Hey everyone!

In today’s MotW, I’d like to highlight a map from someone who was quite the active member of the community back in the day, regularly uploading maps of decent quality, along with finding loads of neat little tricks in the editor and whatnot. And while he seems to have mostly moved on from making custom maps, I think his maps have a place in history and deserve to be remembered.

Today under the spotlight is “Warehouse”, a part of the “Flatline” campaign by RPD_Survivor_842 (you’ll recognise him as RPD_Hunter_482 if you played most of his maps on release).



Most of the levels in Flatline are pretty linear (bear in mind that linearity is something pretty hard to effectively pull off in a game like DEADBOLT, which is usually defined by choice) – and this one’s no exception. Your objective’s a simple one, storm your way through a warehouse (you know, like the title says) filled with ash and undead. Burn the drugs, dispose of the inhabitants, and get out.



What I commend about this level in particular is its superb decoration, which is pleasant to look at with a nice variety in room themes without anything seeming out of place. This version of the map also lacks any enemies spawning out of nowhere to try and catch you off guard, an issue that it originally had but was thankfully patched out in an update a few months after its original release. Despite its linearity, there is some choice in how you take out some of the rooms, such as which side of the upper floor you attack first.



While being the second entry of the campaign, I think it’s a good place to introduce yourself to Flatline, as it leaves a good first impression. If you’re planning on playing more levels in the campaign, be wary that they tend to have a lot of exposition in cutscenes, along with occasional difficulty spikes and hard-to-notice traps.

Play it now!

And if you want more… Play the campaign now!

Hey everyone!

After a small break, we’re back in action with another MotW.

Just in case you missed the last announcement: DEADBOLT is now available on the Nintendo Switch, meaning you can smash undead skulls on the go! Read the blogpost about the release here.

Sorry for the wait with this one, but the delay’s actually been worth it – this week’s highlighted map hadn’t actually been released until after the usual time! This week’s Map of the Week is “Limited Tinkering” by ColdBolt.



In my opinion, it was a bit of a waste that traps were only used in one of DEADBOLT’s levels (and I’m certain hopoo feels the same way), so it’s always great seeing a map that focuses on them, though the sheer amount of criss-crossing wires in this level is astonishing. Playing on Low graphics setting is recommended.

As you can probably tell from the screenshots and title, Limited Tinkering is a rehash of one of the original campaign levels, Timur the Tinkerer, in a similar vein to a few maps that have been covered here in the past. Of course, it’s deadlier than ever.



I’m pretty surprised we don’t get reimaginings of the original levels more often – revisiting familiar locations with a new spin on them is always interesting, and this felt like a breath of fresh air. I can basically do the original Timur level without even thinking, so getting caught off guard by the new trap layout made me feel like I was playing it for the first time again!

And oh golly, what fun it is! With traps plastered all over the place, this level turns into utter mayhem with endless trap triggering (mostly caused by enemies), corpses flying all over the place and... just things happening too rapidly to even have time to process.

One has to wonder if it's even possible to complete.



It’s not without issues, of course. The time limit made this a lot more stressful and felt unnecessary in a level where you’re meant to think things through, and the performance is pretty abysmal because of all the wires, although this is more on the game than the level itself. Despite these shortcomings, it’s still a fun, challenging and refreshing experience.

Perhaps even the most fun I've ever had completing a DEADBOLT level.

Play it now!

The flames roar to life, as more potential Reapers arrive to the Place.

Hey everyone!

Not so long ago (a few hours, in fact) DEADBOLT got released on Nintendo Switch - a popular destination for many indie games, and for a very good reason!

If you've ever felt like smashing zombie skulls on your way to studies or work, then now's your chance.



If you don't own a Switch or can't afford one - there's an alternative handheld version in the form of a PlayStation Vita release, which happened a while ago, but we didn't cover it here at the time. Whoops.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uO-XL3T9Ug

Play... er, I mean...
Buy it now!

Hey everyone!

Today marks the 33rd instalment of MotW, and there’s a lot to talk about here. For instance, the fact that 3 is a super cool number.



First up, a mysterious countdown has shown up on the DEADBOLT Twitter. Over in our Discord server we’ve figured out what it’s probably counting down to, but feel free to speculate yourself or join the discussion with us.

