Stirring Abyss news & patch notes

A major update for Stirring Abyss is now available, introducing a new enemy type and new maps. Check out the full changelog.

MEET THE HARVESTER

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/9c700afabc1106dbeae5a3800ec6dddf64948380.jpg It approaches in silence, lurking in the twilight zone where the electric glow of their lamps is drowned out by the eternal darkness of the deep ocean. Pupils dilate, the hair on their arms stands on edge, a cold sweat forms. The Harvester is near, and the fields are ripe with frightened minds. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/f92843040a7768ab4dda35cd4e5c79cc1eca5d1a.png The Harvester is a creature of nightmare that feeds upon the Sanity of your crew and grows more dangerous the more it consumes. These otherworldly monstrosities stalk the deep trenches and ruins of the Abyss, ready to reap their unwilling harvest. Harvesters can be encountered in both Story and Endless mode, and will spawn in campaigns started before the patch as well. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/be3a3a1d24b0a76123f9bd9c411fe3133de0c976.png

NEW MAPS

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/8f351c8c40c620713c526f27590ca80ff2f89204.png For those players who have already thoroughly explored the Abyss, we are adding a couple of new maps for bonus missions - one new Seal Defense mission set on a rooftop plaza of ancient Akoratya, and one new Diver Rescue mission that sends you delving into the depths of the abyssal trench. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/90029e931430b534c99999adf6fccf4b07585343.png https://store.steampowered.com/app/1178210/Stirring_Abyss/

Stirring Abyss, a tactical squad-based RPG with an astonishing Lovecraftian narrative, gets a free demo on Steam. Play the first few missions for free and continue from where you left off when you buy the full version. https://youtu.be/oKu7TRWx1xI Stirring Abyss Reviews (81 Metascore): A capable indie strategy title that does more with its Lovecraftian setting than most similar games of the past decade. - Gamewatcher The tension between preparedness and speed that the mechanics created is something that more modern tactics focused titles should try to replicate. - Softpedia I really dig the way it embraces the aesthetic of the subject matter. The audio is thick and ominous, and the pulpy art style is a good fit. - PC Gamer

A new patch for Stirring Abyss is now available, including French localisation and other fixes. General: - French localisation now available! - You can now rename your divers. (Look for the small icon of a pen on the personnel sheet) - Easy is now the default difficulty when starting the game for the first time. Balance: - Reduced the crafting costs of most consumable items. Bugfixes: - Fixed a bug that could cause Salvage and Extermination missions to immediately complete or fail on the first turn of the mission. - Fixed a bug that could cause the Wards in the "Enemy at the Gates" -mission to become unresponsive upon loading a saved game or following evacuation. - Fixed the "Continue" text in some story events always displaying in English, regardless of selected language. - Fixed an erroneous translation for less than maximum divers selected for the Away Team in the Russian localization.

We've got a few more updates for you to enjoy. General: - Updated splash screen (splash screen is also now skippable; default key is ESC) Balance: - Increased the effectiveness of the 'extended rest' function on the submarine (it now receives a bonus of 10 healing on top of the normal rest healing) Bugfixes: - Fixed some additional rare issues with saving and loading - Fixed a rare bug in the last level that could cause enemy turn to get stuck - Fixed a bug that could cause the buttons in the gameover screen to not function - Fixed translated text issues with deployed Air Tanks - Fixed a bug that could leave a ghost diver in the mission "Sinking Reality" As ever, thanks for playing!

This patch includes several fixes and adds a "save" button to the pause menu. Check out the detailed changelog. General: -Added a button in the pause menu to save your progress without exiting to menu. Note that if you use it a lot you might want to delete some of your old saves sometimes. Balance: -Fathomseers should no longer target Seals with Shared Fate Bugfixes: -The bug that was still causing issues with earning mission rewards (especially in Salvage missions) after loading the mission from a save should be fixed for good now -Fixed a rare bug related to Void Embryos that could cause the game to stop responding during enemy turn -Fixed a bug that could cause a crash while loading back to the sub if your away team died -Fixed a bug that could result in an unloadable autosave if your away team died -Fixed a bug where Symbionts might not properly Decay after being loaded from a save -Fixed a bug where boss health could be slightly less than intended on Hard in very specific circumstances -Fixed a bug that could change which units were affected by Shared Fate upon loading a save -Fixed a visual bug with boss health bars on easier difficulties -Fixed a potential stability issue on the final boss of Story mode -Fixed some texts in non-English languages displaying in English

