Bloodjak II Devlog #1

Hello.
We are making a game called Bloodjak II.

What kind of game is this?

It's the sequel to 2015's Bloodjak, an arcade-style shoot-em-up set in the darkest corner of cyberspace.

Footage from the original

Besides its fast-paced and unforgiving gameplay, what sets Bloodjak apart from other games of the genre is its scoring system. Dead players do not get to submit their score - in order to save your score, you must determine when to end your run and survive for the remainder of its duration. Complicating this is the fact that your ship is fragile and is destroyed in a single hit, resulting in a high-stakes, but rewarding, play experience.

The original version of the game was created in 48 hours for the 2015 Indies vs Gamers Jam at Game Jolt. It ranked in the top 10% of over 369 entries for the jam, and as a part of Underground Arcade Collective's exhibit, it's been widely enjoyed at the festivals and conventions at which we've shown it. While I've made countless small improvements over the years, the original is still constrained by the brevity of the original jam from which it was produced.

So, I'm leading an effort to remake the game, bigger and better than it's ever been. The game is being developed as part of Philly Game Mechanic's Profit Jam, an initiative to make, ship, and sell a game within two months. I've been itching to revisit Bloodjak  for a long time, and the Profit Jam seemed like the perfect opportunity.

What new stuff will be in the sequel?

At the very least, Bloodjak II will feature new enemies, more bosses, improved pacing, faster and more intense combat, improved visuals, and higher quality audio. My goal is to make a more complex, action-packed, and visceral experience.

The original was made a small team consisting of myself and Geoff Backstrom, who composed the game's music. To help deliver on the promise of a better game, I'm working with a larger team this time - Alex Cole and Dan Halma are handling the game's sound and music respectively, and Danielle Vuono is handling the visuals. They're all very good at what they do, and I am excited to work with them!

I'll be sharing regular updates about the game's development in the coming weeks - you can subscribe to this blog's RSS feed from the bar on the right, or you can follow me on Twitter @alchiggins. Thank you!