Ocean Keeper Co-op News

[p][/p][p]Ahead of October’s Steam Next Fest we’re rolling out Demo 0.2.0 – a polish‑heavy update focused on user experience improvement, co‑op synergy and moment‑to‑moment feel. You can now play solo or with 1–3 players, try new cave mechanics, queue your skills, and compare impact with a fresh score & stats pass.

[/p][p]Below you’ll find the highlights and full notes. Jump in, try the new toys, and tell us what breaks (so we can fix it fast).[/p][h3]— Highlights[/h3]

• [p]New Cave Anomalies: Black Hole, Twin Portals, Fog.[/p]
• [p]Gold Skills for: Nuke, Rocket Barrage, Mech Shield, Damage Buff, X‑Ray, Bomb, Portal.[/p]
• [p]Skill Queue — new skill cards are queued, not replacing your current one.[/p]
• [p]Choose Digger Role in the hub before a session.[/p]
• [p]End‑game stats & Player Score to measure contribution.[/p]
• [p]New puzzle‑like cave structures that boost co‑op interaction.[/p]
• [p]Big visual pass (lighting, flora), feel improvements (VFX, screen shake, shooting), UI/UX refresh, optimization.[/p]
• [p]Waves balance update + 1–3 players unlocked.[/p]
• [p]Digger model update + Mech death animation.[/p]
• [p]Lots of bug fixes.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]
Cave Anomalies[/h3]

• [p]Black Hole — an unstable pair of linked rifts roams the mine, sucking in resources and warping them to the other side. Route planning just got spicy.[/p]
• [p]Twin Portals — two connected gates that let squads reposition fast and create clever resource loops.[/p]
• [p]Fog — a drifting mist in the caves that applies a random effect to any Keeper caught inside. Watch your step and adapt.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Gold‑Tier Skills[/h3][p]To add variety and a dash of RNG, we’ve introduced Gold versions of several abilities:
Nuke, Rocket Barrage, Mech Shield, Damage Buff, X‑Ray, Bomb, Portal.
Gold skills open up stronger or more situational plays — experiment and find your team’s favourite combos.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Core Co‑op Flow[/h3]

• [p]Skill Queue. Picking up a new skill adds it to a queue instead of replacing your current one. No more “oops, my build is gone”.[/p]
• [p]Role Selection in Hub. Choose your Digger role in the lobby before the run — faster drafts, cleaner starts.[/p]
• [p]Player Score. Almost every action contributes to your in‑game score, so you can compare impact across the team.[/p]
• [p]End‑Game Statistics. The death/summary screen now surfaces clear team metrics to review what went great (or not).[/p]

[h3]Exploration & Structures[/h3]

• [p]New Cave Structures. Procedurally‑spawned puzzle structures encourage cooperation, routing and shared decision‑making.[/p]

[h3]Visuals & Feel[/h3]

• [p]Cave visuals improved: lighting, vegetation and atmosphere for better readability.[/p]
• [p]Surface feel pass: post‑processing, shooting feedback and screen shake tuned for punch without nausea.[/p]
• [p]UI/UX refresh: cleaner windows across the game; more legible at a glance.[/p]
• [p]Digger model update: a fresh look for our hard‑working miner.[/p]
• [p]Mech death animation: say goodbye in style (then get back to work).[/p]

[h3]Balance, Accessibility & Performance[/h3]

• [p]Waves balance update for a smoother difficulty curve.[/p]
• [p]1–3 Players Unlocked: run solo, duo or trio — your call.[/p]
• [p]Optimization across the board.[/p]
• [p]Audio & Mic settings now available right from the main menu.
  [/p]

[p]
[/p]

• [p]Fixed a crash caused by simultaneous ore counting between host and client.[/p]
• [p]Fixed laser not working when a Digger stands on ore.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing towers on Mech for both host and clients.[/p]
• [p]Cave background too dark in some seeds — additional lighting pass in progress.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Enjoy the game [/h2][p]Play the Steam demo during Next Fest, try the anomalies and gold skills, and drop feedback or clips in our community channels (Steam discussions & Discord). Your notes directly shape the next patch.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Our offerings to the sea have been repaid, and from the depths of the waters rises a new update for Ocean Keeper Co-op! Well, it’s not the work of unspeakable horrors, but the tireless efforts of our devs, who have been working hard to prepare the game for the Next Fest (oh yes, there’s a lot of exciting stuff waiting for you there). But let's dive right into the details of the new update. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Golden upgrades[/h3][p]Imagine entering Ocean Keeper Co-op, only to find a mech and a worm playing cards. Could you ever picture such a thing? Neither could we. But what we do have for you are brand new, golden upgrade cards! New rare golden cards that offer a higher percentage of upgrades compared to the standard ones.[/p][h3]Exit Confirmation[/h3][p]We’ve also added a confirmation window when exiting the session:[/p][p][/p][p]*Are you sure you want to leave the game? :c[/p][p] [/p][p][/p]

• [p]Improved enemy spawn system[/p]
• [p]Enhanced card drop system[/p]
• [p]Added Audio settings window in the Main Menu[/p]
• [p]Mech skills now drop when leveling up and disappear after activation during the round[/p]

[h3]Balance Changes:[/h3]

