Hi Spacers! We've got a big one for you today. Before we get to the gameplay video we've been teasing, there are two quick updates we'd like to get out of the way. Then it's finally time to watch Enormity in action
Timeline Update... and Something to Look Forward to in August
Before we get to the fun stuff, we'd like to give you an update on where Enormity currently stands. First of all, thank you for your patience. Right now, it's truly all hands on deck. Everyone is focused on getting Enormity over the finish line. Yes, yes... we know. Every time we mention Marcin, half of you roll your eyes, while the Twelve Sins of Herakles crowd wonders when we'll finally give him back. And we promise we will eventually!!!
We are pushing the timeline a bit. To be completely transparent, we held to the current timeline for so long, because it looked like we would be able to start production this month. In that, things were finished. However, several of these things that were finished, edited and put together, were ultimately deemed as simply not good enough. They didn't meet our high standards - both Marcin and the Team agree on that. The bar is high, maybe some of this stuff could pass somewhere else, but we don’t want to ship something that we aren't genuinely, completely and profoundly proud of. Because of that, the schedule has shifted slightly. Our current target is to have the pre-production copy finalized by the end of November 2026, which also marks the beginning of mass production. The following milestones move accordingly:
- Pre-Production Copy: November 2026
- Mass Production Sample: January 2027
- Shipping Begins: March 2027
These are preliminary dates, as of course things can change as we go, but we’re confident we can deliver. To make that wait a little easier, we'd also like to share some good news.
In August, you'll finally be able to read the Enormity Rulebook.
As many of you probably know, the rulebook is one of the last components to be fully laid out during production. That's simply because it depends on almost everything else in the game. So we've decided to share the rulebook with you a little earlier, but the version you'll receive will contain the complete rules, but it won't yet be the final print-ready layout. We'll publish the rulebook in a dedicated update once it's ready, and at the same time we'll open a dedicated Discord channel where you'll be able to ask questions, and point out anything that catches your attention.
UKGE Stock Update
And one more quick update - believe it or not, it's now been five weeks since the last Enormity update, and our UKGE stock still hasn't made it back to us.
Getting products in and out of the UK after Brexit has become… an experience. We've been wrestling with enough administrative hurdles to last a lifetime. At this point, it is genuinely easier for us to ship products to and from China than it is to move them between the UK and the EU. We're not exaggerating when we say that the UK is the only shipping route that consistently gives us this kind of trouble. Everywhere else in the world is comparatively straightforward.
The moment everything finally arrives back at our warehouse, we'll get to work counting the remaining convention stock, checking what's available, and putting the leftover merchandise in the store for everyone who couldn't grab it at UKGE. We'll make sure to give everyone plenty of notice beforehand, and we'll announce the sale in the updates for all of our active projects, so nobody misses it.
But enough about customs paperwork and shipping headaches. Let's get to the fun part!
Gameplay Time!
So, we've got something special for you. Something you've been asking us for quite a while now… the actual Enormity gameplay!
In the video below, you'll meet Kacper, our resident Enormity expert, whom some of you may already recognize from our UKGE demos, alongside Antek, who many of you probably know from our previous videos. Unlike Kacper, Antek isn't part of the Enormity team and doesn't work on the game day to day, so he'll be taking on the role of… well, you. A player who's learning the game for the first time :). Together, they'll guide you through an entire game round, covering both the Spacer Phase and the Intruder Phase, explaining what's happening along the way.
And because we wanted this video to offer something new to everyone, the encounter has changed compared to this one presented during UKGE. Instead of facing the Torches, Kacper and Antek will be taking on one of the tougher enemies you'll encounter later in the campaign: the Finger-Thing Praetorian.
Now, we should probably mention one small detail… Praetorians are designed for a much later stage of the campaign. Meanwhile, our two brave volunteers are equipped with loadouts you'd normally bring to earlier missions. This means they're about to get thoroughly and repeatedly introduced to the floor. But that's part of the fun, isn't it?
