Battle for Asciion

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• Community & Events·13 Mar 2026Official

  Audio Options, Terminal Overlay & Community Ship

  A new update for Battle for Asciion is now available.Version 1.305 introduces new audio customization options, a visual terminal-style overlay for widescreen displays, the addition of the fourth ship from the community design contest, and several fixes and tweaks across the game.Audio Mixing OptionsMany players asked for more control over the game's sound mix, especially after the addition of autofire, which naturally increases the frequency of shooting sounds.We've listened to that feedback. You can now adjust BGM and SFX volumes independently from the PAUSE/OPTIONS menu.This allows players to better balance the sound effects with the music and enjoy the excellent chiptune soundtrack composed by WYZ in a way that suits their preferences.Optional Terminal OverlayAs many old-school players know, most classic games were designed for 4:3 displays, which means modern widescreen monitors often leave empty space on the sides.To address this, we've added an optional terminal-style overlay that decorates the edges of the screen and recreates the look of an old computer terminal.This feature can be enabled from the PAUSE/OPTIONS menu. By default, it is disabled.The 4th Ship Has ArrivedThe Community Ship Design Contest has concluded, and the winning design has now been added to the game.Players can now choose between four different battle ships from the ship selection screen.Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their designs.You can see the full contest thread and results here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4327720/discussions/0/764060301067000448/General FixesAs usual, this update also includes several small fixes and improvements.Most notably, a bug affecting the secret discovery system has been fixed.Thank you again for the continued support and feedback.
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• Patch Notes·3 Mar 2026Official

  Update 1.200 - Ship Selection & Community Contest Now Live!

  Ship Selection Is HereYou can now select between three different ship designs before starting your run.This change is purely cosmetic — all ships share the exact same weaponry and gameplay balance — but now you can pilot the ASCII fighter that best matches your style.And there’s more…Design the 4th Ship – Community ContestYou’ll notice a mysterious fourth slot marked with “??”.That slot will be filled by a community-designed ASCII ship.We’re running a small design contest, and the winning entry will be implemented in-game as the fourth selectable ship.If you’d like to participate, check the rules and submission details here: 👉 https://steamcommunity.com/app/4327720/discussions/0/764060301067000448/We can’t wait to see what you come up with.Gameplay & Quality ImprovementsAutofire Enabled by DefaultFor new players, Autofire is now enabled by default, making the experience smoother from the very first run.(You can still toggle it anytime in Pause → Options.)More Forgiving CollisionsShip collision detection has been adjusted.Now only the two central characters of the ship register damage, making movement feel fairer and more precise — especially in tight bullet patterns.Improved HUD & Menu FeedbackThe floating “Pause/Options” button has been redesigned to better match the game’s ASCII aesthetic.New sound effects have been added to the main menu and the ship selection screen.Additional Fixes & TweaksThis update also includes multiple small fixes, refinements, and polish improvements across the game.Thank you again for the support since launch. More updates to come 🚀
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• Patch Notes·17 Feb 2026Official

  The Autofire Update Is Here!

  Hello pilots!Our first community update for Battle for Asciion is now live, and it brings the most requested feature since launch: autofire.This patch is mainly focused on quality of life improvements based directly on player feedback, plus a few small fixes across the game.New Feature: Autofire (Most Requested!)You can now fire continuously by holding the shoot button.This was by far the most requested feature from players, and we’re very happy to finally include it. Autofire can be enabled or disabled at any time from the Pause / Options menu, so you can play the way you prefer.New Option: Low Sensitivity for GamepadWe’ve added a low sensitivity option for ship movement, especially useful when playing with a controller.This setting slightly moderates the ship’s speed to allow for more controlled movement. That said, keyboard is still strongly recommended for maximum precision and for the intended “arcade/terminal” feel of the game.Improved Continue BehaviorIf the game detects that you can continue a run, the Continue option in the menu will now appear enabled by default. This helps prevent accidentally starting a new game when you actually meant to continue your progress.General Fixes & PolishThis update also includes several small fixes and minor polish improvements across the game to make the overall experience smoother and more consistent.Thank You for the SupportThank you so much for the warm reception and for all the feedback, comments, and messages since launch.Battle for Asciion is a small and unusual game, and seeing the community engage with it, request features, and help us improve it means a lot to us. More updates and refinements will come as we keep listening to your feedback.See you in Asciion.
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• Announcements·9 Feb 2026Official

  Not everything is visible at first glance

  Hidden secrets in plain sightBattle for Asciion includes hidden secrets scattered across its stages. They’re not collectibles you pick up - they’re sensitive zones embedded into the environments.Some areas may look empty or transparent at first, but if you fly your ship through the right spot, you’ll trigger a secret:A floating “SECRET!” message appearsThe hidden zone is revealed with a small ASCII marker so you know where you found itAnd from that moment on, you’ve uncovered something that wasn’t obvious at allEarly on, we make sure you encounter one of these secrets naturally — so you understand how they work. From there on, the rest are up to you.Risk, curiosity, and replayabilityMost secrets are placed off the usual path:Between meteor fieldsIn risky areas you wouldn’t normally crossOr in places that require you to momentarily give up safety to exploreFinish the game and the ending will tell you exactly how deep you went: X / 10 SECRETS FOUNDFinding all of them rewards you with a bonus ending focused on score, made especially for players who like to push the game a bit further.A hidden Hardcore ModeThere’s also something else… but the game doesn’t advertise it.If you manage to finish Battle for Asciion without using CONTINUE - one full run, start to finish - the game reveals the existence of a Hardcore Mode.This mode isn’t selected from a menu. It’s unlocked the old-school way:A secret button combinationEntered directly on the main menuVery much in the spirit of classic arcade cheatsOnce you know it, you can access Hardcore Mode from the start. But first… you have to earn that knowledge.Battle for Asciion doesn’t explain everything on purpose. Some things are meant to be found, not told.See you in Asciion.
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• Announcements·2 Feb 2026Official

  Battle for Asciion - From a 2012 experiment to a modern release

  Battle for Asciion began its life in 2012 as a small experiment. We weren’t trying to chase trends or build something flashy - we were simply curious: what if a shoot ’em up could be made entirely out of text, not as an aesthetic, but as the actual game world?That question shaped everything.Every ship, enemy, bullet, explosion and boss you see in Battle for Asciion is made of real ASCII characters. There are no sprites pretending to look like text - the text is the game. It moves, collides, animates and fights back.Over the years, we decided to revisit that original experiment and give it a proper modern release, without betraying its spirit. The result is a small but very deliberate game, designed around the idea that text can be expressive, dynamic and playable.One example of this philosophy is Textshot. At any moment during gameplay, you can capture what’s happening on screen and save it as a plain .txt file. Not an image - an actual text file you can open, edit, share or archive. It’s a tiny feature, but it perfectly represents what Battle for Asciion is about: treating text as something tangible, not decorative.In terms of controls, the game supports keyboard and controller input. A controller configuration is available via Steam Input, and the game is fully compatible with Steam Deck. That said, keyboard controls are strongly recommended for precision and for that old-school “terminal” feeling that inspired the project in the first place.Battle for Asciion is not a big game, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s a focused, slightly weird, text-driven shoot ’em up made with a lot of care, revisiting an idea we still find exciting after all these years.Thanks for taking a look - and see you in Asciion.
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