[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/e6713d52e1b62b3818cc839cedb946978a2c7ca7.png\"][/img]

Hey everyone,

[u]Heres whats new:[/u]

Improved Onboarding

• The tutorial is now more interactive and teaches core systems more clearly

  [/*]

• The Queen now explains objectives at the start of each shard

  [/*]

• She also reacts to Food shortages, giving helpful warnings when stocks are low

  [/*]

New Tools & Clarity Features

• Undo Move button added. You can now reverse your last movement if no actions were taken afterward

  [/*]

• The game now shows which side enemies are approaching from and in how many turns

  [/*]

• Path previews now display the Movement Point cost along the path

  [/*]

• Card ranges are now visually shown on the Shard when hovering over cards

  [/*]

• Enemy movement ranges are now much clearer on the battlefield

  [/*]

Balance & Mechanics Updates

• Replaced all uses of Turn with Day for better thematic immersion

  [/*]

• Camp cards are now tied to specific land types (like Forest or Mountain), making land choice more meaningful and the economy more strategic

  [/*]

• Reworked Expose debuff. Expose increases incoming damage by 4

  [/*]

• Reworked Weak debuffs. Weak decreases outgoing damage by 3

  [/*]

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the card interface froze after selling a card in the Planning Phase

  [/*]

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/f8e71abc44d9e6417f80667a07aedb769ec25247.png\"][/img]

I also made a pacing improvements after noticing that early shards felt a bit too slow. These changes aim to make each shard faster and more focused, while keeping the core loop intact.

Gameplay Speed Improvements

• Shrunk shard size from 9x9 to 8x8

  [/*]

• Reduced max turn count to around 10

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• Adjusted enemy spawn rates to match new pacing

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• You can now buy multiple cards per turn without rerolling

  [/*]

These changes should:

• Make encounters feel tighter and more meaningful

  [/*]

• Speed up overall shard completion

  [/*]

• Improve deckbuilding tempo from shard to shard

  [/*]

Gameplay & Balance

• [p align=\"start\"]The Inner Spirit card reward can now be skipped during loot selection.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Increased Food consumption when adding or empowering a Kin.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Food economy adjusted for balance.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]You can now convert resources in the shop: Coin Food.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]A Card Sell option has been added to the Planning Phase. Selling a card removes it from your hand and adds it to the discard pile.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]All enemy units now start with a cooldown on their secondary abilities to give the player breathing room early in battle.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Reduced the resource requirement to defeat the Ironhorn Kin.[/p][/*]

• Spring tiles now heal all allied units standing on them

  [/*]

UX & UI Improvements

• [p align=\"start\"]Kin stats are now displayed on their cards for better clarity.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Added Planning Phase warning, like Hand is full. Sell a card to buy more.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Hovering over items and enemy abilities now shows detailed tooltips on the right panel, just like cards.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Improved the visuals of certain terrain tiles for better readability and consistency.[/p][/*]

Bug Fixes

• [p align=\"start\"]Fixed a visual bug where the Root effect persisted after shards were completed.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Fixed item-related bugs that caused Kins to gain stacked stat bonuses.[/p][/*]
• [p align=\"start\"]Fixed a visual glitch that occurred when collecting an item.[/p][/*]

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/4ffc3cfaf309dcbe524ce83226372468e6fb13cb.png\"][/img]

Hey everyone,

The Dino Citadel Playtest is now live!

This version includes nearly the full Act 1 experience from the upcoming demo. Youll explore the early shards of the Expanse, build camps, command your Kin, and face off against the Voidrift.

Heres whats included:

• 42 cards to build your strategy

  [/*]

• 10 unique items to equip and experiment with

  [/*]

• 12 enemy units, from simple minions to early elites

  [/*]

• The full Order Pile + Card Buy system

  [/*]

• Core mechanics like camp-building, resource harvesting, and deck-based tactical combat

  [/*]

If you requested access on the Steam store page, you should now be able to jump in and start playing.

This playtest is a step toward the full demo release. Its a chance for me to gather feedback, fix issues, and fine-tune the experience. If you try it out and feel like sharing your thoughts, Id really appreciate it.

If you havent already, please consider wishlisting Dino Citadel. It helps a lot as I continue development.

Thanks for being part of this.

Halit

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

Hey everyone,

Were getting closer to the demo release, and before that, Im opening up a playtest for Dino Citadel.

Starting November 13, youll be able to try out a nearly complete version of the demo. It includes most of the first Expanse (Act 1), core systems, and a full gameplay loop from building camps and spending Coin to draw cards, to cleansing your first Kin.

This playtest is a chance for me to gather feedback, fix bugs, and make sure everything feels right. If youre interested in helping shape the final demo, Id be really grateful to have you along.

Playtest begins: November 13, 2025

Available on: Steam (PC & Mac)

Access via: Request access from the Dino Citadel store page

Thank you so much for all the support so far.

If youd like to join the playtest or just keep an eye on things, feel free to wishlist and follow Dino Citadel here on Steam.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

Hope to see you in the Expanse.

Halit

Hey everyone!

