Hey hey!

Sorry it's been a bit since my last update. I stepped away from the project briefly so that I could develop a side-gig that helps me generate income while I'm working on the game. Financially I'm in a much better spot now than I was at my last update. I'm excited to get back into working on the project!

That step away also gave me a fresh perspective on some of the issues with the game. Personally, this being my first game I'm quite happy with the overall look and feel of the game. With that said, the gameplay is currently lacking. The main issue is that it just plays like every other survivor-like on the market where you kite enemies and gather XP.

An added problem to that is the current tech tree upgrade system. Balancing is quite difficult and some upgrades are simply better than others. My original attempt to balance this was to have the player gather currency instead and just make the better upgrades more expensive but that still doesn't encourage players to experiment with their builds. I want to really encourage experimentation and replayability so the tech tree upgrade system will be getting scrapped in favor of the typical 3 random upgrades with the opportunity to re-roll.

It's a bit of a boring solution but it does do a much better job of encouraging experimentation and increasing the games replayability.

So you may be confused, I just stated that the problem with the game is that it plays like every other survivors-like and my solution to that was to copy and paste the go-to upgrade solution from those games? Doesn't that make the problem worse?

Well yes it does! But that's not the only change coming. I have a brand new approach I want to take to the upgrades which will make each upgrade choice have a deep meaningful impact on the way you play. It will shape your run and subsequent runs should feel very very different from one another. I don't want to say more yet until I've implemented and tested this idea, but I'm very excited for it and think it will give Neon Blitz it's own unique identity among the survivor-like genre.

That's all for now!

Follow the game here on steam so you get the latest news on the project!

Rob

Hey everyone!

Lots of big changes in this update, so lets jump in:

First upyou can move now. The original concept for Neon Blitz was all about being rooted in place, but after a lot of thought and testing, Ive decided to move on from that. Being able to reposition adds a layer of mechanical challenge that the game really needed. It already feels better and solves a lot of design issues that were holding things back. Its probably here to stay.

To go with that, I added a smoky outer barrier around the arena. If you step into it, your visibility is limited in this area and youll take damage over time. Its a soft edge to the play areameant to keep the action focused without feeling like a hard wall.

Enemy spawning also got a full overhaul. I now have much more control over when and how enemies show up, which lets me better shape the pacing and intensity of each wave. It gives me the ability to make the difficulty curve feel intentional rather than chaotic.

Ive also improved how damage feels. Theres stronger screen shake, a red vignette effect, and a subtle bit of chromatic aberration when you get hit. The result is punchier feedback that makes each hit land with more weight.

Visually, Ive been testing a new look for the enemies. Im liking the direction this is going a lot more than the previous designs.

On the progression side, Ive replaced the money system with XP-based leveling. You gain experience during a run, and upgrades now have a flat cost. Its simpler and more readable, but Ill likely need to modify the upgrade system as I can now longer balance based on upgrade cost.

Also, Im experimenting with enemy colors again. Ive mostly stuck to red and blue up to now, but it might be time to open that up. Curious what people think.

As always, if youre enjoying the updates, wishlist Neon Blitz and stay tuned!

Hey hey!

Quick update on Neon BlitzI've been hard at work creating upgrades for the first primary weapon in the game: the Mini-Gun! This thing absolutely shreds. Youll be able to tweak it with all kinds of fun upgrades: homing bullets, bouncing bullets, a big charge shot, and the usual suspects like DPS and shot speed boosts. Its all about turning the screen into a chaotic light show of destruction.

Check out this gif to see the Mini-Gun in actionbullets flying everywhere, ricocheting off enemies, locking onto targets its a blast.


Also, heres a little tease: Im working on a new gadget. Its called the Vacuum, and itll help you suck up resources that drop during gameplay. Youll use those to buy upgrades during your run. Im still figuring out how it all ties together, but I think its going to add a nice layer of strategy.


More to come soon! In the meantime, if you havent already, wishlist Neon Blitz on Steam so you dont miss any updates!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to drop in with some exciting progress on Neon Blitz! This past period has been focused on some key foundational elements that I'm really happy to finally have in a good state.


First up, I've implemented input rebinding! I'm pleased to say that you'll now be able to fully customize your keyboard controls to suit your playstyle. Whether you have a preferred layout or need specific bindings for accessibility, you'll have the freedom to set things up exactly how you like them.

On top of that, I've also been working hard on controller support! For those who prefer a gamepad, you'll be able to plug in your controller and jump straight into the action. I've been testing with a few different models, and it feels great to blast through enemies with a controller in hand. Input rebinding will also work with controllers!


And finally, the big news for this update: Neon Blitz is now uploaded to Steam for internal playtesting! This is a huge milestone, as it means I can start getting the game into the hands of a small group to get some valuable feedback on the core gameplay loop, balance, and overall feel. It's a crucial step towards getting the game ready for a wider audience.

These updates might not be the flashiest visually, but they are essential for making Neon Blitz a more accessible and enjoyable experience for everyone. Getting the game onto Steam for internal testing is also a significant step forward in the development process.

Stay tuned for more updates as the internal playtesting progresses!

If you haven't already, make sure to wishlist and follow Neon Blitz on Steam to stay in the loop!

That's all for now thanks for following along!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to check in and share some updates on Neon Blitz. Ive been polishing things up, making sure everything looks sharp and feels awesome to play.

First up, the title screenthis is the first thing youll see when you boot up the game. It's got a cool parallax effect that's simple but I think gives it a great feel. Can't show off that sleek animation here (damn steam upload limits) but I can at least show what the title screen will look like.


Next, weve got the game over screen. I didnt want losing to feel too frustrating, so instead of just ending things, youll be able to use a gadget you unlocked in your previous run, carrying it forward into the next one. You also have the option of not carrying a gadget forward if you don't want to make things any easier for yourself :)


This month, Im primarily focused on polishing and getting everything ready for playtesting. Once playtesting starts I'll be refining the gameplay and upgrades much more. If you want to be one of the first to try out Neon Blitz and help shape the game, make sure to wishlist it on Steam!

Hey there everyone!

Wanted to touch in and let you know that progress on Neon Blitz is still progressing! :)

I've been working on things that either aren't finalized enough to talk about or aren't suitable for sharing, but here's a quick peek at some of what I've been working on!


This will be my first commercial game so as my skills improve I've redesigned a lot of the look of the game. Hope you enjoy the new look!

Also did you notice the new capsule art? I worked with some talented artists and think they really captured the appeal of the game!


I'm ramping up towards a closed beta! If you'd like to be part of that group and help me shape Neon Blitz into the best version of itself, sign up for my mailing list at the bottom of this website .

Stinger

Flea

Sign Up For The Beta!

Hello!

Welcome to the first official dev-log for Neon Blitz!

UI Update

• Health is represented in the left bar as well as explicitly displayed in the bottom left
• Any abilities the player may have are present in the new ability bar to the bottom
• There's a progress bar on the right to indicate how much of the wave has been defeated
• Next to the progress bar is a 5 wave counter. The idea is that every 5 ways gameplay something will happen to mix up the gameplay slightly. Perhaps a new ability or buffs to the enemies.
• DNA which is used as a currency is displayed in the bottom right
• Then in the top we have a timer indicating how long the current round has been going on.
  

Art Style