We've released the first patch for Stirring Abyss. General changes • Added an option in the graphics settings to disable the water screen effects • Increased the scroll sensitivity of the settings menu ingame • Increased the size of USS Salems inventory Balance • Reunions mission (third level): - Slightly reduced the amount of enemies • The Hand That Guides (fourth level): - Conduits have 2 less armor - Slightly reduced the amount of enemies - Made the ending event slightly easier on all difficulties • Decreased Sanity loss from Corruption Level increasing when its already full • Decreased maximum Sanity penalty after insanity episodes and resurrection (-1 on all difficulties) • Significantly decreased Sanity cost of Dark Bargain to bring it more in line with other upgrades (from 12 to 4) • Friendly fire between Divers can no longer be a critical hit Bugfixes • Fixed a bug that made it impossible to complete some missions after loading the mission from a save • Fixed a bug that could result in regenerated Power being lost when loading specific auto saves • Fixed a bug that caused Esc/Back button to not work on the submarine screen in certain conditions • Fixed an issue in the mission "Dissension" that could cause divers to become stuck walking in place • Fixed a stability issue related to spawning random Soviet logs into missions • Fixed a bug with the Chainshot speargun that could cause it to accidentally hit secondary targets more often than intended • Fixed a visual bug that caused the pause menu difficulty indicator to temporarily display the wrong value if you loaded the game from the menu onto the submarine • Fixed a visual bug that caused saves created on the Salem to always show up as Normal difficulty in the Load menu • Fixed a visual bug with the version number display ingame • Fixed a visual bug where level map close button would get left behind another image in the late game • Fixed an issue with Weapons Specialist that could create a phantom Weapons Specialist projectile in the scene • Fixed an issue with loading save information when the system Time Zone is not properly set. • Fixed an issue where the names of rescued Divers were missing from story event text. • Fixed some issues with translated texts • Macabre Gluttony can now be targeted on a corpse youre standing on • Fixed a few other minor bugs

Stirring Abyss is out now. Loosely based on Lovecraft's short novel The Temple, Stirring Abyss is the story of a submarine crew which bogs down at the bottom of the Ocean during the Cold War. They are forced to explore the bottom of a sea where unspeakable horrors and tentacled abominations run rampant. Stirring Abyss releases with a 15% week-long launch discount: check it out and Cthulhu-up your Halloween weekend. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1178210/Stirring_Abyss/ Stirring Abyss comes with 13 Story missions plus side quests, along with a roguelike Endless Mode. The game features 4 difficulty levels, from Narrative mode, for players who are more interested in story and exploration, to Hard, which will test even the most experienced players. REVIEWS "A capable indie strategy title that does more with its Lovecraftian setting than most similar games of the past decade" - Gamewatcher "Stirring Abyss is good. It is close enough to the formula set out by XCOM 2 that if you like XCOM 2 you will probably enjoy it, but it also does a great job distinguishing itself, serving as a tight, focused tactical turn based RPG that provides a lot of enjoyable gameplay in its relatively short play time. I greatly enjoyed my time playing it and was really happy that I got an opportunity to play it. Definitely worth checking out." - Turn Based Lovers

It is only one day now until Stirring Abyss arrives and that means that it will soon be time to unleash the eldritch upon humanity. Before that happens however, there is time to brief you on some of the powerful traits that can be had in Stirring Abyss. Powerful skills and mutations can only truly shine when cleverly combined with the right traits. Today, we will be discussing some of these possibilities. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/1ace92d18f51f854b009125d6d10a4bd29e1f8a4.png Sadist: Ruining the very essence of your enemy’s minds with eldritch skills seems like an excellent idea. But the toll it takes on your mind may be too much to bear. That is where sadist trait comes in. It generates sanity for every kill you make, allowing you to tow the fine line between deadly force combatant and mental ward patient more easily. Swift and Ruthless: Your close combatant expert needs two things. To close on their target swiftly and to really put that hurt in. This is where the swift and ruthless traits can bridge the gap. Swift increases your movement speed, allowing you to close in on your target with terrifying speed. While ruthless increases your critical chance with a melee weapon, ensuring those close encounters are also fatal encounters. Sturdy and Masochist: Sturdy personnel take a lot more punishment than most as they enjoy extra hit points. Those extra hit points don’t just have to mean that you will live a little longer if that person is also a Masochist. The Masochist delights in the pain they take and have a chance to reduce the cooldowns of all of their abilities as the punishment they receive rises. Turn that damage into additional power that could save you in a desperate situation by combining these traits. Lab Rat: The lab rat enjoys a boost when using all medical supplies. This can really stretch rare and critical resources out for much longer than you otherwise would be able to. Considering half the battle is the battle against dwindling supplies, the Lab Rat may be a welcome addition to any party of divers. There may even be abilities out there that further draw out the Lab Rats true power… There are many more traits to discover in Stirring Abyss. We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into some of our favourites. There are also many more powerful combinations to discover. Plan your characters carefully and bring out their true abilities in Stirring Abyss, out tomorrow on the 29th of October.