Im excited to announce that Dino Citadel will appear in the upcoming Monster Taming Direct 2025. A brand-new trailer will premiere during the showcase!

The event goes live on September 7, 2025

10 AM EDT / 7 AM PDT / 3 PM BST / 4 PM CEST

Watch it here:

[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/Fe0pgU-LvDM?si=hHOTUp76N3wc_sWb\"][/dynamiclink]

What is Monster Taming Direct?

Its a curated showcase featuring new and upcoming games in the monster taming genre. Dino Citadel is proud to appear alongside some incredible titles this year.

Special thanks to @GymLeaderEd for including us.

If youre excited to see more, make sure to wishlist and follow Dino Citadel here on Steam so you wont miss a single roar.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

Thanks!

Halit (developer of Dino Citadel)

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/6633229e3bd580fa807a8607070ae054e7159a0e.jpg\"][/img]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/837b7550afbeba657ff23e09f1b330b05bef7b56.png\"][/img]

Hey everyone!

Today I want to talk about one of the core systems in Dino Citadel something that defines the entire flow of combat and decision-making: how you draw cards.

In most deckbuilders, its simple. At the start of your turn, you automatically draw a hand of cards maybe five. You play some, ignore others, and at the end of the turn, they all slide into your discard pile.

But in Dino Citadel, theres no auto-draw. At least, not the way youre used to.

Instead, you spend Coin to add cards to your hand, one by one. Every card is a decision. Every Coin is a choice. And your hand? You build it you dont just receive it.

The Order Pile is Dino Citadels version of the draw pile, but with a twist.

At the start of each Shard (closed-off regions with specific objectives), your deck is shuffled into the Order Pile. Then, at the start of each turn, you draw 3 cards from it but they dont go to your hand yet.

To actually play one, you must spend Coin to buy it and add it to your hand. The rest go to the discard pile unless you intervene.

You have a few tools:

• Freeze: You can freeze 1 card each turn. Frozen cards stay as an option for the next turn, giving you another chance to buy them.

  [/*]

• Reroll: If you dont like your 3 options, you can spend Coin to reroll. All unfrozen cards are discarded, and you draw new ones letting you buy another card if you want.

  [/*]

• Free cards: Some cards, especially Bounty cards, cost 0 Coin and go straight to your hand when drawn.

  [/*]

Even once a card is in your hand, it still costs Energy to play it. So each turn becomes a three-part decision tree:

• What can I afford to buy?

  [/*]

• What can I afford to play?

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• What should I save for next turn?

  [/*]

This system turns every turn into a small, evolving puzzle where youre not just reacting to whats drawn, but shaping what your future turns can become.

Youre not handed a hand. You build it one decision at a time.

And Yes It All Loops Back. Like most deckbuilders, once your Order Pile is empty, your discard pile is reshuffled and recycled.

Why This System Exists

Dino Citadel isnt just a deckbuilder. Its also a game about resource management.

Heres the core loop:

• Use free Bounty cards to interact with the map and earn Coin

  [/*]

• Spend that Coin to buy tactical cards from the Order Pile

  [/*]

• Spend Energy to play those cards and survive

  [/*]

Your economy is your draw engine.

So youll need to:

• Use Bounty cards to gather resources

  [/*]

• Use purchased cards to protect them, attack, or reposition

  [/*]

• Carefully manage your Coin between buying, rerolling, and long-term planning

  [/*]

Take the card Harvester, for example. Its a free card that places a unit on a productive land tile. That Harvester will passively generate Coin or Food every turn but only if it survives.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/8c2c3e2afbf1b526d7fad9646044950cb2baff7c.png\"][/img]

Thats it for drawing cards in Dino Citadel!

If you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain, please consider wishlisting and following Dino Citadel on Steam.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

Thanks for reading!

Halit

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45314301/b666dbf085e9c04e7f03b773ea2b16082848a79a.png\"][/img]Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the new people whove wishlisted Dino Citadel lately. I see every single one, and it really means a lot. Im just one person making this weird little game about a dinosaur carrying a castle through a corrupted world, and knowing people are curious enough to wishlist it really gives me fuel.

\n Now for some real news:

The demo is coming in November 2025.

Itll cover the first steps into the expanse, the games larger world made up of shattered zones called shards. Youll get to experience the full core loop: buying cards, playing commands, moving across the grid, managing food and energy, and even rescuing your first corrupted kin, called Moonfang, if you manage to survive as things fall apart around you.

Im working hard to make sure the demo feels like a true part of the full game. Not just a teaser, but a real shard of the full experience.

\n Whats next?

Well be doing a playtest ahead of the demo. Ill also share more detailed posts soon, including a closer look at the demo content and how the playtest will work. If youre curious, keep an eye out or follow the game to stay in the loop.

\n In the meantime:

Wishlist the game if you havent already. It helps a lot

Follow the game for updates, dev posts, and discussions

Follow me on Bluesky for updates and ramblings

Or just check back in later. Ill be here, building

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3352930/Dino_Citadel/\"][/dynamiclink]

Thanks again. Really.

Halit (developer of Dino Citadel)