It’s been a few months since our last update and as we wrap up 2024, I wanted to share what we’ve been working on.

I’ve been adding new characters, but I want to highlight Arthur, our resident museum curator with a peculiar fascination for ancient artifacts.

You’ll be able to collect various artifacts you find in the world in the museum and even auction them off for gold. Naturally, higher-tier and wealthier visitors will be willing to spend more, making this an excellent way to earn additional gold.

As a vampire, the sun is not your friend! Lingering too long in the morning hours will result in some crispy consequences. You’ll incinerate - losing blood and gold. Make sure you get back to your coffin (or at the very least, indoors) in time! However, as you rise through the ranks of the vampiric council and grow stronger, you’ll be able to resist the sunlight a little longer with the help of some nifty crafting recipes.

We’ve been focusing on worldbuilding, drawing inspiration from vampire mythos and popular media. Be sure to interact with and examine objects to uncover pieces of lore and even new crafting recipes.

Based on feedback, I’ve introduced a larger homestead area south of the town where you can build your farm and place crafting stations as you please. This area is still a work in progress but it will include new structures that you can repair and upgrade over time. You’ll need to complete a few quests to unlock this area first.

A big thank you to our closed beta testers! I’m happy to report that your feedback has been addressed along with many other issues. Keep an eye out for a new build in the coming weeks with tons more content as we push towards Early Access in 2025.

As we close out the year, we want to express our gratitude to all who have supported Vampire Rancher’s development! As a tiny team, your enthusiasm keeps us going. Wishing everyone a happy and restful holiday season and a fantastic new year.

- Borispixel

Join us on Discord[discord.com]
Instagram[www.instagram.com]
X / Twitter[x.com]

Hey Ranchers! I'm thrilled to share some of the latest updates that I've been working on for Vampire Rancher.

This devlog will cover the new and improved fishing mechanics, a small update to quests, a sleek summary screen, and a peek into bosses you may encounter in the mines.

First up, fishing! Get your fishing rod handy if you notice any fish swimming around in the nearby ponds. You'll be able to cook fish into recipes like Fish Stew, and use their guts for compost. Additionally, you'll be able to use baits like Worms and Feathers to catch rarer fish.

Quests are an integral part of Vampire Rancher, so I've been writing and refining quests lines out. In addition to the usual fetch and delivery quests, I've added a bit of puzzle-solving and mini challenges to keep things fresh.

Once you've ended your night (or day) in your coffin, you'll be prompted with a summary page. This'll be a recap of what you've accomplished that "day". I'll eventually add a detailed version of this view if you're into stats and all that.

For those who crave a bit more bloodlust, here's a preview of Millicent the Mad, one of the bosses you may encounter in the mines as you explore the Vampiric Ruins. Players will be rewarded with crafting recipes and loot for defeating these bosses.

And that concludes this round of updates! We hope you're as excited as we are about these. Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for being a part of our community!

Borispixel

Join us on Discord[discord.com]
Instagram[www.instagram.com]
X / Twitter

It's finally here. This trailer took a while to make, from things being changed or reworked, and just re-filming a lot of things. I hope you all enjoy this one!

Join us on Discord[discord.gg] for more updates, beta sign ups, and discussion!

Borispixel

Howdy Ranchers!

Welcome to the first Devlog of 2024! This post, I’m excited to share updates to the Brewing Skill. You’ll be able to brew beverages for your Saloon, and also potions down the line.

To brew Ale, we can start by growing crops like Hops and Barley. You’ll have to water, tend, and grow them, just like any other farm crops by the light of the moon (or sun, when you get strong enough!).

Start the fermentation process by using these ingredients in a Fermentation Vat, then inside a Cask.

Eventually, you’ll be able to brew Spirits like Whiskey, and more interestingly - potions, with rare ingredients.

Serve these to your Visitors and Guests to ensure they’re happy. The happier the human, the tastier the blood.

We’ve also spent time updating the UI for the Skill Tree. You’ll be able to level up as you gain experience through different skills. Each Talent in the Skill Tree can be upgraded with Talent Points, which you can get from naturally leveling up, or feeding from certain types of humans.

We’re looking for beverage ideas, so if you’ve got a cool name for a beer, ale, or any other drink, let us know here: https://forms.gle/ogDTjNY3ez1ovHPFA

As always, please let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions, and stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop Vampire Rancher.

Boris
Join the Conversation on Discord[Discord.gg]
Socials: Instagram [www.instagram.com]| Twitter

Hey Ranchers! I’m thrilled to bring you the latest update for Vampire Rancher. As we begin the holiday season, let's dive into the details of what's new in this month's devlog!

Forageable Creatures 🐌

In the corners of your town, you'll now find forageable critters! These creatures, like snails and frogs, are more than just garden pests; they're valuable resources waiting to be discovered. Collect them and use them in various cooking recipes, alchemical potions, and collect their eggs to create a mini-menagerie. So make sure to keep an eye out for these charming critters during your strolls.