• [p]Modified enemy waves[/p]
• [p]Adjusted card deck [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Fixed parallax bug in the mine[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where a session could start with fewer players than required[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug causing enemies to stop moving when host settings were active during the session[/p]

[p][/p][p]You can try out the new update by joining the Playtest, available right on our Steam store page:[/p][p]*Don't forget to add the game to your wishlist![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]You’re also welcome to join our developer playtests by hopping into our Discord community.[/p][p] See you soon! — The Ocean Keeper Team[/p]

[p]It’s been two weeks since we announced the beta release of Ocean Keeper Coop. During this time, we’ve already hosted plenty of playtests with our devs and our amazing community (by the way, those happen in our Discord – and anyone can join in). Now, it’s finally time for the very first major update!
[/p][p][/p][p]So, what’s new? [/p][p][/p][h3]Quick Join [/h3][p]Playing with friends is the heart of OK Coop. But some of you had trouble with having ones :'( You asked for a fix – and we didn’t exactly find you new friends, but we did add a Quick Join button! No need to wait around, just hop in and automatically connect to open lobbies.

[/p]

• [p]Added a system for automatically finding the optimal server with an open lobby.[/p]

• [p]Added the ability to kick a player from the lobby.[/p]

[h3]New Boss [/h3][p]A new boss has arrived: meet the Crimson Ringed Horror. We just call him John for short (we haven't actually given it a name, feel free to suggest your own). We won’t spoil which wave he spawns on – consider it a surprise.
[/p][p][/p][p]Also:[/p]

• [p]Multiple players can now carry ore together.[/p]
• [p]A boss fight timer has been added. [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Laser VFX polished.[/p]
• [p]Late waves optimized.[/p]
• [p]Enemy sizes adjusted.[/p]
• [p]Wave and enemy balance improvements.[/p]
• [p]Skill balance reworked. [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Fixed a bug when leveling up twice caused a teleport to the surface.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug with disabled sounds on the first launch.[/p]
• [p]Fixed falling ore after teleporting.[/p]
• [p]Fixed mic mute/unmute issues.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Digger controls during waves.[/p]
• [p]Fixed boss attack behavior.[/p]
• [p]Fixed weapon and skill reload issues.[/p]
• [p]Fixed enemies staying motionless. [/p]

[p][/p][p]Think that’s it? Not quite! To celebrate this update, we’re inviting you to a special DEV+Community playtest happening today at 05:00 PM Kyiv time (10:00 AM ET / 4:00 PM CET) in our Discord. Bring your friends – and come meet John ;)
[/p][p][/p][p]See you there,[/p][p]— The Ocean Keeper Team
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]It’s time for a surprise! We’re opening the gates for a Dev+Community Playtest, where you, our amazing players, get to jump in and play together with the devs. Nothing beats the joys of true co-op gaming… and we can’t wait to share this first adventure with you.[/p][p][/p][h3]When: August 22, 2025[/h3][p]How to join the event:[/p]

• [p]Head over to the news channel in our Discord[/p]
• [p]Ping our admin @\[CM] Diana to grab your game key and Beta Tester role[/p]
• [p]Hop into the voice channel with our devs and enjoy the ride![/p]

[p]Keys and roles are limited and will only be active during this playtest (unless we decide to repeat this special experiment).[/p][p][/p][p]We can’t wait to play with you and hear your first feedback on Ocean Keeper Co-op.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]See you soon,[/p][p]The Ocean Keeper Team[/p]

[p]
The ocean is quiet... But then the 1st wave arrives. Creatures come at you from every angle, and the only thing keeping your team alive is your mech and each other.

Wave finally breaks, and you dive into the caves. Just one minute. Enough to mine glowing crystals and argue over who’s getting the best upgrade this time. Then the timer runs out. Back into the mech. Another wave is coming: bigger and deadlier.
[/p][h2]This is what awaits you and your friends in Ocean Keeper Co-op Closed Beta, that is LIVE from today![/h2][p][/p][p]BUT! This Closed Beta isn’t just about playing – it’s about shaping the future of the game. And we invite you to take part in building our game by testing the beta. For all the details, join our Discord![/p][h3]
We want your feedback on:[/h3]

• [p]Co-op expirience: how fun is it to play with your friends?[/p]
• [p]Progression: do upgrades feel meaningful?[/p]
• [p]Difficulty: is the pacing fair and fun?[/p]
• [p]Weapons: are they balanced, satisfying, chaotic enough?[/p]
• [p]Enemies: which strange new creatures would you love to face?[/p]
• [p]UI & UX: does the interface feel clear, or should something be explained better?[/p]
• [p]And of course… bug reports. We’ll squash them with your help.[/p]

[p]
Your ideas and stories will help us create a survival roguelike that’s not only challenging but unforgettable – full of wild builds, laughs, and those “we almost died” victories that only co-op can deliver. [/p][p]
Ready to join the fight?
Hop into our Discord, read the participation details and claim your spot in the Closed Beta.[/p][p][/p][h3]And add Ocean Keeper Co-op to your Wishlist! [/h3][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]— The Ocean Keeper Team

(P.S.: After the beta, Ocean Keeper Co-op will be available to everyone who already owns Ocean Keeper: Dome Survival)[/p]