Dwelvers News

[p]Hi everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]I wanted to share a quick update on the latest development progress. I don’t have screenshots or videos to show just yet, but there have been some major changes to the game that I think you’ll appreciate.[/p][p][/p][h3]What has been done so far?[/h3]

• [p]Crowding[/p]
  • [p]Creatures can no longer occupy the same space. Each tile is divided into a 3×3 grid, meaning a maximum of 9 creatures per tile.[/p]
  • [p]Creatures now pathfind and move in relation to each other — they can’t pass through one another, so when things get crowded they’ll find alternative routes or ask others to move out of the way.[/p]
  • [p]Creatures will never get stuck due to a bad dungeon layout. They will always find a way out (though it may take some time).[/p]
  • [p]Slower creatures can force faster creatures to walk behind them during the same phase (if there are no alternative routes).[/p]
  • [p]Ghosts and living creatures are allowed to occupy the same space.[/p]
• [p]Pathfinding[/p]
  • [p]Fishmen can travel through water just as they would on land, and they can also fight from water.[/p]
  • [p]Trogosaurs can travel through lava just as they would on land, and they can also fight from lava.[/p]
  • [p]Bats can now move over both water and lava.[/p]
• [p]Exploring[/p]
  • [p]Creatures now explore as intended, and their Exploring property determines how far from their base they’re allowed to go.[/p]
• [p]Fonts[/p]
  • [p]I refactored the text system so we can use fonts that aren’t installed on the system — instead, they’re bundled in the game folder.[/p]
  • [p]Updated the font to something more appropriate.[/p]
  • [p]Text is much sharper now.[/p]
• [p]Creature Status bar[/p]
  • [p]Updated to a more modern version (the old one was more than 10 years old).[/p]
  • [p]Includes LOD behavior depending on camera distance and whether the cursor is hovering nearby.[/p]
  • [p]Shows only what’s necessary — default states like full health or good mood are hidden.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]What is left?[/h3]

• [p]Balancing creature combat and fleeing.[/p]
• [p]Making sure the new font works with Simplified Chinese.[/p]
• [p]Ensuring possession works as intended.[/p]
• [p]Adding a new “Crowding” status that can lead to unhappiness if it gets too high.[/p]
• [p]Optimizing the pathfinding algorithm to use less memory.[/p]
• [p]Other minor bug fixes.[/p]

[p][/p][p]I’ll try to share a video or screenshots as soon as I have time — I tend to prioritize development over marketing (probably my biggest weakness).[/p][p][/p][p]One side note: after more than 10 years of working on Dwelvers, I’ve accepted that I probably won’t earn back all the time I’ve invested. But I keep developing it because I genuinely love it — and because I still believe the game has huge potential.[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time![/p][p]/ Rasmus[/p]

[h3]Hello Dwelvers people,[/h3][p][/p][p]I just released hotfix v1.2.4.3, addressing the issue where the camera could freeze when zooming in on the Dark Mother.[/p][p][/p][p]Aside from that, I’ve been continuing work on the new crowding system—though not quite at the pace I had hoped. It’s been a busy month in my personal life, so progress has slowed a little. But no worries! Development on Dwelvers continues as expected — sometimes fast, sometimes slower, but always moving forward.[/p][p][/p][p]I mainly wanted to check in, say hello, and let you all know that I’m alive and well 😊[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much for your continued support! If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments.[/p][p][/p][p]Have a great day,[/p][p]/ Rasmus[/p]

[p]Hey Dungeoneers![/p][p][/p][p]It’s time for another Dwelvers progress update, and this one brings a massive change to how your creatures behave — your dungeon will never feel the same again.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][hr][/hr][h2]Introducing Crowding[/h2][p]Until now, creatures could casually walk through each other like friendly dungeon ghosts. Well… not anymore.[/p][p]With the new Crowding system:[/p]

• [p]Creatures can now block each other’s paths.[/p]
• [p]Narrow corridors can cause traffic jams.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Smarter Pathfinding & Traffic Control[/h2][p]You’ll now need to think strategically about how you build:[/p]

• [p]Create multiple pathways to avoid dungeon gridlocks[/p]
• [p]Square rooms are better for movement than long corridors[/p]
• [p]Build rooms so they aren’t pass-through areas for other creatures[/p]

[p]And if creatures do get stuck, they’ll find their way out… eventually. But some might get angry if traffic jams last too long.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Focus & Productivity[/h2][p]I am also working on a new creature focus system. I want the workers (like Cooks) to get distracted when other creatures run through their rooms — slowing production.[/p][p]Soon, creatures will have a focus level:[/p]

• [p]High focus → faster, better crafting[/p]
• [p]Low focus → sloppy mistakes (they might burn the bread)[/p]

[p]This means dungeon layout directly affects efficiency. Smarter designs = more resources.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Creature Physics — Battle Gets Brutal[/h2][p]We’ve added force attributes to creatures, meaning collisions actually push them back.[/p][p]Why this is awesome:[/p]

• [p]Spells like Gravity Blast now slam enemies into walls[/p]
• [p]Creatures will push each other during combat[/p]
• [p]Special attacks like Bull Rush will launch enemies across the map[/p]

[p]Battles are about to get way more intense.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Coming Soon…[/h2][p]We’re just getting started:[/p]

