Shardpunk 2 News

Directional overwatch was a system that I wanted to add into my game, but I didn't have the means and time to actually implement it.

I did decide to make it a part of systems present in the sequel, and here's how it looks in action:



I wanted it to look good in all angles, not only on the right ones. So I've decided to add rotatable weapons - knowing that it will break the pixel-perfectness.



What is more, having rotatable weapons made it easier to display projectiles, as they could be correctly spawned at the right angle (and yeah, they fly pretty fast and are barely noticeable at this gif's framerate).



Obviously, this came with a price: the weapons are visualised along with character hands, so there's a slight tradeoff in how realistic they are. But hey, at least I am now able to change the weapon visuals for every character model - and this opens up new possibilities.





So much for the visuals part. Now, about the upcoming alpha: I thought I might be able to release it before the end of the year, but I need to delay it. There is still a bunch of visual tweaks that I would like to do before it is out. Expect it to be released in January 2026.

Take care!

Let's kick off the devlog series with this first entry!

Creating a game (well, this is actually true to creating most of software) is all about iterating. You do something, then you ask the world if it is going in the right direction, then you draw conclusions and adjust the course if needed.

Frankly, I never expected - and I was pretty amazed by it, in a positive way - that there would be such a response from Shardpunk fans about the art style. There are people out there who really care about the game, feel some connection to it, and do not hesitate to give an opinion about something they feel would be out of place for a sequel.

This means that I've created a game which has a vocal fanbase. Now how cool is that?!

(or at least it can sound cool until the fanbase gets crazy and toxic, but it is definitely not happening to us here. We're all people of culture here... )

And based on the feedback I've gotten from you I decided I need to rethink the way the character models are presented.

Without further walls of text, here are two work-in-progress moments from the game, using the new character model approach. They are more similar to the ones from the first Shardpunk and should fit in the overall climate better.





I really think that the sequel will benefit from this art direction. Do let me know what you think.

Also, as some of you noticed, Shardpunk 2 will feature randomized characters (like in XCOM games) instead of the pre-baked ones (I will write more on that in future devlog entries). Fear not though: maybe Silas or Tilly will make a comeback, in one way or another.

Last but not least: I was aiming to have the first alpha demo out this year. With the new approach to visuals, that might get a little delayed - but maybe I will make it on time. We'll see how it goes.

Take care!

Shardpunk was the first commercial game I ever created and released - and wow, what an experience it was. Building it was a blast, but seeing how players responded was even better. The joy the game has brought you (94% positive reviews!) has fueled me every step of the way.

And here I am again. Thanks to the support of the Polish Creative Industries Institute program, along with both old and new friends, I’ve been hard at work on the sequel - and I’m thrilled to finally show its Steam page.

The game is deep in development, and there’s still plenty of work ahead. Just like with the first Shardpunk, I’ll be sharing regular dev updates that dive into the game’s features, systems, and design decisions.

And of course, proper alpha demos will be coming - hopefully sooner rather than later. Community feedback played a huge role in shaping the original Shardpunk, and I fully intend to continue that collaboration for the sequel - so come join me on Discord: https://discord.gg/yP3vHjvxxG

To wrap things up, here’s a little teaser screenshot:



And if you’ve landed here without playing the first Shardpunk - this is the perfect time to change that.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1183800/Shardpunk/

Take care!
Slawomir “bryqu” Bryk