Steam Next Fest Demo
In case you missed my previous post, TACTICAL BANDITS will be taking part in Steam Next Fest February 2024 edition. Instead of waiting until then, I have decided to make the demo live a few weeks earlier.
Apart from training mode, all of the game modes are unlocked and playable. They are all locked off after a certain amount of progress as it is only a demo, and not the full release.
Survivor Mode
This is the game mode I have been teasing about for the past few months. Survivor mode is inspired by Vampire Survivors, but with a twist to make it fit with TACTICAL BANDITS gameplay.
In Survivor mode, your goal is to survive for 20 minutes and get as many kills as possible to get the highest score. There is no aiming in this game mode as it is done automatically, which makes it a more casual gameplay compared to the other game modes.
But to survive the 20 minutes and get the highest score, it will take skill and planning. Killing zombies and enemies will drop scrap which players can collect for experience points. Collect enough experience and you can upgrade your bandit.
Some of the upgrades players can get are new weapons, recruiting bandits to fight with them, and increasing the health and range of the bandits.
Collectibles Menu
The collectibles menu was completed this month. As mentioned in the previous updates, the collectibles menu shows unlocked artwork and weapons.
When looking at weapons, players can see their stats to get a better understanding how they work and which weapon they might like best. This still isn’t better than actually trying the weapons, which is what players can do once Training mode is ready.
Summary
With the new game mode ready and announced for Steam Next Fest, this was a really good month. A lot of work was completed and I am now in the final stage of development, where I am testing everything and fixing all bugs.
I have also made some changes from the feedback I have got from the demo so far. This includes making the tutorial optional to complete. I still believe completing the tutorial before playing the game will lead to a better experience, but I also know players do not like to be told what to do and want to just jump headfirst into the game.
The goal is to start porting TACTICAL BANDITS at the end of next month for console platforms. During this period, I will also start focusing more time on my next game. One of the ideas I mentioned last month was not fun to play and that idea has been scrapped. However, the other idea mentioned was more fun but it will still need more prototyping and testing before deciding if this is going to be my next game.
For now, I hope everyone who has wanted to try the game to come try out the demo on Steam and let me know what you think.