Kin of Embers

early build · placeholder art

Kin
of Embers

Ash remembers. Fire still lives.

A dark fantasy pixel-art hack'n'slash ARPG. The Great Burning buried the world in ash, and someone is using its memories to awaken the Effaced. Set out from the last settlement, Hearthrest, and keep a little warmth among the ashes.

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PC · Steam

Gameplay

Combat
The forest after the Roadkeeper
Two classes

Footage from an early build. Art, audio and UI will change.

Two sparks

Tollbearer

The bell

Fights with a great bell and waves of sound. Every strike builds Ember that fuels the heaviest blows.

Shardkeeper

The mirror

Wields a mirror frame. Leaves Imprints that repeat its attacks, and Shards that burst at the right moment.

Two stories, one legacy

In the full game, two level-50 characters will merge into a hybrid with its own mechanic. The parents stay in the settlement as Ancestors, and their legacy carries on.

Dev log

New skills window, quest journal and the Roadkeeper's arena

A big week for the first region. Here is what changed in the build:

  • Skills window. Each skill now has a medallion, a rank path with the effect unlocked at every rank, and stone slots for runes.
  • Quest journal. Active quests show as cards with a progress bar and reward icons. Notes you read move from the ground into a Notes tab.
  • The Roadkeeper's arena. An irregular clearing with cover, closed to stray forest enemies, new boss animations and health shown as a number.
  • Combat and movement. Steadier facing, a slower walk while swinging, walking backwards when retreating, and enemies that no longer get stuck on trees. The first fights in the forest are a bit gentler.
  • New art. Warmer, softer light, redrawn Hearthrest, new item icons with rarity frames and signposts in the world.
Skills window showing the Shardkeeper's Hearth Opening skill and its rank path
New skills window
The Roadkeeper in his arena, open to attack
The Roadkeeper's arena
Hearthrest settlement around the fire at night
Hearthrest with the new lighting
Tollbearer fighting in the ash forest
Combat in the ash forest
The same forest fight before and after the art update
Forest fight: before and after
Three new Roadkeeper animation frames
New Roadkeeper animations

Early build. Art and UI are still changing.

Be first to play Kin of Embers.

Demo news and major updates. Around two emails a month.

How AI is used

Do you use AI to make the game?

Yes, as a helper. AI tools assist with programming, code review and planning, and helped draft some in-game text, which I edit. I decide what goes in, and I test every change in the game myself.

Is the art AI-generated?

Partly, and I want to be clear about it. The current look mixes three sources: sprites and tiles made with AI tools and then edited and checked by hand, icons and effects drawn by my own code, and some free licensed pixel-art packs. The art is still in progress. The Steam page will list exactly what was made with AI.

What about sound and music?

Hit sounds, forest ambience and the music in the clips are synthesized by scripts. No AI-generated audio.

Does the game generate anything while you play?

No. Nothing is generated by AI at runtime.