DINO MERCS — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| DINO MERCS is Competing in Steam Awards' Labor of Love! | 2025-11-24 | We're thrilled to announce that DINO MERCS is in the running for the Labor of Love category in the Steam Awards 2025! If you love DINO MERCS and appreciate the spirit of its development, we would be incredibly grateful for your vote! |
| Steam Spring Sale - 60% off! | 2025-03-13 | The Steam Spring Sale is on from March 13th to 20th only. Grab DINO MERCS at a great price, perfect for you or a friend! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1827640/DINO_MERCS/ |
| Don't Sweat the Heat, Save on Summer Treats! | 2024-06-28 | The Steam Summer Sale is on from June 27th to July 11th only. Grab DINO MERCS at a scorching price, perfect for you or a friend! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1827640/DINO_MERCS/ |
| What's Next For DINO MERCS | 2024-03-19 | Hey everyone! It's been a week since DINO MERCS exited early access. It's been an exciting time and there's still more to come! If you've played the game, thank you so much! It means a lot to me (Tim, the dev) that you would spend your time playing my game. In this post, I'd like to give everyone an update about what's upcoming: Balancing the Game This is my first game, so I will be the first one to admit that I have a lot to learn about game design and balance. I'm continually working on tweaking variables and adjusting how the game plays and feels. You can expect to see regular patches that improve the game's balance (I've already released |
| DINO MERCS Rampages onto Steam! | 2024-03-12 | Attention all mercenaries! The long-awaited release of DINO MERCS is finally here, unleashing its full glory on Steam! Strap into your boots and join the ranks of Dark Solar Defense to unleash your inner DINO MERC — a battle-hardened veteran ready for action. With four unique characters, each boasting their own skill set, you'll be equipped to wreak havoc on fascist forces like never before. But here's the twist: victory isn't just about brute strength. Master the Card Positioning System to outmaneuver your foes and strategically play your cards to evade chaos. As you build a deck that strikes terror into the hearts of rival mercenaries, reme |
| Patch v5.0.3 | 2024-03-11 | I've got some fixes, adjustments, balancing, etc.! Hopefully these tweaks all improve the gameplay experience. There are still a number of things I'm experimenting with, and should be able to release those soon! - Smaller band of effect levels: +3x -2x - Add "none" slot in the middle - Modified damage profiles, but I will likely continue to revisit these - Fixes for Armor Bash & Energy Lash cards - Greatly increase bleeding and toxic gas damage - Increase (double) the effects of all status cards (panicked, dazed, etc.) - Lower all max stats, give characters and enemies lower max defensive stats overall - You now start runs with only 250 suppl |
| THE AGE OF YOLK IS OVER; 7 DAYS TO FULL RELEASE! | 2024-03-05 | Get ready for the BIG BANG! We’re transitioning from early access to full release on 12th of March, 2024! Whether you're a battle-hardened mercenary or a green bean recruit, DINO MERCS is sure to leave you in awe! But before we unleash the mayhem, we've got some bug stomping and meat munching to do. Gotta get that primal vibe going, right? Ha! So sharpen those claws and chomp on that raw meat—it's gonna be a wild ride! Now, let's talk about what's crackin': Strategic deckbuilding: Beef up your deck after each round to outsmart rival mercs. Tactical card play: Utilize your and opponent's cards for maximum impact and tactical terror. Four uniqu |
| Patch v5.0.2 | 2024-02-08 | I've fixed another handful of things! - Changed Armored Division card to buff character's Max Armor instead of Aim - Fixed Tank Boss title (had wrong affiliation) - Fixed a Hot Zone description that was messing up the typing effect - Dramatically increased the speed text is typed out, sorry it was so slow before! - Fix the render order of the menu on the combat rewards store, so you can actually use it now Next up: I'm going to be doing quite a bit of balance changes. In particular, the power level of enemies and cards will increase at a slower rate, so things don't get so wild so quickly. If you have any thoughts on anything that seems out o |
