Hardcore Mode Is Live: Permadeath, New Monsters, and a Solo Competition!

We’ve added Hardcore Mode, a new way to play where death is permanent, resources matter more, and the maze becomes much more dangerous at night.

Thank you to everyone who has been playing, reporting bugs, sharing suggestions, speedrunning, and helping us improve the game since launch. We did not expect this much support, and it has genuinely meant a lot to us.

HARDCORE MODE

Hardcore Mode is built for players who want a harsher, more intense version of MAZEBOUND.

• Perma death: if you die, your run is over.
• Hardcore leaderboards have been added.
• Some new monsters have been added to the maze.
• Spawning for certain monsters has been adjusted.
• Hunger depletes faster.
• All doors now close at night in Hardcore Mode.
• There are fewer Waystones.
• A new axe can be unlocked after beating Hardcore Mode.
• A new achievement has been added for beating Hardcore Mode.

Hardcore Mode is meant to make every decision feel heavier. Every fight, every shortcut, every night outside the cabin, and every mistake can end the run.

GENERAL CHANGES AND QOL

This update also includes several improvements and fixes for the regular game.

• Increased the aggro time for Skarnhog.
• Made the fenced area bigger and adjusted its collision so the cart is less likely to get stuck there.
• Unlocked axes are now visible in third person too.
• The Abyss barrels now guarantee at least one ammo drop.
• Added some general bug fixes and improvements.

HARDCORE SOLO COMPETITION

To celebrate the launch of Hardcore Mode, we’re running a new solo competition with a $1000 prize pool.

The top 20 players on the Hardcore solo leaderboard by July 30th at 10 AM PDT will win Steam Gift Cards:

1st Place - $250 2nd Place - $150 3rd Place - $100 4th–5th Place - $75 each 6th–10th Place - $50 each 11th–20th Place - $25 each

Important:

• Runs under 2 hours will require video proof.
• Winners will be announced publicly with a screenshot of the leaderboard.
• Winners must accept friend request on Steam to receive their reward.

Hardcore Mode is a bit different from the normal mode. It is harsher, riskier, and built around surviving with only ONE chance.

Please let us know if you run into bugs, balance issues, or anything that feels wrong. We’ll keep improving and updating the game based on feedback.

Thank you again for playing MAZEBOUND and helping us make it better.

See you in the maze.

- Sam & Abbie