Meet the Finger-Thing Praetorian
The Finger-Thing Praetorian is one of the baseline Intruders you'll begin encountering on Parsec III and beyond. During the earlier parts of the campaign, you are more likely to see the more familiar Finger-Things (which some of you may remember under their previous working name, the Fingers, or even the earlier one, the Grins. We eventually settled on Finger-Things, as neither of the previous names quite captured what these creatures really are) instead of these terrifying creatures, but as the stakes rise… so do the horrors waiting for you.
Lore-wise, Praetorians share their origins with both the Finger-Things and the mysteriousConductor - an unsettling, barely understood force that twists reality itself into fingers… or perhaps into things that merely resemble fingers. Nobody can say for certain. Unlike regular Finger-Things, Praetorians don't attack in overwhelming hordes. Instead, there are only five of them in the entire game, each representing an incredibly dangerous elite predator.
And they absolutely earn that title.
A Finger-Thing Praetorian is essentially a charging wall of muscle with one simple objective: to devour Spacers. If it can't bite you… it'll happily smash you across the opposite side of the board instead. This creates an interesting tactical challenge. You will need to maintain a careful balance between being too far for them to reach you with their bite and not far enough for them to send you flying with their full body slam. Their Stygian Bite Protocol is a devastating melee attack that triggers whenever a Spacer is adjacent to a Praetorian. It gains Lethal 1 (meaning one Potential is converted into one Power) against the highly stressed targets and, after the attack is resolved, digitifies the Spacer unfortunate enough to be its target. For the careful Spacers who’d rather stay away they have an unpleasant surprise - when they gain enough momentum with the Fist Ram protocol, their hit hurts that much more (gains Lethal 1 as well). In addition, it knocks the target back across the map.
Like their lesser cousins, Praetorians also carry the signature Finger-Thing mutations. Fingerfestation punishes anyone ending their turn adjacent to a Praetorian, causing them to Digitify 1.
Meanwhile, Digitogenesis grows more dangerous every time you wound one. Each Wound you deal places a Discipline token on the Trait. Once three tokens have accumulated, the Finger-Thing closest to the Vanguard Spacer immediately activates. During that attack, every Discipline token converts one Potential into one Power before all Discipline tokens are discarded.
They're relentless, they're brutal, and they're an excellent demonstration of how enemy behavior evolves as you progress deeper into Enormity. We hope you'll enjoy watching Kacper and Antek face them head-on.
So… How Does a Round Actually Work?
Before we hit play, let's quickly walk through the flow of a typical round. If you've been following our updates over the last year, you'll probably recognize many of these systems already. But seeing them all together should make the gameplay much easier to follow - especially if this is your very first proper look at the game.
At first glance Enormity may look like it has a lot going on. In practice, however, every round follows the same rhythm. Once you've played a couple of turns, everything starts falling naturally into place.
Countdown Phase
First, advance the Countdown marker and watch the mission slowly spiral out of control. As time passes, the Scanner deck evolves, new threats begin appearing, and the Shepherd becomes progressively less interested in letting you leave alive.
Eventually you'll reach Zero Hour. Contrary to what the name suggests, that's NOT game over. Instead, it is the exact moment where the game decides you've been comfortable for long enough. From then on, the terrifying Adversary Intruder begins hunting your team, turning every remaining round into a desperate race to reach extraction before it reaches you.
Spacer Turn
Now it's your turn to act.
The active player first takes the Vanguard token, becoming the team's point person for the round. That's great… until you realize many enemy effects specifically care about where the Vanguard is standing.
Then comes the fun part: play up to three Action Cards, combine them however you like, use your abilities, fire your weapons, interact with the environment, and help your teammates. Don't forget that almost everything you do generates Alert, so after resolving each action you'll be adding Alert tokens to the Alert Pool.
Once your three Action Cards are spent, it's time for the SITREP (Situation Report step ;)).
Draw a Scanner Card, resolve Blip movement, generate additional Alert, clean up the Spacer Pool, leave useful Spacer Tokens for the next player, and prepare the battlefield for whoever acts next.
