Tiny Foundry has released another post-launch update for Nova Swarm, bringing several quality-of-life improvements, expanded achievement support, and visual refinements aimed at improving readability during the game’s more chaotic moments.
The update also introduces a brand-new collection of ultra-hard achievements designed for veteran pilots looking for an even greater challenge.
Steam Achievement Support Expanded
One of the biggest additions is the expansion of Steamworks achievement support. Nova Swarm now officially supports all 81 achievement rows, which have been configured and published through Steamworks.
Alongside this change, several duplicated badge designs from the hard and legendary achievement categories have been replaced with unique icons. Players may temporarily see older artwork while Steam refreshes its cache, but the new icons should eventually appear automatically.
Ten New Legendary Challenges Arrive
Experienced players now have ten additional endgame goals to pursue. These achievements are intended for those who have already mastered the fundamentals and want to push themselves even further.
The newly added ultra-hard achievements are:
Two-Million Reactor
Reach an enormous score milestone and prove your endurance.
Sector 30 Blackout
Survive long enough to make it into the dangerous Sector 30.
Sector 50 Endless
Push even deeper and conquer one of the game’s longest runs.
Ten-Boss Tribunal
Defeat ten bosses during a single run.
Clean Ten Statute
Overcome ten boss encounters without taking damage.
Thirty-Wave Ghost
Survive thirty waves while maintaining perfect performance.
Two-Hundred Hit Comet
Maintain a massive combo streak.
Danger Dodge Prophet
Demonstrate precise movement and survive close calls.
Graze Storm Crown
Master advanced grazing techniques.
Full Hangar Omega
Unlock and master the entire hangar.
Boss Voices Can Now Be Disabled
Players who prefer pure arcade action without spoken lines now have more control over the audio experience.
A new Boss Voices setting has been added and is enabled by default. Turning it off removes boss voice lines while leaving all other sounds untouched. Music, sound effects, alerts, UI sounds, achievement notifications, and normal gameplay audio remain active.
The option is fully saved between sessions and carries over through profile reloads and Steam Cloud synchronization.
Boss death voice lines also now respect the player’s audio preference.
First Boss Receives Targeted Adjustments
Rather than performing a large-scale rebalance, the developer focused specifically on improving the first boss encounter.
Later phases have been adjusted to provide slightly more breathing room, creating a clearer survival path while preserving the overall challenge. The intention is not to make the game easier, but to improve readability and reduce unnecessary pressure during the encounter.
Improved Enemy Readability During Late Runs
As enemy density increases in higher sectors, distinguishing threats becomes increasingly important.
To address this, support ships and enemy visuals have received a readability pass. Hulls have been darkened, outlines sharpened, cores reduced in size, and excessive glow effects toned down.
These changes are intended to make enemies appear more like physical ships rather than interface elements, helping players better understand what is happening when the screen becomes packed with projectiles and opponents.
Continued Post-Launch Support
Since launch, Nova Swarm has continued receiving a steady stream of updates aimed at refining gameplay rather than dramatically altering it. This latest patch continues that philosophy by focusing on player choice, visual clarity, and providing long-term goals for those seeking increasingly difficult challenges.
With 81 Steam achievements now supported and ten new legendary objectives waiting to be conquered, completionists and score chasers have plenty of new reasons to dive back into the chaos.
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