No Clean Start

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• Announcements·2 Aug 2026Official

  A Small Glimpse

  A Small GlimpseOver the past few months we've been sharing the systems behind NO CLEAN START through our development diaries.Today we'd simply like to show a small glimpse of the game in motion.This short clip isn't a trailer, and it doesn't try to tell the whole story. It's just a brief look at the atmosphere, the pacing, and a few moments taken directly from the current build.Since our last update we've continued refining virtually every aspect of the experience: enemy behavior, encounters, weapons, visual feedback, balancing, performance and, above all, replayability.Our current focus isn't adding as many new features as possible. It's making sure the existing ones work together consistently and provide an experience that feels rewarding over repeated runs.We know many of you have already requested access to the upcoming Steam Playtest, and we're genuinely grateful for the interest the project has received so far.The first playable build is getting very close.We'd rather spend these final weeks polishing, balancing and fixing than rush a build out the door. We want your first experience with NO CLEAN START to represent the direction we've been working toward over these past months.Thank you for your patience, your feedback and your continued support.We look forward to letting you step inside the facility very soon.
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• Announcements·11 Jul 2026Official

  Approaching the First Playtest

  Hi all,Over the past few months we've shared many of the systems that make up NO CLEAN START: encounters, enemy behaviors, player classes, weapons and progression.Most of those systems are now in place.Our focus has gradually shifted from building new features to refining the experience as a whole.A significant part of our work is currently dedicated to balancing encounters, tuning weapon handling, refining visual and audio feedback, improving enemy variety, and making sure that all these individual systems work together consistently.One area receiving particular attention is replayability.Because NO CLEAN START is designed around repeated runs, every playthrough should feel familiar enough to reward learning, while remaining unpredictable enough to encourage different decisions. Much of our recent work has been about finding that balance: adjusting encounters, refining progression, improving enemy combinations and ensuring that no single strategy becomes the obvious answer.At the same time, we're continuing to optimize performance and eliminate issues that could interrupt the experience. Many of the changes made over the past weeks are not immediately visible, but they are essential to making the game stable across a wide range of hardware.Our next major milestone is the first public playtest.Rather than rushing toward a wider release, we'd like to gather feedback in a more controlled environment first. This will help us validate balancing, identify technical issues that are difficult to reproduce internally, and continue improving the overall experience before making it available to everyone.We're getting very close.As always, thank you for following the project and for the thoughtful feedback you've shared over the past months. Every development update brings us one step closer to putting the game in your hands.
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• Patch Notes·19 Jun 2026Official

  No Clean Start – Dev Update #6

  Hi all.Over the past few weeks we've been focusing less on introducing entirely new systems and more on expanding the ones that are already in place.A large part of development has been dedicated to increasing gameplay variety while continuing to improve stability and overall performance. As we move closer to the first public playable build, every new feature also has to integrate cleanly with everything that already exists.A new infected variantOne area we've been expanding is enemy variety.One of the newest additions is a new infected type internally inspired by a parasitic infection. Unlike the regular infected, these creatures are literally being consumed from the inside by aggressive parasites that have spread throughout their bodies.The infection has progressed so far that parasites can often be seen emerging from the mouth and other wounds while the host is still alive.Their most distinctive behavior happens when you shoot them or after death.Instead of simply collapsing, the body ruptures, releasing dozens of living parasites into the surrounding area.The death of the host therefore doesn't necessarily mean the encounter is over. In many situations it actually creates a new problem that forces the player to quickly reconsider positioning and movement.Rather than simply introducing "another enemy", we're trying to create situations where different enemy types naturally change the rhythm of an encounter.Expanding the arsenalCombat has also received significant attention.While the original prototype already included the standard 9mm pistol and the 12-gauge shotgun, we've recently introduced several additional firearms, each designed with its own handling characteristics rather than simply dealing different amounts of damage.The current arsenal now includes:Suppressed 9mm pistol.45 Colt handgunAK-12 assault rifle9mm burst-fire pistolEach weapon is intended to encourage a slightly different approach.Some reward precision and stealth, others offer raw stopping pow...
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• Patch Notes·4 May 2026Official

  No Clean Start – Dev Update #5

  When Not Everything Comes CloseSo far, most of the threats we’ve shown have been based on proximity.Shamblers, by design, create pressure by forcing the player into close-range decisions — when to approach, when to disengage, when to take risks.This week we’re introducing a different type of threat.Not all enemies in NO CLEAN START rely on getting close.Remnants of What They WereSome of the infected are not ordinary creatures.They are former soldiers and special forces units originally deployed to contain the outbreak. Over time, the infection has altered them both physically and mentally.Their faces are deformed. Their behavior is unstable. Most of their reasoning is gone.But not entirely.What remains are fragments — partial memory, conditioned reflexes, residual habits from their previous roles.In some cases, this includes the ability to handle weapons.Weapons as Part of the BodyOne of the more visible effects of the infection is how it affects their bodies.Arms, hands and forearms often appear fused with their standard-issue weapons. This is not just a visual detail — it reflects the loss of separation between the individual and the tool they once used.Despite their condition, they can still fire.Not with precision, and not with coordination, but enough to be dangerous.A Different Kind of PressureUnlike Shamblers, these enemies do not rely on speed.They rarely run. Most of the time, they move slowly and deliberately.The danger comes from somewhere else.They introduce distance as a factor.Spaces that felt manageable before — corridors, open rooms, intersections — now need to be read differently. Line of sight becomes critical. Cover becomes relevant. Movement is no longer just about positioning, but also about exposure.This shifts the rhythm of encounters.Instead of reacting to something that is approaching, the player has to deal with something that can already reach them.Integration with Existing SystemsThese enemies are not isolated additions.They are designed ...
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• Patch Notes·24 Apr 2026Official

  Rebirth / No Clean Start – Dev Update #4

  Classes Are Not Just LoadoutsUp to this point, we’ve talked about space, encounters, and the systems that shape them.This week, we’re introducing something that directly affects how players approach all of those systems: classes.At a glance, classes might look like simple loadout variations. In practice, they define how a run feels from the very first minute.More Than a Starting KitEach class begins with a different loadout, but that’s only one part of the system.Under the hood, classes are built around a set of core character attributes that influence how the player moves, survives, and interacts with the world.Some of these are already active in the current build, while others are being integrated progressively.The current set includes:HealthStaminaMovement speedStealth (how much noise the player produces)Agility (affecting reload and handling speed)Resistance to bleedingResistance to infectionLuckIntelligence (affecting how many credits are gained)Arrangement ( unlocks loadout points, more on this later on ) Most of them are directly tied to existing gameplay variables.The goal is not to turn the game into a stat-driven experience, but to subtly shift how each class behaves in the same environment.Three Ways to Approach the Same SpaceAll classes share the same world, the same encounters, and the same threats.What changes is how they deal with them.📷 (Screenshot – Class 1)SoldierThe most direct approach.Higher survivability and stronger combat presence make the Soldier more effective when situations escalate. starting already with a ranged weapon. However, this comes with trade-offs: less subtlety, more noise, and a higher chance of triggering unwanted encounters.MedicA more controlled, adaptive approach.The Medic is not necessarily stronger, but more efficient at staying alive over time. Better interaction with healing systems and status effects allows for recovery and sustained exploration.This class rewards caution and long-term thinking rather than immediate d...
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