Dark and Darker Alpha Playtest #4 Goes Live, Includes Solo Mode

Dark and Darker is back! At least for now. As of today, Alpha Playtest #4 has started for the multiplayer dungeon crawler, and getting into it’s one step shorter than the last playtest. You just have to download the demo on Steam and get started. 

Darker and Darker Playtest Start and End Dates

Dark and Darker‘s Alpha Playtest #4 will be running from February 6 through February 13, and the current build includes a mode many players have been asking for: a solo adventure.

This current patch brings with it a number of notable balancing adjustments as well as new weapons and items. Check out the full patch notes below, and be prepared to play around with the new Gathering Hall system as well as the new Goblin Cave solo adventure over the next seven days.

Dark and Darker Alpha Playtest #4 Patch Notes

The current patch notes were posted to Steam alongside the playtest launch. They are as follows:

New Features and Updates

• New Gathering Hall System – Hang out at the Gathering Hall and build the perfect dungeon party.
• New Karma System – Rate your fellow allies after your adventure. Beware! Scoundrels and deviants are unable to participate.
• New VoIP – In-game voice chat to interact with other adventurers.
• New experimental Goblin Caves for a solo adventurer experience!
• New Trading Channel QoL features.
• New Report system to help us round up and punish the wicked.
• New Cosmetics
• New Weapons – Short Sword and Quarterstaff,
• Some Unique Weapons have been greatly improved.
• Attack animation improved for the War Maul, Double Axe & Battle Axe.
• Weapon attack animations now do more varying amounts of damage.
• New Armors for the ‘head’ slot.
• New ‘Sanctuary’ spell for the Cleric.
• New Ore and Craft Items.
• New ‘Valentine’ NPC.
• The secretive ‘Goblin Merchant’ now sells mysterious wares.
• An improved party invite system.
• Added bundled items to the merchants.
• Added Flavor texts for more immersive game mood.
• Added a new Tokyo Region + preliminary Japanese localization – first draft.

Balancing

• Moved the starting spawns from the edge of the map to the interior and added more variations to test.
• 2-handed weapon attack movement penalty has been reduced.
• Added +1 base stat point to ‘agility’ to the Cleric to normalize the class with all other classes.
• Rebalanced the Wizard’s starting stats.
• Added a projectile damage falloff system where damage slightly decreases based on distance. Currently the effect is very small.
• Plate armor improved to give more bonuses,
• Lightfoot Boots, Regal Gambeson and Templar Armor are a little slower.
• Rapier damage slightly buffed.
• An installed Pavise can now be knocked down by an attack.
• Buffs for many of the less frequently used Perks and Skills.
• Wizard’s ‘Light’ spell now removes the ‘Hide’ status. Does not remove the ‘invisibility’ status.
• Increased the duration of an installed campfire but the recovery effects per tick has been reduced. You will need to sit at a campfire for a longer period compared to the last playtest for the same recovery effects.

Some user comments on Steam indicate that the Goblin Adventure mode may need a little work, meaning it’s very possible the current iteration of the mode will see big changes in the next playtest. It is a step in the right direction for those hoping for a singleplayer experience from Dark and Darker down the line, though.