Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel News

[p]In this update, I wanted to highlight further progress on populating the dungeon and increasing overall visual fidelity. The spaces are steadily becoming more lived-in, with more props, set dressing, and environmental detail to reinforce the atmosphere of the Dweller dungeon.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Alongside that, I’ve implemented a lever system that can be used for puzzles and light exploration-based objectives, such as opening doors or unlocking new paths. This gives the dungeon more interactive moments beyond combat and helps pace exploration a bit more.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]In addition, I’ve built some underlying tech to support randomization of essential object placement within the dungeon. This system allows key elements — such as certain puzzle components or entrances to the second level — to spawn at different predefined locations each time you enter.[/p][p]The goal here is to ensure that repeat runs through the dungeon feel slightly different every time, keeping things fresh without sacrificing structure or clarity. It’s a small step toward more replayability while still keeping everything readable and fair.[/p][p]More progress soon.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Steam page:
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Discord:
[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hi there!
As many of you know, I’m working hard toward getting the Early Access release ready for Q1, with new content, new story beats, and a fully playable Act One featuring two classes.[/p][p]If you’ve been following the recent news posts, you may have noticed updates about an upcoming new dungeon and a lot of new technology being built behind the scenes. Whenever possible, I deliberately backport this technology to the demo, so it stays as consistent as possible with the full game experience.[/p][p]And that… is exactly what this update is about.
Notes below![/p][hr][/hr][h3]✨ Additions & Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Added new visibility technology that makes roofs and other blocking objects fade / become see-through when the player moves underneath them, ensuring the character always remains visible.[/p]
• [p]Reworked the light jitter on fire-based light sources.
  Fire lights now produce more natural, organic shadow movement, replacing the previous version which felt too rough and cut off.[/p]
• [p]Added reverb zones to all scenes, creating a much better spatial audio profile that adapts to the environment you’re walking through (interiors, open areas, tight spaces, etc.).[/p]
• [p]Added specific, localized impact sounds to enemies, making hits feel more physical and clearly positioned in space.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]🐛 Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue where, in co-op mode, the intro scene of player 2–4 could sometimes play instead of player 1’s intro.
  Player 1 now always correctly determines the story flow and intro sequence.[/p]

[p]For this update, I want to start with something new that’s been taking shape behind the scenes: the dungeon boss.[/p][p]I’ve begun active work on the boss you’ll encounter at a certain point in the Dweller dungeon. Designing this also meant pushing the story forward, which in turn led to writing new sets of voice-acting lines. As we move beyond the demo, we’re not just adding new areas — the narrative continues as well, and that comes with a whole new wave of voice work.[/p][p]Look at this guy! I affectionaly call him Fleshy[/p][p][/p][p]With that in place, I want to show how the dungeon itself is progressing.[/p][p]This update includes three versions of the Dweller dungeon, ordered from latest progress to the earliest version, so you can easily start with the newest content and work your way back to see how things evolved.[/p][p]In the latest version, you’ll notice a clear increase in detail and density. Even though the video doesn’t fully convey it, the first level of the dungeon is becoming quite large, opening up into a much more expansive space than earlier iterations.[/p][p]On the technical side, I’ve rewritten a significant part of the lighting system. The older flickering fire lights felt a bit abrupt and harsh; the new approach is far more natural and pleasant, especially in darker, narrow environments. I’ve also further enhanced the see-through shader, improving how structures fade away when the player moves underneath them.[/p][p]And finally — listen closely to the newest video.[/p][p]You’ll hear our second composed music track for the game, created by BlackMid. The track is almost finalized, and I’m personally very happy with how it turned out. It delivers exactly the kind of classic action-RPG atmosphere I feel a game like this should have.[/p][p][/p][h3]Latest view [/h3][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]Previous updates[/h3][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p][/p][p]More progress soon. And hey I didn't mention one improvement in the map..know what it is? ;) Leave a comment in the comments if you do![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p]Wishlist the game on Steam:
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Join the Discord:
[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p]I’ve started active work on content beyond the demo, beginning with the Dweller dungeon — the immediate next part of the story right after where the demo ends.[/p][p]I previously shared a short video showing an early look at this dungeon, and I wanted to follow up by continuing to show progress so you can compare how it evolves over time.[/p][p]Before showing comparisons, a quick technical deep dive.[/p][p]With these more narrow, enclosed areas, I ran into a classic top-down game challenge:
the player must always remain visible, even when moving underneath structures or environmental objects.[/p][p]To solve this, I built a custom system that dynamically manipulates materials. When the player moves underneath geometry, parts of buildings smoothly transition to semi-transparent or fully transparent, depending on the situation. By blending between these two states, structures appear to temporarily “melt away,” keeping visibility clear without breaking immersion.[/p][p]I’m quite happy with how this effect turned out, and you can see it demonstrated in the test map shown here:[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]After that, you’ll find two walkthrough videos of the new dungeon:[/p]

• [p]The first is the earlier version I shared before:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
• [p]The second is the updated version, featuring more content, more detailing, and a denser atmosphere:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[p]That’s it for today.
Thanks for following the progress — more updates soon![/p][hr][/hr][p]Wishlist the game on Steam:
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Join the Discord:
[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]For those who played the demo: you’ll remember it ends right before entering the Dweller Temple.
What you’re seeing here is the corrupted interior beyond that point.[/p][p]This is a big milestone for us. It marks the transition from demo-only content into areas that push the game forward toward its full experience—and, if all goes to plan, toward an Early Access release in Q1.[/p][p]More enemies, more atmosphere, more danger.
The desert doesn’t get kinder once you step inside.[/p][p][/p][p]🔗 Steam page / Demo
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]💬 Join the Discord
[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p][p]If you played the demo, we’d love to hear your thoughts.[/p]