Hello everyone and welcome to this last devblog before the holidays! We will all be taking a well deserved break as were entering the final lap of the development of Dead in Antares.

Starting in January, our devlog will be released at a faster pace, as we still have some very cool things to show you before you can put your hands on this game

Todays blogpost is very special. For those who already tried the demo of Dead in Antares (and if you havent, you definitely should!), you may have noticed that the music in the game is very special.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3858220/Dead_in_Antares_Demo/\"][/dynamiclink]For this game, were working with our dear collaborator Antoine BOUCHERIKHA. Antoine has been working with us for more than 3 years, and hes basically been our sound magician. He not only created amazing sound effects for several of our games, but he also composed the OST of Dead in Antares.

First of all, can you introduce yourself and tell players whats your role on Dead in Antares?

My name is Antoine Boucherikha, Im a composer and sound designer, and I worked on the original music and sound design for Dead in Antares. My role was to create the sound identity of the game and make sure the soundtrack supports both the atmosphere of Antares Prime and the players moment-to-moment decisions.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/780d542508ce5b26522aa0c748785467d998e4ac.jpg\"][/img]

What were your biggest inspirations for the music of Dead in Antares?

I was inspired by a mix of science-fiction soundtracks (Outer Wilds, Subnautica), experimental electronic music (Oneohtrix Point Never, Autechre), and ambient composers (Brian Eno or Sigur Rs). I also took a lot of inspiration from nature sounds and ecological systems, even if Antares Prime is fictional. The idea was to blend something alien and unknown with something organic and emotionally grounded.

What are the main instruments players will be able to hear while managing their characters in Dead in Antares?

Players will mainly hear acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizers, modular textures, evolving pads, and processed organic sounds. There are also subtle percussive elements and drones, often created from heavily transformed acoustic sources rather than traditional instruments.

You did modular music on Dead in Antares, can you explain what this means exactly?

Modular music means the soundtrack is built from multiple musical layers that can be combined, removed, or transformed in real time. Instead of playing a fixed track from start to finish, the music adapts dynamically to whats happening in the game and to the players actions.

Why choose modular music over traditional music?

Because Dead in Antares is a game about survival, tension, and decision-making. Modular music allows the soundtrack to react instantly to changes in gameplay, creating a more immersive and less repetitive experience. It helps the music feel alive, just like the planet itself.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/659f6674934b74338dd64d72541c47dc7a38cfd8.jpg\"][/img]

Antares Prime is a completely fictional planet, with creatures that are nothing like what we see on earth. Can you explain what happens between you being presented a concept art and the moment the final sound is included in the game?

It usually starts with observing the concept art and discussing intentions with the team: mood, scale, danger, mystery. Then I experiment a lot, recording sounds, designing textures, and testing ideas in Fmod. The final step is iteration: adjusting the sound or music until it feels coherent with gameplay and visual feedback.

How do you imagine what a creature is supposed to sound like?

I try not to imagine it as a monster sound right away. Instead, I think in terms of behavior, size, environment, and function in the ecosystem. I often start from real animal or natural sounds and transform them until they feel unfamiliar but still believable.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/764493363cff9866779cf11dd30ff5737af228f0.jpg\"][/img]

Dead in Antares is the first creation by Ishtar Games set in space. What were your biggest challenges when being asked to create a science fiction atmosphere?

The biggest challenge was avoiding clichs. Space and science fiction come with strong musical stereotypes. The goal was to create something that feels sci-fi but still unique to Dead in Antares, something that belongs specifically to Antares Prime.

Do you have a fun anecdote or moment from the development of the OST to share with the players?

One fun moment came from working with our narrative designer, Christophe, who is also passionate about sound and music. While we were looking for intriguing sonic textures for the Atlantes, he suggested recording his handpan. It was extremely fun to record and integrate into the soundtrack, and the result works really well in the game. It also perfectly illustrates how enjoyable and creatively rich development can be when interdisciplinarity is allowed to truly express itself.

If you could use a word to describe the original soundtrack of the game, what would it be?

Soothing.

One more thing

Before we go, we have a nice present for you The holiday season is perfect for long evenings with some hot chocolate, reading your favourite book (and not on a faraway planet trying to survive with pieces of a broken spaceship).

And to come with this hot chocolate and book, were very happy to unveil the very first song from the Original Soundtrack of Dead in Antares: Aster.

Enjoy!

Hello Survivors!

December is finally upon us, so let us rejoice!

And before anything, ICYMI, just last week, we announced that Dead in Antares will be released on February 19th 2026! Just over 2 months to wait, we cannot wait!

We\'re nearing the final stages of the development, everything is finally falling into place. A big majority of all the dialogues are written (you\'re not ready), we\'ve added a thousand QoL features (for example, dialogue logs!), lots of UI/UX improvements...

We\'re very happy with how the game is turning out, we still have about a million things to do before we can reach the Gold version, but it\'s going to be okay.

Today, we have 2 main subjects we want to talk: the Return of the Tribute System and... life on Antares?

Tribute System

For Dead in Vinland players, you might remember the Tribute that Bjrn created, that led to some very... let\'s say unfortunate turn of events if you missed to give what he requested.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/8a5c986f834e2d5b55c6d403d8851f14510510dc.png\"][/img]We still think about you (not really)

The tribute system returns in Dead in Antares, although it doesn\'t work quite the same way as in Dead in Vinland.

