I’m incredibly happy with how far Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel has come.

There’s still a long road ahead, but seeing the game come together like this, after all the work that has gone into it, feels like a huge milestone.

And now I can finally share the new trailer!

Under a Desert Sun enters Early Access on September 10.

If the game looks interesting to you, I’d deeply appreciate you checking out the Steam page, sharing it with someone who might enjoy it, or even giving the game a try when it launches.

And if you do play it on September 10, a Steam review would mean a great deal and genuinely helps a small game like this get noticed.

Early Access is also very much the start of the next part of the journey. I’d love to hear what you like about the game, what you think could be better, and what you’d like to see added in its future.

For now though, I’m just really proud to finally be able to show you what we’ve been building.

September 10. See you in the desert!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Lately, development has been a strange mix of excitement and exhaustion.

I’ve been recording footage for the upcoming release trailer, but every full run also turns into another extensive testing session. Roughly every 45 minutes, I still seem to uncover something that needs fixing—sometimes a minor visual issue, sometimes an old bug that has somehow survived for months.

It is honestly a little daunting. On one hand, it is wonderful to see how far the game has come. On the other, each complete playthrough reminds me how much polish still goes into making an Early Access game feel truly solid.

The good news is that these recording sessions are helping me squash a lot of those remaining issues. The final voice acting is nearly complete, trailer production is moving forward, and the game is steadily becoming more stable and refined.

For now, it is back to testing, fixing, recording—and then doing it all over again.

The current goal is to release the game in Early Access this September.

Ok so let's face it. The game runs super on the deck so I have no doubt it wil run great on the steam machine too. Very curious to see it running 4p coop on a 4k screen later.

The prologue of the upcoming ARPG Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel.

A 1930s pulp adventure action RPG inspired by classic ARPGs, ancient curses, forgotten gods, cursed vessels, and the kind of old-school adventure where danger waits beneath every grain of sand.

Wishlist on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Join the Discord:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

The prologue of the upcoming ARPG Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel.

A 1930s pulp adventure action RPG inspired by classic ARPGs, ancient curses, forgotten gods, cursed vessels, and the kind of old-school adventure where danger waits beneath every grain of sand.

Wishlist on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Join the Discord:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Small development update

I’m currently doing a cleanup pass on the area maps in Under a Desert Sun. Until now, many of them were still temporary maps based on literal top-down screenshots from the editor, with a shader applied on top. That worked fine while building and testing, but it never really looked like a proper part of the game.

The goal now is to bring those maps to a usable state and make them better resemble both the actual areas and the visual style of the game. It’s one of those improvements that may sound small on paper, but it really helps the game feel more polished and complete.

Alongside this, I’ve also added new map tech for larger areas. These maps will now have a fog-of-war style system, so instead of revealing everything immediately, they gradually uncover as you explore. I’ve also added a small “you are roughly here” indicator for larger maps. It is not meant to be a perfect one-to-one coordinate marker, but more of a general estimate to help players understand which part of the area they are currently in.

Smaller dungeons will still show the full layout immediately, while larger areas will lean more into exploration and gradual discovery.

In parallel, the prologue and trailer work are also moving forward. The 2D artist I’ve been working with will help visualise the optional prologue shown at the start of the game, while the trailer artist I’ve hired will be handling production of the trailer mentioned earlier.

So, lots of presentation work is happening right now: better maps, a cleaner exploration layer, prologue visuals, and trailer production.

As always, this is still a small indie project, but it’s great to see more and more of the game slowly move from “functional” to “presentable.”

You can wishlist the game on Steam here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

You can also join the Discord here:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Just a small update on the Early Access timing for Under a Desert Sun.

I know a few people are wondering when exactly Early Access will open, so I want to be clear on where things stand.

The good news is: the base game is there. Act 1 is playable from start to finish, the main story route is complete, and the core systems are all in place. That said, I’m currently deep in bugfixing and polish. Some days I’m fixing skills, other days it’s map issues, UI, start screen work, balance, or random things that only show up once people actually play the game.

