Updates & announcements.

Our October 19 Playtest update brings together the changes since our October 16 announcement. Build 26035956 and its matching game server are live; update through Steam and restart the game before joining.

The free Playtest remains open every day during development. This is a Playtest update, not the commercial launch of the main game.

Super Attacks and stronger opponents

• From round 5, Normal/Hard bots send the most expensive unlocked unit their legal attack budget can afford.
• They repeat that choice with the remaining attack budget until no legal purchase or send slot remains; normal defense reserves still apply.
• Super Attack uses one draw per eligible round: 15% for each team and 70% for neither. Both teams cannot win the same draw.
• An ineligible team's chance is not transferred. Participating bots must have enough gold and a send slot for an unlocked unit.
• Selected bots bank gold during preparation instead of building, researching or making ordinary sends.
• With 1.5 seconds until payout, they send the strongest affordable first wave; after payout and quota reset, middle-price units form the follow-up.
• The opposing bots stop sending and invest in defense through the entire follow-up round. Only the next round can select another Super Attack.
• Units already on the road remain in play. Human players keep control of their own gold and actions.
• Mutual saving no longer cancels a committed Super Attack. Gold, unlocks, stock and the normal ten-send limit still apply.
• These attack rules apply to eligible Normal/Hard bots; opening-round income, Easy, Tutorial and Training policies remain separate.

Bots build better defenses

• Powerful tower transformations favor positions covering more of the route, with central positions preferred when coverage ties.
• Bots can invest in stronger forms after 20 towers instead of waiting for all 60 starter towers.
• Bots can save across payouts for the next useful defensive purchase.
• Visible saving by at least two opponents prompts defensive investment; it cannot reverse committed Super Attack roles.
• Each eligible bot independently has a 5% chance to spend one round defending without sending units.
• In that round, it tries to reach 60 towers, then buys missing stronger forms and works toward one of each before duplicates.
• The personal defense roll is disabled during Super Attack preparation and its follow-up round. Normal sending resumes afterward.
• Bots obey prices, prerequisites, build limits and sale locks; gold may remain when no legal purchase is possible.
• CENTER's lower-left tower pair now continues right and diagonally upward in pairs, preserving an open route and the 60-tower cap.

Brass Automata and Root Circuit: 17 renewed tower forms

• Brass Automata gains renewed Gear Sentry, Rapid Bolt, Signal Tower, Pressure Bomb, Heavy Piston and Clockwork Keep models.
• The Brass Colossus transformation has its own armored siege form.
• Root Circuit gains renewed Sprout Coil, Resin Node, Thorn Engine, Root Heart, Storm Bough, Crown Reactor and Elder Trunk models.
• Venom Coil, Bramble Engine and Rot Crown have distinct upgraded forms.
• Moving parts, aiming, recoil and gears follow real tower attacks.
• Muzzle effects, projectiles and impacts accompany the renewed models; visual effects do not add new combat mechanics.
• The same models and transformations appear in local matches and on online opponents' towers, without a flash of the old model on creation.
• Reduced Effects suppresses transient effects and projectile trails while preserving combat and mechanical movement.
• Sprout Coil is smaller so adjacent leaves no longer crowd one another.
• Thorn Engine and Bramble Engine now have brighter green bodies with readable pale thorns.
• All 17 Brass/Root portraits now match the current models in purchase, upgrade, introduction, catalog and guide views.
• Gale Serpent no longer shares Echo Wing's portrait; Ember Colossus no longer shares Lava Colossus's portrait.
• The existing battlefield, lane dimensions and lane positions are preserved.

Tower balance and rebuilding

• Archive's five attacking forms gain base DPS equal to 2.5% of the target's maximum HP, distributed by attack interval—not 2.5% per hit.
• Rune Totem remains a non-attacking support structure; the new damage rule is explained in Archive's tower descriptions.
• Venom Coil retains poison and adds a 30% on-hit slow for up to 2 seconds, subject to resistance and duration-refresh rules.
• Each faction's non-attacking support tower gives +10% attack damage to same-faction towers in its owner's lane only.
• Support bonuses do not stack. Removing the support structure removes the bonus from new attacks.
• Selling/removing a tower is blocked only while a living unit assigned to its lane is inside that tower's current range; distant lane units no longer lock the whole maze.
• Tower cards show Unlimited or Limited - N before purchase, including shared limits where applicable.

