Devlog #11: Netcode, Kittens and One Bullet

Long time no speak!

I’ve been hard at work on a fair few things since the last devlog, so grab a brew, because there’s a lot to get through. Boop n Burn is getting its multiplayer ready, KIT is back (yes, really), Skill Check has had a glow up, and there’s a brand new game I’ve been dying to tell you about.

Boop n Burn: Getting Multiplayer Ready

Most of my time on Boop n Burn lately has gone into the bit you don’t see in screenshots: multiplayer. A party brawler with sixteen players is only fun if the shove you see on your screen is the shove that actually happens, so I’ve been running network tests on the game to make sure it holds up when a full lobby is shoving each other into the lava.

Players brawling in the Boop n Burn arcade arena — The arcade, where the lava is still an alarming shade of pink.

It’s not the most exciting thing to write a devlog about, but a party game has to work online, so it’s where most of my Boop n Burn time has gone.

The goal hasn’t changed: we’re getting Boop n Burn ready for Steam Next Fest in February 2027. I’m not sure I made that clear enough last time, so I’ll say it again here. Next Fest is the target, and everything I’m doing on Boop n Burn right now is about getting there in good shape.

KIT Is Back (In Godot!)

Now for the one I didn’t expect to be writing about this soon.

In the last devlog I said KIT was on hold, not cancelled. Well, I meant it. I’ve made the decision to port KIT over to the Godot engine, and that’s been taking up a large amount of my time.

KIT on Briarwatch Green in the Godot version — KIT in Godot, at Briarwatch Green. The models are placeholders for now, but he’s home.

The main reason is that I really love the engine. Boop n Burn, Skill Check and my new side project are all built in it, and it just suits the way I like to work. Bringing KIT over means every Ki10 game now lives in the same engine, which makes it a lot easier to jump between them.

So far I’ve managed to get the mechanics feeling decent. They still need more fine tuning, because a platformer has to feel right when you pick up the controller, but it’s getting there, and I’m now starting to craft the first level for it. Everything you can see in there is using placeholder models for now, so expect it to look quite different later on. Stay tuned, there’ll be more to show soon.

Skill Check Has Art!

I also did a big update to Skill Check: the game has art now. When it launched, the cartridges in your collection were basically grey boxes with names on. Now very nearly every one of the 1,594 cartridges has proper artwork, and the whole game has a new purple look to go with it. It looks way more appealing, and the collection finally feels like a collection.

The Skill Check collection screen, full of illustrated cartridges — From grey boxes to this. Much better.

I’ve also been posting videos on social media to see if I can get some new players through the door. If you want to see them, we’re on TikTok and YouTube, and Skill Check is still free in your browser and on Google Play.

The Big New Thing: The One Bullet Job

And now the big new thing I’ve been hard at work on: my new mobile side project, The One Bullet Job.

I tend to like having one big game on the go at a time, with a small side project next to it. It keeps things fresh, and when I get stuck on the big one, I can go and make progress on the little one. The One Bullet Job is my current side project.

Planning a move in The One Bullet Job — Plan every move. The cyan tiles are where you can dash.

It’s a puzzle heist game. Each level is a room you have to navigate: steal the cash, avoid the guards and escape with the loot. The game is grid based and you move in turns, so every turn you can dash, wait or shoot, and then the guards take theirs. You have to read their patrols and plan your way around them, because if you end your move where a guard can see you, the job’s over.

As the name suggests, you usually only have one bullet, so you have to use it carefully. Shoot the guard who’s in your way now, and you might not have anything left for the one guarding the exit.

Taking the shot in The One Bullet Job — One bullet, one guard down. Hope it was the right one.

There are 120 jobs across 20 chapters, and each chapter adds something new, like laser gates, air vents and keycards. Grab some cash and get out for one star, take all of it for two, and do it within par for three. There’s also a new heist every day, and a crew of masks and outfits you unlock just by playing.

It should be out on Android soon, so when it lands, please give it a try! The game has its own page on the site now if you want a closer look.