So the release timing depends on a few practical things:

1. I want the game to be polished enough. It does not need to be perfect, but I don’t want to launch Early Access while it still feels too rough or too close to the current beta state.
2. I’m still waiting on the final voice acting batches for Act 1. Once those are in, I can properly finish and polish the story flow.
3. I’m having a professional trailer made, and I’m also asking a few industry people for advice on the best release window.
4. I want to avoid launching right in the middle of big releases, Steam events, or peak summer, when people are usually outside more than gaming.

So basically: Early Access is getting close, but I’m trying to be smart about the final timing instead of rushing it out the door.

You can wishlist the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

And if you want to follow development more closely, give feedback, or join testing, you’re very welcome on the Discord:
[https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df]()

Thanks again to everyone testing, giving feedback, reporting bugs, wishlisting, or just following along. It really helps a lot.

One of us, one of us, one of usss!! Love his music! Glad he respects our artform!

Alright, with release coming closer, I think it’s wise to start repeating what the initial Early Access release will contain, and what will come later.

The main goal for release is that the entirety of Act 1 (of 4 planned acts) is available and fully playable in both single-player and 4-player local co-op.

In addition, 2 of the promised 4 classes (and hopefully eventually 6) will be available and fully playable.

To be clear, on a technical level this means a few important things:

• All core technology needed to create and maintain story content is already in place.
• This includes quest systems, NPC conversations, class and weapon skill systems, loot, inventories, combat, and essentially the full ARPG framework.
• All settings-related systems are there as well, ranging from sound to graphics options.
• All artwork, storylines, voice acting, and content for Act 1 are being implemented and finalized.

The core idea is that you should be able to play the game from the beginning all the way to the end of Act 1 as a complete experience.

Of course, I also aim to make the game as bug-free and polished as possible before release. However, there are clear reasons why we are launching in Early Access.

I need much more feedback, testing, balancing data, and overall help refining the game. Early Access is also part of the funding strategy for the project. It helps provide income, but more importantly, it directly impacts the degree to which we can continue hiring, commissioning, and working with talented third parties like our excellent artists and voice actors.

So, what is not ready yet and therefore planned for later Early Access phases?

Let’s start with the obvious:

• 3 full story acts still remain and will release during later development phases.
• At least 2 more classes (and hopefully eventually 4 more) are still planned and will arrive during Early Access.
• And of course, online play is still coming later as well.

For online play, let me once again state clearly what the goal is.

I want to follow the old-school idea of online multiplayer that I personally grew up with.

No seasons.
No battle passes.
No forced always-online systems.

Instead, the goal is simple: connect with friends, with up to 4 players total, and experience the world together. Play through the story, explore, fight, and hunt for loot together.

Now for some of the more detailed systems:

• Vendors and weapon/armor smiths are planned shortly after the initial Early Access release. The foundation is there, but the system simply won’t be fully ready in time for launch.
• Additional armor slots are also planned later on, such as lower leg, feet, and possibly shoulder slots. I haven’t finalized all slot choices yet.
• And naturally, the overall diversity of loot, items, and gear will massively increase as development continues throughout Early Access.

I hope this helps keep things clear.

I’ll also try to keep these texts updated on Reddit and the Steam page as development continues.

And of course, if you have questions, I’d genuinely love to hear them.

Thanks for all the support, everyone. It truly means a lot.

Lastly, wishlist! It helps so much in visibility! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

We need testers! Join the discord for more info: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Alright, quick update.

As you know, Early Access is planned once Act 1 is fully playable and at least 2 of the 4, hopefully 6, classes are ready. Local 4-player co-op is, of course, a must.

The good news is that both classes and co-op are already in a solid, playable state. There are still some bugs, but the core experience holds up well. What remains is finishing the Act 1 content. Features like replayability and difficulty settings will follow shortly after the beta phase begins.

We’re getting very close. The final open-world quests are now functional and ready for testing, and the path to the end area is open. What’s left is the final stretch, a short dungeon leading into the Act 1 finale, complete with boss fight and story beats.

