About this project
BEDLAM
$166,540
5,266
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR BEDLAM BACKERS!! WE DID IT!!
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QUICK REFERENCE:
www.gobedlam.com
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Update #3 Dreadhounds and Upgrades
Update #4 The Music of Kevin Riepl
Update #5 Bedlam Origins
Update #6 Join the Crew
Update #7 Mutant King
Update #10 Gameflow
Update #11 Animation and VFX Part 1
Update #12 Animation and VFX Part 2
Update #13 Animation and VFX Part 3
Update #14 Animation and VFX Part 4
Update #15 A.I. Faction
Update #17 Mutant Faction
Update #19 Blitz Battle System
Update #23 Randomly Generated World
Update #26 Epic Dungeon Craw - Stretch Goal
Update #29 A.I. Dozer - Stretch Goal
Update #30 BEDLAM Boss Battle - Stretch Goal
BEDLAM is a strategic single-player roguelike turn-based role-playing game, created for the PC and Mac utilizing 'The Banner Saga' engine.
The player is cast as the mysterious Mechanic, the last known member of a once-thriving guild of brilliant inventors, intrepid travelers and operators of the rolling fortresses called Dozers.
As the Mechanic, you are in charge of commanding your crew in battles, managing your resources, improving your Dozer, interacting with various characters, and protecting your passengers while navigating through the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as Bedlam.
Think you have what it takes? Then grab the controls, equip your Dozer, load your passengers, assemble your diverse battle-ready crew and prepare for your journey to a new destination on the far edge of Bedlam!
Remember – One chance and one crew to make it through!
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Our unique blitz battle system! Turn-based combat with swift play, over-the-top animations, action point based movement and attack system, environments and battles that gradually affect your team, crew-buffing Dozer upgrades, and tide-changing Dozer weapons!
- Battlefield Equalizers that affect overall movement and attack strategy.
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Randomly generated world! Unpredictable environments!
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Roguelike influences and RPG features, including randomly generated encounters and discoveries, meaningful permadeath, three different supplies to manage, crew veteran rankings and incredible replay value.
- Dozers, the gargantuan rolling fortresses covered in armor and weapons to protect passengers and crew during the journey through Bedlam.
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Four class-based crew member types: Pistol, Shotgun, Rifle and Melee all with their own strengths, weaknesses, movement and attack ranges.
- Four unique enemy factions: Marauders, Mutants, Cyborgs and the A.I. - all with their own appearances and behaviors.
- Evolving Crew -- battle survivors will evolve into Elite and Veteran units!
- “Double-Down” (a New game+): Travel back through Bedlam for the opportunity to defeat merciless overlord King Viscera and his minions for untold riches... or the sacrifice of everything!
Your goal is to travel from the futuristic metropolis of Bysantine through the chaotic realm of Bedlam to reach the rumored utopia of Aztec City with as many of your passengers and crew intact as possible.
You will constantly consume supplies as you travel across Bedlam. Meat, Metal and Crude are what you will need to keep your passengers fed, your Dozer repaired and your engines running. These critical resources can be collected through random events, salvaged from defeated enemies, or received after completing quests or prevailing in battles.
But keep in mind that all territories, Points of Interest, NPCs and events are randomly generated at the start of each new game, encouraging multiple playthroughs for a fresh experience each time! We want to focus on the fun of finding something different in every game. The unpredictability of Bedlam is both its biggest challenge and its greatest appeal!
If you successfully navigate through Bedlam, you will be given an option to "Double-Down". This is the BEDLAM version of a New Game+ (unlockable video game mode), offering a chance to transport your crew and Dozer (with all upgrades and weapons) back across Bedlam for subsequent journeys - but remember, it's double-or-nothing!
Update #10 goes into detail about the gameflow of BEDLAM!
Check out these jaw-dropping, ear-melting BEDLAM tunes composed by none other than Kevin Riepl (GEARS OF WAR)!
* Hit play and continue reading to get the whole BEDLAM experience!
