Fig A - Bat. Definition: A small flying animal that looks like a mouse with wings made of skin.
You probably know what a bat is. But I bet you've never seen bats like this. Crazy bats, infused with bizarre magic. They can do wild things... but the thing they're best at would be best defined as chaotic destruction.
For those of you who don't know me; I go by the moniker "Breadman", and I recently just got off a five year production stint, developing and producing the highly successful mod Entropy : Zero 2.
I'm always making things and in September 2021, I noticed that one of my side projects was becoming more than a side-project - it was becoming an obsession. Since then, when I've managed to find the time I have been diligently and quietly working away at this little game. Now that EZ2's development has wrapped, my attention has been primarily focused on this project.
What is "Bat Blast!" ?
If you're after a gameplay overview, have a read through this article. If you're more interested in development details and my overall plans, continue on!
Bat Blast is a 2D game with a bit of a twist. You don't control your character in the usual conventional platforming way. Instead you point and click to send your bat zooming through the environment at speed, whilst making use of your bat's bounce attribute. When you hit a wall, you bounce and this continues until you've exhausted all of your bounces. You're like a little magical bullet ricocheting through the levels, smashing into objects and exploding enemies.
At it's core, Bat Blast! is a resource management puzzle. You expend energy with every move. If you run out of energy, it's game over. There are obstacles and enemies that can drain your energy. These risks are offset by the inclusion of fruit pickups and powerups. You plot a course upwards through the game world, trying to be as efficient as possible whilst avoiding dangers and making quick on the spot decisions.
I've got to the point with Bat Blast! where I'm finding it hard to put down when I'm developing it. My kids seem to love it too, so I figured it's probably time I started talking about it.
Can I see some actual gameplay?
Yes, right here. This is very much WIP. Nothing should be considered final:
When can I play it?
Much like my other projects, I'm not ready to commit to a release date for Bat Blast! yet and I probably won't be right up until the moment I know it is ready. Stay tuned on that front.
It shouldn't take me five years to finish this project. I am developing Bat Blast! in Unity, and things are moving very quickly.
Ideally, I would like to release Bat Blast on Steam for for Windows. It will probably be a paid thing, but I promise I won't rip you off! From there depending on sales, I would look at Linux and Mac support.
Following Development
I'm going to use this page for all development updates regarding Bat Blast! I may also do things on Twitter and Youtube.
Going public with Bat Blast! is both exciting and nerve wracking. I hope you'll enjoy what I'm cooking up.
- Breadman
Looking good so far! And finally I can pay you for all the work you're doing!
It looks awesome! glad to see you're not restricting yourself to only Half-Life. If it comes to Steam ill be buying it or on Itch! good work Breadman from one Man to another