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Hello Elders, This patch addresses some issues with UI scaling, especially for the Deck, so that you can now more easily scale above the value 5 without having weird cuts at the sides. This is because the menu UI is now separated from the rest, so that the scaling affects only in-game UI above a certain threshold. The patch also contains various fixes, thank you for your reports! I am currently organizing all my notes to decide what to work on for the next update and collecting all feedback to prepare a new roadmap now that the DLC is out, and completing the porting for Switch and GoG (the porting is complete, but the processes back and forth can be a bit slow), I'll post more info when they are ready! Have fun - Michele V 1.6.5f UX
While working on the next patch, I've been doing some tests as some players reported getting slowdowns after playing for many hours straight, so this patch should solve these issues! Have a great weekend - Michele System
UX
V 1.6.5c Bugfixes
This is to solve an issue with some confusion on how profiles handle highscores, and fix a bug with disabling Folkways V 1.6.5b UX
This patch is to address some events being a bit too strong, especially as there was a bug (albeit rare) that could possibly increase the strength of failed events! While I do the porting, I'm also reorganizing my notes, as I intend to make more changes to the event system down the line. Also, Trustworthy Neighbours now works as intended, i.e. as a way for very low-pipulation villages to be feasible, and not as a "win more" button for larger pipulations. This takes into effect only from games started with 1.6.5! Have fun - Michele V 1.6.5 Balance
Further playtesting made the +100% bonus on endgame points feel a bit too fast (especially for Hard or Harder), so I am reducing it to +50% for now as it feels better, especially as winning the Apocalypse already gives double the points since all events are Doom events. Do keep the feedback coming! The goal is to find that sweet sweet spot (and give me more reason to stare at my little google sheet tables I so adore) V 1.6.4c Balance
v 1.6.4b. - Fixed "Advanced building mode" allowing building outside of the village area (only planning is allowed, caused by a change to rebuild action) - Fixed "Quick Memory" removing the wrong amount of points
No version change, just a small hotfix for some edge cases with the new action!
Hello Elders! With today's update, I am addressing the feedback from players that find the memories too slow to unlock, especially now that Folkways has been added. Now, I forgot how much the game has advanced since release, and especially for new players. When I released dotAGE, to unlock every memory (depending on your preferred difficulty settings) it would take from 50 to 100 hours. That seemed a good idea back then, as it was a new game, and it provided a shared build-up of knowledge to all players as they unlocked more by playing. With the new content added in the last year that added new memories such as Yugong, Santa, or new Boons, and the addition of Folkways, a player starting today would take up to 200 hours to unlock everything, While many players like this (I do), I can see how this can be daunting for many, especially for those that decided to buy the expansion with the base game, maybe because they want to play with Cats right away (not suggested, they are *complex* for newcomers!) For this reason, I made two main changes to the memory system:
Here are some UX improvements to reduce confusion! I'm now looking at doing some balance changes for 1.6.4 for Folkways, especially as Ronomy seems to still need a buff early game! Work on GoG and Switch has started, it will take a while (Switch especially, Nintendo processes can beg quite slow) but they will come! Have fun - Michele V 1.6.3d UX
V 1.6.3c Bugfixes
There, hopefully last patch this week! Woah, it's been a blast. Release week is always exhausting, but I'm also pretty happy about it! Thank you for all the feedback, my gears are already turning to make some improvements to the experience, while I start porting this to other platforms. Oh, I'd also like to see your new villages, so do share your screenshots if you can make a cool Dwarf, Cat, or Woodpip village (and especially a Fishpip one!) Have fun during the weekend! - Michele V 1.6.3b UX
Hello Elders!
I have now added a new set of achievements for Folkways! As you will see, I had a bit of fun in adding some weird new achievements which use the new content! I hope you like them!
This one is my favorite! I love to put literary, theater, and cultural references in games! Can you spot a few more?
Now, I wanted to give a few more answers as I've been receiving some repeated questions:
- I am receiving feedback, especially from new players (welcome!), that they would like to access the DLC content even if they have not played much the main game. This is not something that I had initially imagined, as I made the DLC for fans, as it adds complexity and variation to an already large game, and the memory system in dotAGE is geared towards giving both a sense of long term progression and not overwhelm the player with complexity. However, I understand some players would prefer to reach the content earlier, so I am evaluating what to do about that and weighing my options. So give me your thoughts about this!
- I see some players are having problems with dwarves as they do not know you can untrain Pips! Note that you can untrain Pips by selecting them with SHIFT, or from the Pip Recap, so use that to your advantage!
- I have started the work for getting the DLC on GoG and Switch, it will take a while for both as they have various requirements to fulfill, but it is coming there too
Thank you again for the reports, we found some more (rare, but annoying) bugs with some of the new events, so this version also fixes what was found!
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.6.3
Content
Thank you for the reports! There were some pretty weird interactions with some boons, and the Dwarven special traits. Also, your Orange Cat should stop being transformed into a normal Pip on a reload. ;) - Michele V 1.6.2b Balance
Hello Elders! Thank you again for the warm welcome for Folkways, I am happy that you are surprised at how much I put into it, and I think you'll have a lot more to be surprised for as you keep playing! Have you encountered the new Evil Boons? Or have you tried the Gallows? Have you found a way to handle Zombies? Do share the funny events you find, especially if they concern Fishpips (which are my favourite Pipfolks!) I just pushed a new patch with some balance changes geared towards Trisavolo's early game, especially aiming to reduce randomness of the start. Now, Granite Mines, while still being a fallback building, produce much more (6 over 2 turns, equivalent to 3 per turn, instead of 2 per turn), which brings them to a full 9 every 2 turns or 4.5 per turn if you build them on Stone Strands! To counterbalance this, the number of Stone Strands you can find is reduced, thus pushing for more prospecting. Also, Menirs now grant 6 Stones when dismantled, making Menir-demolishing a viable early turns strategy. Note that these changes have effect on your next run, as otherwise the change would upset existing stone-making (due to the 2-turns change). I am working on the achievements, and with all the fun things that can be done with Folkways I hope you will like how wacky they are! [url=https://store.steampowered.com/category/strategy_cities_settlements]Also remember that dotAGE is part of the Steam's City Builder & Settlement Fest, with dozens of other great games and big discounts! Have fun - Michele V 1.6.2 Balance
V 1.6.1c Bugfixes
V 1.6.1b Bugfixes
Hello Elders! Thank you so much for the warm welcome to Folkways! I've been monitoring the early feedback, and decided to do some tweaks. Since the new elders use a lot of the new mechanics, and can get pretty advanced, I had put them later in the tree due to their prerequisites, but I can see that you are eager to try them! So I have now moved them a bit earlier, especially Dwarf is moved a lot earlier, and Cats are moved a bit earlier. I hope this can help in making them not seem so far away! Also, during playtesting, I forgot that being a literal Catman gave me an advantage when playing as cats, so I gave a buff to the early game for Ronomy, as it felt a bit too hard! Food is still pretty scarce for Cats, but the new buff should give you an edge to get your food chains up! Have fun! - Michele V 1.6.1 Balance
Well then! Thanks to the influx of players, some more edge cases were found, and so I was able to create a new batch of small fixes! I am also monitoring the early feedback on the new elders, so thank you for sharing your thoughts! I hope you like the design of the folks and new elders, and I look forward to do some balance tweaks as more feedback comes! Have a good night! - Michele v 1.6.0i Bugfixes
This was affecting some players it seems, so update as needed! v 1.6.0h Bugfixes
I sure needed some sleep! Here are some more fixes, thanks for the reports! Michele v 1.6.0g Bugfixes
Phew, what a day! I'm going to crash to bed now, before my body crumbles from all the fixes! Thank you very much to everybody who bought the game, I'm very happy you like Folkways! I'll be up tomorrow morning for more fixes if something arises! - Michele v 1.6.0f Bugfixes
I got a couple of Dwarven fixes, rough start for the poor bearded guys, but at least they can be strong and not cry when things get dire! v 1.6.0e Bugfixes
Thanks for the kind words for the DLC release, and thanks for the reports! Release day is always a bit rough! Hopefully there is no other early issue (the plant one was a bit mysterious, but it just went unnoticed during testing as I focused on meat due to... well, CATS of course!) If you encounter a bug, do report it, I try to fix it immediately (unless I'm sleeping, which will be in about 6 hours). I'll be around for the weekend due to the DLC release to fix issues if they arise! Have fun - Michele v 1.6.0d Bugfixes
Hello Elders! If you had told me a year and a half ago, before I released dotAGE, that I'd be able to work on an expansion next, I would not have believed you! I must thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to focus more on the game, as I have so many ideas I've been caressing during the troubled development and today you can finally play some of the wackier ones! There is a lot to talk about, so bear with me as we walk thru what is being added, and I'm happy to reveal all the details now!