One small detail that's easy to miss: your Support Gear and many character abilities don't have to wait until you're done playing Action Cards. You can weave them into your turn whenever their specified timing allows, opening up plenty of opportunities for clever combinations.
Making an Attack
There will surely come a point where you’ll want to - need to - deal some damage to the enemy in front of you. Thankfully, combat is designed to stay fast and readable.
Pick your weapon. Pick your target. Spend the required Ammo or Charge. Now roll every die currently sitting in your Power Pool. Each Power symbol gets you closer to dealing a Wound. Simple, right?
Of course… Intruders rarely don’t take that personally. Many of them resolve Wound Responses, reacting immediately when injured. Miss your attack instead, and you'll usually Suppress the target, temporarily weakening it while buying your team some breathing room. And because firing giant weapons tends to attract attention every attack also generates Alert.
Intruder Phase
Once every Spacer has completed their turn, it's time for the Intruders to strike.
Each Intruder activates exactly once, but they don't activate randomly. Instead, activations are resolved in order of proximity, beginning with the Intruder closest to any Spacer. If multiple Intruders are tied, see which one is closest to the Vanguard Spacer. If, still, none are closest to the Vanguard Spacer, the players decide which one activates first.
Every Intruder follows its own Targeting and AI Protocols, making each species behave in dramatically different ways. Some relentlessly charge into melee, while others stalk their prey from afar. Many possess unique abilities that completely change how you need to approach the encounter.
Once every Intruder has activated, the round ends.
The Countdown advances once more… and the whole process begins again. Only now, with a little more Alert, a little less ammunition, and the Shepherd becoming an even more dangerous place to survive.
Understanding What You're Looking At
Those were the absolute basics of how a round flows. Before we let Kacper and Antek loose on the Shepherd, there's one more thing worth covering.
Loadouts
Every expedition begins during the Safe House Phase, where you build your loadout before heading into the Shepherd. Choose the Suit for the mission, gear up your weapons, and pack your Support. Once the mission begins, everything you've selected starts fully loaded:).
Finding the right combination of gear is a huge part of Enormity. Different Suits encourage different playstyles, and every weapon or support item can dramatically change how you approach an encounter.
Weapons
Weapons are your primary way of solving problems (usually by making them stop moving).
Without any special upgrades, a Spacer can carry either two one-handed weapons or one two-handed weapon. Each Weapon card tells you everything you need to know: its range, attack dice, weapon traits, abilities, where it can be found during the campaign, and it’s grade. You can see new gear design below:
Support Gear
Support Gear doesn't usually deal damage, but it's often what keeps your mission from falling apart.
These cards provide additional abilities, utility effects, emergency tools, and clever ways to escape difficult situations. Just like weapons, they can also be upgraded later in the campaign, opening up entirely new possibilities.
The number of support items you can bring depends entirely on your chosen Suit.
Upgrading Your Equipment
Every piece of gear in Enormity has two sides.
Initially, every card begins on its Basic side. As your campaign progresses and you unlock new technologies, equipment can be upgraded by simply flipping the card over to its Modified side.
Alert
Perhaps the most important system in Enormity is Alert.
The Shepherd is alive. Every shot fired, every door opened, every loud action risks attracting unwanted attention. Almost everything your team does generates Alert, which is collected in the Alert Pool. Once the total Alert reaches your current Alert Threshold, the ship reacts.The Alert Pool is immediately emptied. Then, the Intruder closest to the Vanguard Spacer immediately activates - regardless of whose turn it is.
And just when you think you've survived the interruption… A new Intruder enters the map. Along with a new Blip. Managing Alert isn't simply about avoiding danger. It's one of the central puzzles of Enormity. Every decision forces you to ask the same question:
Is this action worth letting the Shepherd know where we are?
