What’s Next for Sylvan Tactics?

There’s a lot to keep track of lately with Sylvan Tactics. If you’ve been following us, you might be wondering how close are we to release? Well, unfortunately that’s quite a ways off yet, but there’s still a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

Here’s a look at what we’re focused on next:

🧪 More Playtesting at Protospiel Online and Gen Con
We’ll be playtesting the game at Protospiel Online in May and at the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con in August. We loved participating in Protospiel Kansas City, and we can’t wait to see the cool stuff people have been working on for the virtual event. And of course GenCon will be the main event of the Summer. These events are critical for refining game balance and clarity, and we’re excited to hear what players think of the latest changes.

♟️ Tabletop Simulator Version Coming Soon
We’ve had a privately playable version of the game on Tabletopia for a while now, but we’re aiming to finish a Tabletop Simulator version by the end of May. This will also only be available to private playtesters (join our Discord to find out how to get involved with a playtest), but it will give us even more flexibility for testing mechanics, showcasing updates, and bringing the game to digital game nights. The free public versions probably won’t be available until closer to our eventual crowdfunding campaign.

🖼️ Halfway to a Full Deck of Art by September
Our incredible artist, Kalinina, has been cranking out 10 new illustrations each month. By September 2025, we’re on track to have 50% of the final card art completed. This will be a huge visual milestone that makes everything feel more real.

💻 Standalone Digital Alpha by October
Development is underway for a standalone digital version of Sylvan Tactics, and we’re targeting a playable alpha build by October. This early version will include core mechanics, animations, and hopefully a polished enough interface to get people excited for what’s to come. This will be a major pillar of our marketing push leading up to the crowdfunding campaign next year. We aim to make this the best way to experience the game other than in person with a friend. And it will be completely free!

All of these milestones help us test, polish, and promote Sylvan Tactics as we build towards launch. We have a long road ahead of us, but we are making significant progress every month. Lots to look forward to in 2025!

Lacuna Passage - Devlog #81 - The Dust Storms Update - v0.58

v0.58 marks the major feature addition of randomized dust storms to Lacuna Passage. The best way to quickly experience the new dust storms is to start a new game with the Big Storm scenario detailed below. If you want a quick timelapse of what dust storms look like you can check out this video:

Change Log

• Added randomized dust storms that can slowly move across the map and impact your visibility, mobility, and navigation functions.
• Added a survival sandbox scenario select screen with three currently available options: No Dust Storms Mode, Standard Mode with occasionally spawning dust storms, and Big Storm Mode which will start with a large dust storm hitting Habitat Alpha within the first 3-7 Sols.
• Added small blowing dust clouds over the entire map.
• Added randomly spawning dust devils.
• All habitat interiors now have an airlock exit sign to differentiate the two doors.
• The screen no longer fades completely to black during exterior module repairs. You can now see time pass in your HUD and the cost to your oxygen and battery in accelerated time during the repair.
• Fixed issue with exterior module resource generation when sleeping for long periods.
• Fixed issue with RTGs not generating exterior module resources properly at night.
• Fixed incorrect description of Multitool. Multitools now explicitly mention that they can be used as a Cutting Tool, Building Tool, and Engineering Tool.
• The objective LAT and LONG is now updated while placing a custom objective in the Navigation app.
• Fixed issue with some Drill Rover locations not being added to navigation.
• Fixed incorrect randomization of exterior module component integrity values for the southeastern-most habitat location.
• Scanner is now automatically disabled when entering a habitat to prevent unintended scanner highlights while indoors.
• Fixed issue with incorrect habitat resource values being displayed when accessing the EVA suit management screen between two different habitats.
• Fixed incorrect texture on water reclaimers.
• Fixed incorrect exhaustion recovery value when consuming water.
• Sleeping for 0 hours is now allowed as a way to save without sleeping. Was previously only accessible by cycling the time value in one direction.
• Fixed issue with the starting landing pod changing positions after loading a saved game.
• Fixed a floating rock at a solar panel discovery location.
• Fixed issue where some exterior module components were unable to be removed.

Keep in mind that this now makes the weather monitoring functions of the Waypoint Stations worth maintaining since they can warn you of an incoming dust storm and you can track the visibility at each WayStat location with the function enabled via installed fuses.

Many of these changes were prioritized based on feedback provided by players on our Feedback Forum. Help me determine future development priorities by posting your ideas, suggestions, and bug reports there.

Lacuna Passage - Devlog #80 - The Survival Stats Update - v0.57

Today's update is an attempt to add some new player progression goals to the survival sandbox including achievements and leaderboards. Check the full change log below.

Change Log

• Achievements have been added for a range of survival goals.
• Leaderboards have been added for survival time and distance traveled in a single playthrough.
• A stats screen will now be displayed upon dying which will tell you exactly what you died from along with comparisons to your previous best run.
• Increased scanner detection range for standard containers (blue squares) to 300 meters (this distance is not increased by activating WayStats).
• Crafting an oxygen filled canister now requires 50L of oxygen from your hab reoxygenator tanks.
• Your EVA suit can now be equipped or removed while inside a hab via the EVA preparation screen (accessible from the habitat status consoles).
• Your EVA suit will now only be removed automatically upon entering a hab if the reoxygenator has oxygen in the tanks.
• If the hab reoxygenator is not producing oxygen then you will now more accurately consume oxygen from the reserve tanks while not wearing your EVA suit.
• The accumulated radiation exposure will now be saved properly.
• The photo app should function more reliably when deleting photos.
• The heart rate (stamina indicator) will no longer disappear while jumping.
• Non-electrical components will no longer throw sparks when being replaced in exterior modules.

Many of these changes were prioritized based on feedback provided by players on our Feedback Forum. Help me determine future development priorities by posting your ideas, suggestions, and bug reports there. See if you can keep your spot on the new leaderboards and collect all the achievements!

Lacuna Passage - Devlog #79 - The Balance and Comfort Update - v0.56

Today's update provides a number of user requested changes. The first of many such updates to come.

Change Log

• There will now always be a Multitool found in Hab Beta.
• There will now always be a Haz-Mat Kit found in Hab Gamma.
• There will now always be a Printer Key found in Hab Gamma.
• Survival stats like Oxygen, Battery, Calories, etc will now be depleted 20-30% slower, allowing for longer periods of exploration.
• Habitat storage space has been expanded from a max of 60kg to 80kg.
• Added menu option for Mouse Sensitivity.
• Added menu options to disable Camera Bob and Sway.
• Added menu options to control SFX and Music audio volumes.
• Added keyboard shortcut to toggle auto-walking (~ key).

Many of these changes were prioritized based on feedback provided by players on our Feedback Forum. Help me determine future development priorities by posting your ideas, suggestions, and bug reports there. Try out these new balance and comfort updates and let me know what you think! Have fun exploring!

Lacuna Passage is out now on Steam Early Access

Lacuna Passage - the first-person, open world Mars exploration and survival game - launches for PC and Mac on Steam Early Access today. Check out the new Early Access launch trailer here: youtu.be/XbMXvPBOpFU

Having smashed its Kickstarter and Greenlight campaigns with a superbly realized Martian setting, Lacuna Passage invites players to set foot on the Red Planet and experience what it will be like for those first adventurers. The game will release in two phases:

1. Survival Sandbox - Steam Early Access - Out Now
2. Story Mode - Full Steam Launch - In Development

Launching on Steam Early Access today, the Survival Sandbox mode of Lacuna Passage will challenge players’ technical smarts and problem-solving skills, as well as enabling early astronauts to test drive the core mechanics ahead of the arrival of Story Mode.

“I was hugely inspired by the 2012 landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars,” said Tyler Owen, founder and lead developer at Random Seed Games. “As I waited for the first images to beam back to Earth I realized that the closest I would ever get to walking the surface of the Red Planet and taking my own photos would be if I made a game where you could do just that. With Lacuna Passage we’re focused on creating a science-fiction interactive experience that will inspire others to get interested in space travel and science.”

What is Lacuna Passage?

Developed in Iowa, USA by Random Seed Games, Lacuna Passage is a Mars exploration and survival game based on real mission technology and Mars terrain from NASA satellite data. Here are some of the key features:

● Stunning first-person, open world of Martian exploration and survival.

● 25 square miles of explorable terrain generated from actual Mars satellite data.

● Survival mechanics based on real metrics like blood glucose, heart rate, caloric intake, and more.

● In-game photography that allows you to capture any moment and document your discoveries with higher quality than your PC or Mac can handle in real time.

● An immersive HUD that is accurate to potential future space exploration physical display technologies.

● A hauntingly beautiful dynamic soundtrack that responds to your actions.

● Survival Sandbox available now on Steam Early Access.

● A mysterious single-player story that encourages non-linear play (Story Mode) coming in a future update.

Survival Sandbox - Steam Early Access - Out Now

Waking in a landing pod, players must check their equipment and venture out onto the red Martian soil in search of a nearby habitat. With 25 square miles of the Red Planet to explore and survive, they must gather resources from randomized points-of- interest, supply caches and other habitats in order to continue their mission. Survival is more than just tracking status bars; maintaining life-support equipment is just as important as maintaining health. Players must carefully manage vital resources or they will find themselves stranded in the great red wasteland with no food, water, or oxygen. Chief among the available tools is the stunning photography feature, which allows the budding Martian adventurer to capture higher quality photos than their PC can handle in real time.

Story Mode - In Development

Jessica Rainer - the only survivor of the second manned mission to Mars - investigates the disappearance of the first. With several tools at her disposal, most importantly her skills of observation, Jessica needs to uncover mission logs, recorded audio files, and other physical clues left behind at critical mission locations in order to uncover the story. An interplanetary trail of breadcrumbs awaits. With 25 square miles of open terrain around the crash site to explore Jessica can’t explore blindly to find the missing crew of the Hermes. Will she simply try to survive and await rescue or will she put her own life on the line to discover the truth? In Lacuna Passage, time and the elements are your enemies...

Assets and info

● Steam Early Access page: store.steampowered.com/app/252090

● Early Access launch trailer: youtu.be/XbMXvPBOpFU

● Additional game info and press asset pack: lacunapassage.com/press

● Follow Lacuna Passage’s development on the devblog

● Check overall progress on the roadmap

Lacuna Passage is now available to purchase ($14.99, €14.99, £10.99) and download for PC and Mac in all countries on Steam Early Access.