Hello Elders! I come here today after a lot of work to share very exciting news! Folkways, the first expansion for dotAGE, is ready and will be out in just two weeks on Steam! I'm very happy to finally show you what I've been working on during the last months! My goal for this was to make a good old expansion, adding a lot of new content and expanding the game mechanically to provide higher complexity and many more hours of content by exploring a new angle. Let's take a look!
Just hotfixed a bug with fast mode turns to build a pavement automatically being off due to the fix on slow mode in 1.5.0d. The number of turns now should be correct!
Happy new years everybody! I'm back to work, and while working on the upcoming DLC (no ETA yet, I'm experimenting with a lot of stuff, and a lot of cats!), here are some fixes for some more edge cases that were reported. Thank you, and have fun! - Michele V 1.5.0 d Bugfixes
A couple of fixes from reports, happy holidays! V 1.5.0 c Bugfixes
Fixes for controller due to patch 1.5.0 breaking research UI handling! V 1.5.0 b Bugfixes
Hello Elders! I am very happy to present to you the latest update to dotAGE: The Beaver!
Hello Elders!
I am very happy to reveal a really cool collaboration I've been working on in the last month! So, several players suggested I check out Against the Storm as another great roguelite city builder, and oh how right you were, it is a *great* game! I contacted the developers and we decided to do a little thing together!
Coming next week, you will find a familiar face getting angry at you in Eremite Games' cool strategy game!
I must admit I've never seen a more beautiful Matus in my life!
And, viceversa, you will be able to welcome a new VIP in your villages, enter the Beaver VIP!
As you will see next week, the Beaver mechanics also hint at what I'm working on for the DLC, but we'll talk about that later! ;)
Here is their news!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1336490/view/543343729673503444
If you have not played it yet, make sure to check Against the Storm out!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/Against_the_Storm
I'll share more details next week, as the update will also bring some new often requested features to dotAGE!
Until then, have fun!
- Michele
Various fixes while I work on the next cool stuff! Thanks for the reports! UX
Hello Elders!
I'm happy to announce that dotAGE is part of this week's Turn Based Carnival 2024 festival, and with a discount of 25% to boot! If you have been waiting for a chance to get the game, or to tell friends how cool it is, now it's the time! The game will be also on discount during the coming Steam sales, so it's going to be a very merry period!
Now, where were we? I'd like to update you on what I'm doing these days! Let's see what is going on in the world of dotAGE!
Work on the DLC has started!
If you have been reading my updates, you might know that I've been quite busy lately as I am working on an expansion for dotAGE! I decided to work on that as I have so many ideas saved up and having an expansion is a good opportunity to add all that without overcomplicating the base game, and for me to finally add all the stuff I've been itching to add while taking the time to do it correctly!
I am working on adding... new mechanics, new memories, new buildings, new terrains, new resources, new actions, new boons, new events, new ailments, new VIPs, new creatures, and of course new elders! The goal is to increase even more the variation you find in your games, but to counterbalance that I am also prototyping a new mechanic (which will come to the base game) that lets you reroll some buildings. This should give players that do not wish to embrace dotAGE's randomness some more choice (at a cost!). I also plan to make some of the new buildings available for the base game if they make more sense there (for example, I know many people have requested alternate Altars, so I am prototyping that too!)
I am currently doing various prototypes and estimating the amount of work and, given my solo-dev efforts and the amount of content, it will take some time for me to wrap up the development, so I'll keep you updated as more things are defined, and also give you some teasers once I have stuff set in stone!
Balance & Design tools
With the game exploding in complexity, I've been very busy lately re-organizing all my notes and improving my tools for design and balance. Things like tools that allow me to analyze the research tree and produce the efficiency of each resource given the current buildings, or compare multiple buildings with all their costs (hidden or otherwise), or measure the chance for a specific resource to appear throughout a run, or measure what changes in the whole game if I add a new resource. It's not flashy stuff, but it can be quite fun to make and is giving me a lot of insights (such as realizing in a sleep-deprived flash of insight that the game has a lot of ties to quantum physics...), and it will be very useful in managing the added complexity! I am taking the chance to also cleanup the code and the design of various parts that concern gameplay, so you can expect some more changes and balance coming to the base game alongside the DLC. The only issue is that I need to contain myself from rewriting everything!
Switch release is going great!
Last update I announced that the game was out on the Switch, and I'm very happy with the reception! Thank you for the feedback! I've been working a bit more on touch controls (as you might have seen in the latest patch), and those improvements are now on the Switch version too.
Now, back to work, I need to complete my inference tool to analyze the chance for a resource to be produced in the whole game based on rolled buildings. Fun.
So, in the meantime, you too have fun!
- Michele
Balance
Hello Elders!
I am happy to announce that dotAGE is out today on Nintendo Switch, so that it will be even harder to stop playing! The game is available at 15.00 at your local time, so check out in a few hours if you do not see it available yet!
Seeing the game appear on a Nintendo console is a dream come true, I think the game really fits the Switch (well, maybe it's a bit bloody at times)! Somebody please invent a time machine so I can tell little me!!!
You can find it here: Nintendo Switch eShop Store
Have fun!
- Michele
Balance
Various fixes, thanks for the reports! Bugfixing
QoL
V 1.4.0 c QoL
Please note: this update had a small bug on the hosptial fix that broke fishermen, should be fine now, I hotfixed it! In case you are here for that, please update the game and it should be fine QoL
Hello Elders!
Time indeed does really fly when you are having fun (or you are too old)! DotAGE celebrates its first birthday on the 4th of October, one year from the Steam release! Happy birthday dotAGE!
To celebrate this important milestone (and the fact that my leg is finally working fine), and to thank you for your support for this year, a new update is now live!
I'm pushing this a couple of days earlier as it has a (very small) in-game celebration, which you can see if you play on the 4th of October!
Now, let's take a look at what this update has to offer!
Hello Elders! I am back to work! We went a bit to the beach, and I even managed to swim a bit in the sea... ah how I missed that! I hope everything is going great for you all! My leg is still a bit iffy, but I am almost at the end of the rehabilitation and apart from having a bit of a Crippled ailment, it works fine, and will get healed soon! Anyways, I am here with some news, and a new Experimental build starting today!