"Drifters" by Kevin Riepl
"Marauders!" by Kevin Riepl
Our battle system is called blitz because the battles are swift, aggressive and intense – it’s an all-out attack from the very beginning! Opposition beware!
The battles in BEDLAM will offer plenty of depth and variety! A battlefield is similar to a chessboard, with an isometric view and each opposing side taking turns. Battlefields can be a variety of sizes and many special battles will take place on larger or irregular-sized boards. Certain battlefields will also feature protective cover, making every battle different!
During a turn, each side has two action points to expend. Because there is no forced character turn-order or action order, these action points can be used in many ways. During each turn, you will decide which crew member(s) to move and/or attack, or which Dozer Upgrade or Weapon to use. Each turn gets you closer to ultimately destroying the enemy and overcoming that territory!
You also have the option of retreat! It just depends on how much of your crew and resources you are willing to risk versus the possible rewards you could acquire!
A significant strategic element during combat is the inclusion of battlefield Equalizers! These items and objects are randomly inserted onto battlefields and can take many forms: atomic waste barrels, dead creatures, scrap containers, vendetta contraptions, or even packages of coveted resources! Some Equalizers can be used as temporary cover, but you’ll need to be cautious as they can also be destroyed by incoming weapon fire, resulting in the loss of any valuables they might hold!
In order to gather the riches that may result from various Equalizers, you will need to maneuver a crew member to that position -- which means weighing the risk of those rewards against coming under attack from foes. The caveat is that you must collect these bonus items BEFORE each battle ends!
YOUR BATTLE CREW
Your Battle Crew is the first and last line of defense against the hostile enemies that roam the wasteland trying to claim territories throughout Bedlam, threatening the progress of your Dozer and the safety of your passengers. Your crew can be deployed in teams of up to six members, including one Elite or Veteran.
Crew member death is permanent! Those who survive will gain higher levels of experience and status, allowing them to equip deadlier weapons against the ferocious enemies in Bedlam!
CREW MEMBER CLASSES
Frontliner (Melee)
The Melee class is both the sturdiest and most agile combatant, ready to dash directly into hand-to-hand combat and inflict punishment as well as absorb it. Another strategic use of a Melee combatant is to treat them as a human shield for more vulnerable Rifle crew members.
Trencher (Shotgun)
As the close-combat weapon specialists on the Dozer crew, the Shotgun class is fairly resilient and packs whopping firepower when the enemy is near, but is much less effective at a distance.
Gunslinger (Pistol)
The Pistol class is a great balanced soldier with moderate endurance, movement and weapon range. These hand-cannon hotshots are also the only class with run-and-gun ability.
Deadeye (Rifle)
The long-distance engagement expert in your crew, the Rifle class has the lowest health and movement range but also deals the greatest damage at the furthest distance. These sharpshooters are integral to any good battle plan and should be protected!
ELITES
A variety of Elite characters from various Factions can be discovered and recruited during your travels through Bedlam... or they can be promoted from existing crew members through in-game events.
Over time, as crew members survive brutal battles and toxic environments, their bodies may show signs of heavy physical damage or radiation effects. These are tracked by meters on each crew member, and when the corresponding levels reach a certain plateau, you will have a chance to convert that crew member to an Elite class as a Cyborg or Mutant!
Cyborgs are considered a “Heavy Weapons” class, which has greater health and inflicts more damage. Mutants are the “Mega Melee” class that can deliver a tremendous amount of melee brutality, but also has access to powerful grenades and healing abilities.
If you decide not to convert your crew member into a Cyborg or Mutant, they will remain human and have the opportunity to reach the coveted Veteran Status... if they can survive long enough!
VETERANS
These tried-and-true crew members have survived more battles and seen more horrors than they’d care to remember. They have shunned ALL cyborg enhancements or biological improvements and have embraced their own humanity as the strongest weapon in their arsenal. These rare and legendary characters live by their own rules, and can help turn the tide of battle in an instant!
You can usually only have ONE Veteran or Elite crew member on the battlefield at any time, so choose your team wisely!