The general idea remains the same: a group from outside your camp asks you to give them a set amount of items each couple of days. You then have a deadline to collect the items they want. If you don\'t meet the goal, you might get punished. This creates an additional challenge, forcing you to think about how to survive while taking care of it. However, there are several notable differences between Dead in Antares and Dead in Vinland.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/0cd9c06630f699eec2f4b94f68eef4ce21ab5192.png\"][/img]

First of all, while in Vinland this system was introduced in the early days of the game and was therefore part of the main loop from the start, in Antares it becomes relevant much later. Our goal is to divide the game into more progressive gameplay arcs. Preparing your camp while unlocking characters is the first step, dealing with tributes is another.

Secondly, while in Vinland the items requested were always the same from one playthrough to the next, in Antares there is an element of randomness: the item chosen for a given tribute will not necessarily be the same from one player to another, which allows for more personalized and more unexpected challenges. Inevitably, given that tributes are less scripted and more systemic, the options for resolving them are no longer customized per tribute, but there are more choices overall.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/762692f5b4d6d62ef6a390debeb95aca76958e50.png\"][/img]

Finally, there is no longer a dissatisfaction gauge system. Instead, the consequences of your choices are shorter term yet still impactful. Do you want to pay more this time to get a favor next time? Who in your group will suffer if you don\'t give the requested items? There is no need to anticipate dozens of days into the future; the result is visible quickly, and then you must adapt to it.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/80b78dba9c8cfc54af8b9aa0ae78b7c4ddc92830.png\"][/img]

That\'s it for tributes! As you can see, it\'s a new version of the system, that will bring new challenge into the game.

Who is living on Antares Prime?

Ceres, where the original mission was supposed to take place, is a mostly dead rock covered in ice. While organic compounds and hints of atmosphere had been detected, nobody expected to find intelligent life forms on its cold and barren surface. And nobody did, since the Ixion crashed 550 light years away, somewhere in the Antares system

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/44c5eaaf8d04a6594f4cb04d076193ba0d68dc26.png\"][/img]

But unlike Ceres, this unknown exoplanet is teeming with life. The dense alien forest where the crew has landed is home to countless fascinating species. Animal, vegetal, and even mineral beings thrive. Strange hybrids, advanced fungi and gaseous creatures compete and cooperate for survival.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/0cd50a5aa76cb0b5885b76e601ee644b17fdfd82.png\"][/img]

It\'s hard to tell what hides beyond the massive biocristal walls that surround the region, but the Ixion survivors will soon discover that they have a couple of neighbors with a long history of conflict. On Antares Prime, two factions have been at each other\'s throats for countless generations.

One are the children of this land, tied to the ebb and flow of its complex ecosystem, highly adapted to its many wonders and dangers, free as the wind that runs inside their graceful exoskeletons.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/46195c62fdcfc61d16852943fb2d6f7874ba31cc.jpg\"][/img]

The others fell from the sky millennia ago, in an ancient spaceship. Clinging to their traditions, they proudly tried to subjugate what they saw as lesser species, through brute force and forgotten technologies With moderate success.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/1d26b6c10d353a6e911c8e8a9d0946331886350f.png\"][/img]Amelia and her crew will disrupt this fragile balance. The only question is, to what extent?

So yeah, you\'re definitely not alone. As you can see, the stakes are really different from before. From the moment you make contact with them, your mission will radically change. It won\'t be about just survival anymore.

Do you have theories already? ;)

Take care <3

Hello Heroes!

We hope you\'re doing alright! We will be back very soon with a brand-new blogpost (with more infos about a returning feature we haven\'t discussed yet!), but in the meantime we have AMAZING NEWS!

That\'s right, the new episode in the \"Dead in\" series will finally release on February 19th 2026! Less than 3 months to wait ;)

We cannot wait for you to finally play this brand-new adventure about a group of people stuck on a planet filled with mystery. They will have no choice but to beat the odds and do their best to survive and cling to their only luxury: hope.

With Dead in Antares, we\'re aiming to offer the best version of our survival/management genre since its first appearance with Dead in Bermuda

You don\'t need to have played the previous games to understand this one, but if you have, you might get answers to questions we scattered across the first 2 games. (who mentioned weird blue people?)

See you in February!

Hello Survivors!

We hope you\'re okay! We\'re a biiiiit late for this month\'s blogpost, BUT we are still on time!

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3858220/Dead_in_Antares_Demo/\"][/dynamiclink]

During this month, we got to do some balancing on the demo , thanks to your feedback, so thank you! And if you haven\'t checked the demo yet, we strongly advise you to do it (and survive up to the end of it!).

We\'re very happy with the progress of the game. We\'re now getting closer to the last stretch of the development, and even though we\'re very much on time, we still have a million things left to do.

Today, we want to talk about a returning (but improved!) feature from Dead in Vinland: relationships!

As you know, characters are part of the core of the experience of the \"Dead in\" series. For Dead in Antares, one thing that we find really exciting, narratively speaking, is the fact that all characters share the same goal at the beginning of the game: saving Earth. But at the same time, they all come from very different backgrounds, and the way they work and live together is what\'s very exciting for us!

So today, I will let Robin, Game Designer on Dead in Antares, talk about the relationships and the way they work in the game!

