The project has hit a rough patch since the release of Story Mode and development has been slow. Story Mode brought in significantly less new users than we anticipated and essentially we have less development money than we need to support ourselves until the project is finished. As such, Dr. Shameless Cat has left the project to look for work, and Ive diverted my attention to porting A Robot Named Fight! to PlayStation and searching for publishers to raise some more funds. The game will still be completed, but likely on a more extended timeline. Specifically, the new plan is to focus on Arcade Mode first, releasing the Act II and Act III arcade content before releasing any more Story Mode. To that end, there is some cool content to share. It's not all doom and gloom.
The next update will introduce new damage types that impose status effects such as ongoing damage, slow down, and stun. Both new player abilities and new enemies will deal these new damage types.

We've also added support for moving platforms. The enemy AI can now navigate maps that incorporate these platforms but not only that...

They're also able to avoid moving hazards! Hopefully you can too. These features will show up in a handful of new Act/Zone II environments such as: The Overgrown Suburbs (WIP, note the slopes)
And The Dyson Factory
Finally here's a preview of some new enemies:

You can support the continued development of Kapital Punishment 22XX by Leaving a Steam Review. It's also tremendously helpful to mention the game on whatever forums and social media you frequent.

[ 2023-08-01 17:21:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi! We hope you're enjoy Act I of Story Mode. We've watched a lot of streams and caught a few bugs, especially with that giant nazi chicken. Here are some hotfixes. Enjoy! Patch Notes:

• Bug Fix: Fix for Energy Shield which disappeared under certain interactions.
• Bug Fix: Fixed where settings screen was inaccessible on the one-time Select Language scene first time users see.
• Bug Fix: Fixed a potential softlock in 1-1 due to gate closing slowly.
• Bug Fix: 1-3 secret gate is no longer an enemy gate, but a normal gate instead.
• Bug Fix: Fixed where player could not be targeted by certain units upon left ledge grabbing
• Bug Fix: Fixed issue in 1-8 where comrades would get stuck beyond the left edge of the level
• Bug Fix: Fixed issues where 1-8 comrades would get stuck in their idle state, until the player came and got them.
• Bug Fix: Fixed issue in 1-8 where Fly Kops could fly and attack the player beyond the left edge of the level.
• Bug Fix: Fixed issue where gate in 1-3 wasn't closing, allowing enemies from the shipping area into the rest of the map where they'd get stuck.
• Bug Fix: Fixed issue where weapons pickups could mess up level save states and cause player to respawn after death with arena fights complete.
• Bug Fix: Camera now transitioning back to the player correctly in cutscenes.
• Balance: Comrades have now knockback threshold of 3. They're harder to knockback.
• QoL: 1-2 now saves after clearing initial enemies. No need to fight foes again before Wave fight.
• QoL: Gates which open after killing enemies in 1-3 are enemy gates.
• QoL: Achievement dismiss clue no longer covered by steam pop up
• QoL: When recruiting Titus in Story Mode, dialog shows button hint.
• QoL: Titus and Brother can now activate their powers while climbing.
• QoL: Upon completing a level, player avatar moves automatically to next level in world map.
• QoL: Control now explained on World Map.
• Other: Added music to Shareware Screen at end of Act I

[ 2023-06-16 15:41:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Act I of Kapital Punishment's three act Story Mode is officially available to the public. Hooray!

However, before we get too far into the development of Act II, we need your feedback! So we're making this post to let you know how to give it to us!

Leave a Review

The best way to give us feedback is to leave a steam review! Steam reviews help boost the games visibility, and allow other players to rate your feedback and leave comments. We can also respond as developers!

Google Form Feedback

The second best way to leave feedback is by filling our this google form! (link) Google forms allow us to aggregate and compare your feedback

Discord

If you have a complex bug to report or a feature suggestion that might warrant more discussion our discord is a great place for that (link)!

Other

Finally, we eventually read all the comments on these updates and the community hub, so those are fine places to leave small notes, minor gripes or QoL feature requests as well, but we'll see your feedback quicker via the methods listed above. -Morningstar Game Studio x Dr. Shameless Cat Games

