Hi everyone! Let's start with a fresh gameplay teaser straight from Realms Deep 2023!
The gameplay for the teaser was shot in mid-summer, and it's already a little nostalgic for me to see things that have been improved or tweaked since then, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show something during this event.
A short recap for newcomers
My name is Alexey and this is my passion project - a stylish first-person melee action full of improvisation and tons of addictive melee skills based on kicking, grappling, slamming, dashing, etc. The game has no locked skills or progression, you'll be able to pull off crazy combos as soon as you learn lots of moves and tricks that you can do with just a few buttons.
I've been working on this game for many years and it's changed a lot through several public demos and with the help of my amazing players. The latest demo was released earlier this year, check out this demo FAQ as some things will be massively improved in the full game which is still in development!
The game is coming 2024
Development is going well and even though there is no set release date, I'm so close to finally locking down all the content and getting into the final stage of development where things should be a little more predictable. 2024 is my realistic target and I'm doing my best to finish the game without sacrificing the things that are important to me, as I really want to release a cohesive thing that plays to its strengths.
I would like to thank all my players and followers here and on my socials. I can't always respond to every comment, but I always read your thoughts and experience with the game.
Considering there have already been 3 public demos alongside the Humble Originals build from 2019, this almost feels like early access as your feedback has helped me improve the game in so many ways and kept me motivated throughout such a long development <3
Thank you! Alexey 'cptnsigh'
Here's a bonus in case you don't follow me, a flawless SSS playthrough of a level from the second hub of the game!
I really want to address some of the most frequently mentioned things about the demo, which might be interesting for many who missed my answers, as they are scattered across several chats : )
Let's start with something cool right away – The Grapple or The Chained Dagger to be precise.
Get Down There!
Is it possible to use the grapple while wielding a weapon?
No, it can be only used for parkour on grapple points when armed.
BUT
The chained dagger will be a separate key in the full game
I tried to fit it into my tight control scheme, because I'm a big fan of contextual abilities, where there's never a button that can only do one thing. Kick, slide, jump and other buttons are all used for both combat and parkour, and I tried very hard to fit the chained dagger into the throwing mechanic based on RMB.
But now I have even more awesome things to do with the grapple, and having it on a separate button not only helps with the consistency of your grapple point experience, but also opens the door to a new dimension of epic combos.
So yeah, +1 more OP mechanic to balance but this one worth it!
Parkour
I can't remember a big enough question for this part, but I'm hearing all the feedback about inconsistencies in ramp jumping, weird rope physics and other little things.
Things will get better. After all, the flow is why we're all here, right? <3
Kick, Kick, Repeat
The demo is easy, I need some challenge!
Yes, the demo is only the basics. It was really important for me to show the core of the game first and to let you have fun with the mechanics, because more challenging enemies might feel frustrating before you know how many options you have even without a weapon in your hands.
That said my goal is not to make a hardcore game to be honest, but each new enemy and especially their blessed versions will do their best to push you out of the box. I know how many OP mechanics you have, but even your trustful kick and grapple won't do much in some situations while some combinations of blessed enemies won't let you rest for too long.
Sooo it might get hardcore if you dare to SSS all the levels : )
Options
Add a crosshair for better aiming!
You can turn on the crosshair during the game: Pause Game > Options > Game > Crosshair (None, Dot, Segments). You can make it always visible or keep contextual (only visible when charging an attack).
Also you can change your FOV or hide UI elements/tutorial prompts. There's a difference between in-game and title screen option menus that's not at all obvious. I'll unify the options for the full game to avoid this confusion, my bad!
Timeless Style
Why there's no bonus for beating level quickly?
Shady Knight's ranking system is all about playing with style which goes strictly against time, as you have to think more about your position, the variety of moves you use, and even do some extra moves to create interesting combos.
Instead of encouraging only the fastest and the most powerful moves my goal for the ranking is to encourage this creative moment-to-moment thinking of all the abilities you can use without being repetitive or relaying on one wining strategy.
Yet time isn't completely out of the game as I'm planning on having leaderboards for both:
The Best SSS Score,
The Fastest Flawless Run
"Flawless Run" is a new achievement that combines No Damage + No Falls + All Enemies are Dead i.e. this is your proof that you can beat a level without a scratch.
