- August 2026 Update - 1 September 2026
Hi everyone! This past month has been focused on getting a new version of the demo out and filling in the remaining “gaps” for the completed game. Both have now been completed! The completed game is definitely still a first pass, with plenty left to polish and improve, but it is now playable from start to finish. Let’s dive into what changed.Biome ProgressionProgression into the Flooded and Methane biomes had already been sorted out, but progression into the Lava biome was still missing. This has now been addressed.Without giving away any spoilers, here’s a little teaser.CheckpointsAfter numerous changes to address player feedback around dying, checkpoints have now been added.When the player dies, checkpoints allow them to continue from the beginning of the level they died on or from their last save, whichever is more recent.Checkpoints are not persisted, so quitting or restarting the g…
- Demo Update Now Live - 12 August 2026
A major new demo update has been pushed live with a complete camp overhaul, water purification, checkpoints and more.The demo has been restructured from 10 levels to 5 levels and the flooded biome has been removed. This allows the demo to better represent the pacing and progression of the full game while keeping some areas and content reserved for the full release.Please note: Due to the significant changes in this update, previous saves can no longer be loaded. A warning will be displayed on floppy disks containing an incompatible save.AdditionsAdded clean and dirty water.Added dysentery, an affliction caused by drinking dirty water.Added purifying station.Added cooking station with storage upgrades (replaces cooking pot).Added brewing station with storage upgrades (replaces tin cup).Added sewing station with storage (replaces assembly area).Added blueprints for purifying, brewing, coo…
- July 2026 Update - 1 August 2026
Hi Everyone! This past month has been focused almost entirely on improving the camp. The goal has been to make the camp feel more rewarding to build while reducing unnecessary busywork. While work on the camp overhaul continues, an updated demo is planned for next month, bringing many of the improvements featured in this and previous monthly updates. Let's dive into what changed.BlueprintsSeven additional blueprints have been added, expanding camp progression. These new stations are unlocked by completing blueprints instead of being found as complete items throughout the world. To support this expansion, a few new items have also been added:FlaskKettleFrying PanCampEvery station in the camp has been updated.Most stations can now be upgraded with dedicated storage, with several stations sharing storage where it makes sense. This makes inventory management at camp much smoother while stil…
- June 2026 Update - 1 July 2026
Hi everyone! First off, Expedition RAVN-3 participated in the recent Steam Next Fest. A huge thank you to everyone who tried the demo, left feedback, and wishlisted the game! This past month has been focused on new content, improving the early game and beginning a complete overhaul of the camp. Let's dive in.Camp Starter ItemsAfter receiving feedback from players, it became clear that the save mechanic wasn't introduced soon enough. With that in mind, the camp has been moved to the first level, the objectives have been updated and a collection of camp starter items has been added.This helps ensure that once players discover the camp, they can establish it and save their progress much earlier. Since this is one of the core pillars of Expedition RAVN-3, making it accessible sooner was a high priority.The camp starter items also take into account what the player has already discovered or d…
- Demo Update Now Live - 5 June 2026
A new demo update has been pushed live with additional hints, easy difficulty clarification, gameplay improvements and several bug fixes.AdditionsAdded computer battery hint.Added radial menu hint.UpdatesLimited the number of rooms with a ladder that can appear on a given level.Updated bat swarm hint.Updated Easy difficulty description regarding floppy disks.Crosshair now fades in and out while player damage is active.FixesFixed mouse icon being replaced by an item icon when completing either the Plant Press or Extractor blueprints.Fixed items in Plant Press and Extractor outputs not stacking in backpack correctly.Fixed player damage effect being displayed during cutscenes.Fixed bat swarms not returning when a cutscene starts.Fixed packed canteen stack amounts when the Packing skill is at maximum level.Thanks to everyone who has played the demo and shared feedback so far.Sean It’s My Fi…
- May 2026 Update - 1 June 2026
Hi everyone! This past month has been focused on improving progression, expanding the lava and methane biomes and adding additional clarity to help new players learn the game more naturally. Let’s dive into what changed.HintsA hint system has been added to the death screen. Based on a player’s progression and cause of death, up to 5 hints may be shown.Additionally, logic has been added to prevent the same hint from appearing more than 3 times during a given session. For the demo, there are currently 23 unique hints available.As with other systems, there is a gameplay option to disable hints entirely.Lava BiomeThe lava biome was previously the only biome without a connected path from the starting room to the end room. To address this, pipes have been added. There are currently 14 variations with more planned for the future.Additionally, barricades have been added to the lava biome.Methan…
- Demo Update Now Live - 10 May 2026
A new demo update has been pushed live with new objectives, quality of life improvements, additional hints and several bug fixes.AdditionsAdded “Harvest Wood from Track” objective.Added “Find Camp” objective.Added “Save Game” objective.Added a battery and blank floppy disk (normal difficulty) to camp storage.Added contextual death screen hints.23 hints can now appear depending on what the player has or hasn’t experienced.Hints can be disabled in Gameplay Options.UpdatesUpdated descriptions for Fatigue, Lantern Fuel and Spare Parts.Updated descriptions for all skills.Increased the duration of opening text for readability.Removed the battery from the starting room.FixesFixed labeled floppy disks being destroyed when saving on easy mode.Fixed the audio warning triggering when the player lacked enough strength to equip the lantern after getting off a ladder.Fixed the Status tutorial trigger…
