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Roguelike dungeon crawler Barony is free to play right now, but not for long

As much as I love Skyrim, it gets harder to revisit Tamriel after my umpteenth playthrough. Bleak Falls Barrow is a brilliant starting dungeon, for example, but once I know the ins and outs of every draugr-filled hall, it loses that sense of surprise that makes fantasy RPGs so special. That's where a game like Barony comes in. A roguelike dungeon crawler you can play in co-op, every single adventure is completely different. With loads of classes, RPG systems, and no handholding, it's the perfect reason to while away the hours. You can play it free for a limited time right now, and then grab it at a big discount if you want to dive back in.


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Update 4.3.2 Available Now - Proximity Voice Chat!

[p]Hail Adventurers![/p][p]As part of our ongoing celebration of Barony's 10th anniversary, we have a hot new feature that'll help you enjoy the game even more with friends and strangers alike:[/p][h3]Proximity voice chat![/h3][p]This removes the requirement of an external voice service to talk to your party in realtime, making it easier to talk with pick-up-groups or friends alike. But the feature also ups the level of immersion as you hear your party around you with spatial 3D sound.
"Come here I need help!" is now more actionable thanks to this great new feature.[/p][p]Update V4.3.2 also comes with the following hotfixes:[/p]
  • [p]Tutorial sound effect volume can now be altered using the Notification volume slider[/p]
  • [p]Fixed monster stats displayed in the Compendium when Hardcore mode is enabled[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hardcore warning flag in lobby not displaying[/p]
  • [p]Fixed crash when killing players currently using the Assist Shrine[/p]
  • [p]Fixed session game flags overriding your lobby default options when force closing the game[/p]
  • [p]Fixed command /facebarquickcast which provides option to cast spells using the hotbar keys by double tapping[/p]
  • [p](Nintendo Switch) Fixed issue with achievements saving incorrectly
    [/p]
[h3]All About In-Game Voice Chat[/h3][p]Voice chat between players travels in-world with your characters, letting you know when someone is near or far behind. Choose how to immerse yourself with 2 voice modes - long distance to casually chat while you game, or short proximity where sticking together is essential to be heard![/p][p][/p][p]Voice Activity is shown above each player when speaking, as well as in the top-left character status area. Hotkey for sending Voice Chat is shown next to the microphone icon which indicates your voice transmit status.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]At the pause menu, individual player volumes can be adjusted in the top-left area to amplify, quieten, or mute to your preference.[/p][p][/p][h2]Settings Location[/h2]
  • [p]Head to the Audio tab from the Settings menu to view Voice Chat settings[/p]
  • [p]Under the Volume section, there is a new slider to configure the global volume of Voice activity[/p]
    • [p]Most user voice levels can be a lot quieter than music and other gameplay audio, so turning other sliders down slightly while keeping Voice volume maximized is a good starting point[/p]
[p]Voice Volume setting in the Audio tab[/p][p][/p][h2]Configuring Voice Chat[/h2][p]Voice Settings Options[/p][p][/p][p]In the Audio tab, scroll down to the Voice section[/p]
  • [p]Toggle the Send/Receive Voice Chat settings to your preference[/p]
    • [p]By default, receive Voice Chat is enabled, and send Voice Chat is disabled[/p]
  • [p]Increased Voice Distance[/p]
    • [p]Default on, when enabled you can hear other players from far away, better for conversational voice activity such as a party chat[/p]
    • [p]If turned off, received voice travels far less. Disable this for a more traditional proximity experience, you may need to stick together to listen in![/p]
  • [p]Push To Talk[/p]
    • [p]Default on, while in-game hold the default binding “V” down on your keyboard to transmit voice[/p]
    • [p]If turned off, pressing “V” will toggle on or off voice transmission without the need to continually hold down the button[/p]
    • [p]On gamepad, the default binding is still “V” on the keyboard, but can be rebound in the Controls tab to a gamepad button or another keyboard button if preferred.[/p]
[h2]Configuring Your Microphone Recording[/h2]
  • [p]Use the Input Device dropdown to select your microphone[/p]
    • [p]Disabled microphones in your PC’s audio settings will not show up in this list, enable them to display them in-game[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Enable Input Monitoring to listen to your volume levels[/p]
    • [p]When listening back to your volume, it is based off the game’s volumes set in the Volume section (Master and Voice sliders). This is reflective of how you and others will sound in-game[/p]
    • [p]While this setting is active and you are currently in the Audio tab, Voice activity will be paused to any players if you are in-game[/p]
    • [p]Keeping this setting enabled and leaving the Audio tab stops listening back, but will resume when re-entering the Audio tab[/p]
  • [p]Your current audio levels are visualized in 2 bars to the right[/p]
    • [p]Raw Input: The volume level reported by your PC[/p]
    • [p]Modified: The volume level after being processed by the next 2 options “Input Volume Normalization” and “Input Gain”[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h3]Optimal Volume[/h3]
  • [p]When configuring your audio levels, try to aim to fill at least 75% of the bar when speaking[/p]
  • [p]If the volume is too loud and begins to distort, the bars will fill up and turn red as feedback. [/p]
    • [p]There are anti-distortion filters applied to this signal, so briefly turning red is not a bad sign during short periods[/p]
[h3]Adjusting Volume[/h3]
  • [p]Your first likely step may need to be increasing the microphone volume[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Try raising the Input Volume Normalization slider first:[/p]
    • [p]Increasing the slider amplifies the loudest sounds under a threshold, e.g. at 25% only the loudest 25% of sound will be amplified, such as your speaking voice in a room, while not amplifying room noise[/p]
      • [p]Below 50% should be a good range to test[/p]
      • [p]At 100%, all sound will be amplified, including room noise such as fans or electrical hums[/p]
      • [p]At 0%, this setting does nothing to your volume level[/p]
  • [p]Next change Input Gain:[/p]
    • [p]This amplifies or quietens all sound as needed, taking place after the Normalization filter[/p]
    • [p]Set positive to be louder, negative to quieten[/p]
  • [p]If there is still not enough volume:[/p]
    • [p]Increase the device volume in your PC audio settings[/p]
      • [p]E.g. on Windows, enter the System > Sound menu, select your input device from the list and you may adjust the Volume slider higher as needed from there[/p]
    • [p]Alternatively, there are external programs (such as VoiceMeeter) which you can route audio through and apply gain and effects as needed, outputting to a separate virtual input device that can be selected in Barony.[/p]