The Endless Question
An endless arena and a simple in-game editor are planned, but I want to be honest that I still have a lot to do with the core experience and this is my main priority.
I wish I could do it all at once, but I feel that a half-baked game with a half-baked endless mode is still a minus, so I have to focus on the main game and to think of these things as goals for the post-launch updates. Anyway the game is designed around high replayability and I hope you'll be busy with the exciting things I'm working on right now : )
I guess this is all for now. Thank you all for your support and feedback. I'm so glad to have such a community as it makes the hardest times during development brighter.
Thank you! Alexey 'cptnsigh'
"Developing Shady Knight" – My interview for 80 LEVEL
Hi everyone!
Shady Knight has been noticed by this amazing game development magazine called 80 level. Although I'm not very good at formulating my random thoughts into a solid piece of text, I was more than happy to answer their questions about the game.
If you've ever been curious about the story behind Shady Knight, check out this article:
I've uploaded a small patch for the demo. The most interesting part is changes to the grappling mechanic so If someone struggled with accidently throwing your sword away let me know how it feels now.
New
Improved crosshair that fades in only when charging any attack. There are two types of crosshair: dot and segments.
The Skull cutscenes can be skipped by holding an action button.
Target FPS option is now available
note this option works only when vsync is off
Grappling
Added more noticeable green flare for the pulling points when they are reachable.
More forgiveness for grappling when armed. If you suddenly charge a throw instead of grapple, your throw will switch to grappling as soon as there’s one reachable point.
Bugs & Exploits
Grappling through a breakable fence is fixed.
Throw-Dash-Throw wall-climbing strat is fixed. Now it’s only possible to dash once in mid-air.
Downward kick is dealing more damage to objects to prevent infinite barrel-jumping.
+ some other minor changes
And thank you all for the amazing feedback!
New Demo is Live!
I'm excited to finally share with you the progress I've made on the game. The demo features some of the new abilities, improved control scheme, updated visuals and many other changes big and small.
Feel free to share your thoughts here on the Community Hub or join my Discord server where you can find channels for feedback/suggestions, bugs, etc.
Have fun playing!
Steam Page Update & Upcoming Demo
Hi
It's been a while since the last update, so first of all, thanks to everyone who keeps following the game. Shady Knight is still mostly a solo project, and there was a long break in development last year.
But now I'm excited to finally be able to come back and show some progress, starting with an update on the Steam page and a new public demo coming soon with updated visuals, new abilities, and many other improvements. Stay tuned!
Alexey 'cptnsigh'
Shady Knight SGF Demo Patch 0202.2
Bugs
Screen Resolution Option (missing resolutions in the list) bug fix
Mouse scrolling (plugged controller) bug fix
Options
Improved UI readability
Post-processing option split to Motion Blur and Glow Effect
Mouse max sensitivity option increased from 2.5 to 7.5
Gameplay
Improved weapon dash Glow Indicator
Dash pivot for swords moved closer to center
Slam Dunk style point added (throw an object in jump)
Scattered Arrow knocking down enemies
Archers will fall into the ocean on the second attempt to kick them or after getting some damage while falling
Shady Knight SGF Demo Patch 0202.1
Gameplay
Weapon Dash radius slightly increased
Improved object picking
Object throw charging time slightly increased
Chains' trigger zone slightly increased
Slide min-speed threshold reduced
You can switch from charging Slash to Throw by RMB (alt attack)
Bugs
"Interstellar" Weapon Dash bug fix
Ground Climb bug fix
Other
Tower 1-2 swing chain hint added
Hints on available settings added
Updated Demo End scene
New Demo for SGF 2021 February Edition
Hi there!
I'm glad to announce that Shady Knight will be a part of the Steam Game Festival 2021 February Edition! The new demo will be available within the festival week starts on February 3.
It's been almost half a year since the last demo, all this time I keep working and improving things. The new demo features lots of new mechanics, style rank system, bow as a new weapon, new enemies - archers, improved controller, new tutorial, and levels.
I'm gonna post more details about the game during the festival. For now, check out this quick montage captured from the upcoming demo:
