Unique sci-fi shooter Skin Deep launches on PC April 30

Blendo Games has been hard at work for nearly seven years on a new and unusual game called “Skin Deep,” which is set to launch on Steam on April 30. This game is a first-person sci-fi shooter, but it’s not your typical space adventure filled with intense drama or realistic combat. Instead, “Skin Deep” boasts its own unique charm and quirky style, very different from most other games in the genre.

The setting of “Skin Deep” is a futuristic cargo starship operated by an insurance company, packed with valuable items owned by its clients. You play as a security officer who has been frozen in cryogenic sleep, waiting for any trouble to occur. When space pirates attack the ship, you wake up to find yourself in a world of chaos. The game allows you to explore various ways to interact with the environment, such as shooting, sneaking, sabotaging, and even experiencing some unusual smells, all represented with Blendo’s signature blocky graphics.

“Skin Deep” combines fun puzzles, humor, and action-packed sequences. Besides the usual first-person shooting elements, the game includes unique mechanics like sneezing and a smell system. These features add an extra layer to gameplay; for example, sneezing can create clouds of scent that attract nearby enemies. It’s a bit like “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2,” but with fewer medieval people and a lot more space cats. Yes, you read that right—there are cats on the ship that you can save, and some of them even wear cute cowboy outfits!

The game incorporates creative narratives around its odor mechanics. You will only become smelly when it fits the story, like if you end up in a trash shoot filled with fish bones. Your smell will disappear once you manage to clean yourself up, and the same goes for sneezing. The game developer, Brendon Chung, shared that if you crawl through dusty vents, your character’s sneeze level goes up, leading to a big sneeze sound. You can even throw bags of pepper at enemies to make them sneeze—this adds to the wacky fun of the game.

“Skin Deep” represents the most action-oriented game that Blendo has ever created. The studio, known for its award-winning games like “Quadrilateral Cowboy” and “Gravity Bone,” typically focuses on clever puzzles and unique gameplay. This game marks the studio’s first real effort in the first-person shooter genre. Chung, who has a long history with the FPS genre and started by customizing levels in classic games like “Doom” and “Half-Life,” is excited about this new direction.

In past conversations, Chung noted his passion for FPS games and how there is still so much untapped potential in the genre. “Skin Deep” explores quirky elements like well-dressed cats and unconventional mechanics that make it stand apart from other shooters.

The development of “Skin Deep” began around July 2018, taking longer than initially expected. The game is being published by Annapurna Interactive and is eagerly anticipated by fans. If you’re interested, a new demo is currently available on Steam, coinciding with the Steam Next Fest, which showcases various game demos and insights. The event runs from February 24 to March 3, giving players a chance to preview this unique game before its official release.