Out of stealth

The announcement

On 1 November, I'm announcing the game on the Unstable Unicorns and Here to Slay subreddits, together with the alpha of Here to Slay at here-to-slay.online.

Until now, the game has existed in stealth. I only shared the link in direct messages to people on Reddit and Facebook.

How the game got here

This is my third try at bringing Unstable Unicorns online. I started twice before, but both times I ran out of time before the game came together.

This attempt began around July and August, and I've worked on the game every day since.

The players I sent the link to shaped much of what you see today, through the in-game Feedback button and private messages.

Thank you to everyone who has played and sent feedback so far.

Why I'm announcing it now

The main reason is the Rival League, a new mode where you play rated games against other people. It only works with enough players online.

While the game was in stealth, there were never more than about ten players online at once. That isn't enough to fill rated tables, so the Rival League would stay mostly empty.

Around 150 people already play every day without any announcement. More players means more Rival League tables with people instead of bots.

I also want more people to know the game exists. Both games are free to play, and I made them so people can play with friends who live far away.

The risk

This is a fan project, made because I love the game. A public announcement makes it likely that Unstable Games notices it, and they may ask me to take the site down. If they do, I will.

I'm trying anyway, because the Rival League can't work without more players, and the game can't reach new players while it stays hidden.

What comes with the announcement

The announcement comes with a bigger update than usual:

• The Rival League: rated games against other people, with tiers and season rewards.
• New menus that make every part of the game easier to find.
• Cosmetics: skins, frames and badges that change how you look at the table.

The Rival League

Ranked already has the Bot League: three games a week against bots, with its own season standings. The Rival League adds rated games against other people, and each one moves your rating up or down.

• Find match seats you with up to three other players. Bots fill the empty seats after five minutes.
• A game is rated when at least two signed-in players are at the table. Bots and guests can fill the other seats, but they aren't rated.
• After five rated games you get a tier, set by where your rating stands among the season's placed players.
• The top player is Champion, the top 20% are Gold, the top half are Silver and everyone else is Bronze.
• Up to three Find match wins a day count toward the season's most-wins race. The top three earn the Most Wins badge.
• Every player placed in a season earns a holographic foil frame for their final tier.

The Rival League opens with Season 2 on 16 November. Find match is already rating players, so the games you play now shape your starting rating.

New menus

Since the first menus, the game has added the Campaign, the Bot League, the Rival League, crews, custom decks and the Trophy Room. The old menus weren't built for that many features, and some of them were hard to find.

The new menus put every part of the game in one of six sections. On a computer, the sections are listed down the left side of the screen. On a phone, they're along the bottom.

• Play: start a game with friends or bots, or join one with a code.
• Campaign: The Great Unstabling, a single-player journey across six realms.
• Ranked: the Rival League and the Bot League, side by side.
• My stable: your decks, the Trophy Room, your crews and your match history.
• Learn: a practice match and short guides to the rules and every mode.
• What’s new: the changelog and this blog.

Every page fits on a 13-inch laptop screen without scrolling.

Cosmetics, just for fun

Cosmetics change how your character looks at the table and give you one more reason to play. None of them gives an advantage in a game.

Skins are new. Each one is a color variant of a player character, and there are 31 to collect. Your first three games each day can drop a chest with a skin you don't own yet.

• ROriginalRainbow Unicorn
• RShadowRainbow Unicorn
• RRoseRainbow Unicorn
• BGildedBlack Knight Unicorn
• UFrostUnicorn Phoenix

• If your first two games of the day miss, the third is guaranteed.
• Only games of at least 8 turns and 3 minutes count, win or lose.
• Chests never hold a skin you already own.

Frames and badges come from the Bot League, the Rival League, achievements and the Campaign. Wear one frame and one badge at a time. They show on your avatar at the table.

• BRival Champion + Most Wins + GildedBlack Knight Unicorn

Sign in to win new skins from daily rewards.

How rewards work

How you can help

If you enjoy the game, share the Reddit post with a friend who plays Unstable Unicorns, or bring them to your next table.

Found a bug, or have an idea? Tell me through Feedback.