DOZER UPGRADES
Dozer upgrades are technologies that can be purchased through NPCs, discovered by exploring locations, or acquired after successfully negotiating a hostile situation. You never know what you'll find on any given playthrough!
Dozer Upgrades (like the Dreadhound Kennel above) can be used during battle with major effects, giving your crew members various buffs and powers, calling in reinforcements, or even raising the dead! Possible upgrades and technologies include an Alchemist laboratory, robotic research department, nuclear engines, science facility, cloning vats, agricultural center, meat processing plant and sick bay.
Update #3 has more information about Dozer Upgrades!
DOZER WEAPONS
Last but not least are the devastating Dozer weapons that can be discovered during your journey through Bedlam. Only a single weapon can be installed on your Dozer at a time, and each has a specific impact and recharge timer. Spin up the Gatling cannons to deal vicious area-of-effect damage, or trigger a laser strike to blaze a lethal line of light across the battle board!
During your navigation through Bedlam, these primary Dozer weapons can also unlock inaccessible areas if you have the proper tool for the job -- with lasers equipped, you could cut through a crashed spaceship's hull to search for extraterrestrial technologies, while missiles could demolish that landslide blocking your path, revealing a new route through Bedlam.
While forming a battle strategy, you must factor crew member positions, relative health of all friend and foe combatants, control of key battle board areas, crew-impacting Dozer upgrades and, of course, the primary Dozer weapon.
If you plan your battles effectively, triumph is assured! On the other hand, a few wrong choices could result in grisly death... and once a crew member falls in combat, they are lost for the remainder of the game ("permadeath"). The wasteland is a cruel and unforgiving place!
Successful outcomes in battle earn resources that can be used for barter, upgrades, or Dozer improvements. However, enemy victory can result in game failure — a Dozer is defeated once its armor is obliterated or when all passengers and crew are eliminated, sending you back to the beginning for a fresh start.
The realm of Bedlam is the result of the catastrophic clashes of black science that caused the Barren Age... and the impact of those terrible wars still linger after centuries.
Civilization survived and ultimately flourished in the spectacular walled metropolis of Bysantine... but as this technological marvel begins to fall victim to overcrowding, class distinction, corporate conflict and organized crime, there is a new hope in the distant utopia of Aztec City!
Your travels through Bedlam may take you into tachyon mists that can distort time before your very eyes, hallucinogenic squalls that can present literally unreal threats, alternate-dimensional bleeds that can drop legendary parallel-reality champions into battle with (or against) you, or ancient necrotech that can reanimate the skeletal remains of long-fallen warriors... with a vengeance!
The unpredictable environment can even affect battles. Because of Bedlam's constantly fluctuating climate, your combatants may have to fight during blinding blizzards of crimson ash, near patches of homicidal vegetation, or in confounding fields of X-ray wavelengths. Or a corrosive enzyme cyclone could suddenly swirl through the middle of an encounter, which may prompt the enemy (or your own crew) to flee or risk molecular degeneration!
Temporal anomalies, freak storms, bone soldiers and deadly apparitions? It's no exaggeration to say that anything can happen in these bizarre lands -- Bedlam truly earned its namesake!
Random Events
Your path through Bedlam will take you through a series of Faction-controlled territories, and your Dozer traverses each of these areas by navigating and visiting separate Points of Interest.
Arriving at a Point of Interest may lead to a Boomtown -- settlements like Gluttonhold and Trudgefoot dotting the charred domain -- or you could be sent immediately into battle with the dominant Faction of the territory. But it could also initiate a Random Event, delivered to you via NPCs through the Dozer's Communications Window.
King Viscera
The massive and merciless tormenter who proclaims himself the overlord of Bedlam, King Viscera is known mostly for his fearsome blood-streaked armor and complete lack of compunction.
