Fair tidings, person of note! Play Wraithbinder's next beta from Dec 22 to Jan 2. Let's crack out the swords and prepare to slay some goat-headed demons, space pirate style. Make sure you click Request Access on the Steam page ahead of the beta. From Dec 22 to Jan 2, Wraithbinder will be playable in your Steam library. Please share your feedback on Wraithbinder's Discord server. It helps to make this game more awesome. Your feedback also helps improve the game for Steam Next Fest Feburary 2024.

Exclusive Hair Style

As a thank you for playing Wraithbinder's beta, please enjoy claiming this exclusive hairstyle. Only players of the beta will ever be able to own this item. Grab it during the beta or never. Just visit the Forge on the ship and purchase 'Beta Haircut.' It only costs 1 gold:
There's a whole bunch of new content since last beta. Let's check out what's new.

New Bosses

You'll discover three new bosses lurking in the world of Wraithbinder. Rizoel, Lord of the Insatiable, carries a powerful hammer that can destroy permanent walls. Running from his chaos of destruction is only natural:
Gzrel, the Piercing Wind, carries an ancient bow crafted by her long-dead progenitors. Be wary of her ability to teleport and summon deadly sidekicks:
Puriel, Archangel of Punishment, can launch himself into a blazing sprint of death dealing. A wise wraithbinder will dodge his elemental trails of woe:

Metroidvania Elements

What makes Wraithbinder unique from other top-down roguelikes like Hades, Warm Snow, Binding of Isaac, etc. is that it blends in Metroidvania elements. Guided non-linearity, utility-gated exploration and progression are hallmarks of this genre that are gradually being added to the Wraithbinder experience. With this in mind, I've created a fog of war system for Wraithbinder. It adds a fun sense of mystery to the game and rewards you for thorough exploration. The fog also hides secret areas by only dissipating once you've uncovered a secret path:
I remember the joy of discovering a hidden energy tank in the ceiling of a cavern in Super Metroid. Using this as inspiration, there are now secret wall blocks in Wraithbinder where attacking them can reveal a powerful hidden item:

New Floor Types

There are new types of floors you'll find randomized into each run. Dark floors have fog that is so thick and encroaching that enemies can seem to burst from the mist:
Take care on this kind of floor and remember to ignite fires that drive away the darkness:

New Enemies

There are many new types of enemies you will discover. Mages, Jumping Blobs, Chasers, Elusive Creatures, Floating Mines, Baller...

New Relics

There's a new relic called Wraithbinder that increases your total amount of bindable wraiths. Attack Buffer will buff all your wraiths' attacks while Defense Buffer will buff their defense:

More New Stuff

There's lots more new content but this post is already getting long so let's save it for part 2 next week...

What About the Multiplayer?

The important, foundational work for online co-op is done, yet there is much left to do. Since Wraithbinder will be participating in Steam Next Fest, I've decided to focus on creating the best demo possible and save the online co-op for sometime during the game's Early Access period.

What's Next?

Wraithbinder will be launching its first public demo during Steam Next Fest, Feb 05 - 12, 2024. There's some significant new content you will be able to experience in February's demo that won't be a part of December's beta... Join me as I play Wraithbinder live on the opening day of Next Fest at 1pm PST. In this stream, I will be creating a new character from scratch and starting a run or two. Root for me (or not) as I attempt to beat the final boss on the first run. I will be pausing the game to answer any of your questions as they come up. Set a reminder for the event here. Wraithbinder's Early Access launch will follow sometime after Steam Next Fest in 2024. I will be making announcements as soon as the date is locked in. That's all for now. Cheers and happy holidays, -Wizard