The Apocalypse News

Hi everyone! I’m the developer of The Apocalypse.
After my last devlog where I asked if you’d like to see a quest system, I received tons of valuable feedback from players. Thank you so much—your enthusiasm is what keeps me going!

Today, I want to talk about something almost every survival sandbox fan has gotten used to: the classic early game routine of punching trees, mining rocks, and hunting small animals like deer or rabbits. Nearly every survival game treats this as the “first step.”

I’ve played a lot of these games myself, and usually the very first thing I do is collect wood and stone. From a design standpoint, it makes sense: these materials exist in any environment, they’re instantly recognizable, and they require no learning curve. The progression from wooden tools → stone tools → iron tools also creates a simple and intuitive upgrade path. And let’s be honest—punching your first tree or rock isn’t just an action, it feels like a primitive ritual: crafting your first tool with bare hands carries a real sense of accomplishment.

[h2]But here’s the downside:[/h2]

It’s repetitive. Almost every survival sandbox starts with the same loop—chop trees, mine rocks—so it lacks freshness.

It’s fatiguing. Players have gone through this opening in dozens of games already, and it can feel stale.

In The Apocalypse, wood and stone will still exist as basic resources, but I want to mix things up at the start. Players don’t always have to begin with chopping trees—maybe you’ll scavenge materials from ruins, or jump straight into special gameplay without gathering or crafting. On top of the classic resources, we’ll also introduce some unique ones.

What I really want is for the opening moment to feel like a choice for survival, not just “grab wood and make tools.”

[h2]So I’d love to hear your thoughts:[/h2]

Classic start — Chop trees, mine rocks. Familiar and simple.

Alternative start — Loot ruins, or fight enemies for drops.

Hybrid design — A mix of both: gather if you want, or dive straight into other options.

Share your ideas in the comments! Who knows—your favorite approach might end up in a future version of The Apocalypse!

And if you want to be among the first to try these new ideas, don’t forget to add us to your Wishlist on Steam!

We has released a brand-new gameplay trailer for the upcoming sandbox survival shooter The Apocalypse, highlighting the game’s key systems—from exploration and base-building to combat—and unveiling for the first time its modular vehicle customization feature.

Watch the Trailer
https://youtu.be/E6RX2etawCY


A standout from the new trailer is the modular vehicle system. Players can outfit their vehicles with customizable armor, cargo compartments, mounted weapons, and even mobile living facilities like beds and furnaces. Each module has its own health and function, and can be damaged or destroyed in combat—offering a dynamic and strategic layer to exploration and survival.

Vehicles can also be adapted for specific missions or environments, with interchangeable tires, armor plating, or extended trailers for storage and mobility. It's more than just transport—it’s a survival hub on wheels.


The Apocalypse offers a seamless, handcrafted open world featuring diverse biomes including deserts, forests, snowy mountains, and ruined cities—linked together with no loading screens. Dynamic weather effects like fog, rain, and snow influence gameplay and survival conditions, forcing players to adapt on the fly.

Instead of linear missions, the game focuses on emergent gameplay—letting players scavenge, build, fight, and explore at their own pace. You’ll start with nothing and forge your own path forward.


[h2]Crafting & Combat: [/h2]From spears to sniper rifles, the game features deep crafting with modular attachments like scopes, silencers, and grips. Weapons are tuned for tactical flexibility, not just stats.
[h2]Base Building: [/h2]Construct bases piece-by-piece, powered by electricity and protected by automated defenses.
[h2]Self-Sufficiency: [/h2]Grow food, gather water, and create a closed-loop survival system with hunting, farming, and irrigation.
[h2]PvE and PvP: [/h2]Whether going solo or teaming up, players can build, defend, and raid in both friendly and competitive multiplayer modes.


The Apocalypse supports online multiplayer, where players can host their own servers, team up with friends, and explore or fight for territory. PvP-focused servers remove all safety nets—bringing high-stakes survival where every battle counts.

Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about this question while working on The Apocalypse: does a survival sandbox game really need a full quest system?

If you look at survival sandboxes from the past few years, there’s been a shift. Early games usually gave you nothing — just two hands and a world full of resources. No quests, no instructions, just pure freedom. But more recently, to help guide players (and lower the entry barrier), a lot of games have added quest systems, even full main storylines with side quests.

The classic loop of these games is explore → gather → craft → survive. It works, but sometimes players feel a bit lost: What should I do next? What’s the goal? That’s where quests come in handy — teaching you how to craft tools, build a shelter, or setting a long-term objective. Quests can help with direction and pacing.

But there’s a tradeoff. Quests can also fight against the “open world freedom” vibe:
They can feel restrictive, like you’re forced down a checklist.
They risk turning the game into a standard RPG with fetch quests instead of a survival adventure.
They can break immersion for players who just want to build and see how long they can last, without an NPC nagging them to “go gather 10 stones.”

For The Apocalypse, I wrestled with this too. Right now, my approach is: keep freedom first. In the early game, there will be light guidance (like building a shelter or crafting basic tools), but later on the drive comes more from world events and discoveries instead of fixed quests. In other words, quests are there as optional support, not something that forces you along a path.

