Davy Jones Deckhand News

[p]Ahoy crew![/p][p][/p][p]Below Deck, our monthly development newsletter, is back for 2026. This month I’m going to open up about some of the big challenges ahead, and strategic decisions we’re currently making at Cass Bay Games. You’ll also get an early look at some new bosses and gameplay updates.[/p][p][/p][p]Yours piratically,[/p][p]Ben[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Ready for another boss fight?[/h2][p]
Nik Scarr has been cooking up some brilliantly grotesque bosses that you can look forward to facing in an upcoming playtest and in our Steam demo in May.[/p][p][/p][h3]Sea Swine [/h3][p]Meet the hog-fish boss that poisons you with every bite! The sea swine (or Porcus Marinus) has a loveable Kunekune face, but it’s not to be trifled with.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]See a timelapse of Nik’s art process creating this big cutey:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]Thessaly, The Sea Witch[/h3][p]Found in a ship graveyard where time flies by and yet feels stagnant, this awful sea witch once traded Davy Jones’ an eight pointed compass that points to a moving island. Sometimes known as The Carapace Compass or Crawling Star, Davy desperately needs Thessaly to forge another. And who better to send than his newly enslaved undead deckhand?[/p][p]
Early sketches of Thessaly by Nik Scarr[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Demo strategy and development update[/h2][p]
Last year was an adventure. We stretched our CODE KickStart grant very thin, working evenings and weekends on the game in order to also work full time jobs. With an environment/UI artist role to fill and no cash, my plans for a public Steam demo that showed a slice of our ambitious meta game have been shaken. Our demo is going to happen this May at the Steam Roguelike Deckbuilder festival, but we’ve adjusted our strategy.[/p][p]
It’s my first time doing this indie-game-entrepreneur thing, and I’ve been finding I get contrary advice. Some say don’t delay and get your demo out as soon as you’ve got something fun, and others say it’s best to wait until you can at least hint at everything the game will have to offer. It’s hard to market a game without a demo, especially when so much of indie marketing seems to come down to getting the game in the hands of streamers and creators who love it. My conundrum is I know we need a demo to get some traction, but our demo doesn’t yet showcase the full vision of what Davy Jones’ Deckhand will be. I believe it’s already really fun, our playtests have shown good numbers behind the scenes, but it’s only a fraction of the game.[/p][p]
Lately I had started working towards the incorporation of our full point-and-click outer gameplay loop. However, without some serious art resourcing, it’s unrealistic to think we’ll have a release-quality demo with those elements ready for the May launch. So now I’ve pivoted my focus to improving the existing combat loop to include a scaled-down meta game. The demo will have features that might not end up in the full game (they’re more “traditional” roguelike deckbuilder),  but they work, and they give the player visibility of long-term goals. It’s really nice to have stuff to work towards beyond just the survival of voyages.[/p][p]
The demo will include a new system to unlock and then upgrade your artefacts, and mid-voyage shops to purchase items from your hard-earned booty. There will be 2 new bosses, a bunch of new artefacts, and it will feature one small point-and-click environment.[/p][p]
As we develop this demo, we will also be preparing our application for the next round of CODE NZ StartUp grants. This is going to be a big deal and a lot of work. Success there will see me going full time on the game, which is a scary milestone but also a dream come true.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]A sneak peek at our new artefact upgrading system[/h2][p]
We want to encourage players to experiment with new artefacts, so our new systems for unlocking and upgrading artefacts are tied to actually utilising them in-game.[/p][p][/p][p]To permanently unlock an artefact, you need to acquire it during a run and trigger its effect a set number of times. This utilisation-counter persists across voyages, so you can continue to progress an artefact on your next run if you don’t finish the unlock. Once you’ve met the utilisation target, you’ll now own that artefact and can choose to start your next voyage with it in your cargo by selecting it from your inventory.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And that’s where upgrades come in. Once you own an artefact, you can now progress it toward its upgraded state by further utilisation. However the catch here is that upgrades only progress on your cargo artefacts, and not those you pick up during a voyage. So to progress different items, you’ll need to change up your starting strategy.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You can view your progress towards these goals at any time from the menu, and see the new effect your artefacts will get once upgraded. You also get a handy overview at the end of each voyage that displays any new progress you made.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Welcome to the crew Simon![/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]I’m excited to announce that Simon Mackmurdie has joined Cass Bay Games as our new Environments/UI artist. Straight away I was impressed by his technical experience and his passion for games and art, so much so that I was secretly rooting for his art test to be great… which it was! Phew![/p][p][/p][p]We’re stoked to have Simon onboard and can’t wait to get stuck into the next phase of Deckhand development with him on the team.

