Those Who Dwell News

• [p]Listened to feedback regarding some areas needed less backtracking so thats been adjusted for the best player experience. [/p]
• [p]More language fixes for Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. [/p]
• [p]New lantern UI element to indicate danger / danger amounts. [/p]
• [p]Tweaks to the enemies including some scaling difficulty and behaviour types depending on level and player choices.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please continue to share it in the Steam Discussions.[/p][p][/p][p]Every report genuinely helps shape future patches.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you again for supporting Those Who Dwell and Midnight Forge Games [/p][p][/p]

[p]The new trailer for Those Who Dwell is here!
with big thanks to my friends at Liquid Crimson.[/p][p][/p][p]Descend once more into the caves… where something ancient wakes.[/p][p]If you enjoy atmospheric folklore horror and environmental storytelling, this one’s for you.[/p][p]Watch the trailer now[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Those Who Dwell will also be part of the Steam Spring Sale and will include some updates very soon adding extra languages support, so keep an eye out for that![/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p]I hope you are all well and having a good holiday.[/p][p]
I was made aware to a bug in Level 6 where getting to the stone door caused you to freeze and I also had some feedback that the shadows would occasionally block your path ahead causing some frustrations so:[/p]

• [p]The Level 6 blocker has now been fixed! (please tell me if thats not the case for you)[/p]
• [p]I have added a cool small thing for the shadows so if you have enough light and approach a shadow, it fades away and allows you to pass without any damage or impacting your light.[/p][p][/p]

[p]These fixes are part of my ongoing aim to refining the experience and making the game as smooth and immersive as possible.[/p][p][/p][p]If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please continue to share it in the Steam Discussions.[/p][p][/p][p]Every report genuinely helps shape future patches.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you again for supporting Those Who Dwell and Midnight Forge Games [/p][p][/p]

[p]This week’s update wraps up several smaller patches released throughout the week, focusing on enemy behaviour, moral choice impact, and continued bug fixing, polish, and performance improvements.[/p][p]As always, thank you to everyone who has played, reported issues, and shared feedback. Being able to iterate quickly based on real player experiences has been invaluable.[/p][p][/p][h2]Enemy Behaviour & Moral Impact[/h2][p]A major focus this week has been refining how enemies respond to the player and reinforcing the impact of your choices throughout the game:[/p]

• [p]Enemy behaviour has been further tuned to feel more reactive and threatening[/p]
• [p]Your moral choices now have a clearer gameplay impact, influencing tension, presence, and danger[/p]
• [p]Encounters are intended to feel more deliberate, unsettling, and less predictable[/p]

[p][/p][p]The visual of the shadow people and behaviour (like how close they get to you) change based on the decisions you make in game.[/p][p]
- Ignore the shrines and totems - the shadow people don't get more aggressive but also not less, their visual remains the shadowy default.[/p][p]- Restore the shrines and find the totems - the shadow people start to heal parts of their corruption and keep further from you.[/p][p]- Desecrate the shrines and destroy the totems - the shadow people get more corrupted as their binding magic weakens. More aggressive. (also long boys)[/p][p][/p][p]These changes are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that decisions made earlier in the game meaningfully affect how the world responds to you.[/p][p][/p][h2]Bug Fixes, Polish & Performance[/h2][p]Alongside gameplay adjustments, multiple patches were released this week addressing:[/p]

• [p]General bug fixes across several levels[/p]
• [p]Interaction reliability improvements[/p]
• [p]Visual and audio polish[/p]
• [p]Performance tweaks in later areas of the game[/p]

[p]No known progression blockers remain at this time.[/p][p][/p][h2]End of Year Note[/h2][p]This will be the last official scheduled patch of the year.[/p][p]That said, I’ll still be keeping an eye on things and if any serious issues arise (such as crashes or major blockers), I’ll push fixes where needed. I’ll also continue to be active in the Steam Discussions, responding to feedback and reports.[/p][p][/p][h2]Whats Next[/h2][p]While support for Those Who Dwell continues, for now development focus now shifts toward Nowhere, specifically preparing a new demo for the upcoming Steam Detective Fest![/p][p][/p][h2]Thank You & Feedback[/h2][p]Once again, thank you to everyone who has played Those Who Dwell so far. Your feedback has directly shaped the game, and that process doesn’t stop here.[/p][p]Please continue to:[/p]

• [p]Report bugs and issues in the Steam Discussions[/p]
• [p]Share what you enjoy and what doesn’t work for you[/p]
• [p]Leave a Steam review if you feel the game deserves it as it helps enormously[/p]

[p]Thank you again for supporting Those Who Dwell and Midnight Forge Games [/p]

[p]This week’s update focuses on quality-of-life improvements, controller fixes, and a step toward increasing tension and threat throughout the caves. [/p][p][/p][p]A big thank you to everyone continuing to share feedback, many of these changes are a direct response to what players have been experiencing.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]New Feature – Chapter Select[/h2]

• [p]Added a Chapter Select system to the Main Menu
  Players who have completed levels can now return to specific chapters without starting a new playthrough.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Controls & Interaction Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed multiple gamepad navigation issues across menus[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where interaction icons were missing in Level 1[/p]
• [p]Fixed the interaction prompt not clearing after interacting with an oil lantern[/p]
• [p]Fixed being unable to interact after placing an offering in Level 9[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that made interacting with the lockbox difficult after the first attempt[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Audio, Visual & Presentation Tweaks[/h2]

• [p]Fixed the VHS overlay not appearing in Level 1[/p]
• [p]Lowered VHS sound effects volume by default[/p]
• [p]Tweaked lighting in Levels 7 & 8 to reduce excessive brightness[/p]
• [p]Adjusted Level 4 water to make it harder to see into[/p]
• [p]Fixed collision issues on the steps in Level 2[/p]
• [p]Made the door rumble, screen shake, and sound more noticeable after completing puzzles in Levels 7, 8 & 9[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Horror & Tension Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Increased overall tension through subtle lighting adjustments and faint, occasional background audio[/p]
• [p]Updated Shadow People behaviour:[/p]
  • [p]They now only appear or disappear when you aren’t looking directly at them[/p]
  • [p]Getting too close will cause them to drain some of your light[/p]
  • [p]When your light is low, they become faster and more threatening[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Story & Cave Painting Updates[/h2]

• [p]Added more narrative context when interacting with cave paintings[/p]
• [p]Fixed the order of cave paintings so they now present correctly[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Thank You & Ongoing Support[/h2][p]Bug fixing and polish is still ongoing, and your feedback continues to guide each update. A huge thank you to everyone who’s played so far, reported issues, and shared their thoughts.[/p][p]Please keep letting me know what works, what doesn’t, and where things can be improved, and if you’re enjoying the game, consider leaving a Steam review as it helps more than you might think.[/p][p][/p][p]More updates soon.
— Luke,[/p]