Relationships

In Dead in Vinland, the relationship system was highly volatile, which was fitting with the overall feel of Vinland\'s gameplay ; it even led to special events between characters which could create unexpected situations, which were hit or miss depending on the player.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/139516d778baa35750b22809132174c58d25bb3b.png\"][/img]

Something that sets Dead in Antares apart from Vinland is our general intention to further limit this kind of volatility, so we aim for something more structured and predictable.

Each relationship is represented by a [u]gauge[/u]. Every time two characters work together, whether on an expedition, in combat, or at the camp, their relationship grows. Each time it reaches a threshold, it provides a gameplay bonus to both characters.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/c0298f471b5703720cd90ee536a30b9c0773dd31.png\"][/img]

When certain thresholds are reached, you even gain access to exclusive dialogues between characters, which depict a moment in the daily lives of the two characters on the planet, and further develop the dynamic between the two.

In Dead in Vinland these interpersonal moments happened automatically during the night, without any player input, now you can choose to experience them whenever you want via the character sheet.

Important to note that all the characters in the camp have a relationship with each other, and there are three dialogues available per relationship, which represents a huge amount of content!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30295260/a8c1bd26148b5ae8e419b2e951bd5ba4366fd632.png\"][/img]

We really wanted to give all the characters a chance to shine and justify having a fixed group of survivors. The relationship system allows each pairing to exist, and from the player\'s perspective, we didn\'t want to force some of them more than others, so no matter which character you want to pairwith a particular other character, there\'s a reward waiting for you.

Now it\'s up to you to discover in the game when it releases how each relationship will turn out: romance, friendship, rivalry? Wait and see.

Take care! <3

Hello!

We\'ve known Lost Pilgrim Studio for nearly 10 years, since our early days for Dead in Vinland! And we couldn\'t be happier about their new release!

[u]https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms/\"" style="color:#bb86fc;text-decoration:none;">Vagrus: The Riven Realms [/u] is an award-winning, turn-based, open-world dark fantasy strategy-RPG set in a deeply immersive world shaped by over two decades of tabletop roleplaying. Developed by Lost Pilgrims, a team who built their own setting the Riven Realms through countless DnD-style campaigns, the game features over 2.5 million words of story-driven, lore-heavy, richly-branching narrative that captures the spirit of classic tabletop adventures. In the game, the player takes the role of a vagrus - a sort of a caravan leader who makes a living in a strange and dangerous dark fantasy world by leading a traveling company on all kinds of ventures.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35576831/3ce7d1e9a5122d83d801b152a9cdab43b671bb27.jpg\"][/img]

Lost Pilgrims have just posted a[u] huge announcement [/u]on their Steam development blog about releasing their second expansion of Vagrus [u]https://store.steampowered.com/app/2672540/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms_At_the_Heart_of_Ruin/\"" style="color:#bb86fc;text-decoration:none;"> At the Heart of Ruin [/u] along with a[u]https://store.steampowered.com/app/3967500/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms_Ruinous_Supporter_Pack/\"" style="color:#bb86fc;text-decoration:none;"> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3967500/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms_Ruinous_Supporter_Pack/\"" style="color:#bb86fc;text-decoration:none;">Ruinous Supporter Pack [/u] on Steam and various console platforms. This expansion offers a tight but multi-layered and dense region fraught with conflict and rich with opportunities. Vagri who decide to brave the forsaken paths of this broken realm will be challenged not only by new foes and villains, but also by the very nature one must traverse the mountainous terrain.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35576831/aaacbd4f9846be2a5a2ff0dd5f059bb8b56b46df.jpg\"][/img]

New Content and Features

• A fresh, dangerous region unfettered from Imperial dominance and brimming with peril

  [/*]

• A dark narrative adventure with several overarching stories as well as shorter adventures

  [/*]

• Deep quests with multiple outcomes and a plethora of personalities

  [/*]

• Many new opportunities and challenges for traders, mercenaries, and explorers

  [/*]

• A host of new enemies, be they crazed scavengers or creatures cursed beyond recognition

  [/*]

• A large cast of NPCs, some new and some old, who can be a part of your story

  [/*]

• New minor factions the likes of which few vagri have ever had the chance to befriend or fight against

  [/*]

• New obstacles, rewards, lore, and more of our signature visual art

  [/*]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35576831/9c4a14b53d52951e5a33929a732a31f2dba42130.jpg\"][/img]

So, if this sounds like something you may like, check out the main game and its expansion!

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms/\"][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/2672540/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms_At_the_Heart_of_Ruin/\"][/dynamiclink]

Hello Survivors!

A new blogpost has arrived! We hope you enjoyed Dead in Bermuda, and we\'re very happy to bring you some news from the latest game in the series: Dead in Antares!

The August demo was an important milestone for us, as we were able to get some amazing feedback from players. We may not respond to them all, but know that were definitely reading and analyzing them.

Now that the demo is out, our focus is obviously: keep working on the game! We also did some bugfixing on the demo.

What\'s new?

We also made some huge progress on the global narration of the game, with its many branches, choices, quests Were happy with how its shaping up to be right now, and were excited that were dealing with the story in a different way than Dead in Vinland.

Without spoiling too much, there is much more content and scenes linked to the relationships and the trust between the characters (but not only), that can end up having a lot of consequences on the overall story of the game.

