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The Neowsletter - October 2024Oct 2, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/ec86147b356ba0c49f24fa9c832c9cfc8e6620be.png Happy spooky month everybody :) As fall descends upon us and I'm eating strange mushrooms found in the forest, we're still hard at work on Slay the Spire 2. This month, let's touch on the art direction and how we're planning on changing things up when working on our sequel. But first, a brief progress update. Slay the Spire 2 Dev Update September was a festive month as some of us got together to meet in Seattle, WA during PAX West. However, this meant that everyone got COVID so I'm not sure if that was worth it. Three of us work out of an office and we're moving offices. Only a mile away, but a move is a move. Besides those drawbacks, we're still focused on getting core content into the game. Content like REDACTED and also REDACTED. There have also been significant changes to REDACTED. Interestingly enough, we implemented in-game patch notes so you'll be able to visit the archive of changes one day! All of our secrets and development pacing will be revealed. Now that a lot of the tools for our trailer editor is complete, there's clean up happening for our core VFX. On Aesthetics Driving Game Design Last month we discussed why we're working on a sequel instead of adding on to Slay the Spire 1 and this week we're diving into the visual changes we're bringing in! While we hinted at this topic briefly in the past Neowsletter, let's look into what the problems were with the visual style. The first and most important one was that I'm (Casey) bad at art. Now, being bad at art doesn't necessarily mean bad at drawing or having poor taste. It's that I haven't spent enough time in my life to cleanly translate what I'm imagining onto paper. It's a frustrating experience trying to capture a “damned knight powered by demonic energy” as a sprite in a video game. In the end, I gave up on the Ironclad. That's correct–the Ironclad you see today in Slay the Spire 1 is a character I gave up working on. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/5c68af6fd6721c94c84acee2bbd42c8df15a9214.jpg Various ideas, poses, concepts, etc. Plus a bonus resting Ironclad shot! After 3 - 4 weeks total of on and off ideating, drawing, redrawing, sketching, etc. I drew a character in a pose that I liked thinking it would give me better ideas. Those with a keen eye probably realized that the Ironclad has the same pose as Hakumen from the BlazBlue series. I found this character with a long thin blade with weighty attacks so cool (he's my main)! On top of this, the faceless nature of the character and this posture was really menacing. I sketched out a character that felt like it would fit in the world of Slay the Spire in this same pose. It was supposed to be a “This is the feeling I want! Hopefully an artist redraws this later.” but ended up being the final sprite so it felt a little unoriginal due to the pose :(. Still, I'm happy with the outfit and color scheme. After I had a character with the right feel, now I had to animate i...Best Apple Arcade games to play in 2024Sep 13, 2024 - PCGamesNApple Arcade is genuinely one of the best gaming subscription services around. Not only does it have a huge library of games that encompass countless genres and big IPs, but the selection of games is expanded significantly every month. Not only does is the library of the best Apple Arcade games filled with classics and modern hits, but there are a number of exclusive releases in the mix too. Those who use a Mac can essentially enjoy these like the best free PC games, as like most current Apple devices, they are compatible with Apple Arcade. For most people though, it'll be a case of playing on your iPhone or iPad. However you play, and whether you prefer the best farming games or the best platform games, we've got a list of recommendations here that encompass a little bit of everything that the service has to offer. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: All Disney Dreamlight Valley recipes and how to cook them All Disney Dreamlight Valley codes September 2024 When is the next Dreamlight Valley update release date? The Neowsletter - September 2024Sep 9, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/4ce0c5a2764cf12bf4a1e4bcb9df522061863c2f.jpg New month, new Neowsletter :) As all of us at Mega Crit are hard at work on Slay the Spire 2, we figured we’d start shifting these posts towards news about the game. Starting this issue, we're also posting on Steam! If you're reading this on Steam, know that on our new and updated website you can sign up to receive these monthly Neowsletters straight into your email inbox (if that's your preference). Okay, on with it! Slay the Spire 2 Dev Update Most of the team is hard at work making the game better while I slack off and write this announcement. Speaking of announcements, we're working on something called a "Gameplay Trailer". Hopefully, we'll be able to show it off this year, but if not— I apologize! Trailer-making