Barony Turns 10!

Barony 10th Anniversary Celebration

June marks a milestone for us at Turning Wheel Games as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Barony's 1.0 release! To celebrate, we have several fun treats for fans. So keep your eyes on our social media and here on Steam for all of the latest updates! For starters, during June we will release mini-documentaries that talk about the history of Barony and how it became the game you know today.

The first in our multi-part Making Barony series Origins of the Dungeon is out now and you can find it here on YouTube here.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

A lot has happened since we debuted Barony, and we wanted to share some of our stories about the early days of development. Barony made its debut on June 23rd 2015, appearing for first time as a part of Steam Greenlight.



In the ten years since, our game has grown from its humble roots into a massive adventure. Updates like the Blessed Edition, Cursed Edition, and Quality of Death expansions upgraded the visuals, added whole new game mechanics, and completely overhauled the game's user interface. From there, the game continued to expand, building on its foundations, and earning a loyal fan base that celebrates the exciting product that Barony has become.


We look forward to celebrating Barony's 10th Anniversary with you, and can't wait to show you what we have in store for the future! Thank you for joining us on this journey. We wouldn't be here without you, and that might be the understatement of the decade!

The 4.3.1 Assist Shrine Update is now live!

We have a surprise feature update for you, just in time for the holidays!


The new Assist Shrine is the perfect way for you, and any new Barony adventurers, to get their feet wet in the dungeons, especially if you’re having a hard time! Offering several new ways to ease the game’s difficulty, the Assist Shrine may be just what you need to finally be the hero that Hamlet deserves.

Each player’s candle is lit at the shrine when they claim an Assist Item. One at a time please!


In the starting floor there is a now a new Assist Shrine interactable. Now you can have per-player handicaps with more options to lower the game difficulty, great for introducing new players to your party.

[h2]Accessing Assist Items[/h2]
The old "+1 Life" game flag is now replaced with the new "Assist Items" game flag.


Enabling / Disabling
If the host of a game wants everyone to play without Assist Items, they can be Disabled / Enabled in the Lobby Settings and Game Settings menus.



[h2]Assist Shrine UI Tabs[/h2]
[h3]Items Tab: [/h3]
  • If "Assist Items" are enabled for the lobby, you can claim up to 4 items which can be blessed to improve their effects further
  • Every item has a Assistance Point cost and reduces your leaderboard score by 10% per point (maximum of 95% reduction). Blessing/Cursing incurs higher costs.
  • Claiming 10 or more Assistance Points will disable achievements/online leaderboards
  • Items aren't shared, everyone can claim their own copy of the items so 16 total for a 4 player game
  • In multiplayer the score penalties are based on the sum of everyone's points, so everyone shares the same score penalties.
A full kit of Assist Items makes the game substantially easier and disables achievements, but still exposes you to all the game’s mechanics. Perfect for learning!


