DevBlog #1 — The First Demo Is Out

Today I’m releasing the very first public demo of DEADFOOL.

This is a big milestone for me: the game has been in active development for a long time, and a lot of core systems are finally in place. At the same time, this demo is only the beginning — there’s still a long stage of polishing, balancing, improving readability/UX, and building the foundation for multiplayer.

What DEADFOOL is (right now)

DEADFOOL is my dark, table-top, “one more round” experiment: a deadly twist on a familiar card game loop, mixed with tense, cinematic interactions at the table. The demo focuses on delivering the core mood and the core loop: the table, the rules, the danger, and the feeling that every action has weight.

What’s inside the first demo

This demo already includes:

• The full playable core loop (round flow, win/lose conditions, resets).
• A tutorial path that teaches the rules and the table interactions step-by-step.
• Several special cards and table objects with unique effects and visuals (including the revolver moments).
• A complete “game feel” layer: interactions, hover/outline feedback, validation hints, and readable UI prompts.
• A lot of atmosphere work: ambient playback, a tuned audio mix, and a big set of SFX for cards and table objects.

Development highlights so far (from my worklog)

Over the last months I focused on getting the foundation solid before adding more content:

• Core gameplay & rules: building the full round loop, edge cases, and consistent state transitions.
• Special cards & interactions: adding distinct “rule-breaking” moments (and making them readable through hints, VFX, and sound).
• Cinematic table flow: contract signing to start, smooth camera transitions, fades, and “focus” moments.
• Presentation & UX: a hint bar system, hover previews, tutorial highlights, and a lot of small fixes to prevent misclicks and unclear states.
• Audio: ambient system, mixers, and detailed SFX timing (cards, revolver parts, beer, cigarettes, UI).
• Visual polish experiments: glitch/mask effects, card preview shaders, chromatic aberration/grain spikes for intense moments.
• Testing & iteration speed: play mode tests, debug buttons, and tooling to reduce manual re-testing.

What happens next

Now that the first demo is out, the priority shifts to polish:

• Balancing, pacing, and improving clarity of rules and special effects.
• More UX improvements (less friction, fewer “why can’t I do this?” moments).
• Performance and stability passes, plus cleanup of rough animations and VFX.
• Localization (English/Russian) so the demo is accessible to more players.

And yes — multiplayer is a real goal, but it’s also the biggest technical part of the roadmap. I’ll be taking it step-by-step: first architecture, then prototypes, then real playable networking.

Feedback

If you play the demo, I’d love to hear:

• Where the rules felt unclear.
• Which interactions felt great (or confusing).
• Any bugs, softlocks, or audio/visual issues.
• What you’d want most from a future multiplayer mode.

Thank you for trying the demo — and welcome to the first devblog.