| Patch v5.0.1 | 2024-02-05 | Various players were experiencing some issues that I've now fixed! If you come across anything else, please let me know and I'll fix it asap. If you haven't played the game in a long time (several months or more), your save file may be incompatible. I had to make some breaking changes to save files a while back. So if you are playing for the first time in a long time, and get stuck on the "Unnusual Undertaking" splash screen, you may need to delete your save file or reinstall the game. I'm very sorry about that! I try to avoid this kind of thing but at a couple points during Early Access, the game data changed dramatically, meaning old save d |
| Update v5.0.0 | 2024-02-03 | I know it's been a long time since I've given an update, sorry about that! Well, today I have big news: all the changes, fixes, and polish that have been simmering on the beta/test branch of DINO MERCS are now fully available to all players! This is the last *big* update before leaving early access. So there will be bugs, balance issues, and lack of polish in some areas. Please be patient with me while I clean everything up! From here on, you can expect a number of small patches and improvements. There are a ton of changes in this update. Like, I lost track of all of them. Here's a bunch of them: Combat encounter modifiers to make battles mor |
| Patch v4.1.1 | 2023-11-02 | Got a patch for the latest version of DINO MERCS! Includes these fixes and polishing: Fixed an issue where some common cards weren't unlocked by default, causing a bug on the unlocks screen. Fixed an issue where some stat cards were not being included in Simulated Combat, resulting in some cases where card descriptions were not 100% accurate. Fixed an issue where card descriptions sometimes had wording like "Aim + -12". Now it will be "Aim - 12". Massively buffed Support card passive effects since max stats are so much higher now. When you remove a Support card from your deck, the passive effect is now disabled. Adjusted and balanced the ramp |
| Early Access Release v4.1.0 | 2023-10-29 | Early Access Release v4.1.0 is live on Steam! This update might not seem like much at first glance, but underneath the hood, there's a lot going on! NOTE: since the game is still in early access, please be aware there will be plenty of bugs, balance issues, and missing things. If you find any of these, please let me know here on Steam or on the discord server! Notable changes: Simulated Combat! Previously, if you looked at a card description, it would tell you its immediate effect. This was slightly misleading because things would perhaps change by the time that card actually resolved. Now, every time you reposition a card, the game simulates |
| Patch 4.0.3 | 2023-10-06 | New patch out! - There were some issues with how stat bars for the player and enemy were being initialized and/or updated at the beginning of combat encounters, leading to occasional situations where cards wouldn't be drawn. A few players reported this issue to me, and after this fix, I haven't experienced it again. But, please let me know if it reappears! - Ensure that enemy cards aren't added to the player deck in instances where you might retreat during the enemy turn or the enemy dies during their turn (e.g. bleeding damage). - Some minor UI polish for stat bars Next up, I'm working on a big balance patch that should make playing the game |
| Patch v4.0.2 | 2023-10-04 | 2 patches in 1 day! Around 10 bugs down, probably around 200 more bugs to go... This month you'll see a lot of these patches. Again, a big thank you to anyone who finds a bug and reports it via Steam or Discord. It helps me a ton! Working solo on this project means that even if I do a ton of play-testing, I'll likely miss at least a few bugs every time. Here's what I fixed in this patch: - Potential fix for an issue where status cards persist in your deck after a combat encounter, leading to strange bugs and possible soft-locking. I say "potential" because I personally haven't encountered this bug (it was reported by a player), but I did see |
| Patch v4.0.1 | 2023-10-04 | Got a few fixes for some things! You can expect quite a few patches over the next few weeks as I fix and clean up things and work on balancing the game. - Potential fix for a soft-locking bug that occurs after status cards are played - Fix bug where the code was trying to remove cards from card pool twice upon purchase - Fix incorrect description on enemy smoke grenade status card - Updated credits, was missing someone |
| Early Access Release v4.0.0 | 2023-10-03 | Early Access release version 4.0.0 is live for all players on Steam! This is another HUGE update. As always with updates this size, there will be bugs, balance issues, and broken things. If you have any issues, please let me know here on Steam or, even better, on the DINO MERCS discord. This update introduces a brand-new character: EPHEMERYS! Ephemerys is a stealthy close quarters assassin who prefers to strike from the shadows. She utilizes the new Stealth stat to quickly dispatch enemies. A number of brand-new cards have been added that give you Stealth, and use Stealth to land deadly blows. BOSSES have also been added! Bosses are encounter |
