Few Shall Return News

[p]Hey everyone! 👋[/p][p]We’re moving to smaller, more frequent updates — this one comes just 10 days after the last build! That means quicker fixes, faster feedback, and more steady improvements.[/p][p]Here’s what’s new in today’s update:[/p]

• [p]No More Lost Loot: We finally fixed the bug causing items to drop off the map or get stuck inside geometry [/p]
• [p]New Sound Engine: We’ve introduced a brand-new audio system, along with updated footstep sounds. This is just the beginning — expect more sound improvements and polish in upcoming updates![/p]
• [p]Other Bug Fixes: A handful of smaller issues have been squashed.[/p]

[p]Thanks as always for playing, testing, and sharing feedback. Your reports are helping shape Few Shall Return every step of the way![/p][p][/p][p]— The Few Shall Return Team[/p]

[p]First off, thanks for hanging in there! We know this demo update is about a week late, but we’ve been working hard on something massive. We're happy to finally release our biggest new feature: The Extraction Loop! It's here, and it’s going to fundamentally change how you approach every dungeon run.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]The Extraction Loop and Roster Editor: Risk, Reward, and Beta Testing[/h2][p]The core of this update is simple: you can now bring items in and out of the dungeon![/p][p]Bring an Axe, or a Shield, or both to push deeper. But if you die or leave them, they’re gone for good! The only way they return is if another player finds them and escapes with them. This adds real weight and risk to your loadout decisions.[/p][p]Any useful gear you find is yours if you make it out alive! Extracted items are available for your next runs... until you lose them again![/p][p]A note on the state of this feature: We rolled the Extraction Loop and the Roster Editor out in its current development state because we want you playing with it right now. We know it’s not perfect and it is currently in beta, so you will likely encounter some bugs. Please report any issues you find on Discord – your feedback is crucial for helping us polish this feature![/p][hr][/hr][h2]Other Notable Updates[/h2][h3]Knights and Queens Get Their Chance[/h3][p]We heard the community: since character selection is random (for now), players were much happier when they rolled the Wizard or the Witch because their fireballs gave them an immediate advantage. Knight and Queen players felt left behind in those moments. To even the playing field, if you enter the dungeon without any equipment at all, you'll now be given a default, basic starting weapon.[/p][h3]New Fountain and Key[/h3][p]We’ve hired an in-house designer! That means unique art! They’ve redesigned both the Healing Fountain and the Inner Dungeon Key. That key used to look like a piece of green soap, but now it's a genuine piece of art! Over the next weeks, you’ll see many visual updates![/p][h3]Security[/h3][p]On October 2nd Unity reported a critical security issue. We’ve already upgraded the game to a non-vulnerable Unity version. Keeping the game secure is our priority.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Known issues[/h2]

• [p]All Platforms: Occasionally, items may spawn off the map or inside geometry. That’s on the list to fix for next demo build[/p]
• [p]Steam Deck: The "Start Game" button can’t be clicked as the host. We recommend only joining games from Steam Deck[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Thanks again for your support and for testing our new systems. Dive into the dungeon, try out the extraction, and let us know what you think![/p][p]Don’t forget to join our Discord server![/p][p]Hope you’ll to return from the dungeon![/p]

• [p]The Ballard Games Team[/p]

[h3]Hey everyone![/h3][p]We’ve got a fresh update for the demo with some exciting new additions and fixes. Here’s what’s new:[/p][p][/p][h3]🆕New Content[/h3]

• [p]Weapon Icons – Every weapon now has its own unique icon (no more sword icon for the Double Staff!). We’d love to hear your thoughts—let us know what you think![/p]
• [p]Breakables – Some objects on the map can now be smashed. It’s just the beginning—we’ll be adding more breakable props in future updates but in this build we've added the framework for that.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]🛠️ Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the menu couldn’t be opened in spectate mode.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where tooltips would get stuck on screen.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]⚠️ Known Issues[/h3]

• [p]All Platforms: Occasionally, items may spawn off the map or inside geometry.[/p]
• [p]Steam Deck: The "Start Game" button can’t be clicked as the host. We recommend only joining games from Steam Deck.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]🚀 What’s Next[/h3][p]We’ll keep updating the demo with more content and improvements as we head toward the full release. The next demo update is planned for October 10.[/p][p]If you’ve got feedback or ideas, we’d love to hear them—come join us on Discord and share your thoughts with the community![/p][p]Thank you all for checking out the demo and supporting us on this journey. We hope you enjoy your adventure and manage to escape in Few Shall Return! 💙[/p]

[h3]Hey everyone![/h3][p]We’re excited to announce that the Few Shall Return Demo is now available to play on Steam! 🚀[/p][p]This demo gives you a first taste of what we’ve been building, and we can’t wait to hear what you think. Here’s what you can expect in this version:[/p][p][/p][h3]✨ Key Features in the Demo[/h3]

• [p]Explore the dungeon and try the combat system[/p]
• [p]Meet some of the early characters[/p]
• [p]Experience the first puzzle to unlock the inner dungeon[/p]
• [p]Not everyone leaves: fight for a chance to escape[/p]

[p]Your feedback during this stage means the world to us—it will help us polish the game and shape what comes next. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the on our Discord.[/p][p][/p][h3]🔓 How is the demo different than the full game?[/h3]

• [p]There's only one map in the demo. The full game has an infinite number of maps because they are procedurally generated.[/p]
• [p]You can only play with others through invite codes in the demo. In the full game, you can also join random matches through matchmaking.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]⚡ What’s Next?[/h3][p]We’ll continue updating the demo and adding content as we work toward the full release. The next Demo update is planned for Sept 26.[/p][p]Thank you for checking out the demo and supporting our journey. We hope you enjoy your first adventure in Few Shall Return! 💙[/p][p][/p][p]-- The Ballard Games Team[/p]

[p]We were planning on keeping the playtest open only during the weekend but we got so much positive feedback that we've decided to extend it and let you folks play more.[/p][p][/p][p]The playtest will now run through Sunday the 27th of July.[/p][p][/p][p]If you're encountering issues during the playtest or you want to chat with us, join us in Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]- The Ballard Games team[/p]