Hey everyone!
…wow, it’s been a while, huh?

The last several years have been bonkers, but amid all the chaos, we’ve noticed a rise in DEADBOLT content, whether it be retrospectives, artworks, quality maps, more mentions of the game throughout Hopoo-related spaces, and everything in-between. Figured it’s time to jump on the belated bandwagon, and see what these years have had to offer.

Don’t be mistaken, though, this is purely a community highlight, there aren’t any plans or teasers for future DEADBOLT content from Hopoo Games themselves. Yet.


Keep that counter going, y’all.

There's been plenty of videos on DEADBOLT to keep the community going, from analyses to retrospectives and more!
Among the most influential videos in the community is the extremely high-quality lore recap from Squatch Gaming. Paired with excellent narration, it retells the story of DEADBOLT in minute detail, making even the most savvy nerds like us a bit jealous:

DEADBOLT is seemingly old enough to get retrospectives, as these standout videos showcase. One of these we especially appreciate, analysing the gameplay and the themes of the narrative, breaking the game down like a modern piece of art:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEB2fkDxqnw
But hey, there's nothing wrong with a light-hearted tone either. Sometimes all that you need is a handful of memes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7uxOTX3mzA
It's well-known that Chris' amazing music is responsible for the game's reputation. Though we haven't had any fan made original tracks (that we know of!), there exists at least one vocal cover that grabbed people's attention:


And hey, we wouldn’t be a niche little community without at least one fan film. A pretty nifty live-action one, at that:
https://youtu.be/EExPLWRtriU
Heck, you know what, let me plug my own stuff too. Want to see some inhumanly fast gameplay? Quite literally, in fact, for this is a Tool Assisted Speedrun, completing the game in an impressive 19 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-MUQboGV-w
If your eyes hunger for something a bit more… static, there’s plenty of that too.
By far one of the most significant surges in the art sphere was thanks to the Bloodrain contest, hosted on the Risk of Rain 2 Discord server. The prompt was "a Halloween poster", and allowed anything Hopoo-related, including DEADBOLT. Here’s just some of the winning artworks:

by Sigma ( Incorporeal ∑#9197 ):


by pac1fying:
tumblr
twitter


by @eliworks:


There’s also been a lot of other fan made art posted over the years on social media such as Tumblr and Reddit (r/deadbolt), as well as the #creative-db channel in our community Discord server (we also encourage you to check out the #creative-archive channel to see more like this!):

by SupremePineapple:


by YoinkedByTheZoink:


by brainheadbot/Toni Mijatović:


by touyaloid:



by lampthesadone:



And as a special highlight, here's a wonderful Reaper-ified Chris Christodoulou drawn by Bluerogue. She is the designer/illustrator for the CHASEVGM magazine about videogame music, where this artwork was featured.

Here's a link to the magazine, feel free to give it a read! Page 14 features the handsome Chris, while page 15 features a great writeup on the Chris/Hopoo discography from RoR1 all the way to Survivors of The Void. Really though, we encourage you to read the whole thing, it's a real love letter to the medium.


And heck, we might as well count some stuff related to modding. Classic_Cheese18’s contribution to the scene with his sprite work is particularly noteworthy, even if it’s not implemented into any existing mods just yet.






“But what about the videogame itself?” I hear you ask. If speedruns and other self-imposed challenges don’t take your fancy, people over on the Workshop to this day are making quality custom maps and even entire campaigns to keep the game replayable. Let’s have a look at those released since the last Map Highlight.

A worthwhile mention — all of the screenshots that you're about to see were taken with DEADBOLT Community Patch (DCP). Though it's not actively maintained at the moment, it's a must-have mod for any fan of the game, boasting QoL improvements and fixes, extra weapons, and features like hiding the HUD. You can read our detailed overview of DCP here.
It would only be fair if we covered officepunk’s “Operations” here, since we covered the first in the series back in 2020. The campaign presents us with a long series of difficult levels in each chapter, challenging the players’ wits, knowledge of the game, and, at times, patience. There are a lot of stages in each level, and I’d wager each will take about an hour of playtime. It’s worth it, though.
Cocaine Carnage might genuinely be one of the best sets of levels I’ve ever played, despite its limiting nature. Armed with only a Silenced 9mm Pistol, Reaper must sneak his way through the docks that are way too crowded to tackle head-on. This is a sneaking mission, and Cocaine Carnage further facilitates this by utilising some of the game’s unused assets. Smoke detectors will sound an alarm if you exit out of a vent within their vicinity unless shot, and closets allow the player to hide from patrolling enemies. Keep a lookout for patrol patterns, blind spots, and those moments where someone’s head is turned.


