DRIFTLANDS co-op survival on drifting tides — studio progress

Stage · Technical Setup → Pre-Production (8 ADRs Accepted 2026-08-28; test scaffold + CI wired; UX queue ①–⑤ APPROVED 2026-08-31; friend playtest gates the netcode ADR)

Pre-Production — UX design › UX specs ①–⑤ all APPROVED 2026-08-31 (inventory · crafting · build-mode · HUD · settings; pattern library v0.15; accessibility committed) › /ux-design pause in progress (A–E3 written); next: title-screen spec, ADR-0014 (UI stack), tide-tint quick-spec (the open 14th MVP row)

13/14
MVP systems designed

15/15
architecture ADRs accepted

7/8
UX specs review-approved

⬇ Download playtest build (macOS, 42 MB)unsigned — see how to open it

Concept art

What it is meant to look like — generated illustrations prompted from the art bible, not game assets.

A jagged land docked against the rounded home island, tinted amber; three friends harvesting
A jagged land docked against the rounded home island, tinted amber; three friends harvesting §2 state 4a Docking (arrival)
Inland fight; Ember Crimson telegraph is the only saturated colour, off-white hit flash
Inland fight; Ember Crimson telegraph is the only saturated colour, off-white hit flash §2 state 3 Docked-land threat
The land drifting away tinted blue-violet, harvested stumps left behind, players hurrying home
The land drifting away tinted blue-violet, harvested stumps left behind, players hurrying home §2 state 4b Departing
Lone returning player on the pier facing the newly docked dark landmass, home slightly desaturated
Lone returning player on the pier facing the newly docked dark landmass, home slightly desaturated §2 state 5 Absence/Return
2026 09 12 absence return
2026 09 12 absence return
Jagged spired drift land docked at the home pier, two explorers, cool-neutral vs warm home
Jagged spired drift land docked at the home pier, two explorers, cool-neutral vs warm home §2 state 2 Docked-land exploration (calm)
2026 09 12 docked calm
2026 09 12 docked calm
Rounded home island, hut / chest / workbench / fire pit / pier, three friends at chores, three-hue warm-neutral
Rounded home island, hut / chest / workbench / fire pit / pier, three friends at chores, three-hue warm-neutral §2 state 1 Home
2026 09 12 home baseline v2
2026 09 12 home baseline v2
2026 09 12 home baseline
2026 09 12 home baseline
Amber-to-violet horizon split over the home island, drift land silhouetted mid-transition, empty upper third for a logo
Amber-to-violet horizon split over the home island, drift land silhouetted mid-transition, empty upper third for a logo §2 state 6 Menus/Title
2026 09 12 title gradient
2026 09 12 title gradient

Systems

#SystemTierStatusDoc
1Tide SchedulerMVPReviewedfull GDD — tide-scheduler.md
2Netcode SessionMVPDesignedquick-spec + ADR (after friend playtest)
3CameraMVPDesignedquick-spec
4Save & PersistenceMVPDesignedquick-spec
5Player MovementMVPDesignedquick-spec
6Inventory & HaulingMVPDesignedquick-spec — sprint-1 exit criterion, 3-day time-box
7CombatMVPReviewedfull GDD — combat-system.md
8Land Dock/UndockMVPDesignedquick-spec
9Harvesting & Resource NodesMVPReviewedfull GDD — harvesting-system.md
10Crafting & Gear IdentityMVP / Tier 1Reviewedfull GDD — crafting-system.md
11Base BuildingMVPReviewedfull GDD — base-building.md
12Enemy AIMVPDesignedquick-spec
13UI/HUD & Co-op AffordancesMVP / Tier 1Approvedquick-spec
14Tide-Tint Render Pipeline (minimal)MVPShader contract in art bi…Tide Scheduler, Land Dock/Undock
15Tide-Tint Polish (atmosphere, departure mist, drift-in/out cosmetics, multi-stop §4.3 curves)Tier 1art bible §4.3 / §2 — the…—
16Base-Defense EventsTier 1 — first-to-slipIndexednone (deliberate)
17Save-Anyone-Can-HostTier 1 — first-to-slipIndexednone (deliberate)
18Animal HusbandryFull VisionIndexednone
19Production ChainsFull VisionIndexednone
20Ruins & BlueprintsFull VisionIndexednone
21Rival SettlementsFull VisionIndexednone
22Audio DirectionFull VisionIndexednone

Independent reviews

Next steps

  1. Finish /ux-design pause (final five sections) → /ux-review → APPROVED
  2. /ux-design title-screen — owns the session-ended notice, the reset floor, and pause/settings' exit contract
  3. ADR-0014 (UI stack): settings.json schema + Schema_* test, BindingDisplay shape, provisional Window/Resolution/VSync rows, UI-scale mechanism, panel stack
  4. Tide-Tint Render Pipeline quick-spec — row 14, the outstanding 13/14 MVP item
  5. Unity project scaffold + first example test (gate requirement); external: schedule the friend-group playtest (gates netcode ADR-0008)

Open questions

  • Examine ↔ Revive control collision at a Downed ally (crafting OQ 7 — combat to rule via /quick-design)
  • ADR-0007 Ping binding amendment (pattern #15 is BLOCKED on it)
  • Player-journey map not yet created (every UX spec header notes it)
  • ui.json → ADR-0006 manifest; Repair CommandKind → the crafting-runtime ADR

Playtest build

The Gate 0 netcode prototype — two players over Unity Relay. Not the game: coloured squares and circles that exist only to answer "does a hit feel connected at real internet latency?".

macOS will refuse an unsigned app the first time: open it, dismiss the warning, then System Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll down → Open Anyway. Or in Terminal: xattr -cr ~/Downloads/"Driftlands Gate0 Proto.app". Windows build on request.

Documents

Game Design Documents

Quick Specs

UX Specs

Architecture Decisions

Design Reviews

Gate Checks

Art