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Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel News

Giving it my all!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Just so you all know to what extend I am willing to go to make this a succes..

Hope you tag allong for the ride ;)!


Performance Update



Performance is key in a game like this. The Steam Deck is a prime target for testing, and beta revealed that enemies’ individual search-and-behavior loops were impacting performance. A full AI overhaul merged those cycles under a single “Mother” controller (yes, a nod to Alien’s onboard computer), unlocking (as you can see in the small vid above):

A stable 45 FPS on Deck—no FSR or other upscalers needed

Dramatically reduced CPU load during the wildest firefights

Rock-steady frame pacing even in the most demanding areas

Cracking this “Mother” system feels like mastering the more difficult parts of gamedesign. It is a truly proud achievement that brings the project right on target for Deck performance. More polish is coming—stay tuned!

Over a 100 wishlists!

Progress progress progress

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share a quick development update and show how things are progressing. The project is well on track for a summer Early Access release!

As a reminder, the Early Access version will include Act 1 of the game and two playable classes. Eventually, we'll have more classes to pick from. Singleplayer and local co-op (up to 4 players) support is also included in early acces.

This past month, I’ve been hard at work on several exciting features and improvements, including:

Character Select Scene Updates:

I’ve redone many of the small animation details in the character select scene to make it feel more polished and lively.

You’ll now also see the next two upcoming classes standing alongside the current roster. While they aren’t playable yet, I thought it would be a nice touch to already introduce them as part of the team!

New character select:



Skills System:
Both the Soldier and Adventurer classes (and all future classes) now feature two distinct skill systems:

The Skill Deck, a set of special ability cards tied to your class. You can slot up to 5 cards that heavily change how you play, adding new strategies and combat styles.

The Special Weapon Skill Tree, allowing you to adapt and modify your class’s unique special weapon for powerful customizations.

I’m happy to say that almost all skills are now implemented, and I’ll be dropping an overview video soon to show them in action! A small tease here below of frost bullets.



UI Additions & Overhauls:

Various UI elements have been cleaned up or completely overhauled. For example, here’s a comparison between the old skill card system and the new version

Old skill system ui:


New system (Cleaner!) + tutorial popup at the end!


Helpful hover labels now pop up when pointing at items to provide quick information.

A new, more elaborate tutorial system has been added that appears contextually when needed to help guide new players through the game.

Technical Updates:

On the tech side, I’ve updated the save system to fully support all the new features and content added to the game. After every major addition, I make sure you can load back into the world and feel exactly where you left off—right at the correct point in the questline, looking the way you should, with your character fully intact!

World Overhaul:

I’ve spent a lot of time reworking the world itself. Many graphics, textures, and particle effects have been overhauled to bring environments to life and make exploration even more engaging.

I think things are starting to look pretty good and connected:


I also added zone indicators that display the zone name when you enter a new area. This helps ground you more in the world and adds that satisfying sense of discovery as you explore!

Zone title test: (THe white block is a verrrrryyy obvious zone)



Thanks for following along and being part of this journey! Don’t forget to wishlist the game if you haven’t already and join our Discord to chat directly with the community:Discord

More updates coming soon—and stay tuned for the upcoming skill overview video!

Development overview 01

Hi everyone!

Here is a new developer update video that gives a first look at some of the core features in Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel.

In this video, we highlight the game’s combat, exploration, and general atmosphere—all wrapped in the 1930s pulp adventure style you can expect from the full release. This is just the beginning—future updates will dive deeper into specific systems and mechanics.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let us know what you think in the comments or on our Discord: discord.gg/g5fK7Df

And as always, don’t forget to wishlist if you haven’t yet—it helps a lot!

Regards,
Raymond