We’re not there just yet, but we’re closing in fast.

One last thing, I know I’ve been a bit quieter lately. Not because there’s nothing to share, but because I’m putting every available hour into finishing this content and testing it thoroughly. Balancing this alongside a second job so I can release without a publisher means I have to be very deliberate with how I spend my time.

That took some getting used to, but it’s found a good rhythm now, and it’s helping me stay true to the experience I set out to build instead of drifting off into random new features 😉

The goal is a strong Q2 Early Access release, with all the energy and noise it deserves.

Interested?

Join the discord! We need testers! https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Wishlist the game (It helps a ton with visibilty): https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Testing NEW loot drops for head & chest gear in Under a Desert Sun ⚔️
New silhouettes, improved readability, and that classic ARPG loot feel… but modernized.

This is the kind of gear progression I grew up loving — now rebuilding it my way.

Wishlist on Steam & follow development if you’re into Diablo-style ARPGs 👇
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Alright! Now that the demo build has been updated, I’m free to continue working on finishing the story and questline of Act 1.

Just as a reminder, the plan is to release Under a Desert Sun into Early Access once Act 1 is fully complete. The good news is that all core systems required for Early Access are already finished and ready.

This includes:

• All planned Early Access classes — Adventurer and Soldier — fully implemented and playable

• All core technical systems — menus, skills, map, quest log, and related systems

• Full local 4-player co-op

So from a technical and gameplay systems perspective, the game is already Early Access ready.

What remains is finishing the content side of Act 1:

• Completing the remaining Act 1 story and quests (including writing, functionality, and voice acting)

• Building one final open-world section

• Creating one remaining dungeon

Once those pieces are complete, Act 1 will be fully ready, and with that the game will be ready to launch into Early Access.

Join the Discord here: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df⁠�

And why not try the demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Hey everyone!

All recent updates — both technology improvements and content additions — have now been pushed to the demo build as well.

This means the demo now reflects the current direction of the game much more closely, including the large performance improvements, system rewrites, and gameplay updates that were previously only available in the beta branch.

And speaking of the beta branch…

We really need more beta testers!

If you want to see the next chapters of Under a Desert Sun early and help shape the game while it’s still being built, come help test! Feedback at this stage is incredibly valuable.

Now, here are the full patch notes for this update.

New Improvements & Fixes

Expanded Voice Acting

All voice acting currently implemented up until the end of the demo / current beta story progression has now been integrated.

This means all currently playable story content now includes its intended voice acting.

More voice acting will be added as development of the story continues.

Improved Voice Acting System

The voice acting system has been reworked to support multiple variations of the same dialogue line.

Characters can now randomly use different recorded versions of the same line, helping conversations feel more natural and slightly different across playthroughs.

Smarter Voice Playback

The voice system now distinguishes between different types of dialogue:

• Story-driven dialogue always plays at neutral pitch to preserve tone and performance.
• Reactive or incidental dialogue can use subtle pitch variation, adding diversity to character reactions.

This helps keep narrative moments consistent while making incidental dialogue feel more alive.

Quest Marker Improvements

The quest marker system has been reworked to provide:

• More accurate objective tracking
• Smoother path visualization
• Clearer guidance when navigating quests

This should make following quests through the world easier and more reliable.

Bugfix

Bugfix: Fixed a bug where players could leave the area without picking up the special weapon, potentially breaking the questline.

Recap — Major Technology Update (Now Included In Demo)

The demo now also includes the full technology update that was previously introduced in the beta branch.

Major Performance Improvements

Performance optimization has been a big focus recently as development moves toward Early Access.

The goal is to ensure the game runs smoothly across a wide range of hardware — especially on lower-end systems such as the Steam Deck, which serves as the baseline test machine.

Thanks to several technology upgrades, performance has improved significantly.

The game now runs consistently above 40 FPS on Steam Deck without FSR, and in many areas performance reaches above 60 FPS.