The fact that you need to keep all 10 characters alive throughout the game allows us to take the story pretty much wherever we want. Its a different take from Vinland but an exciting one ;)

Release Date

We also have some news about the release date of Dead in Antares. We were originally aiming towards a release around the end of this year. Weve realized that were going to need just a bit more time to polish up the game so it can be up to our and your expectations!

We can now confidently announce that Dead in Antares will be released in EARLY 2026.

Were planning to give you even more updates about the game as we come closer to the release date, and we hope youll like the game when its out! :)

Meet The Crew! Pt 2

Now thats done, we can talk about what you came here for: a new blogpost! And today, we have new faces to introduce you to!

Last time, we introduced Amelia, Liu, William and Polina. And for the players who managed to finish the demo, you know a little bit about Noemi and Maria!

So, without further ado, lets dive into the other playable characters of Dead in Antares!

Noemi Lombardi | Xenobiologist

This young biology and geology expert is very enthusiastic about the unexpected turn the mission has taken. Perhaps a little too enthusiastic, as her idealism and thirst for discovery often put her in dangerous situations

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/06c79d637109300c18768391267e39055ac4f205.png\"][/img]

Radiating optimism, Noemi is a staunch environmentalist whose values are not always in line with those of her crewmates. Her tendency to bring cute alien critters back to the camp does not please everyone, but her skills are undeniable.

Maria Fernanda Cortez | Scout

Maria is a hothead who can\'t sit still. A reconnaissance specialist, she has great adaptability, making her a major asset for exploring the area where the Ixion-1 crashed.

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/1ce112d40a8d0f8685d19428767a59cdec5dcae5.png\"][/img]

Her hyperactivity sometimes makes her unpredictable, even to herself. Although military life has taught her a certain discipline that channels her energy, she remains on a perpetual quest for meaning. Maybe this mysterious planet will allow her to develop the spirituality she was forbidden to express on Earth.\n

Park So Young | Sniper

Highly talented in the world of esports, So Young could have become a champion, but life had other plans for her. Following in the footsteps of her father, a high-ranking officer, she opted for a military career, with formidable results.

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/f02443998992d33ac8c1e59dca2856cc36cfd8d9.png\"][/img]

As a sharpshooter, she is an invaluable asset on the battlefield, but her distant manner and cold demeanor sometimes set her apart from the Ixion crewmates, to whom she does not easily open up. Will fighting for survival on an alien planet bring her out of her shell?

Gabriel Payet | Jack of all Trades

Everyone likes Gabriel. Helpful and good-natured, he doesn\'t excel at anything in particular, but this radio communications specialist is also a good fighter, an efficient handyman, a passable doctor, and a popular cook.

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/723e92bbf07d7331d2fc4f179dc6b629a560a702.png\"][/img]

His kindness is perhaps his main flaw. In his youth, before enlisting in the army, he allowed himself to be influenced in various ways that did not always lead him to make the best choices, and for which he may still be suffering the consequences...

Omar Al Safadi | Diplomat

Born into a prestigious Qatari dynasty, Omar received an outstanding education and has numerous connections in the most exclusive political circles. He has always been fascinated by diplomacy and international relations, and also has military skills.

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/6f456adbc6d82aa71175e0aa879ee97eabe8760e.png\"][/img]

A skilled tactician, he is nevertheless uncomfortable in the field. However, his charisma and negotiating skills make him a great choice to balance the needs of the mission with the cohesion of the crew, effectively assisting Amelia.

Dwayne Woods | Mercenary

As a mercenary, Dwayne has an impeccable reputation. As long as he gets paid, the job will get done, no matter what it is. Hired by an influential multinational corporation, his role is to ensure that the mission runs smoothly, whatever the cost.

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/4d4e2d6d9febba98e80ae645c56775eb7e35e468.png\"][/img]

He knows how to blend into the background, but his nihilism and lack of emotion make his crewmates wary. However, his integrity and efficiency are appreciated, even if they will be put to the test by a forced landing, hundreds of light-years from the solar system.

And now you know all 10 characters that you will be playing (and struggling to keep alive). One thing that we really like about the Dead in (and in games!) is how a group of people from many different horizons can work together and find out what they have in common (and what they dont have!).

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45528810/dcbacb8ca30117215a5612eece94e5e52b3ed49e.jpg\"][/img]

So yeah, there you have them! All 10 characters, all they need to do is find shelter, food, and survive. Its not like theres SOMETHING else going on on this planet thats going to add another layer of danger and twists and dramas and would require them to make choices with consequences much bigger than them, RIGHT? ;)

\n

Thats all for today, take care, survivors! <3

Hello Survivors!

Today\'s the day! The demo version of Dead in Antares is NOW available on Steam!

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3858220/Dead_in_Antares_Demo/\"][/dynamiclink]

This demo will allow you to experience the very first days of your adventure on Antares Prime:

• Play Amelia, William, Liu and Polina (and maybe 2 more, if you survive long enough... ;) )

  [/*]

• Discover the brand-new version of our combat system, introducing the Power Surge!

  [/*]

• Build your first camp stations

  [/*]

• Manage your characters and their survival

  [/*]

• Explore this beautiful/mysterious/dangerous planet that is Antares Prime and you might find out there is much more than meets the eye

  [/*]

Please keep in mind that this demo is still work in progress, and things might (and very much will) change in the final version of the game!

