Break, Enter, Repeat News

Hello again, fellow burglars!

We're back with another devlog packed with exciting developments for our game about heists, "Break, Enter, Repeat". Our team has been hard at work refining mechanics, squashing bugs, and introducing new features to make your heisting experience even better! Let's dive into what's new:



Heists are no longer just about finding a way in and taking as much loot as possible. Now they're also about survival! We're happy to introduce our new injury and first aid system.

• Dynamic injuries: Characters can now suffer injuries based on their actions, gear and skills. Attempting to disable an alarm might result in an electrical burn, while kicking down a door could lead to a sprained ankle. Smashing a window with your bare hands might be tempting... But will you risk getting a massive hand laceration?
  
• Debuffs and healing: Injuries come with both skill and speed debuffs that affect your performance. However, with the right tools (like bandages, burn gels, and splints) and the first aid skill, you can treat these injuries during the heist.
  
• Visual feedback: Injured characters will visibly limp, and blood splatters will mark the scene, adding a layer of realism and urgency to your missions.
  

We're thrilled to announce our first foray into motion capture! This technology is more accessible than ever before, and has allowed us to create more realistic animations for actions such as:

• Drilling safes and locks: Experience the tension as your character carefully drills into a safe.
  
• Disabling alarms: Watch as your character expertly handles the electronics kit to bypass security systems.
  

These animations bring a new level of immersion to your heisting adventures, and there are many more to come, now that the proof of concept has been successful!



Preparation is key when it comes to 'borrowing' property, and we've revamped our planning and scouting systems to reflect that.

• New scouting results screen: A completely redesigned screen for knowing exactly what the results of your scouting were. Now it's clear how much intel of each kind (layout, valuables, systems) you have acquired and how much you've exposed yourself during the process... Which might bring you lots of trouble later!
  
• Better balance for scouting mechanic: We spent some time tweaking the scouting mechanic to make it both more fun and fair.
  

The game now includes chainlink fences, which you can either jump (if your character's agility stat is high enough) or cut using bolt cutters, to then crawl under. We've also added gates to fences and introduced new methods for unlocking doors, giving you more options for infiltration and escape.





We've made several tweaks to enhance your gameplay experience:

• Camera follow button: Easily keep track of your active character during heists.
  
• Graphical fixes: Updated icons and thumbnails for furniture and loot items for better clarity.
  
• Bug fixes: Resolved issues related to car purchases, null reference exceptions in planning mode, and multiplayer synchronisation problems.
  

We're excited to introduce a new level in development: the Eurotronix Electronics Warehouse. This will be our most complex and challenging level yet, featuring:

• Intricate layouts: Navigate through a maze of electronics and security systems.
  
• High value loot: Target valuable electronics for a hefty payday.
  
• Increased security: Expect tighter security measures, requiring careful planning and execution. This will also be the first level that includes security guard NPCs!
  

We're about 80% complete and can't wait for you to experience it!

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and if you're keen on sharing ideas or telling us what would make this game about heists great, don't hesitate to follow us on our Bluesky account, Twitter (or X, or whatever) or join our Discord community. Meanwhile, go ahead and wishlist "Break, Enter, Repeat" on Steam if you haven't already... Every bit of support helps!

More updates to come... Stay sneaky!

Hello again, fellow criminals!

It’s time for another "Break, Enter, Repeat" development update, and this one's packed with improvements! We've been busy refining game mechanics, implementing tutorials, and even giving the visuals a slight boost.



We've been hard at work making sure new players don't get lost in the shadows. The game now has a basic tutorial system in place that covers everything from the basics of the game to how to plan heists and how to navigate Flumenborg.



The tutorial system so far includes:

• The Lair Tutorial, where Aunt Ursula gives you the rundown on planning your first heist.
  
• The Planning Tutorial, guiding you through placing actions and synchronisation points.
  
• The After-Heist Tutorial, explaining what happens after a job is done, including selling loot.
  
• The Map Tutorial, which highlights important locations in Flumenborg.
  

We have added a ton of new props and furniture models to the game, especially for store environments. And we've put them to good use in the new Flumen Kiosk level, which will also be where the tutorial takes place.



Now we can finally call the Flumen Kiosk level done! Which means we can move to creating even more levels, with much more complex layouts and security systems.



We've also been busy with refinements that improve the game's look and feel:

• Better furniture placement system in the level editor, making it easier to align objects, including an optional "snap to grid" system.
  
• Colour grading adjustments that give the game a slightly more contrasty look.
  
• New visual effects which give the heist scene some extra depth and 'oomph' (yeah, that is the technical term for it).
  
• Fix for a bug that was causing loot to have negative value sometimes (Yikes! What's the point of stealing stuff if you have to pay to unload it afterwards?!).
  
• Various performance optimisations that reduce unnecessary memory allocations and improve UI responsiveness.
  
• Better colliders for furniture, to both improve performance and make stuff easier to click on.
  
• Fixes for a couple bugs in the level editor that were causing exceptions to be thrown under specific circumstances.
  
• Old assets, shaders and scripts have been removed from the game, making the builds smaller and reducing loading times.
  

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and if you're keen on sharing ideas or telling us what would make this game great, don't hesitate to follow us on our new Bluesky account, Twitter (or X, or whatever) or join our Discord community. Meanwhile, go ahead and wishlist "Break, Enter, Repeat" on Steam if you haven’t already... Every bit of support helps!

More updates to come... Stay sneaky!

Hello again, fellow criminals,

It’s time for another development update for "Break, Enter, Repeat", and we’ve got quite the selection of new features, game mechanics improvements, and bug fixes to share. Let’s dive right in!



One of the most exciting additions in this update is the introduction of getaway cars! Here’s what’s new:

• You can now use the newspaper to browse classified ads and find the perfect getaway vehicle. Will you prioritise cargo capacity? Or speed? Or reliability? Or perhaps you have a limited budget and you’ll have to settle for a beat-up Insect Nova (totally not a VW Beetle)?
• Having a getaway vehicle will greatly improve your chances of escaping successfully, particularly if the police are already coming!
• You can now also store loot in your car in the middle of the heist, allowing you to completely empty the target, without having to worry about your inventory limits all that much.
• Need some extra cash for some new tools or a bribe or two? Unload your old getaway cars for a profit.

This is still a work in progress, and we’re continuing to refine the feature, including better integration into the planning mode and UI improvements for tracking your fleet.



We’ve completely redesigned the way you handle large items during a heist, making looting even more dynamic and interesting. You can now carry one item that exceeds your inventory’s normal size, at the cost of mobility. Remember to think ahead or ask your accomplices for help! Once your hands are full, you won’t be able to pick locks, disable alarms, or even open doors.



This mechanic works beautifully with the new getaway car feature. You can now make multiple trips to your car, to make sure that you get every last bit of loot you can. Now you can decide whether that giant TV is worth the slower getaway, or if you’d rather make a run for it!



Breaking and entering is an art, and we’ve expanded your options for ‘creative infiltration’ and escape:

• Jumping through windows now requires a minimum agility skill and checks for obstructions. No more getting stuck in furniture when going in through a window! 😛
• Reworked window breaking: New particle effects, better textures, and more window types that can actually be broken.
• Gem & Tonic level overhaul: Window breaking mechanics are now integrated into this level, allowing for new approaches.

Doors have also gotten smarter! Here’s what’s changed:

• Unlock from the inside: No need to force your way out anymore. In some cases, if you’re inside, you can simply unlock doors. But some always require being picked or forced, so it’s better to scout the target thoroughly to know these things in advance!
• Kicking doors: You can only kick doors open from the outside… obviously! Plan accordingly!

The world of “Break, Enter, Repeat” just got a little prettier, if we may say so ourselves:

• New 3D art: Updated outdoor assets, including trees, bushes, and rocks. We also improved alarm system visuals (motion sensors, control panels, etc.) for better clarity and a more 1970s style.

• New colour grading: A fresh look to make everything pop a little more, inspired by the way analog photos look like, contributing to the retro vibes. Does this look beautiful or what?

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and if you’re keen on sharing ideas or telling us what would make this game great, don’t hesitate to follow us on our brand new Bluesky account, Twitter (or X, or whatever) or join our Discord community. Meanwhile, go ahead and wishlist “Break, Enter, Repeat” on Steam if you haven’t already… Every bit of support helps!

More updates to come… Stay sneaky!