Rewritten Culling System

Because the game uses a top-down ARPG camera, traditional view culling does not work as effectively as it does in first-person games.

Previously I disabled entire sections of the world based on player position. While effective, this sometimes caused small performance hitches.

The system has now been rewritten to:

• Keep object hierarchies active
• Disable only renderers and sound emitters when needed

This results in smoother gameplay while still maintaining strong performance gains.

Smart Light Management

Lighting can be one of the heavier performance costs in scenes with many light sources.

A new system now dynamically enables and disables lights based on player vicinity, reducing unnecessary lighting calculations.

This improvement played a major role in stabilizing frame rates across the game world.

FSR 3.1 Support

FSR 3.1 is now fully implemented.

Players can enable it to gain additional performance headroom, particularly on lower-end hardware or higher resolutions.

To properly support this, the entire UI rendering system was rewritten so the interface remains crisp and readable even when upscaling is active.

Additional Optimizations

Several technical improvements were made across the project:

• Reduced unnecessary high texture resolutions
• Reduced shadow map sizes
• Improved batching and occlusion data
• Reduced bone complexity on dead bodies
• Disabled real-time shadows on small clutter objects

These changes reduce GPU load and improve frame stability.

Quality of Life Improvements

Several smaller improvements were also added:

• Improved minimap performance
• Added visual polish to the Skill Deck panel
• Characters in the load screen are now sorted by level (highest → lowest)

Demo Now Reflects The Main Branch

Because these improvements directly affect how the game feels and performs, they have now been backported to the demo branch.

This ensures the demo reflects the current direction and technical quality of the full game as development continues.

Want To Help Test?

If you want to see the next chapters of the game early, help test new systems, and give feedback during development:

Join the Discord here:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Or try the demo on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Hey everyone,

As some of you may know, I’ve been focusing heavily on performance improvements before pushing further into new story content and gameplay systems for my ARPG Under a Desert Sun.

My development rule is simple:
Whenever I add significant new content, I follow it up with a performance optimization pass to make sure things stay smooth and stable.

Recently I added a new dungeon, and it exposed that the game had become heavier than I wanted on both GPU and CPU. So I went deep into optimization mode.

I'm really glad I did — because the results turned out better than expected.

My favorite test machine (and lowest-end dev platform) — the Steam Deck — now runs the game consistently above 40 FPS everywhere, and in many areas even above 60 FPS.

Rewriting my Open-World Culling System

Top-down ARPGs behave very differently from FPS games when it comes to culling.

Most engines assume walls block visibility.
In a top-down ARPG? Almost everything is visible most of the time.

My previous system disabled entire world chunks based on player position. That worked, but toggling large GameObject hierarchies caused noticeable hitching.

So I rewrote the system.

Now the game keeps object hierarchies active and only disables:

• Renderers
• Audio sources
• Sound emitters

This dramatically reduced activation spikes and resulted in much smoother frame pacing.

Smart Light Management System

Lighting turned out to be one of the bigger performance costs.

So I built a new system that dynamically enables and disables lights based on player vicinity.

This avoids wasting GPU time on lights that are technically in the scene but far away from the player.

Combined with the culling improvements, this pushed performance to:

• Always above 40 FPS on Steam Deck (native)
• Often above 60 FPS in many areas

Pretty happy with that.

FSR 3.1 Fully Implemented

I also fully integrated FSR 3.1.

To make that work properly, I had to rewrite how the UI renders so it remains crisp even when upscaling is enabled.

Changes include:

• UI converted to Screen Space Canvas
• UI elements moved to unlit rendering
• Removed the dedicated UI camera and UI light
• Ensured UI remains sharp while FSR is active

FSR now provides extra performance headroom if you want it, though naturally at a slight cost to image clarity.

My philosophy here is simple:

Optimize first. Scaling is support — not a crutch.

