Hey everyone!

Long time no see! If you were thinking we left you behind and this community would fall into a silent obscurity, think again, because this time we’re bringing something bigger than a usual MotW – instead of highlighting a map, what if we highlight… the entire community? All of the efforts made to spice up the game experience and make DEADBOLT something unique, molding it into what it is today – this New Year’s special is all about YOU, dear readers!



I know we just said we’d be talking about more than maps, but we really need to start with what’s earned the game the most of its longevity – workshop support, and all of your custom maps that come along with it. And oh boy, is there a lot to talk about.

Throughout this game’s 3 years of existence a major sense of community formed amongst the mapmakers – exchanging feedback, experimenting with the editor, eventually taking part in other aspects of this neat little family. Over the time period many great maps and even campaigns, telling their own story (ranging from sequels and prequels to the campaign, to something entirely new), were released – short and long, action and story focused, optimized and laggy – and while what makes a great map can be quite subjective, we’ve decided to include some of our personal picks (hey, we never said this isn’t biased), sorting maps by what they do best in order for everyone to find something that suits their preferences. And hey, if you don't like anything off this list, you can always search for over a thousand maps that there are on the workshop.


While DEADBOLT is usually all about breaking into buildings and wiping out everything that moves in it, you shouldn’t forget that with the gritty and mysterious tone that the game sets, there’s plenty of potential for a story. Perhaps a prequel, delving into characters’ backstory and giving an explanation for the events to follow? Maybe even an alternate universe or a sequel? Whatever it may be, these story-heavy campaigns are one hell of a ride.

Included are “Last Stand” by Nintee and “Cassettes” by kilozombie – a sequel and a prequel respectively.


Tahazzar’s maps are, quite frankly, always a puzzle waiting to be solved, whether it be a cool twist on the game’s mechanics or simply figuring out how on Earth this thing even works, but for now we'll stop on “Ghost Recon” stands out by using a Y-Axis flip on every entity in the level and having two Reapers – one being in some alternate dimension and ours being upside down dealing with not-so-harmless ghosts. Can you figure it out?


If you’re the sort of folk who like when more than two enemies come at you simultaneously, we can recommend “Sinner Dinner” by Alex Pine – a level from his “Deadline” campaign, filled with enemies to the brim. You are given plenty of options for moving around a level and are provided with a powerful arsenal – obviously you wouldn’t go on a horde with just a revolver. Despite that, it doesn’t feel any easier, so get ready for a challenge.


Some folks, like myself, like doing everything quietly without drawing any unnecessary attention. The levels presented here are (mostly) all about sticking to the shadows and avoiding enemies as much as possible rather than getting into a fight – “Bypass” by the ever-so-memorable Tahazzar and the first chapter of the Prologue series by SwamDono.

…oh, huh, what’s this?

Using this special occasion, SockPuppet made a New Year-themed map!
Can’t miss out on that, so go and play it!

As people delved further into the workings of the level editor, many of its secrets, bugs and unintended features were discovered. Some mindblowing and tricky, others… not so much, but each handy in some way – whether it’d be adding unavailable-in-the-editor objects (or even cut ones) or making your cutscenes much more impressive and pretty – for the curious ones, you can read it all over in these guides:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=761140674
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1103643027
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1483500137

And hey, don’t even get me started on how much you can do by fiddling around with .nc files in a text editor.



While we’re on the topic of creativity, why not talk about artists? These folks also spend countless hours to create something on their computers, but rather than figuring out the mysteries of the level editor, they’re figuring out the mysteries of how the heck you draw skeletons or make the stuff in their heads become reality.
Don’t forget that you can always browse the “Artworks” tab in the Community Hub to find something of your personal liking!

One of the first things that comes to mind is the tarot card collection that was released a few months ago. It was even spotted by hopoo himself and highlighted on his twitter! This card collection is a collaboration between twelve artists, each with their own unique and a bit twisted look on things.



Back when the game first launched, one of the more active artists were CrazyCKen and aemni with their super detailed artworks – almost too good to be true.



Among the community’s artists are some of my friends who, perhaps unsurprisingly, also started out as mapmakers – like Nintee. Nintee’s speciality is pixel art – it’s so well done that hopoo even commended it at one point! He helped out a lot on a Nuclear Throne mod which was supposed to bring DEADBOLT into the game’s universe, but sadly that never worked out.





Onto the stuff less exciting but interesting nonetheless.

