Eurekas News

[p]Hey settlers![/p][p]10 days until Next Fest, and we're adding more ways to sacrifice your people.[/p][h2]💣 New Spell: Blood Mine[/h2][p]Your divine arsenal just got explosive. The Blood Mine spell lets you plant deadly traps that detonate when enemies approach—perfect for dealing with hordes of Devils and Grabbers swarming your borders.[/p][p]Fair warning: The explosion effect is currently... underwhelming. That's getting the VFX treatment it deserves in the next update. For now, imagine a much cooler boom.[/p][p]Tactical advantages:[/p]

• [p]Set defensive perimeters without having to build guard posts and using mana[/p]
• [p]Last 24h game time[/p]
• [p]Counter corruption pushes before they reach your settlement[/p]
• [p]Devastating against clustered enemies[/p]

[p]Like all your divine powers, it costs lives. But sometimes a few sacrifices now prevent greater losses later.[/p][h2]🔧 Under the Hood[/h2]

• [p]Spell system refactor for cleaner code and easier future additions[/p]
• [p]Fixed spell cost bugs that were miscalculating life sacrifices[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Small update, but Blood Mines add a tactical layer to corruption defense. Perfect timing to test strategies before Next Fest brings fresh eyes to the demo.[/p][p]— Ubben Ubben Studios[/p]

[p]Hey settlers![/p][p]With Steam Next Fest just around the corner, we're putting the finishing touches on the demo. Version 0.0510 brings crucial polish and several quality-of-life improvements that make Eurekas feel more alive—and more dangerous.[/p][h2]🐛 Corruption Gets Smarter[/h2][p]The Queen now shows true persistence—she won't give up until she's established a corruption connection to your settlement. No more half-hearted attempts. She's coming for you.[/p][p]Meanwhile, Devils and Grabbers have learned to fight back properly. These creatures now actively attack your settlers and defenses, making the creep a genuine threat rather than just expanding terrain.[/p][h2]⚡ Performance & Visual Upgrades[/h2]

• [p]Light performance optimizations ensure smoother gameplay as your settlement grows[/p]
• [p]Cloud shadows on terrain—a small detail that makes the world feel significantly more atmospheric (chef's kiss indeed)[/p]
• [p]All divine spell icons now correctly display, making your blood-magic arsenal clearer at a glance[/p]

[h2]📖 Narrative Touches[/h2][p]Minor dialogue refinements throughout the campaign help clarify your goals and deepen the world's dark-fantasy atmosphere.
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[/p][hr][/hr][p]These changes might seem small individually, but together they transform how the demo feels—more polished, more threatening, and more ready to show what Eurekas is really about: brutal choices, beautiful villages, and the price of divine power.[/p][p]See you at Next Fest in October![/p][p]— Ubben Ubben Studios[/p]

[p]Greetings, divine architects![/p][p]The moment has arrived - the Eureka demo is now available to play![/p][p]After months of development and your invaluable feedback, I'm incredibly excited to finally put this early build in your hands. This is your chance to experience the core of what makes Eureka unique: the brutal choice of sacrificing your own people to wield divine power.[/p][h2]What's in the Demo[/h2][p]This demo showcases the core gameplay on a single procedurally generated island. You'll have 4 in-game days to build your settlement, manage your population, and fight back the encroaching corruption.[/p][p]Demo specifics:[/p]

• [p]Accelerated gameplay with bonus starting resources[/p]
• [p]Ramped-up difficulty to showcase the full challenge[/p]
• [p]Core divine magic system with life-powered spells[/p]
• [p]Settlement building and resource management[/p]
• [p]Corruption and monster defense mechanics[/p]

[p]Note: The full campaign (traveling between procedurally generated islands and collecting additional foci) and higher-tier building progression are not available in this demo. Experience the core mechanics on one island - the full game features endless procedurally generated worlds to explore.[/p][h2]New Features in V0.0500[/h2][p]The Spellbook Finally, a proper magical artifact worthy of a god! The spellbook shows:[/p]

• [p]Focus objectives marked on the map[/p]
• [p]All currently available spells and their costs[/p]
• [p]Your growing arsenal of divine powers[/p][p][/p]

[p]Combat System Overhaul[/p]

• [p]Health bars for monsters - Now you can see exactly how much damage you're dealing[/p]
• [p]Intelligent turrets - Defense structures now prioritize threats more strategically[/p]
• [p]Health system implemented - No more instant kills! Combat now features proper health mechanics for both settlers and monsters, creating more tactical defensive gameplay[/p]