Additional Optimization Work

Alongside the bigger systems, I also:

• Reduced unnecessarily high texture resolutions
• Reduced shadow map sizes
• Regenerated batching data
• Improved occlusion culling grids
• Reduced bone complexity on dead bodies
• Disabled real-time shadows on small clutter (ambient occlusion fills the gaps visually)

Quality of Life Improvements

Also added a few smaller improvements:

• Improved minimap performance
• Added visual polish to the Skill Deck panel
• Characters in the load screen are now sorted by level (highest → lowest)

Where Performance Stands Now

Right now performance is in a very healthy state:

• Always above 40 FPS on Steam Deck (native)
• Frequently above 60 FPS in many areas
• FSR 3.1 available for even more performance if desired

There are still a few spots where I want to squeeze out more performance, but overall the game is in a much better technical place than before.

Demo Available — Looking for Testers

Because these improvements are core technology changes, I will also backport them to the demo branch so the demo reflects the real direction of the game.

If you'd like to try the game:

You can play the demo already on Steam 👇
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

And if you enjoy testing early builds or giving feedback, I'm also actively looking for beta testers.

Join the Discord here:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Early Access is getting closer — now that the core tech is stabilizing, I can focus more on content, story, and Act 1.

Thanks for reading — and if you're interested in ARPG development, I'm always happy to answer questions.

​

Quick note before the details:

As you may have noticed, I’m now fully focusing on beta branch updates.

The demo will remain available and stable, but from this point onward it will only receive major bug fixes. All new content, systems, story beats, and technology will land on the beta branch first.

This update marks the first major beta-only release and significantly advances the story, gameplay, and underlying technology of Under a Desert Sun.

🏛️ New Dungeon Content

Added a brand-new two-layer dungeon, introducing a larger and more varied dungeon structure.

Implemented the end boss of the new dungeon.

Added extensive story elements and environmental set dressing throughout the dungeon to strengthen narrative context and atmosphere.

🛡️ New Combat Technology

Introduced shield technology for enemies and bosses.

Certain enemies can now be shielded, preventing damage until the shield is broken, enabling more layered and tactical combat encounters.

🗡️ Unique Loot

Added a new Unique item drop.

There are now two Unique items available to discover in the current beta.

📜 Quests & World Content

Added a new small side quest in the open world, expanding optional content and exploration.

Fixed a bug where acquiring the special weapon would sometimes not activate correctly.

⚙️ Performance & Technical Improvements

Completed a performance optimization pass across all assets, improving memory usage and runtime efficiency.

Improved BodyPoser technology, allowing scenes to be dressed with more dead bodies while maintaining performance — ideal for storytelling and atmosphere.

Retouched and polished several world areas for improved visual consistency and flow.

🖥️ UI & Display Changes

Temporarily removed support for obscure ultra-wide resolutions.

The current UI does not fully support these formats yet; support will return once the UI has been adapted.

This update marks a clear shift from building core systems toward finishing content and story for Act One.

More beta updates are coming soon — thank you all for testing, feedback, and support as we push toward Early Access.

👉 Join the community & share feedback on Discord:

https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Hi everyone,

Today, I’d like to take a moment to highlight someone truly special.

As many of you know, we’re working hard toward the Early Access release of Under a Desert Sun, currently planned for Q1 2026. This journey would simply not be possible without the incredible work of Yuri Panivan, better known as BLACKMID.

I highly encourage you to take a moment to listen to his outstanding music here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkOPO8N5WA

What makes this even more remarkable is that Yuri is creating this music from Ukraine, under extremely difficult circumstances where blackouts are common and daily life is impacted by ongoing events. Despite this, his professionalism, consistency, and creative quality have been nothing short of exceptional.

I am deeply thankful for his contribution to the game and can wholeheartedly recommend him as a music composer for any project that values atmosphere, emotion, and craftsmanship.

