- Progress with Loop - 2 March 2025
According to the new roadmap, I planned to finish the new game loop by the end of February. This, however, turned out to be a much bigger task than I had expected. Therefore, this update will be delayed a couple of weeks, but it seems fair to give you an overview of what is coming. The most important new feature is the spaceship hub. Eventually, it should become a place full of activities and upgrades (mostly planned for the future "home" iteration), but at first, it will be a location to receive quests and choose the next mission planet. The final layout still requires work, but I am getting happy with the feel of this space, which is made better by the new ray tracing-based lighting (although it could also run in real-time, I have decided to render it once and only update when the lighting is changing to reduce the GPU load). The new loop will be around shorter extraction missions whe…
- Terraria style sandbox game Blastronaut adds new biome and mystery black holes - 5 January 2025
Blowing things up is one of the most fun parts of Terraria, and sandbox games in general, so solo indie developer 'Perfoon' decided to make it the core of the experience. Blastronaut is a 2D blend of platforming, mining, base building, upgrading gear, and combat. Rather than gradually tinking your way through the dirt and rocks with a pickaxe, however, you employ explosive gel, bombs, and lasers to carve through the environment and enemies alike. The game's first update of 2025 introduces a new biome featuring mysterious black holes, as Perfoon details a full roadmap towards its launch out of early access. Read the rest of the story...
- Hotfix 0.5.4 - 4 January 2025
Fixes: 1. Various multiplayer client-side crashes fixed 2. Correct map icon added to the "sparky" (fish-like creature) enemy Changes: 1. Frequency of black holes increased 2. Faulty testing scenario removed from the new game list
- Update 0.5.3 Gates - 4 January 2025
The Gates update brings teleportation gates that allow you to jump to another place in the world. Also, there is a new Mesa biome with mysterious black holes. How to enter it, and what lies on the other side? This update is the first stepping stone of this year of development. It does not change the game drastically but adds a bit of extra content. The teleportation system will be expanded in the future, likely requiring the player to obtain specific resources to use. Still, since I wanted everyone to experience it, I did not complicate it any further. List of new features: 1. Teleportation gates 2. Mesa biome (requires a fitting alien type in the future) 3. Black holes appearing in the Mesa biome 4. New weapon received through black holes 5. Difficulty options when creating a new game List changes: 1. Swarm respawning temporarily disabled (due to being annoying) Fixed bugs: 1. Various…
- 2025 Roadmap - 1 January 2025
Happy New Year! After quite a lengthy pause, I will continue working on Blastronaut through 2025. I apologise to everyone who was disappointed with the recent lack of updates, and I will try to make it up this year. Since the original roadmap ended in 2023, I have had time to analyse the current issues and develop a plan to move forward. I will present my roadmap for finishing the game and explain the upcoming changes. These changes are going to be significant, and the game feel can be quite different in the end. Still, as far as I can see, they are necessary to breathe new life into the game and hopefully create a better flow for both the new and the experienced players. First, let me briefly explain the current issues that the game has and what makes them difficult to solve. After all, the last updates in 2023 were directed towards solving some of these issues, but in hindsight, the s…
- Patch 0.5.2 - 15 August 2023
This patch fixes a couple of bugs and crashes introduced in the last update. Fixes: 1. Crash caused by swarms fixed 2. Crash when setting home on antenna fixed 3. Swarm performance improved 4. Swarm despawns after 2 minutes when farther away from the player 5. Drill not crafting fixed 6. Module slots remaining open after construction mode is closed fixed 7. Random explosions fixed 8. Alien biome mines fixed
- BLASTRONAUT Update 4 - Swarm - 6 August 2023
BLASTRONAUT has successfully finished its first year in Early Access, and to celebrate this milestone, we have just released yet another major update that adds quite a bit more action to the game. Here is a summary of what has been added: Swarm of ravagers have arrived, demolishing bases and keeping the player on its toes. At the beginning of the game, the swarm is asleep, but once it awakens, it will spice up the mid- and late-game. An additional mission is added that introduces the new swarm mechanics to the player Luckily, the player can also build Turrets to protect his bases. The turret has various weapon types and more ammo crafting for the player. The player's inventory can now be scrolled in the map view, and more important resources can be pinned such that they are always shown on the top. Many more minor balancing changes were made; for example, the player movement should not…
