Hello everyone!

We're excited to bring you another update for Blacksmith Master! This time, we've completely reimagined the Mastery Tree - and wow, what a transformation it's undergone!

A Whole New World of Possibilities

Remember the old mastery system? Well, forget everything you knew! The new Mastery Tree has evolved from a simple linear progression into a sprawling network of interconnected choices that truly lets you forge your own path.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43725958/9d21c8cb21200b638ef0fb39b6cc2dbbd3aea710.png"][/img]

Just look at the difference! Where once you had a handful of basic unlocks, you now have an expansive tree with multiple branching paths. The entire UI has been overhauled - those mastery shields are now beautifully integrated into the design, and every tech node has been polished to perfection. It's not just functional; it's a visual treat!

Strategic Specialization

The best part? We've organized all technologies into logical groups. Want to become a master of the forge? There's a whole branch dedicated to smithing improvements. Prefer to focus on managing your workshop and staff? We've got you covered with an entire section for shop and worker enhancements.

This grouping system means you can now truly specialize your playstyle. No more being forced down a single path - create the blacksmith empire that matches YOUR vision!

Endless Replayability

With so many more nodes to unlock and multiple viable paths to explore, every playthrough can feel fresh and different. Will you rush to unlock advanced furnaces? Focus on hiring the best staff? Or perhaps balance both for a well-rounded workshop? The choice is yours, and there are more choices than ever before!

Under the Hood

Alongside this massive Mastery Tree overhaul, we've squashed several bugs and made general performance improvements to keep your game running smoothly. Because a beautiful new feature deserves a polished experience!

What's Next?

Stay tuned for future updates - we have exciting plans to expand the Mastery Tree even further with new technologies to unlock! Plus, keep an eye out for some major improvements coming to other workshop systems... let's just say your blueprint design capabilities might be getting a significant upgrade soon!

Thank you for your continued support and feedback. The Mastery Tree rework was a big undertaking, but seeing how much more depth and strategy it adds to the game makes it all worthwhile. Tell us what you think on our Discord channel and don't forget to share your suggestions - your ideas help us make choosing your own path and the entire game even better!

Happy smithing!

~Luka

Build, manage your blacksmith shop, and save 25% on Blacksmith Master during the Hooded Horse Summer Sale! Hooded Horse Summer Publisher Sale 2025 [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/38221882/5977e6ea905d267f42ec674bb38698074c651ca5.png"][/img] [previewyoutube=5owR1PIf6_k;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2292800/Blacksmith_Master/

This patch is just to fix the issue where assistants get stuck sometimes

Blacksmith Master is part of the Steam Summer Sale at 35% off! Check it and other games out in the Hooded Horse Summer Sale. Below is a roundup of recent development news, including smarter storage, faster smelting, and early work toward siege engines and coin minting. You can join us on Reddit and Discord to talk about it too. Hooded Horse Summer Publisher Sale 2025

Update #6 + Roadmap Progress Smelters, Storage, and Siege Engines

Storage, Smelting, and Smarter Assistants

• New smelters now produce 2 or 3 ingots at once, unlocked via mastery
• Resource restocking has been unified across wood, ore, and ingots
• Ingot storage can be set as source or destination to manage flow
• Optional toggles limit where blacksmiths and smelters pull from, solving layout issues

Mining and Mastery Changes

• Miners can now carry 2 ores at once after unlocking a new upgrade
• Two new rows added to the mastery tree ahead of a full redesign
• Ongoing performance improvements and bug fixes for assistants, UI, and elite traits

On the Horizon

• Coin Minting with new production chains for precious metals
• Staff Management systems for loadouts and task assignments
• A multi-phase Siege Workshop for building massive war engines

This is just a small hotfix to bring back sorting by ingot type in "craft ingots" column

