# SpaceDeck X July devlog: upgrades, backgrounds, and more

DevFeed: [SpaceDeck X July devlog: upgrades, backgrounds, and more](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/spacedeck-x-july-devlog-upgrades-backgrounds-and-more-37356.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://muffinman.io/blog/spacedeck-x-july-devlog/>)

Author: Stanko

Published: 2026-07-23T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Stanko Tadić](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/stanko-tadic.md>)

Topics: [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [Website](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/website.md>)

Tags: [customization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/customization.md>), [game-dev](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/game-dev.md>), [pixel-art](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pixel-art.md>), [redesign](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/redesign.md>), [steam](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/steam.md>), [updates](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/updates.md>), [upgrades](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/upgrades.md>)

## AI overview

A July development log for SpaceDeck X describes progress toward a Steam release, including a new upgrades system and library, redesigned UI panels, ship weapon and characteristic tweaks, decorative backgrounds and shadows, run-history work, and controller-button customization.

## Source excerpt

I've been developing SpaceDeck X since December last year. It started as me playing with a random framework I found fun, and it grew so much that I'm now working towards releasing it on Steam. I kept a devlog on Itch, but I feel like it is time to bring it to my own website. Especially considering that these updates are exclusive to the Steam version. I have a pretty clear vision for the release, and lately I've made amazing progress. Here are the major things I've made, in no particular order. Upgrades system # The new upgrades system was brewing in my head for a long time. Honestly, I thought it would take me longer to implement it, but once I started, I got in the zone and built a completely new system. This is the new upgrades selection screen: Compare it to the old one: Upgrades library # Upgrades got their own library, so players can inspect and learn about all of them. In two days I managed to draw 44 upgrade icons. Some of them I just winged and now I'm retrofitting them to the actual game upgrades. Redesigned UI panels # After making new upgrade cards, I got an urge to redesign some of the game's UI. I'm trying to avoid scope creep, but I had to create a way for the player to see their upgrades, so I decided to give a facelift to the deck panel as well. You can open both panels by holding Tab in the boss fight: And they show automatically in the pause menu: Ships # Ships are not brand new, but in the last few weeks I tweaked their specific weapons and characteristics. It is still a work in progress, but all ships are functional and have their own quirks. Backgrounds and shadows # These are purely decorative, but I think they elevate the experience a lot. These background objects add more visual depth. They also change every few levels, giving the player a better sense of progression. For now I created two sets of backgrounds (the gray tech-industrial one and an Aztec/Protoss-inspired one). The plan is to have four or five for the full game. These are quite