Harder Difficulty Modes + Patch 1.04!

We’ve just released patch 1.04, which in addition to fixing a handful of small issues also makes a big addition: harder difficulty modes!

Instead of just Normal and Easy, Near Death now includes Hard and Condition 1 difficulties. Hard is hard, and Condition 1 will test even the most seasoned players. Both modes come with achievements so that you can prove to all your friends that you survived a full-on Condition 1 blizzard in Antarctica.

As for what these modes do, they both step up the intensity of the weather right from the start of the game. They also make it so that you receive less loot from containers, freeze faster, and run out of resources faster. Especially with Condition 1, you really have to think about every move and manage your resources extremely carefully; the conditions are brutal, so you can’t waste a single drop of kerosene or even one precious battery.

Here’s the full patch list, and we’ll keep an eye out for players sporting the new difficulty achievements!

  • Added two new difficulty levels: Hard and Condition 1. If you’re one of those “eh, Near Death didn’t seem that hard to me” folks, we have a new challenge for you, along with shiny new achievements if you can escape Sutro Station in utterly merciless conditions.
  • Added version information to the bottom right corner of the Options menu.
  • Fixed bug where players could accidentally place their heater on the other side of a door just after forcing it closed.
  • Fixed issue where in rare instances you can get duplicate quests after placing objects on the snowcat.
  • Miscellaneous small fixes to rare cosmetic bugs.

Launch Week Roundup

Hello, everyone! We wanted to do a quick blog post to pull together everything that’s been going on since the game came out on Tuesday. In short, it’s been a fantastic week! The response from everyone — players, press, streamers — has been overwhelmingly positive. We worked so hard to make this game, and it’s difficult to describe what it feels like to see that so many people love it. It’s an amazing reward at the end of this journey.

We’ve also been working hard on post-launch support; we released patch 1.01 on Thursday with some important fixes for bugs that a few players found, and we currently have patch 1.02 in testing with additional fixes and performance improvements. So keep an eye out for that, and make sure to keep your game updated via Steam.

Finally, here’s a roll-up of some of the coverage that’s hit so far. And remember, the game is on sale for 10% off until Tuesday, so take advantage of that and pick it up while you can save a few bucks!

Reviews

  • Kotaku had an extremely positive review ready to go on Tuesday, which was an awesome way to start launch week.
  • For Linux fans, Gaming On Linux published a great review of the game, and we even snuck an easter egg into version 1.01 for our Linux-loving friends out there. See if you can find Tux!
  • OPN gave us a 9/10, which was extremely exciting to see!

Streams & Let’s Plays

It’s impossible to list all of the streamer videos that have gone up, but here are some highlights from the bigger channels out there:

  • Here’s Part 1 of PartiallyRoyal’s series on the game, which is ongoing.
  • Many A True Nerd did a fantastic Let’s Play on launch day; it’s both entertaining and a great way to learn more about the game if you’d like to see how it plays.
  • 8bitdylan did a Twitch stream yesterday, though the archived version isn’t quite up yet; stay on the look out for that one, though!
  • HPBraincase did a stream yesterday and loved the game; keep an eye out for that updated archived version as well!
  • Huxthor did a video you can watch here; he certainly dug the game.
  • ZAM also did a really positive Let’s Play video which is a lot of fun to watch.
  • And finally, if you only have 2 minutes and want a great quick look video that explains the game, check out Azralynn’s video review!

That’s what we’ve got for now. It’s so incredibly exciting to see how much people love the game; we’re still pinching ourselves. Thanks so much to everyone who supported us during development or has bought the game since launch.

And stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook pages … we’re starting to think about where to take Near Death next, and might have some exciting stuff to announce soon!

Near Death is OUT NOW!

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Near Death is OUT NOW! We’ve worked really hard on the game for quite some time, and we’re very proud of it. We hope you’ll love it as much as we do.

We’re also making our amazing soundtrack available as DLC, and you can buy it separately or as part of a special soundtrack edition that features the game and the soundtrack at a discounted price. If you want to support us and buy the game, here’s where you can do it:

Steam

Game: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327560/
Soundtrack DLC: http://store.steampowered.com/app/443550
Soundtrack Edition: http://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1084/

Humble Store

Game: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/near-death
Soundtrack Edition: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/near-death-soundtrack-edition

If you want to learn a little more about what the game is, we wrote a blog post explaining what exactly it is; you can check that out here. And you can also watch our launch day and announcement trailers to get more of a feel for the game:

Thanks so much to everyone who’s followed the game, helped us make it, given feedback, or offered support. Shipping an independent game is incredibly hard, and we couldn’t have done it without the friends and family who carried us here.

We hope you love the game!

– The Near Death Team

P.S. As a small, self-funded developer, we don’t have the resources to do site takeovers or big advertising pushes; word of mouth from fans of the game is one of the most valuable ways we can let people know about the game. If you’re so inclined, you can retweet and share our launch day posts and spread the word!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NearDeathGame/status/760521235012825089
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neardeathgame/

Thanks for your support!