Next, you may remember a long time ago that hopoo highlighted a map by COMBO BREAKER named “To root out evil” – in fact, it was the third one posted – which was a good quality map and one of the first that tackled a large-scale level. In today’s MotW, we’re finally returning to this series and highlighting its sequel – “Hit the clubs (To root out evil, part II)”.



The map’s main mechanic of note are the demons – they litter the level, and if you kill any of them a large group of reinforcements will be teleported in shortly after, ultimately stopping the player from engaging in simple run-and-gun tactics, and instead forcing a sneakier approach. This is further supported by the large amount of silent weapons, such as melees, throwables, and a silenced shotgun. A window that looks across the building into a meeting room, paired with a sniper rifle just waiting to be used, allows you to take care of the largest group of enemies with no risk to yourself.



Being unable to kill demons, you’ll have to take advantage of vents and distraction items to sneakily avoid any demons while taking care of keycard-carrying skeletons. After collecting all that you need, you’re prompted to use the elevator to enter a somewhat less exciting part of the map.



A few killed demons later (thankfully they don’t summon backup) you’ll rescue a bartender from being killed and will enter a dialogue segment with him. The rest of the map is entirely story-based, which was sadly never resolved since the series ended here. You’re given the option to kill the bartender or leave him be. Either way, pick the safe and grab the intel before taking your leave.



While the map isn’t entirely focused on stealth – in fact you can purposely kill the demons if you want an extra challenge – I like that the author encouraged stealth over direct confrontation in an interesting way. It’s well decorated, the enemies are fairly placed, and it’s overall just a fun map to play.

Play it now!

Hey everyone!

Like today’s map, this MotW is short and straight to the point, with Classic_Cheese18’s “Business Wars” in the spotlight.

With all the crazy and complicated levels that the DEADBOLT community has been coming up with, it’s nice to relax with a simpler map from time to time, where the only things you’re concerned with are you, your gun, and the undead you need to deal with.



The level consists of two buildings, a bar and a club, each populated with members of two gangs, the Dredged (along with some Demons) and the Thousand Year Royals respectively. They’re competing businesses, and we’re here to solve that little issue. By reducing both sides into bloody messes, of course.

You’re given plenty of entrance options, and the wide range of enemies ranging from minigun-toting demons, maniacal Technicians and a lot of pesky vampires will be sure to keep you on your toes.



The decoration is very nice, with both buildings in keeping with established aesthetics for both factions. There’s a lot of bottles, as is expected with the types of buildings these are, including some Phylacteries you need to smash. Imagine if all the bottles were breakable…



Overall, a nice short and simple level that’s nice to play after some of the larger, crazier ones like you get with SockPuppet or Tahazzar. With our palate cleansed, we may return to these larger maps later on, though. I guess you’ll just have to wait until the next MotW…

Play it now!

Hey everyone!

There’s been a noticeable spike in mapmaking activity lately, with the majority of them being pretty good, which I’m very pleased to see. With this amount of new maps flowing in, it’ll be quite the challenge to pick one to highlight among them all. We’ll cross that bridge next week, though.

Keeping up his winning streak, Tahazzar comes at us with this week’s Map of the Week, “Heads On Prices”.



We start off at the docks with a Silenced 9mm Pistol, and as the limited ammunition and stage title “Silent As A Candle” would suggest, this one’s all about stealth. You need to make your way to the end of the stage, using ammunition as sparingly as possible – there’s many more enemies than you have bullets. Sneaking past them and proceeding to the left will allow us to progress.



The next stage is the main meat of the level – a long apartment complex packed to the brim with zombies. Your main task is to eliminate Shamblers who are carrying keycards, but there’s a catch. The building is filled with dozens of Shambler heads, and only a few of them are actually linked to corresponding bodies. The right heads are indicated by some particular things around them, so keep an eye socket out. There are some spare silenced pistols hanging on the walls, which’ll serve you well to avoid alerting every enemy in the house.

Repaint the apartment bloody red, collect all the keycards, and you’re free to finish the level.



What I liked about this level is something that I see surprisingly rarely for a game like DEADBOLT – an emphasis on stealth. Not as an optional approach, but as the only real way of playing the level effectively, further supported by the dimmed lights and silenced weapons. Also, the fact that this level got away with packing more than three enemies into a single spot while still remaining perfectly playable deserves some praise.

Play it now!

Hey everyone!

We hope you like puzzles, because this week’s Map of the Week is ‘Ghost Recon’ by Tahazzar, a puzzle map about figuring your way through crowds of enemies you can’t even see.