Finally, if you have any feedback about the demo, please let us know in the comments or on our Discord server!

Hello survivors!

Just a quick reminder that the free demo of Dead in Antares will be released NEXT WEEK, on August 27th!

In this demo, you\'ll be able to experience the opening hours of the most ambitious \"Dead in\" game yet:

• Play up to day 11 (if you survive long enough)

  [/*]

• Play 4 characters... and maybe more? (shh)

  [/*]

• Fight your first enemies

  [/*]

• Start exploring the planet

  [/*]

• Build your first camp stations

  [/*]

• And most importantly... survive!

  [/*]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/96f3bc4095d0233ddbed2f2d1a360c9e9d8b06ed.jpg\"][/img]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/f3e6b5d341b42182b5e4d39e73e403306acdbc4e.jpg\"][/img]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/953202c96e1fc7bb31c4885bafa8aeb6c67d6db8.jpg\"][/img]

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45528810/f2efc6606e2cad21cdfffe54010654b5c155bad5.jpg\"][/img]

The demo of Dead in Antares will be released on August 27th 2025 on Steam!

[dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/3858220/Dead_in_Antares_Demo/\"][/dynamiclink]

Take care <3

Hello survivors!

We hope you're okay! In case you missed it, last week we unveiled a brand-new look at Dead in Antares, focusing on the battle system. Next month well explore the new features a bit deeper in a captains log, but for now as everyone in the team is focused on polishing a playable demo for the end of this summer, well share some more details about our main crew.

Meet The Crew - part 1

Fans of our previous games know that it wouldn't be a proper "Dead in" without a memorable cast of characters that you will need to keep alive.

For players of Dead in Vinland, you might remember that in this one, you had 4 main characters (the family), and then you could recruit up to 8 optional characters that were found on the island.

Losing a family member meant a game over, but losing a recruitable character did not.

For Dead in Antares, we knew from the start we wanted a different direction. In this one, we wanted every character to be as involved in the story as another, enabling us to write interesting dynamics between them. We wanted a real team spirit in the writing, contrary to our previous games where the cast was more or less forced to stick together. Thats not to say there wont be conflictual beliefs in the group as the story unfolds and the tension ramps up.

In terms of gameplay, this means that losing any of the 10 main characters will lead to a game over, as anyone is mandatory to the plot. We survive in this together, or we die trying!

In terms of writing, it enabled us to write more dynamic dialogs as any character can intervene in a scene and speak his or her mind, at any moment. Some scenes focus on different pairings of characters which leads to interesting interactions.

A little bit of secret info here, that we will talk a lot more in another captains log: we went completely over our heads designing the relationship system between our characters You can expect A LOT of possibilities, much more than in any of our previous games.

But enough with that, lets start by giving you a bit more info about the past of some of our crew!

Amelia Rosenhart | The Captain

Dont be fooled by her looks, Amelia is quite the military veteran Daughter of a decorated and renowned father, she aced her military studies in the hope of living up to his unreachable expectations. She then was sent in various extremely dangerous commando and secret service missions which led her in particularly tricky situations - and morally ambiguous ones.

Among the crew, she has the most battle and survival experience and she knows that sometimes you have to take very hard decisions as a leader, but since the beginning of the mission something seems slowly crackling inside her. Will she manage to bear the incommensurable burden of this mission on her strong shoulders, or will she completely fall apart?

William Eriksson | The Field Medic

On the surface, William is this big-hearted giant that is too good for this world. Gentle, friendly, calm, he will lend an empathetic ear to anyone coming to him for medical care. But under this - some would call bland - personality lies a terrible past riddled of tragedies.

This past has made him tormented over the thought of losing anyone in the crew, which can become quite the curse for someone whose task is to coexist with sickness and death on a daily basis.

Liu Jian | The Chief Engineer

Lius proficiency in everything tech and craft would be a real asset to any team, especially in this kind of situation He knows the Ixion like the palm of his hand, or an extension of his body even. He more often than not feels that its easier to deal with the spaceship than it is with his fellow comrades. They are so tiring with their constant futile chatter.

Physically, he is not really fit for this kind of harsh environment, more so that he was severely hurt by a landmine when he was young, leaving an impressive scar on his chest.

Polina Shevchenko | The Astrophysicist

Double PhD graduate, both in Theoretical Physics and Quantum Physics, she is the daughter of the renowned Professor Shevchenko, a genius scientist who led the Ixion project and is a member of the Global Committee.

Despite her immense knowledge and proficiency, she fears that the others think her presence on the mission is only due to her father But which kind of father would send his daughter to a certain death in an impossible mission in space? Unless there is something more to it?

And that's all for today! Those 4 characters will be playable in the upcoming demo of Dead in Antares, coming out on August 27th for free on Steam!

Take care! <3

Hello Space survivors!

We hope you're doing okay! Summer is finally here, and despite the heatwave that's trying to kill us (we don't have the same thermostat as our characters, sadly. but at least we're not on an unknown planet, thousands of lightyears from earth, so we'd say it could be worse).

Today is not an usual "Captain's Log" (number 3 is coming out soon, don't worry!!), but we still have some GREAT NEWS for you!