If the stealth-only nature of the previous level was too much for you, Branching Bridleway is a much more traditional DEADBOLT map, as a level more focused on shooting. Still, there’s plenty of interesting gameplay scenarios to go through.


Depending on which route you take throughout the level, the challenges that you’ll face change drastically. Left side will be a treat for those more predisposed to action. Relatively tight time limits on ash totems? Check. Huge levels with plenty of vents and possible routes? Check. A Sawn-Off only stage with nothing but Bouncers? Yeah, sure, why not.

If you want a real challenge, though, the rightmost route has rundown zombie apartments, hordes of Patriarchs, and gruelling traps from the cunning Timur. I mean, just look at this:


Refracted Reflection puts a lot of effort into its aesthetics, and it absolutely pays off. Described as an “alternative look at the final level of DEADBOLT”, it is precisely that, and more. As we’re hunting down Ibzan, we close in on his location and get closer to the Portal.



…huh, but if I interact with the portal, won’t I…



Oh.



OH.

…and you know what, I’m not gonna spoil it any further. Find out more yourself! But rest assured, this is a great conclusion to a quality campaign.
Tahazzar is a long-standing mapmaker, renowned for his unusual takes on gameplay scenarios and gameplay design, often going beyond the level editor’s limits. What you’ll find is a mix of puzzle and gameplay-centric levels, requiring the player to carefully think about their strategy. Although the rate of released levels has slowed down, there’s still plenty that Tahazzar made in the recent years.

Here’s some of our particular recommendations (bonus points if you tackle them with just the .32 Revolver):
Contained within a single screen, this small level challenges the player to take out a club full of vampires with a limited arsenal. The rooms are full of enemies, the claustrophobic layout doesn’t allow for much leniency when lining up shots, and the ammo is really scarce if you’re only equipped with the standard revolver. Nevertheless, it’s a solid level overall, and very much manageable after a bit of trial and error.


Eve of New Light is more skewed towards the puzzle side of things. You’ll need to take advantage of the cover of darkness to carefully navigate the level, avoiding enemies and sniper fire all the while.


Do you like sledgehammers? You’d better, for this is a sledgehammer-only level. A lot of careful positioning, timing, and bravely running away is required to make the slow sledgehammer swings really pay off. What, you’re expecting more? Get sledgin’, Reaper.


The Hangout is frustratingly difficult, but the gimmick is too good to pass up. Far from the first of its kind, it’s the most recent example of a completely upside-down level. The threat of being shot or seen from an unexpected angle is higher than ever, and the positioning is likely to mess with your muscle memory. Just remember to aim for the head.


Last on our list, we’ve got Down-Low. See that ladder? You can climb it. In fact, you have to. Just don’t get shot along the way.

Solve various vent-based puzzles, explore hidden routes, pick up whatever weaponry you can find, and most importantly, don’t give your life for the honour of reaching the top of this level.


Those of you who’ve been around here for long may recognise both RPD_Survivor himself, and his campaign, “Flatline”. Some of the maps from the collection even made their way into MOTW/Map Highlight posts every now and then. Six years in the making, RPD is still diligently working away at it, especially with a recent spree of quality of life updates across all maps.

Now, this post would be twice the length if we went into all the details on the changes or gave each individual level the coverage it deserves, so just take our word for it: it's a quality campaign, for those seeking a challenge, and especially for those seeking an involved storyline. In fact, it's part of the same continuity as Nintee's Last Stand series, which we covered around 2019.

While Last Stand focuses on the same Reaper as in the campaign, Flatline takes place long after with a completely new one.