[h3]Assist Items Available [/h3]

Cloak of the Guardian [5 AP / +4 AP per blessing]
Provides 25% combat damage resistance and 50% trap damage resistance
(up to 75%/75% at +2)
Ring of Resolve [3 AP / +2 AP per blessing]
Increases your Max HP/MP while worn by +10/10 (up to +30/30 at +2)
Marigold [3 AP / +2 AP per blessing]
Restores 5 HP over 30 seconds when eating food (up to 11 HP at +2)
Amulet of Lifesaving [4 AP / +2 AP per blessing]
Effect has been changed for all lifesaving amulets in the game, revival now restores +50HP (up to +150HP at +2) instead of full HP



With the Assist Items and their blessing status customizable for each player, you’ll have more control than ever over how difficult of an experience you want to have. You can even curse items in case you’re playing an Incubus or Succubus!

Item Assist Point costs are designed specifically to make sure that you can take a few combos of items without necessarily disabling achievements, especially useful if there’s a particular aspect of the game you struggle with.

[h2]Race / Class Tabs[/h2]
Now you can change your character Class or Race without having to exit and create a new lobby!


We’ve used the Assist Shrine to provide a long requested feature for players who want to change Race or Class without having to start a new lobby. Here you can change your character with the respective Class / Race tabs. Changes apply when the game is next restarted.
Note, this does not require Assist Items game flag for this function to be usable!

Now you can experiment with different playstyles and party makeups with your friends, without the need to disband!

We hope that the Assist Shrine enriches your playtime with others, whether they be veterans, or newcomers to play with from the couch at your next family gathering. As for us, we’re going to exploit assist items to finally earn that Blessed Boots of Speed achievement.

[h2]Happy Holidays from all of us Turning Wheel![/h2]

A Present for Christmas

[h2]Merry Barony[/h2]



There's less than twenty-five days until Christmas, and in Barony, the denizens of the dungeon like to celebrate in style.

Starting December 1st and going through the end of the year, it's time once again for Merry Barony! For this festive month, Barony gets a festive makeover that decks the halls, adds all sort of seasonal treats, and sees some of your favorite enemies dressing for the occasion.

Note that while disguised items might look different (and may bear a different name too!), the gameplay you know and love is 100% intact.

Clicking the holiday banner at the main menu will take you to the settings "Online" panel. Here, you can toggle on/off the seasonal content as desired.

[h2]A Joyful Avatar Frame[/h2]
If you want to show off your Merry Barony spirit, don't forget about the Christmas themed avatar frame. This festive frame features a snowy tableaux complete with Christmas trees, presents, and even a gnome!

This is available now on the Barony Points Shop!



If you played last year, you'll remember a lot of what's here. There were a few small updates that were necessary following the Eat My Hat update. If you're new to Merry Barony, read on!

[h2]Delightful Dungeon Makeover[/h2]
'Tis the season to hang lights, drape garland, and set up your tree. For Merry Barony, the dungeon gets a full makeover. You'll find fountains hung with stockings, garland lining gates, and treasure chests that look mysteriously like presents just waiting to be opened (Fair warning: Mimics are wrapped too!).


[h2]Festive Fiends[/h2]
Just because you're a monster that lurks in the halls of Baron Herx's dungeon doesn't mean you can't be in the Christmas spirit! Several monsters are dressed for the occasion and bring some much-needed cheer to the otherwise lethal halls of this domain. Rats are dressed as reindeer, ghouls have gotten downright frosty, and even the demons love to wear an ugly Christmas sweater from time to time!


[h2]Christmas Couture[/h2]
Everybody loves a good Santa hat and some warm earmuffs to keep out the cold, and given the chilly look of the dungeon, these cozy items are what every adventurer needs! Everything from hats to shields gets a makeover for the season.

In addition to the changes from last year's Merry Barony, all of the icons for the themed items have gotten a brand new look. Additionally, some hats and masks have been reworked to support the recent Eat My Hat update.


[h2]Seasonal Snacks[/h2]
The food items in Barony have been updated for the season. Keep your eyes out for candy canes and roasted turkeys. The food in the dungeons is downright delicious this time of year.


[h2]Magical Music[/h2]
Hum along to haunting renditions of all of your favorite Christmastime classics, as Merry Barony replaces all of the music in the game with seasonally appropriate tracks. Most of the tracks were crafted by Nicolas Gasparini (Myuu). Myuu has offered his work on Barony under the CC3.0 License. We make no claims that his art is an endorsement of the game.