Took a short pause from not working to do some QoL changes, as my hands need to do some coding or they become restless. Back to not working! Have fun - Michele V 1.3.3 QoL
Balance
Bugfixes
Hello Elders! It was just reported to me that some players had their Hard and Harder difficulties not registering correct threat levels, and instead using Normal threat levels. This made the game quite easier, was not intended, and I fixed it. Hard must have 150% threat generation, and Harder 200%. The change will affect your *next* game. If you start Hard/Harder mode without noticing that the threat was not increasing correctly, well, you were playing at an easier level than intended (but still harder than Normal due to the other modifiers), so you'll be facing the real challenge now! If you find this too much for your current run, you can (temporarely) use the combo LEFT SHIFT + D + N to cycle difficulty during play. V 1.3.2 Balance Fix for Hard/Harder
The rare plant bug was an ugly one, but I finally managed to get it! Now, hopefully there is nothing big around! Have fun - Michele Balance
Huhu, of course when I say "here's the final update this month" we finally find some pesky bugs! Thanks for the reports, the Plant one I've been trying to find for a good while! Have fun - Michele V 1.3.1 b Bugfixes
Hello Elders! I did some more balance tweaks on some of the most "feelbad" events, and some more fixes. As I said, I'll be doing rehab for my leg in August (having the baby at home so it won't be as easy to work eheh!), then I'll resume work, in the meantime I should be around for some extreme programming if some ugly bugs show up! Have fun and see you in September! - Michele V 1.3.1 UX
Bugfixes
Balance
UX
Small changes! If you got your difficulty switched during play by pressing "O" (I left a debug key in, sorry), you can restore it by holding LEFT SHIFT + D and then pressing N to cycle difficulty while in the game, and check in the pause menu that it is correct. Balance: Delirium Mode
Hello Elders!
It turns out that I am becoming an elder myself, as I... err... broke my femur at a bachelor's party by playing bubble soccer (That soccer version where everybody is in giant balls!). Here is a faithful reproduction of the dynamics:
Fortunately, the surgery was swift and clean, and I am doing my rehab.
In addition, only a leg was broken, which meant I could move my rig to the hospital to complete the update while doing rehab!
So, without further ado, here are all the changes that got into the main version today:
So, ahem... I am at the hospital, with a broken leg, and since I am not able to rest I connected my laptop to my big PC at home while I do rehab. I am too old for bubble soccer it seems. Am I becoming an elder? Oh well! Here are a couple of fixes while I wait for rehab! Experimental is shaping up good, so the fast mode is coming pretty soon (I'm not going to make a broken leg delay my plans!) - Michele V 1.2.4 f Balance
A couple of extreme fixes, damn all edge cases! Bugfixes
Some fixes for extreme cases! UX
Hello Elders! I hope the Heat generation in real life these days is not giving you too many issues! Make sure to drink a lot of water! I am happy to be here with the experimental version of the Delirium Update, which you can now find in the Experimental branch! Let' see what it brings to the tabletop! (...sorry)
I noticed that some animations were not played when Pips had ailments due to some later optimizations, your Pips should be quite more lively now (even the sick ones) UX
A couple of small fixes post 1.2.4! Bugfixes
Hello Elders! While I work on the secret mode, I have been doing some UI changes, so I took the chance to upload a new patch with even more QoL! This patch revises the search function, allowing search to be performed on all items in the Agepedia, and also enabling search for the Village Recap and the Hints screens. I also improved the Pip reassignment functions which are thus a bit smarter. For example, Hunters will automatically switch to another building if possible, and you can use force-assign to get Distressed Pips even if they are already assigned to buildings. I also updated some hints and tips, and the game's FAQ, so you can find more information here on advanced actions if you missed them: https://steamcommunity.com/app/638510/discussions/0/3816292540679146813/ I'll appear soon with more news on the "???" mode, as it will appear soon on experimental branch! In the meantime, have fun! - Michele Here is the complete changelog: V 1.2.4 UX
Some changes to hints, as well as some minor fixes. Enjoy! - Michele UX
Since the last update created some confusion, I moved the new cool zoom to a setting to no mess with players now used to the old one! I also added a sensitivity slider for the new zoom. Enjoy! - Michele V 1.2.3 c UX
Hello Elders! I hope you are having fun with the new Elder! I am here today with a new update for the game, and some news on its future!
UX
Bugfixes
Some more fixes for very edge cases, thank you for the reports and enjoy the weekend! V 1.2.2 c Bugfixes
A couple of balance changes, Rice should be more approachable now! Balance
Some minor fixes for players that reported some rare issues! V 1.2.1 b Balance
Following initial feedback on 1.2.0 with the addition of Yugong (thank you!!!), this small patch has some minor balance changes, as well as some minor fixes and UX improvements I wanted to add to 1.2 but could not get inside in time! V 1.2.1 Balance
Some fixes for pretty rare cases! Enjoy your weekend! V 1.2.0 E Bugfixes
A few fixes post update, thanks for the reports! V 1.2.0 C Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
I got a surprise for you all! Do you remember the Roadmap Prophecy? It turned out to be reality! To celebrate the addition of the Chinese language to the game thanks to HQ, a new elder is coming to the world of dotAGE: the Foolish Old Man that Moves the Mountains - Yugong!
I ported some bugfixes from experimental to the main branch Bugfixes
Bugfixes
Hello Elders! I just uploaded the new patch 1.2 to the Experimental branch after a lot of work. The focus of this patch is on balance, with many changes to event selection. Here are some highlights:
Some more fixes ported to the main branch while I work on events! Bugfixes
Work on the balance patch is going forward, I'm doing a lot of tests and iterations and am pretty satisfied with some changes! In the meantime, here are some fixes I moved to the main branch. Have fun! - Michele Bugfixes
While I collect data for balance and iterate on events (thank you for that!), here are some more smaller fixes! Bugfixes
Hello Elders! I am now working on some balance tweaks, and to do so I am collecting more feedback on one hand, and some more gameplay data on the other. This very small patch just adds some more data that is collected from events if you opted in (the game asks you to do so on your second play). This can be useful for me to gain more information on events and player playstyles, and update my balance formulas accordingly. In the meantime, have fun! - Michele V 1.1.10j System
Bugfixes
This version fixes a few pesky issues with last week's big patch! UX
Bugfixes
UX
V 1.1.10e Bugfixes
Bugfixes
V 1.1.10c Balance
V 1.1.10b
Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
Winter is coming to an end, and as the (barely visible) snow melts I have completed work on a big quality of life patch, containing many of the requests I have received in these first months post release!
The changelog is quite big, so here are some highlights about this patch.
Upgrades to Buildings Actions
First of all, I made sure to address some annoying situations that would come up regarding special actions, making the game more streamlined. So, you can now directly rebuild buildings, train Pips inside Tasks, pause and/or rollback Upgrade and Task actions, and rollback Training actions. Also, Chefs will now work inside Large Kitchens even if hungry, and Pips will prioritize higher-yield plants when they complete harvests,
Pips will also be a lot smarter with automatic reassignment of professionals and when using forced assignment (CTRL key by default), with the feature now working with all special actions too (that was quite a lot of work, but it was worth it!)
Finally, Fisherpips will be able to swim up to two tiles, as too many people were reporting it as a bug! :)
Various UI updates
You know now very well that working on UI is my secret passion, so I did several addition to the game! I did several changes to the UI, adding a Pippins counter in the main UI, adding current actions and working buildings to Pip details, adding a radial menu to Pips,
The Shaman now handles on the UI all the bonuses and maluses, as well as showing a triggered bonus / malus when needed. This will make her a bit easier to handle!
