BEDLAM is a strategic single-player roguelike turn-based role-playing game, created for the PC and Mac utilizing 'The Banner Saga' engine. This game was funded on Kickstarter and is schedule for release on September 17th, 2015. It is currently available for preorder. The game was influenced by games such as XCOM and FTL. The game received awards at both Gamescom and E3 2015.
For information on Bedlam the Realm, look here.
The Game
Players will play the Mechanic, the last known member of a guild called Dozers. Dozers were inventors and travelers. As the Mechanic, the player will be in charge of commanding their own crew. They will need to acquire resources, interact with other characters, protect the passengers, improve their Dozer and use it to travel a post apocalyptic wasteland. Death is permanent so players will need to use wit and manage resources carefully to get through the game.
Players will constantly consume supplies. Passengers will require Meat to stay fed, the Dozer will need Metal and Crude for fuel and repairs. These items can be acquired through random events, quests, battles or salvaged from defeated enemies.
The battle system is unique with an action point based movement and attack system, swift play and awesome animations. During battle there is a no turn-order among the crew members which allows the players to choose any of the crew they wish to move or use to attack whenever it becomes the player's turn. The world is randomly generated with unpredictable environments. The encounters are also randomly generated, allowing for hours and hours of replay-ability. There are four class-based crew member types: Pistol, Shotgun, Rifle and Melee. Each one has it's own strengths, weaknesses and attack range. There are four enemy factions: Marauders, Mutants, Cyborgs and the A.I. The crew members who survive will be able to evolve into Elite and Veteran units. They can then be used to go through the game a second time in "Double Down" (double or nothing) as players travel through Bedlam once more, only this time for the chance to defeat the overlord King Viscera and his minions for great rewards..... or the sacrifice of everything if they fail.
The goal of the game 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.
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 players will 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, players will need to move a crew member to that position -- which means weighing the risk of those rewards against coming under attack from foes. Players must collect these bonus items BEFORE each battle ends.
Gallery
Videos
Origins
The background story by John Mueller from Skyshine Games can be read here.