Bloodthief

During the June Steam Next Fest, I played through more than 25 demos for upcoming indies, but none caught my attention as quickly as Bloodthief, an ultra-fast melee dungeon-runner and the debut game from developer Blargis. Jake Bedard, the lead developer, makes up most of Blargis, though he tells me over a virtual interview that he’s enlisted contractors (including his cousin) to help develop the game. I reached out to him soon after completing the demo to learn more about why this game feels so good, why he’s making it, and whether or not he’s read Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series.

What awaits in the currently playable Bloodthief demo is a bloody fantasy game that feels in line with Ghostrunner and Neon White. Imagine the speed of those games, but through the lens of Quake’s visuals set within medieval dungeons and atop nighttime rooftops. Completing levels takes a few minutes as you utilize movement tech like wall-running, slide-jumping, and more with various weapons and throwables to kill anyone in your way.