Hello everyone! Another update for Blacksmith Master is ready! I'm trying to address as much feedback and reviews as possible, so for the next few updates, expect new features, as well as reworked old features that are causing issues and confusion. :) Also, if youve spent some time with the game and feel like leaving a review on Steam, thatd really help me out. Ive been going through reviews constantly to figure out whats working and what isnt a lot of the changes in this update came directly from stuff mentioned there. No need to write anything fancy or long, but even a few honest lines make a difference. Thanks again for all the support and feedback it makes a big difference. Upgraded Smelters The first thing I want to address is the issue where, in the mid-to-late game, you need too many assistants crafting ingots, and it becomes a bottleneck really fast. It was really obvious that, besides upgraded furnaces, I should also add upgraded smelters, which can produce 2 and 3 ingots simultaneously. You need to unlock these upgrades in the mastery tree. :) [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43725958/a795791a8d1d0881ea9cbcbbd83bdbb0036e0c93.png"][/img] Restock Resources Overhaul One of the most frustrating things in managing the workshop was restocking ingots. You had to drag an assistant to the "Restocking ingots" column, then manually choose the source and destination for transferring. With many storage facilities, the number of assistants grew exponentially. It was also really illogical how restocking wood and ores worked one way, and ingots completely differently. That's why I decided to merge both duties into one, just called "Restock resources". Now, besides selecting wood or ore, you can select any ingot, and the assistant will do all the work :) For this to work, I was missing one piece, and that was a way to mark ingot storage as either "source" or "destination" for restock. Obviously, you want ones close to smelters to be the source, and ones close to blacksmiths to be the destination. I also read a lot of feedback on how you guys want certain storages to be used only for smelting, and others used only for crafting items, because blacksmiths were constantly coming to the smelting area to take ingots. Taking all this into consideration, I added new settings for each ingot storage, allowing you to choose whether to allow or block certain actions. [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43725958/a2045cee4b18a23d6362701d02ad09dd7c8bc454.png"][/img] Mastery Tree & Stronger Miners For readability, I also added two new rows to the mastery tree, but that's just the first step. In the next update, I will introduce a completely reworked mastery tree that allows for much more control over what you want to unlock. :) Finally, there was one more improvement that addressed a significant issue - the inability to produce enough ores in the mines. Upon analyzing the situation, it became evident that miners wasted a lot of time traveling back and forth to collect ore. That's why I added a new upgrade to the mastery tree - stronger miners. When you unlock it, they will be able to carry 2 ores at once, improving their performance by a huge margin. [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43725958/8f9d05c3f71d34d4827a1cfbe380de9506d05a91.png"][/img] Bug Fixes

• Certain elite traits will not appear in the pool if you have already hired workers who have them.

• Alt-tabbing out of the game will not cause a lot of sounds to be played when you come back.

• Continued improving performance for certain situations.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. We look forward to seeing you in two weeks for the next update! ~Luka

Coin presses, cannon wheels, and a whole lot of molten metal Blacksmith Masters Early Access roadmap is officially underway.

This is Part 1 of whats planned for the months ahead, and its already off to a strong start. The first wave of community-requested quality-of-life features arrived last week in Update #5, including:

• Two new furnaces supporting 24 blacksmiths at once

• Shared access for ore and ingot storage (no more queuing!)

• Smaller ingot racks for tighter layouts

• FPS improvements on cluttered workspaces

• A rebalanced mastery tree for slower late-game unlocks

• Fixes for assistant pathing, save UI clutter, Mac edge scrolling, and more

That was just the warm-up.

Next in line:

• Ingot Smelter Upgrades allowing multiple ingots to be smelted simultaneously (I hope I spelled that right)

• Coin Minting, a new production chain turning copper, silver, and gold into royal currency

• Staff Management upgrades for more control over worker loadouts and abilities

• A second batch of QoL features, based on continued community feedback

• And the crown jewel: the Siege Workshop, where players can construct multi-phase war engines built for the battlefield, not the storefront [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43725958/ffa489de28882914ecb2ae63a574590e7500f031.jpg"][/img]

You can view the full Part 1 roadmap above. Five updates are already live and this is just the beginning.

Community Feedback

Speaking of Community Quality of Life (QoL) features, many of the improvements in Update #5 were driven by player feedback. From furnace capacity to storage behavior, weve been reviewing Steam comments closely to help guide ongoing development.

If youve had thoughts while playing, leaving a review is one of the most effective ways to share them. It provides us with a clearer understanding of whats working, whats needed, and where to focus next as we continue to expand the game.

- Fixed problem with props disappearing in build mode when hovering over hidden notifications - Fixed problem that small ingot storage was marked as inaccessible sometimes when placed at specific positions

This is just a small hotfix for a few exceptions happening in the background

Hello everyone!

It's finally time for the first regular update after the release :)

I plan to start doing these every 2 weeks from now on, so since today is the 10th of June, you can expect the next regular update on June 24th, then on July 8th, and so on :)

Steam Reviews: Your Voice Matters

If youve been enjoying the game, Steam reviews help a lot. Once theres enough of them, the game shows up more often on Steam and is easier for new players to discover.

Im still working on this alone, so every bit of visibility makes a differenceand reading your thoughts helps me understand whats working, whats confusing, and what to focus on next.

Even a short one is appreciated. Thanks again for playing :)

I'll present the roadmap very soon to outline new content planned for the next 6 months roughly.