Global chat and in-match coordination

• Global Chat connects players in the main menu, independently of their party.
• The same chat is available while searching and on MATCH FOUND, preserving message history and your draft text.
• Global history retains the last 48 hours; OLDER and LATEST navigate 40-message pages. Previously discarded messages cannot be restored.
• During a match, Enter opens TEAM chat for teammates; Shift+Enter opens ALL chat for both teams in that match.
• Enter sends and closes the composer; Escape closes without sending. The current channel is labeled clearly.
• Building, selling, sending and camera hotkeys are blocked while typing.
• Match chat stays separate from Global Chat and keeps only that match's history. Bots do not read chat or take chat commands.

Online play

• The human-player gathering window is now 2 minutes instead of 3; AI fills eligible empty seats afterward.
• Six ready humans can start earlier. Authentication, connection and draft time are additional to the gathering window.
• The old client/server version mismatch has been corrected with matching releases. Keep your Steam installation updated.

Clearer interface, camera and tutorial

• Home-menu cards, buttons, text and dialogs are more compact.
• The tower selection panel is smaller while retaining prices, prerequisites and help controls.
• Selected towers retain their textures and colors under a light turquoise highlight instead of becoming white silhouettes.
• Tutorial NEXT has a persistent pointer until you advance; the pointer is static with Reduced Effects enabled.
• The music toggle now uses a dark green background and mint note, preserving your mute preference.
• The economy table shows each commander's faction beneath their name.
• Matches open on your own field at a wider zoom, biased toward its entrance; CENTER accounts for both entrances.
• The lobby, draft, loading and results surfaces share a consistent dark blue palette; faction colors remain accents.
• F1–F6 focus lanes from left to right without changing your zoom or pitch; ALL CONTROLS now opens with F8.
• There are 39 rebindable keyboard actions, including the lane shortcuts.
• Tower cards show RANGE beside DPS and a REQUIREMENTS summary; the small ? button opens the full guide without buying.
• FACTIONS on the main menu lets you inspect all 12 factions and their tower forms, effects, costs and prerequisites.
• Assault panels and unit tooltips are more compact, and shortcut letters have stronger contrast.
• The top bar uses PAYOUT TIMER and centered values instead of the old cycle fraction.
• Units keep their textures and colors when hit, while hit movement and health feedback remain visible.
• Tower firing sounds use 20% lower linear volume; music, voices and impact levels are unchanged.
• Canceled searches cannot let a late response interfere with the next search; online tower views include every owner.

A more guided Tutorial

• Tutorial starts directly in WING while preserving your position preference for normal matches.
• Threshold and Spore are the fixed Tutorial faction offers; the guide waits for your choice.
• The team-bench lesson explains shared offers and lets you try a real swap or KEEP MY FACTION.
• The opening waits for NEXT, then highlights legal cells and cards for two paid starter towers.
• The next income round introduces unit unlocks and choosing income or stronger attacks.
• The camera follows a real sent unit from a wing toward CENTER and explains the shared 25 lives.
• The defense lesson introduces a real enemy purchase and guides two additional paid towers, without requiring a PATH BLOCKED error.
• After the coach, Tutorial opponents make at most one team purchase per income round, at least 20 seconds apart, and send no bosses.
• BACK revisits field-guide pages while paused; clicking explanation text no longer skips a page.
• NEXT GUIDE can move past a stuck lesson without fabricating actions or rewards; END GUIDE stays separate.
• Commander names now stay consistent between Practice start cards and the HUD instead of Bot_1-style labels.

