Undead West News

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for playing Undead West and for all your feedback! We're on it and working hard to tackle any issues that pop up to make your playthroughs even better. This patch has some major bug fixes, balance tweaks, and a few progression updates. Plus, we’ve got a list of high-priority stuff we’re tackling next.

If you’re enjoying Undead West, we’d greatly appreciate it if you shared the game with your friends or left a Steam review to help us reach more players.

Check out full patch notes:

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• Stage 1 Cube Boss attack patterns should no longer continue on death, boss should now always 'die' when health is reduced to zero as shown by healthbar
  
• Fixed boss bad luck protection aka if a boss has been encountered twice in a row on any stage, the next encounter will not be that same boss, especially not 3+ times in a row
  
• Fixed Homing Bullets boon homing behaviour regarding Stage 4 Bandit King phase 2 and Stage 5 Dreadnought
  
• Fixed Lightning In a Bottle Whiskey lightning not targeting Stage 5 Dreadnought boss during vulnerable phase
  
• Default starting equipment should always be unlocked in hub room shops now
  
• Adjusted Stage 2 Graveyard room 2 variation 1 colliders near entrance to room which caused physical space blockage to player
  
• Fixed Stage 2 Graveyard room 3 variation bug with skull statue that shoots fireballs which were found to have no movement speed
  
• Replaced sprite of spinning bone projectile in a secret boss fight with the intended larger spinning bone sprite
  
• Re-enabled missing Stage 3 Tunnel Worm and Mole colliders on spawn
  
• Fixed Stage 3 Rooms 9/10 game blocker where an enemy would spawn from a previous room, locking the gates of the player's current room
  
• Enabled contact damage to enemies from Stage 3 minecart moving traps
  
• Changed timing of sprite enablement of moving minecarts
  
• Replaced incorrect Stage 3 Blue Necromancer enemy death animation that was set as 'Move' instead of 'Death'
  
• Added in missing animation transition death bool for Stage 3 Prospector boss
  
• Added fallback check to Stage 4 Bandit King Boss 'roll' attack phase where boss would continue to roll if he couldn't reach the point he was supposed to roll to
  
• Fixed Stage 5 bug where enemy spawner barrel would continue to spawn infinite rats
  
• Fixed GunBoots boon not immediately equipping when chosen from boss fight boon rewards
  
• Re-enabled missing Keyboard movement keys in the Controls keybinds menu of the Pause Menu
  
• Replaced several enemies that are spawned by other enemies with versions that do not give currency when killed, or count towards outfit pre-requisite goals: the reason for this is to disallow currency farming from infinitely spawning enemies if parent summoner is kept alive
  
• Fixed Player Bow weapon reload animation freezing if button to fire is clicked instead of held
  
• Added in sprite outline highlights to a few important objects that reveal something secret when interacted with
  
• Fixed/significantly reduced player's capability to glitch into the invisible wall colliders on Stage 5 train especially while wearing the Yellow or Blue outfit
  
• Likely fixed infinite whiskey bug where whiskey wouldn't de-equip on end of whiskey timer: tested fix tried to repro as much as possible by spamming the whiskey activation keybind before during and after whiskey use
  
• Possibly fixed SteamAPI bug where running/opening/launching another process during game is running on steam causes steam to view game as running and this causes visual error of a friend on steam playing the game multiple times when on a friends list..?
  
• Fixed Skeleton outfit & Death outfit infinite rolling animation bug when rolling against a wall
  
• Fixed Bow draw visual animation error
  
• Achievements previously unable to unlock for playtesters who accomplished the goals before the achievements were added in such as unlock 5 whiskeys, dodge roll 100 times now should be unlockable on both platforms
  
• Fixed run gathered currency not saving and adding to currently held currency when transitioning from beating the game to end cutscene to credits back to hub

[h3]Changes[/h3]

• Hub Room infographics for rooms yet to be unlocked now have the related room's name above the infographic as well - Gunsmith, Bartender, and Seamstress
  
• Added change to maintain player world position in hub when unlocking a hub room
  