There is a new panel that lists all buildings (altough I'll probably do some more edits to that), and you can now SHIFT + click on any building in the building menu to find it in the world. Also, a feedback is now shown if a building is going to become abandoned next turn due to a dismante.
A new "Global Actions" panel in the lower-right part of the screen adds a couple of actions that can be performed: unassign all Pips from their current work, and make a baby in a random free dwelling. I want to add more to that, so expect more buttons to come!
Pip Picking feature
For players that want to have complete control, I added a Pip Picking feature. By holding the Picking key (default: left ALT) you are asked to select a Pip when performing any action!
Use this to make sure you pick the correct Pip to cure, for example!
This new mode also comes with some updates to the cursor, which will now show whether you are in "Picking" mode (ALT), "Force" mode (CTRL), or Pip-selection mode (SHIFT).
More settings!
You will find that the settings menu has been completely revised to have more space, and I added many more settings based on player requests!
This patch fixes a few issues with controllers getting stuck when performing specific strings of actions. Remember to peek into experimental to see all the QoL changes that are coming! V 1.1.009d UX
Among bugfixes, I did some small balance changes for a couple annoying event-related situations to anticipate the event balance patch. Remember that Experimental branch has more improvements and is updated regularly, if you want to try that! Have fun! - Michele Balance
Bugfixes
Hello Elders! Following the many requests, I decided to leave Santa in the game for you to play whenever you want! It's August and you fancy some Christmas? Be my guest! Santa is now part of the game's unlocks and can be unlocked like any other Elder, but he will be already unlocked if you had him before. I am now hard at work at a new QoL patch that will add many of the requested features of the last months, you can find more information on this thread, so peek into the experimental branch if you want to try the new changes! Some of you may have noticed that one of the QoL features also slipped into the main branch (wops!), so if you now hover on Signposts or Dwellings you will be able to see the tiles that are added and those that are removed. This should make your planning a bit easier! https://steamcommunity.com/app/638510/discussions/0/4140563711254695210/ Have fun! - Michele V 1.1.009 Content
Bugfixes
(EDIT: A WIP UX feature got into the main branch, Signposts will show the area that is being removed while building, this is subject to change!) UX
Hello Elders,
As the prophecy has foretold, Matus the elder is coming soon to all homes to make sure everybody works hard! I am very happy with how the elder turned out, maintaining his pixelart style even in plushie form!
As a bonus, you will finally be able to see what the elder is doing with his other hand...
This is a Limited edition plush, available for pre-order thanks to the good people at Makeship! It will become a reality if we reach at least 200 plushies ordered! Note that shipping is added at checkout,
Go grab yours on the campaign page here!
Have fun!
- Michele
Hello Elders!
I hope you had a great start of the year! After being hit by a chain of illness events one after the other since Christmas (seems like my life has been very dotAGE-style lately!), I am now back to work on the game! Hurrah for spending all holidays sick! At least that gave me enough time to heal my broken rib, and I still pushed several bugfixes. ;)
Enough talking of my old fragile body! Let us start this new year in the world of dotAGE! In my feverish dreams, I saw a new roadmap prophecy that details the next months...
Woah! Let's see what is coming:
QoL Update
This update will contain a set of often requested features and QoL changes. Here is what you can expect:
(I added a temporary cheat for this version that will let you reset Temperature danger, hold LEFT SHIFT and press T to reset it to zero if you got this bug!) Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
Happy new year! I am happy to announce that dotAGE has passed verification by Valve and now has the Steam Deck Verified badge!
Controller support through Steam Input is complete and working correctly (even to the point of allowing you to rename Pips using the on-screen keyboard), and the latest optimizations helped a lot in bringing good performance to larger villages on the deck (and lower end hardware, by the way).
If you had not been enjoying the game on the deck yet, you have no more excuses if you own one! I heard the new OLED one is quite a cool toy...
Have fun!
- Michele
Bugfixes
Bugfixes
(could not do a Xmas party knowing there were soft locks, no more gamedev for real now!) Bugfixes
Bugfixes
V 1.1.007c V 1.1.007c Bugfixes
V 1.1.007b Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
I hope you are having fun with the new Santa elder and that you are giving him all the gifts he requests! He can be a bit severe, but that's just because he's quite stressed with work!
As we prepare for the incoming Holidays and a well-earned rest after a hard year, I pushed a new update, which will be the last for this year. What does this add apart from bugfixes (and a liiiittle help with Santa)?
Optimization
In the last weeks I've been working on optimizing graphics performance for the game, taking the Steam Deck as reference. I had a big breakthrough last week and was able to increase the performance for larger villages through an optimized shader for all in-game elements, especially when zoomed out, so let me know if you find it going better for your setup!
And if you feel it is still a bit sluggish, send me your save files so I can check what may be causing the issue!
Reroll Function
As requested by many players, this update adds a Reroll Button to the pause menu. By using this function, you can restart the current run with the same elder without having to spend more time just to get back to the title screen. This will not give you any points for the current story, however, so be wary.
My suggestion would be not to overdo it, as the game shines when you have to make do with what you are given, and not when you keep re-rolling until you get the best starting conditions, but if you do prefer to play that way, be my guest!
Matus is coming!
I also have another announcement to make! I have been working with Makeship to create a Matus plush (as the Golden Prophecy predicted, do you remember?)! I have a prototype in my hands but I cannot show you it. What I can show you however is this teaser!
You can sign up here to be notified when the crowdsourcing for the Plush goes live, and if enough people order it, we'll all be having our own Matus plush yelling at all from our shelves.
https://www.makeship.com/products/matus
That is all! So, have a great holiday season and see you in 2024 where we'll have some more fun with dotAGE! I have a lot of ideas for what to add to the game, and I cannot wait to start working on them! In the meantime, have fun!
- Michele
V 1.1.007
UX
V 1.1.006c Balance
V 1.1.006b UX
Hello Elders!
I just uploaded a new version with a surprise for you all, as my thank you for your support for dotAGE!
This new version introduces a completely new elder, Santa, available only for this Holiday season!
Santa's story is one of exploitation of its poor elf Pips, to support an ever increasing need for Gifts throughout the world of dotAGE! Help him reach the quota of Gifts needed to be ready for Christmas
This story has a few quirks to it to spice things up:
- New resource: Gift!
- Four new buildings!
- A new map with evergreen trees and snow all around!
- A new job: Santa's Helper!
- A special doom event with a twist!
- A new flow specific to Santa, with a shorter run and custom seasons!
Beware, this story can be harder than the other elders with all that snow around! Will you be able to save Christmas?
Merry (early) Christmas everyone and see you in 2024, where new and exciting updates are coming!
Have fun!
- Michele
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V 1.1.006
New Elder: Santa!
A new version is now up on experimental with some bugfixes, and small changes. V 1.1.006 EXPERIMENTAL Gameplay
V 1.1.005 d Bugfixes
V 1.1.005 c Bugfixes
V 1.1.005 b Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
The day has come! All the changes in experimental are now moved to the main branch. Thank you again for the testing and feedback!
This version brings huge changes, but keep in mind that most of these will affect only your *next* run. Create a new game to try the new buildings, and all balance changes!
So, to recap, what are the major changes in this version? it seems the prophecy was right!
Controller Support
This has been quite a lot of work in the last month, but I finally was able to add Controller Support for the whole game. This works using Steam Input, so it also natively works for the Steam Deck. I intend to still do some tweaks on it, but it should be robust enough to play at the moment! Once everything is fine, I also intend to get the game as Steam Verified!