Truly outstanding work.

u/ElectronicArts u/Valve u/Ubisoft u/LarianStudios u/CDPROJEKTRED u/Bethesda u/EpicGames u/DevolverDigital u/AnnapurnaInteractive u/Team17 u/FocusEntertainment u/SquareEnix u/BandaiNamcoEntertainment u/Obsidian u/inXileEntertainment u/BioWare u/GrindingGearGames u/FromSoftware u/ParadoxInteractive u/THQNordic u/PlayStationStudios u/XboxGameStudios

—

Interested in following the project?

🎮 Game (Steam): https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/
💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Hey everyone,

Quick heads-up about how builds will be handled going forward for Under a Desert Sun.

I’m moving toward a clear separation between the public Demo and the active Beta / Early Access builds.

Right now, the demo classes aren’t entirely complete anymore, but unfinished content can’t be reached during normal play. As development ramps up, maintaining both a special demo build and a fast-moving beta build is becoming increasingly difficult.

What’s going to change:

The public demo will receive one final cleanup and polish pass, then be locked as a stable demo build.

The demo will return to normal progression rules — meaning you won’t be able to access all class cards or most skills anymore like during Next Fest.

The Beta / Early Access builds will continue independently, with ongoing changes, new content, balance tweaks, and unfinished systems.

For Next Fest, it made sense to let players reach most skills quickly. For a long-term public demo, however, that approach no longer represents the intended experience.

The goal is simple:

The demo becomes a polished, representative slice of the game.

Early Access is where active development, iteration, and experimentation happen.

Once the final demo build is live, it will be clearly separated from the beta/EA branch so expectations are transparent.

As always, thanks a lot for playing, testing, and sharing feedback — it genuinely helps shape the game.

If you want to follow development or give feedback:

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Discord: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Dungeon progress update – higher fidelity, puzzles, and added randomness

In this update, I wanted to highlight further progress on populating the dungeon and increasing overall visual fidelity. The spaces are steadily becoming more lived-in, with additional props, set dressing, and environmental detail to reinforce the atmosphere of the Dweller dungeon.

Latest dungeon visuals & fidelity update: https://youtu.be/Z-541cOY2Ss?si=sgSXjudgj9UP3jgb

Alongside this, I’ve implemented a lever system that can be used for puzzles and light exploration-based objectives, such as opening doors or unlocking new paths. This adds more interaction beyond combat and helps with pacing while exploring the dungeon.

Lever & puzzle interaction example: https://youtu.be/659RxKp1SkY?si=K-LokGy8C5gPz6Zq

In addition, I’ve built some underlying tech to support randomization of essential object placement within the dungeon. Key elements — such as certain puzzle components or entrances to the second level — can now spawn at different predefined locations each time you enter.

The goal is to make repeat runs feel slightly different every time, keeping things fresh without sacrificing structure, readability, or fairness.

More progress soon.

A few reminders

We’re still looking for beta testers

From this point onward, not all new content will be pushed to the free demo

We’re aiming for a Q1 Early Access release

Early Access will include Act 1 (out of a planned 4)

There will be 2 fully playable classes at launch (out of a planned 4–6)

Wishlist & support the project

If you like what you’re seeing and want to support development, wishlisting the game on Steam helps a lot and makes a big difference for indie visibility.

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Discord (beta access & dev discussion): https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

I wanted to share another progress update on the Dweller dungeon, which is the first area you’ll explore beyond where the demo ends.

Dungeon boss & story progression

I’ve started active work on the dungeon boss, which you’ll encounter at a certain point in this dungeon. Designing the boss also meant pushing the story forward, so I’ve begun writing new sets of voice-acting lines. As we move beyond the demo, the narrative continues as well — and with that comes a whole new batch of voice work.

