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Black Dragon Mage from developer Datablob Studio looks absolutely nuts! Taking inspiration from all the bullet heaven games like Vampire Survivors, Brotato and pulling in some elements from Path of Exile and even…Bomberman? Apparently so.

All the usual insane action you've come to know from the survivor-likes, with all the crazy abilities you can get as you fight off the hordes but they're teasing something about dragon eggs and their contents. Hmm. With 16-bit inspired visuals, plenty of creatures and big boss fights it looks like a lot of fun. 

Yes, this is likely to be the next game to sucker away all of my free time. Releasing sometime in Q4 this year with Native Linux support and they said it will work great on the Steam Deck too as it was "Designed and developed with Valve's Steam Deck in mind" they told me.

Check out their brand new trailer:

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Feature Highlight:

  • Decimate legions of demonic enemies with magic projectiles and area damage that only grows more powerful.
  • Channel your inner wizard to aim and cast your spells with pinpoint accuracy.
  • Forge your own path by experimenting with combinations of powerful defensive and offensive abilities such as the Shield of FrostSummoned FlameCardinal Strike, and Fiery Pentagram!
  • Level-up and tweak your build until it reaches dizzying heights of power; every run brings a fresh perspective!
  • Turn the environment to your favor using your (often outrageously explosive!) strategic genius, outmaneuver your foes by leading them into deadly traps!
  • Endure the relentless waves, or...
  • Perish and return stronger by unlocking meta-upgrades and fresh weaponry in the Temple of Relics with the gold you've gathered during your tireless runs!

Wishlist / follow on Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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6 comments

hardpenguin Jul 6, 2023
Quote"Designed and developed with Valve's Steam Deck in mind"
These are sure interesting times and I love it 😄
datablob Jul 6, 2023
Hi! Solo indie developer behind Black Dragon Mage here.

Thank you for covering the game! Excited to hear what people think about the upcoming demo.
By the way, since people have been asking me on social media, I just wanted to note that 16:10 support (incl. the native 1280x800px resolution of the Steam Deck) will be there at launch!
hardpenguin Jul 6, 2023
Quoting: datablobHi! Solo indie developer behind Black Dragon Mage here.

Thank you for covering the game! Excited to hear what people think about the upcoming demo.
By the way, since people have been asking me on social media, I just wanted to note that 16:10 support (incl. the native 1280x800px resolution of the Steam Deck) will be there at launch!
scaine Jul 6, 2023
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Argh! I'm about a third of the way through the IYL article on horde-survival and it feels like every week I wait there's another one to consider!

It'll be ready for the end of July though. Just have to hold out until then!

Picking this one up for sure though.
Pengling Jul 8, 2023
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Quoteand pulling in some elements from Path of Exile and even…Bomberman? Apparently so.
Bomberman, you say? You've got my attention. Seriously, though, I feel that this genre in general draws a bit from Bomberman in terms of having to think on your feet and use whatever power-ups you get as best you can, at the very least.

Anyway, I haven't picked up anything other than Vampire Survivors yet, and this looks like it might well be my sort of thing, so I'll be keeping an eye on it.
StoneColdSpider Jul 8, 2023
Quoteand pulling in some elements from Path of Exile and even…Bomberman? Apparently so.
Be careful saying that...... The world "Bomberman" summons a Pengling......

[Edit]
And so a Pengling has appeared above me.....


Last edited by StoneColdSpider on 8 July 2023 at 9:07 am UTC
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