• Reduced cost of each hub room unlock: Gunsmith $200 --> $100, Bartender $300 --> $200, Seamstress $500 --> $300. The reason for this was to allow players access for further game content earlier, to also incentivise the start of build crafting, finding a preferred playstyle, and starting another run with new and possibly 'stronger' equipment
  
• Reduced cost of the following guns from $100 to $50 --> Backup Piece, Sawed Off, Lever Action, and Shotgun. This change was made to potentially allow players the ability to unlock a new gun to try once the Gunsmith room was unlocked, or at least be able to afford something by going on one more run
  
• Increased cost of the following Whiskeys from $100 to $200 --> Infinite Chamber, and Many Hands Light Work. This change was made to make the aforementioned whiskeys match the power level of the row that they are made available on when a certain stage is reached
  
• Whiskey Length boon is no longer offered when the Induced Vigor boon is equipped, because Induced Vigor is an instant heart refill effect and gains no benefit from such boon
  
• Stage 1 Mutant Rat boss attack projectiles of line of saw blades that come out of the walls changed from solid lines to lines with gaps in them
  
• Secret boss [Redacted] HP increased from 800 to 900
  
• Secret boss [Redacted] SFX updated
  
• Stage 3 Spider Miniboss room tilemap changed to give player more space to move around/move out of the way of projectiles
  
• Stage 3 Large Bat projectiles changed to destroy on hitting environment instead of passing through
  
• Stage 4 Vulture enemy behaviours improved/updated to move around objects and seek line of sight of the player before diving
  
• Stage 5 Skull Rider boss HP reduced from 800 to 700 - boss moves around a lot and is very hard to hit
  
• Stage 5 Dreadnought boss now shows vulnerable state when spawning in to communicate that when the Conductor goes away the train is invulnerable
  
• Stage 5 Ghost Rider boss now has a 4 second period of idling after a round of attack patterns when a short range weapon is equipped: Fisticuffs, Sawed Off, Shotgun, Pepperbox
  
• Stage 6 Man in Red lightning effect giving pre-warning animation to where it will strike
  
• All Bosses and Minibosses given damage reduction from the following player weapons: Rifle, Hellfire, and Big Iron
  
• Skeleton outfit drop in Graveyard lobby after defeating secret [Redacted] boss given visual pickup indicator to avoid players missing it as a non-colorful sprite
  
• Heart item drops with a white 'plus' symbol now increase max hearts no matter what, allowing for heart refills from boons, no hitting room drop chance, or Induced Vigor to refill empty hearts
  
• Changed Dynamite weapon to throw automatically when hold timer is reached instead of when button is let go
  
• All melee enemies have been updated/changed so that when they attack, their animation facing and spawned melee damage to player object are fixed and can no longer flip facing direction to where player moves to during enemy melee attack
  
• Night Mode options setting color palette updated and switched from a cool tone to a warm tone for eye comfort
  
• Stage 3 Large Bat speed and number of projectiles reduced
  
• Deactivation of muzzle flash sprite for several ranged enemies time increased to allow sprite to show
  
• Increased bridge size between train cars in Stage 5 Miniboss room

[h3]High Priority Issues[/h3]

• Feedback received of cursor lag bug, looking into cause and fix
  
• Stage 3 Worm (Beast of the Depths) boss takes far less damage from Dynamite (cause is known)
  
• Improving Homing Bullets to track towards enemies the player is aiming at
  
• Controller improvements
  
• Controller keybinds and occurring issues of players unable to use their mouse if a controller is connected and or plugged in to their PC
  
• Bow 'ready to fire' indicator when charged and ready to shoot

Once again, thanks for playing, and hope to see you in the West!

Deathless Games and Retrovibe

[h3]Buckle up - Undead West is here![/h3]

Hey everyone,

I'm koschei, developer of Undead West. I started working on this prototype project on December 10th 2022 in the Unity Engine with the intent to make a small pixel-art game with black and white visuals to finish in a couple of months, put on Steam and move on to the next. It became a side project I could only work on in my free time, until mid-way through 2023 when Retrovibe reached out to chat, and after pitching Undead West to them we agreed on a partnership and this became a full time effort!

