Playtest notes 12 Feb 2026

Internal playtest131 entries42 balance changes21 art updates21 bug fixes18 interface changes12 wording fixes10 content additions5 performance fixes2 modding changes

This is a pre-release internal note from the closed playtest, quoted as it was written for testers. It describes a build that no longer exists; treat it as history, not as a description of the current game.

This Thursday's patch includes some reworks, lots of balance changes, new art, and some Epoch additions and rewrites! Also this week we are resetting saves once again, so if you see an error that says "There was a problem loading your save," no need to submit a bug report.

Items in this note

26 cards

Whenever you Evoke Lightning, deal 6 damage to each enemy hit.

Sly.
Gain 1 Dexterity.
Gain 4 Thorns.

Gain 6 Block.
Add a Dazed into your Discard Pile.

Enemy loses 3 HP.
Add 3 Souls into your Draw Pile.

Channel 1 Frost for each enemy.
Exhaust.

At the start of your turn, apply 6 Doom to a random enemy.

Deal 8 damage.
Deals 2 additional damage for ALL your cards that have a cost.

At the end of your turn, take 6 damage.

Forbidden Grimoire

At the end of combat, you may remove a card from your Deck.
Eternal.

At the start of your turn, Forge 5.

Gain 5 Block.
Channel 1 Glass.

Draw 1 fewer card each turn.

Deal 10 damage.
Put up to 2 cards from your Discard Pile into your Hand.
Exhaust.

Whenever you play a card this turn, apply 3 Doom to the enemy.

Pull from Below

Deal 5 damage for each Ethereal card played this combat.

Sly.
Draw 2 cards.

Deal 9 damage twice.
Channel 2 Glass.

Sly.
Deal 3 damage to a random enemy 4 times.

Sovereign Blade

Retain.
Deal 10 damage.

At the start of your turn, Channel 1 Glass.

Whenever you play an Ethereal card, gain 4 Block.

Deal 5 damage to a random enemy X times.

Deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.
Draw 1 card.

Sovereign Blade gains Replay 1.

Take double damage from enemies.
Allies take half damage from enemies.

Deal 6 damage twice.
Play a random Attack from your Draw Pile.

Relics, potions and powers

Ring of the Drake

Enemies and events

Content

General

Set up new Epochs in the Timeline

Necrobinder

Reworked Countdown card
Reworked Undying Sigil relic

Regent

Reworked Sword Sage card

Ancients

Reworked Neow's Fishing Rod relic
Reworked Neow's Fury card
Reworked Tezcatara's Seal of Gold relic
Pael blessings are now pooled
Tezcatara blessings are now pooled

Events

The Lantern Key is now a combat-room-style event

Balance

Silent

Buffed Ring of the Drake relic: turns increased from 2 -> 3
Nerfed Abrasive card: Thorns decreased from 5(8) -> 4(6)
Changed Reflex card: rarity increased from Common -> Uncommon
Changed Ricochet card: rarity decreased from Uncommon -> Common

Defect

Changed Chill card: upgrade changed from gain Innate -> lose Exhaust
Nerfed Glasswork card: Block decreased from 6(9) -> 5(8)
Nerfed Power Through card: Block decreased from 15(20) -> 13(17)
Changed Spinner card: upgrade changed from gain Innate -> Channel 1 Glass on play
Nerfed Thunder card: damage decreased from 8(11) -> 6(8)

Necrobinder

Nerfed Capture Spirit card: HP loss decreased from 6 -> 3(4)
Changed Forbidden Grimoire card: upgrade changed from gain Retain -> decrease Energy cost by 1
Nerfed Oblivion card: Doom decreased from 6(9) -> 3(4)
Nerfed Pull From Below card: damage decreased from 7(9) -> 5(7)
Nerfed Sic Em card: Summon decreased from 3(4) -> 2(3)
Nerfed Spirit of Ash card: Block decreased from 4(6) -> 4(5)

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Regent

Nerfed Crescent Spear card: base damage decreased from 8 -> 6
Nerfed Furnace card: Forge decreased from 5(7) -> 4(6)
Nerfed Stardust card: damage decreased from 6(8) -> 5(7)

Enemies

Buffed Doormaker:
- Attack damage increased from 30(33) -> 35(40)
- Gains 5 Strength on the turn that he escapes
Changed Haunted Ship: now does its Haunt move on turn 2 instead of 3
Changed Toadpoles normal encounter: swapped the position of the Cultist and the Toadpole
Changed Knights encounter: swapped the position of the Spectral Knight and the Magi Knight
Buffed Infested Guardian:
- Bug Sting move damage increased from 10(12) -> 6(7)x2 damage
- Bug Sting move debuffs increased from 1 -> 2 each
Buffed Leaf Slime: HP increased from 30(31)-34(35) -> 32(33)-35(36)
Nerfed Twig Slime: HP decreased from 27(28)-29(30) -> 26(27)-28(29)
Buffed Living Fog: turn 1 Gas move now also deals 8(9) damage
Buffed Slimed Berserker: Pummeling move damage increased from 2(3)x4 -> 4(5)x4
Buffed Wasp Prism:
- Jab move damage increased from 20(21) -> 22(24)
- Pulsate Block increased from 12 -> 18(20)
- Radiate move damage and block increased from 14(16) -> 16(18)

Ancients

Changed Neow's blessings: Scavenger (one random relic) and Large Capsule (two random relics for Strike+Defend) blessings are now exclusive from each other
Buffed Vakuu's Crimson Pendant relic: Apparitions increased from 2 -> 3

Events

Changed Crystal Sphere event:
- Payment Plan option Divinations increased from 5 -> 6
- Uncover Future option Divinations decreased from 5 -> 3
Nerfed Self-Help Book event: Nimble option's Nimble enchantment decreased from 3 -> 2

Multiplayer

Nerfed Tank card: no longer stacks

Art

Added portrait art for the following cards:
Updated Doormaker art
Added new map node assets for the following bosses:
- Doormaker
Crab
Added new map node assets for the following Ancients:

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Updated art and Animation for the Architect's Room
Updated placeholder art for Vakuu Ancient
Added Goopy Impact VFX
Added Sweeping Beam VFX
When epoch slots can be clicked the effect is now purple, bigger, and layered above other epoch slots
Updated some placeholder epoch assets

User interface & experience

Boss kills required for character Epoch changed from 10 -> 15 to add more unlock order consistency
Unlocking character Epoch 4 requires defeating 15 total Elites instead of every Elite now
Added a credits screen stub
Added a portrait mask for when you're viewing epochs in the Timeline
Added Early Access disclaimer
Added past-tense localization variant for Epoch unlock requirements + show hovertips for epochs you are about to reveal
After winning the combat in Dense Vegetation event, you now immediately proceed to the map instead of going back to the event first
Players can now use numpad to select cards
Disallowed players from unlocking Epochs if there is a run in progress
The gold arrows in Epoch inspect screen now navigate to previous and next chapters. Removed chronological navigation
Hid era label in Epoch inspect
Removed Doormaker's heal intent on the turn where he escapes
Terror Eel enemy's Shriek power now displays a counter indicating its HP threshold for being stunned.
The Punch Constructs in the Punch Off event now face and punch each other until combat starts
Updated intro splash animation and how it handles cancellation
Updated logo splash color, timings, fades, and cancellation behavior
Upon opening the Timeline, if there are Epochs to reveal, center a random one
When a card is Exhausted from your draw or discard pile, it is now previewed for an extra half-second before disappearing

Writing

All Ancient relic choices now show the associated relic's name
Cleaned up Drowning Beacon event intro text
Epochs with the exception of diary entries are now written in past tense
Added text for various Epochs
Updated some Epoch text for the following characters:
Updated Epoch text for the following Ancients:
- Orobas
- Darv
Fixed various localization errors

Bug fixes

General

Card highlights are now always consistent in Choose A Card screens
Card type plaque now auto-expands when the text is too large
Fixed profile deletion crash when directory contains hidden files
Fixed an issue that made players unable to click the Exhaust button when peeking from a card selection
Fixed an issue that made it possible to un-darken the card reward background with the spacebar
Fixed not seeing accurate stats from final boss room in the run history
Fixed skipping the tiny mailbox potion not showing up in your run history
Fixed the event card count not showing up in run history
Fixed the Merchant Robes relic blocking you from looking at your deck when you purchase the Orrery relic
Fixed map icons appearing desaturated when they should be travelable
Fixed an issue where players were unable to view stats when re-opening the card library

Regent

Fixed an issue where Sovereign Blade card's Forge achievement could not be earned if a later Regent achievement was already unlocked

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Potions & Relics

Shop cards restocked by The Courier relic can no longer be on sale

Ancients

Fixed Ancient "Say Nothing" proceed prompt overlapping with the controller shortcut icon
Pael's Tooth relic description no longer overflows the relic inspection screen
The line "Is it even possible?" is now properly said by Necrobinder to Neow instead of vice versa
The line "You can trust me" is now properly said by Tezcatara to Silent instead of vice versa
Fixed incorrect speakers in Ironclad x Vakuu first visit dialogue

Multiplayer

Fur Coat relic now stacks correctly in multiplayer
Ringing affliction now only applies to the player that played the card
Vital Spark now triggers once per player in multiplayer

Performance

FMOD music banks are now loaded per-act instead of all at once
Only the selected music variant bank is loaded per act now
VFX scenes are now asynchronously loaded one at a time instead of synchronously all at once
Assets are now preloaded to reduce hitching in menus
FMOD banks are now unloaded synchronously before loading new act banks

Modding

Updated 0Harmony.dll with the MonoMod patch. Modders, please try using the built-in one again!
Changed the modded warning to red if there is an error loading any assembly

Newer: 19 Feb 2026 All patch notes Older: 5 Feb 2026

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