Truth be told, Gamescom always delivers surprises in one way or another, but this week’s announcement felt like one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” reveals. The Indie masterminds at Poncle (you know, Vampire Survivors) have unveiled their next project: Kill the Brickman.
It’s fast, it’s kind of weird, and it already feels like the kind of addictive chaos only Poncle could dream up — at least we can’t think of another developer that crazy, truth be told.
Fans of the chaotic genre probably expected the studio to expand further on their cult roguelite. Far from it. Instead, they’ve dropped a brand-new game with a wild concept that instantly grabbed everyone’s attention, and not only because of their success with Vampire Survivors.
For many a roguelite fan who has followed Poncle’s rise from a relatively small passion project to a household industry name, this reveal is proof that they’re probably not quite done surprising us yet. And guess what, Kill the Brickman might just be their coolest move in that direction.
A Strange Title, an Even Stranger Concept From Dev Poncle
Kill the Brickman doesn’t quite sound like any fantasy epic or even survival sim we’ve ever heard. But we’re digging it, Ponclue truly is a master of the absurd at this point.
What we saw in the Gamescom trailer was a playground of chaotic destruction, and the best part; you’ve got the possibility to play it in co-op mode.
You and your (potential) allies are tasked with dismantling a colossal, blocky “Brickman”, who would’ve thought. Think of it like the concept of a boss battle turned into a wholly unique game loop.
Each encounter feels larger than life, with action galore and hundreds of smaller enemies swarming the screen. What we saw didn’t surprise us, but it still made an impact. Not to mention the clever mechanics designed to overwhelm players in the best way possible. True, it can be an overload for your system, but here it’s paired with a more deliberate co-op action game loop, with huge enemies that need to be dismantled. Piece by piece.
A Story OF Survivors and Slayers
What makes Kill the Brickman so unique, is how it effectively builds upon the now trademark DNA of Poncle, without simply copying and pasting it.
If you remember Vampire Survivors, this little indie gem was all about that typical horde mode, surviving endless waves, while your arsenal grows as you mow them down.
Poncle understands that fans of this genre do not want to do the same thing over and over again, in an endless, boring loop. Instead of cloning their other major release which is being turned into a Vampire Survivors board game, they’re treading into new territory, while still being undeniably themselves.
This title might just be different and unique enough to stand on its own, but still has enough Poncle DNA in it, to tap into the exact same demographic.
Poncle’s Memorable Gamescom Debut
The reveal trailer the guys and gals from Poncle put out was met with equal parts “huh?” and undeniable excitement. The screen was fill with neon-clad projectiles, hordes of cannon fodder to mow down and a towering Brickman ending the whole scenery. Of course, please don’t expect some quadruple AAAA (looking at you, Ubisoft) shenanigans, it’s still the same dev studio we’re talking about.
But it had that unmistakable style, that feeling of ‘just one more run’, which, arguably, made their first game explode in the gaming community in the first place. It didn’t just blow up on streaming services, however. The crowd at Gamescom was equally as pumped. For an indie studio, that’s exactly what they’d want to hear.
For Poncle, it’s pretty much just repeating history at this point, though.
Momentum And Utter Chaos
If you mentioned the name Poncle a few years ago, you’d probably only get a nearly withheld [bless you’. Think about it, Vampire Survivors began its life as a $3 curiosity, but it quickly became the indie milestone we know and love today.
This success became the road paved towards expansions, many ports and a community, that still comes back after each and every new patch the dedicated dev team releases.
With Kill the Brickman Poncle deserves credit not only for creativity, but for the fact, that it’s anything but a one-hit-wonder. No utterly safe sequel or half-assed DLC. This game seems to be an entirely new idea, that could easily grow into another indie juggernaut most fans of the genre probably won’t miss.