Although the game only got a couple updates over the course of three years (literally a couple, actually) and doesn’t feature any form of modding support (which has been requested since ror1), there have been times when Hopoo Games tried their best to do only the best for DEADBOLT. For one – the game’s console release on PS4/Vita and Nintendo Switch, attracting a new playerbase and allowing us to smash undead skulls whenever and wherever we please.

Another thing that shouldn’t be forgotten about is the fact that hopoo bit the bullet and recruited a moderator – a mostly silent observer, helping out on discussions, writing “Map of the Week” on a semi-regular basis, and currently writing this very New Year-special post.
Bet this game would be dead without one. :mw:

Heck, while I’m at it, I might as well mention Square_Rabbit – a MotW messiah (the posts wouldn’t be so flashy without him redacting stuff, lads), has the most hours on DEADBOLT (to my knowledge) and probably the one who’s done even more for the community than me. Oh, and he also has several WR speedruns, which is pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NXUvvPUAd4

While we’ve moved away from the development topic anyway, it’s important to recall the game’s soundtrack – it’s got a Soundcloud release for all to hear and download, a stem album to remix and research and even a physical release in form of vinyl records with cool design and other nick-nacks!



And we definitely shouldn’t forget the Discord server that’s been running for over a year now and which has everything you could wish for: emotes, memes, complete lack of any seriousness and quick access to discussing all aspects of the game and its community!
Click here to join!


Although the community isn’t all that big and active, I’ve had an absolute blast moderating it for over a year at this point, helping people out in discussions, playing and reviewing people’s maps and just generally having a great time watching as this small community of ours prospers. Here’s to another year, hopefully even crazier than the previous ones!


Artwork by Nintee

Hey everyone!

Another blast from the past today! This time we’re highlighting a map from someone who flipped the perception of DEADBOLT level creation as we knew it – kilozombie with his “Cassettes” campaign. This series also focuses on the past, retelling Ibzan’s descent from reaper to undead in the form of fragmented memories and scenarios. Ibzan’s past experiences and our Reaper’s own are smashed together in a chaotic mess (the good kind), with holes torn into floors, walls and ceilings. And reality itself, probably. Enemies can attack you from practically any angle here. There are also hidden cassettes in a few of the levels, providing some more backstory to those curious enough to look.

Without further ado, throw out any preconceptions you have about the laws of physics and let’s jump into the last map released in the campaign – “Devil”.



As mentioned above, each map is a mishmash of rooms scattered all over the place, like several buildings were crushed together. As you can tell from the screenshots, this one is no exception. After a short discussion, we get to reapin’ and creepin’ across the entirety of this rather large – and as such, rather stressful – map, with elements from vampire clubs, zombie apartment complexes and dredged docks and warehouses on the other. Every faction is present, so be prepared for anything.


Making a plan is key – the unconventional layout means you need to think about every move and pay attention to the surroundings more than ever, keeping an eye out for rips and tears in the walls. The large ventilation system allows for quick transportation through the level, allowing you to bypass some of the confusing layouts. As a bonus, there are several yellow shipping containers hiding weapons you can take advantage of.

After going up, down, and all around the level, brushing with death and maybe checking out that eye-catching cassette tape, we’re prompted to head down to the bottom of the map to pick a safe.



In previous mission in the Cassettes series, picking safes allowed the Reaper and Ibzan to freely converse with one another.

And yet, this time something’s… off.



Yup, we’re not done yet. The world is burning, and filled with skeletons and Madam Stelas (yes, Stelas, plural). Wherever there was a regular phylactery in the last section, now lies one of Stela’s phylacteries. And you need to destroy them all before any of the Stelas will stop reviving.



The layout is mostly the same as the first part, but this time it’s populated by Hellhounds, Grunts and Stelas, none of which drop any weapons on death. Ammo conservation is key here – the objective is to kill all undead, so make those shots count. You might have to resort to punching enemies to death if you’re careless. Thankfully, combat shotguns are littered rather generously through the map, and since Stela drops her shotgun when she dies for real, ammo becomes much more plentiful after you destroy all her bottles.



After thoroughly clearing the building, we’re finally able to reach a safe to pick, granting the Reaper and Ibzan a safe area to talk. The rest of the level purely focuses on narrative, and the both the characters and setting in Cassettes are very well told, giving more incentive to look for those hidden cassettes.



I remembered kilo’s campaign when looking for the next map to review, and oh golly it was such a joy to replay these levels again! While being the last in the series, it’s probably the least confusing of them overall and as such serves as a great introduction, letting you know what kind of surreal settings you should expect to explore in the other entries in the series.



Play it now!

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)