- Steam Patch Notes — Mid-Game Overhaul + Research UI Upgrade + End-Tier Unlock - 1 February 2026
Mid-Game Event RebalanceThe mid-game has been fully re-tuned to feel fairer, punchier, and more consistently rewarding.Rebalanced middle-tier events to reduce abrupt difficulty spikes.Smoothed out the harshest RNG swings so outcomes feel less “all-or-nothing.”Reworked reward scaling to better match the risk and your current progression.Improved event pacing so the mid-game now transitions more cleanly into late-game power growth.Research Improvements — UI Fix PassResearch is now cleaner, clearer, and more reliable.Fixed multiple research UI issues affecting display, refresh behavior, and interaction.Improved consistency of research state updates after unlocks/purchases.Cleaned up UI behavior to prevent misclicks, overlap, and blocked interactions.Progression Fix — Final Upgrade Tier Now ReachableThis one is critical: if you were previously blocked from the top end of progression, that’s…
- PATCH 1.1 Applying your feedback - 17 December 2025
Hey everyone!,It has been amazing to read your feedback on the game ! Please remember if you want to be actively involved with how the studio develops do reach out trough discord!This patch is a compilation of some of the main issues that you have reported to me on issues or how to improve the game!. It fixes several UI problems, a few save/load issues, and two major progression blockers that were stopping runs.🔧 Bug FixingFixed the Main Menu Settings button not spawning correctly at certain resolutions.Fixed close buttons on building panels spawning outside the screen.Fixed bug preventing closing a building panel when the beast life bar is spawned.Fixed tutorial boxes triggering all at once when loading a saved game.Removed the legacy Wishlist button that was still showing on the Game Over screen.⛏️ ProgressionFixed difficulty scaling getting stuck at 175 Mythril, so difficulty contin…
- DRILL RIFT 1.0 – The definitive descent into the abyss is ready - 10 December 2025
Hey everyone,Today’s the day: DRILL RIFT is officially out of development and fully released.After countless runs, balance passes, and bug hunts in the dark, I'm finally ready to share the definitive version of the game with you. I'm genuinely excited to see how deep you can push this thing. ⛏️💥🌌 Final Biomes & Depth ProgressionThe underground is now in its release-ready form:Locked-in biome progression – Each run is a true descent through distinct layers, not just a flat string of rooms.Depth-based difficulty & rewards – The deeper you go, the nastier it gets… and the better the loot. High risk, high reward. 💰Smoothed pacing – Early depths are more forgiving and onboarding-focused, deeper tiers steadily ramp pressure and danger.This is the depth curve we built the game around, finally fully in place.⚖️ Final Balance PassWe’ve gone through the game’s numbers with a fine-toothed comb:…
- Depths Unlocked — Biomes & Balance - 19 November 2025
Biomes & Depth (Early) — world refresh & progression The first pass of our new biome and depth progression system is live. Runs now push through distinct layers of the underground, with difficulty and rewards scaling as you drill deeper. This is a foundations-first release to validate the new structure and pacing; expect follow-up tuning and content drops soon. ⚙️✨ NewCompletely New BiomesFresh underground layers with their own visuals, encounters, and pacing.Biomes are ordered in a progression so runs feel more like a descent through a hostile world than a flat series of rooms.Depth Progression: The More You Drill, The Deeper You GoEach successful drill run now increases how far you can descend with unique biomes appearing.Deeper tiers come with tougher events, higher risks, and better potential rewards.Progress is tuned to feel meaningful but not grindy in this first pass (this will b…
- Runes Arrive — Unleashed (formerly “Items Update”) - 27 October 2025
Rune System (Early) — formerly “Items Update”The first pass of the Rune System is live. You can now engrave runes on your drills to gain customizable power-ups tied to roll outcomes and other conditions. This is a barebones implementation to validate the core loop; expect rapid iteration this week. ⚙️✨ NewRune Engraving: Attach runes to your drill to modify behavior and rewards.Conditional Effects: Triggers on specific conditions (e.g., strong success/overroll thresholds) for targeted boosts.Foundations Only: Systems, UI, and balance are minimal by design in this pass.🐛 Bug Fix PassStability and performance improvements. UI cleanup in several panels.Fixed assorted event-logic edge cases.Minor localization fixes.⚠️ Notes / Limitations Content is not final: effects, numbers, and UX will change. Limited rune variety in this build. Balance is placeholder.🔭 What’s Next More drilling event…
- Update: More Languages, Better Balance, and a Smoother Drilling - 8 October 2025
Big update this time — Drill Rift is now fully playable in Spanish! 🌎 We’ve also cleaned up a bunch of bugs, tweaked the balance, and gave parts of the UI a well-deserved makeover. Things should feel smoother, clearer, and just a bit nicer all around.⚙️ New & Updated Stuff Spanish Localization — the whole game now speaks Spanish! Every menu, event, and tooltip has been translated with care.UI Touch-Ups — some areas of the interface have been reworked to look cleaner and be easier to use.Balancing Pass — resource costs, production, and event outcomes have been adjusted for better pacing.Bug Fixes — lots of small issues squashed to make the experience smoother.🪓 What’s Next Items — I'm working on a full item system to tie up closely with the recent beast killing patch. Stay tuned!Localization Expansion — I'm looking into what other languages to translate the game to! If there’s another…
- DRILL RIFT UPDATE – CONTROL THE DEPTHS - 29 September 2025
Hey everyone!This update marks a major shift in how you command your expedition. Force Drilling is here — a powerful new option that gives you far more control over how you manage your outpost and shape your strategy. By spending half the usual amount of coal, you can push the drill deeper, but at a cost: the drill itself takes damage in the process. It’s a high-risk, high-reward choice that lets you decide whether to conserve resources or protect your machinery.Over the past week I’ve rolled out a series of smaller patches, and it’s time to highlight everything that’s been added and improved:⚒️ New & Updated FeaturesForce Drilling — drill for half the coal cost, but damage your drill in return. A risky way to stretch resources and adjust your strategy.Resource Rebalancing — a complete pass on resources for a fairer, smoother progression.Lighting Improvements — crisis events are now eas…
- The Beast Update - 23 September 2025
DRILL RIFT UPDATE – THE BEAST RISES A unique new encounter, UI improvements, and more!Hey everyone!First off, a huge thank you to everyone who played the demo and sent us feedback. Your thoughts have been incredibly helpful, and we’ve already put some of them into action.This update brings one of the biggest additions yet: THE BEAST — a unique, punishing encounter that will test your planning and your dwarves’ sanity. Prepare to gain madness and face down a monster unlike anything else in the rift.We’ve also reworked the Shipments UI, making it clearer and more noticeable, plus added warning systems so you’ll always know when a shipment is on the way.🔨 Currently in the WorksClick-to-skip dice rolls for smoother pacing.Tutorial improvements to help new players get started.Balancing adjustments to accommodate the new monster encounter.Sound settings rework so you can adjust button volume…
- DRILL RIFT DEMO OUT NOW - 16 September 2025
Hey everyone!The demo for Drill Rift is finally here! I’ve been working on this project solo for a while now, and it feels great (and a little scary) to finally put it in your hands.I’d really love to hear what you think — what works, what doesn’t, and what kind of features or ideas you’d like to see as the game grows. Your feedback will help shape where Drill Rift goes next.Thanks for giving it a shot, and I hope you enjoy digging into the rift!WHAT TO EXPECTDrill Rift is inspired by retro management games and a bit of Dungeons & Dragons flavor. I wouldn’t call it a super hard game, but it will punish you if you don’t plan ahead.It’s a turn-based management game where you drill whenever you can and deal with events that pop up, forcing you to assign and manage your dwarves. Each dwarf has different stats, and if one of them runs out of motivation — it’s game over.Resources are key. You…
- Dwarf strategy game Drill Rift shamelessly mines Baldur's Gate 3's dice rolls - 5 September 2025
It's not often that you see a lot of crossover between strategy games and RPGs. Perhaps both will involve turn-based combat, or may touch on similar themes. But new strategy game Drill Rift has gone for a different approach: shamelessly mining Baldur's Gate 3's dice rolling mechanic. Put your pitchfork away, I'm not suggesting that Baldur's Gate invented rolling-that was obviously James Workshop in 1983-but the presentation of the D20 mechanic is practically identical in the two games. Read the rest of the story...