Stirring Abyss hasn’t got long to go as we gear up for the release on the 29th of October. Before that happens, let’s have a sneak peek into some of the exciting skills and items you can obtain and use in the game. Careful item and skill use will be the cornerstone of any survival strategy in Stirring Abyss. Here are some of our favourites. Brawler: Outnumbered? Maybe. Outmatched? Never. Strike several different targets in melee range with blistering speed. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/05d8c0140b085f4dcc897f12fc768aca9cdc5c45.gif Chemist Not insane, just... creative. Sets off an improvised shaped charge, dealing damage in a cone in front of the Chemist. Damage falls off with increased distance to the target. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/979043cc068fb16d28653ca886879b935475679e.gif Clustershot Fire a projectile filled with explosives, dealing a small amount of damage to the initial target. The cluster bombs attached to the spear then break off and deal heavy damage to the initial target and to all targets adjacent to it. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/e2faaa5ebfa82fc1c4d96a1ddb24f45b03df820c.gif Geologist Always ready to rock. Launches an improvised Test Charge that disturbs the silt of the ocean floor, resulting in a cloud of sand which offers cover from ranged attacks and increased Defense Rating to friendly units standing inside it. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/ab4d200c4beb4f95d3a8ebafd245100362e35be5.gif Shrapnel Charge Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective and military grade explosives are certainly both simple and effective. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/94c72e9a17eb875c838f2c1868b2bf725d601cdc.gif There are tons more skills and items to use in Stirring Abyss, from arcane dark arts to automated defenses. Even humble flares will be a limited and precious resource in the depths of the ocean. We hope you are looking forward to getting hands on with everything Stirring Abyss has to offer when it arrives next week on the 29th.

Stirring Abyss will be coming to you soon on the 29th of October. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to wait to get a sneak peek into some of its exciting features. Today we will be looking at some of the dark, profane, nebulous or even totally abhorrent mutations that you can acquire in Stirring Abyss. Remember, when you stare too deeply into the void, the void may stare back into you.  Abyssal Grasp Transfigured by a blasphemous force, the body sprouts a writhing tentacle that grabs the target in a crushing embrace and pulls it to an adjacent tile. You will also gain the ability to strike out at your enemies with a tentacle strike. It may not have much edge, but it has a lot of power. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/e3ab9daaed08a2348f350c9bfb63abe7300ae493.gif Colony The diving suit is invaded by a teeming swarm of small predatory invertebrates, bound in symbiosis to the host. Enemies around the diver take damage at the end of your turn. You can also command the swarm to attack a specific target, disorienting it and dealing damage to it at the end of its turn. The Passive effect is disabled while the swarm is away doing your bidding. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/0e97085e278110b6ff63311f18249e960e2ae451.gif Crusher Strike You'll never need a can opener again, but you will also never be able to perform attacks of opportunity or to use Spearguns with your giant, club-like hands. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/18e7e1c61dd99295a4a4cbc2a9fc80fa67d449ba.gif Dark Reflection Anger, fear and hatred given form. Reach into your dark emotions and summon a reflection of yourself at the target location. The reflection acts autonomously, attacking enemies using the stats of the diver’s melee attack and inflicting an additional slowing effect on its victims. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/949a7a76b7c012a8f47917c4af69306f41e43938.gif Macabre Gluttony The flesh of the newly deceased retains a vestige of its purpose, a ripe fruit ready to surrender its secrets to rending teeth. Rend Flesh, devour a corpse and ingest the power contained within. Different corpses might have different effects. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/c7999056d2dbbb97454aad0856161f0d86cd1c39.gif There are many more exciting mutations coming in Stirring Abyss and we hope this brief peek into the darkness is illuminating for you. Get a hold of gameplay and feel the pressure only an entire ocean can bring on the 29th of October.