[ 2023-06-11 17:44:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Were excited to announce that Act I of Story Mode is now playable! If you already own KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX, all you have to do is update the game to gain access to this new mode. Story Mode is the heart of KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX and offers a very different experience than Arcade Mode. As its name suggests, its much more narrative-focused and features handcrafted content as opposed to procedural generation. Act I features 8 levels, 2 boss fights and picks up right after the end of the tutorial. Once you escape the WARRIOR brainwashing program, youll wake up in Homan Corrections, recruit comrades to help with your escape, fight 100s of fascist prisoners and KOPS alike, then face off against the first big boss.
Leave a review and let us know what you think of Act I of Story Mode. Were already implementing Act II and cant wait to show you what fresh hell awaits in the company town of Dyson. Heres an updated look at our development timeline:
You can help by providing feedback here. As part of this update, weve reset the leaderboards, but the old leaderboards from 0.3.9.4 are still visible in-game in the legacy Hall of Fame. Weve fixed so many bugs and made so many Balance and QofL changes that it seems only fair to start with a blank slate. Nows your chance to get your name at the top of those Leaderboards! Starting at 10am PDT today (June 8th), KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX will be 33% off until June 22nd, 2023 - support our indie game by grabbing another copy for a friend and spreading the word! We hope you enjoy this first major milestone and that it gets you excited for whats to come! Matt (MGS) & Dr. Shameless Cat (DSCG)

[ 2023-06-08 14:44:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi! It seems its already time for another end of month progress report!

Name Change

First things first. KOP KILLER 22XX is now KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX! As much as we liked the original title, it didnt lend itself to open discussion of the game. We were comfortable with taking the risk, but after a lot of discussion we came to realize not everyones in a position to do the same. We feel the new title solves that issue while aligning with the content and theme of the game even better. We hope you agree! KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX is here to stay and reach new audiences!

ACT I on JUNE 8th!

Get hype! Story Mode Act I will debut on June 8th! Get ready to fight your way through 8 challenging, hand-crafted levels each with its own unique twist. Heres a small preview: Escape your nefarious captors through a gauntlet of platforming challenges.
Battle waves of foes as your fight to free your fellow prisoners.
Explore Homan Corrections with the help of your comrades.
Kill over 100 fascists.
Weve been working overtime to get this release super polished. Beyond the new content weve added too many quality of life improvements to list here. Weve got 2 rockin boss fights, revamped UI, full Spanish translation, and loads of secrets and surprises. Weve improved comrade AI beyond what youve seen in Arcade Mode, and optimized things to run buttery smooth. Well be putting the game on sale (33% off) for two weeks starting June 8th and need your help to spread the word! KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX! Tell everyone! Gaming forums, twitter, Tik Tok, reddit. If you havent already, leave a review! Reviews help more than anything else. Finally you can join our discord and share your feedback on the game itself! Thanks Matt (MGS) Dr. Shameless Cat (DSCG)

[ 2023-05-31 15:57:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! As mentioned in the last end of month update, we've decided to change the name of KOP KILLER 22XX. Check out that post for more info! Anyways, to change the name of a released you need to contact Valve. We did, and they changed the name! Immediately. Hooray! The new title is:
We hadn't anticipated rolling out the name change over the weekend, so stuff will be a bit jumbled for a bit. Most of the store page assets have been updated. I'll get a new trailer up early next week. We'll update the name in-game ASAP, but it may take a bit longer to ensure we roll out a stable build. Thanks for for you patience. Happy Mothers Day! -Matt, MGS (Dr. Shameless Kat is asleep in Europe)

[ 2023-05-13 21:54:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! Our game has been in Early Access for nearly two months now, and we wanted to update you on our progress and future plans. For one, we plan to start making a post like this at the end of each month. But, before I dive into more information about Act I, there are two important issues I have to address.

PRICE CHANGE

With the Combo Update, weve increased the game's price from $2.99 to $4.99. As weve said, as we release major updates well gradually increase the price. However, we initially anticipated doing this alongside the larger Story Mode updates. Instead, weve chosen to up the price early so that when Act I releases, we can run a sale and hopefully gain some visibility. (You cant run a sale within 30 days of a price increase.) Were pretty buried on the store page at the moment, and a sale will help. If youre reading this you likely already own the game, but we wanted to be transparent. Also, we want to clarify we wont increase the price again until (~30 days before) the next major update after Act I of Story Mode.

NAME CHANGE

On the topic of visibility, we also want to announce that were changing the title of the game. I like the title KOP KILLER 22XX. It goes hard. However, its hurt us when it comes to promoting the game. We want this game, its themes, and its content to be as uncompromising as possible, but if no one ever sees it, that doesnt matter. There are other factors that have limited the games reach, but weve received multiple messages from streamers and press outlets expressing that theyd cover the game if not for its title. The algorithm does not approve.