You can check out some his work that first caught my eye here: [/p][p]https://www.artstation.com/simonmackmurdie[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]
Don’t forget to wishlist the game on Steam, blackmail your friends and family to do the same, and help us market our pirate game![/p][p][/p][p]If you'd like more regular updates and to chat with the team then please join our public Discord server, we'd love to have you join our growing community. You can also follow us on social media at the links below.
[/p][h3]Wishlist now: [/h3][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]Discord invite: [/h3][p]https://t.co/sBqCnmZi9T[/p][p] [/p][h3]Previous editions of 'Below Deck':[/h3][p]can be found on our Itch Devlog.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Playtester sign ups:[/h3][p]Fill out this form to access the playtest [/p][p]
[/p][p]Until next time me hearties, yo ho![/p][p]Ben and the Cass Bay Games Team[/p][p][/p][p]
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[p]We'll be broadcasting all week to celebrate being part of Forsty Mini 2025![/p][p][/p][h2]Watch the stream here.[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Creators included:[/p]

• [p]The Geek Cupboard: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p] [/p]
• [p]TalaVT : [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]
• [p]Deep Space Matt: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[h3]Ahoy mateys, welcome Below Deck![/h3][p][/p][p]It’s been a while since I shared a behind the scenes interview with a member of the Cass Bay Games team, so I’m excited to introduce you to Ewan Clark. Ewan is an incredibly gifted music composer, and I’ve been itching to work with him again since he scored two of my short films a decade ago.[/p][p][/p][p]I’ll also give some behind the scenes insights into our growing sound team.[/p][p][/p][p]Yours piratically,[/p][p]Ben[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]
At Cass Bay Games, we’re very lucky to be working with Wellington-based, award-winning composer and orchestrator, Dr Ewan Clark. Ewan specialises in music for film and television, and is now making his debut in games with the exciting, adventurous score for Davy Jones’ Deckhand. He holds an MMus from the Royal College of Music and a PhD from the New Zealand School of Music.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve asked Ewan a few questions for this edition of Below Deck, and hope you enjoy this short interview![/p][p]

