Coreless: Prologue News

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p]We've updated the Prologue to better reflect the current state of Coreless, so that new players don’t confuse the older experience with the latest gameplay.[/p][p]The previous version of the Prologue is still accessible via a separate branch. If you’d like to keep playing it, just go to Coreless Prologue → Properties → Betas, and enter the code: 202520252025. That version should remain unchanged.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Please note:[/p]

• [p]Prologue progress will carry over to the main game if you decide to join us in Early Access.[/p]
• [p]The updated version does not use old system save data.[/p]
• [p]We've temporarily removed Simplified and Traditional Chinese localization, as we’ve paused translation efforts to focus on core development during the early stages of Early Access. We plan to bring back Chinese support in the future and will keep everyone posted.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Thank you all for playing Coreless over the past year. We’ve truly appreciated your support and feedback.[/p][p]If you’d like to join us on the new Early Access journey, you’re very welcome — and as always, feedback is appreciated![/p][p]All the best,
— Blue Turtle[/p]

[p]Please proceed to the main game page for the most updated information on Coreless:[/p][p]Coreless[/p][p]This Prologue page will no longer receive future updates. The Early Access version of the full game is now live and all announcements, patches, and discussions will continue there.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thanks to everyone who's shown interest in Coreless — we really appreciate it.[/p][p]This marks the beginning of the next phase of the game — one where we're more certain about what Coreless is, and how we want it to grow. We’re not done yet, but we’re finally in a place where growing it feels exciting, not uncertain.[/p][p]We sincerely apologize for the repeated delays. Much of that time was spent exploring the game’s direction — figuring out what felt right, so we could bring a more focused version into public hands for further evolution.[/p][p]Now, let’s go through a few key points to help you decide whether this Early Access version is right for you.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Vision — What Experience is Coreless Trying to Create?[/h2][p]Coreless is a single-player action roguelite built around:[/p]

• [p]Fast-paced, responsive combat[/p]
• [p]Tactical gameplay with moment-to-moment decision-making[/p]
• [p]Satisfying short-term progression[/p]
• [p]Meaningful long-term meta-growth[/p]

[p]These goals naturally create tension:[/p]

• [p]Fast, fluid action can make it harder to introduce meaningful tactical choices on the fly.[/p]
• [p]Strong short-term upgrades can reduce the impact of long-term meta-progression — and vice versa.[/p]

[p]This tension sits at the core of Coreless. The game is shaped around it — not with a fixed solution, but as a space to explore how these elements can interact, overlap, or pull apart.[/p][p]In-session gameplay focuses on mobility, reactive decision-making, resource spikes, and priority juggling under pressure.[/p][p]Meta-progression, by contrast, encourages players to experiment with different playstyles — supported by a flexible Addon system — and rewards risk-taking with better loot and more varied options.[/p][p][/p][h2]What Are the Limitations of This Version?[/h2][p]This is still Early Access — so naturally, there are a few limitations:[/p]

• [p]Limited content[/p]
• [p]Bugs[/p]
• [p]Missing features[/p]
• [p]English-only support (for now)[/p]

[p]We’ve priced the game accordingly, in recognition of the risks early players are taking.[/p][p]If you're unsure, feel free to follow us and wait for a few updates before jumping in.[/p][p][/p][h2]How Will We Communicate with the Community?[/h2][p]Please feel free to leave feedback — the longer and more critical, the better. We genuinely want to hear it.[/p][p]That said, we’ve made a slightly unconventional decision:
For now, we’ll be communicating only through the Steam forums and email.[/p][p]We know that might seem outdated in an age of social media, but here’s the honest reason:
We’re a two-person team, and managing multiple platforms isn’t sustainable at this stage — especially when we need the space to stay focused and make consistent design decisions.[/p][p]We’ll check the forums and emails daily, and respond in a timely, thoughtful way.
Keeping things to just a couple of channels helps us manage our workflow with fewer context switches and more clarity.[/p][p]This is a temporary decision. As development stabilizes, we plan to open up more ways to connect and enable faster, more dynamic conversations.[/p][p][/p][h2]What About a Roadmap?[/h2][p]Yes — a full roadmap is coming in the next few weeks.[/p][p]We’ve already planned multiple new characters, game modes, and level designs. We're just waiting to see how this first release plays out — especially with bug fixes and balance updates — before locking in timelines and priorities.[/p][p][/p][h2]Thank You[/h2][p]Thanks again for your time, your attention, and your interest in Coreless.[/p][p]— The Coreless Dev Team[/p]

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since our last update, and we’re excited to share some of the progress we’ve made on Coreless as we gear up for its Early Access launch later this year.

[h2]Improving the Moment-to-Moment Gameplay[/h2]

We were pretty happy with the overall session experience in our latest version, but something felt off. The pacing wasn’t quite right, and the gameplay lacked that extra push to keep things intense. So, we went back to the drawing board and are currently revamping the ability system.

[h2]Introducing Overdrive Abilities[/h2]

Overdrive abilities require holding down keys for a period of time before releasing them, and many can be charged through multiple stages to amplify their impact. They consume Energy and pack a much bigger punch than standard abilities, adding a tactical layer with a risk/reward tradeoff. This should create more engaging combat, encouraging players to make split-second decisions that could turn the tide of battle.



