Oatmeal Mode: Post-Game Challenge

     I know that there are hardcore thrill seekers out there who want a serious challenge or NewGame+ content that's harder rather than easier. To satisfy that itch Battle Gem Ponies will have a built-in Nuzlocke challenge feature dubbed Oatmeal Mode. A challenge that will reduce you to mush. This is basically a permadeath mode where knocked-out ponies stay down and it's harder to add ponies to your team.

Find out what Oatmeal Mode is all about below.

As stated in the game design document:

• Your pony's base form is the only one always available.
• Shattered gems cannot be repaired at PHCs.
• Revival items are not available in stores.
• Special capture gems are not available in stores.
• All trainers use healing items.
• Tiny oatmeal icon next to save file.

     The oatmeal name comes from a Friendship is Magic Season 1 reference ("Oatmeal? Are you crazy!?") and has been a development joke to myself in every game I've released (minus Feed The Plant and Unicorn Training), always serving as the hardest difficulty. 

     This super challenge mode for a second run through needed a name that meant something to me the way Nuzlocke meant something to somebody else. I was calling it Master Mode until a friend suggested bringing the Oatmeal joke from my earlier games back. I feel like Oatmeal Mode can become a BGP community reference of sorts. Only those who've beaten the game know what it is and they can talk excitedly about how crazy hard it was.