Buildings Rebalance 1.1
A lot of the buildings have received a rebalance and or tweaks, following player feedback as well as analyzing existing games. The changes reflected in the patch aim to create a better experience, but they are many, so if you feel that something is *too* off come say "hey!"
Endgame Rebalance 1.1
The endgame is now a bit shorter (30 turns less in total), and slightly harder, post the first winter, as to provide a better endgame experience for most players. Also, there are a couple of new mechanics that change the endgame: the Mini-Apocalypses are omen-like events that happen during the Apocalypse to spice things up a bit, and the Doomsday Tower is a special building that can be built to call forth the Apocalypse if you are so inclined!
Difficulty Scaling Redesigned
Difficulty scaling has been completely redesigned to better match the needs of players that want to play at Challenge mode. Now the game becomes harder at higher threat levels, the higher the difficulty, thus better following the skill of you players!
New Highscore Tables
From this patch (and each new minor version), the score will be reset so to make the highscore tables more useful. Also, score is now separated per elder!
--------------------
V 1.1.0
New Feature: Controller Support
Yes, Elders, I know... 3 patches in a day, what the? I wanted to get some final changes in following feedback on the new adjacencies before the patch goes into the main branch. ;) Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.1.005 EXPERIMENTAL Balance
V 1.0.1.004 EXPERIMENTAL d Gameplay
Hello Elders! A new experimental versions with some bugfixes and a lot more work on the controller support (phew, that requires *a lot* of work!) The game now is completely playable with a controller, so I am going to fix some smaller issues and do some small balance tweaks on the new mechanics and I can push everything that is in experimental to the main branch this week! Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.1.004 EXPERIMENTAL c UX
Hello Elders! I just pushed a new update on experimental that, among fixes, also adds a new scoring system. The new system assigns zero points to Buildings and Pips, and instead focuses more on prevented events and saved turns. A word of caution: the highscore table will be reset when we get out of experimental Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.1.004 EXPERIMENTAL b Gameplay
V 1.0.1.004 EXPERIMENTAL Balance: Buildings
Hello Elders! Hope everything is going great for you all! I pushed new bugfixes on the main branch. Work on balance patch 1.0.1 continues (thank you for your continuous feedback, the new flow seems to be well liked!), and as I iron out the details the balance patch will be moved to the main branch for everybody to enjoy. Keep sending me your thoughts about it! Thanks to your feedback, controllers are working fine now on the experimental branch and I plan to add the controller support to the main branch alongside the balance changes! Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.0.027b Bugfixes
V 1.0.1.003 EXPERIMENTAL d UX
Hello Elders!
I just completed work on a new big change, which will be first tested on the experimental branch.
Patch 1.0.1.003b on experimental is now up and brings several changes that mostly affects the second year of the game, and harder difficulties. Remember: these changes are all up for testing, so nothing is set in stone, I am looking for more player feedback.
Here are some highlights:
Mini-Apocalypse events
This mechanic adds four lower level simil-Omens to the Apocalypse. This will spice up the Apocalypse a bit, making it less of a simple set of checks, and more similar to
Second Year balancing
The second year of the game (past first winter) is now a bit faster, harsher, and filled with events. This should make the pacing of the game keep up with the players advancement, and also make runs a bit shorter (from 310 to 280 turns total). Please do send me feedback about how it feels!
Hemp Rebalanced
Hemp has been given a complete rebalance, making it more on par with wood-based buildings
Difficulty Revision
This affects only games in Hard or higher difficulty. Difficulty now scales more with each Threat Tier and each Research Tier, basically pushing the difficulty up at laster stages of the game to counteract the exponential growth of strategic players.
Remember, these are not in the main game yet, as the changes are delicate and I am looking for feedback, but if you want to experience them right away, be my guest!
Oh, yes, I also added a new hat for carpenters.
Have fun!
- Michele
V 1.0.1.003 b
Balance: Flow
I just completed a redesign of higher difficulties, which should now move some difficulty from early to mid-end game, affecting Experimental. Hemp also received a big rebalance. Let me know what you think! - Michele V 1.0.1.003 EXPERIMENTAL Balance: Buildings
Hello Elders!
This first month has been truly exciting for me, I'd say even exhilarating, I spent two weeks filled with adrenaline (and a few more filled with post-stress illness!) and I could not have dreamt for it to be better. Thank you once again for the incredible launch! I am still sorting out all existing work contracts, but as you see from my updates I am also taking time to work more on the game with fixes, QoL changes, balance, and more content coming in the future! I'm happy to be able to work more on this dream project of mine (yes, I know, I need to take some time off but it's very hard to do).
Seeing the success of dotAGE, I am also trying my luck at the Steam nominations, and I need your help with that! dotAGE is a weird game, as it could fit into multiple categories... For some, it is already a "Sit back and Relax" type of game, for others it is a "Best game on Steam Deck" (even if not verified yet!), and for some of you may very well be the "GOTY" (it surely is for me!). However, I think we can definitely agree that given the nature of the game it could get nominated for the "Best game you suck at" award, and it sounded like the most fun of all of them! Since I can only choose one and Baldur's Gate will win GOTY, well, here I am asking you to nominate it for Best game you suck at!
Work on the balance patch and the controller support is going forward nicely. If you are curious, remember you can peek at the Experimental branch if you want to try them out, I do multiple weekly updates there, and I'll be putting everything on the main branch when I am happy with the results!
I prepared a new visualization to show you what I am working on at the moment:
So what am I working on?
Doomsday Mechanic & Balance Patch 1.01
Both of those will come at the same time, and it will take a while to complete the balance patch as there are many changes that are to be tested throughoutly, and also more that I am adding weekly to the experimental patch, to make the game better. Expect hemp to get several changes, as well as the second stage of the game and harder difficulties.
Controller Support
I uploaded a first version of controller support on the experimental branch that uses Steam Input, and I am actively working on it daily to make it better, and to fix the various bugs that arise from it. Once it is ready, I will push it to the main branch and then contact steam to get the cool Steam Deck Verified badge! Let me know what you think of the control scheme!
Bugfixing
The line you see on the right is constant bugfixing. Even if the major bugs have been solved, this will continue as long as there are bugs!
What next?
I do not have an ETA for all of these as I need to make sure they are working correctly and that I leave no bugs behind, but I'm working on them daily! After that, I want to focus on more QoL changes, also taking into account the many suggestions I received in the past month. Keep them coming!
Patch 1.0.0.027
In the meantime, I just pushed a patch with a couple of UX changes and some bugfixes on the main branch for you to enjoy!
V 1.0.0.027
UX
More fixes for the experimental branch. These will be soon on the main branch. V 1.0.1.002c EXPERIMENTAL Balance: Buildings
Fixes for the experimental branch. Please note that you will find the current balance data number at the feet of the elder in your Current Game screen. Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.1.002b EXPERIMENTAL Bugfixes
I just now realized that I can also put patch notes for the experimental version here, wops! I will then write here what changes are in experimental from version 1.0.1.001 EXP to 1.0.1.002 EXP (i.e. what I worked on the last two weeks) Please remember that what you can see and play in experimental may *not* appear in the main branch, as some of the balance changes are being tested and may not pass playtest, and will be reverted. Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.1.002 EXPERIMENTAL Balance: Buildings
V 1.0.0.026c Bugfixes
Hello Elders!
Patch 1.0.0.026 is now up! This patch brings mostly bugfixes, as I am working on the side on an important feature you can see a prototype of here...
Yes! You guessed right! Controller support is underway! I am testing it now, so it is a bit buggy still, but I'm already happy with how it feels!