This one goes above and beyond the editor’s limitations and imperfections to bring you a very interesting level concept. Throughout the level are ash statues of vampires, which represent the positions of enemies in an unseen alternate dimension where your counterpart will be avoiding and killing them. If your double dies, you’ll fail the level.

"Any desynchronization with you and your spirit double will have grave consequences", as the description says.




While some parts are very difficult to work your way through, particularly the huge maze-like room at the end of the level, it’s a very unique and interesting concept, and the level’s designed well enough to make it entertaining and lets action take a backseat in favour of figuring the puzzle out.



Overall, a level with very cool design and a near-flawless execution.

Play it now!

Oh, and I'd like to point out that this is indeed a 30th MotW so far. That's a considerable milestone! Thanks for still being in on the ride even after several years since release.

Since we've got a really cool number, I have a reason to plug in our very cool deadbolt-themed semi-official discord server, with cool memes, emotes and other nifty stuff.

Hey everyone!

Last MotW we reviewed a map that reminded us of DEADBOLT’s early days, but this time we’ve decided to actually go back there and review a pair of maps released all the way back in 2016.

In today’s Map of the Week we’re highlighting the “Prologue” series by SwamDono.

This unfortunately unfinished series takes place before the events on DEADBOLT, telling us exactly how our boy the Reaper started working for the Flames in the first place.



In the first map, “Prologue, Part 1: Become the Reaper”, we start off locked in a basement after having been killed by an Incubus. Awoken by the Flames, we are given the chance to get revenge on our killer.

While DEADBOLT isn’t a linear game by nature, it’s pulled off brilliantly here by having a series of small rooms that you can quickly blast through on your path up and down the tall apartment block, which overall keeps the level interesting rather than getting tedious.

Another thing I liked about the level’s design is how you can avoid killing anyone besides your target like a master assassin, if you want to give yourself an extra challenge. Of course, it’s a lot easier to just kill everyone so you won’t be chased halfway across the level as you traverse it.



Get past the enemies, kill your target, pat yourself on the back if you kill him with the shotgun trap. After the Incubus is dead, the Flames will offer us a job. Not having any real alternatives, we comply and make our way to the car, ending the level.



In the second level, “You’re mine now, child.”, we arrive at another apartment complex, consisting of a few buildings worth of undead. They’ve been making moves the Candles can’t keep track of, so it’s our job to deal with them.



This level is pretty linear, much like the first level, though there’s an optional extra path you can take to get your hands on a scythe. This time the level focuses more on width than height, and there’s a lot of nice decoration to admire as you traverse it – there’s more variety in the aesthetics of the buildings, from warehouses to clubs to apartment blocks, as well as having some scaffolding you can descend.



After going through several vents and killing seven targets spread across four buildings, we reach the final target – Roland. He’s patrolling on a dark rooftop, so you shouldn’t have any trouble dealing with him so long as you keep your distance.



After some exposition, you’ll have to backtrack through the level to get back to your car, though thankfully there’s a couple vents that’ll act as shortcuts on your way back down.

Unfortunately, the creator of these maps seems to be long gone (they haven’t been online on steam for quite a while) meaning there won’t be any more maps released for this series in the future.
Despite this, the two levels that were released still provide some excellent examples of good linear design, as well as just being generally fun levels. I’ve had a lot of fun replaying these maps, and I hope you’ll feel just the same.

Play them now! (Part 1) (Part 2)

Hey everyone!

If you were playing DEADBOLT near its launch, you might recall the “HARDCORE” series of maps by Flatgub. These were edited versions of levels from the original campaign – adding a lot of enemies, making little changes to the layout, altering the appearance of the level, all while leaving it recognizable as a spinoff of the original.

Well, it seems ColdBolt decided to carry on the legacy with his latest installment - “Technically Sound” – Structurally Sound turned up to eleven.



Right at the beginning, we’re greeted with an intimidating sight – tons of landmines, several traps, and the level’s bustling with everyone’s favourite enemies, Technicians. There are 16 of them total littered about the level, most of them hiding, so if you alert them you can be sure they’ll lay down a carpet of mines, making them this level’s greatest threat by far.



Luckily, there are several useful weapons in the level, like two Auto-Grenade Launchers, Sledgehammers and several shotguns that can be pilfered from the shotgun traps.