We had the opportunity to take part in Tacticon! Please take a look at our newest trailer:

That's right, next month, on August 27th (for the tenth year anniversary of Dead in Bermuda!), we will release the demo of Dead in Antares! And you can already add the demo to your wishlist!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3858220/Dead_in_Antares_Demo/

You'll be able to try the very first days of your adventure, explore the new systems, and meet part of the cast of characters that will try not to die on your watch.

Tacticon is apremier Steam-based digital event organized by publishers Firesquid and Hooded Horse, for its fourth year, celebrating the best from the world of strategy, management, and simulation games from now until July 21.

This years event kicked off with another showcase hosted by Hooded Horses own Renee April, with cool trailers, reveals, and announcements revealed during the 60-minute broadcast.

Here's the sale page, where you'll find a lot of other cool strategy/management/simulation game that we can easily recommend!

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tacticon2025

Take care <3

Hello survivors!

Wow, the last blogpost was written... almost 3 years ago, and Dead in Vinland will celebrate its seventh anniversary next month, how time flies!

Back then, we had done a small announcement: that the "Dead in" series would continue.

Aaaaand... SURPRISE!

We've just announced Dead in Antares, the third episode of the "Dead in" series, and this time, we're going to space!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2511800/Dead_in_Antares/
For the occasion, Matt, the creative director of the series, wrote a little blogpost to celebrate the announcement:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2511800/view/508448342467937205

So yeah: bigger, better. Basically, this episode will be the culmination of 10 years as indie developers since we released Dead in Bermuda.

But you will still find what you loved about the previous games: hardcore survival/management mechanics, RPG features, strong narration, beautiful hand-drawn art, memorable characters... Just even better than Vinland ;)

So, if you're excited about Dead in Antares, please don't forget to add it to your wishlist, as it's super helpful for us developers!

Well, we kept our promise, didn't we? ;)

Only a few days left to pick Dead In Vinland at a sunny special price

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573120/Dead_In_Vinland/

"Four years! It's been four years since you first set foot on this beautiful island to build a new home. You made allies along the way, learned new things and started to live again."


Today, we celebrate the fourth year of Dead in Vinland with you. Thank you for playing, skl everyone!
On a final note, a lot of fans asked us about the future of Dead In and we wanted to tell you that we will absolutely continue the series!

Enjoy our Valentine's week with the Steam Weeklong Sale: Dead in Vinland up to 75% off

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573120/Dead_In_Vinland/?snr=2_groups_partnerevents_ https://store.steampowered.com/app/969140/Dead_In_Vinland__Endless_Mode_Battle_Of_The_Heodenings/?snr=2_groups_partnerevents_ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1037050/Dead_In_Vinland__Norse_Side_Stories/?snr=2_groups_partnerevents_ https://store.steampowered.com/app/896640/Dead_In_Vinland__The_Vallhund/?snr=2_groups_partnerevents_
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/10884/Dead_In_Vinland__True_Viking_Edition/?snr=2_groups_partnerevents_

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with Savings: Dead in Vinland is up to 75 % off

• Dead In Vinland :75% off
• Dead In Vinland - Endless Mode: Battle Of The Heodenings :25% off
• Dead in Vinland - Norse Side Stories 25% off
• Dead In Vinland - The Vallhund 25% off
• Dead In Vinland - True Viking Edition 53% off
• Dead In Vinland - Ultimate Survival Edition : 79% off
  

Hello survivors!

Long time no see! We hope you're doing fine, despite... pretty much everything that happened this year!

We won't take too long of your time with this short blogpost, but we wanted to let you know that we've just released a prologue for our next game: The Last Spell!

[i]The Last Spell is a tactical RPG with roguelite elements. During the days, youll have to carefully choose how you will re-build your city and how youll position your defenses. Will you prioritize buying a brand new flaming sword, or build a Mana Well to regenerate some priceless Mana after battles?

During night, youll have to exterminate all the monsters coming at your walls with a large range of weapons and powers. Level up your heroes, and repeat until the end.[/i]

We know, we like games with day/night phases. If you like tactical RPGs, you might like this one ;)

Here's the page if you want to try it!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1437010/The_Last_Spell_Prologue/
And here's a small trailer we made for the occasion!

https://youtu.be/2lf2RMxv5Vo

Here's the Steam page of the game. Don't forget to wishlist the game to be notified when it's released! :)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1105670/The_Last_Spell/
If you like what you're seeing, feel free to come and join our growing community on Discord !

Happy surviving!

Hello Dear Villagers,

If you currently live in the US, in Europe or in many other countries facing the Covid 19 crisis, you are (and you should be) stuck at home. Our Dear Villagers team is also staying safe home since last Monday, working remotely on our upcoming projects.

Many of you are taking advantage of this very strange times to play games, so are we! So we decided to bring a tiny bit of support and start a special Stay Home Sale in order to grant access to our games at a very affordable price including:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/523210/A_Normal_Lost_Phone https://store.steampowered.com/app/689910/Another_Lost_Phone_Lauras_Story https://store.steampowered.com/app/573110/AWAY_Journey_to_the_Unexpected/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/573070/BAFL__Brakes_Are_For_Losers/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/808090/Bury_Me_My_Love https://store.steampowered.com/app/573120/Dead_In_Vinland https://store.steampowered.com/app/269190/Edge_Of_Eternity/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/280180/Hover https://store.steampowered.com/app/398030/Old_School_Musical/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/446840/Splasher
And also Aurion: Legacy of Kori-Odan, Impulsion, Pankapu, Post Human W.A.R, Spitkiss & Strikers Edge.

