Guidus Zero News

Hello, this is Guidus Zero.
The Control Improvement Playtest has ended as of Jul. 28, 12:00 AM PDT.

This Playtest was held to gather valuable feedback from our players before implementing the upcoming control improvement update into the main game.
Despite the short testing period, many of you actively participated and provided thoughtful, heartfelt feedback. We truly appreciate your support.

Your input has been invaluable to our development team and will serve as a key reference as we refine the control system in the right direction.
Based on the feedback collected, we are already working on improvements and will continue polishing the experience to deliver a better update soon.

Please continue to share your thoughts and bug reports freely through the Steam Discussions board.
Your voices are the most essential driving force behind making Guidus Zero a better game.

[h2]📢[토론 게시판에 의견 남기러 가기]✍️[/h2]
Once again, thank you to everyone who took part in the Playtest.
We’ll continue to listen and grow together with our players.

Thank you.

Hello, this is Guidus Zero.

The Playtest we previously announced—where you can try out the improved control system for yourself—is now live!

To ensure the new control changes feel right before they’re officially applied, we’re releasing this Playtest version in advance and collecting your feedback.
Jump in now, experience the refined controls firsthand, and let us know what you think!

Check out the test schedule and how to participate below:

🔵Playtest Period: Jul. 21, 12:00 AM - Jul. 28, 12:00 AM PDT
🔵How to Join: Visit the Guidus Zero Steam store page > Click Join the Playtest > Play Now

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3072640/_/

⚙️Key Control Improvements:

• Increased overall attack speed.
  
• Applied attack motion canceling.
  
• The thrust attack, previously triggered by simultaneous movement and attack input, is now mapped to a separate key.
  
• Extended dodge distance to 2 tiles and can now pass through enemies.
  
• Holding the Dodge, Attack, or Trait button will trigger consecutive actions.
  

❗Please Note

• This Playtest is open to all users.
  
• The build is focused solely on control improvements and only includes a limited portion of the dungeon content. Content volume may differ from the full version.
  

If you play the test build, please share your thoughts about the controls on the Steam Discussions board—we’d love to hear from newcomers, too!

Your feedback will play a key role in deciding the direction of our development.
Every comment matters and will be carefully reviewed and considered for implementation.

[h3]📢 [Go to the Discussions Board to Share Your Feedback] ✍️[/h3]

We’ll continue working hard to grow Guidus Zero together with all of you.
We truly appreciate your participation and support in this Playtest.

Thank you!

Hello, this is Guidus Zero.

Until now, we’ve mainly shared updates about game content and new features.
But this time, we’re switching things up with something a bit more personal.

We’re starting a new Dev Team Interview series to share the untold stories behind the game—what the dev team was thinking during development, the design choices behind certain systems, and everything in between.

Our very first topic? One of the core systems that caught the attention of so many players: the combat system of Guidus Zero.
Real-time grid-based combat has been one of our most experimental and carefully refined mechanics.
In this interview, we’ll walk you through how it all began and how far it’s come.

******

[h2]How Was the Guidus Zero Combat System Created?[/h2]
Guidus Zero’s combat system is something you don’t see every day. It’s real-time, but instead of free movement, it’s built on a grid-based action system.
So, how did this unusual design come to be—and what challenges did we face while improving it? Here’s the story from the dev team.


[h3]🔵 We Didn’t Set Out to Make a “Different System” From the Start[/h3]
The idea for the combat system actually came from a fairly simple place.
Most of our team preferred top-down views over side-scrollers and had experience with pixel art. So, naturally, the foundation became top-down and pixel graphics.

At first, we considered free movement, but we wanted players to be able to identify targets and danger patterns clearly. That desire for more readable action led us to adopt a grid-based movement and combat system.

We didn’t realize at first how rare this system was. It wasn’t until almost two years into development that we discovered most grid-based games are turn-based or rhythm-based.
That meant we didn’t have many references to draw from, so fine-tuning the controls and pacing took a long time, and it remains something we’re continually improving.


[h3]🔵 Keeping Combat from Getting Repetitive[/h3]
Once we had the base system working, the next challenge was avoiding repetition.
The core rules were simple, but that also meant the combat could quickly start to feel predictable.

To avoid this, we wanted to introduce exceptions—ways to break or bend the rules.
We looked to action games, fighting games, and roguelikes to find engaging mechanics that we could adapt for Guidus Zero.
Things like attack cancels, dodging rolls, and enemy patterns all came out of that effort. Of course, making them feel natural within the grid-based system took a lot of work.

[Bosses with Diverse Attack Patterns]

Parries and Perfect Guards are also being tested internally, and if we get the chance, we’d love to introduce them alongside new characters.


[h3]🔵 How We Made Different Playstyles Possible[/h3]
We wanted players to be able to build different combat styles within the system’s simple rules.
So we broke combat down into three layers:

- Direct control by the player

- Effects granted by Artifacts

- Synergies between those Artifacts

With this layered approach, we were able to develop characters with distinct identities—a balanced type, a melee fighter, a stack-based wizard, and more to come.
Combined with the Artifact and Spirit Bond systems, this allows for a wide range of playstyles.

[Characters with Distinct Playstyles]

This system also builds on our experience with our previous mobile game, Guidus.
In fact, the Spirit Bond mechanic evolved from a grid-based buff system we explored back then.


[h3]🔵 Player Feedback Made the System What It Is Today[/h3]
It’s no exaggeration to say that the current system—including the feel of the controls and combat balance—was completed thanks to your feedback.

In the early days, movement and attacks weren’t even separate. You’d trigger an attack just by walking toward an enemy.
Attack timing, input buffering, and responsiveness were all much rougher than they are now.
But, thanks to your suggestions, we were able to tune values and restructure the system to feel much smoother and more intuitive.
For example, we used to have multiple monster waves appear in the same room.
Now, based on your feedback, we’ve changed it to one wave per room with more rooms overall—a big change that came directly from community input.

[Improved Room Generation Logic]

We're also continuing to adjust Artifacts and Spirit Bond balance, how skills operate, and even narrative elements, all based on the feedback you've shared.
Once again, we would like to thank everyone who has sent us their thoughts.


[h3]🔵 So, What’s Next?[/h3]
The next big change will be our upcoming control improvements patch, which will include:

- Move while attacking:
You’ll be able to cancel attack animations and move immediately when pressing a direction key mid-attack. This should eliminate the feeling that inputs are being ignored.

- Dedicated thrust-attack key:
The thrust attack—previously triggered by combining direction and attack—will be moved to its own dedicated key, making it more reliable and easier to use strategically.

- Dodge improvements:
Dodging will now cover two tiles and can pass through enemies, boosting your mobility during battle.

You’ll be able to try these changes early in our upcoming Playtest. We hope you’ll take part and share your thoughts!
We’re also in the final stages of developing new content that will conclude the main story: a brand-new stage, new monsters, and the final boss encounter.

[New Boss: Valtharos]

And that’s not all. We’re also preparing new event rooms, new Artifacts, new Spirit Bonds, and even the previously teased new playable character.


[h3]🔵To Wrap Things Up[/h3]
The Guidus Zero combat system wasn’t built from a desire to be different.
It was gradually shaped into its current form through ongoing refinement, and your feedback was the most essential part of our journey.

There’s still more to come.
We’ll continue listening to your ideas, so feel free to share your thoughts through the community or by leaving a review.
We genuinely believe that this game is something we’re building together with all of you.

Thank you! 🙌

******

We hope this interview gave you a glimpse into how the combat system of Guidus Zero wasn’t just a novel idea—but the result of countless iterations and your support.

We’ll be back with more interviews covering topics like the story, control system, character creation, and more.
If you have thoughts or questions about the game, leave them in the Steam Community discussion board.
And if you’re enjoying Guidus Zero, a review on the store page would mean the world to us. 🙌

Thanks for reading—we’ll see you in the next interview!

Hello, this is Guidus Zero.

Based on the valuable feedback many of you have shared across various channels, we’re currently working on a structural overhaul of the in-game control system.

As mentioned in our previous Dev Note, Guidus Zero features a unique input method and movement system. While this approach offered a distinctive experience, some users felt that the control rhythm was awkward or that input timing felt delayed.

We take this feedback seriously and are actively reviewing the entire control framework—from system mechanics to input processing—to deliver a more intuitive and fluid gameplay experience.