I'm very happy that they did, and for all their support because now almost exactly 2 years from the project's first steps, Undead West is now available for all of you to play! It's been a long journey and as a solo developer I've had to wear a lot of hats - art, animation, programming, and learning things I've never done before (like putting in Steam achievements!).

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

When I look back at all the work that's been accomplished over the last 2 years, I'm very proud of this game. All the different enemies, bosses, environments, and wild western guns come together to make a charming roguelite, inspired by games like Enter the Gungeon and Nuclear Throne. I've also been fortunate to have Australian music artist Voltz Supreme making all of the music, boss themes, and boss sound effects for the game - he's a very talented musician and just so brilliant at composing tracks that eminate the vibe of classic western movies.



After a closed playtest, open playtest, and the launch of the free Steam demo, We're excited to finally share the full game of Undead West with you today and we hope you enjoy!

Get ready for 6 stages, 20 guns, 15 whiskeys, 8 outfits, a wide variety of undead and not-so-undead enemies.

Thank you for your support, and keep watching this space for news of plans for the next
year ahead.

[h3]Get Undead West now:[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2527880/Undead_West/

Hey everyone,

Get ready to lock, load, and dodge, as we have some exciting news for you!

[h3]UNDEAD WEST IS LAUNCHING ON DECEMBER 9, 2024![/h3]


Pick up the mantle of a mysterious cowboy resurrected by Death, bound by a pact to collect souls in exchange for a second chance at life. Driven by a thirst for revenge, you’ll travel through demon-infested lands, dodge waves of bullets, and avoid deadly traps, all leading to an epic showdown with the enigmatic Man in Red.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Every soul collected brings you closer to revenge and unlocks new tools for destruction. As you progress through the game you'll gain access to powerful whiskey boons which will help you on your journey. But surviving the unavoidable encounter with the Man in Red will demand every ounce of skill, strategy, and grit you can muster.

Are you ready for the western noir adventure? Prepare yourself for a journey filled with danger, bullets, and vengeance. Saddle up for the ride of your (after)life.

Hey,

We’re getting closer to the release of Undead West, and very soon everyone will be able to embark on their journey to the Wild West—filled with cowboys, whiskey, and dangerous enemies waiting for our hero.

For now, you can still download a free demo of the game and put your skills to the test.

This week, we’d like to share some behind-the-scenes magic happening during the development of Undead West.



[h3]💀 The Art Process of Undead West[/h3]

The art of Undead West is created with Aseprite, a program that is specifically designed for drawing and animating in small canvas pixel format. The main character is 17x26 pixels in size and the environment is drawn in 16x16 tiles to maintain proper scaling.
The decision to create the art for the game in a 2-bit black and white color palette was intended to provide a ‘retro’ impression similar to games like Downwell, Minit, and even all the way back to the original first of the genre, Rogue, as well as both time-efficient and challenging in it’s limitations.

[h3]💀 Sprites[/h3]

Undead West sprites are often first sketched out in physical form as a concept in my artbook, which helps get the ideas out and down on paper. Next in Aseprite on a black background, the sprite - whether it’s a boss, enemy, or environmental object - is roughly blocked out in white to get the general shape or pose, usually with the sprite of the player character next to it to make sure that the scale of the sprite will work coherently with the rest of the art assets in-game.



Then come shadows, details (which are usually only a couple of pixels themselves, intended to imitate the idea of something like nails in a crate, or a nose on a 5x5 pixel face), and when the sprite is all cleaned up it usually gets copied and pasted a few times to play around with variations: alter this, change the color of that, erase one pixel here / add one pixel there and finally I choose my favourite version to take into animating or import into Unity, usually as one big spritesheet consisting of ten-twenty or so sprites to get sliced into individuals in the game engine.



After the first few concept sprites of the player character, NPCs, some enemies, and environment tiles, I added a bright red to the color palette as a way to make a handful of objects (like fire) stand out, especially using it for enemies and enemy projectiles.
The player outfits are also an exception to the black and white rule, giving the outfits bright vibrant colors helps the player easily see where they are on the screen versus all of the enemies and also makes you feel unique.