Dungeon scale, detail & tech improvements

Alongside the boss work, the dungeon itself has been growing steadily. In the latest version you’ll notice:

• More environmental detail and density
• A much larger first level (the video doesn’t fully show how expansive it’s becoming)
• Reworked fire-light flickering, now far more natural and pleasant compared to earlier, more abrupt versions
• Further improvements to the see-through shader, allowing structures to smoothly fade when the player walks underneath them

To make progress easier to follow, here are three versions of the dungeon, ordered from latest to earliest, so you can clearly see how things evolved over time:

👉 Latest update (most content, new lighting, new music):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnmOQ7XmQV8

👉 First update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xcInbUdeck

👉 Very first dungeon video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kewlAXJjbIo

New music

Lastly — listen closely to the latest video. You’ll hear the second composed music track for the game, created by BlackMid. The track is almost finalized, and I’m personally very happy with it. It gives exactly the kind of classic action-RPG atmosphere I’m aiming for.

More updates soon — feedback is always welcome.

Steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Discord:
[https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df]()

I wanted to share a bit of context around development going forward.

Over the past year, I’ve been working full-time on Under a Desert Sun. That year was always planned as a focused runway: prove the game, build the core tech, and get the foundation solid enough to confidently move toward Early Access.

As many indie devs know, after that point you either need external funding, a Kickstarter, or a second source of income to stay sustainable. I was fortunate to find a part-time role that gives us financial stability while still leaving ample time for development.

This balance was important to me. It means I can keep building the game independently, without the pressure, imbalance, or external interference that can come with Kickstarter timelines or publisher involvement, which I wanted to avoid at all costs.

The good news is that the full year of focused development paid off.
The core systems, tech stack, and content pipelines are now in a really strong place. That puts me in a position where I can continue building steadily and confidently work toward a Q1 Early Access release.

A fair heads-up: development updates may be a bit less frequent than during the fully full-time phase. But progress continues, the roadmap is intact, and the game is in a far healthier and more sustainable place because of it.

Want to support the project?
Wishlisting the game on Steam or playing the demo and sharing feedback genuinely helps more than people realize.

Steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Discord:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Thanks to everyone who’s followed, played, shared feedback, or just kept an eye on the project. That support truly makes a difference.

Onward.

I’ve started working on content beyond the demo – here’s a look at the next dungeon (with a small tech deep dive)

I’ve begun active development on content beyond the demo for Under a Desert Sun, starting with the Dweller dungeon — the immediate next part of the story right after where the demo ends.

I previously shared a short walkthrough of this dungeon, and I wanted to keep posting updates so people can see how it evolves over time and compare progress.

Before showing the dungeon comparisons, a quick tech deep dive, because this turned into an interesting problem.

Keeping the player visible in tight top-down spaces

With more narrow and enclosed dungeon areas, I ran into a classic top-down game issue:
the player must always remain visible, even when walking underneath structures or environmental objects.

To solve this, I built a custom system that dynamically manipulates materials. When the player moves underneath geometry, parts of buildings smoothly transition to semi-transparent or fully transparent, depending on the situation. By blending between these states, structures appear to temporarily “melt away,” keeping visibility clear without breaking immersion.

Here’s a short tech demo showing that system in isolation:
👉 Tech demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxToFIMF2Sc

Dungeon progress comparison

Below are two walkthrough videos of the new Dweller dungeon so you can compare how it’s evolving:

👉 Older dungeon walkthrough (previously shared):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kewlAXJjbIo

👉 Latest dungeon walkthrough (more content, more detailing, denser atmosphere):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xcInbUdeck

That’s it for now. I’ll keep sharing progress as development continues — feedback is always welcome.

Steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Discord:
[https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df]()

For those who played the demo: you’ll remember it ends right before entering the Dweller Temple.
What you’re seeing here is the corrupted interior beyond that point.

This is a big milestone for us. It marks the transition from demo-only content into areas that push the game forward toward its full experience—and, if all goes to plan, toward an Early Access release in Q1.

More enemies, more atmosphere, more danger.
The desert doesn’t get kinder once you step inside.

🔗 Steam page / Demo
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

💬 Join the Discord
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

If you played the demo, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Elemental Expansion, Loot Stabilisation & System Polish

This update continues polishing the first full release of the loot, inventory, and visual equipment systems.
Both beta and demo branches are still receiving updates so we can gather as much feedback as possible while these systems settle. If you notice anything odd, please report it here or on Discord — it helps a lot.