[/p][h3]What is some of the work you’re most proud of?[/h3][p]My score for the indie feature The Turn of the Screw won awards at the Istanbul Film Awards and Terror in the Bay Film Festival, and was a finalist for the 2021 APRA Best Music in Film award. I’m also proud to have scored projects including TVNZ1’s Doubt: The Scott Watson Case and shorts including the acclaimed The World in Your Window and Shmeat.[/p][p]
As an orchestrator, I’ve worked on feature films The Inventor, One Thousand Ropes, and Beyond the Edge.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]What’s your ideal environment for doing your best work?[/h3][p]I love working with collaborators that value music’s role in their project, enjoy what I bring to the table, and have a clear vision for what they want.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]What is on your musical bucket list?[/h3][p]I’d love to compose for any moderate to high budget film, TV, or game projects, but have a particular ambition to score things in the action/adventure genre.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]What drew you to Davy Jones’ Deckhand?[/h3][p]I had a very positive experience in 2013-2014 working with Ben Childs on the short films Birdsong and Space Trash Men. So when Ben approached me about working on DJD, it was the perfect opportunity to cut my teeth in the game music space, but with a known collaborator. I’ve been thinking for a while that it would be good to diversify and add game music to my skill set. I also love that DJD calls for an orchestral action/adventure score.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]What’s been your favourite part of working on Davy Jones’ Deckhand so far?[/h3][p]I’ve really enjoyed the aspects that are unique to composing for games, namely the use of adaptive music. It’s been fun to figure out how the music might adapt naturally depending on gameplay factors such as the player’s level of health or which characters they are fighting.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Finally, what’s some advice you have for aspiring music composers?[/h3][p]My advice is to build a rich, varied musical life. The young musicians who go on to thrive as versatile composers are usually the ones who’ve spent years doing a range of things like playing in ensembles, singing in choirs, writing notated music and hearing it performed, producing music in a DAW at the forefront of music technology, listening widely, and engaging seriously with theory and orchestration studies. Those diverse experiences create the foundation of a flexible, well-rounded composer. So identify any gaps in your skills or musical experiences and fill them steadily, in line with your goals, and never lose sight of your love for music and the media you want to write for.[/p][p]
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[/p][p]You can learn more about Ewan and listen to his work on his website.[/p][p]https://www.ewanclarkmusic.com/
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
We get lots of positive comments on the sound design in Davy Jones’ Deckhand, and there have been lots of people involved. Our first sound designer was Roco Moroi Thorne, a recent Masters graduate who had studied under Dr Ewan Clark. Ewan brought Roco on to help with the technical implementation of his dynamic music, but we ended up blown away by Roco’s keen instincts for all aspects of sound design. Sadly (for us, but not a surprise) Roco was scooped up by none other than Grinding Gear Games, one of New Zealand’s most successful studios, to work on their Path of Exile series.[/p][p]
Following in Roco’s footsteps, the studio has now welcomed two more of Ewan’s students, Erin Thomas-Riley and Sarah Paton Taylor. For the past six months Erin has been doing a fantastic job, and we’re excited to start working with Sarah as the newest addition to the evolving sound team.[/p][p]
We’ve also had some voice artists lending their talents to the game: Benjamin Pilbrow, Caitlin Thomas-Riley, and Sam Polwart.
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]
Tepene Marsden-Boyd has stepped down from the Cass Bay games team due to clashing family circumstances.[/p][p]
Tepene has had a huge impact on the game and studio, not only for his beautiful artwork, but he has also been a dedicated, smart business partner, and joined Ben on two massive trips this year promoting Davy Jones' Deckhand in both Germany and Australia. Thanks Tep for your passion, skill and hard work. [/p][p]
We're going to miss having you on the team!
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p][/p][p]We have shifted into development of DJD’s secondary game-loop. Here’s a very early sneak peek at some of the work-in-progress systems. We’ve started implementing point-and-click style navigation and a new dialogue system for conversations with NPCs.[/p][p]
When you finish a roguelike voyage, you’ll be able to disembark at your current port, peruse the town, take on side-quests, purchase new artefacts, find secrets, and upgrade your weapons. This won’t ruin the true roguelike experience though, as any artefacts you collect will still be limited by the cargo system that only allows you to bring a few select buffs along at the start of new voyages. The meta progression is intended to give you new ways to play, not to dramatically reduce the difficulty of the runs.[/p][p]
Watch this short pre-alpha gameplay clip.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]
Don’t forget to wishlist the game on Steam, blackmail your friends and family to do the same, and help us market our pirate game![/p][p]
If you'd like more regular updates and to chat with the team then please join our public Discord server, we'd love to have you join our growing community. You can also follow us on social media at the links below.
[/p][h3]Wishlist now: [/h3][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]
Discord invite: [/h3][p]https://t.co/sBqCnmZi9T[/p][p] [/p][h3]Previous editions of 'Below Deck'[/h3][p]can be found on our Itch Devlog.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Playtester sign ups:[/h3][p]Fill out this form to access the playtest [/p][p]
Until next time me hearties, yo ho![/p][p]
[/p][p]