We hope you will enjoy playing our games or any other to be honest as long as you keep safe, #StayHome!

Hello survivors,
we hope you're okay!
As for us, it's summer here, but today it's so cold it feels like it's already autumn... Well, at least it's not Drought ;)

Since early 2019, we had actually divided our team into two smaller teams:

• One team that kept on working on Dead in Vinland, especially for the DLCs, the bug fixes, implementing new languages...
• One team that has been working on our brand new game!
  

Hello survivors!

Dead in Vinland is currently 50% off for a limited time! Already own the game? There's no better time to gift it to an unsuspecting friend ;)

Get the True Viking Edition containing all 3 DLCs now at a reduced price:
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/10884/Dead_In_Vinland__True_Viking_Edition/

Watch our latest trailer to get a taste of what awaits you in the Vinland...
https://youtu.be/kNJqXkU0FF8

Good luck surviving!

Today's Deal: Save 50% on Dead In Vinland!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time

Hello survivors!
This is IT! The final DLC for Dead In Vinland is finally available!


One thing that we love in games with a group of many characters is the interactions between those characters!

It's very annoying for us to see RPGs with a party of 8 people who never seem to talk to each other.



Games like the "Tales of" series handle very well those relations with the little skits that show conversations between the characters, whether it's about the main story, or about their every day life in their journey!

Even though we were happy with the dialogues with the main family in Dead In Vinland, we wanted to go even further with this new DLC, and answer the question "What could those two say to each other"


Obviously, there are characters who would have a very hard time liking each other, considering their story and their personality. However, there are characters who might find out they have more in common than they had thought...


We added nearly 100 new dialogues between the secondary characters

• More drama!
• 3 new romances, and 3 new endings!
• New traits!
• New decisions to make!
  

New language!

• Spanish (Latin America) - Community Translation. Thanks A LOT to Damian and Siodog!
  

1.4 Patch

• Added a dozen of new free dialogues corresponding to 2 new romances/endings
• Tweaked the order of apparition of bosses in enemies stacks for Heodening Mode
• Corrected some bugs inserted with the previous patch (character bio, character orders and the achievement "Nobody Will be Left Behind")
  

Hello survivors!

We hope you're okay! Today we finally have some news for the final DLC of Dead In Vinland!

One year of Dead In Vinland

• We released many free patches bringing new features: a speed-up mode, new RNG modes, difficulty options, sidebar sorting options, special effects for camp stations, and many improvements/fixes/Quality of life options...
• We added 4 new languages: Italian, Chinese, but also Polish and Russian (thanks to our awesome community translators!!).
• We released 2 DLC: a recruitable dog for the camp, and a new mode for the game: an enldess mode!
  

DLC Release Date

Greetings everyone,

A few days ago we rebranded Playdius to Dear Villagers, as you can see here in our announcement trailer .
Considering we cannot rename this page we kindly invite you to keep following us on the new one: Dear Villagers on Steam .

Note that we also just announced two new very exciting games:

Recompile

Hey survivors! Today, well be talking about the new DLC of Dead In Vinland, called Norse Side Stories, bringing A LOT of new dialogues, between secondary characters!

Dont worry, were still surviving! We've sent Manon fetching some [strike]beer [/strike]water and Jacques and Thomas set up an expedition to hunt some food at the food truck. We even accepted fresh new recruits into our camp, well soon grow into a real village!

Right now we have split the team in two: Matt is a team by himself and finishes the 3rd DLC for Dead In Vinland, while the others have fun working on a NEW, TOP SECRET game. We cant wait to give you some infos about it! I think well be able to reveal some things in the coming months.

Norse Side Stories

Secondary Characters

New romances!

Free 1.4 Patch!

Hello survivors! Its finally here! The DLC Battle Of The Heodenings is finally available!

Today, well go through the main features of the new DLC, and well also present the patchnotes of the 1.3 patch!



This mode redefines one of the main goals of Dead In Vinland: survive. Now, you are free to choose your team to survive as long as possible, in this endless, sandbox-y mode!

Batte Of The Heodenings

Choose your character

• Generated like in the story mode: they will have the same generation algorithm, so the same overall skills and traits.
• OR, Randomly generated: the game will follow the same generation rules than in the story mode (i.e. the same amount of total skill points on every character), but all their starting skills and traits will be procedurally generated!
  

Customize your character

Trade with the Gods

• Loki sells useful items (Fire Crystals, Ancien Knowledge and Tinder)
• Freyja gives temporary powerful blessings or instant healing
• Thor gives temporary battle buffs.
  

The tributes

The map

Fighting

New language!

1.3 Patch

• Advanced difficulty options (for all game modes
• Intelligence skill reworked
• Stats screen in the characters screen
  

ONE MORE THING

Hello survivors!
The 1.3 Free Patch is now available, bringing new features and improvements for Dead In Vinland!

NEW LANGUAGE!