20 new Steam achievements — 40 total

• Steam achievements are now configured for the Playtest. This update adds 20 milestones with new icons, bringing the total to 40.
• Existing valid progress is preserved and eligible new thresholds are rechecked during migration and Steam synchronization.
• Completed Practice and normal online matches count; unfinished matches, Training, Sandbox and automated tests do not. Tutorial has its separate achievement.
• A Familiar Battlefield — complete 25 matches.
• Loomkeeper — complete 250 matches.
• Ever at the Rampart — complete 500 matches.
• Victory Weaver — win 25 matches.
• Crown of the Rampart — win 250 matches.
• Wing Guardian — win 5 matches as WING.
• Flank Commander — win 25 matches as WING.
• Unyielding Wing — win 100 matches as WING.
• Center Guardian — win 5 matches as CENTER.
• Heartland Commander — win 25 matches as CENTER.
• Unyielding Heart — win 100 matches as CENTER.
• Maze Architect — build 500 towers across completed matches.
• Master Builder — build 1,000 towers across completed matches.
• A City of Towers — build 5,000 towers across completed matches.
• Marching Orders — make 500 unit sends across completed matches.
• Wave Commander — make 1,000 unit sends across completed matches.
• Endless Offensive — make 5,000 unit sends across completed matches.
• Steadfast Defense — defeat 5,000 units across completed matches.
• No Passage — defeat 10,000 units across completed matches.
• Legendary Bastion — defeat 50,000 units across completed matches.

Still in progress

• Balance, dense-battle performance and long online sessions remain under testing; this patch does not promise flawless matchmaking or a fixed frame rate.
• One matchmaking service path still rejects tickets; the dedicated quick-match path successfully started a live match in our latest check.
• The new achievement definitions are readable through Steam, but natural unlocking of the new milestones still needs further live observation.

Tell us how the new attacks and defenses feel through Settings → SEND BETA FEEDBACK or our Discord community. The game interface remains English. Thank you for helping shape Rampartloom!

Join the free Playtest · Discord community · Official Reddit

Playtest Build 25982750 is now available. These notes cover changes since the October 10 update; this is not the main game's commercial launch.
Online status: The live server still needs the matching update. Online connections may be rejected because the client and server versions differ. Tutorial and Practice are available while that transition is pending.

Tutorial

• New profiles enter the tutorial before reaching the main menu.
• Skip with EXIT TUTORIAL or replay with PLAY TUTORIAL.
• Complete 10 full rounds to win. While learning, your lives cannot drop below one.
• Tutorial completion and skipping are remembered.
• The tutorial runs at 1x speed.
• Action lessons hold the simulation so you can follow the instructions.
• Instructions are larger, and the time bar is clearer.
• WAIT FOR PAYOUT advances to the next income payment.
• Lessons explain permanent income, defense spending, tower prerequisites and the shared assault-send limit.
• Fixed blocked defense lessons for Ash, Prism and Spore.

Practice

• PRACTICE MATCH lets you select any of the 12 factions.
• Choose WING or CENTER and play against five regular match bots.
• No matchmaking queue or faction draft is required.
• Practice and local/online draft choices now show short faction play-style descriptions.

The opposing-player damage rule

• Your towers deal 25% less damage to units sent by the enemy directly opposite your position.
• The rule applies in both directions to both wings and the two CENTER players.
• Units sent by other opponents take normal damage.
• The original sender still determines the rule after a unit reaches the center.
• Humans and bots follow the same rule.
• Sent bosses are included.
• Direct hits, projectiles, splash, chain attacks and damage over time all follow the rule.
• The unpublished Energy/Nature/Arcane damage system has been removed.
• Factions and their individual abilities remain. There are no elemental damage bonuses or penalties.

Ten assault purchases per round

• Each player and bot has 10 normal assault purchases per income round, shared across all unit types and tiers.
• The counter resets at payout. The HUD displays 0/10–10/10.
• Rejected purchases cost nothing.
• One purchase still sends units to both enemy wings and uses only one purchase slot.
• Bosses retain their separate mana rules.
• Bots plan around their gold and remaining purchase slots.
• Fixed Easy bots stopping their sends after a barracks upgrade.

Tower progression and guides

• Building a later tower card requires every earlier card's tower form to remain on your field, ordered left to right and row by row.
• Selling or transforming the last required form locks new later builds. Existing higher towers remain.
• Bots follow the same prerequisites.
• All 92 tower forms have role descriptions and a ? guide explaining effects, upgrades, prerequisites and limits.
• Tower-number badges are smaller.
• Assault tooltips display the unit name and three clear stat rows: Health, Armor and Speed.

Controls

• F1 / ALL CONTROLS opens the controls reference.
• Customize 33 keyboard actions with primary and secondary keys.
• Keybinding conflict warnings, saved selections and reset are supported.
• Mouse and controller bindings remain fixed.
• WASD is reserved for assault shortcuts; arrow keys move the camera.
• Delete sells your selected, owned tower once, using the normal refund and safeguards.

