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• Patch Notes·16 Jun 2026Official

  Demo update! (but we're not in Next Fest) ...

  What's up Rockhounds?Oh man, gamedev can be rough sometimes... We've released the Demo just over a week ago, and we're already rolling out an update with a LOT of fixes, tweaks and improvements.The problem is: Becoming successful on Steam is increasingly about momentum, and we simply don't have enough of it to justify participating in Next Fest, so we've decided to opt-out of the event.We've set our goals high with Rockhounds. We want this game to be enjoyable over extended playtime, and that means that we've built a lot of mechanics, but we've not spent enough time getting them all to be balanced properly. Some of you have been very helpful by providing a review of the current demo both on Steam or on our Discord, but also we realize that we just don't have the momentum yet to participate in Next Fest.So, we're taking a breather and will come back stronger at a later time. We believe that what's deferred is not lost. Despite this, we're still rolling out the update to the demo.Here's what's new (or changed)Accountants and Scientists now follow the player around instead of finding their own way to safetyThe investigate side objective for the "Rig Security" contract no longer block players from restarting the mining rig.Resources are now only awarded when players reach the shuttle during the mission extractionMore "FTUE" tool-tips were added to explain the basics even betterMany, many UI / UX improvements, some small but significantLootdrop balancing, making scavenging for loot more worthwhileOverall performance improvements, pushing those extra framesFixed several issues with contracts (thanks to your feedback!)Resolved several issues with players disconnectingThe card pack reveal was updated, now showing more details for each rewardSkipjack has a new skin, and fits in better with the RockhoundsSwitching a contract now unreadies all playersResolved issues with the backend for time-based events (like refreshing vendors, or fabricator usage)Resolved an issue that caus...
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• Announcements·4 Jun 2026Official

  The Rockhounds demo is OUT NOW!

  What's up, Rockhounds!The wait is over: The Rockhounds Demo is officially live and available for everyone to play right now!To our dedicated Playtest group: a massive thank you for diving in and sharing your feedback. You will notice a ton of major changes and improvements in this build. For a comprehensive breakdown of everything that has changed since the playtest, check out our Previous Update Article.🚀 Getting Ready for Steam Next FestIn less than two weeks, we will be participating in the Steam Summer Next Fest!We want to welcome as many new players as possible, and we need your help to spread the word.Grab your crew: Invite your friends, squad up, and test the latest build together.Help us polish the experience: If you discover any bugs, let us know immediately so we can crush them before the floodgates open.👉 Join the Rockhounds Discord to report bugs and find squads!👁️ Transparency & Managing ExpectationsWe believe in being transparent with our community. Right now, you can play pretty much everything we have built up to this point. We are showing our cards early because we want you to experience the core vision of the game.While the demo is packed with content, this is just the foundation. We have a massive roadmap of new features, environments, and mechanics planned for our Early Access launch. If you enjoy what you play today, the best way to support us is to hit that Wishlist button!📈 How Progression Works in the Demo (Important!)As of right now, player progression in the Demo is completely unrestricted.However, we will be implementing a progression cap in a future update (prior to the Early Access release). Here is how that will look, and what it means for you:We expect your progress to carry over from the Demo to the Early Access version of the game when it releases.If you progress beyond the future cap before we implement it, you will keep your progress, but you won't be able to advance any further if you continue playing the Demo.Jump in now to get a...
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• Announcements·1 Jun 2026Official

  Project updates, Demo announcement & EA Roadmap teaser

  Hey Rockhounds!Time flies when you’re having fun, and we’ve been having fun working on a massive update. Our main goal right now is participating in Steam Next Fest this June, which means the official Rockhounds Demo is dropping very soon!But before we get to that, let’s talk about the recent Playtest.Playtest retrospectiveOver the past couple of months, thousands of you tried out the very first playable build of Rockhounds. Your feedback was incredible, and the data showed something fascinating: your initial play sessions are long and engaging, but we have a retention problem. Players aren't returning for a third or fourth session.We always planned to build a robust meta-game loop to drive long-term retention, but we didn’t expect to do it this early. However, we realized that if we didn't fix this leak now, our Next Fest demo wouldn't successfully grow our audience, putting our upcoming Early Access launch at risk.So, we pivoted, and focused on building features that give you a reason to jump back into the game time and time again.What’s New: The Meta-Loop & Feature OverhaulHere is a breakdown of the major systems we’ve just implemented to fix the leak and deepen the Rockhounds experience:Economy: You can now mine and extract rare minerals during missions. Use them to purchase, craft, and upgrade your gear between contracts.The Hub Overhaul: The base ship has been completely redesigned to align with our narrative direction. It is now more compact, gritty, and feels like a true, worn-down freighter.Unique Personalities: Rockhounds now have individual voices, making them sound unique and way more interesting.The Crafting Loop: Introducing the Crafting Table and Fabricator. You will now use minerals to craft items and attachments (which are consumed after each contract, keeping the resource loop active).Vendors: New interactive vendors are available, where you can trade minerals and buy new weapons.Difficulty & Anomalies: We’ve expanded the difficulty curve to reward...
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• Patch Notes·8 Apr 2026Official

