Deathbound News

Deathbound Demo Available Now!

Greetings, Fallen Warriors...

The Goddesses have heard your prayers. The gates of Akratya have swung open. Deathbound awaits all of you. The Deathbound demo is now available on Steam. Embark on a bloody journey through the Lower Streets of Akratya today.

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Deathbound awaits your courageous spirit starting today! We invite you to plunge into the gritty lower streets, a battlefield worn by the Church of Death and nightmarish creatures. Confront the ruthless Impending Truth, a malevolent boss born from the experiments of the essencemancers. Forge alliances with fallen warriors of Zieminal to navigate this perilous crusade together.

Deathbound demo introduces five playable characters, each with their own distinctive abilities:

Unleash steel prowess as Therone Guillaumen, the right hand of Goddess Death.
Spearhead the fight against Death Soldiers as Iulia Tchevlaskia, a Cult of Life Freedom Fighter.
Display brute force with Agharos of Meriva, the closed fist of the Archduke.
Wield relentless magic as Olivia Heinz, chancellor to the King of Krulezgon.
Strike from the shadows as Anna Lepus, the disenchanted assassin.

We welcome your feedback, opinions, and suggestions. If you stumble upon any bugs in this pre-alpha demo, please report them using the provided FORM or on our Discord server.

Before you venture through the gates of Akratya, we encourage you to explore previous Community Hub's news, updates and Dev Journals. More of this will be shared soon, providing insights into the developers' work and inspiration behind the creation of Deathbound.

Follow Deathbound on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

[h3]Wishlist Deathbound now and dive into a brutal and divided future where Death and Life were never more conflicted...[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1277130/Deathbound/

Deathbound Awaits You!

Greetings, Fallen Warriors…

Refuse death and embrace the great city of Akratya. Ahead of the 2024 launch, you will be able to experience a glimpse of Deathbound with the exclusive Steam Next Fest demo starting February 5th. Only the bravest of heroes will overcome this brutal world where Life and Death were never more conflicted.

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The Steam Next Fest demo plunges you onto the lower streets of Akratya, a well-worn battleground taken by the Church of Death and gruesome creatures. Towards the end of the road lies the Impending Truth, a callous boss born from the essencemancers’ experiments. The road ahead cannot be forged alone. Players must call upon the fallen warriors of Zieminal for their impending crusade.

In a twist not found elsewhere in the genre, you will absorb the essences of fallen warriors found throughout your journey to harness unique powers and abilities. Deathbound offers the ability to craft catered playstyles through its 4-hero party system, where players can dynamically transform, swapping between characters seamlessly. The conflicts and synergies between the fallen warriors greatly impacts gameplay, so relationships must be balanced in order to survive.

The Steam Next Fest demo features five playable characters, all with their own unique abilities and skill sets.

Raise steel as noble Therone Guillaumen, the right hand of Goddess Death.
Spear the hearts of the Death Soldiers as Iulia Tchevlaskia, a Cult of Life Freedom Fighter.
Put brute force on display as Agharos of Meriva, the closed fist of the Archduke.
Wield unrelenting magic as Olivia Heinz, chancellor to the King of Krulezgon.
Strike from the shadows as Anna Lepus, the disenchanted assassin.

Deathbound awaits you starting February 5th. Solidify your synergy by wishlisting Deathbound on Steam. Develop strategies against the Impending Truth alongside other players by joining the official Deathbound Discord server.

Follow Deathbound on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

[h3]Wishlist Deathbound now and dive into a brutal and divided future where Death and Life were never more conflicted...[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1277130/Deathbound/

Combat - Dev Journal #1

Welcome, Fallen Warriors...

Today, we have summoned you to kick off a new series of short interviews with Deathbound game developers from Trialforge Studio. The inaugural Dev Journal will feature a conversation about the Combat System in our new soulslike game. We'll be discussing it with Ítalo Nievinski, Game Director and one of the developers behind Deathbound's combat system.

[h3]Can you walk us through the core inspiration behind the combat mechanics in Deathbound? How did you blend souls-like and Action RPG elements to create a unique experience?[/h3]

Since the beginning, the first inspiration comes from the first Dark Souls title. But we’ve been playing and analyzing many other action RPGs to bring inspiration for Deathbound. Our special blend to the genre is Morphing, which is the ability to quickly transform from one character to another. Morphing is a core mechanic of combat; you can do it during attacks to deliver Morphstrikes or you can Morph-Dodge into another character in a defensive situation. The soulslike players must think with morphs to get through the experience. I believe that the change of perspective of how you approach combat with morph and multiple characters with give the players something very unique and worthwhile.

[h3]Tell us more about the party system and skill trees. How does it allow players to shape their playstyle, and what kind of versatility can they achieve by seamlessly switching between fallen warriors?[/h3]

Throughout the game, you will find the Essence of fallen warriors and absorb them to be able to transform into them. Each Essence has its playstyle, with different moves or spells. You can bind up to four of them forming your party, and Morph into them during combat. In Deathbound you level up using a Skill Tree that affects all the Essences, so you won’t need to individually level up each character. Also, each character you absorb will extend the Skill Tree, unlocking the full potential of the Prisoner of a Thousand Faces. With a diverse party and the player's wits, any situation can be efficiently handled, but it is not a simple problem-solving game, the player's skills will be required, and mastering Morphing will be invaluable.