is not really our forte but we've enlisted some help to make sure that everyone gets to see a lot of exciting gameplay soon enough. In the development department, we've been running private playtests for about 4 months now and the game has been ported to Godot and stabilized. Currently, our core focus is on adding more content so the game is packed full of interesting enemies, choices, and the silliest of situations. In parallel, we've been improving performance and increasing compatibility on a wide range of devices (at least for our desktop release). We have high confidence that we'll be entering Early Access with a PC, MacOS, and Steam Deck(tm) compatible build. Yes, Linux is also likely. We see you! There are currently no plans for Slay the Spire 2 to run on VR/XR/AR or any other R-ending piece of hardware on Early Access launch. I'm sure nobody is surprised by this news but that's okay. Why a Sequel? This is a question we get often and I'm happy to answer! Why are you working on a sequel? Why not expand Slay the Spire instead? Let's get into it! For those not in the know, the first Slay the Spire was developed over 2.5 years before we hit Early Access. Myself (Casey Yano) and Anthony were programming, designing, and arting (this is the official term for making art in video games). We enlisted the help from a handful of contractors to polish up the rough edges and hide some of our shortcomings. This was done by various illustrators, animators, trailer editors, and of course our composer, Clark Aboud who's been with us the whole way and now Slay the Spire 2! It's difficult to fully explain how quickly and chaotically we scrapped together Slay the Spire. There's no guarantee that any indie game with no reputation will sell more than 10,000 copies. Spending time writing clean, editable, and maintainable code for such a project seemed foolish. Commented code was sparse, issues were hastily patched, systems were cut or completely redone often. This happens in games with exploratory game mechanics. Big shocker! On top of this, only about half of my time was spent programming the game, with the rest spent in technical art, QA (my former job!), UX design, and writin...The Slay the Spire board game might be a little too faithful to the videogame, but its co-op mode offers a whole new perspective on the iconic roguelikeAug 21, 2024 - PC GamerIs the Slay the Spire board game a faithful adaptation? 100%—I'm not sure you could make a more accurate translation of the mechanics, look, and feel of the videogame to the tabletop. The more difficult question to answer is: Is that a good thing?.. Read more.Snag Slay the Spire, FTL, and more excellent roguelikes dirt cheapAug 20, 2024 - PCGamesNDespite a set of stalwart mechanics, the roguelike genre is an incredibly diverse one. Permadeath, procedural generation, and a power creep of new abilities and equipment can be found in almost every spin on the genre, but there's so much more to it than that. Inscryption bakes the mechanics into the narrative, Slay the Spire was a spinoff into deckbuilding, and FTL pits you against an unpredictable galaxy. There are so many roguelikes that you undoubtedly missed some, so this new Humble sale is filled to the brim with them - take your pick. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Slay the Spire leads a big Humble roguelike sale, with up to 95% off The best Slay the Spire mods Slay the Spire is yours for cheap right now, so everyone should try it Slay the Spire leads a big Humble roguelike sale, with up to 95% offAug 5, 2024 - PCGamesNAs PCGamesN's resident roguelike enjoyer, it's my duty to tell you about the best of the best. The cream of the crop. The crème de la crème. I'm always coming back to the likes of Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Hades, and Enter the Gungeon because they have almost infinite replayability, but there are always more roguelikes to try. It can be daunting, especially with your Steam backlog growing by the sale, but a new Humble offering is here to offer up some classics of the genre, and they're up to 95% off as well. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best Slay the Spire mods Slay the Spire is yours for cheap right now, so everyone should try it Slay the Spire dev's new free game protests Unity, and it rules Slay the Spire co-creator advises that 'taking risks is actually the least risky thing you can do,' arguing for the appeal of 'hyper-engaging' gamesApr 25, 2024 - PC GamerCasey Yano, co-founder of Slay the Spire developer Mega Crit, quit his job several years ago to work on the deckbuilder that would eventually earn a 92% from PC Gamer and a 97% overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam. It wasn't a smash hit at first, when it launched in early access, but as Slay the Spire picked up attention it eventually became the inspiration for dozens more singleplayer deckbuilding roguelikes. Many of those games have also been successful, but the surprise breakout of this year's Helldivers 2 and its unique approach to a live service shooter prompted PC Gamer's Evan Lahti to ask to what extent developers should be trying to capitalize on whatever's currently trendy... Read more.Limited Edition Time Eater Plush Available Now!Apr 16, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsLooking to eat up the time until Slay the Spire 2 comes out? We have just the thing! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/8b26f65bbdf9da5272e6b8bc71e6b08eedfd3234.png While away the hours with your very own limited edition Time Eater plush from Makeship by your side! Plus, the next time Time Eater ruins one of your runs you'll have a healthy, squeezable outlet for your frustration ^-^ Get yours here now--before time runs out!!Slay the Spire 2 announced!Apr 10, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsIt's time for us to reveal what we've been working on for the last 3+ years! Could it be!? A sequel to Slay the Spire? Yes, it is! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDFltgjLtE While it's not available until we figure out a good launch window in 2025, we can say for certain that it's coming to Steam, it will be launching with a ton of stuff, and it will be very very fun to play. Check out the store page with screenshots and information here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2868840 We'll be revealing more information on the Slay the Spire 2 store page as we near launch so be sure to Wishlist, Follow, or whatever to keep up-to-date if you want to know more. You can also follow us on social media if that's your preference: Twitter: https://twitter.com/megacrit Discord: https://discord.gg/slaythespire Slay The Spire 2 announced, entering early access in 2025Apr 10, 2024 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunNo one can see the future, but I've a fairly good sense of where at least 300 hours of my life will go next year. Slay The Spire II was announced during today's Triple-i Initiative stream, returning to the towering fantasy city where Steam says I've spent more than 300 hours building decks and battling monsters. While the announcement doesn't reveal much about the sequel, Slay The Spire is still my favourite roguelikelike deck-builder, so that's just grand. Read more 'The gold rush is over:' Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon devs say that big Game Pass and Epic exclusive deals have dried up for indie devsMar 28, 2024 - PC GamerIn an interview at last week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the developers behind indie sensations Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon said that the deal some small developers have come to rely on for funding in recent years—like Epic Game Store exclusives and Xbox Game Pass—are no longer what they once were... Read more.Limited Edition Deca & Donu Plushies Available Now!Feb 23, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsEverybody's favorite geometric duo are here and softer than ever! It's time for another merch drop: the limited edition Deca and Donu plush campaign from Makeship is now live! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/d0e836f4a4a5f450a5652b5449773364191fefda.png If you've ever wanted to squeeze these iconic Slay the Spire bosses (whether out of love or frustration) now is your chance!! But don't wait, because the pre-order campaign ends in 21 days--and after that they're gone for good! Disclaimer: DONU IS NOT EDIBLE... OFFICIALLY. PS - The Mega Crit team knows you're all looking forward to news of our next game, and while we can't give you an ETA on that just yet... be sure to stay tuned!The best Slay the Spire modsSep 27, 2024 - PCGamesNWhat are the best Slay the Spire mods? Whether you've exhausted the game and are looking for extra content, or just want to make some small changes to an otherwise perfect experience, the best Slay the Spire mods can fit the bill. The roguelike card game has official Steam Workshop mod support and a fantastic community, meaning there are tons of mods available to easily integrate into the indie game. These mods range from making the map easier to read to huge expansions featuring brand-new characters. There are hundreds to choose from on Steam, but we've picked out the very best mods in Slay the Spire just for you. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Best Apple Arcade games to play in 2024 Snag Slay the Spire, FTL, and more excellent roguelikes dirt cheap Slay the Spire leads a big Humble roguelike sale, with up to 95% off Slay the Spire is yours for cheap right now, so everyone should try itJan 20, 2024 - PCGamesNSlay the Spire isn't just one of the most defining roguelike deck builders on PC, it's probably one of the best PC games period. A sublime strategy game that sees you collecting cards to take on increasingly challenging encounters, StS sits alongside greats like Hades, The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells, and Risk of Rain 2 as a certified roguelike classic. Now, if you've never played it or are looking to grab a copy to play on Steam Deck, you can get it at a deep discount in a Steam sale, so don't miss out. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Slay the Spire dev's new free game protests Unity, and it rules Slay The Spire devs say Unity "f****d up" in first-ever statement Card game Slay the Spire gets a free "complete expansion" Popular Slay the Spire mod hacked to deliver malware on Christmas DayJan 2, 2024 - PC Gamerpopular Slay the Spire mod called Downfall was compromised over the holidays, and used to push malware to users via a Steam update. The malware in question is called Epsilon and is used to steal information from infected hardware, and was present in the standalone version of the mod on Steam for around an hour on Christmas Day... Read more.Limited Edition Ironclad and Silent Figures Available Now!Dec 22, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsYou'll never have to Slay the Spire alone again once you have these adorable, limited edition figures of the Ironclad and the Silent by your side! Our friends over at Youtooz are bringing you all the first ever official Slay the Spire vinyl figures!! They're available to pre-order NOW, so get yours here before they're gone for good! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/e8ef6501f5f0a4ea3aa1beb3a36d9bb0199e1409.png And since this is our last announcement of 2023, we want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Mega Crit-mas and a happy new year! It's been a busy year for our team: working on our new game, learning a new engine, migrating said game to said engine, etc. We're happy we've been able to partner with other companies that can bring our fans cool merch like this in the meantime, and we're so excited for you all to see what we here at Mega Crit have been cooking when the time comes! Until then: slay on, Slayers.Limited Edition Glow-in-the-dark Corrupt Heart Plush Available for Pre-order!Nov 23, 2023 - Community Announcementstu-thump, tu-thump, tu-thump... {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/f35de11ce12c28273aa4de8e167e432762d7c785.png A deep glowing dread can be felt throughout the room... {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/5360ef405c7249051cfa71b3d4be4d86d59243b2.png It's the heart of the Spire! Looking considerably... squishier than usual? That's right, we've teamed up with Makeship once again to bring you another exclusive, limited edition plushie: the glow-in-the-dark Corrupt Heart!! And bonus--this plush doubles as a stress reliever that you can squeeze every time you fail to slay the Heart ^-^ As a reminder, Makeship plushies are limited run only, meaning once the pre-order campaign ends in 21 days they'll be gone for good! Be sure to nab yours soon so you don't miss out!Slay the Spire, Signalis and Unpacking publishers Humble are the next video game makers to suffer layoffsNov 15, 2023 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHumble Games, the Humble Bundle-owned label responsible for publishing indie hits including Slay the Spire, Signalis, Unpacking, Temtem and this year’s recently Grammy-nominated RPG musical Stray Gods, have confirmed a number of layoffs. Read more Dancing Duelists, a Jammin' Game Jam Game from Mega Crit is Available Now!Oct 16, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsGet ready to rumble to the rhythm in Dancing Duelists, a deckbuilding autobattler dance off with a cast of fantastical characters and a BUMPIN' soundtrack! Due to recent events, the Mega Crit team has been looking for an engine to migrate our next big game to from Unity, so we've been working on this little game for a few weeks now to acquaint ourselves with Godot, our new official engine of choice! It also just so happens to coincide with the Jump Ship Jam, an event that encourages game developers to branch out and create something with new engines & tools! We're super proud of how this project turned out in such a small timeframe, and we'd love for you to check it out! You can download Dancing Duelists now for free on itchi.io here! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/6a51dc67227444fc8d62635bdf4dc5aa6d394760.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/d922555cbabfbd93c1185133aa37f948ed19e4c8.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/29087962/8f80c3d29a5e34d3289c5fad820fadf219299a5e.pngSlay The Spire devs say Unity "f****d up" in first-ever statementSep 14, 2023 - PCGamesNSlay the Spire developer Mega Crit publishes its first ever public statement after game engine creator Unity outlined changes to its fees and pricing structure. The developer of the roguelike deckbuilder says that its next project is being developed using Unity and has been in production for over two years. Nevertheless, the Slay the Spire developer says it will change game engines unless Unity reverses the planned restructuring of how it charges users. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Card game Slay the Spire gets a free "complete expansion" Slay the Spire roguelike adds full Steam Deck support Toss a coin to the Watcher, Slay the Spire's brand new character
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