[h3]💀 Animation[/h3]

Animation is often the most time-consuming process of working on enemies and bosses to put in the game. When a sprite is done, it gets it’s own canvas and animation tags which cover a handful of frames for things like spawning, moving, attacking, and death. The short animations are about 8 frames long that loop continuously, you’ll see this in animations such as idling, while unique animations like special boss attacks can be 20 to 60 frames in length.



For some animations, it’s easy enough to rotate parts of a sprite - then clean it up so it doesn’t look messy - to achieve the effect you want. In retro-style games like this, an idle animation can be as simple as moving the body and head one pixel up, then one pixel back down. For more complex animations, I use a varying degree of lines and blocking out methods to get the general position, weight, and timing before adding the final sprite back in and making it match the blockout on every frame - which is why for animating, I split the sprite into each separate limb and put each limb on a different layer.

Example: Animating a run cycle for a side facing sprite (like a horse). Using the base sprite we draw a line (or blockout in a thicker pixel brush size) over each limb, in a different color for each line. This way, if the lines intersect at any point, crossing over or behind each other during a frame, you can tell which line belongs to which limb.
The lines also help you to maintain the length and size of each limb, and using a feature called ‘Onion skin’, you can see a faint version of the previous frame to the one you are currently on so you know where your sprite’s limb was which will help you figure out where it should move to next. Then you can bring the individually split apart limbs and parts of the original sprite back in, rotating them or redrawing them to make them match the lines.



[h3]💀 Level Design & Variation[/h3]

Undead West’s levels are comprised of sequential linear ‘rooms’, often rectangular spaces where enemies will spawn in and initiate combat. These rooms are painted onto tilemaps with Unity’s tile palette using 16x16 tiles. With all the tiles being 16x16 pixel size, they fit onto the tilemap’s grid together seamlessly, which is why I design the tiles in Aseprite drawn each in their 16x16 square with Aseprite’s grid overlay as a guide, with walls and corners all touching so that I know that they line up together and later when the spritesheet of environment tile sprites is imported into Unity they get split up into their own small individual squares, ready for painting in.



The contents of the room are randomly chosen from a set of pre-determined layouts, for each room the game manager script picks 1 out of 3-5 layouts using a variation of hand-placed game objects of decorative wall items, destructible barrels and crates, and sometimes passive traps like proximity activated floor spikes.

[h3]💀 Double Feature[/h3]


If you’re drawn to the gritty, pixelated world of Undead West, you’ll find Janosik 2 equally captivating with its own retro-inspired art style. Especially since our friend Marcin from Onix Games just shared his story of creating the art for Janosik 2. Check it out, and don’t forget to add it to your wishlist!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1640400/Janosik_2/

[h3]💀 UNTIL NEXT TIME![/h3]

That's all for today. Thanks for reading, and see you next time.

-koschei, lead developer and artist

[hr][/hr]
[h3]Wishlist now![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2527880/Undead_West/

[h3]Connect with us on our official channels:[/h3]



Follow Undead West on Twitter Follow Developer on Twitter Follow Retrovibe on Twitter Visit Retrovibe Publisher Page

Hello Gunslingers,

We’re proud to let you all know that Undead West is a part of the Steam Next Fest October 2024!

Undead West picks up right after the cowboy you play has been killed in a revolver duel against the Man in Red. Death agrees to resurrect you so that you may carry out your quest for revenge. But there is a catch. Death requests that you pay back your revival debt in souls. Now you’re trapped in the endless cycle, seeking revenge.



Shoot your way through enemies, dodge through numerous traps, unlock new guns and whiskey boons as well as colorful outfits in a free demo for this western-themed roguelike bullet hell.

The Undead West demo features:

• 2 stages
  
• 6 weapons to try
  
• 6 whiskeys to boost your abilities
  
• 2 outfits

[h3]Download Undead West Demo now: [/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2527880/Undead_West/