Camera and cursors

• Zoom out 20% farther.
• The closest camera tilt is 54°, with the normal overhead view at 90°.
• Middle-mouse dragging is 30% slower.
• Edge scrolling is twice as fast and works over the top HUD.
• Build/drag cursors use bronze-and-teal hammer and gauntlet artwork.
• Three cursors are approximately 40% larger.

Pausing

• Switching windows no longer automatically pauses local matches.
• Explicit pauses and tutorial action holds still apply.

Music

• Each match track plays twice before advancing.
• The musical-note button mutes and restores music.
• Your mute choice, previous volume and playlist position are remembered.
• Sound effects are unaffected.
• Raising the Music slider unmutes the music.

Party and interface fixes

• Added party-assignment synchronization.
• Added same-team seat reservations.
• Added flexible position fitting before the draft.
• Missing friends trigger a retry instead of being replaced by bots.
• These online changes require the matching server rollout described above.
• Fixed repeated cursor errors after leaving a match.
• Network tower updates now batch path redraws.

20 local achievement milestones

• First game launch.
• Tutorial completion.
• Completing 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 matches.
• Winning 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 matches.
• Winning as WING and winning as CENTER.
• Building 1 and 100 towers.
• Purchasing 1 and 100 assaults.
• Defeating 1 and 1,000 units.
• Completed normal Practice and online matches count.
• Abandoned matches and tutorial/special training runs do not inflate normal match totals.
• Repeated results count only once.
• Local saves are separated by application/account.
• Incomplete records load more safely.
• Older matches are not backfilled.
• Steam achievement activation is still pending definitions, icons and publication.
• Local milestone tracking does not yet promise Steam unlock popups or cross-device progress.

Still in progress

• Performance and balance work continue.
• This is not an all-lag-fixed or full-hardware acceptance claim.
• Tower-sale/maze research remains deferred.
• Totems, a cosmetic shop, currency, profile frames and new Founder pack rewards are ideas, not features in this update.
• The Windows build remains unsigned.
• Smart App Control can block it on some PCs.

Send feedback through Settings → SEND BETA FEEDBACK, or join our Discord community. The game interface remains in English. Thank you for testing!

Come and play Rampartloom!

The Playtest is open to everyone and free to try. On the main Steam store page, request Playtest access: requests are now accepted automatically. Install the Playtest from your library and jump in. Already have access? Update your game and play!

How matchmaking works

Our player community is still small, so finding other players can take a little time. Choose your position and press FIND MATCH. The lobby looks for players for up to about 3 minutes. If all six seats fill sooner, it can start sooner. If there are not enough players, AI bots fill the remaining seats on the teams and the match proceeds. You can join alone; you do not need to bring a full team. Connection and the pre-match draft may add a little time.

Build your maze, defend your lane and send units against the other team. Try the latest update and tell us what you think. Thank you for helping shape Rampartloom!

Camera and building

• The camera starts overhead at 90° and stays there through normal zoom. Only the closest zoom range smoothly tilts to 45°.
• Green build cells show a construction cursor; middle-button camera dragging shows a hand. Screen edges pan the camera, including diagonally at corners, while respecting UI interaction and map bounds.
• Tower cards show 1–9 and 0 shortcuts, left to right and row by row. Number-row and numpad keys work; holding a key does not repeat purchases.
• Prerequisites appear before dependent towers. All 12 factions were checked, including Thunder's Storm Obelisk before Storm Node. Normal gold, placement and tower limits still apply.

Bot defenses

• CENTER bots connect the lower-left maze and prioritize the shorter entrance route when extending their defenses.
• Bots reinvest income in maze growth and stronger towers while continuing to send units for income. Enemies passing through their lane trigger stronger defense spending; unaffordable purchases remain a savings goal.
• Intermediate tower forms are capped at two per bot. Starters and the repeatable top attacking form are exempt, within faction limits.
• Late-game bots work toward replacing weaker towers with their top form, preserving routes and prerequisites. Fixed repeated selling and rebuilding of prerequisites.

Interface

• A clearer YOUR POSITION card shows WING, CENTER or WING OR CENTER, with improved selection guidance. SETTINGS stays hidden during matchmaking and returns in the menu.
• The developer analytics panel no longer covers the income board when F12 is pressed.
• All online friends are available through a right-side scrollbar and mouse wheel. Keyboard/controller focus keeps the selected friend visible.