[h3]How does the life background of a fallen warrior affect their abilities and interactions within the party?[/h3]

The minds and memories of the characters will be inhabiting the same being, and as they have different ideals, beliefs, and morals, some conflicts or synergies will emerge between the characters. Those conflicts and synergies will translate to the game affecting their performance, with some bonuses and penalties. So, when binding the available Essences to create your party, you must consider the relation between those characters and arrange them in a way to get a specific advantage or avoid a specific penalty.

[h3]Morphstrikes can be devastating. Can you elaborate on how players can strategically unleash the combined powers of fallen warriors and what kind of tactical depth it adds to the combat?[/h3]

We have two main flavors of Morphstrikes in the game. During an attack you can perform a simple input for a morph and at the end of the current attack you will transform into another character that will execute a Morphstrike, dealing bonus damage. To do this you spend a slot of what we call Sync, which is refilled when hitting enemies. If you have all Sync slots filled, you can deliver a devastating Special Morphstrike that will deplete most of your Sync. Managing the Sync, making sure you can morph at the right moments to keep attacking or avoiding the enemies' attacks is crucial to succeed in the most dangerous challenges of the game.

[h3]How does the environment impact combat, and are there specific areas that players should approach with unique strategies?[/h3]

As in most games of this genre the battlefield itself is an important part of the challenge and the player needs to be aware of his surroundings before engaging the enemies. Choosing the right Essence to engage in each instance can be the difference between success or utter failure. Some enclosed spaces could be better approached with a dagger, some enemies could be thrown off the ledge with a heavy blow, or a shield could help you manage a narrow corridor. Each character can provide you with a different tool for each situation.

[h3]In a genre known for difficulty, how did you balance the challenge to ensure it's engaging and rewarding rather than frustrating for players?[/h3]

As a matter of fact, we are still balancing it and will be completely focused on delivering a fair challenging experience. Our focus is on providing the player with all the tools needed to overcome the game's challenges, the information needed to understand how it works, and the opportunity to learn how to master the Morphing and all the aspects of Deathbound. The rest must come from the player, our goal is that the ones who put in the effort will succeed. That’s how and why this genre got so much love in the last years and that’s what we believe in.

[h3]Finally, a question about implementing martial arts, specifically Capoeira from your home country, into a soul-like game is truly unique. Is there a story behind this decision?[/h3]

I am very proud of my country and how our people can endure all the difficulties and still enjoy their life with smiles, welcoming each other. So, I wanted to include some strong Brazilian cultural references in the game. However, when my Partner Diogo pitched me the Idea of a capoeira fighter, I had some resistance at first, because it felt too unconventional. But after some thought, I realized that it was not the case. We see a lot of fighting styles in different games, and it works nice, why Capoeira wouldn’t feel nice? It turns out it is not nice, it is freaking awesome, and I am very happy to see the reception, especially from the Brazilians, but also from everywhere else.

Stay tuned for more updates and news as we journey toward the release of Deathbound. Join us on our social media channels and the Steam Community Hub to stay connected and engaged with the vibrant Deathbound Community.

Join our Ambassador Program

We're summoning all content creators here in Zieminal. Join our Ambassador Program on
LURKIT and get Early Access to the Demo of Deathbound!

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[h3]CLICK HERE TO JOIN[/h3]

The Deathbound Ambassador Program is the direct link between content creators and the world of Deathbound. We welcome creators of all sizes and styles to join us on a conquest through a brand new soulslike experience.

Join an exclusive circle of content creators and gain access to a variety of perks and opportunities for both growing and established creators!

Stay tuned for more updates and news as we journey toward the release of Deathbound. Join us on our social media channels and the Steam Community Hub to stay connected and engaged with the vibrant Deathbound Community.

Meet Trialforge Studio

Trialforge Studio is a Brazilian (Rio de Janeiro) based game development studio guided by challenge and quality, focused on delivering a unique and memorable game experience that moves players, inspiring growth and transformation.

[h3]Why did they choose to make a soulslike game?[/h3]

We initially conceived a game with multiple characters and later decided to make it soulslike. Our fondness for challenging game experiences led us to explore this genre during a brainstorming session in 2017. As we discussed and played games like Dark Souls, we felt a strong desire to challenge ourselves to create a similar experience. Transitioning from players to game developers, we began prototyping ideas and delving into the fascinating design aspects of soulslike games.

[h3]Brazil's marks in the game[/h3]

Trialforge has integrated numerous references to their home country into the game. One of the most noteworthy nods is the inclusion of a playable character named Mamdile Ogaté. He is a fighter who leverages his Capoeira skills, a captivating martial discipline rooted in the vibrant and rhythmic essence of Brazil. The developers have also incorporated vegetation and urbanistic features, along with diverse characters, reflecting Brazil's rich cultural mix and its welcoming embrace of various cultures.

[h3]Brazilian game dev industry and its difficulties[/h3]

The Brazilian video game industry is gaining momentum, particularly in the thriving indie game scene. Developers in Brazil grapple with financial challenges, including accessing funding, navigating complex export regulations, and the absence of specific industry regulations. Global competition and the imperative for effective promotion and marketing further complicate success in the industry.
São Paulo stands out as the focal point for game development in Brazil, boasting major companies and significant investments from both private and public sectors. While Brasilia experienced an indie boom a few years ago, Rio de Janeiro is now expanding and reaching a commendable level of maturity.

Stay tuned for more updates and news as we journey toward the release of Deathbound. Join us on our social media channels and the Steam Community Hub to stay connected and engaged with the vibrant Deathbound Community.