Also, in the meantime, I am working on the balance patch, which will bring many changes to existing buildings following feedback from players. Remember to check out experimental branch if you want to give your opinion on the upcoming balance changes!
Have fun!
- Michele
V 1.0.0.026
Balance: Events
Hello Elders! I just uploaded a new patch with a good amount of fixes, but also a couple of balance and UX changes! Visible range now extends into impassable tiles This will make it easier to see whether you can build on a mountain, forest, or water tile. It looks a bit odd on water tiles, but is now more coherent and avoids some edge cases. Added a colored border around resources to show whether the net is positive or negative at a glance Many players have expressed the need for a way to see at a glance if the production is positive or not, and this should help them not have to do a little math for that. I am looking for ideas to make it work also for colorblind people, but let's see what you think! Field Adjacency now works also when Fields are depleted This is an important change that will make your depleted crops count for bonuses (such as for Windmills). So do not worry about depleting that last point! This should make the usage of fields a bit nicer. I am now working on the experimental branch with heroic players that are testing larger balance changes, and more are coming! In the meantime, Have fun - Michele V 1.0.0.025 UX
Hello Elders!
I hope you had a great weekend!
A couple of days ago, I was notified that a player has managed to beat the "No Food" challenge! Wow!
This means that we can see what else the Golden Prophecy has in store for us! Let's just hope that there is no Apocalypse at the end! ;)
The hardest part will be to get Lucas Pope to play, but if it is written in the prophecy, it means it can be done! :D
In the meantime, I pushed a new patch last Friday with more bugfixes and minor QoL, you can find the changelog below. The ugliest bugs are now fixed, and I am at work on fixing all the rest, and started working on an overall balance patch, so hold on a bit more with those hemps, as they will get some care next!
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.0.0.024
Balance
Hello Elders!
I just pushed a new patch that, among various bugfixes and several QoL changes (go eat those pigs!), also adds the new Overpipulation mechanic to the game. As explained beforehand, this mechanic will make large amount of Pips less optimal to have, as it will start generating more Danger the more Pips you have!
Do not worry, as large villages are still possible, but this balances out having too many Pips being an easy choice, pushing you to try to find other solutions. Remember that advanced buildings and Bourgeoise are more Pip-efficient!
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.0.0.023
Features
Hello Elders!
The latest bugfixes are now on the main branch after having been tested on the experimental branch, please let me know if you find any new issue! You will also find a changelog in the main menu now, so you can check from inside the game what the news are.
I also added a new column to the food interface, allowing you to independently select whether animals or Pips should not consume a specific food.
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.0.0.022
UX
Hello Elders!
I am not sure what happened last night, but some Pips started behaving weirdly! Did any of you feed them something you shouldn't have? Oh well! While we wait for them to drop the funny hats, make sure to show your creepiest scenes to the community!
In the meantime, I have fixed a set of pesky bugs (and I am still fixing them, keep them coming!), I want to thank everybody who has reported one, as you have been very helpful in finding the root cause!
I am now testing a lot of fixes in the new Experimental branch, and if everything is fine I will upload it on the main branch tomorrow. Check the changelog below to see what is fixed there!
Also, if you want to try the experimental branch, there is a new memory and building waiting for you... it will come to the main game once we have tested it a bit, but if you try it, do tell me what you think of it!
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.0.1.0 EXPERIMENTAL
Features
EDIT: Heads up, this had a small weird bug with Pip placements that we missed in the experimental branch, I fixed it, but I rolled the version back for now!
Hello Elder!
Just a small update to signal that 0.0021 is now on the main branch, so enjoy your better starts, and the cool new colors for Highly Fertile terrains! (Just as a heads up, it will say "experimental" in the title screen, but that is untrue, ignore that for now)
Hope this solves the peskier bugs, but do let me know if it does not!
Also, do not worry if you see a new locked tech below Theater... I am working on finding out what that is!
Have fun
- Michele
V 1.0.0.0021
Balance
Hello Elder! Hope you are having fun with the game! This has been a very busy week for me, with all that is happening inside and outside the game. While I sort everything out, I am happy to be able to dedicate some time to the game!
Hello Elders!
I wanted to thank you all we just reached the Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, which is *unreal*!
Thank you so much for your trust and enthusiasm, when I made this game I did not expect it to sell, and never in my wildest dreams I would have thought it could reach such heights!
Nine years of work, iterating, polishing, scrapping, redoing, obsessing on the design and art, and doing a lot of detective work to catch bugs...
I wanted to make a good game, and I am laterally overwhelmed at the reception. You made this great achievement possible and I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
Let's go!
Hello Elders!
While we discuss suggestions in the forum and the Discord, I am prioritizing and working on the bugs that appear. Keep them coming! The experimental branch is turning out to be pretty useful for this, so I'll keep working on it and, when I deem it stable enough, the build is moved to the main branch. Which is happening now, by the way.
This should avoid big bugs introduced with updates (as a solo dev, it's pretty hard to keep everything in check), as long as some people remain on the experimental branch. Be a brave player and stay there to have faster iterations and help me avoid issues!
This update has several nice fixes for some edge cases that could soft lock the game. Let me know if you still experience one.
I also made some small changes that were fast for me to do and slightly improve the game.
I am now working on a mechanic that can shorten too long runs if you snowball, and also working on the slowdowns at high population counts. Also, I did not expect people to make upwards to 1200 Pips in a single game (yes, somebody did that, no, I don't suggest to do that), so you can expect that I'll change something about that.
Also, the Golden Prophecy has appeared, which lists what will happen in the real world around us as dotAGE becomes more and more successful. Do help in making that a reality, if you will! I challenge you to win with *no food*, i.e. you cannot have *any Pip or animail* eat any food. Can you do that? :)
V 1.0.0.0020
UX
Hello Elders!
While you enjoy the game, I am hard at work with the bugfixing, but I am also reading all the suggestions you are bringing forth in the Discussion forum, and in the Discord server!
By the way, while working today, I had a weird vision... let me show you what I saw:
The dates are unclear, and who knows if this is what will actually happen? I do know that I got a Steam Deck in my hands however, so hopefully the prophecy continues as foretold!
In the meantime, if you get stuck remember to enter the Experimental branch where you will find some bugfixes and small changes, and we will also use that branch to test new mechanics and/or changes.
Have fun!