Music and performance

• Added Citadel Currents, Siege Momentum and competitive rock track Iron Resolve. Matches cycle through Match Pressure and these three tracks in order, with smooth transitions. All five tracks, including the menu theme, have matched loudness; volume, mute and speech ducking remain available.
• Reduced temporary allocations in online tower/unit visuals and added timing diagnostics. Occasional server stalls remain under investigation; this update does not eliminate every source of lag.

Thank you for testing Rampartloom and sharing your feedback!

Thank you for a successful first Playtest!

Our first organized Playtest period has now concluded. Thank you to everyone who joined us, played Rampartloom, and helped us take this first step together.

Already have access? Keep playing!

If you already have access to the Rampartloom Playtest, you can continue to download, launch, and play it from your Steam library. The end of this first test period does not remove your access.

Playtest #2: October 10–11, 2026

Our second organized Playtest is planned for next weekend, October 10–11. New players can request access from the Rampartloom Steam store page now. New requests will wait for approval and will be admitted for that second test, rather than receiving immediate access today.

Friend invitations remain available: existing participants can still invite up to three eligible Steam friends. A friend who accepts an invitation receives access immediately.

Help shape the next test

Keep sharing your experiences, bug reports, and suggestions in the Steam discussions. We will keep working on the game as we prepare for the next round.

Thank you for being part of Rampartloom. See you in the lanes!

Request Playtest access on the Steam store page

Thank you to everyone joining the Rampartloom Playtest and sharing feedback. The latest update is available now for Rampartloom: PvP Tower Defense Playtest on Steam.

Current Playtest build: 25698481 — 3 October 2026
Please close the game and let Steam finish downloading the update before your next match. The dedicated servers have also been updated for this release.

New in this update

Faction selection and teams

• The twelve factions are now split into two exclusive pools of six. Opposing teams no longer receive the same faction from the draft.
• Each player receives two faction offers; the three unchosen factions form that team's shared bench.
• Redesigned TEAM FACTIONS with balanced team panels, a contained team chat, a clearer TEAM BENCH and a cleaner selected-faction area.

Menus, results and building

• The Invite a Friend window now follows the game's teal and navy visual style.
• Match results display rating gains or losses when the server's result is available.
• Building restrictions use a compact, themed notice instead of the oversized warning bar.
• The placement square disappears at the 60-tower limit and returns as soon as a tower slot opens, even if the mouse stays still.

Audio

• Music is 20% quieter without lowering the other sound effects.
• Prism tower firing sounds are softer, with fewer overlapping shots.
• A sound warns you when enemy units reach your base and cost your team lives, even while your camera is elsewhere.

Bot layouts and progression

• CENTER bots use a new winding defensive layout.
• WING bots randomly choose between two layouts and keep that choice for the match.
• Bot priorities now start with a 60-tower defense, then income, broader tower coverage and expensive towers. This progression is still being tuned: late-game premium towers are not yet appearing consistently in normal matches.

Recent improvements you may have missed

These changes were already released in the previous Playtest update:

• A 10-second opening faction choice with two large cards, followed by team bench swapping.
• The lobby allows up to three minutes for human players before AI fills empty seats. Six ready human players can start sooner. Sign-in, connection and faction selection add time outside this lobby window.
• Party cards and FIND RANKED MATCH are centered in the space beside the friends panel.
• Clearer WING/CENTER selection and consistent faction terminology.
• Fixed the extra profile panel appearing after a portrait change.
• Smaller economy and assault panels; assault cards no longer move when you scroll the mouse wheel.
• Result cards show the player profile and faction on the left, with match statistics on the right. The redundant TOWERS BUILT statistic has been removed.
• Added server-side match activity records for daily match counts and per-player totals, providing a foundation for future player statistics.

Our Steam artwork, gameplay gallery and localized store descriptions have also been refreshed separately.

Still in progress

Bot economy and high-tier tower progression need more tuning. The experimental tower attack animations are not enabled in normal play; this update does not present them as finished.

Tell us how your next match goes

Share bugs and feedback in the comments or Steam Discussions. Your faction, WING or CENTER position, what happened and a screenshot when useful help us investigate. You can also use SEND BETA FEEDBACK in the game's settings.