One interesting detail you may not have seen before that concerns Alert; previously, Alert generation was always public information, but not anymore. Alert tokens are now double-sided. Instead of immediately knowing exactly how much noise your actions generate, you'll often only discover the true Alert value when the token is revealed. Sometimes you'll get lucky. Sometimes… you'll realize you've made considerably more noise than expected. You'll see this mechanic in action during today's gameplay
There are also a few topics we haven't revisited here, because we covered them quite recently. If you need a refresher on Stress, Adrenaline, and Vitals, Nervous Breakdowns, and the game's tokens, you'll find all of that in Update #35.
Reading the Battlefield
Now for something you haven't really seen before. Let's talk about the maps themselves.
After all, this is still a board game, and the board is the heart of the entire experience. You already know how our Section Books work and how the maps unfold as you explore. But what exactly are all those symbols, icons, and markers scattered across each page?
Let's take a closer look.
Extraction Points
Every run has one ultimate goal: getting back out alive. Extraction Points are where you'll access the STYX elevator system, allowing your team to escape the Shepherd.
In Scavenge Runs, newly revealed map pages usually contain an Extraction Point that's immediately available. In Scenario Runs, however, reaching the exit isn't so simple. Extraction Points often begin locked and must be unlocked by progressing through the mission objectives.
Finding the exit is only half the battle. Actually making it there… is something else entirely.
Random Discoveries
These markers represent one of our favorite systems in Enormity. Whenever a Spacer investigates one, you'll resolve a unique Discovery. Think of them as the game's equivalent of optional events or cutscenes in a video game.
Some reveal unsettling stories about the Shepherd, others expand the world's lore, introduce strange encounters, or explain the origins of the horrors surrounding you and every single one comes with consequences.
They're optional, but you'll probably have a hard time resisting your curiosity. ;)
Caches
No extraction game would be complete without loot. Caches are where you'll discover new equipment during a run. Interacting with one allows you to draw a Gear card from the deck associated with your current location aboard the Shepherd.
You can either equip it immediately and put your new toy to good use right away, or send it back to the Safe House, where it'll be waiting for you after the run.
There's a catch, though. Only gear that has already been sent back is truly safe. If you choose to equip it immediately and fail to extract, that piece of gear is lost along with you.
Engrams
Engrams are some of the strangest objects you'll encounter aboard the Shepherd. These mysterious devices grant powerful abilities that can dramatically change how your team approaches dangerous situations. When discovered, Engrams usually begin face down. Once collected, they're placed onto your Engramaticon, revealing their unique ability.
Any Spacer may use an Engram during their turn, provided its timing requirements are met. After use, an Engram isn't discarded. Instead, it's flipped back over, becoming a valuable resource once the mission ends. Those same mysterious artifacts that helped keep you alive today may become tomorrow's crafting materials for upgrading your equipment.
Anomalous Signals
One of the most dangerous icons you'll encounter is the Anomalous Signal. These usually appear near thresholds, junctions, and unexplored sections of the map. Crossing one means stepping (hehe) into the unknown. Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe you'll uncover another Discovery. Or maybe an angry Intruder has been patiently waiting just around the corner.
That's exactly what these markers are meant to represent: uncertainty. Our advice? Never cross one alone if you can avoid it.
Blip Spawn Points
Every map contains four Blip Spawn points, typically one in each quadrant. As their name suggests, these are where Blips enter play.
Keeping track of their locations becomes increasingly important as the mission progresses. Understanding where future Blips are likely to appear helps you plan safe routes, anticipate enemy movement, and avoid slowly being surrounded.
Good positioning is often the difference between a clean extraction…
…and a very short expedition run.
Breach Points
Just like with Blip Spawn points, there are generally four Breach points on each map. These are the locations where new Intruders spawn (INTRUDERS not blips!).
Waves of enemies will stand in your way as you try to reach your objective - just as mentioned above - so maintaining a safe distance or exploring the area at the right time will be crucial for you. Did we mention that Breach points are often located in areas of the map where there are plenty of resources? ;)
The symbols we've covered today are only part of what you'll eventually discover across Enormity'smaps.
We're constantly expanding them with hidden paths, secrets, optional interactions, collectibles, environmental storytelling, and post-game content. One of our goals has always been to make the Shepherd feel like a place you'll want to revisit. Not just because the campaign sends you back there, but because every new piece of knowledge and every new ability lets you see familiar locations from a completely different perspective.
