- DevLog #6: Scope of version 0.6.0 - 11 September 2026
Two weeks ago, I released version 0.5.0 of RUTHLESS:1. Now, it's time to announce what version 0.6.0 will offer.a completely new chapter with ~15 new areasin-game music (at least a few tracks)a handful new Mechsa handful new Skillsadditional lore to findfull German translationbugfixes, quality of life improvements, optimizationsAlso, there might be a slight change of visual style, but this is something I have to work out carefully. Many effects of Skills are already quite colorful, so to me, it makes sense to make the colors in the game pop even more.As another optional target, I aim to release a native MacOS version of RUTHLESS:1, as well as a Demo version for MacOS and Linux, but all of these a dependent on the technical work required to get them running. Previously, I had some trouble uploading the Linux Demo to Steam, despite the full version working just fine.As usual, I don't wann…
- Version 0.5.0 is now live - 28 August 2026
The wait is over. Version 0.5.0 is released and ready for download on Steam. It features a massive amount of bugfixes and quality of life features, too many to list them all, and a bit new content. It is highly recommended to start a new game.Bugfixes:fixed Item pickup sometimes not triggeringfixed Mech crafting and upgradingfixed duplication of mechs in storagefixed unlocked Skills not being savedfixed mech equipment not being savedfixed hitboxes on most melee skill, so they can hit small targetsfixed projectiles not registering hits correctlyfixed enemies-in-area counter to reflect the true number of enemies leftfixed collectible junk not disappearing on changing areafixed Skill xp not always being tracked correctlyfixed Effect handling caused by biomesfixed grass sometimes not rendering...and many small ui fixes, mainly in Hub ui (H Button in Hub area)Improvements:game engine updated…
- DevLog #5: Polishing for 0.5.0 - 22 August 2026
Sorry for the delay, yesterday was too busy.Two weeks ago, I announced the next big update for RUTHLESS:1, in fact, the first big update since it entered Early Access. For that, I prioritized bugfixes and quality of life over new content. With the release of the update just one week away, I have to make decisions on what to improve now and what to improve later.So, the next week will be focussed on testing, polishing the existing chapter 3 along with the beach levels and fixing any bug that pops up. This is it for now, a bit shorter than usual, but still.Greetings from Berlin,Alex
- DevLog #4: Removing eyesores + announcing version 0.5.0 - 7 August 2026
At some point in the past, I had to admit something to myself. During the development of RUTHLESS:1, I cut corners, and not just once. I released features that were not really usable, did not polish the levels as much as I could have, and worst of all, I used AI to create a handful of assets. In the end, only two made it into the game, at places where they even were completely unnecessary and nobody probably ever spotted them. But they were there and that annoyed me.One other asset, however, was in a much more prominent spot. The main shop image, the blue glowing Basher mech was a screenshot taken from the engine and modified with AI. It became apparent to me, that this is something that leaves a bad first impression and greatly drags down the perceived quality of game. For this, I want to apologize and all in-game AI assets will be gone in version 0.5.0, the shop image will be gone by…
- DevLog #3: Skill XP - quality of life - 24 July 2026
Sometimes, changes in a game are not made to fix bugs or to add new features. Sometimes, a change is simply made to show the player information that was already there, but not shown or, like in this case, in an inconvenient spot.You might know that in RUTHLESS:1 using your Mech's Skills grant you Skill XP, which will grant you Skill upgrades once you earn enough. This is currently only displayed as a progress bar in the upgrade menu, but with the upcoming version 0.5.0, this info becomes available in your general HUD. Take a look at this image:In this screenshot, you can see all the Skill XP of the Skills your Mech has equipped. The small green bars on the left side of the Skill's icons are always visible; once you hover over a Skill icon, it's tooltip becomes visible. This tooltip shows the current level of the Skill, as well as the exact percentage (rounded down to the next full numbe…
- DevLog #2: Save file compression - 10 July 2026
Some time ago, I encountered a bug during development, that caused RUTHLESS:1 to relentlessly duplicate the mechs in my storage, well above a number a 1000. Obviously, this comes with the unwanted side-effect of bloating the respective savefile. It did not take long until something occured to me: What if someone actually plays so long they have more than 1000 mechs in their storage?The solution: Compressing save files. This is a scenario where compression is highly efficient, because much data in the savefiles are duplicates. For example, the more mechs of the same type you have, the more compression can do its work. A regular savefile will take up about 90% less disk space after compression. And don't worry, your old savefiles are still compatible, all that happens is that they will be displayed "Legacy Savegame" in the Loading Screen. After loading and saving them again, the will be c…
- DevLog #1: Skill rebalancing - 26 June 2026