• Russian (Community translation. Thanks A LOT to our awesome russian translators: Gedo, Barley, Egor, Kerrael, Xippy, Suzakua, Alex)
  

NEW FEATURES

• Modify how the states increase/lower each time. You could for example play a game where the characters dont get any Fatigue at all, but they get twice the amount of Injury and Disease.
• Modify how the states impact the skills: you could make it so the characters states dont lower the character skills, of have twice the impact.
• Modify the random value affected to Acquired skills at generation: choose 0 to have less random, 100 to have crazy numbers.
• Modify the number of bad starting Traits: you could start a game with 0 random starting Traits, making it fairer to every character.
• Modify skills and general XP bonuses. You could make a game with skills that dont evolve at all on each use, but you get twice the general XP, making it a game around level ups!
• Modify the number of Level Up Traits you get to choose from each level-up. If the random factor of level-ups annoys you, you could set it up to 100 and get the choice to customize your character freely.
• Change the resources gains, the crafting speed, the exploration speed.
• Change how fast camp stations lose condition, and how fast Natural Resources lower and regenerate.
• Remove the chance to have special Traits when using camp stations, or double the chance to get one, and change the value of Depression Crits.
• Make the diseases more or less frequent, and make them harder or easier to heal.
• Change the chances that each character will get Dehydrated each night (I personally advise setting it to 100% chances), and change the way water rationing works (yes, you can revert to the initial values that were a bit harsher than now)
• Adjust the chances of food rotting overnight. You can make everything un-perishable ^^
• For Heodening mode only: Modify the number of days you have to wait between Tributes, and the difficulty of Tributes amount asked.
• Change the animosity gains. You could make an endless game by removing them completely.
• The chances of getting fights. If you dont like our battle system (and it makes us sad), you can remove the battles! (not recommended: battles are an important way to get loot!)
• Give you a boost of chance to succeed skillchecks You know, those nasty 3-in-a-row skillchecks you have to succeed in Rune challenges?
• Some other parameters for Heodening mode: the delay between map resets, and the pace at which the battles will increase in difficulty.
• And finally, one set of options that Im particularly proud of: you can completely modify the probabilities each weather has to appear, depending of the current weather Very cool! You could make an island where it constantly rains, or where there are no storms, etc Youre a real god now!
  

FIXES

• Fixed a nasty bug which prevented Angelicos main event chain to trigger.
  

BALANCING

• Level cap increased from 30 to 99 for all game modes (Endless AND Story)
• Tavern changed so that relax mode is less OP:
• Lowered depression cured in relax mode by 5.
• Relax mode has now 10% chances to give Bored trait and 10% chances to give Demotivated trait.
  

Hello survivors, time to talk about the 1.3 Patch!

Were approaching release time! Lets talk about the content of the FREE 1.3 patch coming live at the same time as the second DLC of Dead In Vinland. We are slowly coming to the end of what we possibly could implement into the game, so this patch should be the last major one.

Honestly we totally went over the budget we had in the first place but well, we wanted to go as far as we could with the concept of Dead In Vinland. We hope that in the end, it will have a lasting effect on sales and that the game will eventually reach balance, but thats the subject of another blog post that I will make for the 1-year anniversary of the games release.

But yeah, when I look at what is the game now and how it was when we first release it There has been quite an amount of major improvements that Im really proud of. After the 3rd DLC is released, I think Ill be able to call it complete!

But enough of that, lets look at the features There are actually 3 new major free features included in the 1.3 patch:

Advanced Difficulty Options

• Modify how the states increase/lower each time. You could for example play a game where the characters dont get any Fatigue at all, but they get twice the amount of Injury and Disease.
• Modify how the states impact the skills: you could make it so the characters states dont lower the character skills, of have twice the impact.
• Modify the random value affected to Acquired skills at generation: choose 0 to have less random, 100 to have crazy numbers.
• Modify the number of bad starting Traits: you could start a game with 0 random starting Traits, making it fairer to every character.
• Modify skills and general XP bonuses. You could make a game with skills that dont evolve at all on each use, but you get twice the general XP, making it a game around level ups!
• Modify the number of Level Up Traits you get to choose from each level-up. If the random factor of level-ups annoys you, you could set it up to 100 and get the choice to customize your character freely.
• Change the resources gains, the crafting speed, the exploration speed.
• Change how fast camp stations lose condition, and how fast Natural Resources lower and regenerate.
• Remove the chance to have special Traits when using camp stations, or double the chance to get one, and change the value of Depression Crits.
• Make the diseases more or less frequent, and make them harder or easier to heal.
• Change the chances that each character will get Dehydrated each night (I personally advise setting it to 100% chances), and change the way water rationing works (yes, you can revert to the initial values that were a bit harsher than now)
• Adjust the chances of food rotting overnight. You can make everything un-perishable ^^
• For Heodening mode only: Modify the number of days you have to wait between Tributes, and the difficulty of Tributes amount asked.
• Change the animosity gains. You could make an endless game by removing them completely.
• The chances of getting fights. If you dont like our battle system (and it makes us sad), you can remove the battles! (not recommended: battles are an important way to get loot!)
• Give you a boost of chance to succeed skillchecks You know, those nasty 3-in-a-row skillchecks you have to succeed in Rune challenges?
• Some other parameters for Heodening mode: the delay between map resets, and the pace at which the battles will increase in difficulty.
• And finally, one set of options that Im particularly proud of: you can completely modify the probabilities each weather has to appear, depending of the current weather Very cool! You could make an island where it constantly rains, or where there are no storms, etc Youre a real god now!
  

Intelligence Skill rework

Stats screen in character sheet

Release date!

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