Hey everyone!

It's been a while since the last update, but I've been working hard on making some improvements to the game. This comes in the form of various QoL changes, new systems and graphics as well as bug fixes. I'll continue to work hard to improve things as additional feedback is received, but I'm excited for everything coming out with this update.

Bug Fixes
-Softlock following the gangsters toward the beach has been fixed
-Globules will now stack to 30 when you receive the bag upgrade.
-Bridges working as intended.
-Can no longer teleport to the Pale Lands while in the future.
-The miniboss room in the Frozen Castle will no longer lock you in after beating the boss.
-The digging minigame guy is now less adamant that you play his game.
-The torch minigame at the beach now functions correctly.
-Goo is now craftable.
-Falling should now make the hero invincible on respawn for a short time.
-Royal Undercroft softlock has been fixed.
-All books in the library are readable.
-Chest in Frozen Castle no longer respawns keys.
- Various changes have been made to certain functions in the gameplay loop that should prevent crashes. I haven't had an issue with game crashes in my save files so I'm hoping that these changes will help. I would also recommend making sure that all video/graphics drivers are up to date to ensure no issues due to hardware/software.
-Snowman and Bone Skeleton side quests now won't take all your items if you pass the necessary amount.

QoL
-Added an NPC at the Bonfire that will sell reagents for cooking.
-Crafting items have been re-balanced where deemed necessary.
-Enemies have been re-balanced where deemed necessary.
-The Forge of Power has been re-balanced/made less annoying in certain areas.
-Bank money input speed is now sped up while holding down the key.
-Archwitch Luxa's initial laser takes more time before it activates.
-Warlock's clap attack has a slight delay.
-Gaia's jar drop has a slight delay.
-Electric balls while Archwitch Venta is dormant have been removed.
-Ice has been entirely reworked. It is now a regular floor that will make you slip slightly and will make you slip more as your velocity increases gradually.
-Certain puzzles have been reworked.
-Torches that light bridges now stay lit for a longer period of time.
-Side quests that involve talking to certain NPCS/going to certain places now have hints to guide you in the right direction.
-Additional spawning of resources in rooms that require them.
-Jars now have an increased likelihood of dropping certain items when you need them most.
-Rooms that are bright have been darkened and less saturated
-Bullets that blend into the background have been made to be more noticeable.
-Goblin thief enemy has been nerfed.
-Zombie enemy has been nerfed.
-Fruit bushes now have a chance to drop a Mega Fruit which grants additional fruits.
-Jelly blobs now have a chance to drop a Mega Jelly which grants additional jelly.
-The Dash ability has been reworked to be activated by pressing a button.
-Rolling, Looking Far, and Dashing now have their own designated key which can be assigned to whatever suits you most.
-Some maps now have little squirrels that will run into trees when you get too close.
-Rolling into trees now makes a sound and can make leaves fall.
-The Crafting Menus have a new look and the image of the craftable has been increased in size.
-Defeating the pumpkin boss (Jack) now grants an achievement and he will drop his head which can be given to the Pumpkin Witch.

Fishing and the Aquarium

With this update, the way fishing works has been completely changed. You will now cast your line and when a fish bites you will use the Action Key to reel it in. There are 24 different fish and catching them all will give you the Sushi Master achievement. The types of fish you can catch vary depending on your location. There are even some fishing spots in dungeons and fishing spots are guaranteed to spawn on the map rather than being RNG. Fish caught will be placed in the Aquarium near the beach where you can check how many types of fish per location you have left to catch.

Also, the Golden Fish sidequest will now grant the Golden Rod which makes fish caught worth triple. (i.e. Fish are worth 3 Fish) There is also a hidden map which involves fishing where you can obtain the Golden Shovel. (another new achievement)

Galaxus Minigame

Galaxus, the Shooting Star Knight is now a playable arcade game! Go to the Hoodie Girl's house and there will be an arcade game which you can play for only 5 coins! Battle through waves of enemies and 3 bosses to unlock a new achievement!

Trinkets

I have also added a new little system which I call the Trinket System. There are 9 trinkets in total and each will grant a small extra something to your hero. Stuff like stamina refilling a bit faster, spells costing a bit less mana things like that. The way you obtain these trinkets vary, some are from sidequests or hidden maps that you may have already cleared. In this case, they will be granted to you automatically. Others are brand new and require you to complete new side quests or go to new maps to find them. Collecting them all will grant another new achievement!

The Blackened Depths

The Blackened Depths is a brand new mini dungeons that is only accessible before you head to the future world. This mini dungeon is a dark, cavernous place where dangerous enemies lurk in the shadows. Featuring new enemies and old enemies with a twist, this place is certain to be a challenge. Make it to the end to face a mysterious foe... but where is this place? All we have to go off of is this strange riddle that has been oddly ringing in your head...

"When ashes three are in your hands
Return from where you first began"

I'm not quite sure what this means... but hopefully you can uncover the mystery.

Well on that note, I hope that everyone enjoys this new update and I will continue to work hard to make Long Steel an even better experience! After dropping this update I'm going to push through a discount of 50% until the end of the Steam Summer Sale as well! Thank you for reading everybody!