The Riftbreaker News

Hello again!

After we released our gameplay trailer a couple of months ago, the most attentive of you took notice of the different biomes that we showed you the snippets of. We’ve been receiving questions about them ever since and promised to answer them in detail as their overall design becomes clearer. That’s the result of having many people contribute to the development of the game - you get loads of great concepts, but you can’t realize all of them. Now, after many hours of internal discussions and brainstorming, we believe we have our vision for the Magma Biome ready to present, so let’s get into it!



As the name suggests, this biome is located in a seismically-unstable part of Galatea 37. The thin crust of the planet couldn’t hold the raging inferno of molten lava in check, which resulted in multiple cracks and holes to form. High temperature and abundance of elements straight from underneath the planet’s surface were the perfect building blocks for an entirely new ecosystem that formed in this biome. Over thousands of years, the remains of the old geological structures in this place have been covered by volcanic ash, rocks and unique mineral structures.



Life tends to find a way to develop even in the most unwelcoming places. That is true also in the case of the Magma Biome. Ashley will find many new species of plants, animals and mushrooms while exploring the region. Since those life forms had to develop protective mechanisms to survive in extreme temperatures, they will provide plenty of research opportunities that might lead to major breakthroughs in the Riftbreaker technology. We won’t share details on what exactly waits to be discovered, but we can tell you that establishing an outpost in this biome will put you one step closer to coming back home.



The Magma Biome will test your creativity when it comes to resource management. Dense clouds of ash reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface, decreasing the effectiveness of solar panels. You can’t fully count on wind either - strong wind is not a common occurrence in these parts of Galatea 37. However, with the amount of geological activity happening around the clock, there will be plenty of opportunities to harness the power of geothermal vents and even magma itself. Naturally, you will need to research methods of protecting your equipment from the heat first.



Our work on this new biome is not yet complete. We already have the ideas for all the pieces of flora and fauna, but they still need to be implemented into the game. There will also be some unique mechanics that take advantage of what this place has to offer. We will try to show some of them off during our development streams that happen every Tuesday on Mixer and every Thursday on Twitch. Naturally, we will try to keep them as spoiler-free as possible. We don’t want to share all the secrets before you get a chance to play :)



Join the Discord! We publish daily changelogs, talk with you directly on a daily basis and share our thoughts about The Riftbreaker and gaming in general. It’s the best place to stay up to date with us! See you there!



Useful links:
www.facebook.com/exorstudios
www.twitter.com/exorstudios
www.mixer.com/exor_studios
www.twitch.tv/exorstudios
www.youtube.com/exorstudios

https://www.mixer.com/exor_studios

Good news, everyone!

The Digital Dragons Jury has decided to honor The Riftbreaker with the second place in the Indie Celebration contest!



Words can’t describe how happy we are to add another award to The Riftbreaker showcase! We dedicate this victory to you, our wonderful community. Without your overwhelming support, tons of useful feedback and hours you spent playtesting the game, we wouldn’t have been able to reach this level so quickly. This success is both ours and yours. We wholeheartedly thank you and promise to keep working as hard as we possibly can to keep at it!

Participation in the Digital Dragons Indie Celebration has been very important to us. As you know, the gaming market is very saturated and there are tons of great games being released every day, competing for players’ attention. Every opportunity to present The Riftbreaker to a wider audience is an incredible boost to us when it comes to exposure.

Placing so high in such a tough field also tells us that we are on the right track. It’s a great honor, and we would like to congratulate all participating studios.

To celebrate, we have sent out some Alpha keys to our Discord users. If you haven't joined the Alpha waiting list yet, sign up now!



Again, thank you so much for your support!

EXOR Studios

One of the features of The Riftbreaker we are most proud of is definitely pitting the player against massive hordes of hostile creatures inhabiting Galatea 37. Every now and again, a large group of various beasts will try to wipe the player’s base off the surface of the planet. The looming threat of a concentrated attack motivates the player to fortify their base and look for new ways of protecting their assets. It is possible to meet other groups of alien creatures, too. They simply go on about their lives, spread across multiple regions of Galatea 37, and are a vital component of the game world.

Hammeroceroses might look threatening, but they are not hunters. They will let Jurvines live in peace alongside them.