That's right - this was secretly a recommendation for both collections all along! We're efficient like that.



The screenshots that you're looking at right now are from the latest entry in the series, "Two Sides of the Same Coin". Similarly to Operation Branching Bridleway, this map is split into two routes, each with its own (mostly stealth-centric) challenges.



Lastly, we’d like to highlight the maps of a couple newcomers to the community.
First up is The Underdogs by “born handsome instead of rich” (a sentiment I, of course, can fully relate to), a short 4-level campaign that stands out with its tight level layouts and challenging gameplay scenarios. There’s plenty of stealth and action to go around, and the moderate length prevents the whole experience from dragging out for too long.



And you know what, we’re even going to cheat a little. Released just last month is “Rise, Fall and Downtrodden” by zgsanmts (or, well, that’s what they go by on Discord). While fairly simplistic and light on the story, the mapper shows potential with what they can achieve with the level editor. Much like all the aforementioned maps, it’s a fairly well-designed set of challenges that’ll test your skill and prowess both in stealth and in loud.



And that’s as much as we can fit before this post gets ridiculously long. Even though a lot of time has passed since the release, it’s evident that a lot of people are still really passionate about this niche little videogame, and they deserve the spotlight.

Of course, we couldn’t possibly encompass everything. There must be plenty of stuff we’ve missed or neglected to mention. Search for/post about deadbolt on social media, subscribe to random custom maps on the Workshop, and see what gold you can uncover. Feel free to shill something you’ve made, in the comment section here or on our aforementioned Discord server – the centralised place for any fan of the game. We’re very much encouraging you to shill your works.

Thanks for reading this blog post up until the end, and sharing the same enthusiasm for the game as us. Hope to see you again someday!

deadbolt 2 when?

Hey everyone!

With another Map Highlight suddenly appearing on your Steam activity page, today we’re covering “Operation Twin Towers” by Чертила! Spanning across a total of 12 stages, full of back-and-forths and downtime to break up the pacing, it’s one of the more memorable workshop levels I’ve played yet.



We start off at the ground level of one of Stela’s Towers, run by Amber & Evelyn. After a quick introduction — which also mentions our primary target, Sir Stela, — we’re immediately greeted with an overwhelmingly detailed environment and a foyer full of enemies. Well, that and a couple weapons lying by our car, which are sure to come in handy.



From there on, things quickly begin to derail - seems you aren't the only one who wants Sir Stela dead. As you ascend the tower, you're assaulted by a trio of demon snipers. Time your dodges well and you'll be able to reach a sniper rifle on the roof and get your own back. A veritable army of Dredged will cut off your exit point, however, and you'll be forced to hop across to the next building for a better chance at survival.



All of this results in a level with plenty of memorable gameplay moments contained within a total of just two playable areas that are so fun to play that you don’t even notice or mind the repeated layouts.

We’d be remiss not to mention that all of the care and effort put into this goes beyond just the pretty decor and balanced gameplay. You’ve got to appreciate the little quality of life things, like the arrows pointing you to the elevator after clearing a stage, or details like Amber and Evelyn still acting as one another’s phylacteries, despite being offscreen - or even in a different stage entirely.





Expect this to be a hard map - we ourselves are seasoned DEADBOLT players, yet our playthroughs still lasted somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes.

Play it now!

In case you missed it, we made a huge post about all the recent developments in modding a couple months ago, which you can check out here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/394970/announcements/detail/2918854184878466122

Hey everyone!

Now, back when I said that we’d be posting on a more irregular basis, we didn’t have this kind of time gap in mind… but, oh well, what can ya do?

As you could guess from the title, today we’re going to be digging into the world of DEADBOLT modding! From humble beginnings back in April 2020, it’s come a long way over the course of several months, and I believe now’s the time to showcase what’s been made.

This is entirely community-driven, so all credits go to the contributors of this project. The main shoutout goes to Chris Bloomfield who’s laid out the main framework to expand upon, but of course, other community members’ efforts (such as Nintee’s custom sprites and countless mod ideas in the #modding channel over on our Discord) are not to be forgotten.