The Steam Game Festival is here and with it comes an exciting development. The Stirring Abyss free playable demo is out now and you can download it here. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1178210/Stirring_Abyss/ But you will want to hurry, it will only be available until the 13th of October. The developers are working really hard to provide you with the best survival horror experience. Get ready for: Cosmic horror, astonishing narrative, mutated characters, tested ethics and tactical combat in the ruins of an ancient civilization. The first 4 levels will be available with all of their features, so steel yourself for the long haul through the darkness of the Abyss. There are mysteries to be solved and we think you will love solving them. Please note that this game is still in development and there may be some issues. We have a list of those here. If you have any feedback or you find an issue not listed there, be sure to let us know on the Steam discussion forums. Good luck exploring the murky depths of the Abyss. If you survive, we look forward to also seeing you when the game is released on October 29th.

Stirring Abyss is crawling out of darkness this month. This indie gem filled with Lovecraftian fear is releasing October 29th so steel your resolve for the tests to come. The devs are working really hard to provide you with the best survival horror experience. Get ready for: Cosmic horror, astonishing narrative, mutated characters, tested ethics and tactical combat in the ruins of an ancient civilization. If you want to give Stirring Abyss a try before it officially comes out, don't miss the free playable demo during Steam Game Festival from October 7th to October 13th.  New screenshots Have a look at these new screenshots and catch a glimpse of the final touches. https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1178210/ss_4b0ce5224b7521d5045d74b35fbf590750d80fba.600x338.jpg?t=1601975865 https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1178210/ss_a1c7431c5b7de1560a08a8fcd8e8605d3a0fc01f.600x338.jpg?t=1601975865 https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1178210/ss_f0a7d3d8f888a85ad3b8ce331feed61c5bd45363.600x338.jpg?t=1601975865 https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1178210/ss_c3a854b11ec23adddaf98289d6c263721a6a58b3.600x338.jpg?t=1601975865

The first bestiary post introduced you to Scyphozoas, Burst Pods, Murkfiends and Spineskulkers. This bestiary episode unveils more Lovecraftian abominations you'll face in Stirring Abyss: masters of psychic powers, corrupted creatures, and amorphous beings lurk in the dark and can't wait to drive your crewmembers to insanity. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/9be6405dbf01faa0377fa04c5eec38a01a1d1591.jpg

VESSEL

Scyphozoas in their deadly, mutated form. Corruption completely changed their nature and transformed them into disturbing monsters, willing to commit suicidal attacks. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/2cc187db8069c4859e8f29ff91e272ba0d743571.jpg

VOIDSPAWN

A being with untold, multiple forms, made of materials beyond the understanding of human science. It can entangle a human being like a cocoon, or protect itself with a tough, yet pliable shell. Crewmembers believe that it shares a connection with corruption, a slippery white material that covers the ocean floor. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/1a8f6510013de27ab3ea01424cb3b292ab3cc8bc.png Voidspawns in one of their multiple forms {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/ef7c3f372d09f55fe7b4c3ea1b38616a73b0f6f0.jpg

STALKING TENTACLE

Reason suggests that a limb, when split from its owner, shouldn't have a conscience, free will or any sort of survival instinct, but Stalking Tentacles go way beyond reason. They seem to belong to a creature of some sort. Nobody knows if it's still alive, if it's still able to control them, or if it ever existed. When you suffer from hypoxia and you fear for your life, it's hard to tell the difference between imagination and reality. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/05b1e3796809bd7805c76c40cd0f4cc4d998c6c9.jpg

FATHOM SEER

One of the most disturbing creatures of the abyss. It can connect human destinies and play tricks with your mind. Beware of the Fathom Seer: this profane shaman masters ancient arts of mind control, and can lead you to complete insanity. APPLY FOR THE BETA Answer the call of the Great Old Ones: Stirring Abyss is looking for beta testers. Apply now and join the Discord Server to support the development.