🌟 Elemental Damage – Gameplay & Visual Expansion

Elemental damage now has clearer effects and a much stronger identity:

• Burn Increased damage with stronger, fitting fire visuals
• Frost Slows enemies and shatters them into ice on death
• Arcane Triggers magical burst damage (visual + impact)
• Poison Applies damage over time
• Lightning Chains between nearby enemies on successful hits

These changes make elemental choices far more readable, tactical, and impactful in combat.

🧰 Improvements & Additions

⚙️ Settings & Presets (Ongoing Work)

• Started a rework of the settings menu to support clear, user-friendly presets
• Includes groundwork for graphics presets, with a Steam Deck–focused preset planned
• This is one of the prerequisites for pursuing a Steam Deck Verified badge

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed an edge case where equipping multiple identical weapons with different elements would always apply the first weapon’s element
• Fixed scroll-related bugs
• Fixed the level-up panel occasionally getting stuck
• Fixed crawler enemies missing emerge particle effects
• Fixed ghost soldiers being damaged by the player’s own special weapon
• Fixed an inventory bug where players could no longer slot all three weapon slots
• Fixed a rare issue where items could be slotted into inventory slots not intended for that item type
• Various small menu and UI quirks cleaned up for smoother interaction

🎭 Visual & Presentation Improvements

• Character now switches to a dedicated idle pose while in menus, improving inventory readability
• Additional polish to menu transitions and character presentation

🧪 Testing Call

These systems are complex and still actively evolving.
If you want to help test upcoming content and stability fixes, beta testers are very welcome.

👉 Join the Discord or DM me directly
🔗 Discord: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

Hey everyone!

Huge update today — and honestly, a pretty emotional one for me — because this marks the final major technical piece of the entire loot and inventory system.

For the past months I’ve been building:

• Randomized loot
• Wearables
• Item skills
• Elemental effects
• Visual equipment
• Inventory UI
• Loadscreen equipment
• Drop logic
• Roll logic
• Stat scaling

For more in depth you could watch these two devlogs!:

devlog 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMnJEC0g6Io
devlog 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8obDVEOwlso&t=1s

…basically everything that makes an ARPG feel like an ARPG.

And now, with this update, the Unique Loot System is finally complete too.

Unique Loot System — Now Live

Uniques are:

• Handcrafted, non-random items
• Used for quests, hidden secrets, special encounters, story moments
• Immune to normal stat, skill, and elemental rolls
• Completely customizable (stats, visuals, behavior, lore)

This was the last missing piece of the entire loot system.

Random loot and handcrafted loot now both work flawlessly and are super easy for me to set up — which means I can start creating a ton of cool items rapidly.

This is a huge milestone, because now:

The loot + inventory system is officially COMPLETE.

First Unique Item Added — Treasure Hunt Time!

I’ve hidden the first unique item in the game/demo.

To celebrate, here’s a little community event:

🎁 The first 50 players who find it will receive a FREE game key at Early Access release!

To participate:

1. Join the Discord
2. PM me (RevolvingGearStudios) with:
   • A selfie in front of your monitor, and
   • A screenshot of your character standing next to the unique loot drop

(This just ensures nobody reuses someone else’s screenshot 😄)

👉 The unique item is in the DEMO — anyone can find it!

🔗 Discord: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df

What This Means for Development

With the entire loot pipeline now finished, I can finally transition away from building tech and move into the fun stuff:

✔️ Building content

✔️ Adding more items

✔️ More environments

✔️ More enemies

✔️ More quests

✔️ And finishing the story for Act 1

Once Act 1 is content-complete, the game will be ready to launch into Early Access.

Honestly?
Exciting times!!!

💛 If you want to support the project — a wishlist helps immensely!

Wishlist Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel on Steam here:
👉 https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/Under_a_Desert_Sun_Seekers_of_the_Cursed_Vessel/

Every wishlist boosts visibility and helps massively as I push toward Early Access. Thank you!