Since custom levels are at the heart of community content, I feel it’s appropriate to start off with the new custom level editor - the DEADBOLT Editor Community Patch, or DECP. Coincidentally, it was the first piece of custom content Chris made before moving onto the game itself.

The features DECP provides on its own are already incredibly useful. Several bugs have been squashed as one may expect, but Chris went above and beyond with features such as missing object support (you may recognise the lich arm and crossbow from previous Map Highlights), quality of life features (such as being able to optionally place Puff and his desk separately), extra UI elements, object scaling, easy-to-make custom thumbnails, a more in-depth and helpful GUI, and so... much... more! It’s honestly overwhelming just how much broader the possibilities are now.



Best part is, most of what’s listed above doesn’t require any changes to the game itself! Whether it be a regular level or one made with DECP, all is playable within the vanilla version of the game without the need for DCP. Speaking of which...



First on the list is workshop integration! With DCP installed, there are several items on the workshop that allow you to download not just new maps, but also content like sprite replacement, which will allow you to bring a little bit of variety to your level (only available for enemies at the time of writing) or the ability to play as (almost) any enemy! Force a specific loadout? Sure. Give the player control of Bouncer or Ibzan? You bet! They don’t have the luxury of using vents like the Reaper can, though. Check out these examples here:

Be sure to read the descriptions for instructions on how to enable them.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2215574282 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2224115387 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2251042841
The custom.json configurator can be found here:
https://deadbolt.codemuffin.com/config/customjson


Ever looked at the console port of the game and wished you could use all those sweet exclusive weapons? Honestly, same. Fortunately for us, a few of them are now available! DCP includes stuff you’d recognise from a few custom maps like the Lich Arm and Crossbow, but it also implements a recreation of the console’s crossbow (named the Compound Crossbow to differentiate from the original), complete with retrievable bolts!



There are even two original weapons based on unused sprites left in the files: the Burst Pistol and Sickle! The former, as you could gather from the name, is like a mini-Burst Rifle, while the Sickle is an insanely powerful, reusable throwable.



To those of you who want to dabble with the editor, DCP has several new objects to play around with. Wallpapers, lights, and water can now be tinted with 52 colour variations, allowing for a much larger range of aesthetic options.



If you’re more interested in new gameplay features, check out the smoke detector and cable box. The smoke detector was somewhat functional in vanilla, sounding an alarm when you exit a nearby vent, but DCP shows you the radius while in the vents, so you won’t get caught off guard by it. The cable box was entirely nonfunctional, crashing when interacted with. In DCP, it will activate whatever its child is when interacted with - a much simpler alternative than killing an offscreen enemy.




DCP also allows for an astonishing degree of customisation. Seriously, there’s so much stuff. Customisable or even completely removeable HUD, a debug mode with features like teleportation, infinite ammo and more, configurable character stats, custom laser sight and cursor colors, combat rolling, bullet deflection, an overhauled Load Custom menu and I feel like we’re just scratching the surface here! And, of course, each and every one of these (and many more) can be toggled at any time, creating countless possible combinations.



The provided images and gifs speak volumes more than we ever could, and experiencing all this for yourself will have an even greater impact.

So why not do just that? Go onto the DCP and DECP web pages, read up on every single available feature, check out the guides, mess around with the level config and the ingame options - sky’s the limit here, really. And if you've got feedback to provide, feel free to drop into the #modding channel over on our Discord server.

And you can bet that there’s more content to come in the future.




Of course, these aren’t the only pieces of modding that are worth your attention. How about fan translations? Complete with custom fonts and fully translated sprites (main menu, writings on the walls, etc.), these two fanmade localisations for Korean and Russian languages are sure to open the game up to an even greater audience, in case language barriers previously prevented that.

Korean
Russian

And with that, we bid you farewell. Happy hopooween!

Hey everyone! Boy, I missed saying that.

Lots of things to recap, lots of maps to review! Alas, writer’s block strikes suddenly and without warning. So, let’s make up for lost time!

You may have noticed the title change – that’s right, these posts are no longer constrained by a weekly schedule! We believe posting on an irregular basis can help avoid future burnout and give us more time to pick truly noteworthy maps. Besides that, the premise stays the same – giving the maps that stand out the proper credit and recognition! Let’s get right to that, shall we?
(oh, and you might want to stick around for something interesting at the end)



King Goose’s “Shakedown at the Docks” can pride itself with being an inspiration for revival of this series. There’s something beautiful about its simplicity as a standard DEADBOLT level: apartment blocks, drugs to burn, and undead to reap. What made it stand out for me though, is that no space feels wasted. You’ll be visiting every room at least once to deal with enemies or ash caches, and the vents, though admittedly a bit over expansive, provide a plethora of opportunities for infiltration and flanking.

The variety also comes from the enemies - relatively close-ranged Sergeants and Succubi are accompanied by Grunts and Nightcrawlers with itchy trigger fingers, forcing you to constantly adapt to different situations and maybe look for better-suiting weapons. When the action stops, all sorts of viscera will end up decorating the walls of this building.



Oh, and there’s also a really neat dock with a boat. How the heck did King Goose add open water without any dock tiles?



There’s beauty in simplicity, and simplicity is one thing this map does exceptionally well.

Play it now!

And since you’ve stuck around till this bit, I bet you’ll be interested in a bit of a community recap? Three months have passed, after all.



The major news is that we’ve got modding now! It’s still at a relatively basic level, but there’s already pretty cool stuff, like fixed crossbow sprites and barebones controller support! The real highlight is the modded level editor, featuring unused objects and more options than ever before. There’s even a particularly interesting level that comes to mind…



For all modding purposes, check out the #modding channel in the community Discord server, with the pinned messages containing mods and other necessary resources!

Hey everyone! Figured I'd make a quick announcement to settle things down.

The two weeks have come to an end, and we've got our winners!
As previously stated, the winners of the mapping category are:

• "Small Time Hydra" by Classic_Cheese18
• "Decomposition" by Tabu
• "Welcome to the club buddy" by Kenshi

And the runners are:

• Sockpuppet with his 25 second run of Small Time Hydra
• Tabu with a 58 second run of Welcome to the club
• Alas, no winning place for Decomposition. Likely explained by the technical difficulties.

We'll be contacting the winners shortly to give them their hard earned prizes.
Thanks to everyone who participated! We couldn't have done this without you :)

Hey everyone!

The mapping week has ended, and forth comes the speedrunning week!

As per our plan, we've chosen three maps that best suit the event's theme, and the line-up is this:

- "Small Time Hydra" by Classic_Cheese18
- "Decomposition" by Tabu
- "Welcome to the club buddy" by Kenshi

Let's have a quick overview:




Small Time Hydra is easily one of the most impressive of the bunch. It fits the entirety of the camera space, and poses quite a variety of ways to be completed. With vents that cover the entire building and enemies that appear seemingly out of nowhere ("Hydra" is there for a reason), it's jam packed with elements that allow for all sorts of routes. Destroy the phylacteries, kill Stela and flee. Can you beat our record of 29 seconds? ːhoopterː




Decomposition is mostly focused on finding your way around the level, almost feeling like an elaborate puzzle. Find your way to the 6 bottles that are scattered around the level, kill the bartender and exit via a level transition on the right. Mind the dancing crowds!




Well, it sure is a title. Anyway, this level is more akin to the standard levels of DEADBOLT, with some zombies here and there, an environment full of decor and even some backup! Usage of vents and lighting is greatly advised, since there is almost no way to go anywhere without alerting your enemies. Kill Puff, destroy the totems, cheese the backup if you know how and, you guessed it, escape the premises.

We'd like to clear up some things before we begin:

• The submission must be in a video format, as mentioned in the previous blogpost. If you're concerned about your strategy/route being "stolen", you can submit the run directly to @JAG or @Square_Rabbit on the Discord server instead of sending the video in #contest-submissions. Otherwise, the runs go into the aforementioned channel.
  
• Much like individual level runs, the runs in this event are RTA: timing starts when the player is spawned, and ends when the scoreboard pops up. For one, this means that you can die as many times as you'd like without quitting to menu again and again.
  