- Michele
Hello Elders! I know, it is Saturday, I should not be doing this. I need to get into the habit to regain my weekends. Just one more Saturday, then I'll stop. ;P I wanted to let you know that we have an experimental branch now, where I will push the fixes before moving them to the main branch. This means that updates will be slower, but more stable, avoiding issues such as the one of yesterday with changing difficulty levels. I will need a few brave players to stay on experimental for this to work, however. You will get faster updates and fixes, and in exchange you can tell me if something goes horribly wrong. You can access the branch from the properties of the game, it has no password and it is called 'experimental'. I am also conducting a test for Mac users that have the checkerboard pattern issue, so please let me know if the 'mac-test' branch can solve your issue. And with this I wish you a great weekend, to next week! Have fun - Michele
I apologize about the last patch moving every Harder game to the Hard difficulty, that was an error on my part and I should have been more careful. Hope that did not ruin your plans! I am making sure that the Hard difficulty too can unlock Challenge mode, as that seems fair to me. I also fixed a couple bugs with scoring. As you learn the game, I too am learning a lot of stuff these days. It has been a very, very exciting and emotional week for me, and I tend to be a bit... quick and careless sometimes. I am amazed by your reception and I want to make the game better, and this makes me think fast eheh. I think I will need to setup an experimental branch to avoid such errors in the future, or if you have other ideas I am all ears! Cat needs to sleep! - Michele Balance
Hello Elders! I am hard at work with fixing the bugs you are sending, thank you! I hope you liked the speed-up option, even if I know that some of you would want to speed it up even more, but I need to focus on other issues as well, so please be patient (even tho I know that people that want to speed up things are not the patient type, my time is pretty limited ;) ) So! After having analyzed the reports, I am here with a small patch that adds a new difficulty that has a 150% multiplier, this should be the difficulty that experienced strategy gamers should choose as their first one, so do not get bored playing normal if you are an optimized (remember that the game's default difficulty needs to be challenging for *all* people, not just for you!) Also, it was pointed to me that a couple of buildings felt very bad and indeed the Field Collector was really too weak, so I made it a bit stronger, and even stronger than Forager for Hemp collection, so this should open more strategies! Also, I removed carrots from the initial map generation, as you all hate carrots. They may return after some balancing! I will be finally getting some rest this weekend. :) Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.0.0019 Gameplay
Hello Elder! I am hard at work on the few big bugs that are still in the game, I want to thank you for the reports, they are making my job a lot easier. If you do find bugs, *especially* if you find breaking bugs, please come to the forums or discord and follow instructions on how to report. I want to tell you that I am aware of the following issues I am working on
Hello Elder! I know, I know, with so many things to do during the day, games that slow down too much to show animations may not be our top priority. Although I am proud of the small animations, and they are needed for new players to understand what is happening, I realize that people that have played for many hours would rather just skip them after a while. I honestly did not expect people to like the game so much that they'd play *that* amount of hours in a week! I am blasted away by the reception! I decided to add among bugfixes a couple of new options that you will find in the settings menu. Know that I am juggling, as you may imagine, a *lot* of stuff at the moment (my mail has exploded!), but my first priority is to make sure people have fun, and since this is something that people have been experienced and it took not *too* much to do, here it is! I won't be always able to react *this* fast (I am currently high on life due to all the good reviews you have been writing, which have fueled my mind to work like crazy these days! Keep them coming!) Please do report if you have issues with the new settings. They should work fine as I used most of them during development to speed up testing, but you never know, right? Also, please, *please* don't try to reach 400 Pips as the game won't be able to handle that gracefully at this moment AHAH Have fun! - Michele V 1.0.0.0016 UX
Hello Elders! Phew!! I was *not* expecting this kind of reception, and I love it! Know that you already all changed my life, this is very... strange, and good! Thank you so much!
Things are becoming bigger and bigger, and I am trying to keep up with everything, so please be a little patient if I cannot answer, as you may imagine I'm bombarded from all sides at the moment (not to mention I still have my daily job! Boss has been *very* understanding of this situation, so much that he realized what was happening before everybody else. He's a smart guy!)
I'm handling a lot of stuff at the moment, and I am prioritizing *game breaking* bugfixes before anything else. There are a few, not many, but with so many players and so many strategies being tested, they ought to appear. My bunch of 10 testers of course could not have tried everything, but I think they did an *awesome* job in making sure the game experience is mostly smooth. Keep the suggestions coming!
Note that I reduced a bit the scaling of memory points, as the end elements were a bit too slow to get for my tastes. It still should take many, many hours to get all of them, but that is good as they all introduce complexity, better not to have too much at hand. ;)
I am also thinking about what to do next, and I do not have a definitive plan at the moment, but I am weighing my options. I already ordered a Steam Deck for *ahem* research purposes. ;)
And now, to the changelog for today. I am doing daily bugfixes whenever I get the chance.
Have fun!
- Achievements - Reduced from 500 to 100 hours. - Reduced from 10000 to 5000 turns - Bugfixes - Fixed some edge cases with graveyards getting people stuck - Fixed resource count persisting between runs making your score rise too much - Events Balance - Risk events that may become Mini events won't be affected by village size anymore - Strong Cold rarity increased from 1 to 3
Bugfixes - Fixed Bourgeoise Pips being affected by "resource eater" boons - Fixed some players getting stuck in the Current Story screen - Fixed Tomatoes action cost increasing if you switched from replant to dismantle multiple times - Fixed curing Mourning with Graveyards soft locking the game after too many activations
I am without words, the reception of the game is going above and beyond my wildest dreams!! I am so happy that so many people are having a blast discovering the world of dotAGE! Thank you so much! :)
I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment by all the feedback and the reception, and I'm trying to collect all your suggestions for balance and UX, so much that the report tool for suggestions and bugs broke today with all the feedback! While I look for a solution, please report your issues in the Steam forum or on Discord.
While I collect the initial bugs that are bound to appear with the number of players rising, I did some minor fixes and added the possibility for the Tutorial to be reset in the Current Screen Menu. (you should see the changelog)
Good luck with your Apocalypse!
- Michele
UI & UX - Added a "Reset Tutorial" button in the Current Game Screen - Added "no bug report for now" panel Bugfixes - Fixed bug with tutorial soft locking if you cannot place the first Bivoauc so that Pensatory has enough space (will skip the tutorial for now, but at least you won't get stuck) - Fixed bug with Bourgeoise Pips losing their Bourgeoise status if reloading a game while they are a Trainee (I guess the apprenticeship lowers their status to the eyes of other Bourgeoise) Localization - Fixed a couple typos in English - Fixed some weird translations in German
Hello elders! The time has finally come, and dotAGE is now available for everybody to play!
Launch day has been really exciting, and I hope you are already having fun in the world of dotAGE, and I can't wait for you to reach the Apocalypse (if you can), and for you to unlock all that the game has to offer!
I'll be finally getting some sleep tonight, and then work first and foremost on the release bugs that are surely going to pop up with the increased number of players. If you can, please use the bug report inside the game, as that one will send me more information alongside the save file, making it easier to find the issue.
Also, don't forget to leave a review, it really helps in making sure the game gets shown to more people!
Have fun!
Michele
Hello elders to be! I am so excited, I hope you are enjoying the new demo and the new event system!
I'm starting a countdown for release, and you can already see previews of the game popping up on twitch and youtube if you are curious about all the game has to offer!
Just 4 more days and you can try to beat the Apocalypse!
Hello elders to be! I just updated the demo with the latest changes, so you can see the new event system, UX, and new balance before the game releases in less than 3 weeks! The new demo has a similar flow to the old one, but it has several important changes:
Hello Elders to be! I am so happy to tell you that I finally have a release date for dotAGE!
In development since 2014 in my spare time, this little game of mine has become so big and I am so proud of it, the time to finally show it to you has come!
I prepared a new trailer for the occasion
[previewyoutube=M8jiWVJ1QQU;full][/previewyoutube]
Enough words, when is the game getting released?
...
...
...
The 4th of October, a month from now!!! (AAAAAAAAH this feels so liberating). I am so excited and I hope you are too!
What now then? The next month will be a bit busy, as I need to make sure that the game can be viewed by as many people as possible (not easy as a solo indie dev), so do spam all your friends with the news, and send the game to your enemies by forcing them to play the hardest mode!
I am working on the updated demo so you can try out the new event mechanics and the changes to the buildings before the release, stay tuned for more!
I hope you will enjoy the world of dotAGE!
Michele
Hello fellow Elders! This is a short update, as I am very, very, busy adding the last touches to the game.
After many months of balancing and bugfixing, I am happy to say that the game is now complete, all text is in, and the different runs balanced! With the help of playtesters, I am squashing the last bugs, so (and I know this feels unreal) expect an announcement soon. ;)
Everything Animated
In the last months, I finished adding all animations to all buildings (and couldn't stop myself from adding a few more buildings, by the way!). The game now has more than 200 different buildings!