And yes…
There are still quite a few map symbols we haven't explained. Some mysteries are simply more fun when you uncover them yourselves.
And one last question: How to interact with the map?
You may use Consoles, and collect Engrams and Caches by standing on the space with a token and performing the Interact action. The Interact action is the most common action in the game. You can perform it any time during your turn, even in the middle of movement. All you need to do is declare you’re interacting with the game element on your space. It comes with a cost, though - you will gain 1 Stress for each Interact action you perform.
However, not all objects need an Interact action to trigger. For example, to trigger a Discovery, all you have to do is move onto a space with this token; the Discovery will trigger automatically. Anomalous Signals work similarly - you only need to move onto a space with one to trigger it - but are usually far less pleasant.
Another automatically triggering space is the Extraction Point. Once a Spacer moves onto the Extraction Point space, they are immediately transported to safety. Remove their miniature from the map and apply the mercy rule to any lingering effects.
On this map we also have Anomalies - their effect is passive. Each Anomaly on a path between a Spacer and an Intruder reduces the Range value of that Spacer’s weapon by one.
And lastly, a barrage of assorted, though not arranged in a particular order, fun, quirky rules you’ll find in Enormity (courtesy of M.):
Overwatch
Sometimes the best attack... is the one you don't make. Instead of using your final Action card to immediately attack, you can choose to enter Overwatch. To do so, play an Attack Action card other than a Fast Attack as your last Action Card of the turn. Rather than resolving the Attack, place the card sideways and put an Overwatch token on it. Your turn immediately ends. And as soon as the first Intruder moves within the effective range of your longest-range weapon, its activation is interrupted and you immediately perform your stored Attack. If you kill the Intruder, its activation ends on the spot. If not, it simply continues what it was about to do. Either way, the Overwatch token is normally removed afterwards. There is one exception, however. Some attacks can trigger a Bonus Action. If your Overwatch Attack does, your Overwatch remains active. You don't get to perform additional actions, but the Overwatch token stays on the card, allowing you to continue covering the area. Overwatch is not available during Incursions and when your next turn begins, the Action card used to set it up doesn’t return to your hand. Used at the right moment, Overwatch can completely change the flow of combat.
Mating Pair
Some pieces of Gear are designed to work as a set. If you equip two or more Gear cards with the same Mating Pair keyword, you start every run with +1 Adrenaline. The trade-off is commitment. Once equipped, Mating Pair Gear can't be voluntarily unequipped, even between runs. The only way to remove it is by losing your Parsec Clearance (for example, when starting a new campaign), which automatically unequips the entire set.
Frenzy
Frenzy lets melee weapons turn a single Attack into a devastating chain of strikes. When choosing your target, you may select additional Intruders within your weapon's range. You then resolve the full Attack Sequence against each target, one after another, in any order you choose. It pairs particularly well with move-like abilities, letting you weave through groups of enemies and make the most of every swing!
Lights, Camera… Extraction!
And with all of that out of the way, it's finally time for the main event.
We hope everything we've covered above will make it much easier to follow what's happening in the video and understand the decisions Kacper and Antek make along the way. Before you hit play, we have one small request.
This is our first ever gameplay video of this kind. Kacper and Antek volunteered to be the first faces of Enormity on camera, and despite being seriously stressed (it turns out talking to a camera is MUCH scarier than talking to a table full of people at UKGE), they absolutely stepped up and gave it their all.
So if you enjoy the video, show the guys some love in the comments! I know they'll be reading them, and I’m sure a bit of encouragement will make convincing them to record the next one much easier:). And if you spot the occasional awkward moment… well, that's all part of a first recording. We think they absolutely nailed it, and we couldn't have asked for better ambassadors for Enormity.
Now enough talking.
Grab your headphones, hit play, and join Kacper and Antek aboard the Shepherd! We really hope you enjoy the video. That’s all from us today. See you next time, Spacers!