• All starting loadouts are allowed.
  
• The map creators are not allowed to speedrun their own maps, but they're free to have a go at the others' maps.
  
• One player can run any amount of maps, be it just one or even all three, if they have the endurance to do so.

If you still have further questions, we'll be happy to answer them! Otherwise, go and push yourself to your absolute limit. We will see you up ahead.

Hey everyone!

So, wow, four years of DEADBOLT. It’s hard to believe that the game was released that long ago, despite the fact that a lot of stuff has happened. The 2017 workshop activity spike and all the crazy maps that came with it, the MotW revival, all the discussions and memes. Words cannot describe mine and hopoo’s gratitude for everyone’s support of the game over the years, and the efforts to keep the community as lively as possible.

Of course, we can’t celebrate the occasion with just a regular blogpost. This year, we’ve decided to combine the efforts of mapmakers with the efforts of another dedicated part of the community – speedrunners! They strive to beat the game in the fastest time possible, learning everything about the mechanics and perfecting their routes, and we think it’s about time for custom maps to get the same treatment. That’s why we’ve decided to host…

Here’s how it’ll go down:

• During the first week, from March 16th to March 22nd, mapmakers will be tasked with doing what they do best. Story is irrelevant here – instead focus on interesting gameplay and variety. The more alternate routes and methods to complete the level, the better, but don’t forget about general fairness and enjoyability. After all, these levels will be played over and over again. It's best to submit your map to the dedicated Discord channel, but if you want to enter, all you need to do is include [SC] in the map's title. We’ll pick the three best maps (judged by us, of course) and go from there.
  
  
• The second week, from March 23rd to March 29th, is all about speedrunning. Players will have to find the fastest routes for the three selected maps. Anyone can participate, and you can run all three if you want to. You’ll have to record your runs and submit them to the dedicated channel in the DEADBOLT Discord Server [link]. Your times will be judged from the scoreboard at the end of the level, so be sure to include that in the recording, too.
  
  
• In the end, there’ll be two categories of winners – the three best maps, and the fastest run on each map. The winners will be awarded with a prize of their choosing – either a DEADBOLT Steam Key to gift to a friend, or a DEADBOLT soundtrack code.

And… that’s about it! If you have any questions, you can always ask in the comments, or use the Discord server to contact the moderator.

Once again, thanks for your support over the years, and we can’t wait to see what kind of maps and strategies everyone can come up with!

Hey everyone!

The festive season has passed, decorations are coming down, and everyone’s getting back into their usual routines. And that includes us reviewing maps! And after experiencing the unusual, whacky nature of some of the modern DEADBOLT workshop maps, we thought we’d go back to a more classic, vanilla-style map. And that’s what we’re covering today – Totem Blaze by PlausibleSoul!



It’s quite simple in nature. Burning totems is nothing new to most reapers, but this map is heavily focused on stealth. You’re outmanned, outgunned, and confined to claustrophobic rooms that don’t leave you much space, you’ll have to plan out your route and avoid all the enemies so that you can burn the totems without being killed.



Or, if you’re feeling stubborn, you could try a full-on frontal assault of the base.



This map reminds me of how the official levels are structured, in a way. They tend to have a gimmick that uniquely define them, and this level really fits into that same design. It’s a nice, chill puzzle level, and sometimes simplicity is all you ever need.



Play it now!

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year! You may have noticed our absence over the last couple of months – we took that break to recharge for new MotWs and deal with real life things. But enough about that! We decided to make the most of the New Year and organise something special just for the occasion – a New Year Themed Mapping Collab!

We figured it’d be a nice opportunity to bring the community together and celebrate this time of year, and even if we didn’t get all that many submissions, the love and dedication of the creators can be felt in each one of the ones we’ll be reviewing today.


First up on our list is “Reincarnation of a Community”, by PDF_Survivor_482 and Classic_Cheese18!



We consider it to be the best entry of the bunch – it’s outstanding both in gameplay and level design, but the scripting and usage of triggers is what truly makes it.


choose a question with a smaller reapo


or get spooked. hard.