- April 2026 Update - 1 May 2026
Hi everyone! This past month has been focused on releasing the demo on Steam, which went live on April 27, 2026. Most of the work went into bug fixes, along with a few improvements to overall gameplay. Let’s dive into what changed.Storage IconsThere was some confusion from earlier players around where items could be stored. To address this, storage icons have been added to item descriptions.While this is a relatively small addition, it should help clarify where items can be stored.Methane BiomeWith the demo released, the focus has shifted toward the full game. The next step is the methane biome. Unfortunately, I had willfully forgotten just how much wood is required to build out all the supports.MapsEarly playtesting showed that how maps worked wasn’t very clear.Since picking up a map only increases map levels by a small amount, the exact value is now shown in the notification. Addition…
- Demo Now Live - 27 April 2026
The demo for Expedition RAVN-3 is now available on Steam.Descend into the first 10 levels of an abandoned mine. Expand your camp, manage your resources and search for your missing brother. The deeper you go, the more punishing the environment becomes.I’d love to hear your feedback, every bit helps shape the game. Thank you for your support!Sean It’s My First Day Studios
- March 2026 Update - 1 April 2026
Hi everyone! This past month has been focused on improving quality of life and clarifying systems and mechanics following some great feedback. Let’s dive into what improved.ObjectivesA new minimalist objective system has been added to the game. This is intended to provide guidance rather than hand-holding. For players who prefer not to use objectives, there is an option to disable them in the gameplay settings.ClarityA brief description of what the demo is now appears on the start screen to better set expectations.There was also some confusion around lockpicking, so a new tutorial has been added to address the mechanic. In addition, flora, quick transfer and skills now have their own tutorials.Previously, a station’s information was only shown when first opened. As soon as an item in the inventory was selected, that information was no longer available without reopening the station. This…
- February 2026 Update - 1 March 2026
Hi everyone! This past month has been heavily focused on getting the first public demo out on itch.io. As a result, February involved a lot of balancing, bug fixes and a couple of new additions. Let’s dive into what changed.BalancingWith the demo release, several systems were adjusted based on internal testing and overall pacing goals:Decreased the duration of the extractor and plant press.Halved the amount of fuel provided by the lantern fuel item.Increased camp storage stack limits for extracts and brews to 99.Updated required experience values for multiple skills (botany, brewing, cooking and packing).Added bandage (burn) to support boxes in the default biome and bandage (poison) to the flooded biome.Adjusted starting backpack slots based on difficulty.PiranhasA new threat has been added to the flooded biome: schools of piranhas.If the player enters the water and gets too close, the…
- January 2026 Update - 1 February 2026
Hi everyone! Welcome to the first monthly update of 2026. This past month has been heavily focused on preparing for the first public demo, currently targeting mid-February, with early testing planned on itch.io. With that in mind, let’s dive into what happened in January.Feel & PolishOverall game feel and polish have been improved in several areas:Subtle debris has been added to bat colonies as a visual cue. Previously, these relied only on audio.Lantern flicker has been added for low fuel and during intense moments such as earthquakes and focus events. This includes an accessibility option to disable the effect.Player arms are now clamped to specific height ranges, allowing for greater rotation while feeling more natural during movement.Journal EntriesAs mentioned in the last update, the computer interface has been expanded to support a new mechanic: journal entries.Previously, the sec…
- December 2025 Update - 1 January 2026
Hi everyone! This will be a shorter update due to the time of year and the holidays. I hope everyone had a safe and great holiday season. With that said, let’s dive into what happened in December.Cave-InsCave-ins have now been added to the flooded biome. In addition, changes made to level generation as part of last month’s barricades update have made cave-ins more meaningful.They will now only trigger when they block a path with no other way around, ensuring they feel more intentional rather than random.ComputerThe computer interaction has been updated. Previously, the player would simply interact with the computer to save their progress. Now, the player must actively insert a floppy disk into the computer in order to save. This system was updated to support a new mechanic that will be revealed in next month's update.Level GenerationThe level generation has been refactored. While the ol…
- November 2025 Update - 2 December 2025
Hi everyone! My name is Sean — the solo developer behind Expedition RAVN-3. This is the first of many monthly updates as I work toward finalizing the demo and, eventually, the full release. With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into what happened in November.BarricadesThe random level generation system was expanded to include barricades. These block the player’s path and force them to find an alternate route toward the exit, adding more variety and tension to each run.Buoyant ItemsAfter adding camps to the flooded biome, a problem surfaced: wood is required to establish a camp — but no wood naturally spawns there.The solution? Floating wood planks that the player can pick up and interact with. This not only solves the progression issue but also adds a surprising amount of life (and maybe too much fun) to the biome as you push the planks around.Computer and Floppy DisksThe old save…