All Descriptions!
I finally added all descriptions into the game, so all text is complete now! I hope you'll like the elder's comments.
Localization/b]
I am also testing out some localization, as I'd love for the game to be played by more people. I am working on the Italian localization (my mother language), but I'd love to also do the same for other languages, starting with French and German. Unfortunately, I added too much text to the game so I'm looking for options to translate it!
Strategy Fest
DotAGE is also participating into the Steam's Strategy Fest. Let's get some more eyes on the game!
See you soon in the world of dotAGE!
Michele
Hello fellow Elders! It is time for a new update on the development of the game.
But first! These last months have been quite hectic as I became a father! I am so happy! :)
So, in-between one diaper and the next, what have I been up to regarding dotAGE? Let's find out!
An Apocalyptic Story
I finished adding the game's story (oh yeah, there is also some narrative in this game!). I'm happy to finally put an end to this story. I hope you will like it (if you can survive the Apocalypse!)
New Connection Mechanic
While working on the balance of the game, I noticed a few issues with the current village layouts, which led me to add a new mechanic that requires you to connect some buildings together using pavements. This creates very nice villages!
New Resources and buildings
I just can't seem to keep myself from adding some content (I swear they were needed for balance purposes!) ;P
New elders!
As the game's balance gets finished up, I started work on additional Elders you can play! I am not spoiling anything at the time, but know that each elder comes with different maps and with their own special traits, such as having unique buildings, increasing the chance for specific events, or rewarding specific behaviors. The goal is to make each elder's village pretty different. I can't wait to show them all!
Balancing & Bugfixing
Balancing and testing is going smoothly, and I am testing also the different difficulties. The game is in a really nice state now, and I can't wait to announce a release date as soon as I finish working on the balancing!
In the meantime, have a great month!
Michele
Hello fellow Elders! It is time for a new update on the development of the game.
We have some juicy additions!
Boons!
A new system has been added that rewards players for beaing Doom visions at each page in the game. The boons are granted by the Domains, allowing you to choose from a set of predefined bonuses and get a great help in fighting the next events. I'm not spoiling them, however!
The Apocalypse is Coming!
The Apocalypse at the end of the game has been defined and balanced. Expect it to be fierce and relentless! Will you be able to fight it off?
Balacing turns
With the balance being in a good state, I also made sure to tune the number of turns and events that will be encountered to provide a smoother experience.
New difficulty options!
A lot of players of all kinds are interested in playing dotAGE for different reasons.
To make sure that the game is at the right pace for everyone, I added new difficulty options.
Balancing and testing is going smoothly, but there still a few bugs scattered around. Stay tuned for more information.
See you soon,
Michele
Hello wise elders! I am here today with news about the development of the game.
Food Balancing
The focus these months has been on balancing, making sure the game is both fun and challenging at the different difficulty levels. This is quite a hard task, but I am spending a lot of time to make sure it works out.
A lot of thought, test, and math has been put on balancing food in particular. Winter will be quite a challenge, but I'm sure you can survive it.
Label System redone
The Label system has been completely revamped, and a Pip with a Label will now have a (small) impact on the gameplay. You will be able to get Pips that only eat Vegetables, or Coward Pips that increase the probability of Fear events!
Finishing touches
With the final stages of the game being tested, I am making sure that everything is in order and that all events work as they should. Hundreds of events are dying to meet you!
I must say that the new event system I talked about earlier is giving good results, I'm eager to know what you will think of it.
The same is true for the research tree, that is being finalized as well. Here is a sneak peek:
The festival of Turns!
Take a look at the banner at the top of the page of dotAGE, as the game is participating in the first ever #TurnBasedFest. There are a lot of discounts and other demos to try, so go check it out!
A last announcement
Balancing is going smoothly, but there are still some things I need to do before deciding on a release date, as the game is quite complex and, as you know, time is a tyrant. I want to make sure to provide a good experience, so I need some more time!
Unfortunately, this means I won't be releasing the game before the end of the year, but be sure that it is going to be soon enough.
In the meantime, I hope you have a great end of the year... who knows what the new year may bring!
Hello wise elders! Time passes so fast when you are old, but we are not out of energy yet!
I am here today with a little peek behind the curtains, showing what is changing in the current months as I get closer to the release.
As some of you know, I am working on the mid and end-game balancing, making sure everything clicks together. I've been working on a lot of things in the shadows, and I want to show you some of it!
Revised Research Tree
Due to the ongoing work in the beta, the Research Tree has been completely rebalanced, with many new buildings and jobs being added to make sure the flow keeps up during the game.
Want some idea about what is coming? New resources such as Mushrooms, Coal, or Ice. New buildings such as Cellars and new Farms.
The Prophecy Looms
After a lot of testing, I now have the full prophecy setup with all the correct pages and events, paving the way for the end game, and the fulfilling of the Prophecy... What will you find at the last page? Nobody knows!
New VIPs have reached the village
VIPs (Very Important Pips) can affect life in your village. You may have encountered one in the demo, but there are others hidden, waiting for you to find them! Speaking about hiding... one of them really loves to hide. Some VIPs will be a boon to the village, but others... it is yet to be seen.
Now that the start of the game flows correctly, I have also started adding more variation to the start of the game: you may find different fields, or abandoned buildings laying around as you start, and the prophecy changes at each playthrough.
Remember: balance is still undergoing and you will see that the final game will have a lot of tweaks. ;)
The beta is still going strong, but there is still a lot to do to make sure everything is where I want it to be. I know we are getting to the end of the year and you are eager to try the game, but please be patient for a little bit more! I will announce a release date when the game is ready.
In the meantime, be sure to tell your friends to Wishlist the game!
Hello fellow elders!
Thank you for the huge response to the demo of dotAGE! It means a lot, after so many years, to see people finally playing it!
Work is continuining steadily after the release of the demo, I received a lot of feedback on the current state of the game and this is helping guiding the rest of the development as the beta proceeds forward.
Here are a few highlights on what I am working on:
A lot of UX upgrades are being developed on the most requested features, such as the option to set a limit on the amount of food consumed each day by the village:
I am also working on finding a better balance for event danger / protection, as losing events when your protection is high can be frustrating in the demo. I am testing several methods to make sure that everything feels more fair and more fun, while still mantaining the thrill of the risk! This is a mix of UX upgrades and mechanical changes that I am sure will be appreciated by the more strategic players. Here is a peek!
You may not know this, but the demo is just a glimpse of all I implemented in the years, and balance is now undergoing for the rest of the content. This means that I am moving around buildings, resources, and costs to make sure everything clicks together!
Here is a (WIP) resource tree showing all the resources related to the Health Domain, and the diseases they can cure:
I may have exagerated with diseases...
Last but not least, dotAGE will be participating in the Tiny Teams Festival which highlights small teams making cool games! This is a good chance to get a lot of eyes on dotAGE! :)
There is still a lot to do, but I am happy on how the balance is shaping up lately.
See you soon!
Michele
The dotAGE demo is playable during the Steam Next Fest! I am going to stream playing it and talk about how the game works. Let's play it together and see what happens!
The dotAGE demo is playable during the Steam Next Fest! I am going to stream me playing it and talk about how the game works. Let's play it together and see what happens!
It's finally time! This is your chance to try dotAGE in a small demo, go play it now!
The demo will take you through the first days of the village, up to the first Doom event.
It ill be available up to the 20th of June through the Steam Next Fest.
Go tell everybody to try it!
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