Behind the Bites of Stay Dead

Devlog 3: Combat, Chaos & Camera Work

Andrea Rubio

Head of Marketing

Stay Dead - Blog #35

The world of Porto Morto is coming to life, one scream, slam, and syringe at a time. Over the past few weeks, the Stay Dead team has been bringing systems, visuals, and chaos into sharper focus. Combat is punchier, characters are more expressive, and the environment is starting to feel like the strange little zombie paradise we always imagined.

💀 Three Playable Characters. Three Wild Playstyles.

With our core systems implemented and polished, the Rottington family is finally fighting back:

Stu, our all-around brawler, now features fully animated light/heavy attacks, combos, and a brutal special move once his energy bar peaks.
Hades brings bone-snapping flair with exaggerated animations and a combat system that’s all about impact.
Blair, the latest to join the family, is a long-range specialist. Her mic-staff extends like a spear, and she uses a rocker scream-based combat to stun enemies with her voice.

Each character now plays with distinct rhythm and strategy—further shaping the heart of our action game combat system.

🦾 Combat Polish & Feedback Overhaul

We’ve spent weeks tightening up combat interactions across the board. Some recent improvements include:

Cleaner animation transitions
Sharper input timing
Smarter and more readable enemy behaviors

To give each move the satisfying oomph it deserves, we’ve expanded the feedback system with layers of visual effects, color flashes, HUD reactions, and good ol’ fashioned camera shake. The result? A combat system that feels physical, personal, and—honestly—kinda theatrical.

💥 Bosses, Bots, and New Bad Guys

Our first mini boss is now fully operational. With multi-phase mechanics like:

Slam attacks
Syringe bombardment
Expanding cure zones

…it’s the kind of fight that demands attention (and a few retries).

We also introduced the Cannon Bot, a new enemy that rains down airborne syringes. One hit, and you’re cured. That’s right—dodging just became a lot more personal.

🧭 Procedural Levels, Now With Mini Map & Constraints

Our procedural level system continues to evolve:

Room blockouts and layouts are now finalized
Logical constraints added for smoother player flow
A new mini map shows explored areas, special rooms, and your current location

It’s a small HUD addition with a big impact—especially in a world designed to surprise and challenge you room by room.

🎥 New Camera, Who Dis?

We made a major shift recently: moving from an isometric orthographic camera to a full perspective camera.

Why it matters:

Adds dynamic movement during combat
Improves depth in environments and character models
Gives everything a more polished, console-quality presentation

This one change dramatically transformed how the game feels to play—and unlocked new creative options for level and cinematic design.

🎨 The Art of Being a Zombie

While code and combat were leveling up, so was the look of Porto Morto. Here’s what our Art Team has been brewing:

🎭 Character Progress: All playable family members (except Bram) now have updated textures and their signature weapons. Stu’s polish pass is complete, and the rest of the family now sports the newest designs across the board.

🧱 Environmental Assets: Beach-themed props, trees, doors, and boats have been added to scene blockouts. One delightful extra: a sandcastle that collapses when you walk over it. It’s the little things.

🎬 Animation Work: The first “Get Bit” animation clip was finalized under serious time pressure, but the team made it happen. The result? A short but energetic animation that’s raw, fun, and full of Stay Dead energy. [Watch it here → link]

👾 Enemy & UI Concepts: We introduced a new NPC design (RIP), creatures for the beach level, and started early UI design treatments for in-game interaction and feedback.

💉 3D Testing: Finally, our 3D team began rendering a syringe-packed scene for visual experimentation—and yes, it looks as wild as it sounds.

Every update brings us closer to the vision we’ve been chasing from day one: a smart, weird, stylish action game with real heart and chaos. From refining the action game combat system to building richer environments and expressive characters, the world of Stay Dead is stepping into its own.

We’ll keep sharing progress as it unfolds—and if you’re not already following us, now’s a good time to join the rebellion on Discord [link here] or Wishlist the game on Steam [wishlist now] .

🧠
— The Stay Dead Dev Team

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