Hi again, it’s me, cemuka!

It’s been a long while since the last update for Knightborn.

After pushing forward for nearly ten years, I hit burnout and had to take a step back. I tried returning a few times, but it just didn’t click. It took months to recharge — but I’m happy to say I’m finally feeling excited again about creating and working on what I love most.

The darkest days are behind me, and I feel productive and enthusiastic again — almost like I’ve just started Knightborn for the first time.

I’m thrilled to reveal Knightborn’s new store artwork, created by Giovanni Fim. An awesome artist who also worked on the store art for Megabonk ^^

I’m really happy with how it turned out — it looks great and gives the project a fresh look.

The first playable demo launched during Next Fest, which helped a lot with wishlist growth and player feedback. Since then, Knightborn’s mechanics have evolved based on what I learned from that version.

Now, I’m preparing a new demo to give everyone a better feel for Knightborn’s gameplay.
It’ll feature a short map where you can team up for quests — or even fight each other in PvP.

Crafting is one of the features I’ve always wanted to implement and show off in the demo.

Right now, the crafting panel is still a placeholder while I finalize the system. An item upgrade/enchantment system is also on my list — it’s one of my favorite mechanics — but I’ll introduce that later after I test crafting in action.

Items can now specify which player classes are allowed to equip them.
For example, you can have a “Warrior Only” set of equipment.

I’ve also been experimenting with level requirements, though that part isn’t finalized yet.

Now, you can see item info before picking it up — no more guessing what’s on the ground!

Previously, trees didn’t affect navigation. Unity’s terrain system doesn’t support this by default, so I created a custom solution.

Now, tree colliders interact with the player camera and block movement properly — opening up new possibilities for map design, like dense forests that naturally restrict paths.

Because Knightborn uses multiple asset packs, I’ve struggled with inconsistent scales.

To fix this, I built a palette scene where I fine-tune and modify every asset before using it in maps. It’s making the visuals feel much more cohesive.

I’ve finally decided what to include in the Early Access release!
It’s a bit early for full details, but here’s the plan:

• Demo Map – the introduction to Knightborn

• Colony Zone – PvP (Orcs vs Humans)

• Deathmatch – PvP (up to 8 players)

• Defense Mode – Co-op or solo survival

I was developing on Unity 2022 LTS, but it’s time to move forward.
Unity 6 offers better performance, so the project is now being upgraded.

Thanks to the latest Facepunch.Steamworks build, releasing on all three platforms is now much easier.
However, the Mac version will come a bit later since I don’t have a developer license yet.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who’s still following the journey.
If you’ve got a map or scenario idea, I’d love to hear it — come say hi on Discord and let’s talk!

Until next time, brave knights — the realm still needs you.

cemuka