- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Demo Update B5.15 - 19 September 2026
Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Demo Update B5.15 The demo has been updated to B5.15, bringing it in line with the latest game update, including merchants, new headgear, and the latest bug fixes and improvements. Read the full B5.15 patch notes here. Thank you to everyone playing the demo and sharing feedback!
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Patchnotes B5.15 - 17 September 2026
Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Patchnotes B5.15 Hello Seekers! This patch roundup brings merchants, seven new pieces of headgear, and a collection of fixes and improvements shaped by your feedback. Before the notes: a huge thank-you to the kind players who have been helping me track down bugs. The fixes below started with people taking the time to report what went wrong, explain how it happened, and help me investigate. As a solo developer, that means a lot. It is wonderful to see you helping make Under a Desert Sun better, one report at a time. Merchants are open for businessYour gold has a new purpose, and that bag full of spare equipment can finally earn its keep. Visit a merchant to browse their wares, pick up an upgrade, or sell the gear you no longer need. Buy and sell weapons and equipment. Browse the merchant's stock alongside your own inventory, with item de…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - patch notes! - 16 September 2026
Just before the Early Access release, I made the decision to pull the merchant and trading system from the launch build. The foundations were there, but I wasn't happy enough with how it worked and, especially, how it controlled.I'd rather hold something back for a little longer than release a system that doesn't feel ready.After some more work, testing, and polish, I think it's ready!You can meet the merchants near Tanura City, browse their wares, spend your hard-earned gold, and finally turn unwanted equipment back into something useful.Meet the MerchantsMerchants are now available in the world and bring a proper trading loop to Under a Desert Sun.- Buy and sell equipment: Spend your gold on weapons and gear, or sell items you no longer need.- Compare your gear: Your inventory is shown alongside the merchant's stock, making it easy to inspect items, stats, and prices before making a d…
- Under a Desert Sun: Demo - 13 September 2026
It’s important to me that players trying the demo get an accurate idea of what Under a Desert Sun is like to play. So, once again, I’ve taken the time to bring many of the improvements and fixes made to the main game after launch over to the demo as well.Thank you again to everyone who has been playing and sharing feedback, ideas, bug reports, and just general kindness. So many of you have already taken the time to play the game, enjoy it, and sometimes help me find something that could be better. It genuinely helps me improve the game.Controls & Input- Improved switching between controller and keyboard/mouse. Connecting, disconnecting, or reconnecting a controller should now be handled much more reliably.- Fixed controller and mouse cursor conflicts that could cause the physical mouse to freeze or fight with the controller-driven cursor.- Improved the Force Keyboard & Mouse option. Whe…
- Under a desert sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - 12 September 2026
Thanks to player reports, I was able to track down and fix an issue with how the game handled mouse and controller input when both were available.How controls now workThe game can be played using keyboard & mouse or controllers. To make their behavior more predictable, Force Keyboard & Mouse now has a very clear purpose:- Force Keyboard & Mouse OFF: controllers are detected normally. If a controller is connected, the game can use it for gameplay and for the virtual cursor in menus. Local co-op is available when enough controllers are connected.- Force Keyboard & Mouse ON: the game operates entirely in keyboard & mouse mode and ignores all gamepad connections, including controllers connected while the game is already running.- Because controllers are ignored while Force Keyboard & Mouse is active, this mode is single-player only. Local co-op requires multiple controllers and is therefore…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - patch notes - 10 September 2026
Thanks to everyone playing, testing, and taking the time to send in feedback. It’s already helping me find things I can fix and improve, which is hugely appreciated. In this small patch:Fixed an occlusion bug near the pyramid path.Fixed several small quest text errors.Nerfed the Sawed-Off Shotgun due to excessively high damage per shell.Updated the credits. This is an ongoing process and will continue to be expanded and corrected where needed.
- Under a Desert Sun is Out Now in Early Access - 10 September 2026
Today is a dream come true.After years of planning, more than a almost 2 years of development, and countless decisions both big and small, Under a Desert Sun has officially launched into Early Access. For an overview of the game please scroll down because first I will rant a bit ;) Alright here we go..I know there is still a long way to go. But today, we celebrate a huge milestone.There were moments when this project felt impossible. Building an action RPG largely on my own while working alongside incredibly talented artists, musicians, voice actors and testers often felt like an insurmountable challenge.It means we've crossed the first threshold. More importantly, it proves that this dream can become reality.Welcome to Under a Desert SunUnder a Desert Sun is an action RPG inspired by the games that shaped my own childhood.Fight alone or together with up to four players in local co-op,…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel (DEMO) - 27 August 2026
As promised, before we move into the Early Access release on September 10, I wanted to update the demo so it better represents the game as it will be released in Early Access.I’ve made it part of the company motto that buying a game should feel fair and complete, and having a proper, representative demo is part of that promise. The same goes for things like no microtransactions or season passes, which in my opinion are often just ways to keep monetizing things that used to be included in the price of a game.This demo update is comprehensive, and I’ve included a list of the major changes below.If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll give the demo a try, consider wishlisting the game, or—if it’s September 10 or later—maybe even pick it up!The previous public demo was still running on B4.35, dating back to around October 2025. The new demo is now running on B4.98, bringing it much closer to…
- Under a Desert Sun - Development Update – The Daunting Final Stretch - 15 July 2026
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 do…
- The prologue of ARPG Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - 12 June 2026
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: Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Small dev update - 3 June 2026
Small development updateI’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.Thats better!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…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - 28 May 2026
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: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.I’m still waiting on the final voice acting batches for Act 1. Once those are in, I can properly finish and…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Early Access release soon! - 19 May 2026
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.What will be there: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 implemente…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the cursed Vessel - Home stretch! - 29 April 2026
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 a 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…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - 14 March 2026
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-opSo 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 dungeonOnce those pieces are complete, Act…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Major update demo and beta - 13 March 2026
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 & FixesExpanded Voice ActingAll 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…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the cursed Vessel: Beta Update - 4 March 2026
🚀 Performance First — Preparing for Early AccessAs many of you know, I’ve been focusing heavily on performance improvements before moving further into new story content and major gameplay additions.My approach is simple: Every time I add significant new content, I follow it up with a dedicated performance optimization pass to make sure the game remains smooth and stable.During the latest dungeon expansion, it became clear that the new content was placing considerable load on both the GPU and CPU. That exposed several areas where deeper optimization was necessary.I’m very glad we addressed this now. These improvements directly benefit the Early Access release, because my goal is simple:👉 I want as many people as possible to be able to play comfortably.My standard lower-end test machine — my beloved Steam Deck — now runs the game extremely well.We are now consistently above 40 FPS every…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Beta update 4.10 - 5 February 2026
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 ContentAdded 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 TechnologyIntroduced shield technology for enemies and bosses.Certain enemies can now be shielded, preventing damage until the shield is broken, e…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - News update - 18 January 2026
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 player…
- Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel: News update! - 16 January 2026
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 more props, set dressing, and environmental detail to reinforce the atmosphere of the Dweller dungeon.Alongside that, 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 gives the dungeon more interactive moments beyond combat and helps pace exploration a bit more.In addition, I’ve built some underlying tech to support randomization of essential object placement within the dungeon. This system allows key elements — such as certain puzzle components or entrances to the second level — to spawn at different predefined locations each time you enter.The goal here is to ensure that repeat runs through the dungeon feel sligh…