| Patch v3.0.3 | 2023-09-09 | Got a handful of fixes! Thanks for reporting fixes on the discord server and here on Steam, it's been super helpful. I've got a bunch of other fixes in the works as well. I'm in the process of reworking card slot effect modifiers, a change that should help simplify everything and improve the gameplay experience. In addition to that, I'll be improving status cards. Some cards produce way too many of them, and they can have an outsized impact (negatively) sometimes. Here's what this patch includes: - UI: add a note on unlocks page explaining how unlock points are gained - Bugfix: fix Enemy Headshot, Cruel Blade cards, they dealt damage to enemy |
| Patch v3.0.2 | 2023-09-04 | Got another patch released for v3! I'm still hunting down some hard-to-reproduce bugs. If you happen to encounter anything that doesn't seem right, please let me know here on Steam or even better, on the DINO MERCS discord server! The more details you can share, the better! Thanks in advance :) Here's what was changed and fixed: - New: Add option to Retreat from standard (non-Merc Killer) combat encounters - no rewards gained if you retreat - Bugfix: Fix Character Unlocks - T.Rex/Triceratops - Bugfix: Fix issue where if enemy has the first turn due to higher speed, the round would end after their turn finishes. Now rounds are always 2 turns - |
| Patch v3.0.1 | 2023-09-01 | Hey everyone - got a small patch to address some bugs: - Fixes broken tutorial screen - Fixes Auto Pistols - had Rare styling / cost, but it's a common card - Fix "View Deck" functionality on Combat Rewards Store I'll be continuing to make some fixes to cards that don't have correct effects in some card positions, plus I'm working on some balance fixes. I just got home from some traveling, so will be fully back to working on fixes and new content in the next couple of days. Thanks and hope you enjoy the new update! -Tim, the dev |
| Welcome to Bonus Stage's Multiplayer Madness! | 2023-09-01 | https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/37611909/16727b08ec369ab5a2dcc29bec6db7901a8d17eb.png Blazing-fast action? No reloading? Epic headshots and ragdolls? Destroyed friendships? You got 'em all and much more with the 5v5 multiplayer shooter The Riflemen. Out Now on PC. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2022330/The_Riflemen/ https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/37611909/436d744d56190d19e62a5d4ab0d0a2f62eee9ac1.png A word from our community manager during Gamescom: "YOU PIECE OF S**T FINGERS WHY YOU ARE NOT SCORING GOALS???" Graviators bring some electrified battles onto your screens. It's like pong but in 2020's. Grab a ba |
| Early Access Release v3.0.0 is live! | 2023-08-30 | Today is the day for releasing v3.0.0! It's a huge update, so first off: There are an enormous amount of changes in this update, so you should expect some bugs, balance issues, and various rough edges. If you encounter anything that doesn't seem right or anything that doesn't feel well-balanced, please join the discord server and tell me or leave a comment here on Steam! Also - since there were so many changes, save files had to be wiped. All the cards are brand new and/or reworked, plus there's a new unlock system. So, overall, it made sense to have save files reset and wiped clean. I know it's a bummer to lose all your progress, so I'll do |
| Beta v3.0.0 & Steam Strategy Fest! | 2023-08-28 | Hey everyone, got a couple of news items to share: First off, a playable Beta for upcoming release v3.0.0 is available to playtest! This is a huge update that includes a rework of every single card in the game, new cards, new Legends, new enemy decks, new Stats system, and more. I plan to release it to everyone during the Strategy Fest, but I want the Beta to get a little bit more testing before that happens. Since I'm a solo developer, it helps to get some extra eyes on a release before I make it live to the public, so all (or at least, most) of those pesky bugs can be put down. Fair warning: there will be a number of bugs and balance issues |