• [p]Idle creatures will wander naturally[/p]
• [p]Fishmen will learn to swim[/p]
• [p]Bugs will traverse lava fields[/p]
• [p]Creatures will fall off cliffs (yes, you can weaponize gravity)[/p]

[p]This new crowding system is the foundation for everything that’s coming next.[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Join the Conversation![/h2][p]That’s it for this update — but I’d love to hear what you think about the changes.
Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you want to see next![/p][p]And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and wishlist Dwelvers on Steam — your support keeps the dungeon growing! ❤️[/p][p][/p][p]See you in the next update,[/p][p]
Rasmus[/p][p]Lead Developer (the only developer) — Dwelvers[/p]

[h2]Hello Dungeon Diggers,[/h2][p][/p][p]I’m back from a couple of weeks of vacation and fully diving into development again! Right now, I’m working on a big refactor of how creatures move around in Dwelvers.[/p][p][/p][p]For a while, we’ve seen some odd behaviors — creatures forming unnatural groups, ignoring diagonal shortcuts, and generally feeling less alive than they should. After 10+ years of development, it’s time to tackle this properly to make creature movement smoother, smarter, and more natural.[/p][p][/p][p]While doing this refactor, I’m also adding several new features that will make the dungeon feel more dynamic:[/p][p][/p][h3]Smarter Creature Behavior[/h3]

• [p]Take diagonal shortcuts where possible.[/p]
• [p]Show more curiosity and explore the dungeon more actively.[/p]
• [p]Avoid walking through each other.[/p]
• [p]Be disturbed when non-workers pass through their workspace.[/p]
• [p]Fight more realistically, without stacking into a single spot.[/p]
• [p]Use more advanced pathfinding to navigate crowded areas.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]How This Improves Gameplay[/h3]

• [p]Room layouts will naturally impact productivity.[/p]
• [p]Battle positioning will matter — some locations will offer strategic advantages.[/p]
• [p]Dungeon design will affect travel speed — what works early may need rethinking later.[/p]
• [p]Explorers will spot and engage intruders more effectively.[/p]
• [p]Overall, the dungeon will feel more alive and immersive.[/p]

[p][/p][p]What do you think about these upcoming changes?[/p][p]Do you feel this will make Dwelvers more interesting and strategic?[/p][p][/p][p]Have a great day, and I’ll be back with more news soon![/p][p]/Rasmus[/p]

[p]Hello Dungeon Lords![/p][p][/p][p]We’re excited to announce that the Steam Workshop is now fully integrated into Dwelvers!
This means you can now create, customize, share, and play custom Realms directly inside the game — no external tools needed![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Create Your Own Realms[/h2][p]Head into the Realm Editor from the main menu and click "Create New Realm" to start building your own unique dungeon experience.
Use the editor to:[/p]

• [p]Shape the landscape[/p]
• [p]Place minerals, enemies, and more[/p]
• [p]Set the difficulty and layout[/p]
• [p]Save your Realm with just a click[/p]

[p]By default, victory is achieved by defeating all enemies — but that’s just the beginning...[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Customize Victory Conditions with XML[/h2][p]Want to go deeper?
Dwelvers is a moddable game by nature, and you can tweak your Realm even further by editing its XML script.[/p][p]Examples of what you can set:[/p]

• [p]Defeat a number of enemies[/p]
• [p]Survive for a number of minutes[/p]
• [p]Gather a specific amount of a resource[/p]
• [p]Reach a certain spell or crafting level[/p]
• [p]Control all (or a number of) portals[/p]
• [p]Or... remove the victory condition entirely![/p]

[p]💡 Check the folder:
%appdata%\\Dwelvers\\editorMaps
to find your saved Realms and their XML scripts.[/p]

[p]Want inspiration? Take a look at the built-in campaign XML files — they’re packed with examples of sub-objectives, event triggers, and more.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Publish Your Realm to the Workshop[/h2][p]When you're ready to share your creation, go to:
Realm Editor → Workshop → Publish Realm[/p][p]Choose your map and set:[/p]

• [p]Visibility: Public / Friends Only / Private / Unlisted[/p]
• [p]Commit message: Describe your changes or updates[/p]

[p]With one click, your Realm is live!
Players who subscribe to it will automatically get any updates you publish.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Play Realms Made by the Community[/h2][p]Want to try something new?
Go to Start Game → Workshop Realms → Browse, and subscribe to Realms created by other players.[/p][p]Once subscribed:[/p]

• [p]The Realm downloads automatically[/p]
• [p]You'll see a "SUB" tag on it[/p]
• [p]You can launch it from Workshop Realms → Play[/p]

[p]Don’t forget to leave an upvote if you enjoy what others have built![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Workshop Guide[/h2][p]To get more information you can check out the Workshop Guide.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]More Modding to Come...[/h2][p]This is just the beginning. While Realms are the first Workshop content type, we plan to expand support to include:[/p]

• [p]Custom creatures[/p]
• [p]Buildings[/p]
• [p]Items[/p]
• [p]Graphics and more[/p][p][/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Thank you for being part of the Dwelvers community — I can't wait to see the incredible Realms you’ll create![/p][p][/p][p]/ Rasmus[/p]