[p]Expanded Lore I've woven significantly more lore throughout the game. Discover the mysteries of the islands, the nature of the corruption, and the price of divine intervention.[/p][p]Blood Magic Tutorial A new tutorial specifically focused on the life-powered magic system - helping new players understand that every miracle demands sacrifice.[/p][h2]A Personal Note[/h2][p]Hi, I'm Johannes, the solo developer behind Eureka. Thank you for taking the time to play this demo.[/p][p]This is an early build and some features are still in development, but I hope you'll enjoy this glimpse into the strategic tension at the heart of Eureka. Your settlers pray for survival - you decide if their sacrifice is worth the power it grants.[/p][p]Please, if you enjoy what you see, add Eureka to your wishlist. It makes a massive difference for a solo dev like me, and ensures you'll be notified when the full game launches.[/p][p]Feedback is always welcome - whether here in the Steam forums, on Discord, or wherever you prefer to share your thoughts. Your insights have shaped this game from the beginning.[/p][p]- Johannes

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[p]Greetings, divine strategists![/p][p]This update introduces our most significant antagonist yet and expands the strategic depth of settlement management. The island grows more dangerous, but your tools for survival have expanded as well.[/p][h2]The Queen Monster Emerges[/h2][p][/p]

• [p]Meet your true nemesis - The Queen Monster now stalks your island as the primary antagonist[/p]
• [p]Dynamic corruption system - She actively terraforms land into truly corrupted lands with her darkrain[/p]
• [p]Intelligent pathfinding - The Queen ensures her monsters always have routes to reach your settlers, no more hiding behind natural barriers, or putting up mountains[/p]
• [p]Expanded narrative - New story elements reveal the Queen's role in the island's dark mysteries[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
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[h2]Building System Overhaul[/h2]

• [p]Completely revamped internal building system - Now data-driven for rapid development of new structures[/p]
• [p]Faster content updates ahead - This foundation allows us to add new buildings much more efficiently[/p]
• [p]Potential bugs warning - As with any major system change, please report any building-related issues you encounter[/p]

[h2]New Strategic Buildings[/h2]

• [p]Wellspring Grainery - Provides area-of-effect bonuses to adjacent farms, optimizing your food production zones[/p]
• [p]Wellspring Vault - Enhances nearby temples' mana production, creating strategic temple placement decisions[/p]
• [p]Grand Farm - A more efficient farming solution for mature settlements[/p]
• [p]Area effect mechanics - Building placement now matters more than ever for optimal efficiency[/p]

[h2]Escalated Threat Level[/h2]

• [p]Increased monster creep growth rate - The corruption spreads faster, demanding quicker strategic responses[/p]
• [p]Higher stakes gameplay - Balance expansion against the accelerating threat more carefully[/p]
• [p]Enhanced challenge curve - Preparing players for the full strategic depth of the final experience[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]These changes represent a major step toward our Steam Next Fest demo. The Queen Monster adds the persistent threat that makes every divine power decision meaningful, while the expanded building system provides more tools for strategic settlement optimization.[/p][p]Current playtesters - We especially need feedback on the Queen's behavior patterns and the new building balance. How does the increased threat level feel?[/p][p]Wishlist Eureka on Steam to experience the full strategic challenge when our demo launches![/p][p]-Johannes[/p][hr][/hr][p]Known Issues:[/p]

• [p]Building system bugs possible due to major internal changes[/p]
• [p]Queen Monster pathfinding optimization ongoing[/p]
• [p]Balance tweaks for new area-effect buildings in progress[/p]

[h2]🏝️ World Generation Overhaul[/h2][p]Pick Your Island: Select from multiple island types, each with different strategic challenges. Preview worlds directly in the main menu (this was surprisingly complex to get working with deterministic generation).[/p][p]Three New World Types:[/p]

• [p]Balanced: Even resource distribution, good for learning[/p]
• [p]Archipelago: Multiple landmasses, territory control crucial[/p]
• [p]Desert Island: Resource-scarce challenge for experienced players[/p][p]
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[h2]🎭 Cinematic Camera System[/h2][p]Added cinematic camera effects and movement for dialogue scenes and tutorial moments. The camera now focuses and moves to guide your attention during important story beats and learning moments.[/p][h2]⚡ The Foci Endgame[/h2][p]New win condition: Find and conquer three magical artifacts scattered across your island. The corruption wants them too and gets more aggressive with each one you claim.[/p][p]Race the spreading darkness while managing your dwindling population. Each artifact triggers escalating difficulty.[/p][p][/p][p]🔮 Coming Next[/p][p][/p][p]The Spellbook System: Collect spells and choose your divine arsenal before each adventure. Different combinations will completely change your strategic approach.[/p][p]Enhanced Dialogue: Settlers and corruption will react to your choices - your followers questioning whether those terraforming spells were worth their friends' lives.[/p][p]World Map Travel: Long-term goal for extended campaigns across multiple islands. Won't make Next Fest, but it's coming![/p][hr][/hr][h2]Steam Next Fest Demo - October[/h2][p]All these improvements build toward our October Steam Next Fest demo - your first chance to experience divine intervention where every spell costs settler lives.[/p][p]Current Playtesters: Grab v0.0450 and share feedback![/p][p]New Players: Wishlist now for the October demo![/p][p]What island type sounds most challenging? Balanced for learning, Desert Island for hardcore strategists? Let me know below![/p]