Pre-Script: If not it's okay, but is there any way to change my username? Having this edgy teenage-days name is a bit fun in an ironic way, but definitely not the moniker I use nowadays. (Though, for what it's worth, I'm literally listening to KMFDM right now, so maybe not much has changed between now and then…)

Brief catchup for those that haven't followed me between my old 64Digits days and now:

-Genderfluid (any pronouns are okay)

-Mellowed TF out (CBD, therapy, a loving partner, and good public housing helps)

-Released a tabletop RPG and a few other small projects (I think I mentioned Kill Sector here once?)

-Only semi-edgy on a purely aesthetic level, and mostly in a "I think dudes with chainsaw hands are kinda cool" kind of way

Right now I'm on the tail end of illustrating a digital trading card series for a company called Neonmob (which is essentially like NFT's but not). I've pivoted most of my creative efforts into a little top-down action game called SawBlade Sorceress.

The premise is simple - you play as the titular character, dragging around a giant whirring sawblade with the mouse. You're charged with invoking the powers of several demons by standing within their magic circles. The story is intentionally vague and video-gamey - each level is going to be punctuated with the protagonist talking cryptically to the player about her life and the world she lives in. The main focus of the game is on its aesthetic, its music (the soundtrack will be heavy industrial - KMFDM-adjacent by way of Bosca Ceoil), and having a simple gameplay loop that's equal parts fun, straightforward, and novel.

See, the hard thing about controlling a giant floating sawblade - is that it's a giant floating sawblade. You're not immune to its cutting power, so you have to be mindful of where you point it, while also weaving around the enemies. I'd go into more detail - but I'd rather keep these things a surprise for playtesters.

Which brings me to my next point! I'm looking for some playtesters to try this game out. Right now I have the first six of eight levels built up. There's no sound or story, and the menus are janky, but the core gameplay loop is fully functional.

So far, it's been tested up to the fourth level by my partner, but they aren't especially keen on action games specifically. The main takeaway I've got from their playtesting is that, at the very least, the first three levels are very much beatable by someone that doesn't play this kind of game. The fourth level, they had a hard time with, and they haven't really had the time to test more since I've applied changes to that level.

My aim for SawBlade Sorceress is to make a very simple, short, punchy budget title - a decent one-sitting playthrough for two dollars. That's about the biggest thing I can expect myself to make within about six to eight weeks while still having fun. I also have a soft spot for these kinds of games - something beefier than a free title, but still small-scale and experimental - worst-case scenario, if it was bad, you wasted maybe a coffee's worth of money. I want to make games within that specific niche - short, weird games that are semi-polished, and have a bit of meat on their bones, but also don't overstay their welcome. I'm sure if I put more time into it, I can better articulate my appeal for these kinds of games - but I'm drawing a blank, so suffice to say I'll leave that articulation for another time.

If you're interested in playtesting, please comment here or DM me on Discord (Noah Eadie (He/They/She)#9805). If possible, I'd prefer to do it as a Discord voice call, watching you stream the game so I can see how you handle the game firsthand. The whole thing as it stands should take about twenty-ish minutes, maybe upwards of twenty-five - including feedback and commentary, the whole of testing should take no more than forty-five minutes. And, if you have a game of your own you want playtested (that can run on a very cheap computer), I'd be willing to return the favor.

Peace!