[h3][You’ll soon be able to try it for yourself in an upcoming Playtest!][/h3]
Because control improvements affect the entire gameplay experience—not just numerical values—we believe internal testing alone isn’t enough to validate the changes fully.

To address this, we’re preparing a special test build featuring the improved control system, and we’d like to invite you to try it out and share your feedback.

• Schedule: Sometime in July 2025 (TBA)
  
• Test Purpose: Early access to the updated control system and user feedback collection
  
• How to Join: Available via the Steam Playtest feature (more info coming soon)
  

After the Playtest, we’ll quickly finalize the direction of the control update by combining your feedback with our internal plans.

This Playtest will be a crucial step in refining Guidus Zero’s controls to feel more natural and intuitive.
Your gameplay experience and feedback will directly influence how we move forward with control system updates.

Please feel free to leave your impressions and suggestions on the Steam Community discussion board.
We’ll review every comment carefully and use it as a key reference when shaping the final update.

We sincerely appreciate your interest and participation—thank you!

Hello, this is Guidus Zero. 😊

Today, we'd like to share something a little different.
Up until now, most of our updates have focused on in-game content or upcoming features; however, we thought it would be fun to start pulling back the curtain and showing you what goes on behind the scenes.

That's why we're kicking off a brand-new series called the "Dev Sketch".
Each month, we'll be sharing short stories from the dev side—whether it's the design process behind a character, ideas that shaped a system, or fun little behind-the-scenes moments we wanted to tell you about.

And the very first feature? It's none other than our protagonist, Dalia.


[h2][The Origins of Dalia][/h2]
Dalia, our protagonist who has stood at the frontlines of countless battles in Guidus Zero, is on a quest to uncover the secrets behind the Scar.
Today, we'd like to give you a glimpse into how she came to be. ✨

Interestingly, Dalia isn't an entirely original character created just for this game.
She's actually a reimagining of the Queen character from our previous mobile title, Guidus, set in her earlier years.
We took that concept and reshaped it from multiple angles to better fit the tone and lore of Guidus Zero.

In the beginning, we carried over some of the Queen's visual traits from the original game while exploring a fresh direction based on her previously imagined personality and backstory.
Some of those visual elements include her elven, pointed ears, her quirky blonde ahoge (that signature strand of hair), and nature-inspired accents, such as leafy decorations.

[Early Character Design Based on Initial Concepts]

Back then, we hadn't locked in the final pixel resolution, so we tested multiple sizes—16px, 32px, 64px, even 12px—to explore how her look would work in-game.


[Pixel-Based Character Design]

Because the game's style was rooted in pixel art, we didn't go from the usual illustration to pixel art.
Instead, the pixel sprite was created first, and the character illustration was reverse-engineered based on it—a unique approach that shaped Dalia's identity from the start.

[Concept Art Sheets for Dalia's Illustration]

From that foundation, we explored multiple illustration directions and gradually locked in Dalia's core identity: a brave young elven swordswoman, somewhere in her teens by elven standards.
Bit by bit, her design details were polished and defined.

[Design Development Over Time]

In the end, Dalia became a character who carries echoes of the previous title while fully belonging to the world of Guidus Zero.

[Dalia’s Final In-Game Appearance]

We continued to make small adjustments to refine her visuals.
Finally, she was given a full animation sheet, allowing her to express a wide range of actions and emotions in-game.

[Dalia's Animation Sheet]

We believe that creating a character isn't just about drawing a picture.
It's about imagining how they live, move, and feel within their world—and adjusting every little detail to bring that to life.

For Dalia especially, the process was like emotional reconstruction, reviving a familiar character from the past while breathing new life into her story and setting.
If the Dalia you're playing today captures even a small part of the emotions and world we wanted to express, then we're truly happy.

These little pieces of development come together to make the world of Guidus feel more real, and we hope you can feel that too.

That wraps up this first look into how Dalia came to be.
Maybe the next time you play as her, you'll see her a little differently, knowing all the thought that went into her creation.

We'll be continuing Dev Sketch with stories about characters, systems, graphics, and more from all corners of the development process.
If you enjoyed this post, let us know in the comments or drop us a like!

And if you're enjoying Guidus Zero, a quick line of encouragement on our store page would mean the world to us. 😊
Thanks for reading—see you in the next Dev Sketch!