Undead West News

Hello!
Today we're talking about those helpful little buffs!

[h3]💀 Boons[/h3]

When you defeat a boss, you are rewarded with your choice of 3 run-temporary buffs that can affect different aspects of gameplay. There are boons that influence your dodge roll, boons that affect enemies directly, and boons that give a unique damage condition status to your bullets.
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These are presented to you randomly, so each run and successful boss defeat will offer you a random three, meaning your builds will be different from run to run based on the options provided. One run could see you picking up freezing bullets, where often you will see a cold blue bullet in your clip on the side of your screen which will mean that the next bullet fired will incase an enemy in ice on hit, fully disabling all their movement and attacks for a short period.



The best part is that boons that affect bullets with status effects stack! So you could have freezing bullets, and fire bullets and you can see these two showing up at the same time in the same clip, which would even allow you to both set an enemy on fire for burning damage over time and freeze them, causing whichever dastardly undead or bandit to take damage while immobilized until they perish.

Choose carefully, choose wisely, but most importantly: have fun! You can keep track of which boons you’ve picked up during a run on your HUD, just in case you lose focus in all the gunslinging frenzy and start wondering ‘Wait, when did my 2 round shotgun have 4 rounds to fire before reloading?’. We’ve got you covered.

With the power given to you of lead, grit, and sulphur, whether it’s firing bullets that track towards enemies, gun boots that shoot out whenever you roll, lightning that traces and arcs between your foes… nothing will stand in your way.

[h3]💀 UNTIL NEXT TIME![/h3]

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

-koschei, lead developer and artist

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[h3]Wishlist now![/h3]

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

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



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Hello again!
We’re back with another devlog today to talk about unlockable outfits. These outfit’s grant the player a unique effect as well as being visually distinct from the usual fit. When unlocked, you can easily swap between outfits before a run to see which one you prefer.
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[h3]💀 The Outfits[/h3]
For a black and white game, these outfits are the one outlier to the noir rule. Each has a vibrant color that will make it even easier for the player to stand out against the environment, as well as each being of a different design to the default cowboy aesthetic.

Red Musketeer
This dashing rogue grants you an extra heart at the start of each stage. All for one and one for all!

Orange Bounty Hunter
The bounty hunter is an expert guns handler who can regain spent ammunition by swiftly reloading a bullet when he dodge rolls. Save time instead of making a full reload, that one bullet can make all the difference!

Yellow Bandit
The yellow bandit increases your speed significantly - excellent for running circles around your opponents.

Green Knight
The armored green knight adds a melee attack during your dodge roll. When you get cornered, fight back!

Blue Wizard
This fun little spellcaster can ‘blink’ teleport a further distance, replacing the dodge roll.

Pink Ranger
The ranger, a mysterious hooded figure, gains a pet bird companion who assists in combat by attacking enemies for you.


[h3]💀 The Seamstress[/h3]

The Seamstress, weaver of threads and creator of the outfits, is a beautiful lady who wears a blindfold across her eyes. She offers these wardrobe changes to you when you complete the corresponding challenge to each one.
The challenges for example could be to defeat a certain amount of enemies, or reach a specific stage and beat it’s boss.
Which is your favourite outfit? Let us know in the Undead West channel over in our discord, or over on Twitter where we post gameplay gifs and other updates.

[h3]💀 Upcoming Playtest[/h3]

Over the next weekend (September 5 - September 9) we will be playtesting Undead West, along with another upcoming retro title - Janosik 2, an action platformer with metroidvania elements, inspired by the myths of the famed Slovakian highlander, Janosik himself. Check it out on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1640400/Janosik_2/

If you'd like to participate in the playtest, join our Discord server, and check out the Playtest Club channel!

[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]



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Hey Gunslingers!

In the last devlog we went over how whiskey infusions work in Undead West. Now let’s talk about one of the most important parts of a cowboy’s arsenal: the guns.
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[h3]💀 BUILDING YOUR PERFECT GUNSLINGER[/h3]



In Undead West, there are many mechanics that work hand-in-hand with increasing the power and damage of your chosen weapon.