As well as this, the ventilation system has been added to, allowing you to avoid traps and undead alike. Be sure to remember that mines and shotgun traps don’t discriminate, so you can quickly turn the Technicians’ greatest weapons against them.




Play it now!

Hey everyone!

If you have noticed the lack of MotWs for the past few weeks, then fear not, we’re still kickin’ and ready to go after a month-long hiatus.

Granted, MotWs may still be irregular in the future because of a complicated little thing called “real life”, but we’ll see how it goes.

To make up for the lack of content, we’re reviewing a whole series rather than just one map. Of course, Series of the Week doesn’t flow well (nor does Series of the Month), so we’re sticking with MotM. Gotta keep things at least semi-consistent.

So with all that said, today’s Map of the Month goes to “Deadline” by Alex Pine, which currently consists of 5 levels. With nice level design, cool puzzles, hidden secrets and a confusing plot, these levels are sure to give you a blast.

The series takes place in an alternate timeline, diverging after Madam Stela’s death. Ibzan has an alternate plan in case the Meat Portal plot from the main game fails, which the Reaper stumbles upon by chance. Having been discovered, Ibzan diverts all his resources to Plan B, abandoning the plot you see in Deadbolt’s main campaign.

The series starts off strong with the first level, “Into the Abyss”. It’s a complex structure that can itself be a puzzle to move around in. It’s got plenty of variety with room sizes, as well as smaller groups of enemies and a large vent network, allowing you to pick your fights and avoid situations where too many enemies have you in their sights.



There’s a few small environmental puzzles, too, like having to drop down to a vent to reach the inner parts of the complex, or unblocking a vent to reach another area. Plus, it’s got a crane, which I always appreciate in a level.



Overall, it’s a solid level and I would consider it the best in the series so far. If you’re going to play any of the levels in Deadline, make it this one.

The next level is named “Sinner Dinner”. This level’s main feature is obvious from the very start – the restaurant contains a veritable army of Dredged, including an incredible number of Generals ready to revive their comrades. You’re definitely not going to be able to face this horde head-on.



Luckily, you’re readily provided with powerful weapons like Rifles and Headhunters, placed in dangerous spots that’ll only benefit you if you play your cards right. And if you happen to grab a sledgehammer off a Sergeant, you’ll be theoretically unstoppable. This level’s all about dividing them up and picking off the Generals before you deal with anything else.



If you can beat this, then you’re officially better at the game than I am. Good luck.

Next comes “Those Who Have Burned”. This level’s a little shorter than the others, but it works well with what it offers. Once again we’re faced with a massive room full of enemies, but this time you’re hidden up in the rafters, picking them off with some Bolt-Action Rifles.

There’s a couple of Technicians down there, whose mines can be abused to eliminate any groups of enemies standing too close to them.

Oh, and there's also a small platforming section, with a reward for the curious ones.



One exposition dump later, we get to the real meat of the level. Every room is rigged to blow, and you need to find a way to diffuse the situation without getting blown to bits yourself. There are multiple ways to deal with each room, but I’ll leave that up to you. Be sure to set your graphics to Low if your computer lags during this part. It’ll do wonders, trust me.






The fourth level, “Styx and bones”, focuses on stealth over action. You have to eliminate a Dredged outpost in a construction site, but the area is littered with Technicians, who’ll start planting mines if alerted. Luckily, silent weapons like the Tactical SMG or Silenced 9mm Pistols are provided.



There’s an extensive pipe network that allows you to move without notice, but plenty of spotlights and windows mean you’ll have to make each step carefully if you don’t want the Technicians to start rigging the place to blow. Being a construction site, there are a lot of ladders between rooms and onto scaffolding. Plus, there’s a giant crane. Nice.



The latest level in the series, at the time of writing, is “The Devils in the Details”. This entry mostly deals with story exposition, though there is a gameplay segment consisting of a huge warehouse, filled with demons and dim red light.



Though there are a few powerful weapons littered about the building, this level mostly focuses on using dropped Burst Rifles. There are a lot of enemies to deal with, though not as many as in "Sinner Dinner" or the intro to "Those Who Have Burned". As always, a solid vent network provides plenty of opportunity for flanking.

Overall, the levels in this series are all enjoyable, having interesting gameplay dynamics and a cool story to tell. The levels are all top-notch aesthetically – you can really tell just by looking at the environment where "Sinner Dinner" and "Styx and Bones" take place. The collection’s still under development, and we’re eager to see how the series progresses.

Play them now!