Here is the changelog for this update:

• New Furnaces: Two upgraded furnaces have been added, allowing 2 and 4 blacksmiths to use them simultaneously.

• Storage Interaction: Ingot storage and ore crate now support simultaneous use by multiple blacksmithsno more resource access queues.

• Mastery Progression: Rebalanced the mastery tree to slow down late-game unlock speed.

• New Storage Option: Added 1x1 ingot storage, one-fourth the size of the existing 2x2 version.

• Performance Gains: Improved FPS significantly when assistants are placing items across many rackstest saves improved from ~10 FPS to a stable 30.

• Audio Behavior: Game sound now pauses when the application is in the background.

• Right-Click Restocking Option: Added setting to disable right-click restocking for ingot storage, ore crate, and wood pile.

• Save Naming: The Save As dialog now auto-populates the filename.

• Merchant Offers:The Merchant system has been revamped to include more advanced item requests, such as shields, jewelry, and weapons, thereby eliminating the previously low-tier bias.

• Notification Controls: Notifications can now be hidden entirely or by category.

• MacOS Edge Scroll: Fixed issue with upper edge scroll not working on MacOS.

• Assistant Pathing: Fixed cases where assistants would get stuck during tasks.

• Cashier Disappearance: Hopefully fixed a bug causing the cashier to disappear.

• Save UI Labels: Fixed overlapping labels caused by long save file names.

• Mine Props: Fixed issue where props could be placed outside the grid in mines.

• Wall Deletion: Fixed bug preventing wall deletion if the wall below was deleted first.

• Basement Worker Removal: You can now lay off the elite worker who adds a basement floorbut only after removing all items from that floor.

• Refresh Overflow: Fixed a bug that caused excessive refreshing to result in integer overflow, leading to incorrect free item prices.

• Checkout Counter Logic: Fixed customer behavior that prioritized occupied checkout counters over better available options.

• Third-Person XP: Playing in third person now grants XP to the controlled worker.

• Gem Storage Behavior: Fixed issue where gems werent redistributed properly when changing gem storage types.

• Mastery Reward Cleanup: Shields are no longer awarded once the entire mastery tree is unlocked.

Please, keep in mind that I'm still the only developer on the game, so if I create some new bugs during Early Access, be sure that I will work on fixing them immediately :)

This patch is a bit bigger than the last ones, I'm slowly starting to address biggest critiques of the game :) For now, trade routes have been rebalanced a bit so they are not so overwhelming, iron production from caves is increased because there are no limits on rest areas, performance in late game has been improved and some annoying bugs have been fixed :) Here is the detailed breakdown - Trade routes rebalancing - Removed limit for rest areas in forest and caves which means higher possible productivity there - Big optimizations for late game to improve FPS in case when there are many chests, many racks and many assistants restocking racks - Improved logic for finding best cave elevator - Rebalanced some item prices to make clay less valuable and gold more valuable - Fixed clicking info button for gem storage in build mode - Fixed sorting assistants who restock resources - Fixed problem with resource storage getting magically restocked when assistants give up on their job If you're having fun with Blacksmith Master, consider leaving a Steam review :) It really helps show what's working and makes it easier to spot things that need improving. I read them all, and they help a lot with planning what to do next!

This patch brings a few more fixes. Most of it is fixing some exceptions happening in the background, but it will make the player experience much smoother :) Changelog: - Fixed one situation where assistants would get stuck next to racks - You start with 5000 coins in sandbox mode when infinite money is disabled - Fixed problem with restocking ores and wood when multiple assistants are working on that - Made all Asian fonts dynamic, so no more missing characters while typing - Fixed skill assignment strategy dropdown appearing on maximum level employees - Fixed wrong notification being shown when rack is blocked Thank you again for reporting bugs, it helps me a ton to identify and fix them :)

First of all, thank you so much for reporting all bugs in such a detail. It helped me so much fix a bunch of them, here is the list below :) - Fixed problem where "Start new day" button wouldn't show up - Fixed problem where blacksmiths wouldn't prioritize crafting jewelry properly - Changed mastery tree unlock sound - Stairs now have red outline if they have an error - Fixed some pathfinding issues - Fixed some instances where blacksmiths and assistants would get stuck Don't forget to write your feedback and suggestions to Discord and discussion boards, and of course, I'd love to read your reviews if you enjoy the game :) ~Luka

Fixed problem with analytics button not working properly

This patch has fixes for 2 annoying bugs :) - Fixed the issue with prioritization of merchant offers where 2 offers have the same requested item - Fixed problem with sell/stash/upgrade buttons not showing up in build mode Thank you for the patience as I continue to improve the stability of the game :)

First off, THANK YOU for your incredible support since my Early Access launch! The flood of feedback and creative suggestions has been overwhelming (in the best possible way). Your passion and patience mean everything to me!