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[p]Ahoy mateys, welcome Below Deck![/p][p]
One year ago we started the Below Deck newsletter, alongside the official start of production. Time has flown by and Davy Jones’ Deckhand has come a long way in a year. Check out this before and after comparison.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]It has been a wild, epic adventure so far. In a year we’ve taken an idea and built it into an extremely fun demo that has been played by nearly 100 players, with an impressive median playtime of over 2 hours, we’ve travelled to Germany to pitch at Gamescom, and now just returned from PAX, Australia’s largest gaming event. We haven’t had a lot of time to stop and reflect or celebrate, but it’s been a very successful year! The team at Cass Bay Games are so grateful to everyone who has followed our newsletter, joined our playtests, and been cheering us on.
[/p][p]In this edition of Below Deck I’m going to share about our PAX Australia exploits and give you a sneaky little insight into what’s next for the game.
[/p][p]Yours piratically,[/p][p]Ben[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]The pirate and the crab[/h2][p][/p][p]As an unknown studio with an unknown game, Tepene and I knew we’d have to get creative to make the most out of our time in Australia. Our mantra was ‘commit to the bit’, and we certainly turned a few heads with our costumes and booth design. Tepene once again brought an exceptional eye for detail to give players an immersive sense of stepping into the swashbuckling world of the game. We had an exhausting, exhilarating time sharing our game with media and players, many of whom really clicked with what we were doing and absolutely loved our unique take on card combat at sea![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Booty![/h2][p]
We came well stocked with extra special VIP packs (recipients were horrified to discover their very own black spot inside), 5kgs of chocolate coins, and coloring-in-sheets![/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][h2]Articles and media about Davy Jones’ Deckhand[/h2][p][/p][p]While promoting the game at PAX we also had our first opportunity to talk to gaming media outlets about Davy Jones’ Deckhand. Check out this selection of articles that have been released so far.
[/p][p]Checkpoint Gaming Highlight “Davy Jones’ Deckhand uses a simple yet fascinating two-stance system that utilises parries as its main driving force.”[/p][p][/p][p]Kelly Byrne, DezDoes.com Top 5 Indies of PAX
"This one surprised me. I’m not always into deck builders, but the combat here feels sharp and rewarding. Pulling off a perfect parry and chaining counter-attacks is ridiculously satisfying. The art style pops, the UI is clean, and the fonts are easy to read, small detail, but it matters when you’re juggling cards mid-battle. It’s approachable too; you don’t need to be a card game veteran to enjoy it. I found myself thinking, “Just one more run,” which is always a good sign. One of my favourite indie at PAX, and honestly, it deserves way more attention."[/p][p][/p][p]Explosion Network Preview “The card-game genre can feel over-saturated at the moment and a bit harder to stand out in, which is why I was so pleased with Davy Jones’ Deckhand, which had me locked in as I did battle on the deck.”[/p][p][/p][p]Indieformer PAX Aus 2025 Indie Picks[/p][p]“A deckbuilder where defense isn’t optional - it’s everything.”[/p][p][/p][p]Hooked Gamers Highlight
"With a narrative, mechanical and artistic design dripping over from the likes of Monkey Island, Captain Pugwash and Muppet Treasure Island; Davy Jones' Deckhand has you engaging in a deckbuilding swashbuckling adventure to duel pirates, knaves and ne'er-do-wells in counter-based combat."[/p][p][/p][p]And finally, here’s a short video we made ourselves for a laugh at PAX:[/p][p]
[/p][h2]
Charting our next course[/h2][p]
It’s actually quite an exciting time at Cass Bay Games. We’ve officially started to transition into the second phase of development, which means moving away from the core combat loop that has been the focus of the past year, and onto the outer loop of the game that includes exploration, narrative and progression. While we’re proud of our unique combat mechanics, it’s this second phase that is going to bring genre-bending elements to our game that deckbuilder fans and adventure fans alike will be very excited about. We may be a little slower on the playtest updates front, but we’re working hard behind the scenes and can’t wait to share the next evolution of Davy Jones’ Deckhand with you when the time is right. Here’s a little sneak peek…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Don’t forget to wishlist the game on Steam, blackmail your friends and family to do the same, and help us market our pirate game![/p][p][/p][p]If you'd like more regular updates and to chat with the team then please join our public Discord server, we'd love to have you join our growing community. You can also follow us on social media at the links below.
[/p][h2]Wishlist now: [/h2][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]
Discord invite: [/h3][p]https://t.co/sBqCnmZi9T[/p][p] [/p][h3]Previous editions of 'Below Deck'[/h3][p]can be found on our Itch Devlog.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Playtester sign ups:[/h2][p]Fill out this form to access the playtest [/p][p]
Until next time me hearties, yo ho![/p][p]
[/p]

[p]We'll be broadcasting all week to celebrate being part of PAX Australia![/p][p][/p][h2]This broadcast has now finished.[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Creators included:[/p]

• [p]The Geek Cupboard: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeekCupboard[/p][p] [/p]
• [p]TalaVT : [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]
• [p]Deep Space Matt: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]