In the previous devlog, we dipped our toes in the topics of world design and the challenges you’ll face in Janosik 2. This time we’d like to introduce you to weapons and abilities at our heroes’ disposal.
MEET THE HEROES AND THEIR ARSENAL
Each hero in Janosik 2 brings something unique to the table, from powerful weapons to special abilities that can shift the way you approach certain enemies, or even move through the levels. Since you can switch characters on the fly, we’ve made sure that traversing the levels and certain boss fights will sometimes require a bit of thought and smart character selection to progress further.
Janosik the Highlander
Weapon 1 - Sword: A trusty ol’ blade well suited for melee combat Weapon 2 - Pistols: Perfect for ranged attacks. When you can’t get close, just blast enemies from afar Special Item - Shepherd’s Axe: A unique tool that can be thrown and stuck in a wall, enabling Janosik to reach high areas that are otherwise hard to access Special Ability - Roll: Allows Janosik to dodge traps and enemy attacks
Bogdan the Werewolf
Weapon 1 - Repeater Beater: A useful mace for melee… and ranged combat. The Repeater Beater can also be thrown like a boomerang Weapon 2 - Bombs: Powerful explosives that can be placed and detonated manually, or struck with the Repeater Beater for a mid-air explosion Special Item - Shield: A defensive tool that blocks enemy attacks and projectiles Special Ability - Pushing Stones: The werewolf brawn allows Bogdan to move heavy stones, opening new pathways and solving environmental puzzles
Janka the Maiden
Weapon 1 - Magic Lamp: A mystical lantern that illuminates dark areas and can light unlit torches Weapon 2 - Freezing Power: A magical ability that fires an icy projectile, freezing enemies in place Special Item - Rock Climbing Boots: A special pair of boots that allow Janka to cling to walls, making vertical exploration that much easier Special Ability - Air Dash: A dynamic move that allows Janka to dash through the air
Hugo the Vampire
Weapon 1 - Whip: A fitting weapon for medium-range combat, perfect for keeping enemies at a safe distance while dealing solid damage Weapon 2 - Bow: A reliable ranged weapon for our vegetarian vampire Special Item - Electro Shock: A powerful item that can disable electric traps and shock enemies. Quite literally Special Ability - Cape: Thanks to his cape, Hugo can glide through the air, reducing fall speed and making air control a… breeze
SHARED ABILITIES AND WEAPONS
Double Jump Boots: Specialized boots that grant the ability to double jump, enhancing our heroes’ mobility and making it easier (or possible) to reach some places. Harpoon: A versatile weapon that allows characters to attack enemies underwater, ensuring they can fare in every environment.
Thanks for tagging along on our little tour of our heroes’ wardrobes… or rather armories. Whether you’re into sword-swinging, spell-slinging, or just tossing bombs around, we’ve got you covered. The best way to outwit de Blonde’s goons is to get creative and use every tool and weapon at your disposal. Keep your swords sharp, your boots laced, and your bombs ready to… well… go boom. Thanks for reading and see you in the next one.
Join us for a Developer Livestream on Monday, June 10 at 3:00 CEST / 6PM PDT / 9PM EDT and learn more details about the next chapter of Janosik's adventures!
Janosik 2 at Steam Next Fest 2024
Hey, everyone!
We’re proud to let you all know that Janosik 2 is a part of the Steam Next Fest June 2024! Here’s a short info on what to expect from the traditional shepherd’s hat-wearing brave who joins forces with a reluctant vampire and burly werewolf to conquer evil minions of nefarious Countess Bathory and her fairy tale minions.
Janosik 2 picks right after the events of the first game, which is available for free here on Steam. In the updated demo you can check out the first 3 out of 24 maps of Janosik 2 and get a taste of what’s ahead!
Let’s step into this mythic pixel art land of the Slavic Highlander and see what challenges, threats, and enemies you can expect in Janosik 2!
Old-school precision platforming
Janosik 2 will require good management of your speed, momentum, and jumping distance, as well as good reaction time. A single mistake can lead to falling into a trap or not reaching a desired spot. A lot of platforming elements are in constant motion so it adds another layer of complexity to traversing the levels.
The encounters in Janosik 2 are varied and require a good deal of bold moves and quick decision-making. You will frequently need to show your platforming prowess to collect shiny treasures and liberate imprisoned companions. You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled at all times because the danger can come from every direction.
To make the challenge of Janosik 2 more manageable, we've added a lot of save points throughout the levels to make the backtracking easier.
During your journey, you will find golden coins, pricy jewels, and hefty treasures scattered around the landscapes. Make sure to fill your gold sack with coins, as some vendors have put a price on their prized possessions such as a throwable Shepherd’s Axe, a Bow, a Shield, or an heirloom that lets you freeze your foes in air. Gold can also help you reach some parts of the levels by unlocking passages when interacting with NPCs or fairy tale wonders like a wishing well.
Janosik 2 will let you explore the beautiful Slavic landscapes in their fullness as some parts of the world are interconnected by doors and passages, closed when approached for the first time. You’ll need to keep playing to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Threats on your way
During your adventure, you will face not-so-friendly dogs wandering around, rats lurking in the underground tunnels, nasty fish with sharp teeth hunting underwater, venomous spiders in dungeons and caves, and more. You will also fight many human enemies like the soldiers of the nefarious Countess Bathory, and her sidekick, de Blonde.