- Patch 0.4.2 - 13 July 2023
Thanks to everyone who played the last update and left feedback; we have fixed some issues that came with it. New features: 1. Research completes when the player is farther from the research station. 2. Notification of research complete. 3. Minor booth tasks added to the quest panel so players can switch between them. 4. Research displaying module stats. Changes: 1. The quests are set active after they are accepted in the booth; opening the quest tree is no longer necessary. (This does not apply to the satellite repair quest that teaches the player how to navigate to the quest tree). Fixes: 1. Dropped resources sometimes disappear. 2. Crash on starting a task with a radius area. 3. Inventory slots display the wrong tool. 4. Quest gets stuck when the antenna is activated beforehand. 5. Research not unlocking after it is finished (further testing is required to confirm that the bug is fix…
- Content update 0.4.1 - 6 July 2023
A new regular update has just landed and comes with many fixes, changes and additions to the game. So here is the summary of new exciting content that has been added to the game. The beginning of the game got overhauled and now has three new missions. Each comes with a little storyline, shows different game areas and unlocks new mechanics. These missions also introduce new items and locations to the game world, providing resources for different unlocks even after completing the story mission. These will not remain the only ones as, for future updates, we have already planned more. The missions and achievements are now tied to a unified quest tree. This should help to provide direction in case you don't know what to do next. As for the missions, we also plan to expand the tree as the game develops. The water biome got new plants, and a new fish-type enemy called Sparky. It is not the mos…
- Explosive exploration-mining game BLASTRONAUT gets a watery upgrade - 11 May 2023
BLASTRONAUT is a bit of an indie gem, a mining exploration game about blowing up the world beneath you to collect resources. The latest update is a bit wet. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/05/explosive-exploration-mining-game-blastronaut-gets-a-watery-upgrade
- BLASTRONAUT Update 3 - Aqueous - 6 May 2023
Today the third major update for BLASTORNAUT is released. Aqueous adds the liquid system and overhauls the construction system. It also brings new machines and drones for experimental automation, so we are eager to hear your feedback. Here is a summary of what has been added: Liquid simulation adds more character to the world. Although it is not yet final and will receive additional improvements in the upcoming patches, we have put much effort into optimization, ensuring it will run well even on the Steam Deck. Drill and pump machines New large-scale machines allow producing the fuel and minerals on an industrial scale. However, they can not be built anywhere; instead, the player still needs to do some exploration. Drone automatization The modules introduced in the last patch can now be attached to all the crafting stations as well. This includes the drone modules that can now carry res…
- We are at GDC 2023 - 23 March 2023
We are showing the BLASTRONAUT game on a big screen at GDC. It will be there today (Thursday) from 10AM - 12PM and 14PM-16PM local time. And also tomorrow (Friday) from 10AM - 12AM. See you soon!
- Patch 0.3.2 - 5 February 2023
Since the companion update, we have received quite a lot of feedback, big thanks to everyone who tested it. We tried to address those issues in this patch and polish the overall experience. New features: 1. Info panels for equipment and resources that machines are producing. 2. Confirmation dialogue on building deletion, 3. New sounds added for machine deletion, exiting build mode and debris falling on the ground. Fixes: 1. Ongoing research got stuck when the machine was destroyed, 2. Crafting resources were lost when the machine was destroyed, 3. Bombs and rockets did not collide with enemies, 4. Crash after loading controls after they were reset. Changes: 1. Floater core bomb explosion radius decreased - due to being overpowered. 2. Jetpack fuel consumption increased between 50% and 80% - because the passive fuel leak was removed in the last update, it should balance out the fuel cons…
- Hotfix 0.3.1 - 28 January 2023
Patch notes: 1. Bugfix: some enemies not dying after loading a previous save 2. Bugfix: weapon colour and beam effect getting stuck when switching weapons 3. Unstuck: buttons for respawning (killing the player) and restoring the default weapon and jetpack added to the settings menu I have received feedback that the jetpack and weapon might be missing after loading a game. It is not normal behaviour and should not happen to most players. I assume it might be caused by loading a game with a different set of mods enabled compared to when the save was made. If the related equipment is not found in the data, it can't be added to the player. If you encounter this issue, please use the "restore equipment" button in the settings menu.
- BLASTRONAUT Companion Update - 27 January 2023
The second major update for BLASTRONAUT is here. The Companion improves many areas of the game. It adds a toolbar, new equipment stations, buildable modules, persistent resources, directional audio, drones, building deletion, and more. Here is a quick overview of things that have been added. Toolbar allows carrying three different tools at the same time. Equipment stations are player-built machines that provide quick access to any unlocked jetpack and tool. These can be fitted with multiple modules that give different benefits. Any building can be marked for deletion. If something gets misplaced, try again. All the resources are now persistent, which means they do not disappear when the player goes away. The resource pickup radius has been decreased, but the player can now acquire drones (through modules) that will collect the resources themselves. The nearby players will also share the…
- Upcoming Companion Update & Base Builder Fest - 23 January 2023
It has been almost three months since the last update called "Darkness". This means it is time to announce the next major update called "Companion", The Companion update will land this Friday - 27th of January 2023. It will focus on improving the usability of many equipment-related systems to provide a more fun experience overall. Here is a short overview of what is coming. Update 2 - Companion Finally, the buildings can be removed in construction mode. However, they are not deleted instantly but marked for deletion and destroyed once the user exits the construction mode. This method should decrease the likelihood of accidental destruction. Another often-requested feature is the ability to carry multiple tools, and I'm happy to say it is now ready. There are also new buildings for storing and quickly accessing the purchased equipment. And the reworked jetpacks will provide new means of…
- Hotfix 0.2.1 - 28 October 2022
Patch notes: 1. Bugfix: beam weapons not firing after loading the game 2. Bugfix: crafting stations showing negative values after loading the game 3. Bugfix: sky color suddenly changes when moving around the world
- BLASTRONAUT Darkness Update - 27 October 2022
The first major update for BLASTRONAUT has landed. The Darkness adds a fog of war, a map, and new worm aliens to the game. As well as many smaller improvements. The darkness will limit the player's view and hide the treasures and aliens underground. It also works well in co-op allowing friends to clear the map for each other. The minimap helps to find the way back home but only shows the cleared areas. Worms are new enemies lurking in the dark but can be detected from afar by the sound they are making when munching on blocks. These new features are made to complement each other and will make the exploration more interesting and rewarding. To allow these new features, the underlying systems for storing blocks have also changed. The new system is much faster and will not slow down even when traveling very long distances. However, it also required the save system redesign and therefore the…
- EA Roadmap & Darkness update - 21 October 2022
Almost 3 months have passed since BLASTRONAUT launched Early Access. We would like to thank everyone who has supported the game and left feedback. Finally, we have finished the Early Access roadmap, which includes both much-requested quality-of-life improvements as well as new and exciting gameplay features. Here it is: Update 1 - Darkness The first major update is about to launch on the 27th of October (less than a week left). And it will change the feel of the game considerably. First, it will introduce the Darkness or Fog of War that will make the exploration more exciting. Secondly, it will add the most requested feature - a map. It only displays the explored area and shows buildings, aliens and other players in the world. Finally, the underlying systems for storing and chunking the game world have been completely reworked. This will improve the performance of the game and the game…
- Steam Workshop - 0.1.8 modding support - 7 August 2022
Steam Workshop and player-made mods are now officially available with this patch. Although the menu has already been accessible for a few days, it was mostly intended for testing. With the release of this patch, there are also two new example mods from Permuvich: 1. PCORP Prototype Minigun - adds a new type of weapon to the game. 2. PCORP Prototype Beam Drone - adds a custom drone hunt scenario with some beam drones. Patch notes Editor improvements: 1. Color picker field added. 2. Sound file preview added when selecting sounds from the file panel. 3. Explosion and machine animations support custom packages. 4. Editor UI theme updated to show correct button images. 5. Option to add multiple enemies per biome. 6. Option to decrease the projectile bounce velocity through bounce coefficient. Gameplay changes: 7. Gel projectiles are now damaging enemies. 8. Gel projectiles are now damaging o…