Update 1 Changelog

• First hotfix was just published. It contains some small bug fixes (changelog at the end)
• A dedicated team member is meticulously sorting through every single report, reproducing bugs, categorizing suggestions, and creating our roadmap
• Meanwhile, I'm (your solo dev) typing away furiously, squashing bugs as quickly as these fingers can code!

Blacksmith Master releases into Early Access today with a 25% launch discount and a brand-new trailer to go with it. Build your workshop from the ground up and manage every step of the smithing trade, from raw resource acquisition to finished goods in the hands of your customers. Design your own products, oversee distant mines and camps, hire and train the right staff, and grow a small-town forge into a kingdom-spanning operation. Whether you're forging footman swords or frying pans, everything has its place in the chain.

Steam Reviews: Your Feedback Matters

Getting Started in Blacksmith Master

Hey everyone, As part of the triple-i showcase, we're excited to announce that Blacksmith Master will release on May 15. Developed solo with precision and fire, it's a game of rhythm, heat, and the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. Our latest trailer brings new footage from the forge. [previewyoutube=5mmIw_54KPg;full][/previewyoutube] If you're just discovering it through the showcase, welcome to the forge. Wishlist Blacksmith Master on Steam to follow its development and stay sharp. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2292800/Blacksmith_Master/ If you'd like to talk more about Blacksmith Master, come join our Discord community.

Hi Blacksmiths! I want to share an important update with you regarding Blacksmith Masters launch. After carefully hammering out our plans, and in collaboration with Hooded Horse, weve decided to delay the release until early 2025. This wasnt an easy choice; but just like forging the perfect blade, some things need a bit more time in the fire to ensure theyre strong enough for the journey ahead. First, I'd like to share that I'm adding features originally slated for post-launch directly into the Early Access release. This means youll have access to even more content right from the start, including additional crafting systems and in-game challenges that I think youll love. Secondly, during recent testing, we found a few bugs and performance issues that need to be fixed. Tackling these issues now will make sure your experience is as smooth as a freshly tempered sword. Finally, this decision was made in close partnership with Hooded Horse. Together, were committed to delivering the best possible version of Blacksmith Master. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. I cant wait to share more updates and, ultimately, the game itself with you very soon. Stay sharp! Thank you, Luka

Hello everyone! :)

Blacksmith Master - Release Date Trailer

Here's a quick summary of what'll be included at launch. Everything from the demo and...

• Craft and Sell: Forge nearly 100 different items, from simple iron ladles to beautifully adorned shields.
• Expand Your Smithy: Build your workshop over multiple floors, managing Blacksmiths, Sellers, and other staff.
• Specialize and Manage: Guide your teams development as they level up and specialize in their crafts.
• Dynamic Trading and Selling: Run your shop or take on large-scale orders via the world map.
• Unlock and Upgrade: Access and improve mines for various metals to enhance your crafting capabilities.
• Exclusive Trades: Barter goods for unique materials that let you refine and specialize your creations even more.

To the Community

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master. [previewyoutube=TtnaPezEklE;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2292800/Blacksmith_Master/

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master. [previewyoutube=TtnaPezEklE;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2292800/Blacksmith_Master/

Forge Your Destiny: Blacksmith Master Demo Now Live!

Master the Art of the Forge

Craft, Trade, and Expand

Shape Your Blacksmith's Legacy

Become the Ultimate Blacksmith Master

We Need Your Feedback!

Encounter Issues? We're Here to Help

Hi everyone! Blacksmith Master and other games published by Hooded Horse are all featured at the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale. Come check it out! Hooded Horse Strategy Publisher Sale [previewyoutube=bwcg7R7QfIE;full][/previewyoutube]