Thank you for helping us improve Rampartloom. Build your maze. Break theirs.

The gates are open!

Join the first public Rampartloom Playtest for 3v3 Tower Wars and Tower Defense battles. I will be playing too — come join the matches!

This special test ends Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 12:00 (UTC+3). This weekend is a 24-hour test, instead of the usual Saturday-to-Monday window.

How to join

Visit our Steam store page and request Playtest access. Access is granted automatically. Install Rampartloom: PvP Tower Defense Playtest from your Steam Library, launch it, and select FIND RANKED MATCH. Queue solo or with friends. Matchmaking looks for players for up to 3 minutes; AI bots fill the remaining seats.

Build mazes with defensive towers, send assault units, and work with your team. This is a development playtest: please share bugs and feedback through Settings → SEND BETA FEEDBACK. Thank you for helping shape Rampartloom!

The Rampartloom community is open!

Meet other players, compare maze ideas, share your best defenses, and help shape our 3v3 tower defense Playtest.

Join the official Rampartloom Discord

You will find a getting-started guide, Playtest information, player-finding and voice channels, maze strategies, screenshots, and places for bug reports and suggestions. English is our shared language, with a separate Turkish chat.

Join the weekend Playtests

Our first test runs from Saturday, October 3 at 12:00 noon to Monday, October 5, 2026 at 12:00 noon, UTC+3, followed by 48-hour tests every weekend.

• UTC+3: Saturday 12:00 noon to Monday 12:00 noon
• UTC: Saturday 09:00 to Monday 09:00

Use the Join the Playtest section on the Steam store page, follow Steam's access prompt, and install the Playtest entry in your library. The Playtest is playable only during these hours. Discord membership does not grant Steam access.

Help us improve the game

New players are welcome. Start with the tutorial, then tell us which faction and lane role you played, what felt clear or confusing, and what you would improve. Playtest content, balance and performance are still evolving.

You can also leave feedback in the Steam discussions or use SEND BETA FEEDBACK in the game settings. Never share access keys, account tokens or raw private logs in public reports.

Build the route. Hold your lane. Send the pressure.

Hello, defenders!

We have been working on how Rampartloom looks, sounds and feels in a match. Here is a roundup of our latest ten development updates, now brought together in the current Steam Playtest build.

A refreshed battlefield

The arena has a new dark-stone and gold citadel design, with revised lighting and scene details to bring the battlefield closer to the style of our menus.

View the original screenshot on Steam ↗

Smoother models and more natural movement

• Updated tower forms and upgrade appearances across the kingdoms.
• Smoother shading on towers and assault units, while preserving distinct shapes and hard edges.
• More defined feet, toes, hooves, limbs and wings.
• Reworked walking and running animations to better match travel speed and ground contact.
• Sharper rendering in the Balanced graphics preset, with improved edge smoothing.

Weapons with a kingdom identity

Tower attacks now bring together matching attack motions, projectiles, impact effects and sounds. Root attacks use stone and wood themes, while Thunder attacks use electrical arcs. The other kingdoms have their own weapon presentation too.

New voices and clearer combat audio

• Added faction voice lines and distinct tower firing sounds.
• Matched impact sounds more closely to each kingdom and weapon.
• Softened the sharper Brass firing sounds and limited overlapping shots during busy combat.

Gameplay and online polish

• Updated tower upgrades and corrected stun and slow behavior.
• Improved unit movement presentation during brief server stalls.
• Added ping and connection-status indicators so connection trouble is easier to recognize.
• Adjusted computer-controlled opponents to use a wider range of assault units and progress their upgrades.

Help shape the next update

These changes are part of the ongoing Playtest, and we are continuing to refine balance, performance and presentation. Tell us which kingdom you played, what felt better, and what still needs work. You can leave feedback in the Steam discussions or use SEND BETA FEEDBACK in the game settings.

Interested in joining? Visit the Rampartloom store page and request Playtest access. Updated September 30: Playtest sessions run every week from Saturday 12:00 noon to Monday 12:00 noon, UTC+3, equivalent to Saturday 09:00 through Monday 09:00 UTC. The first 48-hour session is October 3–5, 2026.

Thank you for helping us build Rampartloom!