, builds, video clips (or even jokes) to share with us and fellow rulers, please don’t hesitate to join our official Discord server!
With your feedback, we'll work on making the game even better!

You can also follow us on social media to keep up with the latest news:

X / Twitter:

• https://x.com/SleepyMillGames
  
• https://x.com/TheArcadeCrew
  

And join us on Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky!