Alpha 1.1

APOCALYPSE moves to Braveheart Basin

APOCALYPSE now plays out in Braveheart Basin, a closed island. You start a fresh runner with three lives, choose a class, gather supplies between waves and hold the line against waves of creatures that last six and a half minutes each. The first waves are small, more creatures join as you level, and runners now grow fast: skilled players reach a class in minutes and level 100 in a 45-minute run, while the waves and guardians stay hard. Up to four friends can fight together, help each other up, and save a run when everyone agrees.

How to try it: From the title screen press PLAY, pick the APOCALYPSE card, then START. Choose Solo or With friends, then pick your class.

Nine guardian trials

Guardians now arrive at set moments in the Basin. A warning card shows what is coming and how to answer it, every big attack is marked on the ground before it lands, and companions can be calmed instead of beaten. Each opening can be learned and repeated, so a defeat teaches you something.

How to try it: Survive the waves in Braveheart Basin. The Goliath comes first, at wave 15, and the Frostmaw at wave 40. Read the warning card, then watch the ground for the marked attack.

Score boards and daily missions

Braveheart Basin now keeps score boards and a seven-day track of daily missions. Weekly prize packs go to runners who reach a qualifying rank and finish every day of that week.

How to try it: Open the APOCALYPSE page: it shows your best score, the seven-day daily track and this week's prizes. Ranks and missions are checked online.

The Wayfinder Gem lights your trip

A column of turquoise light with gold sparks now rises where you leave and pours down where you land, and friends nearby see it too, so a visit never arrives as a surprise.

How to try it: Put the Wayfinder Gem on your belt and press its slot, then pick a friend (they say yes first) or any town. After each trip the gem recharges for 30 minutes of real time. Alpha testers get the gem from the /tester command; in the full game it is an optional store item.

Every dragon breathes fire

Every dragon on the Dragonfire Isle now breathes fire in its own colour. Watch it rear back while a cone lights the ground, then step out of the cone before the flames sweep across. The Old Warden breathes fire over its arena too.

How to try it: Travel to the Dragonfire Isle and get close to any dragon. When the cone appears on the ground, step out of it.

Meet the Rosecrest Ridge Runner

A new dragon guards the lava-field passes: the Rosecrest Ridge Runner, six sturdy legs and a crest like a rose in bloom. It marks a glowing lane on the ground before it charges, then breathes rose-orange fire. It is weak to ice and earth and shrugs off fire.

How to try it: Look for it on the Dragonfire Isle, in the narrow passes close to the lava. It appears from around level 37. When the lane lights up, take one big step to the side.

A map that knows the village

The map now pins everyone who lives in the village and each town you have found, with their names and what they do when you zoom in. The harbour ferry shows at every zoom.

How to try it: Open the map and press FOLK to jump to the next person.

Made to fit your computer

The game now picks graphics settings for your computer and checks them against how smoothly it really runs. A new Very Low preset and Adaptive resolution keep older laptops smooth, and a HUD width setting keeps your bars, map and coins near the middle of very wide screens.

How to try it: Open Settings and look at Graphics for the presets, and at Game for HUD width.

Runners can play properly

Braveheart runners can now eat their starting food, gather garden fruit during a wave, deal proper starter damage and earn levels as they calm creatures. Ending a run keeps your score and takes you to the results screen.

Flying monsters in plain view

In the Apocalypse, flying monsters are no longer hidden behind pop-up cards at the start of a run, and a red arc on the edge of the screen points toward anything hitting you from out of sight.

Creatures that froze

Creatures that had just come into view sometimes stood frozen instead of moving and attacking. They now join in at once.

The camera stays outside giants

The camera no longer slides inside very big bosses: it moves in closer to you when a giant stands right behind.

No more floating stone in the distance

Flat green triangles and phantom stone walls no longer float over rivers and deep canals far away.

Fast travel has a level limit

Ferries, the map and the Wayfinder Gem will not take you to a place whose creatures start more than 10 levels above you. Locked places show a lock and the level you need, and you can still walk there.

Getting up on the island where you fell

When you are knocked out on another island, you now get up in the nearest town on that island instead of far away in the village. The Stuck button now moves you to safe ground a few steps away on the same island, after a short wait, instead of sending you home.

How to try it: Open the pause menu and choose Stuck? Return to safety, then stand still for a few seconds.

Pop-ups out of your way

Discovery and news pop-ups, story lessons and notice boards are now a slim, see-through stack in the top-right corner, so they no longer block your view of the world. Lessons stay readable on the Notes page of the character menu.

Trees step aside, only when they should

A tree that stands between you and the camera fades until you can see through it, and turns solid again when you step clear. Trees and giant mushrooms that are not in your way no longer fade into pale ghost shapes.