  Check out the new mission type in this fifth Rockhounds Playtest patch!

  What's up, Rockhounds!We’re back with our fifth playtest update! We’ve heard your feedback: diving into high-stakes contracts solo can be a steep challenge. To give you a smoother start before you bring in a crew, this update introduces a brand-new mission type designed for a more gradual onboarding and better gameplay variety.This is just the beginning: Expect even more mission types over the coming weeks. If you haven't dropped in lately, now is the perfect time to see how Rockhounds is evolving. We’ve also packed in numerous quality-of-life changes to make your experience smoother.Highlights for this updateImprovements to Low-Risk MissionsWe're introducing a new "mining rig" layout designed for smoother, more accessible gameplay.We've added "Kill Targets" as a new mission type, enabling shorter missions and setting the foundation for future objective variety.Progression & RewardsWe have revamped the progression flow: Rewards are now communicated more clearly, and content unlocks automatically as players advance.Deploy Screen UpgradeAdded loadout previews to the deploy screen, allowing players to review and strategize gear selection before missions.Enemy Spawn RebalanceFocused on improving the first-time user experience in low-risk missions, with better pacing between enemy waves.Enemy Behavior improvementsEnhanced enemy behavior across all enemy types for more dynamic and challenging encounters.Visual & Audio UpdatesNew Music Tracks – Immersive soundtrack updates to match the intensity of your missions.Weapon Visuals – Refreshed designs for select weapons. Other notable improvementsReduced network traffic. Lowering data usage and improved multiplayer stability, especially for players on lower-quality connections.Improved ammo distribution reducing the risk of shortages by increasing ammo drops from enemies and loot containers. Expanded build limits for ammo replenishment blueprints, enabling to stockpile and strategize more effectivelyAmmo Resupply Standardizatio...
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• Patch Notes·19 Mar 2026Official

  Playtest Monster-update #4 is now live!

  What's up, Rockhounds!It’s been a busy couple of weeks! We’ve just returned from GDC in San Francisco, where we pitched Rockhounds to potential partners to help us scale toward release. We’re currently following up with everyone. You might even run into some of them in-game, as they’ll be reviewing the same build as you!The biggest news, however, is that we’ve just released a "Monster" update to the Playtest. This is our largest and most fundamental update yet, implementing many of the suggestions you’ve shared. We really hope you love this new version.To keep the momentum going, we’ll soon be moving the Playtest to "open" access to welcome more players. We’re also revamping our Steam page to better reflect the current state of the game and improve our conversion.Highlights for this updateBase-Building Revamp: We’ve overhauled the experience with more intuitive controls, allowing for faster and more efficient construction and management of your structures.Weapons & Armory: We've adjusted base loadouts, rebalanced weapons, and introduced specific damage types to expand your tactical options during combat.Resistances & Vulnerabilities: Enemies now have specific strengths and weaknesses. You'll need to strategize your loadout and approach to effectively take down these creatures during missions.Enhanced Enemy Behavior: We've upgraded AI behavior to ensure encounters are more engaging, challenging, and unpredictable.Quality-of-Life: A host of smaller features and fixes designed to refine the overall experience and smooth out the gameplay loop.Detailed break-down of changesBase building UXUnlock blueprints through player reputation leveling (RP; Reputation Points)Option to equip blueprints in class loadoutThe radar, Respawn Portal and Class-Selector buildings are now blueprints that can be equippedUpdated building grids and base layouts to support new buildablesBuilding is now always an option, even if the mining rig is active. The building grid will appear in building m...
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