Though he rarely handles matters personally, he dispatches his infamous (and particularly vicious) patrols to eliminate his competition, harass the denizens of independent Boomtowns, and generally disrupt any semblance of peace. All the while, he scours the blackened sands of Bedlam for valuable artifacts to help him gain the dominating power he seeks. During your journey through Bedlam, you will become keenly aware of King Viscera's notoriety. And there's a very good chance you will encounter his scouting parties, because despite the expanse of Bedlam, it would be all but impossible to hide your rolling fortress from his attention... and it's just the kind of thing he would desire.
But will you also have the opportunity (or misfortune) to actually face him? Even the mighty Dozer may not provide protection if you cross his path or draw his wrath!
Simply put, we want to be completely in control of both the design and execution of the game! We at Skyshine have all spent years working at large companies, which in turn have large publishers behind them - and it is always the same story. The publisher will flex its muscles and insist the game design bends to 'current trends', while demanding the game ships on their schedule (even when it's not ready) just to meet quarterly numbers. Been there, done that! Now it is our turn!
But... we need your help! So we are asking you for your support in raising enough money (or more) to escape the metaphorical shackles and bring to market our vision of BEDLAM!
Kickstarter also empowers us to go directly to you, the gamers who love to play role-playing games, to get your support, input and feedback that would normally be impossible. We look forward to working with enthusiastic fans to make the game of our dreams together.
So come aboard this journey and become a backer and future BEDLAM player!
Digital downloads of the game (ALL TIERS) are your choice of Steam keys for the PC or Mac version.
We are aiming to release BEDLAM in Late Summer 2015 (with a few months possibly added for polish based on beta results).
We are an independent video game developer specializing in creating fun and captivating role-playing games. Skyshine was founded in 2014 by three industry veterans from various high-profile studios.
John is an award-winning author, illustrator, and game artist whose career has spanned 20 years. He is the creator of OINK, a critically acclaimed graphic novel due for a new release in 2015 through Dark Horse Comics (shameless plug). John has been a contributor to numerous AAA games and has recently spent five years as the Studio Art Director at Vigil Games, the studio that created Darksiders.
Jeff worked for Bally right out of college and helped create hit pinball games like 'Creature from the Black Lagoon', 'Judge Dredd', 'The Flintstones' and 'Theatre of Magic'. After years of pinball, he started working on video arcade hits such as NBA Showtime (and its sequels), NFL Blitz (and its sequels) and Redcard soccer.
Sam has a background that goes from the GameBoy Color Indie scene all the way to Lead Visual Effects Artist on the recent Darksiders games. He’s done pixel-art, 3D modeling, animation, world building, game design, scripting, visual effects, you name it.
Additional Contributors
We at Skyshine Games also want to give a HUGE shout out to three vital individuals who have helped us get to this point; because without their help, BEDLAM would not be what you see today! Thank you guys!!
Kevin Riepl is renowned for composing epic signature scores for blockbuster sci-fi action video games such as GEARS OF WAR and the UNREAL series. Kevin’s other video game credits include the critically acclaimed original music scores for Aliens: Colonial Marines and Resistance: Burning Skies. Have a listen to his talents applied to BEDLAM!
Dave Davis - for helping with everything Lore related to this kickstarter page and to our website!!
Kenneth Bassham - for mixing the audio and sound effects for our awesome Kickstarter video!!!
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Skyshine Games will be happy to answer any questions you might have about BEDLAM. Please contact us via any of our major social media sites like Twitter, or Facebook.
Risks and challenges
We feel the risks are minimal. We have a solid game design, an engaging mythology and presentation, a distinct art style, a budget and an execution plan to complete this game. We are using a third-party game engine so the programmer and animator can focus on making the game - not the low-level details. We have done a lot of up-front work on BEDLAM before coming to Kickstarter so as to present a clear vision of what we want to create.
There are challenges in every project, and BEDLAM is no exception. Rest assured, we have the skills to deliver a fun and accessible game -- it's just a matter of money and time. The money will come from you and other backers, and we have made the necessary time commitments to fulfill our dream.
We want to take this time to sincerely thank you for expressing an interest in our game (and reading this entire page)! We hope you will become a backer, and get ready for the insanity that will be BEDLAM!
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- (30 days)