The ‘ambient creatures’ as we call them are important for several reasons. First of all, they introduce a danger element to the exploration portion of the game. Before you set up your base and fortify your perimeter, you need to find a suitable spot - preferably one that is easy to defend and rich in resources. Small groups of creatures you meet along the way will make this task more difficult. Given your limited resources at the start, you might fall victim to the wildlife. This encourages the player to be cautious and tactical in their approach and not simply roam around, guns blazing.

In fact, as long as there's enough food for everyone, all creatures can live in prefect harmony!

There are many environmental zones to explore on Galatea 37. It is crucial for us that these are different from each other not only when it comes to visuals, but also gameplay mechanics. Ambient creatures help with that. The first time you set foot in a new biome, you will inevitably meet new species of indigenous creatures, informing you that this is an entirely new region and that the rules might have changed. After hours spent in the previous region, the player might think they already know every secret the game world holds. When they meet new creatures that force them to change their tactics, they might reevaluate that. ;)

Always expect the unexpected while exploring the world.

Ambient groups of creatures also allow you to observe the animal behaviors in the wild. During an attack wave, you will only see a massive horde attacking your defenses and there will be no time to think and observe individual species. While exploring the regions of Galatea 37, you will encounter the same creatures in a non-agitated state. This will give you an opportunity to learn their natural behavior, preferred locations, strong and weak spots, and might even allow to find a use for them. Remember - knowledge is key!

Even the angriest, meanest, creepiest creatures need a bit of a break! Observe and learn!

Although combat is definitely the most spectacular aspect of The Riftbreaker gameplay, we don’t want the game to be one-dimensional and focused solely on that. The introduction of ambient creatures allows us to achieve that. There will be plenty of species for you to find and research. Will you catch them all? ;) Join the Discord and the streams to learn how!



Useful links:
www.facebook.com/exorstudios
www.twitter.com/exorstudios
www.mixer.com/exor_studios
www.twitch.tv/exorstudios
www.youtube.com/exorstudios

As weeks go by, we are closer and closer to achieving our vision of presenting the players with a carefully crafted, realistic, living world in the Riftbreaker. As we add new features and redesign the ones that did not quite reach the level of quality we aim for, we’re also working on adding new living beings into the game. Some of you might have even seen it hopping around the Galatean plains already during our streams - it’s the Jurvine (some call it the Boingy Bongo).

Jurvines typically run away from danger. You'll have trouble catching them at Mr. Riggs' regular speed.

The cycle of life on Galatea 37 is very similar to that on Earth. The creatures and plants live, consume to stay alive and when they die they become food for other forms of life. There are both herbivores and carnivores. Predators and their prey. The Jurvine is a peaceful herbivore. It lives in packs and single specimens are hardly ever observed. Jurvines can usually be found around areas that can mask them from predators’ eyesight, such as high grass.

They live in large groups, often hiding in the grass. Their numbers can surprise you sometimes!

Jurvines do not create nests. They live in a ‘nomadic’ sort of way, migrating from one feeding ground to another, not to overstay their welcome and become a target of a hungry Canoptrix pack. They move around on their very muscular legs, that they use to jump. Similarly to our regular kangaroos from earth (regular kangaroos from earth is a great band name, tbh), they are able to cover a very long distance in a short time and even outrun Mr. Riggs.

You can utilize the biomass they drop to produce energy, but think whether it is the right thing to do. Also, don't make other creatures angry in the process.

The wandering nature of Jurvines makes them an important part of the ecosystem of Galatea 37. By traveling all the time, they spread seeds and pollen of the plants they come in contact with. Their lean meat is also very nutritious to all the carnivorous species, making them valuable prey. It is possible for Ashley to make use of that in energy production, as Jurvines drop a lot of biomass that can later be used in the Animal Biomass Power Plant. Whether it is the right thing to do is for you to decide.



Many new creatures of various types are being added to the game as we speak. That is not the only thing that is changing, as we work on many things in parallel. The best way to keep up with the development of The Riftbreaker is by joining our Discord. We publish daily changelogs and answer your questions every day. You can also join our development streams every Tuesday and Thursday.

See you there!

Useful links:
www.facebook.com/exorstudios
www.twitter.com/exorstudios
www.mixer.com/exor_studios
www.twitch.tv/exorstudios
www.youtube.com/exorstudios