[h2]Revamping the In-Session Upgrade System[/h2]

Stat stacking is fun—don’t worry, that’s still here—but we wanted to encourage more thoughtful decision-making instead of just chasing raw numbers. The new system introduces more diverse upgrade paths, making each run feel unique. We’ll dive deeper into in-session exploration changes in a future post!

[h2]Meta-Progression Updates: Talent Tree & Power Systems[/h2]

Meta-progression is where we want Coreless to shine, and we’ve made some big changes:

• More Meaningful Talent Tree Choices – We reworked the Talent Tree to ensure each decision feels impactful, rather than just incremental stat bumps.
  
• The Addon System – A new mechanic where Addons drop during adventures, granting powerful bonuses and random affixes. These can be socketed into the Talent Tree, allowing for deep build customization.
  
• Consumables Overhaul – Consumables now provide more strategic advantages, from basic health potions to immunity-based elixirs that could save you in a pinch.
  
• Affix System – Both Addons and Consumables now roll with affixes that further shape their impact, opening up even more ways to tweak and optimize your build.
  

For example, the Addon Metallic Blitz allows you to throw a metallic bomb at a nearby target, dealing damage to both the target and surrounding units. If socketed into a 'Double-dash trigger' node, the bomb will be thrown whenever you double-dash. Alternatively, if placed in a 'Pickup trigger' node, the bomb will activate whenever you collect buffs, adding a layer of adaptability to your build.

Our ultimate vision for meta-progression in Coreless is to provide a space where players can make long-term and experimental decisions, refining their build in a gradual and strategic way. Meanwhile, the in-session experience should feel spontaneous, immediate, fun, and impactful.

[h2]Companions Are Now More Than Just Sidekicks[/h2]

Previously, Companions were a nice addition, but we felt they lacked depth. Now, each Companion comes with a dedicated set of abilities and passives, giving them a much larger role in your pre-session build. Your choice of Companion will significantly impact both your starting abilities and the upgrade options available during a run.

For example, Kat could equip Voltbringer to gain Energy Burst and Thunderbolt Sphere, enabling a melee-ranged hybrid build. Alternatively, she could go with Venom Weaver, gaining passive plague capabilities and the Overdrive ability Plague Blast, which detonates all nearby Plague effects for devastating area damage.



[h2]More to Come![/h2]

These are just some of the big changes coming to Coreless, and we’ve got plenty more in the works. We’ll be sharing more details over the coming months, so stay tuned!

Thanks for following our journey—we can’t wait for you to jump into Coreless!

Hello everyone! We’ve just revamped the in-session upgrade system. Here’s what’s new:

1. Character Level-Up Removed: Leveling up characters is no longer part of the system.
   
2. Enhanced Spec Upgrades: Spec Upgrades are now significantly improved to support a more rewarding, role-specific playstyle. Each character’s abilities will feel more effective and synergize better with each other and other game elements.
   
3. Ability Overhaul: To complement the Spec Upgrade improvements, we’ve enhanced all abilities for both characters, reduced cooldowns on tactical and ultimate abilities, and created additional mechanical synergies. Check each ability’s tooltip for details.
   
4. Afflict Upgrade Rework: Afflict Upgrades now deliver a themed experience, with each Afflict type offering a visually and mechanically unique playstyle. New Afflict types, including Vampiric and Heavy Damage, are also available.
   
5. Damage Types and Scaling Revamp: Previously, all damage scaled from ‘Attack’. Now, damage scales based on various attributes like Max Health, Armor, and Stamina, expanding build diversity. For example, Kat’s tactical ability now deals “Overpower Damage,” scaling with Max Health and Shield, benefiting from survival-focused attributes. Luminaire’s tactical ability deals “Retaliation Damage,” scaling with Stamina, so increased mobility will boost his damage output. Additionally, all powers now have diversified damage types!
   
6. 'Venomous Aura' Removed: This power has been removed from the Shop.
   
7. Various minor bug fixes and UI improvements.
   

Our goal with this update is to enhance role-specific gameplay, making each character’s playstyle more distinctive and effective. We want to create an experience that rewards exploration and encourages players to experiment with the game’s mechanics.

Please share your feedback and criticisms in the forum—we’d love to hear what you think of the updated system!

We will be moving forward to making new content in a future major update; in the meantime, have fun gaming!

1. Added language support for Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
2. Further performance optimizations for Stage 3 monsters. The Graveyard level has been temporarily removed from the spawn pool due to performance overhead.
3. Various UI optimizations.
4. Difficulty settings for some Stage 4 monsters have been further streamlined.

We are planning a major overhaul of the current in-session upgrade system in upcoming patches. We intend to remove Character Upgrades completely because we have found that they don’t add much value to the game experience and can feel disruptive by frequently requiring player participation. Additionally, removing Character Upgrades will allow us extra design space to strengthen the current collectible upgrades (namely Spec, Affliction, and Power Upgrades). We aim to make these three main upgrades more distinctive and effective. We will also address other balance issues as part of these changes, so before phasing out changes to the Upgrade system, we will not be making further minor balance updates.
We are also in the process of adding new mechanics and content to the game after the Upgrade System patch.
Lastly, we want to thank everyone who has given us feedback, and we are extremely appreciative of the detailed input and analysis many of you have provided.
Best wishes! Happy gaming!