In addition to “living” foes, there are also plenty of traps and deadly spots along the way. You’ll need to keep an eye out on all sorts of spikes coming from walls, ceilings, and floors, huge boulders dropping from the ceiling while you rush through corridors, fireball-spitting gargoyles, the shaky and crumbling floor, disappearing platforms, or spider webs that will slow you down a bunch. not to mention that, sometimes, the floor obviously is lava ;)
Underwater exploration will not be easy, as you will encounter various obstacles, menacing creatures, and need to manage the oxygen supply. Collect air bubbles floating nearby to make sure you can reach the surface safely or take a risk diving deeper to grab precious trinkets.
Of course, sometimes you can take it slow and beat some parts of the levels carefully. On the other hand, many sequences combining enemies and obstacles will require constant movement. But you will learn all that soon enough.
We’re planning a Janosik-packed summer this year, so wishlist and follow the game to stay up to date with all the news. We have a lot of awesome stuff to share in the coming weeks, starting with a Next Fest Demo!
On that note, we’d like to wish you a happy Steam Next Fest, as it is truly a time like no other. There are so many wonderful demos to check out, and we hope Janosik 2 will be on your list of demos to play.
Enjoy, and see you next time!
If you’d like to jump into the mythical world of Janosik before the sequel releases, check out the first game for free!
Join us for a Developer Livestream on Monday, June 10 at 23:00 CEST / 2PM PDT / 5PM EDT and learn more details about the next chapter of Janosik's adventures!
Janosik 2 is a part of 2D Platformer Vibes!
We’re excited to share that Janosik 2 is a part of 2D Platformer Vibes online event hosted by Retrovibe! The event is held from February 26 to March 4 and it gathers an amazing roster of 2D platformer titles developed by talented teams from various parts of the world.
Those indie gems will challenge your cleverness in adrenaline-pumping platforming, test exploration skills, eagerness to find every collectible, the reflexes in avoiding hidden traps and more.
You can enter the event here:
2D PLATFORMER VIBES IN A NUTSHELL
A VAST SELECTION OF 2D PLATFORMERS
Discover amazing platformers in a wide range of settings and art styles - from retro-fueled fantasy worlds soaked with pixel art, to desolated post-apocalyptic lands or even space. From Webbed or Tribal Hunter, to Ultros, Lone Fungus and more!
EXPLORE UPCOMING GAMES
Browse through a selection of upcoming games and fill your wishlists with amazing 2D platforming titles! You never know what awaits you on the next level or in another castle!
FREE GAME TO GRAB!
Download the full version of Janosik, a fast paced retro action-platformer metroidvania presented in a slavic setting. Explore the hand-drawn pixel art world, find secrets, jump over deadly obstacles, roll and attack enemies, collect gold coins and find upgrades.
We’re at PAX West in Seattle with Janosik 2!
We’re happy to share that we’re at Pax West 2023 in Seatlle! Drop by our booth 3011 in the Seattle Convention Center!
You can find us here:
Meet the Vegetarian Vampire! - Janosik 2 Dev Update #5
Hey!
It’s been a while since our last Dev Update, but we’ve been working hard on the original game, Janosik - Highlander Precision Platformer’s Big Update. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure to check it out here.
Let’s get back to the sequel. We are working on a third playable character - the Vampire. He’s very puzzling and interesting for a couple of reasons. For starters, he’s a VEGETARIAN. Yes. That’s right. He prefers ketchup over blood. Preferably with fries. Well… let’s be honest, who doesn’t like good fries with ketchup? The better question is whether you put the ketchup on the fries or next to them…
The vampire’s primary weapon is the whip, and he can glide on his cape to access those hard-to-reach places.
The vampire is also equipped with a bow! In combination with gliding, it allows him to rain arrows from above and style on enemies.
That would be it for this Dev Update. Now that we are back to work on Janosik 2, you can surely expect updates like that more frequently.
As always, please follow and wishlist Janosik 2, and spread the word. Make sure to join our official Discord to share your feedback and thoughts about our game!
See you next time!
Live Development of Retro Platformer Janosik 2
Join Marcin on Tuesday, 22 March, at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST / 6 PM GMT / 7 PM CET to see him work on Janosik 2 and share his design approach when it comes to making fun retro platformers.
The live stream will be available on Twitch, YouTube, and our Steam card.
Janosik 2 Dev Update #4: Everyone needs to learn the basics!
Hey everyone!
We’re coming to you with another Dev Update. This one will be quick and short, but we still wanted to check in, as it has become our tradition.
Before we jump into details, last month we had a Live Development stream for Janosik 2! If you haven’t seen it, you can check out the recording below!
[previewyoutube="89g-ToOQqdM;full"]
As for current things, this time we’re focusing on the prologue level, which teaches you all the basic mechanics you will need during your adventures! It is a beautiful and colorful level, where you’ll learn:
How to move
How to save the game
How to jump
How to use a map
How to roll through obstacles
How to swim in the water
At the end of the prologue, Janosik finds his beautiful girlfriend Janka, but the date doesn’t go his way…
[previewyoutube="5MBNoDB7DKU;full"]
As always, please follow and wishlist Janosik 2, and spread the word. Make sure to join our official Discord to share your feedback and thoughts about our game!
See you next time!
Live Development of Retro Platformer Janosik 2
Join Marcin on Tuesday, 8 February, at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST / 6 PM GMT / 7 PM CET to see him work on Janosik 2 and share his design approach when it comes to making fun retro platformers.
The live stream will be available on Twitch, YouTube, and our Steam card.
Follow Developer on Twitter
Visit Retrovibe Publisher Page