Whiskeys such as the Bottomless Chamber temporarily remove the need to reload, allowing you to fire as much as you want for a short time. Boons dropped by defeating bosses can offer you critical bullets, where there’s a 10% chance that a bullet you fire will deal double damage.

Which gun will work best with the possible benefits offered during the game? That’s up to you to choose.

[h3]💀 THE GUNS[/h3]



There’s a variety of guns available for you to equip, each fitting the western-themed setting and filling a role for different styles of gameplay. Here are just a few to name:

Revolver
The trusty revolver, a classic staple to the gunslinger’s loadout.

Backup Piece
A revolver with a small clip but quick to fire and quick to reload.

Sawed Off
Close-range devastation. For those looking to get right into the thick of things, it’s not about accuracy - it’s a ‘one-two punch’.

Lever Action
Fast firing rifle designed for accuracy, having an 8-bullet magazine you can easily whittle your foes down from range.

Shotgun
Another up close and personal option with a larger clip than the Sawed Off.

Rifle
High stopping power and accuracy. Keep your distance and deal out strong damage per bullet.

[h3]💀 THE GUNSMITH[/h3]



Guns are purchased from the Gunsmith, a blacksmith who crafts your weapons at his forge. You don’t know what he looks like under his helmet, but he makes some high quality weapons.

[h3]💀 UNTIL NEXT TIME![/h3]

At the moment, that’s all we wanted to share about what kind of weapons you can find to fit your playstyle - and there’s more being added down the line! 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]



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Gunslingers!

Welcome to the second devlog for Undead West!



We just got back from showcasing the demo at SXSW in Sydney, and it was an amazing experience: we got to watch people give Undead West a whirl, chatted to them to glean feedback about how we can improve the gameplay experience, and even try out some other awesome indiedev’s games - and there were a lot of cool ones!

As to our devlog, today we would like to share with you some more info about one of the main features of Undead West - the whiskey infusions, what they are and how they work.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the topic!
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[h3]💀 WHISKEY INFUSIONS[/h3]



Now we’re going to get into one of the core mechanics of Undead West’s gameplay, and again this is about getting to the whiskey part.

When I started prototyping Undead West as a gunslinging wild west bullet hell, I wanted something else, something interesting that adds to the fast-paced flow of combat and can give the player an edge over the various enemies you’ll encounter. And what’s a better staple to a western than a bottle of whiskey?

At first the concept was that enemies had a chance to drop a bottle of whiskey when killed, and picking this item drop up would grant the player a temporary movement bonus as well as a small damage buff to guns.

Initially, I thought it might be a fun little idea to make the screen sway slightly when picking up whiskey, a tradeoff for the boost you’re getting - and something that I was bringing over from a previous game. But very quickly this concept turned into not just a single item drop, but a full array of whiskey bottles that you can unlock and equip, to use during a tough situation in a fight and then replenish at different points in a run.
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[h3]💀 PICK YOUR POISON[/h3]



There are planned to be 15 unlockable whiskey infusions in the game, each with a unique effect so when that cowboy takes a swig, you get a short kick of power.

The 6 whiskeys currently in the game are:

Grit & Powder:
The good ole’ faithful, +20% movement speed & +10% reload speed.

Induced Vigor:
Restore 2 Hearts - up to your current maximum number of hearts.

Boiling Brimstone:
Create a rotating shield of fire that deals heavy damage to enemies on contact.

Speed Demon:
Gain 25% movement speed - and run like the wind.

Bottomless Chamber
No need to reload, just keep on firing till that whiskey boost runs out.

Heart of Iron:
Full invulnerability, until the whiskey runs out.