Hello, fellow burglars! We’re back with another devlog packed with exciting developments for “Break, Enter, Repeat”. We’ve been hard at work making lots of improvements, and we hope you’ll be as thrilled as we are with the latest progress! Let’s get into it:



The hard work has paid off, and we’re happy to announce that the multiplayer mode is graduating from its prototype phase to fully playable. We’ve finished implementing network synchronisation for all game elements, such as alarm systems, NPCs, noise levels, and item transfers between players. Additionally, we’ve added checks to make sure only one player can interact with specific items at a time, such as inspecting a cabinet’s contents or picking a door’s lock.





Creating custom heist scenarios is now a lot easier and more powerful with our improved level editor. You can build and play your own levels, whether alone in sandbox mode or with friends in multiplayer. The player created levels will also be able to be shared with the community through Steam Workshop, bringing endless new challenges for everyone. Our updates, besides stability and UI fixes, include tools for designing environmental art around heist targets and procedurally generated roofs.





While implementing new features is always exciting, it’s important to remember to refine what’s already there. We have, therefore, squashed around a dozen bugs and addressed plenty of small graphical glitches. We’ve also introduced subtle VFX and animation tweaks in some of the scenes (such as the lair, hardware store and pawn shop) to enhance the overall experience.



Say goodbye to flat surfaces! Wall and floor textures now have smoothness and normal maps, adding extra depth to the game’s environments. These improvements focus on how surfaces interact with light, delivering a more convincing and polished visual experience





It’s not a big one, but it’s a brand new game mechanic: electrical boxes! Players now have the option to disrupt a target building’s electricity supply, potentially cutting off lights and deactivating alarm systems. However, this task isn’t without its risks to your character’s well being. In addition, you will need specific tools and skills to bypass the electricity supply… And it’s probably a good idea to remember that some systems might have a battery backup! Thorough scouting and planning will help you avoid any unexpected surprises.



Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and if you're keen on sharing ideas or telling us what would make this game great, don't hesitate to follow us on Twitter (or X, or whatever) or join our Discord community. Meanwhile, go ahead and wishlist "Break, Enter, Repeat" on Steam if you haven’t already... Every bit of support helps!

More updates to come... Stay sneaky!

Hey, everyone! We're back with an exciting update about "Break, Enter, Repeat". Over the past week, we've been trying out something ambitious: a proof of concept for co-op multiplayer mode!

Multiplayer has always been on our radar as a feature that could make the game even more engaging and replayable, so we decided to spend a week exploring how feasible it would be to integrate. Spoiler: it works (not perfectly but it works)! But let's break it down!



Multiplayer games are incredibly tricky to pull off. They come with a unique set of challenges: synchronising the state and position of players, managing edge cases, deciding which player has authority over what, making sure the game feels seamless across all connections... And a bunch more.

To tackle this, we're testing Unity's own multiplayer solution, Netcode for GameObjects. So far, it's proven to be a solid foundation. There's still plenty of room to improve, but we're super excited by the progress we've made.



The first step in our co-op experience is the planning lobby, where up to four players can join the game, choose their characters, and pick the tools they'll bring to the heist. The video below shows our progress so far, with all four players in sync. In the future, the planning lobby will also contain tools for... Well... Planning the heist itself! You'll be able to review the target's blueprints with your friends and communicate using text or voice chat to decide what's the best approach.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Once the team is ready, the heist begins. Each player spawns at their designated spawn point, and the synchronised movement of the characters can be seen in this other clip.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The real fun begins when the team infiltrates the building. In this clip, players interact with the environment: one character opens a door while another switches on the lights... And all actions get synced across the four player session.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

While this prototype still has bugs and rough edges, this small experiment shows how multiplayer could transform the gameplay experience. Co-op adds a social layer to the game, encouraging communication and strategy. To that end, we've also prototyped a simple in-game chat feature to make coordinating heists with your friends easier.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



With this successful proof of concept under our belts, we're pausing multiplayer development for now to refocus on the game's core mechanics, single-player mode, and a new and exciting sandbox mode with a level editor. These additions will bring even more replayability to Break, Enter, Repeat, and we'll have more to share on them very soon!

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and if you're keen on sharing ideas or telling us what would make this game great, don't hesitate to follow us on Twitter (or X, or whatever) or join our Discord community. Meanwhile, go ahead and wishlist "Break, Enter, Repeat" on Steam if you haven’t already... Every bit of support helps!

More updates to come... Stay sneaky!