Simply put, you are on a quest to assassinate all the other mapmakers in the community to ensure Cheese’s place as the best mapper of all time. You’ll be going through plenty of unique scenarios as you strive to elevate Cheese via process of elimination.



The dialogue is witty and adds some nice flair to the map, and the creators were even nice enough to present the player with two different routes towards completion – one for reapers who are up for a challenge and one for reapers who are willing to endure many deaths and memorise every trick the levels have up their sleeves. It’s got a little something for everyone.




Next up is “Newbolt2020”, the very first map that its author, Tabu, has created. For a first map it’s very ambitious: different routes, massive levels, impressive visual design, and a whole lot of cutscenes.



When boiled down to the basic premise, the different “directions” that the map can take you in are essentially all arenas where you fight off waves of enemies, as well as the usual style of DEADBOLT level and whatever dialogue Tabu has come up with.



Now, this one won’t be for everyone, especially due to various flaws that differ in severity depending on your chosen route – the waves usually consist of enemies being stacked upon one another, many portions can be something of a tedious grind, and some of the jokes are sure to fly over the heads of many, being influenced by Russian internet culture. Yet I just so happen to be exactly the kind of person willing to sit through something if it looks possible, and in a weird way it feels like it was worth it in the end. And even with said drawbacks, the visuals never fail to impress. I mean, just take a look at this:



So yeah, if being confined to small arenas and pushing your way through waves of enemies sounds like something you wouldn’t mind spending your time on, then this one’s for you. And if not, then hey, whatever Tabu comes up with next may be more your style.




And last, our final entry is “New Year’s Wine” by LittleHorn! This is a nice wind down from the crazier gameplay presented by the maps above. It’s a short linear story about our Reapo helping the Candles out by getting some wine for the New Year’s celebration. It’s pure, simple, charming, and heartwarming. And, of course, it’s got some cool fiddling with the trigger system if you look under the hood.



And there you have it. Three cool and kinda-New-Year-themed maps (they’ve all got snow in them, that’s good enough for me), with each offering something unique that delivers a great time. You can access the maps via this collection. Thanks to everyone involved for taking part in this small project. Here’s to 2020!


And before I forget, we've also got a couple of sweet artworks that cannot go unnoticed.
The first one's by

@Razakstan

And here's a little something by Classic_Cheese18, one of the members of the collab.

Hey everyone!

It seems we’re on a streak of old-but-gold maps, and today in the spotlight is “Hall of Mirrors” from kilozombie’s “Cassettes” collection – a story-heavy campaign that focuses on unique level design and psychological topics delving deep into Ibzan’s consciousness. Oh, and there's Timur as well.



Fittingly enough for the level’s name, the first section is perfectly symmetrical, aside from the enemies being warped to different heights, which will make hitting the heads more difficult. The stage itself is pretty huge, with lots of small rooms, stairwells and interconnected vents that allow for quick navigation. The guns on the shelves are a neat touch, specifically because they’re pretty tricky to get.



After clearing the warped bar, you can explore a bit to find a familiar face, or acquire an Auto Grenade Launcher if you’re agile enough. When you’re done, just jump down the basement pit as prompted.



Once you land you’ll find that the fall has stretched you out this time, which will make aiming rather confusing. Tip: trust nothing but the reticle. At least everything else is back to normal now. This is where kilozombie gets the chance to flex his environment creation skills – floating cubes and snow are all well and good for otherworldly areas, but this area goes above and beyond with its scattered rooms, tears in the background, and distorted atmosphere.



Once you rid the place of enemies undead, you’ll move to the story segment of the level by picking a safe and obtaining a cassette, a fragment of Ibzan’s shattered and distorted memory. We’re not gonna delve deep into the story here, though, so instead I’d like to bring your attention to this ridiculously large God of Life. Maybe this whole situation is just an obscure Evangelion reference.



All in all, it’s a memorable level, with added difficulty in figuring out just where to shoot the warped enemies, although it's somewhat short compared to some of the other stages in the collection. However, they’re designed just right to make the entire playthrough enjoyable.

Play it now!