Meet the Lovecraftian abominations of Stirring Abyss, the upcoming squad tactics game inspired by the short story The Temple. In Stirring Abyss you take charge of the surviving crew of the USS Salem, a U.S. Navy submarine that sinks while on a top-secret research mission during the early years of the Cold War. The entire game is set in deep waters, which means you need to face terrible underwater creatures during your journey.

SCYPHOZOA

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/45eafc3f7a681356790770ab7361b72a566d278d.jpg The Scyphozoa is the first enemy you meet in Stirring Abyss. In order to survive the depths of the sea, it developed unseen before attacks based on electricity. Deflate it with a speargun and your crew will be okay, and don't let it come too close. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/83f0264a26273fc4555ba0b5f04390fc6fd7b454.png A Smack of Scyphozoas. Spearguns can attack multiples enemies in line of sight.

BURST POD

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/9b5b9212d7450f96ab9e7d55ee9d901d2c6198e2.jpg The Burst Pod doesn't like to be disturbed. When anyone tries to attack it, it explodes causing damage to everyone (or everything) in the surroundings. It doesn't know enemy nor friends. It just stands, maintaining the same posture until it gets provoked. Splayed open, all that remains of the bulging pod are the shreds of a thin but tough shell strung between supporting spines.

MURKFIEND

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/28bdf0143300b67b740267a1b7cd29df967f44f2.jpg The Staggering Roar of a Murkfiend is one of the most threatening sounds your crew will ever hear, and it doesn't help your divers' nerves. Taking down this strong Lovecraftian abomination may take a while. Make sure not to leave one of your divers alone with a Murkfiend and try not to get too close: this species is a master of melee attacks.

SPINESKULKERS

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/e3a676cea46b922fdb580b466eb2be2110b876c3.jpg Beware of Spineskulkers: they are masters of poisoned darts and they are experts of hiding in the shadows. Their long-ranged attacks can heavily damage your divers' health if you can't take them out in time. They should be a high priority target for the surviving members of your crew. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/f6553ebfc2f32901e632655dd35e43452aec9cbb.png Three divers facing a group of Spineskulkers and Murkfiends. Divers can make Burst Pods explode to damage other enemies.

APPLY FOR THE BETA

Answer the call of the Great Old Ones: Stirring Abyss is looking for beta testers. Apply now and join the Discord Server to support the development.

Answer the call of the Great Old Ones: Stirring Abyss is looking for beta testers. Apply now and join the Discord Server to support the development. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/b3cafb9eae0cf2a81c33c96841047d83bb76f2d6.png ABOUT STIRRING ABYSS Stirring Abyss is an indie tactical squad-based game with strong RPG elements in which you uncover the ancient mysteries of the depths depicted in the classic vein of Lovecraftian horror.

We're proud to announce our partnership with Sleepy Sentry in the development of Stirring Abyss, the second indie title to be published under the newly launched K-Project label. Stirring Abyss is a tactical squad-based game with strong RPG elements and a Lovecraftian narrative. Taking inspiration from the short story The Temple by H.P. Lovecraft, in which a German submarine gets lost underwater during the First World War, in Stirring Abyss you follow the horrifying destiny of the members of the USS Salem’s crew, a submarine struck by disaster whilst on a top-secret research mission in the early years of the Cold War. They find themselves surrounded by the ruins of a forgotten civilization, their badly damaged vessel lying stranded at the bottom of the ocean. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/83f0264a26273fc4555ba0b5f04390fc6fd7b454.png Every expedition lives or dies by the strength of its crew. You have a diverse array of character traits and skills at your disposal, each opening exciting new options for both combat and story events. As you delve ever deeper, you may also subject your crew to powerful but grisly mutations; the price of survival is high, and no one escapes the abyss unchanged. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/37902140/f3eef4e16f0c0b2d6b5a8b48d2b26a48360ab96a.jpg Check out the first impressions in this article by PC Gamer: I really dig the way it embraces the aesthetic of the subject matter. The audio is thick and ominous, and the pulpy art style is a good fit: Publisher Slitherine said Stirring Abyss is meant to be weird rather than scary, "inspired by classic board games and traditional RPGs," and it definitely has that look. Apply for the beta and join the Discord Server to support the development and to deep dive into Stirring Abyss' tentacled horror before everyone else.