Some of the more powerful whiskeys will cost more to unlock but give greater benefits. Worth saving up for, so get out there and get shooting.
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[h3]💀 THE BARTENDER[/h3]



When you need to add more kick to your arsenal, head over to the Bartender to purchase your whiskey. This large fellow runs the bar in the hub, and has a nice collection of concoctions for you to check out. (Just don’t ask how clean that rag he wipes down the glasses with is).
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[h3]💀 UNTIL NEXT TIME![/h3]

There’s always some unique little thing you can do in a roguelite other than to shoot, and we’ve got whiskey. It’ll save your life in a pinch, or help you survive just that little bit longer to beat the boss and reach the next stage.

All in all we here at Deathless Games and Retrovibe had a great time at SXSW Sydney, and hope to go again next year! Join the discord or follow us on twitter to get consistent updates on development progress, or just to chat.

Stock up gunslingers, and we’ll see you in the next devlog.

-koschei, lead developer and artist

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[h3]Wishlist now![/h3]

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

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



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Hello Gunslingers!

Welcome to the first devlog of Undead West, developed by Deathless Games and published by Retrovibe. [I’m koschei, lead developer and artist.]

Undead West is a rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ roguelite bullet hell set in the wild wild west, where you play a cowboy who has been brought back from the dead to seek revenge. Utilizing an array of guns & whiskey, shoot and dodge roll your way out of the grave and into the west.

So, without further ado, let's learn more about the project!

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[h3] 💀 INTRODUCING DEATHLESS GAMES[/h3]



We are a New Zealand based indie studio with a passion for making lovingly crafted pixel-art games.

Our team won the Student Slice award at the NZ Pav awards for ‘Petal to the Metal’, a twin-stick bullet hell developed over 6 months, in Unity, during tertiary edu. We started the development of Undead West in December 2022.

Our lead developer & artist has been making pixel-art for 7 years.

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[h3]💀 UNDEAD WEST X RETROVIBE[/h3]



This year we started cooperation with Retrovibe, a game publisher from Warsaw, Poland! The aim of our publisher is to unlock next levels of fun by delivering new indie titles with a retro heart.

The vision for Undead West happened to fit perfectly into Retrovibe’s style so we naturally started working together to bring you the official game reveal last weekend during Realms Deep 2023 showcase!

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[h3]💀 INSPIRATIONS FOR UNDEAD WEST[/h3]



Undead West is inspired by roguelites such as Enter the Gungeon, Nuclear Throne, and Hades. The ability to craft your own builds mixed with the rng of buffs given to you for successful progress in these roguelites was always a ton of fun, plus the high-paced adrenaline-inducing rush of dodge rolling through waves of bullets barely avoiding getting hit to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

This kind of gameplay is what we also want to provide to you, through several western themed stages, and unique boss battles.

While there are so many beautiful pixel-art games to be inspired by like Hyper Light Drifter, and Rain World, we’ve gone for a simpler monochrome style akin to games like Minit and Gato Roboto.

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[h3]💀 GAME CONCEPT[/h3]



The core gameplay of roguelites is the concept of completing the game in one go, dying and trying again if you fail. We love a good story, and having a lore reason for this death & resurrection mechanic which is how I came up with the idea of a gunslinger who lost a duel, and is revived by Death themself for the chance to get revenge, collecting souls of adversaries defeated along the way to pay back his debt to Death.

The Wild West has some excellent locations & settings, guns to play around with, and our other main gameplay aspect - whiskey. In Undead West, you have the ability to unlock various whiskeys to build your playstyle around. Consuming the whiskey in combat gives you a temporary effect such as an unlimited chamber for your gun, fiery bullets, shrugging off damage and much more.

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[h3]💀 DEVELOPMENT STORIES[/h3]



Undead West has been in development for close to a year now, and we’re excitedly looking forward to a 2024 release.

Over the last couple of years I’ve prototyped a few twin-stick shooters, bullet hells and other game ideas. Most of my projects involved top-down gunplay, and with this I landed on developing a roguelite in a black and white art style; [otherwise asset creation could take me forever!]

When I found the music of Voltz Supreme, everything fell into place and created this epic Western feeling game.

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[h3]TILL NEXT TIME![/h3]



Thank you for reading the first devlog of Undead West, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you!

-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