Hello everyone! I've been meaning to write this dev diary for quite some time and finally I feel like there is enough news to write a blog post :) To give a quick summary at the beginning, the development of the game is going really great, but unfortunately I had to delay the demo for Steam Next Fest to February 2024. I've underestimated the amount of work needed to finish the core loop and the only reason for the delay is that I didn't have enough time to develop all the supporting features needed for the demo like the tutorial, audio, ui changes etc. On the good side, I did manage to finish the core loop which feels really fun so far (you'll be the judge of that of course)
So let's get into some details :) I've spent most time trying to rework the research tree. It's a big part of 2 problems Tavern Master had: 1) Every playthrough feels the same because research tree is the same 2) There is no bigger goal in the game except going day by day earning as much money as possible In order to improve that, I've replaced the research tree with a map of the kingdom where you're located. Since you're managing a blacksmith shop, you can influence events happening in the kingdom by providing weapons, tools, armor or something else. You can also help you kingdom expand either by force or diplomacy and in return receive certain benefits, bonuses, or materials. For example, a nearby mine could ask you for new pickaxes, and in return allow you to excavate ores there which unlocks copper ore for you. You will be progressing through the game by helping your kingdom basically :)

I've also streamlined the staff popup where you'll be able to drag&drop staff into certain roles. Each staff type will have different responsibilities, and you're job is to make sure the workshop is balanced. For example, a blacksmith can either craft items for racks, craft items for the kingdom map requests or work on designing new items. If you have too many blacksmiths designing, you'll be spending too much money on their salaries while racks will be empty and you won't be able to help your kingdom enough. On the other hand, if you're focusing just on production, but not on unlocking new items, you won't be able to fulfill certain requests.
There are some other not as important things finished: - I've reworked the whole AI system and with hundred of hours testing, I haven't had a single employee get stuck. I'll work hard on maintaining that quality until the game is released :) - Whole UI is getting reworked, you can already see parts of it in the screenshots - There will be at least 3 times more character animations than in Tavern Master - There are 8 different racks now which allows more customization Next steps are to polish and balance first 2-3 hours of the game and finish all necessary things for the demo that I mentioned. I'm taking a 2 month break from the development of Blacksmith Master so I can work on a really ambitious Tavern Master update which will release before the 2 year anniversary of the game (November 16th). That will also help me to be more critical and objective about the game when I get back to it, because I'll have 2 months to have my thoughts about the game settle :) Don't forget to join the Blacksmith Master Discord and please write feedback and thoughts in the comment! I'll respond to all of them. Sorry for delaying the demo, but I'd rather have something that I'm proud of in February than rush it for October and have lower quality feedback on the gameplay :)

Hello everyone :) To mark the start of TactiCon 2023, I've decided to start writing dev diaries where I'll talk about exciting new features that I am working on. I won't talk too much about specific gameplay elements to begin with, because that changes quite fast, but I hope you'll still find these posts interesting and informative while you wait for the demo :) The biggest thing I am working on right now is finishing the core loop which consists of hiring miners to excavate ores, hiring smiths to turn ores into ingots and ingots into items, displaying items on racks, and finally customers buying items and using that money to scale up your production. I believe this core loop will be closed very soon :) After that my next milestone will be finalizing the demo.
One of my main goals for this game is to improve replayability, more so than in Tavern Master. I have identified many areas that can be improved, like the map being too static, not enough things to do while you wait for money to generate, not enough customization options etc. but I wanted to start small for now. I've always felt that character diversity in Tavern Master wasn't great. There were only female waitresses and bartenders and they all looked pretty much the same. I was very limited with 3D characters that I owned, but I've overcome that and so far I have made a random blacksmith generator so every blacksmith you hire looks different.
I will also make something like this for other staff types like miners and cashiers, and for customers as well. The biggest milestone recently was that I've added wood as a new resource. So far there are 75 items in the game which can be crafted from start to finish, and I'm working on having a wide variety of different crafting processes because I don't want it to feel that every item created in the same way. Besides wood and metal, my plan is to add leather (mainly for armor), gems (jewelry and some more expensive items) and glass (jars, potions, perhaps even alchemy!).
Many of those 75 items are shields which were the most recent items added to the game:
From these 2 gifs you can also notice that animations look much more polished compared to Tavern Master which was also one of the goals for this game :) It's an ongoing process of course, but by the time we get to a proper demo build, you should be able to appreciate the differences more fully. The development of Blacksmith Master started while I was still doing major updates for Tavern Master. Since both games share the same code base, I have also transferred new features from TM to BM like basements and weather. My 3D artist Marcis has started prototyping a coin minting machine which I am very excited about. To start with, the machine will be split in 2 parts - a smelter for creating blank coins and a stamp for finalizing the coins. It will be a slow process but later on you will be able to upgrade it into a more effective machine doing both jobs at the same time:

That is it for this dev diary - I will try to update with new diaries at least monthly :) I am very curious to read your feedback because as a solo dev it always helps me a lot when I know what potential players think about the things I implement :) Don't forget to join the Blacksmith Master Discord and I hope you enjoy the rest of TactiCon! :)