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FranknJohn = Binding of Isaac + Rogue Legacy + 3D!


​FranknJohn is a randomly generated death labyrinth. We love roguelikes, PDLs and crazy seat of your pants action, so we made a game with all that! It's been called Binding of Isaac meets Tim Burton in 3D, with dynamic, head-over-heels white-knuckle gameplay. We are currently on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitsmithgames/franknjohn

FranknJohn's head and body are connected by a chain, so he can swing his head around and smash it into enemies!


Game Features

• Launch FranknJohn's chained head with full 360° control
• Experiment with dozens of Skullcaps that alter gameplay in many different ways
• Random generated, sprawling levels packed with items, collectables and secrets
• Swappable and upgradeable body parts can be stitched onto FranknJohn, allowing customization to your playstyle
• Original Soundtrack by Ben Prunty of FTL fame
• Battle through four uniquely themed worlds and piece together the dark history of its occupants
• Perma-death, challenging enemies and powerful bosses will keep you on your toes.
• Skullcaps are one of the most exciting things about the game. Skullcaps can entirely change gameplay by giving FranknJohn different powers, such as flight, stealth camouflage, firebreathing and many, many more. See the video above for some examples!

We very recently added Co-Op! While it is still very early and a little buggy, it's already very fun! You'll be able to play the game on your own OR with a player. We plan to add a system that changes difficulty and drop rates in order to accomodate a single or multiple player experience. Watch Ralph and Paul play it!


Skullcaps can be put on your head, changing gameplay drastically. This is something that has always intrigued people, so we decided to create a little video showcasing a few of the best current skullcaps:


Below are some more skullcap concepts, of which 20 have been implemented or are near full implementation. The plan is to have over a hundred in the game. Not all will be beneficial, and some will have weird effects or allow access to locked off areas!


Here is a video showing some early gameplay:


As mentioned, four "floors" of a mansion are planned for the game. Each floor contains four levels, which must be beaten to unlock the next floor! Each floor has its own unique aesthetic, and it's own thematic emotion, which will affect how we design the enemies contained within the floors and the floor itself. As an example, the Furnace of Anger will contain very melee heavy, charging and aggressive enemies, and is filled with pools of seething lava and sharp metallic spikes.


Enemies

Each enemy has a behavioural pattern that can be learned in order to avoid their attacks. We dispensed with the traditional "touch to be hurt" mechanic in favour of a more animation-driven, expressive attack system. For example, the Zombie winds up his head and pauses for a split second before bashing it into FranknJohn. The Hedgehog stomps the ground before charging.

While this might initially seem easier, since attacks can be avoided, the attacks do a huge amount of damage, so constant vigilance and catlike reflexes will be required :)

There are minibosses that guard valuable items and treasures, as well as one boss at the end of every floor.


Future Planned Features

Body Parts: These are literal bits of bodies that FranknJohn can sew onto himself to boost certain stats and grant powers. For example, replacing his feet with winged hooves grants him the ability to float after jumping. These body parts can be upgraded using the currency of marbles, increasing their boosts!

Upgradeable Hub: FranknJohn begins the game in his little grave. Initially housing only a coffin, finding or purchasing shovels will allow him to dig out more sections of the grave, making it into a home he can be proud of :)

Shop: A merchant will be seen at the end of every level, and in FranknJohn's hub. Body parts can be purchased here, or upgraded, as well as other items. We are also experimenting with allowing skullcaps to be purchased too

Narrative: FranknJohn will have a narrative woven through it, along with certain choices he has to make along the way, including whether or not to kill bosses. Killing a boss, while difficult, will give an immediate loot reward. Saving the boss will be harder, and not give an immediate reward. However, there will be long-term implications for players who choose this approach.

Other Playable Characters: The game will ship with MaryAnne as a playable character. There are two more planned unlockable characters.


Release Date & Platforms

We are currently on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitsmithgames/franknjohn (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitsmithgames/franknjohn)
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, planned PS4, Vita, Xbox

Demo

FranknJohn currently has a non-random challenge arena demo.

Blurbs

"An adorable roguelike"-Destructoid
"The freedom to make my head spasm sold it to me" - Rock Paper Shotgun
"A Frankenstein's monster, something unique" - Eurogamer
"I'm in." - Patrick Klepek of Giant Bomb
"Rife with potential" - Nels Anderson
"I'm going to cry" - Cr1tiKaL plays FranknJohn (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpVhsdCYWSM)

And finally :)
We are @bitSmithGames on Twitter (https://twitter.com/bitSmithGames) and bitSmith Games on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bitSmithGames)!

If you have any questions, please ask away! I'm Basil, the artist on this project. You can reach me at @FirewaterSun (https://twitter.com/FirewaterSun)