If you ever dipped a toe into game development, you know that testing is a core activity in the process. How else would you know if things work? During my latest bug-hunt, I was replaying a major portion of RUTHLESS:1 from the get-go, without developer tools I should say. While test-playing, I noticed something: For some reason, I barely used buffing skills at all. Why would that be? Turns out they drain way too much energy for the little effect they have, I mean 40 Energy (half the pool of some low-level early game mechs) for a measly 2% boost of a single stat? With the release of version 0.5.0, this will be a problem of the past and basic buff skills will only use 16 Energy, a cut of 60%, and provide a 5% boost to a stat, increasing their usefulness dramatically.There will also be nerfs to some skills: Those that can be upgraded to use Double Shot or Triple Shot will see their damage…
- A quick update about the development of RUTHLESS:1 - 17 June 2026
Dear players,with this announcement, I want to address the current state of the development of RUTHLESS:1 after staying silent for one year and a half.RUHTLESS:1 is still in development, but was on a hiatus for the majority of the year 2025, because I was a little burnt out from working the game. Not regarding a single short message I posted in the DIscord, I completely failed to address this and I am really sorry for my poor communication of this. You should know that I'm the only developer of this game, working on it as a side-project, while I work nearly full-time in another job.However, for a bit more than two months now, RUTHLESS:1 is back in active development and first and foremost, I have been fixing bugs like crazy. Reviews on Steam told me that this would the most important step going forward, instead of just developing more content. Nonetheless, with the upcoming version 0.5.…
- 0.4.5 is now live - 8 December 2024
Bugfixes: Fixed tutorials stopping player movement after completing them Fixed Blizzard skill not firing correctly Features: none Improvements: none
- Version 0.4.4 is now live - 1 December 2024
Bugfixes: fixed skills not gaining progress points correctly fixed mortar skill not working correctly Features: none Improvements: improved position of tooltips in upgrade menu improved display of skill descriptions in lower-right menu fixed some texts wrongly starting and ending with apostrophes
- RUTHLESS:1 is here - 4 November 2024
Dear players, RUTHLESS:1 is finally in Early Access. I want to thank everyone, who has test-played any previous version of the game and everyone, who kept up with the development. You really kept me motivated. Once again, I want to apologize for missing the initially planned release on Nov 1. Sometimes unplanned things get the better of one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy RUTHLESS:1 and I'm looking forward to your feedback. Please join the official Discord to keep up with the game and submit feedback: discord.gg/28DJ7TraRN You are amazing! Greetings from Berlin, Alex
- Notes on the planned Early Access launch - 29 October 2024
You may have noticed that RUTHLESS:1 is planned to launch into Early Access on Nov 1. Due to some technical issues, this date may move back a few days, one week at most. I will inform you about a precise date as soon as possible. But there's also news regarding the RUTHLESS:1 Demo: As soon as Early Access launches, the demo will be restricted to the first chapter of the game. So better give it a try now. If you have reached chapter two by then, you will be able to play the full chapter without restrictions, but new savegames won't be able to enter chapter two regardless. Please stay tuned for more news. Greeting from Berlin, Alex
- Minor Update for Demo - 18 October 2024
RUTHLESS:1 version 0.4.1 is now live (Demo only) Changelog: Bugfixes: fixed a bug that allowed to load a broken area after finishing the demo content fixed the Mortar skill Features: enemies now wake up when shot at Improvements activated display of small Mech preview images in the lower left menu fixed the display of the version number and demo tag in the menu
- RUTHLESS:1 final Early Access announcement - 30 September 2024
Steam Next Fest takes place Oct 14 - Oct 21 and RUTHLESS:1 will be there. Get ready for your first hands-on experience in this new ARPG. But wait, there's more: RUTHLESS:1 will launch into Early Access on Nov 1. This is real, no more delay. Buckle up and wishlist now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1951920/RUTHLESS1/ Also join the Discord: https://discord.gg/s27jNZsd See you there. Greeting from Berlin, Alex
- RUTHLESS:1 is still alive - 4 June 2024
First, let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, news about RUTHLESS:1 were basically non-existant in the last year. But fear not, it is still in active development, things were just slower than expected. What happened? Lots of experimenting with new technologies led to some time consuming tasks and since RUTHLESS:1 is still a one-man-project, this had a much bigger impact than I imagined but the results were worth it. Also, I noticed a lot of stuff that felt just not polished enough. A non-trivial amount of code was rewritten completely and lots of previously undetected bugs were fixed. What are the consequences? While this was never officially announced, RUTHLESS:1 was planned to enter Early Access in June 2024. I want to offer a great experience with the game, so that target has become unattainable. I'm really sorry, and I want to apologize to anyone, who is waiting for a new vers…