STORY MODE

Anyways, on to the fun stuff! Act I of Story Mode should be publicly available no later than the middle of June. The title change will cause a slight delay as we update the store page, title screen, etc. but the content for Act I is largely finished. To give you just a taste of whats on the way, here are some screenshots followed by a brief explanation of what to expect:

Boss Fights

Youve likely seen this big fascist chicken in the trailer. This ED-209 inspired boss is named after a greedy prince of Hell and dimwitted nazi dog whistle. The creeps at Homan Corrections are even less subtle than the goofuses that named their game Kop Killer. Mammon sports two massive miniguns, beak-mounted flamethrower, and a missile rack with a lock-on guidance system. The perfect tool for stopping every crime from loitering to non-violent street protests. The fight itself will require help from all your comrades to win!

Platforming

Thats right! Story mode is more than just brawling. It includes plenty of hand-crafted platforming to keep you on your toes. All of the abilities in your core move-set really shine here. More traditional platforming foes with simple movement patterns are interspersed with the more relentless AI Kops.

Story (duh!)

Unlike Arcade Mode, your comrades in Act I have more than one line of dialogue. Youll begin to learn the backstories of Titus, Vilma, Brother and Shakeel in this installment. Youll discover more about the nature of Homans nefarious deeds and the grim world of the 23rd century.

Secrets

Story mode features numerous secrets to discover. Exploration is rewarded with powerful upgrades. But beware! Most of these powerful upgrades are guarded by puzzles and combat challenges. Hopefully, this preview whets your appetite until we can make Act I publicly available. Were at the finish line and just adding polish / fixing bugs. We cant wait for your feedback to help us make the game even better. Please share your thoughts in the comments!

[ 2023-04-28 16:08:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

The KOP KILLER 22XX C-C-C-COMBO UPDATE has just gone live! This update features a brand new combo system to help you push your score to the limit through expert play. Combos build up as you deal damage to enemies within 2-second intervals. As your combo climbs higher you gain a score multiplier that boosts the points gained from killing enemies. When your combo finally ends you're awarded another large bonus based on its size. However, if you take damage during the combo it breaks and you lose this large bonus. Additionally, we've added 6 new upgrades that interact with this combo system. Regenerate health as your combo climbs higher. Unleash a devastating energy wave when your combo finishes. Repel enemies when your combo is broken. All of these upgrades come with new achievements to unlock.
Finally, for the top of the leaderboards, we've extended the late game and added even tougher KOPs. 6 new Tier 4 enemies provide additional challenge and surprises along with brand new art.
The main focus of this update has been to address the game's difficulty curve to grant struggling players a better experience and experienced players a greater challenge. The game's first month has illustrated that many players struggle to get past the first several arenas of Arcade mode but that those who do eventually reach a point where the power provided by the upgrades begins to outpace the difficulty of the enemies. We've made a number of changes to lower the entry-level difficulty but steepen the curve to make the leaderboards more fun and competitive. Finally, for those that need an extra helping hand, many arenas now let you free your fellow prisoners... [previewyoutube=3W40s_UW3gE;full][/previewyoutube]

New Features

• New Combo System that applies a score multiplier during combos and a bonus on completion.
• 6 New Combo Themed Upgrades with 6 New Achievements!
• Free Prisoners mid-fight to act as temporary allies!
• New Turret Drones and Minigun Drones.
• 6 Super Hard Tier 4 Enemies with unique art. (Arena 20+)
• New Score and Time Extending Upgrades for the late game.
• New Arena-Chunk variants.
• New scene before tutorial.

Balance

• Arena Difficulty pushed back by 1 Arena. The first Arena is easier, then second arena has same difficulty as the first used to and so on.
• Only 1 Shield Kop can appear in Arena 3.
• Arcade Countdown Timer doesn't start till Arena 30.
• Vilma's attack speed increases more while raging.
• While raging, Vilma has increased knockback.
• Tier 3 Turret Builders No longer invincible while building turrets.
• Tier 3 Turret Builders Max Turrets decreased from 6 to 5.
• Tier 3 Turret Builders Max Health increased to 12.
• Ammo, Health and Cooldown Pickup Upgrades limited to 2 Max.
• Starting at Arena 20 the upgrade pool offered after each arena shrinks until only time and score upgrade are offered.
• FK-12 now only requires you clear 4 Lab Arenas in a single run to unlock.
• FK-12's projectile barrage fires fewer rounds and fires them faster

Quality of Life

• Reworked Tutorial for better clarity.
• Moved item spawns in upgrade room so that they're not covered by Stat UI
• Enemy layer now behind Player layer
• Upgrades of the same type now have a number instead of appearing multiple times in the Pause Menu.