But I’d really love to hear what you think. Should a survival sandbox have a full quest system? Just light guidance and optional goals? Or nothing at all — pure freedom?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’ll be reading everything, and honestly, your feedback might shape how The Apocalypse grows in future updates.

(Quick reminder: if you’re interested in the game, please add The Apocalypse to your wishlist — it really helps!)

https://youtu.be/WotVBENWYOU

Hi everyone! First off, thank you so much to everyone who’s followed or added The Apocalypse to their Steam Wishlist. We’re a small indie game development team, and this devlog series is here to give you a transparent look into our journey.
Since this is our very first devlog, we’ll focus on the basics. In future posts, we’ll dive deeper into design decisions, new features, and development progress.
And if this is your first time hearing about us, we’d love it if you could follow our Steam page. We’ll be posting updates regularly. Feel free to leave a comment with anything you’d like to ask or see covered in upcoming entries.


“I’ve spent half my life coding. And when it comes to sandbox survival games, I’m a long-time fan.”
“There’s a unique magic to these games—you just can’t put them down. Exploring unknown maps, building shelters from scratch, managing your own little homestead, scavenging for supplies, fending off zombies… the sense of progression and creative freedom is like nothing else. It’s incredibly immersive and deeply satisfying. I could spend hours without even noticing.”
“But after years of playing, I realized something. These games are becoming a bit too… intense. Systems keep getting more complicated, features keep piling up. Sure, that’s great for content, but what about time? Most of us only have fragmented playtime.”
“We want immersive gameplay and deep systems, but we also crave accessibility—something we can pick up and enjoy without being overwhelmed. That contradiction really stuck with me.”
“So I started wondering: can we make a different kind of sandbox survival game? Something less hardcore and more welcoming. Something you can enjoy even if you only have an hour to spare. Throw in the option to team up with friends in the apocalypse, and suddenly it’s not just survival—it’s fun.”


“Two years ago, I quit my job to go all in.”
“The first stage was all about learning and building the basics. Game development is no joke—turning an idea into a playable experience takes time. I started by clarifying the core gameplay loop and testing the feasibility of key systems. To prove our direction, we released a rough early prototype.”


[h2]Core Features:[/h2]
1.Player Stats: Health, hunger, thirst, stamina.
2.Resource Gathering: Collect (trees, stones), scavenge (containers, ruins).
3.Crafting System: Tools (stone axe, pickaxe), basic weapons (wooden club, spear), building materials (walls, floors, doors).
4.Base Building: Placement, rotation, and removal of foundations, walls, doors, floors, roofs (solo mode).
5.Combat System: Melee weapons (swing/hit feedback), basic ranged (e.g. bows), base damage mechanics.
6.Zombie AI: Patrolling, chasing, attacking. Basic types (walkers, runners).
7.Open World Test Zone: Forests, roads, ruins with basic resource nodes, LOD.
8.UI: HUD, inventory, crafting and building menus.
9.Playable Deliverable: Demo version with single-player or local co-op, core loop functioning.
10.Internal Test Focus: Survival balance, resource pacing, building flow, combat feel, zombie threat level.

[h2]PvE Features in Progress:[/h2]
1.Zombie AI Upgrade: Sensory system (sight, sound), group behavior, special zombies (explosive, ranged, armored).
2.PvE Events/Goals: Random encounters, small outpost clearing, wave defense (prototype).
3.Environmental Threats: Radiation zones, harsh weather effects (early).
4.Loot Events: Airdrops, supply convoys, ship containers.

[h2]PvP Features:[/h2]
1.Player Damage & Kill Mechanics: PvP toggles and consequences.
2.Territory/Ownership Systems: Locked chests, territory cabinets (TC), core buildings, structure damage.
3.Friendly Fire & Alliances: Team damage controls, faction mechanics.
4.PvP Zones: Resource control points for player conflict.

[h2]Social Systems:[/h2]
1.Guild System: Create, join, manage members with roles and tags.
2.Friend System: Add friends, team invites.
3.Chat Enhancements: Channels (global, guild, team), emojis.

[h2]Vehicles:[/h2]
1.Basic Vehicles: Bicycles, small cars, RVs, heavy-duty vehicles (crafted/found).
2.Driving & Physics: Fuel system, basic handling.
3.Vehicle Storage: Limited cargo space.


“After the rough prototype, development has entered a more structured and stable phase. We’re now focusing on the ‘Multiplayer Survival Mode’ and expanding both PvE and PvP content, alongside polishing core systems.”


If all goes well, we plan to launch an Alpha Test in Q3 of this year. If you’re interested, you can sign up via our player survey:
Alpha Sign-Up: https://forms.gle/98pPi58hdUSYTbyQA


If you have any questions or topics you want us to cover in the next devlog, leave a comment! We’ll gather feedback and respond to what players care about most.

Thanks again for your support, and we’ll see you in the next update!