| DINO MERCS + Steam Strategy Fest | 2023-08-26 | DINO MERCS will be part of Steam's Strategy Fest! Check out the game, along with a number of incredible games, including some friends of DINO MERCS. I'm working really hard on Early Access update v3.0.0 and plan to release that in the next couple of days, assuming I can get everything at least slightly smoothed out by then. I've reworked every single card in the game, added a new stats system, given enemies their own unique decks of cards, a new unlock system, and lots more. There's now over 150 cards in the game! All of this also means that I have to do a ton of work to make sure everything is balanced and playable. Possibly tomorrow or the |
| 🥳 Bonus Stage released Local News with Cliff Rockslide on Steam! | 2023-08-08 | Get ready for an uproarious adventure in the quirky town of Butterfly Valley, as "Local News with Cliff Rockslide" launches on Steam! https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/37611909/609fc50c1951f9fd04a1bc2ff64535a736af85ff.png Developed by Horsefly Games, this first-person visual novel promises laughter, chaos, and heartwarming moments as players take on the role of a cameraperson for the town's renowned influencer, Cliff Rockslide. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2464030/Local_News_with_Cliff_Rockslide/ |
| V2.0.0 - New UI & New Game Mode | 2023-08-03 | Hey everyone! A new update is long overdue, so I’m very pleased to announce that I’m releasing v2.0.0 of DINO MERCS today. This new release has a ton packed into it. Let’s do a tour of the new features: NEW UI The UI has been refreshed to better match the overall art direction of the game and to help improve the experience of Operations and Combat. Also, I was able to make all the Dinosaur characters larger, something that I get requests for often! Operations now function differently - there’s no longer a StS-style map to traverse. Hopefully, the new way Operations work feels fresh and dynamic (let me know your thoughts!). New Game Mode - MIS |
| Bug fix v1.2.5 | 2023-07-13 | Fixes a game-breaking bug encountered when facing the Berserker Commander Merc Killer (cards wouldn't be dealt, and the game would soft-lock). Sorry I let that one slip through! |
| This is last day to try three demos from Bonus Stage | 2023-06-26 | We have these three masterpieces as a part of the Next Fest. Give these gems a shot and demos today. Graviators - Prepare for a gravity-defying multiplayer experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Engage in fast-paced battles and outsmart your opponents in intense arena combat. With its unique gameplay mechanics, Graviators is set to redefine the multiplayer genre. Don't miss the chance to test your skills and prove yourself as the ultimate champion! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1958540/GRAVIATORS/ The Riflemen - Step into the boots of a World War II soldier and embark on a heart-pounding multiplayer adventure. Engage in |
| DINO MERCS Development Update | 2023-06-01 | Hi everyone! I thought I would post an update to give everyone an idea of how development is continuing along. Life has been on the wild side for me (Tim, the dev). I got very sick a few weeks ago, had family and friends visit from out of the country, and multiple family members are experiencing serious health issues. So long story short, I've been far less productive than usual. I've decided to delay the release of the new UI updates to June instead of releasing those changes last month (May, when they were planned). It turns out the UI updates and the new Game Mode that is planned for release in June are very tightly linked together, and it |
| Welcome to Indie Game Mayhem Newsletter | 2023-04-28 | https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/37611909/99bfc39117a7d492cbb1c930e46e72743fbd5d06.png We warmly welcome you to join our Indie Game Mayhem: a weekly(ish) newsletter on upcoming releases, hidden game gems, developer spotlights, and a lot more! We will talk about a massive array of true indie games and indie developers, shining light on the innovations, art, magic, and soul of the best games we can find. Don't waste any time, learn more & join now here: https://www.bonusstage.co/gamers-digest With love, Bonus Stage Publishing |
| Early Access Development Plan | 2023-04-27 | Hello everyone! I want to give everyone following the game here on Steam an overview of the development plan for Early Access. During each month of Early Access, I'll be actively fixing bugs, fine-tuning the game's balance, generally polishing everything up, and addressing player feedback. But, each month, I'll be focused on one particular thing: May - I'll be working on a totally new version of Operations/Sectors. I'll focus on improving the game's flow, pacing, and better meta-progression. Along with this, I'll be updating the UI in various places. June - After Operations and Sectors have been overhauled, I'll introduce a new way to play th |