Bug Fixes

• Comrades resurrect now with their proper stats according to arenas cleared.
• Hordes of Turret Builders no longer cause tremendous slow down
• Weapons can now be picked up while crouching
• Comrades can now be revived while crouching
• Projectiles no longer collide with dying combatants as they're falling

This update isn't all we've been working on! We're in the home stretch of finishing ACT I of KOP KILLER 22XX's story mode. We hope to release this major update sometime in late May / early June.
In the interim we'll leave you with this WIP preview of ACT I's World Map. -Matt (MGS) & Dr. Shameless Cat (DSCG)

[ 2023-04-20 16:51:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

We're excited to announce KOP KILLER 22XX is now Steam Deck Verified!
We confirmed this privately during testing, but now it's official. Hooray! Now you can bash fash on the go. Enjoy!

[ 2023-04-02 15:04:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi! Today, we're happy to release a small quality of life update based on initial feedback. Expect more news on Story Mode soon! Change Log: Balance

• One Riot Kop and only one will appear in Arena 3 if it is a Prison Cell or Sewers Environment
• Limited number of Riot Kops that can appear in Arena 4
• Tier 0 and 1 Riot KOPs have a small cooldown before doin first dash attack

Bug Fixes

• Player can no longer jump while sliding through 1 tile high gaps.
• Comrades no longer resurrect stuck in tilemap due to height issue.
• Lasers in Z01A10 don't turn on automatically at wrong distance anymore.
• Turrets no longer built on top of each other.
• Knockback velocity is no longer FPS dependent.
• Player arrow toggle now saved between scenes.

Quality of Life

• Comrade corpses have arrow over therm.
• Text now instantly appears when pushing text button instead of speeding up.
• Tutorial fake wall now disappears automatically after 10 seconds
• Player arrow over comrade arrows
• Intro Cutscene now restarts after 45 seconds rather than 10
• Tutorial ending now has clearer indication on how to finish it.
• Added Button Glyphs for LogitechF310-D

[ 2023-03-13 17:35:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello! Matt Bitner of Morningstar Game Studio here. If youre reading this, that means KOP KILLER 22XX has just entered Early Access on Steam. We hope you have fun bashing fash in this initial chunk of the game, but want to give you some more information about what lies ahead. By purchasing the game now, youll receive all future content free! We greatly appreciate your support! IF YOURE ENJOYING THE GAME, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Today weve released version 0.3.2.1 of KOP KILLER 22XX. Its presently limited to Arcade Mode, where players play through arena after randomized arena to kill the most KOPs and gain a spot on the leaderboards. In the coming weeks, we will no doubt release QoL patches that tweak difficulty, fix bugs, and add in high-demand features proposed by the community. In early summer 2023, we hope to release the first major update, 0.4.?.?. This update will include the first act of a three-act Story Mode! Unlike Arcade Mode, Story Mode will feature hand-crafted levels and encounters, savable progress, and a compelling narrative that will allow you to better explore the world of KOP KILLER 22XX. Update 0.4.?.? will be set in the same prison environment as Arcade Mode. With each major update, the price of the game will increase. The following update, 0.5.?.? will introduce a new Zone, the Company Town, to Arcade Mode. This zone will feature all-new enemies, environments, and challenges. Players will be able to choose between Prison and Company Town before starting an Arcade run, and each Zone will have its own Leaderboard. Then, in 0.6.?.?, we plan to bring the Company Town to Story Mode in Act II. We intend for your progress, comrades, and collectibles from Act I to carry over to this new act. This pattern of Arcade Zone, QoL Patches, and Story Mode Act will repeat until the game is done. The final two major updates will address feedback on the completed game and add last-minute polish before the games official release. Check out the road map graphic below for a preview of whats in store!

[ 2023-03-07 05:39:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Exciting News! KOP KILLER 22XX has an official launch date for Early Access: March 7, 2023! The Steam page has details on why we chose to go the Early Access Route, but the bottom line is WE NEED YOU! YOUR feedback is going to make this game. KK22XX is being developed by Matt (the guy behind Morningstar Game Studio) and Dr. Shameless Cat. There are only so many hours in the day for two people to develop a game, let alone play-test it. Thats where YOU come in! We intend to closely follow feedback from the community to address balance issues and edge case bugs as we work towards completing KOP KILLER 22XXs planned content. Player experience will also help inform design choices for future content as we address what works and what doesnt in the games Early Access form. Wishlist KOP KILLER 22XX on Steam NOW! (Tell your pals to wishlist, too.) KOP KILLER 22XX will enter Early Access on March 7th 2023 at $2.99. This is a very deep discount compared to the planned final price! For the first week of early access, it will be an additional 33% off!

[ 2023-01-31 17:27:17 CET ] [ Original post ]