- Sep 9 Game Update: The Endgame Darkness and Enemy Possession - 9 September 2026
Hey everyone,Two big ones this week: the end of a match is now a wall of darkness sweeping the dungeon, and dying no longer takes you out of the run. It puts you inside an enemy.The DarknessThe last thirty seconds used to be the clock hitting zero. Now the dungeon goes dark, starting at the farthest room from where you spawned and closing on the exit. Rooms strobe before they go, lights and campfires fade out as the front passes over them, and standing in the dark takes your health away fast enough that you will not survive crossing much of it. Monsters die to it the same as you do. The escape door stays lit, so the one thing you are running toward is still findable when everything else is gone.Running out of time is no longer an ending on its own. The clock reaching zero just means the whole map is dark and the damage is everywhere, and the match keeps going until every last person is…
- Aug 26 Game Update - 27 August 2026
Hey everyone,Three big ones this week: every item now has a weight, weapon and shield stats have been rebuilt, and the HUD got a serious pass.Heads up before you read on: we had to wipe everyone's inventories with this update. More on that at the bottom.Everything Has a WeightEvery item you pick up now has a weight, and carrying more slows you down. One point of weight is one percent slower, with no floor, so load all the way up and you will stop moving. Relics weigh 20 each, which makes the run's payday cost real mobility. Keys have a weight too. Only your fists are free.A full bag is now an actual decision. Take the second relic and crawl to the exit, or drop something and actually make it out?Bots play by the same rules. They weigh an item's value against its drag, refuse pickups that would slow them to a crawl, and think twice about fights they couldn't walk away from.Weapon and Shi…
- Aug 12 Game Update - 12 August 2026
A Big One (Mostly Because There's a Lot of It)Hey everyone,This update is large, not because any single change is massive, but because there's a lot packed in here. New relic, nameplates, item rarity rework, and a long list of smaller fixes and improvements. This one's a bit of a crazy update behind the scenes too: 24 bugs and features shipped, and at least two nights where the team was up until 4am to get it all done. Let's get into it.A New Relic: the Storm GlobeThere's a new relic in the dungeon: the Storm Globe. It gives the boss a unique ranged ability, and if you manage to find and pick it up, that power becomes yours too. As long as you're holding it, you're immune to that attack and you'll wreak havoc on anyone near you. Just be careful, because holding it also makes you a target.As part of this change, we've renamed what used to be called "Treasures" to "Relics." They're now ex…
- Game update: Aug 5 - 5 August 2026
Hey everyone,Smaller update this time around, but a few of these are things you've been asking for. Boss health bar, better item info, and the dungeon just got a little less predictable.Boss Health BarWhen you're in the boss room, you can now see how much health the boss has left. No more guessing whether you're about to finish the fight or whether you're still nowhere close.Item Rarities and Stats in the InventoryThe inventory bar now shows an item's rarity along with its full stats. No more guessing which item is actually the upgrade. Compare at a glance and make the call with real information instead of a hunch. We've also added a zoom highlight on the selected item, so it's much easier to see exactly which one you've got selected.Dead EndsNot every corridor leads somewhere anymore. Some corridors are now dead ends, and some rooms may have a wall where you'd normally expect a door. T…
- Game update: July 29 - 30 July 2026
Hey everyone,This is a big one. Bots, smarter enemies, fog of war, and a full objectives overhaul. Let's get into it.Bots Have Joined the DungeonWe know the deal: Few Shall Return is built around player interaction, and it's just a better game with 3+ people in the room. But we also know that public matchmaking doesn't always cooperate, and sometimes you queue up and there just aren't enough players around to fill a run.That ends today. Bots will now automatically fill empty slots in public matchmaking whenever there aren't enough humans to go around, so you're never stuck waiting on a lobby that won't fill.Hosting a private match? You're in control. You can decide if bots join at all, and how many you want alongside your friends.These aren't filler AI standing around waiting to be shot. Each bot is built with its own personality, and that personality actually shapes how it plays: how a…
- Few Shall Return is now in Early Access - 21 July 2026
We started working on Few Shall Return full time in November 2024. Back then we were hoping to release in August 2025. It's now almost a year later than we planned, but we're happy (and honestly a little relieved) to say that Few Shall Return is live in Early Access today.Ballard Games is three people: Joul on marketing, Solomon on design, and Victor on tech. But this game is not just three people's work. Lauri, Sarah, Cliff, Jason, Jessica, and Ethan all contributed code, design, or ideas at different points along the way, and we want to thank them here.Where things stand todayEarly Access isn't a finish line, it's a starting point. It means we've reached a place where we genuinely believe the game gives you enough to enjoy right now, and enough reason to stick around for what's coming.It also means something else: Few Shall Return is bootstrapped and self-published. There's no publish…
- Jun 12 Demo Update - 11 June 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 We're excited to push our final build before Next Fest. Yes, we're going in Next Fest! Boss difficultyIf you recall, a few weeks ago we released Relics which are special, unique items that you find on the map. They cannot be taken out of the map for future games, but if you find one of them, they give you some serious buffs for that game. Until today, relics were just for players. We're changing that: relics are now linked to the boss. Until players find them, the boss is connected to the relics and gets their power. So, you can try to rush for the boss and YOLO it, or you can do a bit of exploration to weaken the boss first -- both are valid approaches! As long as the boss has a shield around them, they're still connected to one or more relics. Use the lightning to figure out where the connected Relics are.New ROSTER editor (part 2)Last week, we introduced…
- Jun 3 Demo Update - 3 June 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 We have a new demo build for you! Here's what's new:Item raritiesUntil now, if you found a Stone Hammer in the dungeon it would always have the same stats: 100 damage. Finding a second hammer was not really fun.Today, we're introducing item rarities which make every instance of an item unique. Each item, randomly, spawns in one of the 4 rarities:CommonRareLegendaryEpicEach rarity will change items in a good and/or bad way, and no two items will be the same. You can see the stats of an item in your inventory or in the side card.Right now, you can only see the new stats while in a game game, but not in the roster editor. This feature is still in development but we wanted to give you early access to it. Next week's build will include the roster changes and we'll share more details and how rarities actually work.Try it and let us know what you think.New LANGUAG…
- May 28 Demo Update - 28 May 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 It's been only 6 days since the last update but we have some exciting changes for you today!New ROSTER editorYou can now see in the main menu which character you have selected and their inventory!The character selection screen gives you a preview of the characters as well:Did you know that our two characters have back stories? You can read them on the character editor screenPS: More characters will be available in the future.New LANGUAGES (again)Last week we finalized the translations for Romanian and French. This week we're adding 2 more languages: Brazilian Portuguese and Simplified Chinese.What's Next?Over the next couple weeks we'll be releasing a lot of QOL, polishes, and a surprise new challenge.As always, please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/ballardgames -- The Ballard Games Team
- May 22 Demo Update - 22 May 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 We've got some big changes for you today, along with a handful of quality of life changes that have been in the works for some time!EMOTESEver since we started Few Shall Return, we knew that players need a way to chat with each other. Today, we are finally releasing Emotes so you can communicate with each other. There are 15 static ones and one that allows you to show the selected item from your inventory. Show us creative ways of saying things!New LANGUAGESWe've started localizing the game! Today we're releasing French and Romanian which are languages spoken by members of our team. We plan to eventually support 10 languages, including Simplified Chinese and Spanish.Input GLYPHSUntil now, we were just showing text for input buttons like "Left Click" or "A". Now, we've switched to a more visual approach that shows the actual button representation.Keyboard/Mo…
- May 6 Demo Update - 6 May 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 We've got a MAJOR visual change for you today, along with a handful of quality of life changes that have been in the works for some time!NEW Environment AssetsOur artist's been hard at work building new environmental assets to better fit the dungeon! New walls and variations for them were built and implemented, along with new variations for the floor tiles!NEW DoorsWe've given all the doors in the game a face lift as well!A NEW Way To See Through WallsGet a better view of the battlefield, while still being able to admire the walls!RECOLORED AssetsAll environment assets which weren't replaced had their texture color temperature adjusted, to better fit with the cool tones of our new walls and floors.Before:After:Keys AUTO-SUBMITPreviously, in order to submit keys to the puzzle door, you needed to scroll through your inventory and select them one by one, press…
- Apr 22 Demo Update - 22 April 2026
Hi Everyone!👋 We've got some pretty impactful bug fixes and performance boosts for you this week, across a few different systems! NEW minimapThe previous minimap did the job, but was generally noisy to look at. Also, as it's camera based, the old minimap would duplicate lighting effects, potentially obstructing view and generally impacting performance. This system was replaced with one where floor tiles know how to render themselves on the minimap, and do so with an unlit tile which isn't visible with the main scene camera.FASTER RosterThe roster used to validate against the server each time an item is moved between inventories. Now, these changes are batched, and only sent off once the roster screen is closed. This should keep the same general behavior in the roster screen, while making equipping characters near instant.Forward+ RendererThe project's officially changed from the defaul…
- Apr 15 Demo Update - 15 April 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers!👋 We've got a smaller update for you today, with a couple smaller bugfixes, and one BIG change for melee weapons! Also, to get us started, we've got a new trailer for your viewing pleasure: What's new in combat?Weapon VFX was adjusted to match the actual range of the weapon! Before, character outlines were the main source of truth on if an attack would land, which was confusing and unreliable. Now, we're keeping track of the actual width of the attack vfx, and position it so that if the vfx hits the enemy, then you'll also be doing damage.With this fix in place, it became obvious that the reach of melee weapons was much lower than expected, so all melee weapons got a ~1/2 meter effective range increase with this change.Bug fixes Updated the positioning of mini-map indicators, so that they show up above the item regardless of item orientationFixed the orientat…
- Apr 10 Demo Update - 10 April 2026
Hi Everyone!👋 We've got a big update today, with some new mechanical upgrades and format tweaks! With no further ado: TREASURES for those who seek themIntroducing, the treasures system! If you've been craving the dark power the dungeon promises, look no further than these treasures. There's only one of each to be found on the map, so make sure to fight for them if you want the powers they grant! As for the powers, every treasure offers an initial power boost. Additionally, as you kill enemies and explore the dungeon, you'll get an extra scaling buff for that much extra impact. Treasures can be found by following the treasure chest icon on the map, or killing another player who happens to be carrying one. CURSED CHALICE You can find the chalice in the throne room, sitting next to the throne itself. Whoever gets to the boss room first has a chance to snatch it from under the boss's nose,…
- Apr 1 Demo Update - 2 April 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers! 🏰 Today may be April First, but I assure you this update is no joke! And, neither is the new difficulty scaling for the inner dungeon! Additionally, the settings screen should now be controller navigable.Difficulty ScalingTo help make the inner dungeon the formidable challenge we've imagined, we've implemented difficulty scaling for everything past that initial triply-locked door. That means if you choose to push onward, you can expect to find the skeletons guarding the loot a bit sturdier than the ones you're used to! Take advantage of stuns when you're able to and spacing when you're not, and you should still be able to come out on top. You should, at least... or maybe those locks were there for your protection?New LogoThe new logo, which you may have seen on the Steam page, is now used across scenes in the game itself! Take a look, I'm a big fan of how it…
- Mar 25 Update - 26 March 2026
Hi Everyone!👋We've got some new tutorialization for you! Along with the usual bugfixes and tweaks, you now get toast-style tutorialization pop-ups to explain game elements as you come across themWhat's new in combat?Hammers (notably, Mealnir) now have a more appropriate dust cloud visual effect and an overhead swing. The effect reacts to lights, too!Enemies now give you XP when killed!What else is new?Background refactoring of the map generator, for changes to come!Toasts!New icons! These are used in the toasts AND the minimap!Tutorial ToastsAdded tutorialization toasts, with a settings checkbox to disable them. You should get toasts:On game connect, telling you how to moveOn game start, telling you to find the keysOn seeing a key, telling you to pick it upOn seeing the inner dungeon door - if you don't have a key, it tells you to find them and come backOn seeing the inner dungeon door…
- Mar 18 Update - 19 March 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers! 👋We've got a good handful of bug fixes for you, along with new tutorialization and added combat feedback to make the game easier to pick up than ever! What's new in combat?To give options for Molokhia players to approach enemies with ranged attacks, Molokhia's slides now grant a brief stun on impact!Stunning or interrupting an enemy with an attack now gives you feedback text! What about that tutorialization?The inventory bar now has text hints for all valid control inputs, along with the stat readouts and usage descriptions! This should be reactive to your chosen keybindings Bug fixesDashing is now properly synced for clients, making starting a dash significantly more responsive!Losing input focus in the gameplay menu and main menu now selects a default UI elementRemoved input selection buttons from the gameplay menu, they're no longer needed as input select…
- Mar 04 Demo Update - 5 March 2026
Hi Everyone!👋Maps, maps everywhereInitially, we were planning on having only one map for the demo. However, after careful consideration, we've decided to increase that number. Starting today, there are 3 maps that randomly rotate when you start a game. As a reminder: the final, full game will have an infinite amount of maps because they are procedurally generated.Bug fixesIncreased the hitbox size for various items to make them easier to pick upEnemies don't slide anymore while stunnedThe "BLOCKED"/"DODGE" was missing in the previous build. That's fixed now What's next?We'll most likely skip next week's update because of GDC. If you're in the San Francisco area, ping us to say hi. As always, please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/ballardgames-- The Ballard Games Team
- Feb 25 Update - 26 February 2026
Greetings, dungeon delvers! ⚔With this week's update, we bring a close to this wave of combat and aim adjustments. Introducing: Auto Aim!No longer will Sprout fire shot after shot at enemies, hoping to land a hit that never happens! To bring this game more in line with the kinds of skill checks the genre generally demands, we're eliminating fine aiming as a player requirement with auto aim.We also added a selection outline, to make it clear which target you're aiming at! What's new in combat?Blocking now generates a stun! If you raise your shield in time, you'll have an extra second or so to reposition yourself to avoid future hits. Bug fixesEnemies no longer get caught on colliders of other dead enemiesFixed an issue where client players were sliding instead of animating properlyFiring ranged weapons when right up against a target no longer spawns the projectile on the opposite side of…
- Feb 18 Update - 19 February 2026
Hi Everyone!👋We've got a couple more combat changes for you, along with fixes to make aiming more fun and consistent! What's new in combat?Attacks now slow you down. Molokhia's hammer slows him down more than a sword would, and Sprout needs to stop to fully aim his pistol shots!Players now use a sideways and backwards walk animation as needed, this can be seen if you're attacking in one direction and moving in another.Melee attack VFX is now projected out by the equipped weapon's attack range, allowing easier judging of distance.Players now change direction for movement and aiming instantly, instead of being restricted by interpolation.Controller players can now aim with the right stick. What else is new?The boss room is now filled with mysterious fog!A resume button was added to the gameplay pause interface. Bug fixesSwitching two keybinding no longer activates both actions when used.…