Rainy Nights ☔

I’ve worked on adding rain to Vampire Rancher. Say hello to gentle rain showers that not only add a soothing ambiance but also bring benefits to your crops. Rain will automatically water your crops to save you some time. Note that the rain might affect the mood of certain town guests, so be sure to stock up your tavern with mood-boosting foods and drinks.

New Shop: Seed & Sundry 🌱

Seed & Sundry is your one-stop shop for all your farming needs! You’ll be able to buy seeds, farming tools, and other sundries to help you grow better and more crops. I’m still developing Seed & Sundry’s shopkeeper, so keep an eye out for this character in a later update.

Cooking UI Improvements 🍲

I’ve spent some time improving the cooking and crafting screens. You’ll be able to see the different recipes, their ingredients, and fuel costs more clearly. The quality and nature of your ingredients can affect the traits of the cooked meal.

Fuel System for Crafting 🔥

Some crafting stations, like the Cooking Range and Fermentation Vat, will require fuel to operate. You can create firewood from splitting logs and mine coal ore from deep below in the vampiric ruins for fuel sources.

I hope you enjoy these additions and improvements so far. I’m almost a year into development and am ecstatic about the progress so far. I understand waiting isn’t easy, so thank you for being patient and giving me the time and space needed to create an awesome game.

To folks that celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas; and to others, and those that find it a stressful time of the year, I hope that you have a restful holiday season. 🎄✨

Borispixel 🦇

Hey Ranchers! Fall is finally here 🍂 and I'm excited to share this month's update for Vampire Rancher.

Daylight! I've been working on some of the vampiric dungeon stuff but needed a break from the darkness. So I've started drawing and building out the Town Square. I'm thinking it will be used for quest and seasonal events, as well as giving players the option to decorate the space to their desires.

I've spent some time cleaning up the Inventory interface. You'll be able to hover over items to inspect their description, type, and unique properties.

This is particularly useful for inspecting different types of food and animals where they can take on various traits and attributes.

I also took a stab at adding combat mechanics. The caverns below are wrought with dangers and vampiric curiosities, so you'll need a way to arm yourself in combat. I've added a sword for now, but I'm hoping to add ranged weapons too (or even magic if I'm feeling spicy).

Martial weapons will have damage, range, critical strike chance stats, which can be improved by crafting new weapons with different materials gathered in the cavern or traded in the overworld.

As always, thank you for being patient with the game! I'm a solo developer so I don't always have as much time as I would like to work on this game. Rest assured, progress is happening and I hope you enjoyed this month's update.

As always, check out our community on Discord[discord.gg].

Borispixel ✨

Join us on: Discord[discord.gg].
Socials: Twitter | Instagram[www.instagram.com]

Hey Ranchers!

In this month’s update, I’ll be diving deep into the vampiric ruins that you’ll be able to explore in Vampire Rancher.

To get to the caves, you’ll need to craft a Blood Compass which can be created from the blood harvested from visitors. The Blood Compass is a special item which points to the entrance of that cave system, which can be anywhere on the map.

The caves and vampiric ruins is a challenging dungeon filled with various loot such as precious metals from mineable rocks, as well as drops from various hostile mobs. The caves range from small (easy) to large (hardest) sizes and difficulties, depending on how the Blood Compass was crafted, so you’ll need to plan your expedition accordingly.

As you progress through the caves, you’ll notice rarer resources start to surface, as well as stronger mobs.

Don’t be afraid of the dark - as you traverse through the caves, you’ll be able to activate beacons to light up sections of the cave. A minimap will also be available so you don’t get disorientated. Light up all beacons to receive a special XP bonus when you exit or complete the dungeon.

At the heart of the dungeon, lies the vampiric ruin. Ah, the pièce de résistance - the boss battles. At the deepest point of the cave system,

It’s a boss room with high value resources guarded by an ancient vampire boss. Yes, it’s vampire on vampire action. These vampires have been hibernating for centuries and don’t like to be disturbed, even by their kin. Conveniently, the last beacon will also be located in the boss room so you’ll want to slay the boss to redeem all the bonus XP.

If you feel like you’re running low on items to sustain your expedition, you can exit the cave anytime from the way you came, or with a crafted Escape Rope. You’ll leave with all the items you’ve gathered as well. Be wary - if you overextend your stay, you might lose all your loot if you’re not careful!

As a vampire, you’ll also be able to exercise some of your abilities like transfiguring into a bat and echolocating ores and other loot. I’ll be working on adding more vampire abilities in the future as well.

That’s all I have for this month. Thank you to everyone that’s shown interest in playtesting the demo! I’ll be reaching out accordingly on Discord when the time is right.

Borispixel

Join us on: Discord[discord.gg]
Socials: Twitter | Instagram[www.instagram.com]

Hey Ranchers!

We're well in to summer (if you're in the northern hemisphere, at least), and this month I’ll be sharing updates on animal ranching and skill trees.

After completing a quest from Mrs. Brown, you’ll be able to purchase chicks, lambs, piglets, and calves. Given time, food, and attention - these younglings will grow into their adult forms. Adult animals can produce goods, like eggs, wool, milk, etc.

Once animals reach adulthood, they gain a set of traits. Traits are special modifiers that are unique to individual animals. Some of these traits are beneficial, like Gourmand - This animal eats more, and produces more. On the other hand, some traits are less desired: Stinky - This animal gives off an unpleasant odour.

Adult animals can mate with each other to produce offspring. Offspring get their own traits but can also inherit them from their parents. Beneficial traits are more likely to be inherited, so go wild in trying to cultivate the perfect breed.

The livestock purchased from Mrs. Brown will have randomized traits, that way you won’t be stuck with unwanted traits forever.

Here are some of the traits for example:

• Chatty - This animal is more vocal than others.
  
• Magnificent - This animal rewards more experience when checking for produce.
  
• Stinky - This animal generates more dirt.
  
• Poopy - This animal generates more poop.
  
• Hyper - This animal is faster than others.
  
• Shiny - This animal has a higher chance of producing higher quality produce.
  
• Sluggish - This animal is slower than others.
  
• Night Owl - This animal doesn’t sleep during the night.
  
• Sleepy - This animal sleeps more during the day.
  
• Snob - This animal eats less and produces less.
  
• Glutton - This animal eats more and produces more.
  
• Big Boned - This animal eats more, and produces faster.
  
• Melancholic - This animal tends to be in a poor mood.
  
• Jovial - This animal tends to be in high spirits.
  
• Mellow - This animal doesn’t get affected by mood swings as much.

I’ve also spent some time improving the current XP system. Previously, doing a certain activity e.g. chopping a tree would reward you with woodcutting experience, which you then could use to unlock woodcutting talents.

I've reworked it so that experience won't be siloed to the specific activity your doing, so you'll be able to gain experience from everything, and the talent points are global so you can use it for any skill tree you want to advance.

Here’s a look into the talent tree for woodcutting skill 🌲

• Backcut II - Energy cost for using axes reduced by 1 (requires Backcut I)
  
• Second Wind I - After felling a tree, instantly restore 10% of the energy used to cut that tree.
  
• Second Wind II - After felling a tree, instantly restore 20% of the energy used to cut that tree. (requires Second Wind I)
  
• Second Wind III - After felling a tree, instantly restore 30% of the energy used to cut that tree. (requires Second Wind II)
  
• Timber I - Swing axes faster. (requires Second Wind I)
  
• Timber II- Swing axes even faster. (requires Timber I)
  
• Aboreal Aptitude - Chance of receiving loot whilst chopping a tree increased by 10%. (requires Timber I)
  
• Treesplitter I- Chance of getting an additional drop increased by 25%. (requires Timber I)
  
• Treesplitter II - Chance of getting an additional drop increased by 25%. (requires Treesplitter I, Second Wind III)
  
• Treesplitter III - Chance of getting an additional drop increased by 25%. (requires Treesplitter II)
  
• Treehugger I - Stumped trees have a regrowth rate of 50%. (requires Timber II)

You can gain experience from harvesting blood from humans, chopping trees, fishing, and serving guests. The skills you can spend your talent points on are woodcutting, farming, fishing, mining, and vampirism.

There have been loads of updates since I first put the Steam store up, so I thought it was a good time to update some of the gameplay screenshots. If you've been following the blog every month (you're amazing ✨) these will look a little familiar:

Thank you to everyone that’s shown interest in playtesting the demo! I’ll be reaching out accordingly on Discord when the time is right. As always, if you're interested, please join our Discord and let me know!

Boris

Join us on Discord: http://discord.gg/zCCj6UzBRk
Socials: Instagram[www.instagram.com] | Twitter

Hey Ranchers!

It's the 1st of the month and you know what time it is - more updates! This month, I've been working on a highly requested feature, player (or vampire) customization. Here's what it looks like in action ✨

Over time, I'll be adding more hairstyles, outfits, and colors so you'll be able to mix and match as you please. You'll also be able to customize your bat form. I'm also looking for suggestions if you have a favorite hairstyle you want me to add!

Interacting with your townsfolk is essential to building relationships and completing quests. Here's Clara in the General Store receiving a gift you got her.

Apart from the General Store, I've also started working on what the Hotel looks like from the inside. Chauncey, the hotel's concierge is there ready to greet and serve guests that visit your town.

As part of maintaining your town, you'll be able to customize, upgrade, and manage the rooms in the Hotel to cater to specific guests. Each room will have a cleanliness and prestige score depending on what furniture is placed in it, and how clean it is while it's occupied.

That's all I have for this month but here's a sneak peek at what's in the works 🐔

As always I'm continuing to work on the trailer and a closed-alpha demo (If you're interested, join the Vampire Rancher discord for updates on that!). Let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions, and stay tuned for more updates!

Boris 🦇

Join the Conversation on Discord: https://discord.gg/zCCj6UzBRk
Socials: Instagram[www.instagram.com] | Twitter