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Stay DeadNewsDevlog - Building the Combat System in Unity
Community

Devlog - Building the Combat System in Unity

Stay Dead · published 20 Aug 2025, 18:21 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

Punchlines and Protocols: Building the Combat System in Unity

It’s been a monster of a month, figuratively and literally.

We’ve reached that beautiful, terrifying moment in development where every system connects. Suddenly, your game starts talking back to you. Like, talking. With punches, combo chains, camera shakes, and a boss AI that now throws syringes at your head.

The Combat System in Unity Just Got Real

Our team has been sketching, testing, and refining the combat system in Unity for weeks. At last, it’s starting to bite back.

Each playable character is now equipped with light and heavy attacks, combo chains, and special abilities that trigger once their energy bar fills. Stu, our favorite undead underdog, was the first to receive animated moves. These are already implemented and feel satisfyingly crunchy in motion.

Better yet, we’ve introduced family recovery mechanics. If a family member goes down, you can bite them back to life instantly, or trigger a slow-spread “virus animation” where they collapse, twitch, and rise as a fully reformed member of the undead resistance. It’s tactical. It’s dramatic. It’s very us.

Refactoring the Feedback System

Combat only feels good if it looks and sounds right. That’s why we’ve started restructuring our feedback system into five specialized layers:

  • Visual effects

  • Camera shakes

  • Color tints

  • Impact flashes

  • HUD overlays

Altogether, these make up a modular response engine that reacts to every hit, dodge, or knockback with personality. Whether you’re smashing Cure Bots or dodging the boss’s ground slam, you’ll feel every moment more clearly now.

The Boss is Online

Our first boss fight is officially online, and let’s say it’s not here to play nice.

The initial behavior set is fully implemented. It can now chase players, smash the ground with dramatic flair, and hurl syringes with frustrating accuracy. We’re aiming to finish the full combat loop next week, followed by intensive balancing.

Watching the boss AI come to life has been one of the most entertaining (and chaotic) parts of development this month.

Hades in Motion

Animation-wise, our team turned their attention to Hades, the charming chaos king of the undead. His movement set is now in progress: idle, walk, run, sprint, and roll.

Early animations are looking strong, with exaggerated motions and tons of personality. It’s only a matter of time before he steals the spotlight with his signature flair.

What’s Next?

We’re hurtling toward our biggest milestone yet:
A fully playable demo level with all major systems in place.

It’ll include:

  • 3 playable characters

  • Core enemy types

  • A mini boss battle

  • Procedural levels

  • New VFX & feedback systems

  • Final sound passes and visual polish

It won’t be long now before we open the gates for a full hands-on experience.

Until then, we’ll be here. Punching, polishing, and perfecting the combat system in Unity, one headbutt at a time.

If you’re curious how the chaos comes together, follow us on Discord, Steam, or just send caffeine.

Wishlist our passion project, right here:


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