Official development blog
[ Latest Cogmind Release Notes: Feb 2026, "Unchained More" ]

Category Archives: Design

Design Overhaul 2: Propulsion

The previous design overhaul discussion covered storage capping and its changes to the core gameplay, but the first experimental build we played around with also included major changes to another even more fundamental aspect of any build: propulsion. Although not all of the experiments panned out in this case, after a number of revisions I […]

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Design Overhaul 1: Capping Inventory

Last time here on the blog we covered sensor changes and other new related utilities coming to Cogmind’s next major update. At the time I wrote: Cogmind’s next update (Beta 11) is taking years of play experience, feedback, and observations into consideration for a comprehensive review of the many items and their stats with an […]

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Infowar Expanded

Stealth plays a role in most Cogmind runs, with the degree varying all the way from “maybe I’ll dodge this one patrol until I’m in a better position to siege up” to “I am ninja.” To best support a variety of play styles in that regard, we need a range of systems and utilities built […]

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The Map Ruler (and other overlay QoL)

As the player’s gateway to accessing the experience they’re after when they want to play a game, building a fluid and comprehensive interface is essential. Many high-priority player needs should be apparent in the earliest stages of development, and help shape the entire foundation for an interface’s design, but still other needs with lower priority […]

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Item Searching and Filtering

Many years ago, Cogmind’s predecessor X@COM pioneered the idea of using a pop-up label system in an ASCII game to identify objects like items, beneficial both to help teach new players as well as a natural quality of life improvement. This allows players to more quickly know exactly what an item is, useful when there are […]

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